The FN-49 found itself in direct competition with a number of more modern rifles such as the Heckler & Koch G3 and Fabrique Nationale de Herstal's own FN FAL, resulting in limited sales.Дieudonne Saive, Fabrique Nationale's then chief firearm designer, experimented with a number of recoil-operated rifle designs in the early 1930s. An unknown number of FN-49s were produced as selective fire automatic rifles, but the small 10 round box magazine limited the usefulness of the fully automatic feature.

While well regarded for its high build quality and reliability in comparison to the rifles of the time, its marketability was limited, as it was not developed in time for use in World War II but later, as many militaries had already begun the switch to selective fire battle rifles. The automatic rifle version with selective fire produced for Belgium was known as the AFN. It was used by the militaries of Argentina, Belgium, the Belgian Congo, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Luxembourg, and Venezuela. The Fabrique Nationale Model 1949 (often referred to as the FN-49, SAFN or AFN) is a rifle available as both a semi-automatic rifle and as a selective fire automatic rifle designed by DieudonnГ© Saive and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale. Iron sights / OIP 4x Telescopic sight on Belgium Sniper rifle Gas-operated short-stroke piston, tilting boltДЎ0-round fixed box magazine, 20-round detachable box magazine in Argentine 7.62Г—51mm NATO conversions

Fn 49 rifle serial numbers