FAMAS

The FAMAS (French: Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne, lit. 'Assault rifle from the Saint-Étienne Weapon Factory') is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by MAS in 1978.

Beginning in 2017, the FAMAS was replaced in most frontline units in the French Army by the HK416F, and the FAMAS is expected to remain in limited service until 2028.

History

The first French bullpup rifles were developed between 1946 and 1950 at the AME (French: Atelier Mécanique de Mulhouse) and MAS, testing rounds such as .30 US Carbine, 7.92×33mm Kurz, 7.65×38mm (Made by Cartoucherie de Valence) and some other intermediate calibres.

Since France was engaged in the First Indochina War at the time and was also the second-largest contributor to NATO, research budgets for new weapons were limited, and priority was given to the modernisation and production of existing service weapons.

Nevertheless, approximately forty different 7.62×51mm NATO calibre prototype rifles were developed between 1952 and 1962, most notably the FA-MAS Type 62. However, the United States' adoption of the M16 rifle and 5.56×45mm cartridge caused the French to rethink their approach, and consequently, the Type 62 was not adopted.

In the 1960s, MAS began to manufacture under licence the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle and later on the Heckler & Koch HK33 assault rifle as temporary substitutes.

At the same time, the French embraced the idea of developing a new 5.56 mm automatic rifle. However, adopting the German-designed HK33 was considered unsatisfactory for many members of the French high command.

General Marcel Bigeard was also against the idea of relying on foreign weapons.