THE SLEM INFANTRY RIFLE BLUEPRINTS By Jorge Slipak

-SLEM: Self Loading Experimental Model (Battle Rifle)-
(Diagrams and blueprints By Jorge Slipak)

The SLEM is of Belgian origin and was tested by the United Kingdom in the late 1940s when it had become fairly obvious that the days of the bolt action rifle as a first line weapon were over. The abbreviation 'SLEM' stands for Self-Loading Experimental Model.

MAGAZINE 308 WINCHESTER - FN49 RIFLE (ARGENTINA) NEW - UPDATED

FN49 RIFLE - FUSIL FN49 - NEW - UPDATED

FN49 RIFLE - FUSIL FN 49 -  NEW - UPDATED

FN49 RIFLE - FUSIL FN 49 -  NEW - UPDATED

FN49 RIFLE - FUSIL FN 49 -  NEW - UPDATED

TRIGER MECHANISM - FN49 RIFLE -  NEW - UPDATED

TRIGER MECHANISM - FN49 RIFLE -NEW - UPDATED

 MAGAZINE FN49 RIFLE 7.92x57 - FUSIL FN 49 -  NEW - UPDATED

SAFN 49 RIFLE / FUSIL FN49 (SEMIAUTOMATIC) - NEW UPDATED

SAFN 49 RIFLE / FUSIL FN49 (SEMIAUTOMATIC) ARGENTINA - NEW UPDATED

SLEM RIFLE  (SEMIAUTOMATIC) - NEW UPDATED

SLEM RIFLE (SEMIAUTOMATIC) - NEW UPDATED

SLEM RIFLE (SEMIAUTOMATIC) - NEW UPDATED

Model 1937

SLEM or EXP 1 Rifle

FN 49 Infantry Rifle Diagram

The SLEM was designed by Saive, (A belgium engenier) The first model known is from 1937.

Eventually as Belgium was invaded Saive and his design team fled, via Vichy France and Portugal, to England where they worked with the Royal Ordnance Corps Small Arms Design Unit.

There, Saive perfected the design using the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge. The choice of the German Army's service cartridge was not as strange as it may seem. The British service round at the time was the rimmed .303 British. Rimmed rounds simply do not feed well from box magazines in self-loading rifles. Since the British were already producing the 7.92mm Mauser in large numbers for their BESA tank machine guns, there were large quantities of the cartridge on hand.

The finished rifle was named alternatively the SLEM (for "Rifle, 7.92mm, Self-Loading Experimental Model No. 1") or EXP-1. 

Country Of Origin: Belgium
Lenght: 44 In - (1.117 MM)
Barrel: 23.25 In (591 MM)
Weight: 9.5 Lb (4.3 Kg)
Caliber: 7.92X57
Rifling: 4 Groves Right Hand
Operation: Gas
Feed: 10 Round Fixed Magazine.
Muzzle Velocity: 2,400ft/Sec (730 Meter/Sec)

Adoption Of The SLEM

With Small modifications the SLEM was adopted as FN 49 or SAFN 49 by Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Congo, Egypt and many other countries.  

Eventually based in the SLEM/FN49 was produced the FAL ( Adopted as L1A1, For the British Army, And tested as T48 for the US Army) 

Blueprints

Fusil Fal (Argentina)
1A1 Battle Rifle  (Indian Production) 
L1 A1 Battle Rifle 7.62 X 51  (United Kingdom Production)  
L1 A1 Battle Rifle 7.62 X 51  (United Kingdom Production)  
X8 E1 Rifle - L38  (United Kingdom Production)
 


Note: There is not too much oficial information about the SLEM, and the data cited here have been collected on internet.

Jorge Slipak

Key Words: SLEM Rifle , Semiautomatic Rifle . Automatic Rifle , British Army , FN 49 Rifle Blueprints , Diagrams