FN49 Ejection Question -- Mystery Solvers Sought

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I recently acquired an FN49 rifle in 7mm Mauser. After 8 hours of detailed disassembly and cleaning, it has turned out quite nicely, with one exception: it won't eject the spent cases.

I have tried every gas setting possible and have tried extensive options with light, medium and heavy loads and with different bullet weights. One time in a hundred it will eject as expected. About 34 times in a hundred the case will either fall to the ground immediately beside the rifle or will remain loose on top of the magazine follower. The other 65% of the time the extractor drags the case behind the ejector and the case gets jammed between the extractor and the back side of the ejector.

After testing multiple pressure levels, I simply began cycling it manually, with exactly the same results.

I got a new ejector, but have the same results, despite the fact that the new ejector is substabtially less worn than the original. I have tried four different types of brass with identical results.

Three gunsmiths have looked at it and cannot identify the problem.

Curious if anyone else has run into anything like this?

Thanks!
 
Is the gas port clear - the actual hole drilled through the barrel.

We used to have a specific drill bit to ream out the hole on the FN C1A1.

Good luck.
 
Is the bolt travelling all the way back? If you load one round and fire does it engage the last round hold open? If that is happening I’d doubt it’s a gas system issue. When you cycle manually does the case start to fall out before hitting the ejector? Does the extractor move as it should? Ie not to loose and not unmovable.
 
If you can take a look at the bolt face just as the ejector starts to poke through. See if it ejector is all the way in the slot in the bolt (extends far enough into the bolt face to hit a case). I wonder if the different cartridges have different lengths of ejector? I’d assume most fn49 parts are interchangeable as 7x57, 8x57 and 30-06 cases are same base but I don’t know for sure if that matter.
 
I would take out the recoil spring so it will cycle easier , than hand cycle it with dummy rounds and see if the extractor grabs the cases properly.
Mine is an Argentine one converted to 7.62x51, had to do some work on the gas system since it threw the cases into the next province.
 
Excellent observation. The original ejector had worn somewhat thin and was a bit rounded at the top. I was struck at how much thicker the new extractor was and how squared it was at the top. I have seen extractors deacribed as "7mm", "8mm" and "308" extractors. This was was labeled "7/8 mm". I resized 8x57, 270 Win and 30-06 Spr brass to 7x57 and they all had the same issue. I had hoped that the 30-06 or 8mm might catch, as that would have offered some evidence. The ejector sits in the proper place. What is odd is that the case is being held by the extractor and dragged over top of and behind the ejector.
 
I would gladly walk to Saskatchewan to pick up my brass if that solved things! :) Excellent idea -- will remove the springs and see if there's any difference.
 
37patt said:
Is the gas port clear - the actual hole drilled through the barrel.

We used to have a specific drill bit to ream out the hole on the FN C1A1.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks -- yes, checked that and it's completely clean and open. The bolt travels with some force backwards until it jams with the case rim behind the back side of the ejector.
 
Still sounds to me like your ejector is too short. If it was me I’d try to build up the worse ejector with a welder, get it to the point it interferes with the bolt and then file it just enough to cycle and see how that works.
 
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Either the ejector is too short or maybe someone in the past has enlarged the recess in the bolt face allowing the cartridge to sit higher and get dragged over top of the ejector.
After the long weekend I will take mine apart and measure the height of the ejector above the receiver..
 
I measured the height of the ejector today, 8.54 mm above the bottom of the receiver.
With the recoil spring removed, slowly cycled the action, ejector completely fills the slot at the bottom of the bolt, so unless there is something changed with the recess in the bolt face I cannot see how the case can be pulled over top of the ejector.
 
M1-Garand said:
I measured the height of the ejector today, 8.54 mm above the bottom of the receiver.
With the recoil spring removed, slowly cycled the action, ejector completely fills the slot at the bottom of the bolt, so unless there is something changed with the recess in the bolt face I cannot see how the case can be pulled over top of the ejector.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this! Very helpful. Based on your thoughts, went and checked my bolt and ejector.

The original ejector was 0.086 wide at the top, while the new one is 0.098. The width of the ejector is 0.111

I couldn't reliably measure the small gap between the top of the extractor and the top of the groove in the bolt, but it is very, very minor, I'm guessing 0.02 at most.

I took the spring out of the bolt carrier and cycled it at a broad range of speeds, all with marginally varying forms of the same result.

I think that the next step will be to have a gunsmith add some steel by welding and then sand/grind it down to the largest possible dimensions and see if that makes a difference.

The angle of the shot makes the gap between the ejector and the bolt groove seem bigger than it actually is.

Once again, thanks for the thoughts!
 

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Webley No.5 said:
Still sounds to me like your ejector is too short. If it was me I’d try to build up the worse ejector with a welder, get it to the point it interferes with the bolt and then file it just enough to cycle and see how that works.
Click to expand...

Am going to take exactly that approach. Thanks!
 
M1-Garand said:
I would take out the recoil spring so it will cycle easier , than hand cycle it with dummy rounds and see if the extractor grabs the cases properly.
Mine is an Argentine one converted to 7.62x51, had to do some work on the gas system since it threw the cases into the next province.
Click to expand...

That was a very helpful suggestion. I tried it and it made it possible to experiment with a broad range of speeds and levels of force cycling it manually. Sadly, every effort had similarly ineffective results.

Bit by bit we reduce the reasons for failure!

Thanks again.
 
We're getting to the bottom of it now.
I took the bolt out of mine and compared your pictures to my bolt, the recess in your bolt is severely enlarged, edges of the recess are rounded off, they should be nice and square.
You can confirm this by taking the bolt out of the rifle, take a case and slip it under the extractor, there should be no perceivable sideways movement, so a nice snug fit.
Did someone try to modify this rifle for a different round ???
The ejector is not high enough and also the firing pin hole is badly enlarged.
Maybe it's time to look for another bolt.
Sarco in US lists a stripped one for US $30.00
 
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