After
World War I and the
German defeat,
Belgium manufactured derivative of the Mauser 98, slightly modified. The rifle series was modified depending on each customer's needs. The designation Mle 24/30 is incorrect strictly speaking, since the Model 24 rifle is different from the Model 30. The confusion comes from the fact both versions were marketed at the same time in the 1930s. The last Mauser pattern rifles were produced in 1964.
Belgium The
Belgian Armed Forces did not order the FN Mle 1924 or 1930 before the war. After the war, some training carbines Mle 24 in
.22 Long Rifle were produced for the Belgian Army, the
Belgian Navy and the colonial
Force Publique. The Belgian and Congolese forces also received some .30-06 new-production Mle 1930 (aka Mle 50) carbines. These carbines could be still found in the hand of Belgian
reservists until 1986. and were still in service after the
1952 Revolution. All these models were used during the
Chinese Civil War and
Second Sino-Japanese War, being still in service at the end of
World War II and during the
Korean War. Ex-Lithuanian FN 1930 rifles captured by the
Soviets were even supplied post-war to the
People's Liberation Army.
Colombia In the early 1940s,
Colombia bought 1930 rifles designated the Model 1940 in
7×57mm Mauser. Many were later converted to
.30-06 Springfield after 1950, serving alongside newly produced FN Model 1950 short rifles and carbines.
Congo , 1960. After the war, the
Force Publique of the
Belgian Congo received some thousands of newly manufactured Mle 1930 carbines. Around 300 training rifles were also delivered. After the independence as
Republic of the Congo, the
Congo Crisis broke. The FN Mle 1930 were used during these conflicts, being seen in the hands of
South Kasai secessionist gendarmes or of
Simba rebels.
Ethiopia The
Ethiopian Empire bought 25,000 7.92×57mm Model 1930 short rifles and carbines in 1933–1935. They were fielded during the
Italian invasion.
France Between July and December 1939, FN produced 6,500 Model 24/30 short rifles in 7.92×57mm Mauser. They were probably used in the French colonies.
Germany After the
German invasion of Belgium, FN-made rifles were used by second-line German units. The Belgian Mle 1935 (1930 pattern) rifles were designated
Gewehr 220 (b) and the Mle 1935 carbines
Karabiner 420 (b). The Greek Model 30 was designated
Gewehr 285 (b). The Yugoslav M24A was referred to as
Gewehr 291/1 (j) and the M24B as
Gewehr 291/2 (j).
Greece Needing more rifles during the interwar period,
Greece bought more than 75,000 FN Model 1930 short rifles between 1930 and 1939. They were known as
Model 1930. These rifles were used during the
Greco-Italian War, the
German invasion, the
Greek Resistance.
Haiti During the 1948
Haiti ordered Model 1930 short rifles in .30-06 Springfield. They were used by the
Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale militia. They were kept in reserve storage in the 1990s.
Indonesia , late 1940s. Between 1948 and 1949, the
Dutch East Indies association
Indische Ondernemers Bond (IOB, "Indies Business Union"), bought 6,000 7.92×57mm Model 1930 carbines for private security tasks, such as on plantations, industries, or other business. The Royal Netherlands Indies Police also ordered 20,000 carbines in 1949, with roughly two-thirds of them already delivered before the Dutch recognized Indonesian independence in
December 1949. The carbines would continue to saw service with
Indonesia. It is likely that Indonesian authorities also ordered a new batch of Model 1930 carbines chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO sometime between 1962–1975, as there were reports that Indonesia had at least 10,000 7.62×51mm FN carbines in the inventory by 1982. Around 2,700 ex-
Dutch National Police Model 30 carbines were converted to the 7.62×51mm NATO by the
Artillerie-Inrichtingen in 1960 for use in
Dutch New Guinea. 1,700 were given to the Dutch New Guinea police and 900 were issued to the
Papuan Volunteer Corps. After the territory was integrated with Indonesia in 1963, the carbines were used by both Indonesian authorities and the
Free Papua Movement.
Israel Israel bought in the early 1950s some FN Model 1930 short rifles originally in 7.92 Mauser. They were clones of the
Kar 98k and were later modified to fire 7.62 NATO. This state also received some Mle 24 training rifles. In the 1960s, many of these 7.65 Mauser guns were modified to
7.62×51mm NATO in
Brazil.
Persia The
Imperial Persian Army bought some FN Mle 1930 short rifles at the end of the 1920s.
Peru During the late 1930s,
Peru ordered FN 1930. It had an inverted safety, which was activated by being turned to the left of the rifle. This 7.65mm Mauser version is known as
Peruvian Model 1935 short rifle. They were used during the
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War of 1941. From 1959 to 1960, they were reportedly modified to accept .30-06 ammunitions.
Venezuela Venezuela ordered 16,500 FN Mle 1930 short rifles and carbines in the mid-1930s, firing the 7mm Mauser cartridge. A very small number had a longer barrel, being designed to train the
Venezuelan Olympic team. Many more standard FN Mle 1930 guns were delivered after the war.
Arabian Peninsula In the 1930s, both the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the
Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen bought a substantial number of FN Mle 30 short rifles. Saudi Arabia bought "substantial numbers" of FN rifles in 1945–1950. Some of the Saudi rifles may have been sent to Yemen after the war.
Yugoslavia The first
Mauser-pattern rifle produced in
Yugoslavia was the
M24. Its predecessor, the
FN Model 1924 had been produced for the Yugoslav army by
FN Herstal until the Ministry and FN signed a contract on the purchase of the licence for production of rifles 7.9 mm M 24. Nearly all M24's were produced either before or during World War II, at the Kragujevac Arsenal plant. The M24 and Model 1924 are nearly identical. All M24 series weapons are designed to accept the
M-24 pattern bayonet. The final additions to the M24 family were the
M24/47 rifle. These were produced by reworking existing prewar Serbian Model 24 Mausers and then refurbished with new parts at the
Zastava Arms (formally Kragujevac Arsenal) plant, which was at that time under the control of the postwar communist government. The "47" of the M-24/47 indicated the beginning of the rebuild program of 1947. The rebuild program lasted into the early 1950s alongside new production of M48 rifles. M24 series rifles were used by the
Royal Yugoslav Army and by nearly all sides during World War II in
Yugoslavia.
Other users Argentina bought many FN Model 24 rifles and Model 30 short rifles during the interwar period. The FN Model 1930 in 7×57mm was also exported to
Costa Rica around 1935.
Ecuador received
7.65×53mm Mauser Model 30 short rifles.
Romania used some FN Mle 24 short rifles.
Uruguay bought approximately 5,000 Model 1930 short rifles in 7mm Mauser during the 1930s.
Turkey is listed as one of the users. During the
Nicaraguan Revolution, FN Mle 1930 short rifles were carried by
Sandinista rebels. ==Variants==