Ok guys need some help here.
I bought a FN49 several years ago at an auction to replace an Egyptian one I sold for book money when I was in school.  I have never shot it ( which you will see is a good thing).  I always assumed that it was also an Egyptian in 8mm.  However in reading an article in Surplus Firearms on the FN49 I am reconsidering.

The article says the Egyptian rear sites are in Arabic ( I think my first one was)  This one is 1-10.  Which makes me think that it is NOT Egyptian and therefore NOT 8mm.  Sadly the crest has been removed so I cannot tell which country it was originally indended.  Its serial number is 37XXX.  On the left side of the Reciever ( next to where the crest was) you can see a small E and a sword like symbol).

I tried to fit a 30-06 and found it to fit, mind you so did a 8mm.

Any ideas on how I can tell which chamber I have?

If both .30-06 and 8mm fully fit till the bolt locks, it would have to be a .30-06. 8mm sometimes does fit into .30-06 chambers, and it's a BOMB if you pull the trigger. I would not advise you doing any further checking in that manner, in fact.

FN 49's were also made in 7mm and 7.65mm, and some converted to 7.62x51mm, but no way would any of those (or 8mm) take a .30-06 round.

Yes thats what I was thinking as well. 30-06 seems to be the longest.

I did not have any 7.65 to check..

I also read that 5 were made in 6.5x55


So basically the odds are that it is 30.06

But how can I know for CERTAIN without playing Russian ( or in this case Belgian) roulette??

I would buy some Cerrosafe from Brownell's, catalog #080-027-050 for a 1/2 pound for $10.84 U.S., and make a casting of your chamber. Then you'll know EXACTLY what it's chambered for. No guessing. www.brownells.com

Take a .308 30 cal bullet " projectile " and drop it in the chamber, If Its 8mm it will slide down the bore and come out the muzzle . You most likely have a 30:06 since the serial # isn't in arabic numerals.

Damnnn now I thought that would do it.

However,,,, the 7.62 (.308) did not fit from the muzzel end??

Do bullets contract that much in firing?  I would think that they would as they are pressed into the lands and grooves of the barrel.

However now I am afraid that it might be a 7mm Venesuelan???  Hmmmmmm  

Going to have to get some OAL data for 7mm and see if a 30.06 would chamber in a 7mm Mauser.

As for Cerrosafe....I will have to see if I can find it in Canada. Getting firearms related items over the border can be "interesting" specially through the mail system.  Which is why I asked for Niagara Members in another post....no help on that issue as of yet.

If it is in 8mm mauser, under the bolt stamped on the reciver will be 7.9 ( meaning 7.92mm-which is 8mm ). The barrel will have 7.9 stamped on it also in front of the gas block.

6.5mm--------------------5 produced for testing

7mm Mauser---------------8,003 produced for Venezuela

.30 M2 (.30-06)----------125,072 produced for Belgium, Belgian Congo, Luxembourg, Indonesia (Dutch East Indies), Columbia, and Brazil

7.5mm--------------------1 produced for testing

7.62mm-------------------1 produced for testing

7.65mm-------------------5,541 produced for Argentina

7.92mm (8mm Mauser)------37,641 produced for Egypt and British testing

http://walnut.tmcom.com/~jlandry/firearms/FN49.html

THANKS FLASHBANG.. I have been running search engines all weekend which did you use.


From what you said I think that I must have a 30.06

The serial number 37XXX pretty well eliminates the 7mm ( which I was worried about)
  the 6.5x55 ( I wish!!)
   7.65 ( mind you some ot theirs were changed to .308 from what I have read. but then again my 30.06 round would not fit.)


Thanks for all the help

Quoted: THANKS FLASHBANG.. I have been running search engines all weekend which did you use. From what you said I think that I must have a 30.06 The serial number 37XXX pretty well eliminates the 7mm ( which I was worried about)   the 6.5x55 ( I wish!!)    7.65 ( mind you some ot theirs were changed to .308 from what I have read. but then again my 30.06 round would not fit.) Thanks for all the help

I recently purchased a Egyptian FN-49 8mm mauser at a gun show for $350.00 in exc. condition. It's not a collector item but @$69.00/1440 to my door for ammo its a keeper.
The barrel bore is in rough condition, but Century Arms has NIB barrels for $29.95. A easy fix.
There are many sources for parts.
samcoinc.com and gunpartscorp.com are good starts.
Found the FN49 web site using Yahoo, it seems to be the best info on that rifle without buying a book. The only thing I can't find out about is the serial number range and where it was manufactured. Seems the recods for these guns were not keep or just not used.
Good luck
let me know what you find out.

I emailed FN to see if they could be of any help.  As far as I have read they were all made in Belgium.
I only have one basice problem now.  I have several hundred rounds of 8mm that I have bought over the years thinking that some day I would take the FN49 out for some fun.....Now I do not have a rifle that shoots it!

What a terrible delema!!  I guess I will have to go and buy a 98K or something!

Mind you it does make the idea of stocking up on 30-06 a little easier....it can share with my M1 ( hmmm I have never shot it either!!)

Thanks again for the help

As for Cerrosafe....I will have to see if I can find it in Canada. Getting firearms related items over the border can be "interesting" specially through the mail system. Which is why I asked for Niagara Members in another post....no help on that issue as of yet.

Huh? Cerrosafe isn't a gun specific item. It's a casting material with many other uses outside of firearms. Brownell's carries it for obvious reasons, but there's no reason that it would be banned or restricted. Not even in canuck land.

Does anybody still offer new 30-06 barrels
for the M49?  I was considering buying one
in 8mm and converting it.  John

Quoted: Does anybody still offer new 30-06 barrels for the M49?  I was considering buying one in 8mm and converting it.  John

I was told that even though they are the same rifles, the dimensions of the parts from different caliber rifles differ.  

www.gunboards.com/forums/UltraBoard.cgi?action=Headlines&BID=29&SID=636417

www.l1a1.com/cgi-bin/forums/ultimatebb.cgi

www.l1a1.com/cgi-bin/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=007926

www.l1a1.com/cgi-bin/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=002908

OSA

You'd be surprised Jim Dandy!!

I friend of mine had his package refused at the border....

The item in question....SCREWS FOR A SCOPE MOUNT!!!!


Anyway I just got back from the range where I was sighting in my Black Powder gun ( season opens tomorrow) and doing some plinking with my 8 year old.  LOW and BEHOLD the guy at the next bench pulls out.....AN FN49!!  

LOL His was an Egyptian in 8mm and had vastly different markings ( all arabic).

So I am now sure that I have a 30.06

Incidently he was having a heck of a time with torn off rims....

I take it he needs to adjust his gas...

A few idle remarks re: FN49’s:

Century Arms put together some FN49’s out of parts in the 1990’s.  These will no doubt have all sorts of different markings on them.  I believe these were all in 7.92.  However, I wouldn’t think they would have made it to Canada.

Per Poyer’s “SAFN-49 Battle Rifle”, there is quite a difference in parts between the calibers.  Here are just a few examples:

--------------------- 30-06: --- 7.92:

receiver width:------- 1.18” --- 1.27”
mag well opening:----- 3.4” ---- 3.26”
bolt carrier spring:-- 91 coils - 84 coils
triggerguard screws:-- 3 screws - 2 screws

The gas cylinder and plug are definitely different (personal experience).

The 7.92 does not have a firing pin stop (or safety), the other calibers do.  I posted a photo of a firing pin stop at www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=72155 , second page.

Also per Poyer, the 30-06 and 7X57 have the serial number and FN markings on the right of the receiver, the 7.92 has them on the left.  The 7.65 has no markings on the right and FN markings only, on the left.

Lastly, Sarco has used .30-06 FN49 barrels for sale.

Quoted: Per Poyer’s “SAFN-49 Battle Rifle”, there is quite a difference in parts between the calibers.  Here are just a few examples: --------------------- 30-06: --- 7.92: receiver width:------- 1.18” --- 1.27” mag well opening:----- 3.4” ---- 3.26” bolt carrier spring:-- 91 coils - 84 coils triggerguard screws:-- 3 screws - 2 screws

Hmmm...

Numrich/GPC (wish they'd make up their minds!) recently had some newly made FN 49 stocks for sale. My 8mm came with such a worm-eaten piece of crap for a stock that I've never fired it in 15 years I've had it. Can't even find a blank long enough to carve one out. Anyway, I asked GPC which model the stocks were for and they said they'd fit any caliber. I was a little skeptical and figured they'd be of uglywood anyway, so didn't buy.

Anybody got any suggestions? Though I'd prefer walnut, I don't care about actual authenticity and just want to try out some of this cheap 8mm ammo that's piling up around the house.

Fuzzbean-

Take a look at www.northridgeinc.com/sp_fn49.htm for a stock.  I see they had stock sets wo / metal for $75

I bought the bayonet for my FN49 from them.  If you are in the market for a bayonet for a FN49, the ones Smokey Mtn Knife has is in better condition for $5 less.  


OSA

Quoted: Numrich/GPC (wish they'd make up their minds!) recently had some newly made FN 49 stocks for sale. My 8mm came with such a worm-eaten piece of crap for a stock that I've never fired it in 15 years I've had it. Can't even find a blank long enough to carve one out. Anyway, I asked GPC which model the stocks were for and they said they'd fit any caliber. I was a little skeptical and figured they'd be of uglywood anyway, so didn't buy. Anybody got any suggestions? Though I'd prefer walnut, I don't care about actual authenticity and just want to try out some of this cheap 8mm ammo that's piling up around the house.

Try
http://www.dupagetrading.com/

Actually 199 I think that the guy next to me with the Egyptian 49 on Sunday had one of the Century Arms ones ( they operated in Canada as International Firearms in the late 80s)  It had a new walnut stock and a black plastic but plate.

Thanks for the measurement data.  I will look into it after my week of hunting.

Speaking of which............I got a nice Doe this morning with my white mountain carbine black powder rifle!!!