The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - FN-49 Owner's Room

Webleymkv · April 5, 2010, 11:31 AM

In my opinion, rebarreling to a different caliber isn't worth the trouble. 8mm Mauser is very similar ballistically to 30-06 and I doubt that anything you shoot with either one would know the difference. Also, 8mm surplus ammunition is very inexpensive while 30-06 surplus is becoming scarcer and more expensive all the time. Good quality JSP 8mm Mauser isn't significantly more expensive than comparable 30-06. In my mind, the only thing rebarreling would accomplish would be ruining the collector value of the rifle.

Also, there are only three 7.92 cartridges that I am aware of. The first is 7.92x57J Mauser which is the same thing as 8x57J Mauser. The next is 7.92x57JS Mauser which is the same as 8x57JS Mauser. The difference between the J and JS cartridges is the bullet diameter as the J uses a .318 bullet while the JS uses a .323 bullet. The J round is obsolete and hasn't been chambered in a military rifle since the 1890's though there were some commercial sporting rifles chambered in it made well into the 20th century. The third 7.92 cartridge is 7.92x33 Kurz which, as far as I know, was only ever chambered in the MP-44 assault rifle.

To my knowledge, Egypt never used 7.92x57J nor 7.92x33 Kurz in any of their weapons. The two 7.92mm semi-automatic rifles used by Egypt were the FN-49 and the Hakim. Rather than moving to the 7.92x33 Kurz as an intermediate round, Egypt chose instead to go with the 7.62x39 in the SKS, Rashid, and AK-47.

I wouldn't be too irritated with the seller as I doubt he knew fully what he had. Even amongst the gun and shooting community, the FN-49 isn't a particularly well-known rifle. It would be an easy mistake as most of the FN-49's made were indeed chambered in 30-06. Other calibers include 7x57 Mauser (Venezuela) and 7.65x53 Mauser (Argentina). The Argentine navy also later converted many of their 7.65mm rifles to 7.62x51 NATO so as to use the same ammunition as the FAL rifles used by the Argentine army.

Also, the slide behind the bolt handle is a dust cover. The gas system adjustment is a rotating collar that requires removal of the top handguard to access.

April 5, 2010, 11:31 AM	#89
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	In my opinion, rebarreling to a different caliber isn't worth the trouble. 8mm Mauser is very similar ballistically to 30-06 and I doubt that anything you shoot with either one would know the difference. Also, 8mm surplus ammunition is very inexpensive while 30-06 surplus is becoming scarcer and more expensive all the time. Good quality JSP 8mm Mauser isn't significantly more expensive than comparable 30-06. In my mind, the only thing rebarreling would accomplish would be ruining the collector value of the rifle. Also, there are only three 7.92 cartridges that I am aware of. The first is 7.92x57J Mauser which is the same thing as 8x57J Mauser. The next is 7.92x57JS Mauser which is the same as 8x57JS Mauser. The difference between the J and JS cartridges is the bullet diameter as the J uses a .318 bullet while the JS uses a .323 bullet. The J round is obsolete and hasn't been chambered in a military rifle since the 1890's though there were some commercial sporting rifles chambered in it made well into the 20th century. The third 7.92 cartridge is 7.92x33 Kurz which, as far as I know, was only ever chambered in the MP-44 assault rifle. To my knowledge, Egypt never used 7.92x57J nor 7.92x33 Kurz in any of their weapons. The two 7.92mm semi-automatic rifles used by Egypt were the FN-49 and the Hakim. Rather than moving to the 7.92x33 Kurz as an intermediate round, Egypt chose instead to go with the 7.62x39 in the SKS, Rashid, and AK-47. I wouldn't be too irritated with the seller as I doubt he knew fully what he had. Even amongst the gun and shooting community, the FN-49 isn't a particularly well-known rifle. It would be an easy mistake as most of the FN-49's made were indeed chambered in 30-06. Other calibers include 7x57 Mauser (Venezuela) and 7.65x53 Mauser (Argentina). The Argentine navy also later converted many of their 7.65mm rifles to 7.62x51 NATO so as to use the same ammunition as the FAL rifles used by the Argentine army. Also, the slide behind the bolt handle is a dust cover. The gas system adjustment is a rotating collar that requires removal of the top handguard to access. Last edited by Webleymkv; April 5, 2010 at 02:19 PM.