FAMAS
Summary
| Country | 🇫🇷 France |
| Category | Bullpup assault rifle |
| Manufacturer | GIAT Industries |
Technical specifications
| FAMAS | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 1000 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 5.56 x 45 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | 25 rounds |
| Length | 760 mm (29.9 in) |
| Weight | 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) |
| Range | 300 m (984 ft) |
Description
The FAMAS (Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne) is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured by MAS in France in 1978. Research into French bullpup rifles began between 1946 and 1950, testing various calibers. Prototypes for a 7.62×51mm NATO rifle were developed between 1952 and 1962, including the FA-MAS Type 62. However, the adoption of the 5.56×45mm cartridge by the United States shifted French priorities. While Heckler & Koch G3 and HK33 were manufactured under license as temporary measures, the French sought a domestic 5.56mm design. The FAMAS project commenced in 1967 under General Paul Tellié, with the first prototype completed in 1971. Evaluation began in 1972. Production delays and the immediate need for a modern weapon during the 1978 Battle of Kolwezi led to the temporary licensing of the SIG SG 540 before the FAMAS came into full production. The FAMAS was accepted by the French military as their standard rifle, the FAMAS F1, in late 1978.
The FAMAS is a bullpup design featuring a receiver housing made of special steel alloy and furniture made of fiberglass. It operates using a lever-delayed blowback action. Fire mode is controlled by a selector in the trigger guard for safe, single shot, and automatic fire. A second selector controls automatic fire for three-shot bursts or fully automatic. The FAMAS F1 functions optimally with French steel-casing 5.56×45mm ammunition due to its delayed blowback system, though chamber fluting allows brass case use with deformation. The F1 uses proprietary 25-round magazines and has 1:12 inch rifling suitable for 55gr (M193 type) ammunition. The FAMAS G2 was designed to comply with NATO standards, accepting STANAG magazines and featuring 1:9 inch rifling for both 55gr and 62gr (SS109 type) ammunition, with a slightly revised mechanism to better use 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition, including brass cases. Both F1 and G2 models typically include a bipod, and G2 variants often feature a handguard with a NATO Accessory Rail for optics. The rifle can employ rifle grenades using aiming alidades for direct or indirect fire modes.
Several variants exist:
- FAMAS F1: The initial production model, with approximately 400,000 units produced.
- FAMAS G1: A conceptual version featuring minor ergonomic improvements that was not produced.
- FAMAS G2: Developed in 1994, incorporating NATO magazine compatibility, tighter rifling, and G1 upgrades like an enlarged trigger guard. The French Navy adopted the G2, but the army continued with the F1.
- FAMAS Infantry: An upgraded F1 fitted with an accessory rail for optics.
- FAMAS FÉLIN: A variant derived from the G2 for the integrated infantry system; an improved F1 is also part of the FÉLIN system.
- FAMAS Valorisé: A modified F1 with a lowered accessory rail carry handle and revised bipod positioning.
A short-barrelled version for export, the FAMAS Commando, was prototyped but not widely adopted internationally.
The FAMAS first saw operational service in Chad during Operation Manta and later in Operation Desert Storm, reportedly proving reliable under combat conditions. Known affectionately as "le Clairon" by French troops, it served as the standard French military rifle from 1979. The closure of the MAS factory in 2002 ended domestic production. The French armed forces began replacing the FAMAS with the HK416F in frontline units starting in 2017. Factors influencing the replacement included the age of existing weapons, cessation of domestic steel-case ammunition manufacture, and compatibility issues with standard NATO brass-cased ammunition. The FAMAS is expected to remain in limited service with reserve and non-combat units until around 2028.
The FAMAS has been utilized by several countries. Users have included Brazil (Special forces), Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, France (including GIGN and various armed forces branches and law enforcement), Gabon, Indonesia (KOPASKA, Kopassus), Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Suriname, United Arab Emirates, and Vanuatu. It has also been documented in use by non-state actors, such as Iraqi insurgents, the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front, and various groups in Syria including the Syrian Arab Army, Islamic State, and Kurds. Some units have been captured by Russian troops, and France has provided a number to Ukraine.