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Thread: Bent Luxemburg FN49 receiver, who can help?

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  1. #11
    Legacy Member waw44's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
    I wonder if it was battered because the recoil springs are out of spec, mushy?
    Again, unknown. I paid $250 for a box of FN49 parts. These two actions were in that box with all the other stuff. Missing receiver end was disassembled. No history. Look at the history below.

    Box of FN49 parts, junk or worth something? | Gunboards Forums
    Last edited by waw44; 05-10-2021 at 11:34 AM.

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  3. #12
    Legacy Member deadwood83's Avatar
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    that bolt was moving way fast. Way too fast. Locking lugs look fine, no abnormal wear there except the impact marks from hitting the receiver really hard. You can tell that FN made the bolt very strong. Much stronger than the receiver.
    Attachment 117332

    I would not try and cut and weld this one. You can see the thinned sidewalls (red), the impact points (blue). Even if we pretend the rear of the receiver took no load, you would need a very skilled machinist/welder to rebuild the sidewalls, bring them back into spec, re-cut features wiped by the repair, then reattach the rear, x-ray inspect welds, re-harden entire receiver and verify again via x-ray that stress fractures and crystallization is not happening in the steel. Maybe you could have somebody machine a rear half, harden, temper, weld, x-ray, then temper/harden/temper/x-ray the unitized piece. Anyway, crazy expensive.
    Attachment 117333

    Bolt carrier was moving fast. Way fast. You can see the rear of the receiver and bolt carrier are made of similar steels, since they left each other's profiles as markings.
    Attachment 117334

    This looks a lot like OOB. Check for a two piece firing pin.

    For reference, here are the results of multiple slamfires (4-6) and two OOB discharges on another FN49. The damage looks... identical.
    Attachment 117335Attachment 117336

    That FN49 was decommissioned and parted out. Another KB victim turned his into a lamp (sadly photobucket will not show images of said lamp, but it sounds neat?)

    In both cases, the prognosis was the same as below. Two piece FP (Lux, for the Egyptian lamp it was a one-piece FP which became 2 pieces with age) with excessive protrusion and control only on the rear half.
    Attachment 117337

    It sounds like you have two rifles (in a box of parts?). If I were in your situation I would:

    - Make a lamp or wall hanger out of the Luxembourg. Maybe weld something into the receiver to prevent live firing. I have no idea what you are into the two rifles, but unless you are really dedicated to reviving the Lux with ample application of cash (likely integer multiples of its working value), I just don't see it being safe.

    - Take the Lux bolt, build the Egyptian, use one-piece FP from Egyptian in Lux bolt (assuming it has the FP stop), have a good FN smith verify headspacing and FP protrusion on newly built rifle and keep the Egyptian bolt in a cosmo bag tucked at the back of the safe (assuming it is numbers matching) to keep it all original. This will address the majority of any possible issues with shooting the Egyptian and having it KB. If the Egyptian needs a new barrel or headspace is way off, Liberty Tree Collectors had 8mm barrels for the FN49 in stock for a paltry $80 including gas system and FSB. Unless the barrel on the Egyptian is shot out, the recoil springs are likely fine once gas is adjusted so it *just* locks back on an empty mag. Properly tempered coil springs fatigue with cycles, and rarely much when left compressed.

    That's just my two pennies. You could probably bend it back, and it would probably cycle and run. But is that worth the possibility of taking chunks of steel to the face/neck? More than that, is it worth somebody else taking chunks of steel to the face and neck while you know it might be structurally unsound?

    ETA: Holy smokes, $400? If you can make a single working rifle out of that, you are in good shape. Make sure to examine the bolt carriers and select one which can actually actuate the firing pin stop.

    For context on my welding talk: I build motorcycle frames and do engine swaps in my kitchen (bachelor life, hate the cold) where I TIG it all together. I trust my welds to not fail while I am on a 180lb minibike with a 30hp 300cc swap going at wholly irresponsible speeds. I would not trust my welding to fix this receiver.
    Last edited by deadwood83; 05-10-2021 at 11:47 AM.

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    Legacy Member waw44's Avatar
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    Thanks deadwood! That was pretty useful. I already have an Egyptian FN49 and this was always a gamble. The same seller had a bin full of stocks, other parts and these FN parts. Yea, the whole thing was $400, which makes these FN parts the $250 portion of the deal. I'm pretty sure the stocks alone will get me my money back on ebay, so whatever comes out of this FN project, it will be gravy. I will run your analysis by Guy Snelen (if he is still in business) and see what he thinks. Supposedly he does FN/FAL work, but your logic looks solid. Oh well.. a Lux wall hanger it may be.
    Last edited by waw44; 05-10-2021 at 12:15 PM.

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    Legacy Member deadwood83's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by waw44 View Post
    Thanks deadwood! That was pretty useful. I already have an Egyptian FN49 and this was always a gamble. The same seller had a bin full of stocks, other parts and these FN parts. Yea, the whole thing was $400, which makes these FN parts the $250 portion of the deal. I'm pretty sure the stocks alone will get me my money back on ebay, so whatever comes out of this FN project, it will be gravy. I will run your analysis by Guy Snelen (if he is still in business) and see what he thinks. Supposedly he does FN/FAL work, but your logic looks solid. Oh well.. a Lux wall hanger it may be.
    Remember, Lux is also a measurement of light (if you lamp it, please please please post photos. You have no idea how badly I want to see an Fn49 reading lamp.)

    I would be interested to hear what he says! After all, this is just the stuff I learned through schooling (opt eng. then mech eng.) and observation Guy may have a completely different opinion and I would love to hear it. Always looking for new things to learn.

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    Legacy Member waw44's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by deadwood83 View Post
    Remember, Lux is also a measurement of light (if you lamp it, please please please post photos. You have no idea how badly I want to see an Fn49 reading lamp.)

    I would be interested to hear what he says! After all, this is just the stuff I learned through schooling (opt eng. then mech eng.) and observation Guy may have a completely different opinion and I would love to hear it. Always looking for new things to learn.
    I'll post an update.

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    Legacy Member waw44's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by waw44 View Post
    I'll post an update.
    So, the rifle is with Guy Snelen at AMG. His analysis. It's gone. Not only bent, but also supposedly heated sometime in the past, and metal is no longer hard. The receiver can be bent easily. Barrel is also supposedly shot out.

    He is offering me some $ for the parts as payment on making the Egyptian FN operational. I'm bummed, yea, but I guess it was a long shot anyway.

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  11. #17
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    At least now you know and not guessing. It could have been worse and you try to use something that turns out to be destructive...bites the hand...
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member Bruce_in_Oz's Avatar
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    I vaguely recall that therewere some "issues" with the 8mm Egyptian 49's; essentially with the absence of the striker block mechanism.

    Back when FN-49's were just about being given away (late '60s, early '70s, "spare .30-06 Luxembourg / Belgian bolts were being swapped into 8mm models.

    I only ever owned an ex-Belgian .30-06 model, but lusted in vain for one of the 7 x 57 specimens.

    Then, I discovered FALs and REAL AR-10s......

  13. #19
    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce_in_Oz View Post
    I only ever owned an ex-Belgian .30-06 model,
    I had one too and it was a tired one, doubled up on the range until I changed a couple parts. That was AFTER the real FNs. This was instead of another M1icon at the time.
    Regards, Jim

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    Legacy Member waw44's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
    At least now you know and not guessing. It could have been worse and you try to use something that turns out to be destructive...bites the hand...
    Lux is gone, parts used as payment for the Egyptian. Egyptian adjusted, tested, refinished, put in a nice Belgian stock.

    So I got 1, oh well, for about $200 after all fees and stuff added up.

    Attachment 119427
    Last edited by waw44; 08-16-2021 at 10:22 AM.

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