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Posted: 1/7/2015 10:05:21 AM EDT
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So who here has shot a French FAMAS. Never have had an opportunity to fire one. Wonder how is stacks up against the Tavor or AUG.
How did you like the integrated bipod? |
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Quoted:
So who here has shot a French FAMAS. Never have had an opportunity to fire one. Wonder how is stacks up against the Tavor or AUG. How did you like the integrated bipod? Good luck finding one of the dozens of Semi Auto versions that are floating around the US. Prepare to pay a hefty premium for one. It is typically French, IOW quirky. The bipod is ok, but doesn't tilt, the trigger pull is a bit worse than an AUG and its sight picture mimics the M16A1 with a shorter sight radius. It is easier to field strip than an AR and you can convert it over to left handed usage. I think that the AUG is a better bullpup and it is only a few years younger. |
I owned one for some years. It handles much better than its appearance would suggest but it is not as handy as my Steyr AUG. They are very tough weapons and can be switched from right to left hand ejection without the need for additional parts. The downside is it is difficult to mount optical sights and for Americans, the magazines are horrendously expensive.
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Quoted: Good luck finding one of the dozens of Semi Auto versions that are floating around the US. Prepare to pay a hefty premium for one. Quoted: Quoted: So who here has shot a French FAMAS. Never have had an opportunity to fire one. Wonder how is stacks up against the Tavor or AUG. How did you like the integrated bipod? Good luck finding one of the dozens of Semi Auto versions that are floating around the US. Prepare to pay a hefty premium for one. Sorry, phone doesn't want to hot link http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=453013723
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| The French Army was too cheap to replace the disposable magazines, which predictably caused issues. The French Navy finally said fuck it and had it redesigned to take standard AR mags, which the French Marines now use. The French Army apparently said Not Designed Here and wants to replace the whole thing instead of adopting the working version they'd have to buy new magazines for. |
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Quoted: Don't the French down load their ammo, as I recall 5.56 NATO is hotter than the French loading? Apparently the French Army has to use steel case b/c the toggle lock action opens w/ a swiftness. The new version the French Navy adopted uses brass case just fine, along w/ AR mags. Radway Green is the lower power load the British adopted to try to keep the SA80 from falling apart. |
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Quoted: Apparently the French Army has to use steel case b/c the toggle lock action opens w/ a swiftness. The new version the French Navy adopted uses brass case just fine, along w/ AR mags. Radway Green is the lower power load the British adopted to try to keep the SA80 from falling apart. Quoted: Quoted: Don't the French down load their ammo, as I recall 5.56 NATO is hotter than the French loading? Apparently the French Army has to use steel case b/c the toggle lock action opens w/ a swiftness. The new version the French Navy adopted uses brass case just fine, along w/ AR mags. Radway Green is the lower power load the British adopted to try to keep the SA80 from falling apart. |
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Century imported less than 150 units years ago. I believe at the time they sold for $999. Today they were worth $15,000+ and only once in a blue moon do they come up for sale. I was bummed years ago to "grow up" and set out to buy me a FAMAS, only to find out that the gun I idolized from games as a kid was probably the rarest and most expensive semi automatic rifle in the U.S. Last year I happened to get the opportunity to fondle one after tracking down an authentic and brand new issued FAMAS bayonet for a guy who owned one (had to import it myself through a contact in France). Wicked looking thing, still have the pictures I took.
As for the FAMAS as a gun, it's severely dated and only second kind of cool -Large "surrender" handle ruins any realistic ability to mount optics -Horrible ergonomics in terms of fire selector and magazine release -No bolt hold open or release -Never got the opportunity to dry fire one, but I'd bet large sums of money that the trigger sucks -Sling options suck -Reliability issues - apparently still present in issued guns - due to the French originally porting the gun for .223 ammo instead of 5.56 NATO (applies for the G2 STANAG iteration as well) As for the latest FELIN iteration, it sports some new cool tech, but I doubt the tech is fluid enough to not be a hindrance at this time now. Tech aside, the shear design of the latest FELIN FAMAS is severely dated, the M4/ACR pattern - with the possibility of bullpups that retain traditional operational controls - are the inexcusable standards for building a modern day assault rifle. Anything less is exactly that, less than a first classrifle. I'd imagine with the Euro terrorism surge, the French will heavily look into replacing it with something much less trivial and much more practical STILL, the moment a FAMAS G2 is available in the U.S. for a reasonable price I'd buy one day one. Like I said, I idolized this piece of turd growing up so it's kind of my piece of turd. I want one |
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