▁already ▁begun ▁the ▁switch ▁to ▁select ive ▁fire ▁battle ▁rif les . ▁An ▁unknown ▁number ▁of ▁F N - 4 9 ' s ▁were ▁produced ▁as ▁select ive ▁fire ▁automatic ▁rif les , ▁but ▁the ▁small ▁ 1 0 ▁round ▁box ▁magazine ▁limited ▁the ▁useful ness ▁of ▁the ▁fully ▁automatic ▁feature . ▁ ▁The ▁F N - 4 9 ▁found ▁itself ▁in ▁direct ▁competition ▁with ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁more ▁modern ▁rif les ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁He ck ler ▁& ▁Koch ▁G 3 ▁and ▁Fab rique ▁N ationale ▁de ▁Her stal ' s ▁own ▁F N ▁F AL , ▁resulting ▁in ▁limited ▁sales . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Development ▁ ▁Die ud onne ▁Sa ive , ▁Fab rique ▁N ationale ' s ▁then ▁chief ▁fire arm ▁designer , ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁re co il - oper ated ▁rif le ▁designs ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁While ▁little ▁came ▁of ▁these ▁experiments , ▁they ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁a ▁gas - oper ated ▁semi - autom atic ▁rif le , ▁which ▁he ▁pat ented ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁and ▁pro tot yp ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁( Ph ot ograph s ▁of ▁these ▁pro tot ypes ▁still ▁exist , ▁and ▁they ▁show ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁characteristics ▁that ▁would ▁later ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁F N - 4 9 .) ▁ ▁F N ' s ▁new ▁rif le ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁development ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁– ▁early ▁ 1