FN SCAR® Family at MILIPOL Paris

New SCAR®-H PR Precision Rifle, here equipped with add-on day scope, bipod and 10-round steel magazine

October 12, 2011

In conjunction with the 2011 MILIPOL Trade Exhibition being held from 18 through to 21 October in Paris, France, FN Herstal is pleased to introduce the new semi-automatic SCAR®-H PR precision rifle.

Derived from the innovative FN SCAR® weapon system, the new SCAR®-H PR precision rifle is a tailored design for long-range precision fire applications while also providing capability to fight close in. The SCAR®-H PR features a 20" heavy barrel and a two-stage trigger module (Match type) allowing high accuracy. The folding buttstock and the cheek rest can be adjusted, respectively in length and in height, without tools. The operator can therefore optimize the rifle to his requirements (such as body size and body armor).

The iron sights have range settings up to a distance of 600m. The precision rifle also features an extended top MIL-STD 1913 rail that can accept the in-line assembly of night and day sights for longer ranges.

The SCAR®-H PR can fire 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition from either 10- or 20-round steel magazine.

Commonality of training and components throughout SCAR® family significantly simplifies, and reduces costs for, operator training and maintenance.

SCAR®-H PR Technical Data:

Caliber:	7.62x51mm NATO
Operating principle:	Gas operated, rotating bolt
Firing mode:	Semi-automatic
Feed device:	10- or 20-round steel magazine
Weight (without magazine):	4.5 kg
Length
with buttstock fully extended:	1.070mm
with buttstock fully collapsed:	1.011mm
with buttstock folded:	816mm
Barrel length:	20"
Color available:	Black

FNH USA rocks the Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun Match.

Several members of Team FNH USA posted solid finishes at the Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun Match. This year’s match had more than 300 shooters with several new stages including the technical Stage One where shooters were hung in climbing gear and had to throw dummy hand grenades into windows before shooting targets.

“The quick and dirty stages at SMM3G are challenging and keep you on your toes. One little mistake can cost you the match,” said Tommy “Tommy Gun” Thacker, Director of Product Management and Team Captain for FNH USA. “Overall it was a good start to the year for Team FNH USA.”

Team FNH USA results included finishes by team members Tommy Thacker coming in 7th in the Open Division and 9th overall in the match, Mark Hanish who placed 13th in the Tactical Optics Division, followed by the latest addition to the team, Eric Lund in 35th place. Dianna Liedorff placed 72ndoverall, just over Tasha Hanish in 75th. The women of Team FNH USA also took 2nd and 3rd in the Tactical Optics Women’s Division respectively. Ken Pfau, Vice President of Law Enforcement and Commercial Sales for FNH USA rounded out the team’s overall finish in 20th in the Tactical Limited Division shooting iron sights. “Shooting iron sights at this match is always fun. The close targets are deceptively difficult with plenty of “no-shoots” and chances for penalties,” said Pfau.

Additional staff members from FNH USA also competed in the match with Ernie Beckwith earning 104th place in the Tactical Optics Division and Walt Hasser following in 164th. Tabor Bright placed 17th in the Heavy Optics Division with his .308 SCAR 17s.

The three-day Superstition Mountain Mystery match is held at the Rio Salado Sportmans Range and is considered the kick-off event for the national 3-gun competition circuit. The event attracts several hundred of the top shooters from around the country, and is also the first stop on the “3-Gun Nation” National Tour. The final-day shoot-off at each of the 3GN Tour stops is worth thousands of dollars in cash prizes to the top three finishers and is among the richest payouts in the practical and action shooting realm. Each of the events on the 3GN Tour is also recorded for a later broadcast on the Versus Channel. (Check your local cable listings for broadcast date, time and channel in your area.)

Team FNH USA is slated to attend a number of major 3-Gun matches in 2011, including:
FNH USA Team Captain Tommy Thacker fires his FN SCAR 16S during one of the grueling stages of the Superstition Mystery Mountain 3-Gun Championship. Photo Credit: Courtesy of FNH USA

June 5-11 - MGM IronMan, Parma, ID
July 22-23 - Industry Masters, Park City, KY
Aug 4-6 - Rocky Mountain 3-Gun, Raton, NM
Sept 9-11 - Ozark 3-Gun, Lake Ozark, MO
Oct 21-23 - USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
Nov 10-12 - FNH USA / 3-Gun Nation Championship, Glengary, WV

To follow Team FNH USA in action, visit www.fnhusa.com.

Norwegian Armed Forces Adopt FN MINIMI™ Machine Gun

.February 8, 2011

Belgium-based FN Herstal is pleased to announce that the FN MINIMI™ 5.56 has been selected as the new light machine gun for the Norwegian Armed Forces.

The Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization (NDLO) confirmed their decision last November, putting an end to a yearlong competition.

The contract includes the manufacture and delivery of 1,900 MINIMI™ 5.56 machine guns together with spare parts and accessories up to the end of 2012. The contract also includes optional quantities and additional services to be provided by FN Herstal to the NDLO over a 15-year period.  

The MINIMI™ 5.56 light machine gun is the newest addition in line with the FN MAG™ medium machine gun and the FN M2HB-QCB heavy machine gun already in use by the Norwegian army.

FN Herstal Wins French Competition for 7.62 Machine Guns

The French DGA (Direction Générale de l'Armement) has selected the MAG machine gun manufactured by Belgium-based FN Herstal to replace its existing AN F1 machine guns.

MAG Machine Gun

The DGA confirmed this decision on December 15, 2010 as a result of an international competition.

The FN MAG machine guns will be mounted on vehicles in service with the French army. Transformation kits will be supplied as part of the contract to enable rapid conversion into dismounted weapons.

The contract includes the manufacture and supply of more than 10,000 MAG machine guns (7.62x51mm NATO caliber) over a period of several years.

An order for the first 500 units has already been placed by the DGA for delivery in 2011.

FNH USA MK 20 SSR

The U.S. Special Operations Command notified FN that the MK 20 MOD 0 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR)—a variant of the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) family of weapons, MK 17 (7.62mm)—was granted Milestone C and approved for full-rate production. The Full-Rate Production Decision Review by the Milestone Decision Authority occurred on October 28, 2010. The MK 16, MK 17, and MK 13 weapons received Full-Rate Production approval in July of this year and fielding of the MK17 and MK13 variants to SOF operational units is underway. The MK 20 is expected to start being fielded in mid -May, 2011.

FN Herstal, a worldwide recognized firearms supplier to generations of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines since 1897, has ramped up production and assembly at its manufacturing facilities to meet the delivery orders placed by USSOCOM.

Following a worldwide solicitation to the firearms industry in 2004, FNH was awarded the contract by USSOCOM for its SCAR submission after passing all of the Go/No-Go criteria required by the solicitation and being selected by a source selection board composed of senior operators from every SOF component.

The MK 20 was originally designated as the Sniper Variant of the SCAR Heavy now known as the MK17. Upon the MK 17 reaching the status of Operationally Effective / Operationally Suitable and Sustainable, the sniper community within SOF focused on refining the Sniper Variant to more suit the needs of long range, precision shooting. With the revisions, the Sniper Variant weapon was military-type designated as the MK 20.

The MK 20 features an extended receiver which provides the additional rail space required for mounting in-line night vision and thermal devices with standard/sniper day optics, a non-folding precision stock with an adjustable cheek piece and length of pull that provides adjust-ability and a more rigid firing position for making long range target engagements, a beefed up barrel extension and barrel profile to reduce whip and improve accuracy, and an enhanced modular trigger that can be configured for single-stage or two-stage operation, requires no adjustments, and is ruggedized for field use. As a part of the SCAR Family of Weapons, the MK 20 shares a high percentage of parts commonality (over 60%) with the MK 17, maintains the enhanced ergonomics and improves accuracy.

The MK 20 SSR is built with an eye to careful economic stewardship and the small logistical footprint required of today’s highly mobile military. Overall life cycle costs are reduced by features such as a chrome-lined, hammer forged steel barrel with a service life of far more than 15,000+ rounds. Each component of the MK 20 SSR is built for years of dependable service while minimizing maintenance downtime.

Engineered for uncompromising accuracy, the MK 20 SSR’s free floated, chrome-lined, cold hammer-forged barrel is tightly attached to the monolithic receiver by a specially designed barrel extension, which along with a massive recoil lug, provides consistent shot-to-shot performance. And like its MK 17 counterparts, the MK 20 SSR’s barrel can be easily removed by the operator within minutes for detailed cleaning or maintenance.

Source: FNH USA

FN SCAR PDW

FN SCAR PDW

The FN SCAR Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) is the latest range of SCAR . Compact and lightweight, it is for gunners of crew served weapons, drivers, crew armor, etc.. The SCAR PDW is chambered for the cartridge 5.56 x 45 mm NATO, but its performance is increased when employing the new cartridge M 855 A1 .

M855A1

The SCAR PDW was presented for the first time at AUSA 2010. He had a short barrel, ending with a cover open flame. Lacrosse SCAR has been replaced by a retractable stock along the body of the weapon. The top of the chamber is provided with a fastening rail picatinny type for mounting sighting systems. It also has rails on both sides of the handguard and under was.

Because of its short length of the weapon and its firepower, it can be used by bodyguards. At the lower end of a protrusion was allows a good positioning of the hand. Control devices are type ambidextrous.

FN’s New HAMR

McLean, Va. – In conjunction with the 2010 AUSA Annual Meetings and Exposition being held next week in Washington, DC, FN Herstal is pleased to introduce the new FN Heat Adaptive Modular Rifle (HAMR).

Derived from the innovative FN SCAR™ weapon system, the new FN HAMR is a revolutionary, lightweight, magazine-fed, 5.56x45mm infantry weapon that enhances the automatic rifleman's maneuverability and displacement speed while still providing the ability to suppress or destroy both area targets and point targets in today’s fluid battle space. In addition, the visual profile and the firing signature of the FN HAMR are virtually identical to that of the standard infantry rifle, thus reducing the counter-fire threat from enemy forces.

The high-tech FN HAMR platform is a unique, highly adaptable, fully-modular selective fire weapon system that bridges the gap between an individual battle rifle and a squad automatic light machine gun in one compact package. For enhanced accuracy and greater first-round reliability, the magazine-fed FN HAMR initially fires from the closed bolt in either semi-automatic or full-automatic modes. For added safety during sustained fire situations, the FN HAMR automatically transitions into open-bolt operation in both semi-automatic and full-automatic modes before reaching the cook-off temperature of the chambered cartridge. Once the chamber temperature has dropped to a safe level, the FN HAMR automatically transitions back to closed-bolt mode. These transitions between closed-bolt and open-bolt modes are thermally regulated by the FN HAMR and occur without any manual intervention by the operator.

“We are extremely enthusiastic in presenting the revolutionary technology incorporated into the FN HAMR,” noted Mark Cherpes, Vice President of Military Operations for FNH USA. “The FN HAMR is truly a leap ahead in small arms technology that immediately provides the U.S. Military greater insight into our concepts for the development of a lightweight, multipurpose machine gun / automatic rifle using conventional ammunition. The FN HAMR will provide a springboard to further advancements in weapon designs and high capacity feeding concepts.” 

FN HAMR TECHNICAL DATA

Weapon
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Operating Principle: Short-stroke gas piston; firing from closed or open bolt
Bolt: Rotating with multiple lugs
Mode of Fire: Semi-automatic, full automatic
Feed Device: 30-round steel (detachable box) magazine
Barrel Twist: 1 in 7” (right-hand twist)
 
Maximum Effective Range
Individual/Point Targets: 500 meters
Area Target: 600 meters

Weight
Complete Weapon: 11.2 lbs
(Unloaded with Grip Pod™ and Iron Sights)

Dimensions
Length
Stock Extended: 38.80”
Stock Collapsed: 36.34”
Stock Folded: 28.80” 

FNH SOF Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) receives approval from USSOCOM

(McLean, VA) —FNH USA, LLC received notification from the USSOCOM Program Executive Office—SOF Warrior (PEO—SW) that the SCAR Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) was approved and signed on April 14, 2010, moving this FN Herstal (FN) program into the Milestone C phase. This decision authorizes the production and deployment of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) MK 16 and MK 17, as well as the Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (EGLM) MK 13.

Following a worldwide solicitation to the military firearms industry, nine vendors submitted a dozen different designs for a new modular, multi-caliber weapons system. The FN SCAR submission was the only weapons system to pass all of the Go/No-Go criteria and was unanimously chosen in November 2004 by the selection board composed of senior operators from every SOF component. The SCAR is the first new assault rifle procured by the U.S. Military through a full and open competition since the M16 trials were held in the mid-1960s. Tests in reliability, accuracy, safety and ergonomics were administered from August 2005 to September 2008 and were conducted in a variety of environments including urban, maritime, jungle and winter/mountain operational test scenarios. The SCAR weapons system successfully endured more than two million rounds of ammunition during these trials, therein making it one of the most heavily tested weapons in the history of small arms.

“The SCAR is one of the most tested small arms in our military’s history and is currently being employed in the fight to defend freedom,” said United States Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Products of excellence, like the SCAR, represent the continuation of a long and proud tradition of defense manufacturing in South Carolina. I look forward to the continued use of this weapons system.”

The FN SCAR system consists of two highly adaptable modular rifle platforms and a grenade launcher. Type-designated as the MK 16 MOD 0 5.56mm Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle and the MK 17 MOD 0 7.62mm Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle, both weapons are available with three different barrel lengths optimized for conducting operations in close-quarters combat, standard infantry and longer-range precision fire roles. All SCAR barrels can be easily interchanged by the operator in just minutes to instantly meet the requirements of virtually any mission. The MK 13 MOD 0 40mm Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (EGLM) quickly mounts under the barrel of either SCAR platform, providing additional capability to the individual warfighter’s firepower, and can be easily configured for use as a stand-alone weapon as well. Because of the SCAR system’s modular design, ergonomic commonality (100%) and parts commonality (greater than 80%), it represents a significant reduction in training costs and life-cycle support. The weapon system’s open architecture is designed to support future advancements in operational requirements including ammunition, aiming devices, sighting systems and other mission critical equipment.

“The SCAR weapons system is a major USSOCOM program whose success is a direct result of the effort, commitment and teamwork provided by FN and the U.S. Government. We are extremely pleased to have had the opportunity to work with such a strong team in achieving the Milestone C decision,” said Mark Cherpes, Vice President of Military Operations for FNH USA. “This milestone signifies that our products are operationally effective and suitable for mass fielding. We believe that the SCAR is the most flexible, reliable and cost-effective small arms weapons system ever offered to America’s servicemen and women, and that it will give them a significant operational advantage in both present and future conflicts.”

FN firearms manufactured in the United States are produced by FN Manufacturing in Columbia, SC. The Herstal Group is represented by FNH USA, FN Manufacturing and Browning within the United States and directly employs more than 1,000 individuals. U.S. operations are located in Virginia, South Carolina, Utah and Missouri. FNH USA is the sales and marketing arm of FN. Its corporate mission is to expand the company’s global leadership position in defense, law enforcement and commercial markets by delivering superior products and the finest in training and logistical support. For more information, or to view the entire line of FN products, visit www.fnhusa.com. FNH USA, LLC, P.O. Box 697, McLean, VA 22101 USA. 

 Source FNUSA