A Very Good FN Model 1949 SLR Rifle Bayonet

In excellent condition. A contract was ordered by the Belgian government starting with thirty test rifles on May 12, 1949, received on August 31, 1949, and made a second larger order for 100 test rifles delivered by December 12, 1949. The Belgians would make a contract for production of the SAFN 1949 rifle on August 24, 1950 for 6000 rifles in caliber .30-06 Springfield. The Belgians designated the rifle as the ABL SAFN-49, ABL is an acronym for the Belgian Army in both French and Flemish; "AB" for the French "Arm?e Belge" and "BL" for the Flemish "Belgisch Leger". SAFN stands for Semi-Automatique, Fabrique Nationale. The contracts for the SAFN 1949 rifle made by FN for Belgium totaled 87,777 rifles total, composing almost half of all SAFN 1949 rifles ever produced.

This is an excellent original, FN-49 short bayonet & scabbard. It has a 9" double edged blade with phosphate finish, steel crossguard and pommel The bayonet has walnut slab grips with correct rivets. It is complete with original black painted steel scabbard with locket. The rifle worked well in the Korean War in the hands of Belgian troops. Many military reports list the FN-49 rifle as both more reliable and more accurate than the US made M1 Garand rifle. A majority of the SAFN 1949 rifles were manufactured in 7.62?63mm caliber for the armies of Belgium, the Belgian Congo, Luxembourg, Indonesia, Colombia, and Brazil (rifles were ordered by Brazilian Navy, in 1954, and are marked "1954 - Marinha do Brasil").

Code: 18108