FN firearms

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Top Shelf weapons. The FN FAL was the NATO weapon in 7.62 (outside the US; in Canada, Germany, etc) before the changeover to 5.56. Super reliable, every veteran I've ever spoken to had nothing but praise for the weapon. The Belgians know their ordinance, and still produce various ordinance for NATO nations, including the US. Used by both sides in the Falklands War (UK designation M1A1; Canada C1A1).

The FN Minimi light MG is in current service in an number of NATO nations, including the US (US designation M249).
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
They made a lot of weaponry for the German army in WW2. Cant trust those guys.


You're claiming a BELGIAN company made arms for GERMANY... during a time when the two countries were at WAR?

Belgium was our ally during WWII, and ever since. They just got overrun and occupied early in the war (1940, just before France).

Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal makes fine weapons. They are the current contractor for M4A1 rifles and M240 7.62 machine gun. They made the FAL, which our NATO allies used while we used the M14. The FN FAL was called "the right arm of the free world".

Edit: Uh oh Johnny2 beat me to it
 
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The 7.62mm FN FAL aka L1A1 aka SLR aka C1A1 was the standard issue battle rifle for British Commonweal countries from the mid 50's to the late 90's. It was carried by soldiers from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia and other countries.

It has seen combat in The Troubles in Northern Island, the jungles of Vietnam (carried by ANZAC troops), the Falklands War (on both sides), the Malayan Emergency, the Rhodesian Bush War and many other conflicts. Four decades and four continents of true military service.

To this day, every Australian Soldier needs to qualify on the 5.56mm FN Minimi light machine gun (except Doctors etc.) called the F89 in Australia and I believe the M249 SAW in the USA. I believe this belt fed machine is actively carried by something like 45 countries around the world. There is also a heavier 7.64mm version. Certainly the Minimi carried by the Australia Army are very reliable and well liked. That chrome lined bore is easy to clean, the rest less so, but it always went bang when asked, clean or dirty. Some of the older Australian soldiers (Diggers) I served with carried the FN SLR Rifle when it was standard issue and they all liked it a lot. We carry the 5.56mm Steyr now.

Edit: I see a few others were a bit quicker than me.
 
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Originally Posted By: Reddy45
They're a new player to the arena. Very sketchy business... mostly small fry sales. I don't think they'll be around for a year.


Our standard 7.62 mm self-loading rifle was an FN licensed copy, used by many other nations as well as the UK. Seemed to work.

For training we also briefly had some captured Argentinian original FN manufactured models which had folding stocks and full automatic capability, though I never fired one on automatic and imagine it might have been difficult to control.Finish seemed better.

Think we might be thinking of different FN's, or you're a troll. Probably the latter.
 
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I have an FN Five seveN mkII in FDE.

Pricey, but I'd always wanted one. It was worth every penny.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
They made a lot of weaponry for the German army in WW2. Cant trust those guys.


History of FN
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2014/12/23/fn-the-first-125-years/


That's correct, never fire a Browning Hi-Power made after the occupation of Belgium in May 1940-1945. I'm not sure of their value, but I think they're worth quite a bit as a collectors piece, but don't take it to the range....
 
Originally Posted By: SR5
The 7.62mm FN FAL aka L1A1 aka SLR aka C1A1 was the standard issue battle rifle for British Commonweal countries from the mid 50's to the late 90's. It was carried by soldiers from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia and other countries.

It has seen combat in The Troubles in Northern Island, the jungles of Vietnam (carried by ANZAC troops), the Falklands War (on both sides), the Malayan Emergency, the Rhodesian Bush War and many other conflicts. Four decades and four continents of true military service.

To this day, every Australian Soldier needs to qualify on the 5.56mm FN Minimi light machine gun (except Doctors etc.) called the F89 in Australia and I believe the M249 SAW in the USA. I believe this belt fed machine is actively carried by something like 45 countries around the world. There is also a heavier 7.64mm version. Certainly the Minimi carried by the Australia Army are very reliable and well liked. That chrome lined bore is easy to clean, the rest less so, but it always went bang when asked, clean or dirty. Some of the older Australian soldiers (Diggers) I served with carried the FN SLR Rifle when it was standard issue and they all liked it a lot. We carry the 5.56mm Steyr now.

Edit: I see a few others were a bit quicker than me.


The FN FAL was nearly adopted by the US military, but they decided to go with a costly upgrade of the M-1 resulting in the M-14...
 
Originally Posted By: gman2304
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
You ever hear of John Moses Browning?



Not John Moses specifically, but the Browning name does possibly shed a little light onto their past history.

Actually John Moses Browning developed several firearms for FN directly, including the High Power.
 
Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Actually John Moses Browning developed several firearms for FN directly, including the High Power.


He died in 1926 and the High Power was introduced in 1935. He might have helped design the pistol in the early stages, but he is not really credited with the High Power.
 
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Love my FNH P-35 "Browning Hi Power"!

Rumor has it that production either has already stopped or will soon be stopped.


The Australian Army still use the 9mm Browning Hi Power pistol, but they are not new, well not the ones I trained with anyway.

slp9mmmark3_460x306px.jpg
 
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Here is another for you.

Phuoc Tuy province, Vietnam 1966. Australian Army Diggers from 6RAR, with the SLR (FN FAL) and some M16's

9b31ff6ec213470e3dc1b90e63077745.jpg


The 5.56 mm M16 was lighter to carry, but the 7.62mm FN FAL punched through the bush better and was more reliable, so the old and bold told me.
 
Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
When I was a kid, the deer rifle to have was in caliber .30 with a FN Mauser action. Is that the same FN?


Yes, same company. Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal, out of Belgium, with a large American factory in South Carolina.

Mauser actions are the most famous of bolt actions, and are made/copied by several companies. Mauser was a German action, perhaps copied by FN, and many others.
 
As stated above, they produce the US military M16/M4, amongst other firearms used my the US and others. They make some of the best 5.56 barrels there are.
 
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