FN C1's and C2's in civillian hands?

Wrong Way

Wrong Way

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
198   0   0
Location
Ontario.....far enough N of T.O. that I (almost) c
I got hinking about a Dewatt I saw a while back....it was a Canadian C2. Heres my question...how did whoever had it dewatted get it? I remember back when the FN's were being used....I didn't think there was any chance in hell of a civvy getting a C1...let alone a C2 :confused: The registry databse shows a bunch as well.

I just wish to hell I could remeber who had it. I had no real interest in MBR's back then, but it would make a cool wall hanger now. What would one of thes be worth anyway? I seem to recall he wanted a crapload of money for it.
 
Last edited:
I have a C2A1 dewat. I am not sure you are thinking about mine because I have never offered it for sale. It was for sale as a full auto on the EE for a while, and when nobody jumped at it, I purchased it and had it transferred to a local dealer liscenced for that class of gun. The deactivation was done there. My conscience did not sit well with deactivating that gun, it was a beautiful example. I am sure I have condemned myself to H-E-double-L for that one.

I also have the C1A1 dewat. Most of these are the ex-OPP guns that collectors source brought in. Their value ran from a low of $750 to a high of $1600. I hope to ad a non-8L gun to my collection one day. I have also managed to find a dewat SMGC1

The FNs, along with the SMGs, were available to DCRA shooters way back when, and as you mentioned, there are many of them still in private hands here in Canada. I think the number of C1s numbered in the 300 range, while the C2s were in the half dozen range.
C1A1C2.jpg

C1C2.jpg


It is also my understanding that a number of C2 receivers (and likely C1 receivers as well) were sold off when CAL closed it's doors. Many of these were passed around in the collectors circles and had been assembled in to guns. One of our local full auto guys lost his when he re-registered it as a 12.5 in the mid 90s. The RCMP sayed it was a C/A, and he argued that it was not since the receiver left the factory as a non-full auto. He lost.
There are also many C1/C2 wannabes on the market, built up on everything from Ishapores to Lithgow receivers. There are even some C2s built on C1 receivers. To find a legit C2A1 is kind of tough, since the numbers released to full auto guys was not high, verses the (non-restricted at the time) sales of the C1s.

The Canadian Forces stocks of these guns have now been completely smelted. I was talking to a guy in the know a few days ago who mentioned 250 of each were saved for museums, and future research purposes, and that all parts stock was also unable to be sold to the civilian market. In fact, even the Unertl scopes from the C3 rifles are destined for the crusher, due to their mil-dot specs.
 
Last edited:
C1 A1

I had a C1 a few years ago and it was still in the wrap. I sold it and never got another one. I have lots of Austrailian L1's and they are in Canadian wood. I would love to have another C1. I have a New C2 barrel one of my L1's.
 
"...you could buy them straigth(sic) from the factory..." The "factory" was Canadian Arsenals, Longbranch. No retail sales. No authority to release anything either.
There are a few C1A1's out there though. I knew the guy who had the, documented, very last C1A1 made. Haven't a clue how it got released though. I suspect, with absolutely no proof, they escaped via the prison system before Trudeau's gang of Socialist F**ks got wind of it and stopped it. Most of the rest of them have been chopped.
 
I saw a C1A1, C2A1, and C1 smg, in their original packaging, which had been privately purchased from CAL. I saw the paperwork which accompanied them, listing the prices paid. This was in the '60s.
 
sunray said:
"...you could buy them straigth(sic) from the factory..." The "factory" was Canadian Arsenals, Longbranch. No retail sales. No authority to release anything either.
There are a few C1A1's out there though. I knew the guy who had the, documented, very last C1A1 made. Haven't a clue how it got released though. I suspect, with absolutely no proof, they escaped via the prison system before Trudeau's gang of Socialist F**ks got wind of it and stopped it. Most of the rest of them have been chopped.
Click to expand...

They did direct sales to civilians. I met a fellow who showed me his gun and factory invoice. This was back in the olden days, when both companies and individuals were trusted by the government.
 
I actually recieved a call from a gentleman a while ago. Told me of an FN he had bought directly from the factory, along with an owners manula that said something akin to "for hunting only". He *said* he still has it, and the CFC doesn't know how to handle it because he wont give it up (it was his hunting rig for years) and is arguing that it does, indeed have a "sporting purpose" because his manual proves it.

Now I don't know this guy from adam, and he could be full of it. What I did tell him was that *IF* he managed to have the gun registered as non-restricted I would pay him entirely too much money for it. :)
 
sunray said:
"...you could buy them straigth(sic) from the factory..." The "factory" was Canadian Arsenals, Longbranch. No retail sales. No authority to release anything either.
There are a few C1A1's out there though. I knew the guy who had the, documented, very last C1A1 made. Haven't a clue how it got released though. I suspect, with absolutely no proof, they escaped via the prison system before Trudeau's gang of Socialist F**ks got wind of it and stopped it. Most of the rest of them have been chopped.
Click to expand...

I don't know about straight from the factory, but I do know that you could buy them (C1, C2, C1 SMGs) direct from the factory via the DCRA (or PRAs).
 
Might be a commercial FN sold by Browning Canada. They also sold Belgian made Uzis. There are no non-restricted FNFAL type rifles, all are 12(2, 3 or 5)prohibs, so if it is not registered, it cannot ever be.
At one time, FNs, ARs et al were sold across the counter, and if you wanted to hunt with one, that was your business. Folks too young to remember pre-'78 would not believe what was readily available.
 
stencollector: nice set you got there . that dark round color on the C1 where the hammer pin located, is that from dewat?
 
Wrong Way said:
I actually recieved a call from a gentleman a while ago. Told me of an FN he had bought directly from the factory, along with an owners manula that said something akin to "for hunting only". He *said* he still has it, and the CFC doesn't know how to handle it because he wont give it up (it was his hunting rig for years) and is arguing that it does, indeed have a "sporting purpose" because his manual proves it.

Now I don't know this guy from adam, and he could be full of it. What I did tell him was that *IF* he managed to have the gun registered as non-restricted I would pay him entirely too much money for it. :)
Click to expand...

It matters not what the gun was registered as. To transfer it, it would need to be verified and would then be identified as prohibited and seized.
 
Ok...

My knowledge of FN's is little... I know that I love them though.
Is it true that the Canadian version is the most sought after?

Anyway, is there any hopes of getting excellent condition ones, deactivated of course, for a good price (considering it is just a wall hanger.)
 
G37 said:
Ok...

My knowledge of FN's is little... I know that I love them though.
Is it true that the Canadian version is the most sought after?

Anyway, is there any hopes of getting excellent condition ones, deactivated of course, for a good price (considering it is just a wall hanger.)
Click to expand...

Canadian FNs are sought after here with the same intensity as a LongBranch Enfield. Difference is hundreds of thousands of LB Enfields were released, whereas there only now exists (likely) less than 1000 of each Cdn model, including what is in Cdn military holdings.

The Americans have been assembling FNs for a while now using parts kits and newly made receivers. They also seem to appreciate the Cdn top cover with it's charger guide, and the Canadian aperture type rear sight.

Your chances of getting exc Cdn FNs at a good price are slim to none. There is little to no supply, and reasonable demand.

stencollector: nice set you got there .
Click to expand...
Youre not coming on to me I hope? :rolleyes:

that dark round color on the C1 where the hammer pin located, is that from dewat
Click to expand...

Yes, the marks on both the C1 and the small one on the C2 are from the deactivation procedure. They are not as noticeable in real life; the digital camera will not miss a flaw.

"...you could buy them straigth(sic) from the factory..." The "factory" was Canadian Arsenals, Longbranch. No retail sales. No authority to release anything either.
Click to expand...


Below is a photo from Blake Steven's book N.A. FAL. It is a invoice from CAL to a qualified shooting organisation for a batch of FNC1s along with a couple spare mags. The rifles are priced at $225 ea, and the mags at $5.
c1invoice.jpg


Some of the members of this forum may well have some of these guns. The serial numbers are listed on the invoice.
 
tiriaq said:
Might be a commercial FN sold by Browning Canada. They also sold Belgian made Uzis. There are no non-restricted FNFAL type rifles, all are 12(2, 3 or 5)prohibs, so if it is not registered, it cannot ever be.
At one time, FNs, ARs et al were sold across the counter, and if you wanted to hunt with one, that was your business. Folks too young to remember pre-'78 would not believe what was readily available.
Click to expand...

Intersting. Between that and this:

redleg said:
It matters not what the gun was registered as. To transfer it, it would need to be verified and would then be identified as prohibited and seized.
Click to expand...

Now, consider for a moment if someone were to challenge that ruling. I know it can be done.....theres guys here with non-restricted AK's...the most evil of baby killing guns...right? It was demonstrated that that model had a "sporting application" and the Valmet became non restricted.

If this gentleman has written proof that the FN he posseses is, in fact, a "sporting rifle"...who's to say he couldn't challenge (and win)?

If guys can hunt with an AK, why not with an FN?
 
You will never win. These are their rules, not ours. Their rules say that the gun has to be not normally used for hunting in the opinion of the governor general. So it is his opinion, not reality that dictates what goes as prohibited.
The reason for the change on the Valmet was that the government had bought a bunch for the natives, or something like that. They only changed that prohibition because it was good for them, not because it did any good for us.

I used to take my AR15 plinking gophers all the time. In fact, it's model was "AR-15 sporter". The only reason we still have unprohibited access (but still restricted) to these guns is because somewhere a Colonel stood before a board and stated that to lose the AR15 would be to lose the service rifle shooting for the civilians in Canada.

If you look in that Ottawa Citizen database, you will find Brens, Stens, and FNs as restricted or non restricted. That is because whatever monkey entered the data would have typed "dataentrypeopleareidiots" if it was placed before him. Fortunately the CFC does not seem to go fishing into it's own database to chase these down. As mentioned, they will get caught on transfer and verification.
 
as noted you could buy them from CAL if you were with the ORA/DCRA either full or semi I had a CA C2A1 built in 1968 same time as the 8L series and pretty much the last contract CAL did I also had a 1956 that was DCRA i still have an 8L
 
curtton said:
that depends on whether i get a good price on your set of FNs, lol.:D
Click to expand...

:eek: :puke:

Go find your own. These are mine and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

The C1A1 was actually for sale on the EE (as a dewat) for quite some time before the seller lowered his price to what was acceptable to me. There will be more, no doubt, as the FA and CA guys get discouraged.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom