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FN MLE 1930 FM30 w/ Colt Monitor Kit on Gunbroker


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Gun is marked by PAWS, Police Automatic Weapons Services, a CII and import business started towards the end of the 1970s. The PAWS ID leads me to the opinion that the gun is a pre-May sales sample. Live MGs, imported post '68 Amnesty, were required to be marked under the new rules of the GCA '68, and were no longer eligible for private possession. This would be the case for PAWS at the time.

I don't see any evidence of "re-manufacture" on the receiver, for which it would be marked by PAWS, and which would be very evident by refinish bluing and welding traces and it is clearly not a new manufacture receiver.

During PAWS years of business, such a BAR would be of interest but as a variation anomaly rather than hyped as the rarest of the rare, as it is today. The marking might have been applied to a reactivation of a registered DEWAT as required by GCA '68 regs. Not possible from the pics to determine if the gun was DEWATed. Bidders might want to know if there is any evidence of a reactivation.

Given the value assigned to this gun, in my opinion, a prospective buyer would be wise to request that the current registrant provide the name of the manufacturer/importer on the registration and confirmation from ATF the type of form used for original registration and especially the DATE of original registration. Without valid confirmation that it was registered prior to the end of the '68 Amnesty, and thus fully transferable, in my view the value is far lower as a pre-May sample. In my opinion, an original FN 30 BAR might be worth close to $30k if fully transferable and the Monitor parts $15k possibly. There are a rising number of registered BARs being fitted with available Monitor and R75 parts to replicate the originals. I know of at least two currently under construction.

Gun appears to be original which is appropriate since Colt and FN were longtime business partners in the manufacture of BARS and sales distribution in US and internationally.

The FND BARs are my favorite of the BARs. I have an example that is great to handle and to shoot. FWIW

Edited by Black River Militaria CII
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The BAR is a remarkable firearm which dramatically filled a small arms niche for so many applications. I have great admiration and respect for it. I have owned only one BAR, an A1, which I shot a fair amount, and have repaired, restored, and brokered quite a few in the course of running my MG gunsmithing business. As the last iteration of the BAR, in my view, the FND is a successful distillation of the original BAR design into a much "handier" package. Unfortunately, the new capabilites of the FND compared to the BAR came along too late for it to be widely adopted and some were a bit too clever to be really useful. For instance, the "quick" release and removal of the bolt is one of the "too clever" additions which is not efficient and offers high potential for lost parts. The much lighter weight, shorter overall length, pistol agrip, easily assembled multiple caliber options on one receiver, quick change barrel and lightweight folding tripod all appeal to me compared to the original BAR design. FWIW
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Looks like my investment in a real Monitor might pay off. :-)

Darryl

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