Got the bug bad and wound up with a Venny and a Lux.

So far looks like the Venny was pretty much unfired... external condition is probably 95% on the metal..wood is very nice with just normal dings. Bore is mirror..bolt face still blued with a fresh primer residue ring on it. So it's fired very little and somewhat recently. Has a sling on it thats probably in the beginning stages of red rot. Will try some pecards on it tomorrow. Yes it came with a 1 piece firing pin so I'll have to get one.

The Lux was also in nice shape but you can tell it was shot due to the wear in the action...also has a very nice bore with no throat erosion and tight muzzle. Little more finish wear but the stock is still in great shape. Came with a 2 pc firing pin.

Took the Lux out but didn't shoot for groups.. just to set the gas system...range was underwater from all the rains. Took six rounds of 1957 Yugo M2 ball to get it adjusted to eject and lock the bolt back. Empties landed 10 ft away at about 2-3 o'clock.. brass was undamaged during ejection. Sights are pretty darn close as I was launching soda cans. Fired 4 more rounds to confirm and came home. Will take it back when its more dry and give it a workout at 100yds to see what it can do.

Biggest chore now is working up some 7x57 loads.  I would like to use TAC but there is no data for it in this caliber.  May do some experimenting and see if it will work.  Plenty of other similar case sizes use TAC so good chance I can come up with something.

2 pc firing pin is on order...but I'll probably run some test loads over the chrony with the gas off to eliminate any doubling.













Venny sling looks original but it's gone...my hand has brown dust on it every time I grab the sling.



Venny parts on right.

Very nice rifles !!!

Where did you find a slotted 2 peice firing  pin ?

Picked up one of them not too long ago, hardest part was trying to find the proper bayonet. Not cheap either.

Damn, I've always wanted one.

Got a non-slotted one from Springfield Sporters.....and I have a dremel...  :)

LOLI wish you luck

Nice!  Always wanted one in .30-06, but settled for 8mm.....

Short 7mm range report. Didn't shoot for accuracy just across the chrony to see how TAC would work.

Rifle was fired with the gas off and one round loaded from the magazine. 1 pc firing pin still used at this time.

40grn with 139 SST got 2680 to 2760
40grn with 162 AMAX got 2580 to 2650

No signs of pressure..primers look good on both loads. Seem to be a fluctuation in velocity due to the powder not filling the case. Will try a few more tests but it appears TAC will not be a good option...thats a shame because it meters like water. 

Will probably revert to the old standbys... 4064 and 4895.


HEYA Brian...  we need to coordinate and you can shoot it sometime!

Indeed sir...let's make that happen....old school!

Please keep us updated on the loads you work up!

I don't reload but I have a friend that does for his 7mm Mauser.... I would like to know a good load for the FN49.

I'm almost out of the surplus that I have.

Very nice!  I've always wanted an FN49 as well.  There was a Columbian FN49 at a LGS back in the 80s that I drooled over, but never had the money to buy it.

Not a great picture


But a great gun to shoot. Some day I should actually check grouping out of it. Thus far, I've only plunked with it.

Nice rifles...what caliber is yours?

UPDATE... got the 2 pc pin and modified for the FPSS...works great.

Hope to get some new loads going with range time this week.

Going to stick with 162gr AMAXs for now...possibly going to try TAC again and 4895, 4320,4064.

Mine is 8mm.

Fired 15 rounds of the 162 AMAX over 40grn of 4064.. took three rounds to get the gas set correctly. Now empties land at 1 o'clock and 5ft away.

MV was ~ 2480 and I was getting 3MOA. Had to move rear up to the 300 mark to get POA to match POI. Rounds are about 5" left so will work on getting them centered next time out. With luck I'm going to use this a 2-gun match this month.

This rifle had to have been one of the unfired ones as there is no wear on the inside and the trigger is still "rough" compared to the Lux which has a much better trigger.

Nice, I also used to own a Venny for over 20 yrs.  Mine was not original condition as it was in a Fajen sporter stock.  Worked real well with the B-Square scope mount wearing a Leupold M8 3x scope.  After gas was set would turn off the gas to Grenade setting and use it as a straight pull rifle during bench shooting.  Wouldn't have to chase and look for the 7x57 brass on the range.



CD

Very nice OP.

I'm a neophyte wrt these, but how would one go about getting one?

Is it just looking out for when they pop up for sale? Any places where they pop up for sale, with some regularity (certain forums, websites, etc.)?

Any parts kits, or are those long gone?

What AR-180 setup is that?  AR lower w/ the buffer tube chopped off?

Dealers haven't had them for ages, so they will all be found on the secondary market. Keep your eyes peeled on the EE here, gunjoker, Surplus Rifle Forums Classifieds, FAL Files Marketplace, et al...

What he said... x87

Thanks for the response guys

I'll keep an eye out, but I should probably do a lot more reading first

Just got a another new FN...this time an Argy in 7.62.

Went out for a test fire with the gas wide open...darn thing was shucking brass 15ft!

After about 10 rounds it settled in at 8-10ft but wow..

So I can only go UP with the gas on this one....

came with a few mags and a nice AAMZ bayonet as well.

pics?

I found a Venezuelan FN49 on sale at a local pawn shop for $800.

Really.

All-matching, pretty decent finish. I scooped it up the same day. Please forgive the potato-pics







It's a bit over-gassed with PPU 139-grain SPs but that's easy to fix. Sadly the previous owner decided to twist the two inner recoil springs together behind the recoil spring guide rather than have one in front of the guide and the other one behind. It's a mess.



I have a new recoil spring assembly on the way. To close, here are two awesome rifles that I'm happy to own.



ETA: Unsure why vertical pics are now upside-down

Funny but MY venny had the two wires twisted together as well!! I was like WTF?

I notice you are missing the venny specific hider...that will be tough to find.... however someone I saw was making copies a few years back..you might be able to track one down so it looks "right".

$800 is a good price...thats about what I paid for mine.

At least I'm not alone in having a jacked up spring. Mine bends so much sometimes it kinks really far on re-assembly and doesn't permit the bolt to move all the way back.
I suppose it's not the most intuitive system but generally if you have to force something on a firearm you're doing it wrong.

You're right about the FH. I figured it would take just a little work online to find one but they're pretty scarce. That goes for the factory-type scope mounts too.
I'm still pretty pleased with the rifle. I just need to get some 7x57 dies and make some cheapish ammo.

Don't forget you most definitely have a 1 piece firing pin...
You need to get a 2 piece one and will most likely have to cut a slot in the rear half with a dremel like I did.

What's a good commercially available ammunition for the  Venezuelan  FN 49 ?

Any should be fine...open the gas ALL THE WAY open and fire a round and close it until you get good ejection and the bolt locks open.  Then it's set for THAT ammo only...


Repeat this when you change ammo...

Good rifles. Just don't heat them up and cool them down.

There is a reason for the FAl though you will likely not find it here.

I've owned 2 Ven FN49s. My first one was stolen and I replaced it with one of the nicest one I have ever seen. I shoot the 70s FN ammo out of it and it works great. I did replace the one piece firing pin with a 2 piece and was actually lucky enough to get one with the safety relief cut in it.

Simply gorgeous.

Well my Venny can certainly shoot!





Thats at 200yds  :)

I don't get it.  Why would anyone get all excited about a heavy old fashioned early semi auto?

Probably because they only made about 7000 of these not millions like other old fashioned early semi autos.

I'm just kidding.  I wish I could get a nice FN49

My LGS ran a mint (in every sense of the word) Lux .30-06 with mint bayonet about a month ago on one of the auction sites and it brought $2500.00.

I used to Jones after a FN-49 till a guy gave me a Kaboomed one and I made a lamp of it. I bet I get more use of it as a lamp than i ever would have as a non-kaboomed shooter.

Pulled off a 276-4x at CMP Eastern Games with it....  it's a keeper!