FAMAS
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The FAMAS (Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de St-Etienne, Assault Rifle by St-Etienne Arms Factory) is an assault rifle in bullpup configuration designed and manufactured in France by the Saint Étienne arms factory, which is a member of the French government-owned GIAT Industries complex. It is the service rifle of the French military.
Development and Production
Development of the FAMAS began in 1967 under the direction of Paul Tellie. After several years of research and development, the first FAMAS prototype was completed in 1971. French military evaluation of the rifle began in 1972, but was not completed until 1978 when the French military finally accepted the rifle as the standard French combat weapon.
After adoption, the FAMAS (designated FAMAS F1) effectively replaced the aging MAS-49. Production of the rifle was set into full swing soon afterwards. Approximately 400,000 FAMAS F1 assault rifles were produced after which GIAT Industries replaced the FAMAS F1 with the FAMAS G1. The G1 included several minor improvements such as redesigned grips and an enlarged trigger guard. The G1 proved to be an intermediate design, however, as it was soon replaced by the FAMAS G2. The G2 appeared in 1994, and was purchased and adopted by the French Navy in 1995. The French Army followed suit soon thereafter, adopting the rifle itself later.
Design
The FAMAS assault rifle is of bullpup configuration and allows for ambidextrous usage. The ammunition is stored in a magazine behind the trigger and the receiver is housed in strong plastic. The rifle uses lever delayed blowback action, a system developed by Hungarian designer Paul de Kiraly. Fire rate is controlled by the selector just forward of the trigger. The selector has three settings: safe, single shot, and fully automatic fire. Another selector allowing for three-shot burst fire is located under the housing and behind the magazine.
The FAMAS F1 and G1, the original variants, weigh 4.2 kilograms and were designed to use French-made 25-rounds magazines with the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge. These magazines were incompatible with standard NATO weaponry, but the FAMAS G2 uses the STANAG magazine as used by most other NATO rifles, including the M16 and SA80. The FAMAS G2 weighs 3.8 kilograms. The G2 has a full length handguard to allow easy use with gloves.
Another notable feature of the FAMAS is the interesting inclusion in all models of the rifle of an attached bipod located on the upper body of the rifle (and visible in the photographs), significantly improving the accuracy and target acquisition of the operator over other, similar, rifles unequipped with this feature.
Service
The FAMAS saw service in 1991 in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm and in other various peacekeeping missions afterwards. Previously something of an unknown force, French military troops found the weapon to be reliable and trustworthy in combat. The FAMAS is affectionately known as Le Clairon ("the bugle", because of its shape) amongst French troops. At the time of this article, an improved version of the FAMAS is to be integrated into the FELIN system.
Senegal and the United Arab Emirates had received a small amount of FAMAS rifles (possibly F1) from France, though it was unknown when they had received them. Djibouti also uses this weapon in its military as the standard arm for footsoldiers.
The rifle (G2) was known to be exported to the Philippines, where it saw service with the Special Action Force and certain army units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Other images
In Popular Culture
External links
- [Buddy Hinton French FAMAS Picture Collection]
- [FELIN article, with FAMAS pictured as part of FELIN system]
- [world.guns.ru]
- [Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide]
Manual
See also
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