Horn for shooting
Here it is - the FAMAS F1 rifle. Without a magazine, but with a red dot sight on the carrying handle. Photo Forgotten Weapons
“On the road, on the road, the day of fun is over, it's time to go hiking.
Aim for the chest, little Zouave, cheer!
For many days, believing in miracles, Suzanne is waiting,
She has blue eyes and a scarlet mouth."
Poems by Konstantin Podrevsky
Aim for the chest, little Zouave, cheer!
For many days, believing in miracles, Suzanne is waiting,
She has blue eyes and a scarlet mouth."
Poems by Konstantin Podrevsky
Weapon and firms. And it was so that MAS released an assault rifle for the French army, and it became a milestone in stories firearms, and a milestone that we have not yet talked about. The unofficial name of the rifle is “Cleron” (fr. clairon - horn), but the development of a new weapon according to the “bullpup” scheme and under a low-pulse 5,56-mm cartridge began in France back in 1967. Designers Paul Tellier and Alain Kubet worked on it. For some reason, the French did not like the above cartridge, and in August 1970 they opted for the 5,56 × 45 mm M193 cartridge. It is interesting that the "horn" was created both as a rifle, more precisely - an automatic machine, and as a replacement for the 9-mm MAT-49 submachine gun. And she was supposed to replace the 7,5 mm MAS 49/56 self-loading rifle and Mle.1929 light machine guns. The requirements for it were as follows: 300 m - the distance of aimed shooting with a constant sight, firing rifle grenades. And, of course, it was also about the fact that the new rifle was ergonomic. In particular, unlike the British "bullpup" CA85, it could be fired from both the left shoulder and the right.
A Cameroonian soldier with an F1 rifle on patrol, March 18, 2014, during an exercise in Kutab, Cameroon
The first ten rifles were manufactured in 1971 (under the designation A1) for testing, and in 1973 the second model (A2) was introduced, which amazed everyone with its size. And no wonder, because it turned out to be as much as 200 mm shorter than most of the then automatic rifles, including those made in the bullpup layout, with the same barrel length as theirs! In 1973-1976, according to the test results, the A5 variant was recognized as suitable for the army, and in August 1977, the A6 variant was put into service under the designation FAMAS F1.
FAMAS F1 close-up
Within six years, the French army purchased about 300 F1 rifles and re-equipped almost all of its troops with them. Then, in the early 1980s, modifications such as Commando, Export and Civil were developed on its basis.
Recruits are taught how to assemble and disassemble the FAMAS F1 while blindfolded
In the early 90s, GIAT Industries offered its own version of this G1 rifle, and in 1994 - G2, which in 1995 entered service first with the Marine Corps, and then with all other units of the Armed Forces of the French Republic. The G1 differs from the F2 in having an enlarged guard, an all-fiberglass body, and a new 30-round magazine, while the first samples used a 25-round magazine. The G2 Sniper is a sniper variant of the G2 with a 650mm barrel and a Picatinny rail instead of a carrying handle that the scope should be attached to.
U.S. Marines and French Gendarmerie exercises December 3, 2014
The FAMAS rifle uses automatics, which work due to the recoil of a semi-free shutter, controlled by a lever. The chamber has 16 Revelli grooves, which prevent the cases from sticking in the 44 mm chamber. The design of the barrel is such that with its help the shooter from this rifle can also throw rocket-propelled grenades of various types. To do this, on the front of the barrel there are several annular protrusions with numbers printed on them for different grenade shanks - which “gets” to which number. This is important, because different grenades from a rifle are fired using different cartridges, both live with a bullet and blanks, and ... God forbid you mix them up! The flame arrester is slotted, fixed on the thread on the muzzle of the barrel. Transverse ribs are provided on the outer surface of the barrel for better cooling. The material of the receiver is light aluminum alloy, but both casings, in which the parts of the mechanism are located, are made of fiberglass. In this case, the upper casing simultaneously serves as the basis for a light bipod and a sight guard, designed in the form of a large carrying handle, which is also made of plastic.
Recruits shoot afloat!
On the back of the stock there is a rubber springy butt pad, which somewhat reduces the impact of recoil. The extractor is double-sided, it has two holes that open and close depending on whether the shooter is left-handed or right-handed. By the way, the reloading handle on the rifle stands vertically and is available for cocking both on the left and on the right.
"It's hard to learn, easy to hike"
The USM is designed in such a way that it makes it possible to fire single shots, short bursts with a cut-off of 3 shots, or conduct continuous fire. Interestingly, to ensure all these "provisions", the French had to put not one, but two translators - one near the trigger for three positions: "fuse", "single fire", "automatic fire"; another interpreter with positions "0" ("no fixed queues") and "3" ("fixed queues") is located on the butt.
Oh, these show-offs to me ...
Sights in the carrying handle are located next to the sight for throwing grenades. Nevertheless, the length of the sighting line is 330 mm, which is very decent. For comparison, for a Kalashnikov assault rifle, it is 378 mm. However, the French have a "bullpap" after all. At the same time, for shooting at 100 and 200 m, an adjustable sight is used, but at 300 m - a fixed one.
French special forces - "Men in Black"
A luminous dot on the front sight and a nozzle on the sight allow you to shoot in the dark. In addition, two folding plates with diopter holes of different sizes are provided in front and behind the carrying handle post. By changing them depending on the illumination, you can choose the most comfortable option for observing the target and aiming: during the day, both plates are raised, and aiming is carried out through a small hole. With the onset of dusk, the plate with a smaller hole (front) is lowered, and aiming is carried out using a large diameter diopter. But at night, both plates are already lowered, and aiming is carried out through a large hole on the rack itself. Naturally, adjustment of the sights is provided both horizontally and vertically.
“Who is knocking on my door with FAMAS on his belt?!”
The F1 rifle uses 25-round box magazines with rectangular shapes, which have holes for visual control of ammunition consumption. Also, the rifle is equipped with a bayonet-knife, but unlike most rifles, on the FAMAS rifle it is mounted not under the barrel, but above it.
A French Marine from the 5th Marine Regiment prepares to treat a conditionally wounded man during a practical exercise at a combat training course in the desert. French Desert Training and Training Center, Djibouti, February 27, 2013.
There is also a 58mm muzzle attachment for firing tear gas grenades. But this is a weapon for performing police functions. In a standard configuration, this rifle can be fired with rifle muzzle grenades of the following types: AC58 - an anti-tank grenade weighing 0,5 kg and armor penetration along the normal up to 350 mm. Sighting range is 75-100 m; APAV40 is an anti-personnel and anti-tank grenade weighing 0,405 kg, with a lethal radius of up to 12 m, fragmentation up to 100 m and armor penetration along the normal up to 100 mm. However, even this seemed insufficient to the French engineers, and just in case, they provided mounts for the M203 underbarrel grenade launcher under the forearm.
French and Somali military police are on duty at a roadside checkpoint near Buurhakaba. Somalis with AK-47s, French with FAMAS rifles
FAMAS Commando features a 405 mm barrel. You cannot shoot grenades from it. This is a special forces weapon. FAMAS Export is a self-loading variant specially designed for commercial sale to other countries. Finally, the FAMAS Civil is another self-loading variant chambered in .222 Remington. Designed for domestic commercial sale.
July 5, 2013 Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Brothers in arms measure who has the best "shooter"
It is believed that this automatic rifle has the following advantages: it is compact, has good accuracy of combat, it can be quickly adapted for firing both from the left and from the right shoulder, there are bipods (so each such rifle is also a light machine gun), the reloading handle is conveniently located, the entire body is made of plastic. And finally, the reliability of the design as a whole is noted.
NK416F-S of the French army, July 14, 2019. Photo by the author
HK417 is distinguished only by the caliber 7,62-mm and the fact that it is used by snipers. Author photo
What about disadvantages? They certainly exist too. So, in F1, a 25-round magazine can be inserted the other way around, the sight has only a rear sight, when firing rifle grenades, you need to remember which one to shoot with a blank and which one with a live cartridge. And it is better not to confuse them! When firing a grenade with direct fire, the recoil is very high. The magazine capacity, although not much, is less than that of most Western rifles. But the biggest drawback is that the automatic rifle deforms brass cases during firing, so FAMAS has to produce cartridges with steel cases.
French "parachutiste" in full street gear with a FAMAS F1 rifle and ... a Sauer pistol, previously removed from its holster! July 14, 2019 Photo by the author
Well, it all ended with the fact that in September 2016, according to the Franz-Press agency, the French army decided to abandon its “native” rifle and adopt the HK416 rifle, manufactured in Germany. In 2019, this rifle in several versions already went to the French troops, but FAMAS still continued to be used, and this rifle could even be seen in the hands of French soldiers stationed in Paris on the celebration of Independence Day on July 14, 2019.
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