FN gets $119m military contract

**JABIII** · 03-05-2020, 09:28 AM

Columbia gun maker lands huge U.S. military contract
BY JEFF WILKINSON
MARCH 05, 2020 05:00 AM

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Columbia’s FN America a new $119 million contract to manufacture the military’s front-line assault rifles, according to the DoD website.

The Belgium-based company located off Old Clemson Road in northeast Columbia is contracted to manufacture more than 167,000 M4 and M4A1 carbines for the next five years.

FN officials could not be reached for comment.

FN, which manufactures weapons and ammunition for a wide spectrum of police agencies, security contractors and others, has been churning out guns and ammo for the U.S. military since 2003.

In 2015, it landed a $77-million U.S. military contract to produce 120,000 weapons, according to the department.

The company also produces ammunition as well as pistols, shotguns and other tactical weapons and parts for the military and civilian agencies, according to its website.

FN America is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

FN America, which opened its Columbia plant in 1979, is a subsidiary of Belgium’s Fabrique Nationale Herstal, which is also the parent company of Browning International.

**Drylok** · 03-05-2020, 09:32 AM

Good news for the folks right down the road from me.

**Ring King** · 03-05-2020, 10:46 AM

And they offer special pricing to military and law enforcement personnel if anyone is in the market for a handgun or one of their rifles!

rp · 03-05-2020, 10:51 AM

They have their store on Two Notch right outside the manufacturing facility. I have passed by there many times without stopping. I should check it out. And there is another little gun store almost across the street. I have stopped there.

**Luvin' Labs** · 03-05-2020, 10:53 AM

That's Great!!

**JJ1965** · 03-05-2020, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by rp

They have their store on Two Notch right outside the manufacturing facility. I have passed by there many times without stopping. I should check it out. And there is another little gun store almost across the street. I have stopped there.

I’m pretty sure that store is gone now.

**BuckyTownsend** · 03-05-2020, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by JJ1965

I’m pretty sure that store is gone now.

I believe so too. Which sucks cause I think you could get factory blemished from there at a decent discount.

**JJ1965** · 03-05-2020, 11:19 AM

Their sales dropped significantly when Trump was elected.

**Silentweapon338** · 03-05-2020, 11:30 AM

They make my favorite!

The 240 Best damn MG ever made! They should have adopted its original formulation the MAG58 instead of that abomination named a M60. Both have evolved and the US ordinance M60 is a major improvement over its earlier incarnations. But the MAG58 was light years ahead back then.

However the 240 is the perfect marriage of a rigidness, accuracy, and simplicity. The barrels are ridiculously easy to swap in and out. The frame can handle consistent firing. The bolt is made to where you can only put it in one way, it will not fire out of battery, and it fires from the open position! The accuracy is that of a fine bolt gun. It can be fired from M113 links or old MG42 belts. The israelites figured out what the germans knew, but took it one step further. The old tripods the Israelis made were freaking awesome for sustainable accurate fire, with the twist of the gas brake on a 58 or a turn of the old gas regulators of the 240 in conjunction with the recoil reduction of those tripods can render very controllable slow fire. IN other words it isn't a blip and over it can just chug. Now you can reconfigure them to get a fast rate if so desired, but the PKM's and 42's were always too fast for me. The 240 was goldie locks as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, I left its little brother the 249 out of the conversation.

Stupid bolt can get locked in the frame like a 60 bolt can and you have to cut the receiver to get the dang thing out.

MK46/48 the dang frames stretch.. MEH...