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Fa Mas

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FatalMove

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Feb 19, 2006
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Location
Nashville TN
Anyone have a FA MAS rifle or any experience with one? I just wondered if its a good rifle. Is it accurate, hard to clean, pros or cons. Just wanted to see if anyone had one and if you do post a pic. Thanks in advance. Just thought it would be a change from the typical AR posts on here.

FataL][V][ove :)
 
I remember seeing several for sale in the mid-1980s at gunshows. They were civilian semi-auto models in 222 Remington as 223 is apparently illegal for civilians to own in France. They were expensive even then, $2000-2500.
 
My neighbour shot one when she was a teenager, her father was a military officer and they lived in one of the French colonies. If a 14 year old girl with no experience can use it, then it can't be that bad of a rifle can it?
 
A friend of mine (who is in the army) shot one when he was in France where they trained together with French soldiers for a few days. He still prefers his Steyr AUG, but the FAMAS was reliable and accurate and not too heavy. IMO that's all you could ask for in a military rifle:)

PS: I think it looks pretty cool:D
 
It sounds like they were unsuccessfully attempting to engage RC planes.

I have no doubt that shooting a fast moving flying target with a rifle is difficult.
 
The FAMAS has many advantages : it's short (30" LOA ), easy to transport, accurate, easy to modify for left-handed people.

His rate of fire his high in full-auto ( 1000 shots/min. ).

Some amelioration may be possible ( it's a 30 years old rifle, after all ), but it's still a good combat rifle.

More infos : http://www.gunsworld.com/french/famas_us.html
 
That vid was funny...

Especially the part where the guy gets knocked on his butt from the muzzle climbing:) ... I'll take 3 please!

Still 2 Many Choices!?
 
Don't know, but it hails from the same country as the CHAUCHAT!!!!!!!!!!
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There's a good 50+ year span in between designs, as well as different designers. One was a sucky WWI-era MG, the other is one of the premier bullpup assault rifles (and one of the ONLY) in use with a modern (well, as modern as France is) country's military.
 
Very interesting rifle; has a following among video gamers because of its inclusion in Counter-Strike. I believe it's also called "Le Clairon" because of the fact it vaguely resembled a bugle, right? Supposed to be quite effective.
 
One was a sucky WWI-era MG, the other is one of the premier bullpup assault rifles (and one of the ONLY) in use with a modern (well, as modern as France is) country's military.
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So Britain is out of date? They carry SA-80 series rifles- which are Bullpups.
 
There are quite a few bullpup designs in use by militaries worldwide. The Brits most notably were early adopters, with the SA80s. Of course, that rifle sucked massively as issued, and the jury is still out on the rebuilds, AFAIK.

Very interesting rifle; has a following among video gamers because of its inclusion in Counter-Strike. I believe it's also called "Le Clarion" because of the fact it vaguely resembled a bugle, right? Supposed to be quite effective.
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Yeah, all of the g@m3rz love it, and the Aug, and "the colt", and "the deagle" and all sorts of other weapons because some game developer decided to include them in Counterstrike. The weapons' strengths, weaknesses, abilities and characteristics as portrayed in the game don't seem to bear an resemblance to reality.

And yes, it is called "Le Clarion" because of it's odd appearance, and it is impossible to really judge its efficiency in combat because it is being carried by the French military. :neener:

Mike

PS Sorry. I had to.
 
The Austrian's were the first to adopt a bullpup rifle. The Steyr AUG.
The Australians, New Zelanders and Irish also adopted the AUG (Irish have since replaced the AUG with H&K G-36).

The French has been using the FA-MAS since the 80s.

The British have their SA-80. Which did suck, but they got H&K to do the product improvement on it. Sure, they say the SA-80A2 is a lot better than the SA-80, but British SAS still use M-16 clones.
 
Your not likey to find anyone in the U.S. with a FAMAS. A very small number were imported before '89 and they were pricey at the time. Now they go for thousands of dollars, if you can even find one for sale.
 
Does anybody know if there are still semi-auto versions of the FAMAS made and sold to the civilian market? The FAMAS and the british rifle are the only popular military rifles that I haven't seen as semi auto versions, yet.

it is impossible to really judge its efficiency in combat because it is being carried by the French military.
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It is also carried by the Foreign Legion, so that is a moot point:D
 
Sure, they say the SA-80A2 is a lot better than the SA-80, but British SAS still use M-16 clones.
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The SA80 was the test models idenfification before being accepted as the standard military rifle. The L85 is the military designation.

Bullpups are becoming more popular around the world. Israel, South Africa, Belgium, China, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Brazil, Singapore have also developed or use bullbups.
 
[quote="cbsbyte]The SA80 was the test models idenfification before being accepted as the standard military rifle. The L85 is the military designation.[/quote]
The L-85 was the initial UK military designation. Shortly after it was adopted, there were some product improvements and the final production version was designated the L-85A1. After H&K made some product improvements, it was designated the L-85A2.

Even with it's offical UK military designation as the L-85 series. Manufacturers and other countries still refer to it as the SA-80 series.
 
The SA80 designation covers a family of weapons, including the L86A1 and L86A2 Light Support Weapons (with a long, heavy barrel and a bipod). There is also the shorty L22A1 "tanker" carbine, which I have fired - great fun!

For the story on the history of the SA80 see this article on my website: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/SA80.htm

Incidentally, I have fired the FAMAS and noticed a slight stinging in my eyes afterwards. Possibly this is due to a greater than usual escape of gun gas from the breech due to the delayed-blowback mechanism.
 
Never used a FAMAS but I used the L85 for years. SA80 refers to the family of weapons and stands for "Small Arms for the 80's".

In some ways the SA80 series is a brilliant system. In the case of the L85, it fits a barrel the length of an M16's into a rifle shorter than an M4. It's the second most accurate assault rifle in the world (first prize going to the Swiss SIG 550), it has almost no recoil (making it very accurate on fully automatic) and I can honestly say it is the most comfortable and natural pointing military rifle I've ever held. It also has a fine set of optics in the form of the SUSAT.

On the other hand it has some serious disadvantages, namely its considerable weight, the poor placing and design of certain controls (selector switch for instace) and the way it cannot be fired left-handed.

Much was made of the alledged unreliability of the rifle but I never had any more problems with it than the ARs I used to shoot in civillian life. I suppose it's possible that British soldiers who had no prior experience of firearms believed that every stoppage they encountered was the sign of rubbish, unreliable weapon when in fact they inevitably occur on field operations and are often the result of faulty ammunition, rather than the rifle.

None the less, the L85 has now been replaced by the L85A2 and I hear it's much better, though still heavy and right-handed only.
 
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