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LSB#: 170504DL01. Make: Fabrique National (FN) Model: Model 1949 (FN49) Serial Number: 4123. Year of Manufacture: 1949 – 1961. Caliber: 7x57mm (7mm Mauser) Action Type: Semi Auto, Detachable Magazine. Markings: There is no visible import mark. The top of the receiver is marked with the Venezuelan crest, “. / L” and with an “arrow” (2 Belgian proofs). Scott, W&C Monte Carlo B 1892-1934+. Sharps Rifles Serial Number Ranges. Smith & Wesson - Single Action Pistols, First Model.22, Second Model.22, New Departure Safety Hammerless, Ladysmith 1902-1911+. Spencer Slide Action Shotguns. LC Smith Serial Numbers and Date of Manufacture.

• This rifle is chambered in 7.62 NATO and has all matching numbers with one original magazine included. The Argentine Navy ordered a total of 5,537 rifles in 7.65mm Argentine. Many of these weapons were later converted to 7.62mm NATO and fitted with a 20 round detachable box magazine. Argentine Navy rifles are marked with the Argentine crest and ARA on the receiver. Very uncommon FN 49 variant.
• My FNX-9 serial number is: FX1U0xxxxx and I believe 'FX' is FNX line or 'F' is FN Company and 'X' is FNX line, '1' is the year 2011, 'U' is for USA and the rest is production number and check number or just the production number. I call the manufacture and got the run around but the guy confirmed the year based on the '1'.

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Currently online: (all information is copyrighted)

• FN Browning 1899, 1900, 1903, 1905 - 1906 and Baby pistols: Guide to identification: See below
• Beware of FN marked, Walther style, PP Pistols: See below
• Popular misconceptions on FN and FN Browning Firearms: See below

Related NRA articles online: (all information is copyrighted)

• Trench Sweepers; Browning & Ruby Pistols in the Great War
  Originally published in American Rifleman Magazine -- Click here for NRA article
  
• The FN Browning 1903
  Originally published in American Rifleman Magazine --Click here for NRA article
  
• Inside the Pistols of FNH USA
  Originally published in American Rifleman Magazine --Click here for NRA article

Important Notes: Please do not email us unsolicited photographs of an item or gun you are trying to identify or date. Unsolicited attachments like photos will be deleted or returned unopened. Due to the increasing number of time consuming inquiries, we can only respond to select emails, time permitting.
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Identifying and differentiation the FN Browning Pistols:
FN Browning Model 1899 and 1900,
FN Browning 1903,
FN Browning 1905 (1906) Vest Pocket and Baby Browning pistols
FN Browning Model 1910 and Model 1922

Following is a guide for identifying FN Browning pistol models:

FN Browning Model 1899 vs. FN Browning Model 1900: The Model 1899 was first produced in January 1899 and closely resembles John Browning's prototype. It can be differentiated from the FN Model 1900 by the following features: There are no safety markings and no lanyard ring, the frame has small side-plates. The grips are secured with studs and nuts. The FN Browning 1900 was introduced in 1900 after Belgian military trials requested changes to the Model 1899. The Model 1900 has larger grips which are secured with screws, has French language safety markings (Feu & Sur), a lanyard ring and larger frame side-plates.

FN Browning Model 1903: The Model 1903 in 9mm Browning Long was manufactured for the military market. It was not a copy of the Colt 1903 as is often reported. FN requested a (military) handgun design from John Browning in 1901. The same prototypes were presented to Colt and FN, Colt opted to manufacture a pocket pistol while FN tried to fill a void in their line by offering the design as a military pistol.

FN Browning Model 1905 / 1906 vs. FN Baby Browning: The Model 1905 is often referred to as the Model 1906, generally in the U.S. it is known for its first patent year '1905' while in Europe, 1906 refers to FN's first manufacturing year. This model is also commonly known as the Vest Pocket model. The Baby Browning was introduced by FN in 1931, the pistol is smaller than the Vest Pocket model. The Baby Browning is a total different design from the earlier Vest Pocket pistol, parts are not interchangeable.

Beware of Walther style PP pistols that are on the U.S. market with FN - Fabrique Nationale - slide legends…

These are not FN made pistols and do not feature the typical FN quality. The PP pistols were made in one of the former Soviet countries and are available with any marking or manufacturers marking at extra cost. Somebody ordered a batch of these pistols with FN’s older legal name marked on the slide, this was done solely to mislead buyers / collectors into believing that they were getting a genuine FN made gun. FN never produced the PP and these were not made for the Belgian police as often claimed in U.S. advertising. Belgian law-enforcement agencies did not use the PP or PPK.

Popular misconceptions on FN
and FN Browning Firearms

The following misconceptions circulate in the international collector community. Here are some answers and comments that may clarify how the facts were misunderstood.

General History

• FN was a German company?!

FN has always been a Belgian company, from its inception up to the World Wars. It should be noted that the company did endure a German majority take-over from 1896 to 1914. In such, the majority of shares were in hands of a German company. Majority ownership however does not mean that a company changes national identity. During both World Wars the company was sequestered and under German control.

• FN was established by Loewe in Germany?!

The Belgian government (not FN) purchased the production rights for the 1889 Belgian Mauser and ceded those to FN. Loewe had no influence or control in the establishment of FN. FN engineers did purchase equipment and technical assistance from Loewe after the company was in existence. Loewe was selected after FN engineers had explored buying their machinery in the U.S. but ran into problems when U.S. manufacturers did not want to modify and make the machinery on metric specifications.

• FN was crucial to the German war effort and produced many guns for the German military?!

FN was not one of the most useful bodies to the Germans in WWII. Instead it was more a source of aggravation for the Germans, as they could not get production up to desired significant numbers prior to 1943.

FN Browning Pistols

• The Browning 1900 was the first Browning produced pistol?!

Because no research was done for decades, the first Browning pistol is often credited to the FN Browning 1900. We know now that the 1900 was a modified 1899 model. The 1899 was the first of the Browning pistols to go into production at FN in January 1899. The 1900 followed in mid 1900 after the Belgian military requested changes to the original Browning design. There is a clear distinction between the 1899 and 1900 models, their production run and production periods.

• The Belgian army adopted the FN 1903 and 1922 in the pre-WWII era?!

One of the most unfounded assumptions is that the Belgian army adopted both the 1903 as well as the 1922 in the prewar era. The Belgian military only adopted four pistols in the pre-1940 era:

1. The 7.65mm FN Browning 1900 in the year 1900
2. The 7.65mm Colt 1903 during WWI as FN was occupied
3. The 7.65mm 1910 model in the year 1919
4. The High Power in 1935. The Belgian government made no equipment updates in the 1920s. The first signs of replacing or adding to the pistol inventory dates from 1930. This was further spurred on (among a general modernization) in 1933 when Hitler gained power. The first broad army evaluations for the 9mm x 19 High Efficiency (not High Power) date from 1933. The confusion with the 1922 comes from the fact that the Belgian military did end up buying the pistol in 1945. This was done because the model was readily available from FN right after the war. The Belgian government bought A-prefix pistols as well as newly produced pistols in those years. It also used wartime-produced pistols that were left by the Germans. Almost immediately there were issues / complaints about the magazine safety being present on some pistols and not on others making it difficult to train military personnel on a new pistol procedure as not all pistols were alike.

• The FN Browning 1910 was made during WWII and supplied to German officers?!

Only two pistol models were produced; the 1922 model as well as the High Power.

• The first High Power pistols date from before 1935?!

A frustration that advanced collectors share is the fact that the High Power and High Efficiency are rarely credited correctly. The forerunner of the High Power was the High-Efficiency, so named by FN in 1929. The High –Efficiency model was catalogued and made available in the 1929-1930 period. I suspect that the High Efficiency was made in very limited numbers just like FN did with the 1903 model before securing a large military contract. Just like distinguishing the 1899 and 1900 models, it is important to call a pistol by its correct designation.

FN Military Mausers

• All prewar military Mausers were 24/30 models!?

The confusion with FN Mauser models originated with the 1930s FN Catalogs, which often showed the 24/30 nomenclature. This was done as customers could select either model, as both models were available in the early 1930s.

This nomenclature should never be used today in order to identify rifles as customers did either select a 24 or a 30 model. There is no such model as a 24/30 as there is no hybrid between the two. There are distinct differences between the 1922, 1924, 1930, and 1950 models.

• FN produced Mauser rifles for the German military during WWII!?

Unlike stated in many places, FN never produced any Mauser rifles during the occupation. Only a select few parts were made, most notable barrels and bolts. Those were exported to other plants and FN’s role was only to supplement parts production.

• FN had a FN 1935 Mauser!?

Another great misconception is that many claim that FN had a 1935 Mauser model.
FN never adopted this as a factory designation; it was solely the model designation of their customer. As such, the Peruvian rifle is not a FN Model 1935 but rather a Peruvian 1935, the same is valid for the Belgian military 1935 (both rifles are totally different from one another). Both designations are military designations and are not FN designations. FN did indeed print literature and manuals in Spanish for their Peruvian customer. The Peruvian Mauser is referred to as ‘Modelo 1935’, just as it is on the rifle. These designations are references to the Peruvian designation. FN often printed up literature for their customers and included the customer’s requests as happened in this case.

The Fabrique Nationale Model 1949 (often referred to as the FN-49, SAFN or AFN) is a rifle available as both a semi-automatic rifle and as a selective fireautomatic rifle designed by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale. It was used by the militaries of Argentina, Belgium, the Belgian Congo, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Luxembourg, and Venezuela. The automatic rifle version with selective fire produced for Belgium was known as the AFN.

While well regarded for its high build quality and reliability in comparison to the rifles of the time, its marketability was limited, as it was not developed in time for use in World War II but later, as many militaries had already begun the switch to selective firebattle rifles. An unknown number of FN-49's were produced as selective fireautomatic rifles, but the small 10 round box magazine limited the usefulness of the fully automatic feature.

The FN-49 found itself in direct competition with a number of more modern rifles such as the Heckler & KochG3 and Fabrique Nationale de Herstal's own FN FAL, resulting in limited sales.

• 1History
  • 1.2Production lifetime

History[edit]

Development[edit]

Dieudonne Saive, Fabrique Nationale's then chief firearm designer, experimented with a number of recoil-operated rifle designs in the early 1930s. While little came of these experiments, they would become the basis for a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, which he patented in 1936 and prototyped in 1937. (Photographs of these prototypes still exist, and they show a number of characteristics that would later appear in the FN-49.)

FN's new rifle was still in development in late 1938 – early 1939, and a version with a 5-round magazine was about to be marketed. But when German armies invaded Poland, these plans were delayed to increase production of bolt-action rifles and machine guns.

The German invasion of Belgium in May 1940 interrupted any plans for the production of the new model, as Liège, home of FN's factory, was occupied by the German military. Despite this setback, Saive was able to escape to England via Portugal in 1941, where he continued work on what would become the FN-49.

Fn 49 Rifle Serial Numbers List

By 1943, Saive was back to working on his experimental rifle, now in 7.92×57mm Mauser. Late that year, the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield ordered 50 prototypes (designated 'EXP-1' and sometimes referred to as 'SLEM-1' or 'Self-Loading Experimental Model'). Based on tests with these prototypes, Enfield placed an order for 2,000 rifles for troop trials, but a last-minute problem with the moderation of the gas pressure (as well as the impending end of World War II) led to the cancellation of this order. Despite this, Saive (who had returned to Liège shortly after its liberation in September 1944) continued work on the rifle, and finalized the design for the FN-49 in 1947.

The FN Model 1949 is not ammunition specific since it does have an adjustable gas port or valve to adjust the rifle to various propellant and projectile specific pressure behavior, in which the gas port can be adjusted with a special wrench. This also requires removing the upper forward handguard for the adjustment.

Production lifetime[edit]

The contracts for the SAFN 1949 rifle started in 1948 with the first order placed by Venezuela on March 31, 1948, delivered exactly four months later. The last production contract of complete rifles was ordered by Indonesia on December 19, 1960 and delivered by February 19, 1961.^[4]

Some sources claim pre-production models for demonstration and testing were produced in 1948, making rifle ready for contract orders and mass production. Other sources however claim the rifle was trialed with the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1947, The Netherlands Navy trials did not however lead to a sales contract.

FN started looking for customers, but the communist states were not an option (as they were required to buy or build Soviet designs). The Western European nations had vast stocks of World War II firearms. They also could get American and British weapons aid, which was inexpensive or free. So FN decided to market to the non-aligned countries, who did not want to commit to Western or Soviet doctrine, which was inevitable when accepting aid.^[5]

The first contract production of the SAFN 1949 rifle was delivered to Venezuela by May 31, 1949 composed of 2,000 rifles in caliber 7×57mm Mauser with an additional 2012 rifles including cut-away training demonstration rifles delivered by July 31, 1949.^[4] The remaining rifles of the Venezuelan contract of 8,012 rifles were sold as surplus in the United States, and are prized by US collectors, sportsmen, and hunters because of the unique features ordered by Venezuela, the general good to excellent condition of the surplus rifles and the superb accuracy of the 7×57mm Mauser cartridge.

The second contract was for the Egyptian government ordered on May 30, 1948 and delivered by June 10, 1949, 100 rifles chambered to fire the 8×57mm Mauser cartridge. While initially a small contract delivery Egypt would eventually purchase 37,602 SAFN 1949 rifles total.^[4]

The third contract was ordered by the Belgian government starting with thirty test rifles on May 12, 1949, received on August 31, 1949, and made a second larger order for 100 test rifles delivered by December 12, 1949. The Belgians would make a contract for production of the SAFN 1949 rifle on August 24, 1950 for 6000 rifles in caliber .30-06 Springfield. The Belgians designated the rifle as the ABL SAFN-49, ABL is an acronym for the Belgian Army in both French and Dutch; 'AB' for the French 'Armée Belge' and 'BL' for the Dutch 'Belgisch Leger'. The contracts for the SAFN 1949 rifle made by FN for Belgium totaled 87,777 rifles total, composing almost half of all FN-49 rifles ever produced.^[4] A fully automatic, selective fire version, known as the AFN was produced for the Belgian military. It is sometimes stated that all the ABL weapons were either built as a selective fireautomatic rifle or that all could be readily convertible to selective fireautomatic rifle. The AFN was also used by the Marines of the Belgian Navy or ZM-FN. (Zeemacht - Force Navale).

Luxembourg was the fourth country to order the SAFN 1949 rifles with the first order placed on October 4, 1950 and taking possession of the first 1500 rifles by May 5, 1951. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would eventually purchase a total of 6,306 rifles including rifles specifically for Luxembourg's Gendarmerie, which were FN-49s that comprised standard models, training cut-away rifles, and sniper variants, all in caliber .30-06 Springfield.^[4] The Luxembourg models except for the Gendarmerie contract were sold as surplus in the United States, some were distributed to purchasers in larger US chain retail outlets. The Luxembourg models are sought after for two reasons: first, because of the particularly good condition of the Luxembourg surplus rifles; and second, because these FN-49 rifles were chambered for the .30-06 Springfield, a cartridge popular in the US sport shooting and hunting communities. Very few .30-06 FN-49 rifles from other contracts have been imported into the United States, making the Luxembourg rifles the only affordable option for an FN-49 in that caliber.

Indonesia, the Belgian Congo, and Colombia would make up the fifth to seventh contracts all produced in caliber .30-06.^[4]

Argentina requested the eighth contract ordering 5,536 SAFN 1949 rifles in caliber 7.65×53mm Argentine on July 29, 1953 for use by the Argentine Navy after an initial order of one test rifle in 1948.^[4]

Fn 49 30.06

Several prototypes were made in other calibers, including at least five in 6.5×55mm for testing in Sweden, one in caliber 7.5×54mm French for testing in Syria, one in caliber .30-06 for testing in the United States, and one in caliber 7.62×51mm NATO for Brazil.^[4]

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A very small yet unknown quantity of commercial rifles chambered in .30-06 were imported to the US and Australia by Browning some time during the 1960s. These rifles are incredibly rare and few examples have been documented. They are configured with a polished checkered stock with a rollover cheek piece and side mount.

Fn Herstal Serial Numbers

Argentinian modification[edit]

Contrary to some speculation FN did not contract or produce the Argentine conversion of SAFN 1949 rifles from 7.65×53mm Argentine to 7.62×51mm NATO. While FN did receive and then later deliver an order for a conversion of a single rifle in March 1967 the remaining armory stock of the Argentine rifles were converted domestically by Metalúrgica Centro a company formerly known as Fábrica de armas Halcón. Metalúrgica Centro provided and installed in each rifle a new barrel in 7.62×51mm NATO, modified each ejector, and modified each trigger guard to take a new 20 round detachable box magazine. The converted rifles were provided with proprietary 20 round detachable box magazines manufactured by Metalúrgica Centro to fit the SAFN 1949 rifle conversions. The 20 round steel magazines are proprietary but were made to share the magazine loading charger with the FN FAL rifle used by the Argentine Army.^[4] These chargers are the same as for the Mauser Kar-98k, and thus not interchangeable with standard NATO stripper clips. These are very inexpensive via surplus dealers. Not only are Mauser 98 stripper clips not interchangeable with 7.62×51mm NATO standard, but also not with old 7.65×53mm Argentine versions.

A very small number were later used in the Falklands War as sniper rifles by the Argentinians.^{[citation needed]}

Surplus Argentine rifles function quite well, but many imported magazines were poorly cut down to 10 rounds due to US import restrictions.

Users[edit]

• Argentina^[4]
• Belgium^[4]
• Brazil^[4]
• Colombia^[4]
• Democratic Republic of the Congo^[4]
• Egypt^[4]
• Indonesia^[4]
• Luxembourg^[4]
• Turkey
• Venezuela^[4]
• Zaire

Similar weapons[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abc'Le fusil semi-automatique belge S.A.F.N. 49'. Action Armes & Tir (in French). No. 161. December 1993. pp. 32–35.
2. ^Cashner, Bob (2013). The FN FAL Battle Rifle. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. p. 10. ISBN978-1-78096-903-9.
3. ^Reynold, Dan. 'The Rifles of Egypt 1922 - 1958'. carbinesforcollectors.com.
4. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnopqr}Johnson, Wayne (2004). 'The FN-49, The last elegant old-world military rifle', Wet Dog Publications, ISBN0-9707997-2-1: p. 46-49.
5. ^Firestone, Adam C. 'Historic Firearm of the Month, October 1999'. www.cruffler.com. Retrieved 2018-03-23.

External links[edit]

Fn 49 Rifle History