History
The first French bullpup rifles were developed between 1946 and 1950 at the AME (''Atelier Mécanique de Mulhouse'') and MAS, testing rounds such as .30 US Carbine,FAMAS F1
After adoption by the French military, the FAMAS F1 replaced both the elderlyFAMAS G2
The FAMAS G2 was developed in 1994 to comply with NATO standards by accepting standard NATO magazines and by employing tighter barrel rifling to accurately fire both older 5.56 mm ammunition and new standard 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The ammunition specific lever-delayed blowback mechanism of the FAMAS F1 designed around French steel cased ammunition was slightly revised for reliably using 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The FAMAS G2 also included several other upgrades taken from the G1 model, such as an enlarged trigger guard and improved hand guards made from reinforced fiberglass instead of plastic, and also the ability to take standard brass cased ammunition as well as French made steel ammunition. TheFAMAS Infantry
The FAMAS Infantry is an improvement of the FAMAS F1, obtained by retrofitting an accessory rail onto the top of the handguard. This allows mounting combat optics, most notably reflex sights or the 4×26.4 SCROME J4 telescopic sight.MAS .223
During the late 1980s, Century Arms imported a very small number of semi-automatic FAMAS rifles into the United States. Due to poor sales, production and importation ceased and the existing number are not only extremely rare but cost in the range of $25,000 with no spare parts available on the market.FAMAS Commando
GIAT made short-barreled FAMAS rifles to market them internationally, but there was no interest.Design details
Action
The FAMAS assault rifle is a bullpup configuration, with the ammunition feed behind the trigger. The receiver housing is made of a special steel alloy, and the rifle furniture is made of fiberglass. The rifle uses aErgonomics
Fire mode is controlled by a selector within the trigger guard, with three settings: safe (central position), single shot (to the right), and automatic fire (to the left). Automatic fire can be in three-shot bursts (''rafale'') or fully automatic; this is determined by another selector, located under the housing and behind the magazine. The FAMAS G2 weighs . The G1 and G2 have a large, grip-length trigger-guard like that of the Steyr AUG to allow easy access to the trigger when wearing gloves. Both F1 and G2 models of the FAMAS feature a bipod attached to the upper hand-guard. The FAMAS-G2 and some F1 sport a "polyvalent hand-guard" which features a standardAmmunition
The FAMAS uses a delayed blowback operating system that functions best with French-specified steel-casing 5.56×45mm ammunition. Using standard brass-casing 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition employed by other armies can create over-pressure and case ruptures in the FAMAS during extraction, which can lead to severe malfunctions. Using incorrectly built ammunition also results in approximately two minor injuries for every million rounds fired from a FAMAS. As a result, the French military has discreetly banned the use of foreign-produced ammunition in all French-issued FAMAS rifles. However, fluting the chamber will completely remove these malfunctions, although the brass casings will still be deformed and will not be able to be reloaded without reshaping. The FAMAS F1 uses a proprietary 25-round magazine. It has a chrome-lined barrel with 1 turn in 12 inch (1:12 inch) rifling and functions best with the (M193 type) ammunition. When using the French made 5.56 mm ammo it has a muzzle velocity of . The FAMAS G2 uses M16-type, NATO-compatible 30-round STANAG magazines. It has a chrome-lined barrel with 1 turn in 9 inch (1:9 inch) rifling and functions equally well with both the older (M193 type) ammo and the newer (SS109 type) ammo. When using the French made 5.56 mm ammo it has a muzzle velocity of . During training with blank ammunition, a special plug is added to the muzzle of the FAMAS. This plug is necessary for automatic or semi-automatic blank fire operation, and functions by blocking part of the gas used in a blank cartridge.Rifle grenades
The FAMAS can use a variety of rifle grenades up to 500 grams. Notable examples include the antipersonnel APAV40 and the antitank AC58. The FAMAS features two alidades for aiming rifle grenades with several modes: * direct fire at 75 or 100 metres, in anti-vehicle role * indirect fire, in anti-personnel role: ** with the FAMAS inclined by 45°, allowing fire from 120 to 340 metres ** with the FAMAS inclined by 75°, allowing fire from 60 to 170 metres In indirect fire mode the grenade support (more exactly named "grenade enforcement ring" in French) is moved forwards or backwards on the barrel which has markings (12/13?). This changes the position of the grenade on the barrel and automatically the volume of the chamber in which the gas expands to push the grenade forward. Each position of the grenade support has a number which is multiplied by a certain fixed number depending on the alidade position, 45° or 75°; this will accurately indicate the firing distance of the grenade. The FAMAS can also accommodate an external grenade launcher as an add-on module under the hand guard; the US M203 grenade launcher is sometimes used.Service
The FAMAS first saw service in Chad duringConflicts
The FAMAS has been used in the following conflicts:Replacement
In 2017, the French armed forces began the retirement of the FAMAS in favor of the German-made HK416 rifle. When the Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne (MAS) factory closed in 2002, no more domestic rifles could be made. The last batch of newly produced FAMAS rifles, built in 2002, saw more than a decade of heavy service by 2016. To date, the French armed forces currently use an estimated 400,000 FAMAS F1 and G2 rifles still stored in their arsenal. The military also ceased manufacture of special steel-case ammunition for the FAMAS. Because the FAMAS did not function properly with NATO standard brass-cased ammunition (chamber fluting can allow the F1 to use brass cases but only G2 rifles can use common STANAG magazines), and coupled with concern over the age of existing weapons, the French military sought a replacement for the FAMAS rifle. In May 2014, the French Ministry of Defense announced a European Union-wide tender for a minimum of 90,000 rifles and carbines to be issued across the entire French armed forces. In August 2016, the Ministry of Defense selected Heckler and Koch's HK416 rifle to replace the FAMAS as the new general-issue service rifle.http://www.janes.com/article/64230/french-army-selects-hk416-to-replace-famas French Army selects HK416 to replace FAMAS. Nicholas de Larrinaga. London. IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. 30 September 2016 Under the French contract, the new rifle was designated as the HK416F, with 'F' standing for French version. 16,000 rifles will be annually purchased until a final total of 90,000 to 102,000 rifles are delivered. The new rifles are expected to remain in active French service for at least 30 years. The FAMAS will be issued to the French National Guard and domestic police units, and will continue to serve in reserve and non-combat units until 2028, when a phaseout of the FAMAS with the HK416 can occur.Users
*:Special forces * * * : Presidential Guard and Army * Jones, Richard D. ''Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010''. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (27 January 2009). . * : Used by the GIGN and French Armed Forces since 1979, with over 700,000 rifles purchased.Marchington, James (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons''. Lewis International, Inc. Began to be replaced by the Heckler & Koch HK416 starting in 2017. Also used by several law enforcement agencies. * * : '' Komando Pasukan Katak'' (KOPASKA) tactical diver group and '' Komando Pasukan Khusus'' (Kopassus) special forces group. *: Iraqi insurgents * :See also
* HS Produkt VHSSources and references
External links