Really down side is that host guns (semi-auto's) are almost completely unavailable.
And there seems to be only one guy that does the conversions, S&H (Curtis Higgins).
Sears are easy to find though...


I hear that it's a good gun. For the money, it's very good.

You got it right, the only down side is parts. There is only one guy that I know of to get parts for mine. It is getting better though. Time will bring in more parts, and suppliers. Necessity is the mother of invention.

I would also add no caliber conversions..........I'd love to own one but if I had that much $, I'd save a little more and get a rr m-16, or save alot more and get a rdias.

Quoted: I would also add no caliber conversions..........I'd love to own one but if I had that much $, I'd save a little more and get a rr m-16, or save alot more and get a rdias.

there's not even a .22 kit for one? that blows.

Quoted: I would also add no caliber conversions..........I'd love to own one but if I had that much $, I'd save a little more and get a rr m-16, or save alot more and get a rdias.

This would be so EASY for an enterprising individual to fix.  Use Colt 9mm magwell blocks and a new aluminum upper that uses the M16/9 barrel and can use M16 handguards (in order to use free float tubes with a 5 inch 3-lug barrel......FNC/9mm SD!).

Make it straight blowback and design a bolt with an integral antibounce weight (make it similar to the P90 counterweight) and interchangeable bolt weight for controlling rate of fire (similar to Barrel Exchange's heavy mini UZI bolt).

The DOWNSIDE: this has yet to be offered commercially.

Curtis Higgins' FNC conversions were the best kept secret in the NFA community for a long time.  He had a ton of transferable sears and no customers even through the very late 1990s.  He reportedly made more registered sears before 1986 than there were semi-auto host guns through 1989.

Just a few years ago when MP5s and M16s were going for about 12k, he was selling a complete conversion on your semi-auto FNC host gun for about 3k, including the price of the registered sear and stunning receiver cosmetic work. Semi-auto FNCs were cheap too. No one knew about them until an SAR article came out and sent Curtis's business (and prices on everything FNC) through the roof.

Yeah, one downside is spare parts, but they are out there.  The other is an inherent design issue, it's not the most comfortable shooter.  Really rattles you.

But for the price it is unbeatable.

Does anybody have a clude of how many FNC sears exist?

thanks,
Ron

I also recall some pictures from the SHOT SHOW which showed a new production FNC type rifle which the sear should work in.

I would agree that the downside to the FNC are parts.

There is only one reliable source for FNC parts and that is Chris at Vulcan Imports.  However, Chris is unable to get bolts, bolt carriers, or barrels.

The only reliable source of these three parts is semi hosts.

These three key wear components are virtually non-existant as "parts only" and as a result I don't shoot my FNC much at all.  Since I have owned it I beleive I have shot my FNC exactly twice.  

I probably shouldn't mention this (as I don't need the competition) but I have also had a script that runs on the auction sites every day looking for spare FNC bolts, carriers, and/or uppers and over the past year I have found exactly zero for sale.

I have actually began monitoring semi FNC sales, looking for a "decent" deal to pick up a spare semi gun to canabilize for parts when that eventual day comes.

Unless you really want an FNC to round out an NFA collection and to use as an occasional shooter, I would suggest you look at an M16 for a few $$$ more or the AC556 if you want a more inexpensive centerfire rifle caliber machinegun.  While particular AC specific parts don't grow on trees, Ruger can still provide service on these guns, post sample parts kits are available,  and the major wear components, barrel, bolt, extractors, etc. can be havested from a $400 mini-14 should you get desperate.

Just my 2 cents

James
Austin, Texas

The SHOT SHOW FNC was MADE in USA.

Quoted: The SHOT SHOW FNC was MADE in USA.

Was this the Frankford Arsenal FNC or a clone by another manufacturer?  I didn't see pics, can you give some more details?  Thanks.

Only down side to full auto FNC is running out of ammo.  There's one FNC I shoot that has over 40k rounds and can still dump 3 Betas back to back.  Try that with an M16.