Rare & Stunning Luxembourg Contract FN-49 in 30-06
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was the fourth country to order FN 1949 rifles with the first order placed on October 4, 1950 with delivery of the first 1500 rifles May 5, 1951. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would eventually purchase a total of 6,306 rifles, with that number including including rifles specifically for Luxembourg's Gendarmerie, which were FN-49s that comprised standard models, training cut-away rifles, and sniper variants, all in caliber 30-06. The Luxembourg models except for the Gendarmerie issued rifles were sold as surplus in the United States in the late 1960s. Some estimates claim fewer than 4000 were ever imported into the US. Whatever the case may be, this rifle, number 4600 of those 6308 is in stunning condition. This one has been through a refurb and has a few telltale signs from that work. The metal and stock were both refinished during this refurbishment. If you consult the last picture of the rifle, you will see two numbers and two small "Flaming Bomb" markings on the right side of the receiver below the serial number. The first mark, a bomb and the number 0 were the first inspection by Luxembourg when new, with the 0 indicating no bore wear. The second mark, another bomb and the number 1 are from the refurbishment and indicate that the bore was at that time downgraded from 0 wear to a 1, on a scale of 0-5. Indeed the bore shows some very slight wear, but is bright, shiny, tight and impressive. The metal on the rifle is near 98%+ with almost zero wear. The stock has a couple tiny scratches here and there, but is otherwise wonderful. The worst scratch shows in the closeup of the right side of the receiver area. As you will see, it is hardly a scratch, and will cover up with a little paste wax if you desire. It frankly looks worse in the picture than if person. A rare opportunity to grab a rare semi-auto rifle!