WesWorld

One of the problems with running Belgium and the Netherlands in Wesworld is the lack of OTL parity. Both nations were strongly effected by the Great Depression, the Belgians sank their $ into forts, while the Dutch relied on neutrality and starved their military. Then their military history ceases in early 1940. Here the Dutch are far richer and quite militaristic, and the neither Kingdom is in a depression (Belgium had one 1933-35 or so).

So, the Belgian Self Loading Rifle came to the Cusp of entering service..and didn't. It then became the SLEM-1, then the SAFN-49, then the FN FAL. Due to the war interruption, the wesworld introduction of these rifles will be faster than historic.

OTL History of the Belgian Self Loading Rifle

Developement started in 1936 by Dieudonne J. Saive of Fabrique Nationale
Prototyped in 1937.
insert picture
Ready for production Late 1938-Early 1939 with a 5 round clip. *
Production Deferred 1939.
Belgium invaded 1940.

So part of 1939, 1940,1941,1942, part 1943- no further development

Research continued 1943 at Enfield
Late 1943 adoption of 7.92x57 leads to :
1944 prototype of SLEM-1, a 10 round bullpup design note <1 year after research restarted
7.92x33 Kurz round leads to further work.
Late 1944, Return to Liege, where Germans had stripped FN of machinery.

It seems reasonable to presume that little work occurred until the end of the war, in mid 1945
So presume Late 1944-Late 1945 no work

1947 FN 49 prototyped , FN FAL prototyped
1948 contracts given for FN49, FN FAL demonstrated, redesigned for Bullpup in 0.280.
1949, May 31, first FN 49 delivered. Conventional pre-war, high quality, high cost build.
1950 FN FAL in competition, redesigned for 0.30 'Light Rifle'.
1951 FN FAL formally introduced in 7.62 x 51

So... Since the war "cost" at least 5 years of development time, plus 1-2 for changing cartridges I propose the following schedule.
1938-39 - Belgian Self Loading Rifle ready for production.
1940 - SLEM-1 Available
1942 FN- 49 available
1944 FN FAL available.


*Long ago when I was setting up Belgium, I found a reference to the rifle being adopted for service, but not produced. Wiki cites the Sept.39 outbreak of war as behind a decision to continue producing standard rifles and MGs, rather than starting the SLR40. See SAFN-49 article.

Given the existence of the .280 round earlier than OTL, being put into production in a semi-auto for the British Army in 1941, will that affect any of these plans?

Unless the 7.92x33 Kurz arrives on the scene (I don't know if Bruce is working on it or not) then the .280 is perhaps the best WW round for an automatic rifle, having been desgined for that role. If FN wants to get together with Enfield then I have no objections...

I would say your timeline looks fairly sound but would the Belgians really have the desire to produce three designs in six years? Would the Belgain Army need new rifles that quick? Maybe three years between the SLEM-1, FN-49 and FN FAL (40, 43, 46) would be better. The British EM-2 might not make it into service much before 1947 anyway.

Given that my predecessor has already moved German ordnance forward to the 7x40mm round, going back to the 7.92 kurz round would not make that much sense, much as I would like to do so.

Germany's new small arms will rely on the 7mm round or the old standard, the 7.92mm Mauser.

Given that FN historically had a large export market- not so much here because of home-brew- but they would be making the various models to lure potential customers.

I could see the Belgian army taking the SLR40- in 7.65x53 as a decent upgrade. Skipping the SLEM-1 and possibly the SAFN-49 and going to the FN FAL in a smaller caliber.

The timing sequence here attempted to remove the time it seemed to take to retool for the 0.280 and 0.303. So I could see later variants of the various weapons in those calibers for export.

As for the absence of the Kurz round- the presence of various smaller rounds in standard use would seem to indicate a market and spur that development.

Indeed, the Dutch ZH-36 is license built by FN for the Dutch and has been in use for 4 years, so the deficiencies of the 7.92mmx57 round's effect on weapon heft etc will have become more apparent.

Heck, perhaps the Dutch will introduce the Kurz round, or the three (NL,Bel, Kongo) will standardize somewhere around 7.5x40.

ed: I'll note that the Dutch OTL had a 6.5mm round they had found insufficient in the battles around Aceh, hence their reluctance to step down cartridge size too far- been there, didn't work for them.

I've made no secret of the fact that the I intend for the French to buy (and license-manufacture) FN FALs in 6.5x51 FAR Standard. So long as I get a proper FAL and not some pansy 7.92mm Kurz caliber, I'll be happy.

And the Belgians would be more than happy to sell the French a rifle in the caliber of their choosing. Indeed, if there was a hint the French were looking for a new weapon, that would be FAR and away enough to make 6.5x51 a primary cartridge.

Actually, it makes sense for FN to try to put out sample weapons in any Alliance-standardized caliber.

Wesworld countries with 100m+ population are few after all
-China
-Bahrat
-Russia
-USA
-United Kingdom (?) (sans commonwealth nations)
-United Kingdoms of the Netherlands (divided into 4(!) calibers though)

So standardized alliance calibers are natural markets, and to get France..AND Russia..and Atlantis potentially, would make the little mercantile hearts of the Belgians just race like mad.

Quoted

Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
Wesworld countries with 100m+ population are few after all
-China
-Bahrat
-Russia
-USA
-United Kingdom (?) (sans commonwealth nations)
-United Kingdoms of the Netherlands (divided into 4(!) calibers though)

If you count the French outre-mer holdings, the French probably have over 100 million population, too. I can't decisively say that, though.

If memory serves, Great Britain has approximately 46 million population in 1940. Their African colonies may put them over the hundred million mark, but without the 384 million of India, truncated Burma, and South Africa, I'm not fully confident of it.

GB tends to see itself as a net exporter of arms rather than an importer but no doubt over time that will change. There are always niche products GB can't fulfill for itself.