The city of Li̩ge, Belgium has long been an armsmaking center. Rich deposits of high grade iron ore and abundant supplies of coal gave it natural advantages, to go with an educated and industrious population. For centuries, going back to the manufacture of swords and armor, most of these armsmakers were small independent operations. In the late 1800s the Belgian government needed a large order of military rifles. A number of individual gunmakers joined forces in an organization which became Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre (FN), located at Herstal, a suburb of Li̩ge.

Almost from the beginning FN had strong ties with America. Large military orders are a great thing, to be sure, but once an order has been met there's no need for more production. By the end of the 19th century FN had a superb plant, the most modern equipment, skilled workers and nothing to make.

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