FAMAS

>bullpup

pineapples... and five-five-sixers

Have been using one for 13 yrs.

Pros :
- Good barrel length for its size
- Compact
- Well balanced
- Reliable if you clean it regularly

Cons :
- This shit is heavy
- Not modular at all (no fucking rails dammit)
- Magazines were not planned to be reusable so they are pretty fragile and will become shit in months, often causing jams
- Does not use STANAG mags

Despite all its flaws I honestly like it

>>34005603
What is your opinoin on France ditching it in favor of an AR-looking weapon?
I mean the cons you mentioned should all be somewhat easy to fix while keeping the Famas basically the same.

>>34005260
It's kind of a shame that it didn't get the drip feed of upgrades that the M16 got. Better mags, different twist rate, better ammo etc.

It's lever delayed blowback system is probably it's weakest point, or the bullpup design depending on personal taste.

It would be nice if France restarted it's domestic arms industry with some AR 15 knockoff, but it is what it is. I'm just some autist on the internet, I'm sure someone worked out the cost/benefit and decided just buying German weapons is cheaper, it's just sad that a country with such a history of firearms innovation doesn't make guns anymore.

>>34005603
I used a FAMAS during a joint ops training ex two years ago with 3para, and the rifle I used felt dodgy and loose as hell. As in, when you'd shake the rifle, you could hear the working parts within shaking and rattling. I felt like I'd break it if I lept onto my belt buckle under contact.

Did I just get some shit luck or is most FAMAS rifles like that? I tried asking a couple frogs, but the stingy cunts wouldn't actually talk about the rifle, or would talk in broken English, stuttering, going "yeah-.. no"

>>34005773
I've heard some horror stories about French weapons maintenance. Curious what the frogs have to say as well.

>>34005706
>I mean the cons you mentioned should all be somewhat easy to fix while keeping the Famas basically the same.
Not that guy, but they literally cant at this point. There haven't been new Famas produced in 15 years, all tooling has been destroyed, anybody who had any experience with making them has long retired. While the French government could tell Nexter to start making them again, the cost would be prohibitive because they be starting from scratch (disregarding the additional cost of modernization, which was incidentally tried in the 90s with the Felin but never widely issued because the Government couldn't afford it then either). So by comparison, just buying a bunch of 416s off of the Germans is pretty cheap.

>>34005748
>It's lever delayed blowback system is probably it's weakest point
The only downside of that is the insanely high rate of fire, but orher than that, it's a pretty decent system. Can shoot both brass and steel well.
>inb4 Muh steel case meme
Problem is when the rifle is worn to shit, accidents are bound to happen (Thank god for that kevlar cheek rest to protect the shooter if it goes kaboom). It also wasn't that common, but the risk is already lone gone once they switched the ammo and bought from a different supplier (In Britain).

>>34005792
>the cost would be prohibitive because they be starting from scratch
I don't buy it seriously, it's 2017, building toolings from the scratch for something as simple as a firearm is not that prohibitive anymore.

>>34005706
I'm in favor of modernizing our weaponry but costs aside, a better market analysis or a will to reinvent the FAMAS would have been better IMHO.
This 416 will be fitted with completely useless options (bipods really ?) and all the troops will have to be retrained for the use of this rifle. Not a big deal but when you're used to using a weapon for 10+ years it's not easy switching to a new platform. I personally don't like the ergonomics of the 416 too, but I guess it will come with time. Also this >>34005792 basically.

>>34005773
The only thing that could be rattling would be the handguard/top grip (since it's a free floating barrel) and/or the charging handle which can have some slight lateral play if the spring is a bit used, not impacting its role.
Internal mechanics and working parts are pretty tough and don't rattle according to my experience. I've mistreated a lot of FAMAS, slamming them on trucks while dimenbarking, having them fall etc, they only suffered some plastic parts breaking and nothring that would prevent them from being usable.
And btw of course the general french suck at english, you can imagine the army english level.

>>34005789
Most weapons are decades old and still working. There obviously are some crappy ones but in general the squad/platoon-level maintenance is done well.

>>34005748
Agreed. It's a shame everything boils down to a matter of costs in the end.

>>34005880
>The only downside of that is the insanely high rate of fire

Delayed blowback will have higher pressure during ejection, which is a downside. Not that big of a deal, but my point is that it's one of the parts of the gun that can't be modernized.

>>34005789
A friend of mine who was in the FFL's 2nd Rep told me that their FAMAS were all old as fuck.