Did Egypt re-barrel any of their FN 49’s in 7 mm Mauser?

[KneverKnew]

A local gun store has an Egyptian FN 49 for sale. They have it labeled 7 x 57. When I asked if this was an error, they said no, that Egypt had re-barreled a large number of their FN 49’s after the war. I have never heard of such a thing. Does anyone else know of this happening, and if this is possibly a legitimate rifle? They are asking $800. The rifle looks well used and worn, but the bore is in fairly good shape.

[browningautorifle]

Yes they did...they came out in Cartridges
.30-06 Springfield
7.92×57mm Mauser
7×57mm Mauser
7.62×51mm NATO
7.65×53mm Argentine

[KneverKnew]

Yes they did...they came out in Cartridges
.30-06 Springfield
7.92×57mm Mauser
7×57mm Mauser
7.62×51mm NATO
7.65×53mm Argentine

I am fully aware that the FN 49 was released in those various cartridges. The question at hand is did the Egyptians re-barrel their 8 mm FN 49 into 7 x 57 at some point after the war. That is what the local gun store is asserting about this particular Egyptian FN 49

[browningautorifle]

I am fully aware

You're welcome.

[limpetmine]

I've got an 8MM barrel with gas nut somewhere, if you want to set it up 8MM.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Which War?

FN-49. Starting date?Apart from Pre-ww2 prototypes and wartime fiddling in Britain, not much happened until 1946), after the Germans had long gone and FN were rising from the seriously battered ashes..

I doubt Egypt would have done a 7mm conversions it is fairly certain they never used the cartridge anywhere else. Until Nasser linked up with the soviets in the mid 1950s, 7.92 x 57 was THE service cartridge in Egypt. Note also the Egyptian 7.92 x 57 version of the Swedish AG-42, from which they developed the very cute 7.62 x 39 "Rashid". carbine.

Venezuela was one of the few customers for 7 x 57. They liked 7mm so much that their initial FAL purchase was in 7mm "Liviano"; basically 7.62 NATO necked down to 7mm. Apparently also known as the "7mm, second optimum"; developed during the last gasps of the EM2. This cartridge later resurfaced as a "legitemized" sporting wildcat, the 7mm-08.

Buy the rifle, not the story. The early and late "trials" SAFN / FN-49 models are VERY collectible, but most are in "official" museums. Does this one come with an "original hooked-quillon" bayonet?

[Brian Dick]

The short answer is no. Someone has rebarreled an 8x57 with a 7x57 barrel post service is my uneducated guess.