Gentlemen...Luxembourg FN49 & Friends

[echo1]

Hi Fellas,

Just picked up a Lux FN49 that I traded 3 SKSs for. It's in decent shape and on the rack with an SVT, 7mm Venezuelan FN49, 8mm Egyptian FN, and a Winchester Garand. I'm a happy camper. PAX

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[BigDog67]

 

[BigDog67]

I have to ask WHAT this has to do with black powder? I'm positive BP would bubblegum this up beyond repair.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I moved this thread on over to Semi Auto Rifles...as that seemed like a better fit....
Andy

 

[66PonyCar]

Sweet! Caliber .30-06 Springfield??

 

[echo1]

I moved this thread on over to Semi Auto Rifles...as that seemed like a better fit....
Andy

Thanks Andy. I got in the wrong forum.

66PC, it is .30-06. On a side note PC, I've got a '66 Sunbeam Tiger with a warmed over '67 K code HP 289. It's my 3rd Tiger. PAX

 

[66PonyCar]

You'll have to give a range report after you take it out.

 

[TNThomas]

Wow! Good for you. Killer trade for you. I mean I love the SKS, but they are skyrocketing in price, too much in my opinon. Good for guys like you who are sitting on a few, then trade them at inflated values for ACTUALLY valuable guns. Somewhere over 15,000,000 SKSs made and just over 6,000 of the Lux FN-49! Simple economics would say "well played!" And thats not considering build quality! Amazing!

 

[echo1]

TNT,
It was a good deal and kinda a push on perceived value, plus being in Kali and trading with an LGS, it doesn't count against 5 annual sales. I'd had the SKSs for a few years. Within 3 months I moved 10 SKSs to 3 fellas. 2 guys picked up 3 each, one guy got 4 including an Albanian. That thinned out my pile to 29 keepers, Russian, Albanian, Romanian, Yugo (M59C), Chinese, and 9 Paratroopers. PAX

 

[OldBroad44]

Hey OP--Re your addressing us as 'Gentlemen' or 'Fellas'-- NWFA is not a male only forum. At least, I don't think it is....(unzip, rustle, rustle, zip)...Nope. It isn't.

 

[TNThomas]

TNT,
It was a good deal and kinda a push on perceived value, plus being in Kali and trading with an LGS, it doesn't count against 5 annual sales. I'd had the SKSs for a few years. Within 3 months I moved 10 SKSs to 3 fellas. 2 guys picked up 3 each, one guy got 4 including an Albanian. That thinned out my pile to 29 keepers, Russian, Albanian, Romanian, Yugo (M59C), Chinese, and 9 Paratroopers. PAX

Im curious if the SKSs will stay high in price. Theoretically they should fall after the panic buying, but there have been enough new gun owners join the club that demand might increase in a few years as they find out about military surplus. A good spot for you to be in! If you ever get tired of moving all that heavy annoying steel around, let me know, I would gladly lighten your load!

I don't think enough folks (me included) know about the FN-49. They are definitely under represented. Ive been shooting for about 20 years (probably less than you), and I literally just learned about them last week. You can't really fall into information on them, you have to look for it. I think they get skipped over due to thier non flashy looks. I mean there was only 30,000 Egyptians made, and you can still easily find new surplus barrels under $100! How does your Egyptian shoot btw? And whats the length of pull like? I know Egyptian Hakims are short, and ive been curious about their FNs. 8mm is my "big" caliber and I wouldnt mind owning one.

 

[echo1]

Hey OP--Re your addressing us as 'Gentlemen' or 'Fellas'-- NWFA is not a male only forum. At least, I don't think it is....(unzip, rustle, rustle, zip)...Nope. It isn't.

Sorry, it's generic phraseology for both sexes.

Im curious if the SKSs will stay high in price. Theoretically they should fall after the panic buying, but there have been enough new gun owners join the club that demand might increase in a few years as they find out about military surplus. A good spot for you to be in! If you ever get tired of moving all that heavy annoying steel around, let me know, I would gladly lighten your load!

I don't think enough folks (me included) know about the FN-49. They are definitely under represented. Ive been shooting for about 20 years (probably less than you), and I literally just learned about them last week. You can't really fall into information on them, you have to look for it. I think they get skipped over due to thier non flashy looks. I mean there was only 30,000 Egyptians made, and you can still easily find new surplus barrels under $100! How does your Egyptian shoot btw? And whats the length of pull like? I know Egyptian Hakims are short, and ive been curious about their FNs. 8mm is my "big" caliber and I wouldnt mind owning one.

One reason I took advantage of moving SKSs was the artificially high pricing. I polled some other forums to get some in put on selling "groups" of 3 at a time, for a few hunnerd dollars less than at an individual rate. When I decided to move on my hunch, I offered 3 C&R SKSs for $1500 in December. The first 2 dudes bought 7 rifles, one guy buying an additional C&R Albanian for $850. I could have made more ducat$ letting singles go, but I tried not to be greedy. I'd had them for years, so I didn't have a lot into them. I made out and the buyers were happy, and I made some new friends.

Wayne Johnson has an excellent resource book, "The FN-49, The Last Elegant Old-World Military Rifle". Copies of the Luxembourg sale invoicing (6160 rifles, the entire Army inventory), has my rifle in crate # 147, of 154 crates, at $21.00 bucks per rifle, in 1966. They retailed for $79.00 then (crank up the time machine). Not being able to get together on a Hakim price with an LGS, is how I fell into this Lux. The FN49 and the FAL were developed by the same designer, Dieudonné Saive, and produced almost simultaneously. I'd like a FAL but I've got an SAR8 (Greek HK91 PSG1 clone) in 7.62X51 NATO. With 4X50 glass, it;s a tack driver at distance. I've been at it since 1960 and sold off my iron twice in 40 years . PAX

 

[TNThomas]

Ah, thats cool you can track down the exact crate! Pretty crazy how few of those there are, and that most of them are probably in the states. Very neat. Ive got a belgian FAL and yup, gas block, shut off, and bolt look exactly the same. I made the mistake of shooting Tula steel cased .308 a few years back. Had a case rupture by the rim. Escaping gases literally ballooned my magazine and out fell 15ish rounds onto the ground. Pretty spooky. I stomped the magazine flat again and it runs like a champ. No more steel .308 however. Brass ammo only for that one! I do wish the FAL had a bolt handle attached to the actual bolt however, like the FN-49 has. You can be more aggressive with it if needed.

I just did a similar small version of inflated pricing and sold a bunch of surplus and odd ball ammo in order to get a realoading setup. Now I can afford to make and feed it proper ammo. I got the FAL when there was still cheap .308 surplus, but was pretty bummed when the supply dried up.

Was also able to put ammo sale money towards a new in box Soviet Olympic "TOZ 35m" single shot 22LR free pistol. I spent over 38 hours carving the factory target grip blanks it to fit MY hand. I can literally leave my hand limp and its fitted in such a way that I only have to focus on the 0.705 oz trigger pull, really cool gun. Rumor is a Russian Olympic Team free pistol coach died a few years ago, and his wife sold a few hundred off his to importers after his passing.

Also sold a Mosin Nagant at $350. Used the funds to buy this Zastava 8mm double set trigger priced at $350. Mauser action. Great trade in my opinion. Im pretty sure this was a civilian seizure as part of the Balkan wars. It was covered in cosmoline. I was surprised to find the right side of the reciever drilled and tapped from the factory. Exact spacing and thread size as Lyman peep sights so I tracked down an old steel set and put them on, should be fun!

Now my sites are on wheeling and dealing to get a Finmish M39, wish me luck!

 

[echo1]

Great work TNT, some fine looking iron. The closest I've come to is adding finger groves to some poly SKS furniture. I wouldn't trust myself with beautiful wood. PAX