FN-49 WARNING: 8mm Egyptian Using Igman ammo

I can still get the bolt cover back on and it does cycle OK. The back of the receiver however does seem to have a slight concave shape to it. It looks like it was made that way but I will compare it to a FN that has not been KB. No use monkeying with it till I am sure. However bolt carrier sticks a tiny bit at the point where the dust cover slide sits when open. I have taken a caliper to the bolt carrier and it is bang on same width from end to end. The receiver does narrow by 2.5/1000 of an inch at the area above where the hammer sits in cocked position. My feeling is that a couple of very light taps with a brass drift at this point will solve the issue. I have ordered a new extractor and extractor holder (the originals could be straightened out in a pinch). The
SO once the crack in the stock is glued, it should be OK to fire in single mode.
 
tburdek said:
Only the Egyptian FN-49's lack the device on the bolt called the Firing Pin Safety Stop, which is present on all other models of SAFN-49 and is there to limit forward travel of the firing pin while the bolt is closing and not yet in battery, in effect removing most of the firing pin inertia that would be transferred to the primer. Only the Egyptians who ordered these FN-49s know why they lack this feature (which was obviously included for a reason, IMO), but I suspect that it is because they cheaped out.
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About ten years ago I have my Egyptian FN-49 blow up on me. The bolt carrier blew back and missed my right side of my head by 1/4". The bolt hit my shoulder and flipped over causing a 1" gash in my arm. scrapes etc. The brass from the 8mm round is embedded in both my hands, I have nerve damage and you can feel the brass chunk in my thumb.

The rifle stock was split, bolt was crushed and variety of small parts were broken. This is a poorly designed rifle and FN should be ashamed for leaving out such an important safety feature. The Egyptian FN-49 I had; had a one piece firing pin. I see that later rifles have a two piece. For that reason, the Egyptian FN-49 is not safe to shoot unless fixed. Check your FN-49's it's a known issue.

It's glad to hear you are unharmed.

BTW forget the lotto tickets, you won...

Pete
 
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That is amazing. Sad to hear about all the damage you encountered.

Mine did have a solid firing pin until about a year ago (I have owned it since mid 80s). I replaced it when it broke at the base. However I was given to understand that it was redesigned because the solid firing pin would tend to break and jam forward causing the rifle to go full auto OR detonate in the mag
Was your incident proven to be due to the firing pin?
My firing pin seems in prefect working order. It even has the stiffer spring to ensure that it retracts.

Your information is certainly sobering.
 
The firing pin jammed forward, This caused the primer to be struck prematurely before bolt locked into the action. The bolt carrier was not all the way forward when the round fired. The two piece firing pin is the solution to this type of issue. Later SAFN's have a two pc firing pin.

Pete
 
Pblatzz said:
The firing pin jammed forward, This caused the primer to be struck prematurely before bolt locked into the action. The bolt carrier was not all the way forward when the round fired. The two piece firing pin is the solution to this type of issue. Later SAFN's have a two pc firing pin.

Pete
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Was there a "swipe" mark on the primer (like an elongated firing pin strike dent from the outside diameter of the primer towards the middle)?

campo_one:
Also, your firing pin can be stuck forward in a two piece setup as well if it is bent, dirty, or for some other reason. So don't think that you are immune from this happening to you even if you switched from a one piece FP to a 2 piece, proper maintennance and checking is the key. I check mine after every range session while I clean it.
 
tburdek said:
Was there a "swipe" mark on the primer (like an elongated firing pin strike dent from the outside diameter of the primer towards the middle)?

campo_one:
Also, your firing pin can be stuck forward in a two piece setup as well if it is bent, dirty, or for some other reason. So don't think that you are immune from this happening to you even if you switched from a one piece FP to a 2 piece, proper maintennance and checking is the key. I check mine after every range session while I clean it.
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The primer looks very much like a fired case, but the dent is larger than normal. I have it but it is packed up. The FN bolt doesn't rock up that much on the front end, and I wouldn't believe a "swipe" would happen, Military ammo (berdan primed) is a pretty large area. Either way, it went off. There is only the rim of the case left, the body of the case separated or went all over the place and in my hands. The two pc firing pin is an improvement, and a good firing pin spring. Firearms maintance is very key on all rifles, and goes without saying.

Pete
 
The issues seem to be typically with the Egypt version, for reasons stated several times already - one piece firing pin and no safety firing pin stop.
 
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I had problems with Igman ammo before too. I tried some of the Igman 170 gr. SP ammo in my Browning Abolt SS 7mm Rem. Mag and the neck split on two rounds. I shot at least 100 rds of Winchester Supreme Accubond through her before that and have never had this problem nor is my headspace bad(had it checked to be 100%). I brought the ammo straight back to the dealer and he gave me a full refund. I've since stopped using Igman and dont recommend Igman in any calibre.
 
Hmmmm.... Good thing this has been brought forward again. I wasn't aware of this problem. I have an Egyptian 49, but had it stolen a few years back. When it was returned, the magazine was gone, so I haven't fired it since. I only fired milsurp ammo and some reloads. I can't recall if it has a one piece pin or not. I'll tag this rifle for some checking. Thanks for the heads up. :p:p
 
This is not news to me as my FN49 and a fellow club memeber a Guelph both had our FN's blow up. Split the lower stock I had also writen Igman about the issue and never heard back and have never used there ammo since. Note that I had a 2 piece firing pin from Numrich made no difference, still a worth getting one. Sorry for you loss but as other have stated this had been posted before, and you Heath and safty is #1 and your OK.
 
VERY informative thread. Man! I wasn't aware of that Egyptian FN problem. I've never owned one but have handled them. That is a scary event to say the least. I am sure having that blow up in your face was a terrible experience. I no longer buy Igman ammo of any kind. I have had HORRID accuracy issues with a few boxes of 6.5 X 55 out of my excellent deer rifle which corrected itself by simply switching back to my own reloads. I was shooting 14 inch groups at 100 yards out of a gun( with a lovely bore) that always groups sub MOA. The brass has too small a flash hole for the primer which plays hell with anyone reloading as they keep snaping off decapping pins and I also had case neck splitting in a perfectly headspaced rifle. That was enough to turn me off of it. I also could get no response from Igman.
Al
 
You're mixing up two issues here: well-known potential dangers with the FN49; and Igman ammo quality. The danger is that others will think that the FN49 is perfectly safe as long as you don't use Igman. All you know is that a round went off out of battery - I have seen this happen in the FN49 with milsurp ammo as well.

I would go so far as to suggest that a combination of a protruding firing pin and "soft", i.e. normal primers is what caused it. With a FN49, you need to make sure you have a two-piece firing pin, that the bolt is clean, and check for freedom of movement before first firing (especially if it's cold out). The other precautions are general to semi-autos. I would only use ammo with milspec primers, and avoid well-used brass that might separate - five or fewer firings.
 
I've had bad experiences with Igman .303 British. The primer failed in the pocket, the escaping gas actually cut the bolt face of my Lee Enfield. I'll never put Igman through anything I own again.
 
FN 49 Problems

I have been re-reading this thread and I have an Egyptian FN-49 in my collection.

Where would one find a gas regulator on an FN-49?
I have regular FN's L1's, C1's, FAL's in my collection with gas regulators, but I can't find any regulator on the 49.

BY Campo One :Being new ammo, I set the gas port to minimum pressure (that is port wide open).
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albayo said:
I have been re-reading this thread and I have an Egyptian FN-49 in my collection.

Where would one find a gas regulator on an FN-49?
I have regular FN's L1's, C1's, FAL's in my collection with gas regulators, but I can't find any regulator on the 49.
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Take the top front handguard off - you'll see it then.
 
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