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Farewell to the FN

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  • #16
    Originally posted by DeV View Post





    Wouldn't have been an easy task at all, you'd need the zeroing book and ammo diary (if I remember correctly) for every PDF unit between 1960 and 1990 (including overseas) and every RDF unit between 1990 and 2002 (dates are approx). Then you'd need to look at all the issues of security ammo and operational ammo (which won't give weapon numbers). And it would all be paper based.
    It wouldnt have been that hard a task- firstly ignore every operational Unit and that brings it down to the likes of ECIF- SM- Clancy Bk Coy-McKee Bks Coy etc. then figure out which Unit would have the least reason to draw weapons, and I would imagine that would only be for ARPs- this would bring the number of FNs down to about less than a 1,000- next look for the highest serial numbers and whittle it down even more.

    that would take 2 young lts and a CQ about a forthnight at the most.
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere***
    The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
    The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity.

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    • #17
      I cant see who would want a few thousand 50 year old FN rifles.
      They should of used the FN's as ceremonial rifles instead of wasting Steyr's and kept the old Steyr arms drill as the new drill is painfully shit.
      The FN spotter rifles wont see much use, they're a low cost solution that filled a gap. A Steyr will still be a spotters weapon of choice.
      The Steyr can be used for line throwing, its what the Australians use or just buy a few pneumatic line throwers which are already in use in the DF.

      Originally posted by DeV View Post
      Is the FN FAL still in production?
      Its still in production in Brazil.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by hedgehog View Post
        It wouldnt have been that hard a task- firstly ignore every operational Unit and that brings it down to the likes of ECIF- SM- Clancy Bk Coy-McKee Bks Coy etc. then figure out which Unit would have the least reason to draw weapons, and I would imagine that would only be for ARPs- this would bring the number of FNs down to about less than a 1,000- next look for the highest serial numbers and whittle it down even more.

        that would take 2 young lts and a CQ about a forthnight at the most.
        Not a bad idea... So long as the rifle spent all its life in the unit

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        • #19
          Originally posted by DeV View Post
          Is the FN FAL still in production?
          Not by FN, barrels are freely available.
          Everyone who's ever loved you was wrong.

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          • #20
            Originally posted by Rhodes View Post
            I cant see who would want a few thousand 50 year old FN rifles.
            African militias always want more guns.

            They could also be de-militarised and sold as parts kits for the US civilian market.
            Everyone who's ever loved you was wrong.

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            • #21
              Bandit will buy them.


              Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by The real Jack View Post
                Not by FN, barrels are freely available.
                Would have expected spotter/sniper barrells to be heavier than standard.

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                • #23
                  Wouldn't have been an easy task at all, you'd need the zeroing book and ammo diary (if I remember correctly) for every PDF unit between 1960 and 1990 (including overseas) and every RDF unit between 1990 and 2002 (dates are approx). Then you'd need to look at all the issues of security ammo and operational ammo (which won't give weapon numbers). And it would all be paper based.
                  On the contrary,The Plastic butt ones only went on issue to the Reserve in 1995!, withdrawn five years later, when the weapons were being returned after being withdrawn from use they were graded based on the condition. There were never more than a few hundred of the dutch ones, we had 10. numbers were sequential and they were only used for competition shooting.

                  Issue records from stores the would shop the dates used dates used...hey presto 10 almost new rifles.!

                  Every Quartermaster worth his salt had this information to hand

                  I know when 3 cav took its Mk 3 Brens on charge they had only fired 750 rds per gun and were only issued to the unit in the mid eighties.The SQMS showed me all the logs one year during a winter camp.

                  By the time they were retired they had no more than 5000 rds per gun fired...and that was on record.

                  We had a gustav that had never been fired.....purposely.
                  Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
                    On the contrary,The Plastic butt ones only went on issue to the Reserve in 1995!, withdrawn five years later, when the weapons were being returned after being withdrawn from use they were graded based on the condition. There were never more than a few hundred of the dutch ones, we had 10. numbers were sequential and they were only used for competition shooting.

                    Issue records from stores the would shop the dates used dates used...hey presto 10 almost new rifles.!

                    Every Quartermaster worth his salt had this information to hand

                    I know when 3 cav took its Mk 3 Brens on charge they had only fired 750 rds per gun and were only issued to the unit in the mid eighties.The SQMS showed me all the logs one year during a winter camp.

                    By the time they were retired they had no more than 5000 rds per gun fired...and that was on record.

                    We had a gustav that had never been fired.....purposely.
                    Did you SQ have the records of rounds fired prior to them being issued to your unit (they could have been issued to 5 units before that)?

                    There was no requirement to document the number of rounds fired, there was with the Vickers, 84 and I assume arty & mortars. So you can't rely on that

                    That was just 1 unit out of many!

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
                      On the contrary,The Plastic butt ones only went on issue to the Reserve in 1995...
                      Never saw one in my time using it, TBH, only the wooden butt ones
                      "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

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                      • #26
                        Whats likely replacement if not the Steyr for 6oom+ jobs?

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                        • #27
                          oh god ya give me an fn any day over the styre let me lay down accurate fire from further back i'd love to buy one and licence it as a private one
                          who threw the smoke in the van

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                          • #28
                            Did you SQ have the records of rounds fired prior to them being issued to your unit (they could have been issued to 5 units before that)?

                            They were taken on charge brand new , never fired.

                            as for the Brens, they came with the information and it was continued.

                            What has security duties got to do with anythings you could name the pole in the DF who have intentionally( legally) fired a round while carrying out security duties in the past 25 years!

                            To have unused weapons in storage wouldn't be unusal, In 1985 in Haulbowline there was a rack of No 4 lee Enfields, unused in stores.

                            The FNs in the magazine of Eithne only saw the light of day when they were been put in and taken out and probably for ARPs and were almost brand new on issue.The only serious barrel wear on them was from cleaning!

                            On my gunnery course we took a Oerlikon from Stores still in the manufacturers packing grease never even fully assembled.

                            You under estimate the army, remember thse rfles were all bought and paid for at some point, there is record of what batch came from where and when and what unit was issued them and when they were struck off charge.

                            I saw weapons been written off as unsafe on the range as the bore was worn out, but again a lot of Reserve units were economic with their FNs, especially those with higher numbers which were newer. Take a corps unit who probably fired one arp per year, over the 11 years the FN was in service with the FCA/RDF...peanuts in terms of rounds.
                            Last edited by hptmurphy; 13 January 2014, 17:43.
                            Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

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                            • #29
                              We had the FN in 86/87 in our stores when I joined. If I recall correctly we got rid in 2002 with them being finally withdrawn in 2003
                              "Are they trying to shoot down the other drone? "

                              "No, they're trying to fly the tank"

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                              • #30
                                It would not be a difficult task to replace barrels on the FN...I for one lament the move away from the 7.62...much more capable round and very few as trouble free as the FN. DSA continues to make new rifles.

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