Hey - We are hearing that Canada is/are DESTROYING over 67,000 FNC1 and FNC2s

[armyvern]

So sad but true this is. I have very fond memories of the SMG and the FN. Many a black and blue cheek after firing the FN. The SMG, on the other hand was just pure  >. Ha.

These items are being demilitarized (smelted) as part of the Supply MASOP (Material Acquisition Support Optimization Project) for which I worked the better part of 2 years. During the last MASOP Conference that I attended at the Puzzle Palace during the 1st week of October, 25CFSD (Depot Montreal) announced that the demil of the SMGs was now completed and that the FN demil was on-going with an expected completion date of Jan 06.

These weapons were in very rough shape. An end of an era indeed.

 

[1feral1]

The BFA and the FN C1/C2

Early models had only one piece of metal attached around the bayonet boss of the flash eliminator, and yes true after metal fatigue, the BFA would launch off with a range of about 50-70ft.

CAL later on in the 1960's came out with a modfiied version which had two pieces of metal, so if one broke the BFA would still stay on, and then that BFA would be returned to the QM stores for replacment. However I still did see a few of these fail anad launch off anyways, but only after the damaged BFA had the first layer of metal broken, and for reasons unknown, went unreported. Older type BFAs were removed from service, and replaced with the modified version.

As for the screws and such version of the FN C1/C2 BFA, Canada never adopted it, but toyed with the idea in development. Other designs used by the UK and Australia proved to be foolproof, but were heavy and bulky, as these actually were a two piece item which screwed together, with a ratchet assembly, with the last versions painted red, compaired to Canada's traditional yellow colour.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[TCBF]

3LA510, in Germany, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

I have one of the BFA s down stairs.  It case I ever want to put it on one of my 8L s.

;D

Tom

 

[Gayson]

Was this thread editied, a couple of my posts are missing.    :-[

 

[George Wallace]

Was this thread editied, a couple of my posts are missing.    :-[

I guess you have been away for some time.  Here is what happened: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/37779.0.html

 

[geo]

Was this thread editied, a couple of my posts are missing.    :-[

no edit... but there was a system problem and Mike Bobbitt had to recover from a backup - some loss

0L0005.....
and I know the Reserve unit that still has it in it's vault / Reg't museum

 

[redleafjumper]

The RMRangers used to have the "Colonel's Rifle"  0L0001, I hope it still managed to stay on charge there.

 

[geo]

if 0L0001 has survived, it should defenitively find it's way to a museum

BTW....0L0005 is with the other RMRs....

 

[redleafjumper]

The last I heard, it was in the regimental museum, but that was a long time ago.

 

[geo]

so it must be safe.
but... if it's always sitting in the Museum, then there's a good chance that the barrel has been filled (or damaged in some other way)

0L0005 is kept in the vault and only brought out upon request or for scheduled events.

 

[Gayson]

I guess you have been away for some time.  Here is what happened: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/37779.0.html

I gone for a few days.  Thanks for the heads up. 

 

[Eland]

Ah yes, I remember the FN I was issued with... 7L6282. It stayed with me throughout my all too-short 2 year stint
in the Reserves. It fired OK on the range, but would never cycle reliably with blanks. Never had a problem with a BFA
flying off the barrel when using blanks, and I never needed to tie the BFA down with wire. It could be that the blank ammo
we got (it was all IVI-made) was a little underpowered to begin with, ergo the cycling problem and an absence of BFA "RPG"
issues.

I always found the kick a bit too stout when the gas regulator was set to '0'. '4' was my preferred setting (as was the case for
most of the guys in my unit), but I did know of a couple who didn't mind the '0' setting. Then, many years later I bought a Lee Enfield
Mk4... ever tried shooting one of those on the bench rest without a butt pad? Yeeowch, after 20 rounds. The FN on '0' was nothing by comparison. Strangely enough, if I fired the Lee Enfield from an offhand standing or kneeling position, the recoil was quite mild. The angle of the butt stock is probably what explains the difference.

 

[axeman]

if 0L0001 has survived, it should defenitively find it's way to a museum

BTW....0L0005 is with the other RMRs....

I had 0L0001 what about my old boomstick it is / was in the Rockie Mountain Rangers museum  in Kamloops BC i had way back in 88 i think it was ...

oh yes i was a cpl  and then it went to L/Col Nette then when they start to faze them out we had it museum ized

 

[pissedpat]

I got a tour of the Edmonton Depot last summer on my QL3 supply and one of the stops was the weapon vault. One giant room with tens of thousands of FNs in tri-walls. One of the tri-walls was opened and they pulled a rifle out for us to hold. It was in a sealed bag coated in grease and appeared to be in good condition. I was informed at that time that in the preceding months they had destroyed the last of the SMGs and that the only delay in destroying the FNs is a small amount of asbestos between the stock and the body of the weapon. Once they have the means in place to remove and dispose of that piece all the weapons are to be destroyed. So as unofficial as the words of a bin rat Pte might be... yes, all the FNs in war stock are to be destroyed. I guess the reasoning is they currently take up to much room given that they are out of date/unused weapons.

 

[geo]

madpat..... Asbestos? where?.... between the stock and the body of the weapon?
NO!.... ain't nothing there.

We had asbestos / fire retardant mitts for the 50s and C4 GPMGs but nothing "in" the weapon....

Don't think my memory has gone that foggy.... has it?

 

[axeman]

nope i think he was given misleading int. it was wood furniture then space then metal you know like all the lee enfields ...

 

[geo]

whew..... dodged the senility bullet once again

 

[TCBF]

Do the L1A1 stocks not have some sort of coating on the forestock inerior surfaces?  I know the C1s are pure wood.  I think the Brit/Aussie L1s might have something. 

Tom

 

[geo]

not the Aussie & Brit ones I handled
There is no benefit to having an internal coating to the wood furniture

 

[redleafjumper]

I will have to check my furniture, but I seem to recall a heat-resistant layer under the metal piece at the front of the forestock, at least on some of the older wood (the ones with the two slots in the wood) but not the newer ones.