FN Model 1949
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal · Battle Rifle · Out Of Production · 1949
Also known as: SAFN, SAFN-49, FN-49, ABL, AFN
Overview
The FN Model 1949 is a Belgian gas-operated, tilting-bolt, semi-automatic battle rifle designed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal. Saive escaped Nazi-occupied Belgium in 1940 carrying the rifle's design plans, continued development at Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield as the EXP-1, and finalized the design after returning to liberated Liège in 1944. Chambered in a wide range of full-power cartridges to suit export customers - most prominently .30-06 Springfield, 7×57mm Mauser, 7.65×53mm Argentine, and 7.92×57mm Mauser - it fed from a 10-round internal box magazine loaded via stripper clips. Sold to roughly 26 nations, the FN-49 was the conceptual bridge between WWII-era self-loading rifles and the modern battle rifle: its tilting-bolt action directly informed the development of the FN FAL, which Saive also co-designed.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4310 g (152.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1116 mm (43.94") |
| Barrel Length | 590 mm (23.23") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 835 m/s (2740 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3380 J (2493 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .30-06 Springfield · primary — also known as 7.62x63mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: 5 Round Stripper Clips X2, Internal 10 Round Box
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Tilting Bolt Lock, Internal Box Magazine, Stripper Clip Loading, Iron Tangent Sights, Optional Oip 4x Scope
Variants
- FN-49 7×57mm Mauser — Venezuela
- FN-49 7.65×53mm Argentine — Argentine Navy
- FN-49 7.92×57mm Mauser — Egypt
- AFN — Belgian Select Fire
- FN-49 Sniper — Scoped Oip 4x
- FN-49 7.62 NATO conversion — Argentine Conversion
Service history
Operators
- Belgian Army · adopted 1949 · as ABL SAFN-49
- Egyptian Army · adopted 1949 · as FN-49
- Venezuelan Army · adopted 1948 · as FN-49
- Luxembourg Army · as FN-49
- Argentine Navy · as FN-49
- Indonesian Army · adopted 1960 · as FN-49
- Colombian Army · as FN-49
- Belgian Congo / Force Publique · as ABL SAFN-49
Conflicts
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Suez Crisis (1956)
- Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949)
- Belgian Congo Crisis (1960-1966)
- Six-Day War (1967)
- Falklands War (1982)
Production
Estimated total produced: 176,000 · Production years: 1948-1961
Belgium 87,777; Egypt 37,602; Venezuela 8,012+; Luxembourg 6,306 (incl. snipers); Argentina 5,536+. Sold to ~26 nations total.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Dieudonné Saive
Discontinued: 1961
Notes
Source variance on action type: most cite gas_operated_short_stroke; some sources call it long_stroke. Production end varies 1957/1960/1961 by source. Argentine Navy rifles were converted to 7.62×51mm NATO with detachable 20-round mags by Metalúrgica Centro in late 1960s/early 1970s. Belgian Army contract was largest at ~87,777 rifles.
Background
Saive escaped Nazi-occupied Belgium in 1940 carrying the rifle's plans, reaching England via Portugal in 1941. Development continued at Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield where 50 prototypes were built as 'EXP-1' in 7.92×57mm Mauser before a planned 2,000-rifle troop trial was cancelled. After returning to liberated Liège in September 1944, Saive finalized the FN-49 in 1947 - making the rifle the literal mechanical ancestor of the FN FAL.