7mm Intermediate Ctg?
I came across an unusual 7mm cartridge recently, It is standard 7mm with a case measuring 49mm in length, Bullet weight is 139 gr. head stamp is FN-55.. Box holds 15 rds in 5 rd strippers and is marked "Fuerzas armadas de
Venezuela, 15 Cartuchos, Cal 7mm, comunes, sorre cargadores para fusil automatico liviano, FN-55". I recall in the early 90's some experimental 7mm ammo that Century Arms brought in that may be this ammo. Any info on it would be appreciated.
Venezuela, 15 Cartuchos, Cal 7mm, comunes, sorre cargadores para fusil automatico liviano, FN-55". I recall in the early 90's some experimental 7mm ammo that Century Arms brought in that may be this ammo. Any info on it would be appreciated.
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You have some 7mm Medium or "Second Optimum" developed as part of the 1950s trials including the CETME, EM-2, FN-FAL, and M-14.
Argentina used the round in FN FAL for a while before giving in to the 7.62 NATO fad.
Read a long history of assault rifle cartridges at
http://quarryhs.co.uk/Assault.htm
The 7x49 shows up about 1/4 of the way down the page.0 -
Got this doing a GOOGLE search.
"Leszek Erenfeicht
January 25, 2013 at 2:02 pm ? Reply
Venezuela has cecome an early FAL trendsetter for the rest of Latin America almost by accident. After having bought SAFN 49 in 7 mm x 57 Mauser, the Venezuelan Army wanted 5000 more of these in 1953, but FN said the rifle is no longer manufactured and offered them a new one, called LAR in English (Light Automatic Rifle) or FAL otherwise (Fusil Automatique Leger in French, Fusil Automatico Leviano in Spanish). These they also wanted in 7 mm Mauser, but FN refused to make separate receivers requiered to chamber a cartridge that long, and offered the FAL to the Venezuelans in a choice of two calibers: British .280/30 (which they dubbed 7 mm FN Short) or new US/NATO T65A3 round, the 7.62x51. Two prototypes were sent over for trials, s/n 26 in .280/30, and s/n 49 in 7.62 mm. After a series of tests and negotiations, a special compromise chambering was offered, called 7 mm Second Optimum: this consisted of a long .280/30 bullet, loaded in a case of the T65A3 cartridge shortened to 49 mm in order to keep o/a length of the thus created round within that for the 7.62 mm round. BTW, the cartridge was NEVER called the 7 mm Liviano - the cartridge box's label reads: "15 / Cartuchos / Cal. 7 m/m / Communos / Sobre Cargador / Para / Fusil Automatico / Leviano (F.A.L.) / F.N. 1955". Maybe the faulty sobriquet came from Spanish Leviano for Light, being a part of the rifle, not cartridge designation.
On November 30, 1954 Venezuela ordered 5000 FN rifles in two configurations: the 50-00 automatic rifle, called the FAL for Fusil Automatico Leviano, and 50-42 heavy-barrelled automatic Rifle or FAP - Fusil Automatico Pesado. These rifles were fitted with disc-style sights (later to be copied by the Canadians in their C1) and three-pronged flash hiders - both of their own design and manufacture. These rifles were in early FN FAL configuration with smooth muzzle (no flash-hider thread, these were cut in Venezuela), wooden vertical pistol grip and early stepped handguard. Following batches of FAL 50-00 were ordered in standard 7.62 mm caliber and with later-style plastic pistol grip and smooth handgaurds. Along with these, extra berrels were ordered to re-barrel the 7 mm FALs and FAPs."0 -
I've got one of those cartridges around here somewhere. Sometime in the early 60's, the Gunsmith that I visited regularly gave it to me. He had come across a fair quantity of cartridges and barreled a 98 Mauser for the cartridge as an experiment. IIRC, the silhouette game had come into vogue and he thought it would be an interesting cartridge for that. It looked to be similar to what is now the 7-08---perhaps a bit shorter. I don't recall any follow-up as to how the rifle worked out for him. 0 -
The 7mm Liviano is a fairly common cartridge. Unless it is from the early developmental series (not likely, it has no special collector value and is shooting ammo only. 0
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