Fabrique Nationale Herstal (),
trading as
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market (economics), market.
An early form of trade, barter, s ...
FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s manufacturer based in
Herstal
Herstal (; wa, Hesta), formerly known as Heristal, or Héristal, is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. It lies along the Meuse river. Herstal is included in the "Greater Liège" agglomeration, which c ...
, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe.
FN Herstal is owned by the
Herstal Group
, type = Public
, traded_as =
, industry = Firearms
, fate =
, predecessor = Fabrique NationaleBrowning International
, successor =
, founded =
, founder ...
holding company, which is in turn owned by the regional
government of Wallonia
The Walloon Government (french: Gouvernement wallon) or Government of Wallonia (french: Gouvernement de Wallonie) is the executive branch of Wallonia, and it is part of one of the six main governments of Belgium. It sits in Namur, where the Parli ...
.
The Herstal Group also owns the
Browning Arms Company
Browning Arms Company (originally John Moses and Matthew Sandefur Browning Company) is an American marketer of firearms and fishing gear. The company was founded in Ogden, Utah, in 1878 by brothers John Moses Browning (1855–1926) and ...
and the
U.S. Repeating Arms Company (
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
).
FN America is the U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal, which was formed by the merger of FN's previous two American subsidiaries – FN Manufacturing and FNH USA.
A United Kingdom based manufacturing facility, FNH UK, is also in operation.
![Herstal - Entrée FN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Herstal_-_Entr%C3%A9e_FN.jpg)
Firearms designed and/or manufactured by FN include the
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibers. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal. ...
and
Five-seven pistols, the
FAL,
FNC,
F2000
The FN F2000 is a 5.56×45mm NATO bullpup rifle, designed by FN Herstal in Belgium. The F2000 made its debut in March 2001 at the IDEX defence exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. As of early 2019, the F2000 is removed from ...
and
SCAR
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a na ...
rifles, the
P90 submachine gun, the
M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
,
MAG Mag, MAG or mags may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''MAG'' (video game), 2010
* ''Mag'' (Slovenian magazine), 1995–2010
* '' The Mag'', a British music magazine
Businesses and organisations
* MacKenzie Art Gallery, in Regina, Sask ...
,
Minimi and the
FN Evolys
The FN EVOLYS is a general purpose machine gun designed by FN Herstal, chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition. It is produced since 2021. The EVOLYS was designed to be lighter and more ergonomic than other machine guns, su ...
machine guns;
all have been commercially successful.
[Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns''. Salamander Books Ltd. .] FN Herstal's firearms are used by the
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
of over 100 countries.
History
![Browning High-Power 9mm IMG 1526](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Browning_High-Power_9mm_IMG_1526.jpg)
FN Herstal originated in the small city of
Herstal
Herstal (; wa, Hesta), formerly known as Heristal, or Héristal, is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. It lies along the Meuse river. Herstal is included in the "Greater Liège" agglomeration, which c ...
, near
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
. The ''Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre'' (French for 'National Factory of Weapons of War') was established in 1889 to manufacture 150,000
Mauser Model 89 rifles ordered by the
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
government.
FN was co-founded by the major arms makers of the Liège region, with Henri Pieper of ''
Anciens Etablissements Pieper
Anciens Etablissements Pieper was a Belgian arms manufacturer established under the name Henri Pieper in Herstal, Belgium in 1884 (some sources, 1866), by Henri Pieper. In 1898, it was renamed to Nicolas Pieper, and it became the Anciens Etablis ...
'' being the driving force and the primary shareholder of the new company. In 1897, the company entered into a long-lasting relationship with
John Browning
John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms many of which are still in use around the world. He m ...
, a well-known American firearms designer.
The company was an important manufacturer of motor vehicles in Belgium, a development championed by
Alexandre Galopin as managing director.
FN cars were produced in Herstal from the early 1900s until 1935. Production of
FN motorcycles continued until 1965, and production of trucks until 1970. In 1973, FN changed its name to reflect a diversified product line far beyond just military
Small Arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
and
Firearms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
manufacturing, adopting the current name of ''Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal''.
[Stevens, R. Blake ''The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol''. Collector Grade Publications (1990). .]
One of Fabrique Nationale's handguns, a
Model 1910 semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...
in 9×17mm (
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP (9×17mm) ( Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pisto ...
) (serial number 19074), was one of four weapons that were taken from the assassins of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
F ...
, although it is unknown which of the four weapons fired the fatal round.
Browning began the development of the GP35 "High Power" pistol, the GP standing for ''Grande Puissance'' (French for ''high power''), which is well-known as the
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibers. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal. ...
. The weapon was finalized by FN's
Dieudonné Saive
Dieudonné Joseph Saive (; 23 May 1888 – 12 October 1970) was a Belgian small arms designer who designed several well-known firearms for Belgian armsmaker Fabrique Nationale, including the Model 1949 and the FAL (''Fusil Automatique Leger'' o ...
and did not appear until 1935, nearly a decade after Browning's death; it remained in production until 2017.
The FN Manufacturing LLC plant in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
, is part of the military division of FN. It is primarily responsible for the production of U.S. military weapons, such as
M16 rifle
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
s,
M249 light machine guns,
M240 machine guns, and
M2 machine gun
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, wh ...
s.
Weapons
Handguns
*
Barracuda
A barracuda, or cuda for short, is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behaviour. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was ...
:
Double-action
Double action (or double-action) refers to one of two systems in firearms where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer.
*Double-action only (DAO) firearms trigger: The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. There is no single-action f ...
multi-caliber
revolver
A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
that can be switched between three calibers (
9×19mm Parabellum
The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge.
Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...
,
.38 Special
The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & ...
and
.357 Magnum
The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. ...
) by changing parts of the cylinder.
*
FN 509
The FN 509 is a polymer frame striker-fired semi-automatic pistol manufactured in Columbia, South Carolina, by FN America, a division of FN Herstal. It is chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum featuring double-action operation and a Picatinny rail l ...
: Redesigned version of the FNS pistol, chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum.
*
FN 503: Subcompact
concealed carry
Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pre ...
pistol, inspired by the FN 509 series.
*
FN Five-seven
The FN Five-seven (stylized as Five-seveN) is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7×28mm (.224 in) bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to ...
: Lightweight polymer-framed pistol with a 20-round magazine capacity, and designed to use FN's
5.7×28mm cartridge. In service with military and police forces in over 40 nations throughout the world.
[Tirans, Ivars (2009). "Baltic Defence Research and Technology 2009 Conference Proceedings". Military Review: Scientific Journal for Security and Defence (), Nr. 3/4 (132/133), p 103.]
*
FN FNP
The FN FNP pistol is a series of semi-automatic, polymer- framed pistols manufactured in Columbia, South Carolina, by FNH USA, a division of Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. The handgun debuted in early 2006 and is variously chambered for the 9×1 ...
: Series of polymer-framed pistols offered in 9×19mm Parabellum,
.357 SIG
The .357 SIG (designated as the 357 Sig by the SAAMI and 357 SIG by the C.I.P. or 9×22mm in unofficial metric notation) is a bottlenecked rimless centerfire handgun cartridge developed by the Swiss- German firearms manufacturer SIG Sauer, ...
,
.40 S&W, and
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) or .45 Auto (11.43×23mm) is a rimless straight-walled handgun cartridge designed by John Moses Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic pistol. After successful military trials, it ...
.
*
FN FNX
The FN FNX pistol is a series of semi-automatic, polymer- framed pistols manufactured in Columbia, South Carolina, by FN America (branded ''FNH USA''), a division of Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal.FNX pistols are made in Columbia, SC, although mar ...
: Updated and reengineered version of the FNP series pistol in 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W and .45 ACP.
*
FN FNS
The FN FNS pistol is a series of striker-fired semi-automatic, polymer- framed pistols manufactured in Fredericksburg, Virginia, by FN America, a division of Fabrique Nationale Herstal. The pistol is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 ...
: Polymer striker-fired pistols in 9×19mm Parabellum and 40 S&W.
*
FN 49: Pistol chambered for 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W.
*
FN/Browning Hi-Power: Single-action pistol chambered for 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W. One of the most widely used military pistols of all time, having been used by the armed forces of over 50 nations.
*
FN Grand Browning: M1911 pistol intended for the European market chambered in 9.65x23mm Browning.
*
HP-DA: 9×19mm Parabellum pistol, double-action variant of the Browning Hi-Power.
*
Model 1900:
.32 ACP
.32 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pi ...
blowback
semi-automatic pistol
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
.
*
Model 1903: Blowback semi-automatic pistol chambered for .32 ACP and
9×20mm Long Browning.
*
Model 1905:
.25 ACP
The .25 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) (6.35×16mmSR) is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled centerfire pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning
John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designe ...
vest pocket blowback semi-automatic pistol.
*
Model 1910:
Single-action pistol chambered for .32 ACP and
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP (9×17mm) ( Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pisto ...
.
*
Model 1922: Similar to the FN 1910 but with a longer barrel.
*
FN Baby Browning
The 1931 Fabrique Nationale (FN) Baby Browning is a small blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Belgium-born Dieudonné Saive chambered in .25 ACP (6.35x15 mm). The pistol features a six-round magazine capacity and is a striker-fire ...
: Simplified redesign of the 1905 Vest Pocket, also chambered for
.25 ACP
The .25 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) (6.35×16mmSR) is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled centerfire pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning
John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designe ...
Submachine guns
*
P90: Ambidextrous
bullpup
A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
personal defense weapon
Personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a class of firearms intended for self-defense and security rather than warfare and infantry. Most PDWs fire a small-caliber (less than ), centerfire bottleneck cartridge resembling a scaled-down intermediate ...
with a top-mounted 50-round magazine and chambered for FN's
5.7×28mm cartridge. In service with military and police forces in over 40 countries.
*
Uzi
The Uzi (; he, עוזי, Ūzi; officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the ...
: Built under licence from
Israel Military Industries
, former_name = Israel Military Industries
, type = State-owned enterprise
, industry = Arms industry
, fate = Acquired by Elbit Systems
, successor = Elbit Systems Land
, founded =
, founder =
, defunct =
, hq_location_city = Ramat ...
.
* M12: built under licence from Beretta. Chambered in 9x19 mm with 30-round magazine capable of firing in semi-auto,3 round burst and full auto.
Rifles
*
Trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...
*
Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle
The Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle, also known as the Semi Automatic 22 or SA-22, is a takedown rifle produced by FN Herstal based on a John Browning patent. The rifle is currently produced by Browning as the Semi-Auto 22. Production began in 19 ...
.22 LR, .22 Short.
Takedown rifle
A takedown gun (typically a takedown rifle or takedown shotgun) is a long gun designed to be taken apart significantly reducing its length, making it easier to store, pack, transport and conceal. A variety of barrel, stock, and receiver de ...
. Production began in 1914 and continued through 1974 in Belgium.
*
CAL: ''Carabine Automatique Légère'',
5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle.
*
F2000
The FN F2000 is a 5.56×45mm NATO bullpup rifle, designed by FN Herstal in Belgium. The F2000 made its debut in March 2001 at the IDEX defence exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. As of early 2019, the F2000 is removed from ...
: 5.56×45mm NATO
bullpup
A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
assault rifle, part of a system with a computerized sight and
40mm grenade launcher or
12 gauge shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
.
**
FS2000
The FN F2000 is a 5.56×45mm NATO bullpup rifle, designed by FN Herstal in Belgium. The F2000 made its debut in March 2001 at the IDEX defence exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. As of early 2019, the F2000 is removed ...
: Semi-automatic sporting version of the F2000 rifle.
*
FAL: ''Fusil Automatique Léger'',
7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle
A battle rifle is a service rifle chambered to fire a fully powered cartridge.
The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to better differentiate the intermediate cartridge, intermediate-powered assault rifles (e.g. the S ...
. One of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by over 90 nations.
[Hogg, Ian (2002). ''Jane's Guns Recognition Guide''. Jane's Information Group. .]
*
FN-15
*
FNAR: Semi-automatic rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO.
*
FNC: ''Fabrique Nationale Carabine'', 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle.
*
M16: 5.56×45mm NATO rifle (produced under licence by
Colt Defense
Colt Defense LLC, together with its subsidiaries, is an American designer, developer and manufacturer of small arms weapons systems for individual soldiers and law enforcement personnel. It is headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut. The compan ...
via a U.S. Government contract since 1991, by FNH USA).
*
M4A1
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
: 5.56×45mm NATO rifle (produced under contract from the U.S. Government since 2013 by FNH USA).
*
Mle 1930: Belgian variant of the Browning M1918, chambered in
7.65×53mm Belgian Mauser.
*
Model 1949:
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger, and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. For comparison, a bolt-act ...
/
selective fire
Selective fire is the capability of a weapon to be adjusted to fire in semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode. The modes are chosen by means of a selector switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective-fire we ...
automatic rifle
An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes (some automatic rifles are capable of ...
chambered in
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
,
7.92×57mm Mauser,
7.62×51mm NATO, and
7×57mm Mauser
The 7×57mm Mauser (designated as the 7 mm Mauser or 7×57mm by the SAAMI and 7 × 57 by the C.I.P.) is a first-generation smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was developed by Paul Mauser of the Mauser company in ...
.
*
PS90: Semi-automatic sporting carbine version of the P90 submachine gun.
*
SCAR
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a na ...
:
SOF Combat Assault Rifle, modular assault/battle rifle system with dedicated versions in 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO.
Bolt-action rifles
*
Mauser Model 1889
The Mauser Model 1889 is a bolt-action rifle of Belgian origin. It became known as the 1889 Belgian Mauser, 1891 Argentine Mauser, and 1890 Turkish Mauser.
History
After the Mauser brothers finished work on the Model 71/84 in 1880, the design t ...
and derivatives
*
Mauser Model 1893
The Mauser Model 1893 is a bolt-action rifle commonly referred to as the Spanish Mauser, though the model was adopted by other countries in other calibers, most notably the Ottoman Empire. The M1893 was based on the experimental M1892 rifle, whic ...
*
Model 1924 / Model 1930: Carbine and rifle based on the
Mauser 98 carbine.
*
Karabiner 98k
The Karabiner 98 kurz (; "carbine 98 short"), often abbreviated Karabiner 98k, Kar98k or K98k and also sometimes incorrectly referred to as a K98 (a K98 is a Polish carbine and copy of the Kar98a), is a bolt-action rifle chambered for the 7.92×5 ...
:
7.92×57mm Mauser bolt-action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed).
Most bolt-action ...
rifle produced post-World War II.
* Model 1950:
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
bolt-action rifle; updated version of the Model 1930.
*
Model 30-11:
7.62×51mm NATO bolt-action sniper rifle developed from FN-built Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles.
*
FN Ballista
The FN Ballista is a sniper rifle developed by FN Herstal. The company states that the Ballista's design compares with the Remington MSR, the Sako TRG M10, the Armalite AR-30, and the Accuracy International AWM
The Accuracy International A ...
: Modular
.338 Lapua Magnum
The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm or 8.58×70 mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. It was used in the War in Afghanistan and ...
long range
sniper rifle
A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment and optics for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses of the military sniper. The modern sniper rifle is a por ...
that is convertible to
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
or
.300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Winchester Magnum (also known as .300 Win Mag or .300 WM) (7.62×67mmB, 7.62x66BR) is a belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a m ...
calibers.
*
Patrol Bolt Rifle: 7.62×51mm NATO bolt-action rifle intended for police patrol cruisers.
*
Special Police Rifle: ''Special Police Rifle''; bolt-action sniper rifle based on the
Winchester Model 70
The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting rifle. It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle". The action has s ...
, chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO and .300 Winchester Magnum, intended for
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
and
SWAT
In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
teams.
*
Tactical Sport Rifle: ''Tactical Sports Rifle'' based on the SPR.
Machine guns
*
FN BRG-15
FN BRG-15 was a heavy machine gun designed by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal as a potential replacement for the Browning M2HB .50 caliber machine gun.
History
It was announced in October 1983, FN were seeking to develop a more powerful replaceme ...
: Experimental
heavy machine gun
A heavy machine gun (HMG) is significantly larger than light machine gun, light, medium machine gun, medium or general-purpose machine guns. HMGs are typically too heavy to be man-portable (carried by one person) and require weapon mount, mountin ...
chambered in 15.5×115mm.
*
M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
:
.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
heavy machine gun
A heavy machine gun (HMG) is significantly larger than light machine gun, light, medium machine gun, medium or general-purpose machine guns. HMGs are typically too heavy to be man-portable (carried by one person) and require weapon mount, mountin ...
produced under licence.
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MAG Mag, MAG or mags may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''MAG'' (video game), 2010
* ''Mag'' (Slovenian magazine), 1995–2010
* '' The Mag'', a British music magazine
Businesses and organisations
* MacKenzie Art Gallery, in Regina, Sask ...
: ''Mitrailleuse A Gaz'',
7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for v ...
. Used by more than 80 nations, and made under licence in countries such as
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, India,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, the United Kingdom and the United States as
M240 machine gun.
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Minimi: ''Mini Mitrailleuse'',
5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
. In service in over 75 nations and used in the United States as the
M249 SAW
The M249 light machine gun (LMG), also known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which continues to be the manufacturer's designation, and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the American adaptation of the Belgian F ...
.
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Mark 48 machine gun
The Mk 48 (Mark 48), or Maximi is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges, fed from a disintegrating belt (M13 link) or the non-disintegrating segmented German DM1 belt of ammunition.
It is manufactured by ...
: Variant of the M249
light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
.
Chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, and developed to meet a United States
special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
requirement.
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FN BAR
The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) is a family of American automatic rifles and machine guns used by the United States and numerous other countries during the 20th century. The primary variant of the BAR series was the M1918, chambered for the . ...
Model 1930 BAR: Licence-built version of the
M1918 BAR
The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) is a family of American automatic rifles and machine guns used by the United States and numerous other countries during the 20th century. The primary variant of the BAR series was the M1918, chambered for the . ...
, rechambered for the
7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge.
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M3 (FN M3M/GAU-21 and FN M3P): A belt-fed heavy machine gun which is a modernized form of the
M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
.50 caliber heavy machine gun. It is intended for vehicle, watercraft and aircraft mounting.
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FN EVOLYS
The FN EVOLYS is a general purpose machine gun designed by FN Herstal, chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition. It is produced since 2021. The EVOLYS was designed to be lighter and more ergonomic than other machine guns, su ...
: A machine gun developed in 2021, chambered for 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm ammunition
Shotguns
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FN P-12
The FN P-12 shotgun is a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun designed and manufactured by FN Herstal assembled in Portugal. The weapon, which was introduced during the summer of 2012, is intended to complement the FN SLP
The FN SLP (''Self-Loading P ...
:
12-gauge pump-action
Pump action or slide action is a repeating firearm action that is operated manually by moving a sliding handguard on the gun's forestock. When shooting, the sliding forend is pulled rearward to eject any expended cartridge
Cartridge may refe ...
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
with 18-inch barrel and 5-round capacity.
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FN Self-loading Police: 12-gauge gas-operated
semi-automatic shotgun offered in four different models with various barrel lengths, sight options, and capacities. Introduced in 2008, and named "2009 Shotgun of the Year" by ''American Rifleman'' magazine.
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FN Tactical Police Shotgun: 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with 5 or 8-round capacity. It is an upgraded version of the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American manufacturer of repeating firearms and ammunition. The firm was established in 1866 by Oliver Winchester and was located in New Haven, Connecticut. The firm went into receivership ...
Winchester 1300.
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Browning Auto-5
The Browning Automatic 5, most often Auto-5 or simply A-5, is a recoil-operated semi-automatic shotgun designed by John Browning. It was the first successful semi-automatic shotgun design, and remained in production until 1998. The name of the s ...
recoil-operated semi-automatic shotgun with 5-round capacity, designed by John Browning.
Helicopter and aircraft weapon systems
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Mitrailleuse d´Avion Browning - F.N. Calibre 13,2 mm: Heavy airplane machine gun. It was an improved
M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, w ...
for use in aircraft during
WWII
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The weapon had increased firerate and fired a more powerful 13.2x99 Hotchkiss cartridge. FN also invented a high velocity high explosive variant of the cartridge just for this weapon.
* FN HMP250: Heavy Machine Gun Pod. It is a system featuring a .50 cal FN M3P machine gun, a 275-round ammunition box, and a links and cases collector.
* FN HMP400: Heavy Machine Gun Pod. It is a system featuring a .50 cal FN M3P machine gun, a 400-round ammunition box capacity, and a links or links and cases collector.
* FN RMP: Rocket Machine Gun Pod. It is system comprising a 12.7mm (.50 caliber) FN M3P machine gun, a NATO Standard 2.75inch/70mm 3-tube rocket launcher and a 400-round machine gun ammunition box.
Miscellaneous
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5.56×45mm SS109:
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
standard 5.56×45mm cartridge.
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5.7×28mm: Small-caliber, high-velocity cartridge designed for use with the
FN P90
The FN P90 is a compact 5.7×28mm personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. It can also be considered a submachine gun. Created in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum firearms, t ...
PDW and
FN Five-seven
The FN Five-seven (stylized as Five-seveN) is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7×28mm (.224 in) bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to ...
pistol.
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EGLM: 40mm Ergonomic Grenade Launcher Module designed for the FN SCAR.
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303
__NOTOC__
Year 303 ( CCCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, less frequently, y ...
:
Less-lethal
Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional ...
17 mm multi-shot projectile launcher.
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303 Pistol: Pistol version of the less-lethal FN 303 launcher.
* FN Telgren telescoping shoot-through rifle-grenade.
* In 1938 the FN modified M1919 Browning aircraft guns to accept 7.5mm French rounds (modification known as "FN Mle 38")
See also
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Arms industry
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and servi ...
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List of modern armament manufacturers
The following list of modern armament manufacturers presents major companies producing modern weapons and munitions for military, paramilitary, government agency and civilian use. The companies are listed by their full name followed by the short ...
References
External links
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* (FN America)
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{{Authority control
Ammunition manufacturers
Firearm manufacturers of Belgium
Herstal
Manufacturing companies of Belgium
Société Générale de Belgique
Companies based in Liège Province