What do you guys think of the FNAR?

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Hammerhead6814

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There has been a FNAR Rifle on the shelf at a dealer nearby for over a year now. I always look at it and think: "Man, that is one ugly rifle. What the hell is it anyway? It looks like a pistol gripped shotgun with a magazine in it".

So of course I looked around the internet JUST TODAY, because I'm more of a FAL guy or M1A guy. It's got some good reviews on Gunblast. But I can't find a lot of people who seem to own one. Even the clerks at said shop stated: "We've never actually had anyone ask about it", and one stated "I don't even know what magazine is in it."!

So, do we have a FNAR owner here? Can you write up anything on it? Preferably more than two or three sentences?
 
If you are an NRA member, receiving American Rifleman magazine, you would see that they did an evaluation of that very firearm.
It is a very good rifle, as it should be for $3,000.


NCsmitty
 
From what I understand its basically the tactical version of the Browning BAR. They say all of them do 1 inch groups or better at 100 yards so its got that going for it, which is nice. It looks a little better with optics but its still ugly.

For me a dpms in .308 for way less money sounds better.
 
they've sold a ton of them around here, but i don't know many people who've shot them. they sure haven't been selling anywhere close to $3000. more like half that

mags are hard to come by, but everyone seems to think they shoot great
 
Taliv, do you guys have anyone running one in He-Man or Heavy Metal division at your local matches?

I haven't seen any of them show up at a match out here yet.

To me, they look like someone took a hunting rifle and grafted a pistol-gripped, black plastic stock on it because that's what all the kids are into these days.
 
no, actually, because most of our 3gun matches are shot in bays designed for pistols, competitors tend to shun heavy metal.

i can remember one guy shooting a NM M1a, and another guy shooting a dpms 308, but that's it
 
Ah. We've got a fair number of Heavy Metal shooters out here, but I'm hard pressed to think of any that aren't running either an M1A or an AR10. One guy did show up to one of our tactical rifle matches with a Tanker Garand in .308 awhile back. He did pretty decently, as I recall.
 
I have one (standard barrel) and I really like it. I had the following criteria when I was looking for a new rifle:

1. .308
2. Box-fed semi-auto
3. Not an AR (no fudd here, just don't like AR's)
4. Sub MOA Accuracy
5. User defined dimensions (LOP, comb, etc)
6. Under $1500
7. Poly furniture
8. integral rail for scope

Notice that looks weren't on the list.

I found one used, but unfired for $1000 and I paired it with a new Leupold VXIII 40mm that I also got for a screaming deal and a Harris bipod. Once zeroed I got great accuracy (for me anyway), and it has very mild recoil. Last range trip I put one of the dots from a shoot-n-see on a piece of cardboard, I think it is 1" diameter. At 100 yards I put 4 rounds right in the dot.

However, saying the mags are scarce is like saying that Salma Hayek is slightly attractive.


ETA: BTW, I've really been liking the bottom dropping out of the Great Obama Panic Buy of '09. I've been getting some amazing deals!
 
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$1500 is a good price. I got mine for that much. Very accurate semi in .308. My dealer has one and he shoots .75" groups. I have only been able to shoot the cheep greek ammo through mine so far and only get 1.5-2 inch groups. Maybe next week I will try some loads with amax or ballistic tips.
 
Nice rifle, but by comparison... you could get about the same accuracy (< 1 MOA) for about the same money if you put
an M1A in a M4 style SAGE EBR (</> $1700.00) and new USGI/CMI mags are available in quantity @ reasonable prices.
 
I looked hard at the M1A, but I couldn't find a poly one cheaper than the FNAR. Everything I found was LOT closer to $2000. With the FNAR I could afford to get the rifle, scope/mounts/accessories, bipod, and ammo for 2k.
 
Everything I found was LOT closer to $2000. With the FNAR I could afford to get the rifle, scope/mounts/accessories, bipod, and ammo for 2k.
Click to expand...

And no mags. They are very hard to find and price is 54.99 each, no one has them in stock for that price. Best I've seen is 65.00 each, worst was 125.00 each. Also go to FN's site and download the owner's manual. It recommends to not remove the BCG and if you do not to do any dis assembly for any reason. Makes me wonder about a rifle when the mfg. doesn't want me to take it apart to properly clean, and has to be cleaned from the muzzle end as well. I really wanted to like it, I have a FN SLP shotgun that I love and wouldn't trade it for anything, but the more I looked at it the more it worried me.
 
I don't know H20 Man, finding an M1A is one thing. Finding one for under $1500 NEW around here is another. Finding one for under $1500 and then finding magazines for it, and getting MOA from it? I think you'd need the blessing of Wotan.

The only M1A I've seen on a shelf in Kansas City is a M1A SOCOM on the shelf at Show Me Shooters, and they way $1800+ for it.
 
I was thinking of distressed sales of pre-owned M1As... deals are out there or they soon will be.
Your average rack grade M1A in a SAGE EBR is capable of better than 1.50 MOA or better without any other mods.
A little tweaking will enhance the accuracy.

BTW, I like what the FNAR has to offer and I'm only interjecting the M1A EBR because they were mentioned in the original post.
 
It is a good suggestion H2O Man and it was at the top of my list. If one had come along in the $12-$1400 range, I'd probably have one.
 
I have a FNAR, I am not a huge AR fan either, I like .308. I bought a Socom 16 "used" unfired for a decent price, I hated that gun. It was the loudest thing I have ever shot, terrible control locations, ergonomics from WWII aren't the best I guess...anyhow, traded that gun in after two range sessions. Bought my FNAR for about $1300, and yes had a hard time finding another mag and spending $65 for it, but I love the gun. It handles really well, controls are nicely laid out, it's pretty damn accurate. I have been shooting surplus ammo and I put a 2moa red dot on it. I was getting around 2 inch groups at 100yards. Eventually I am planning on getting a magnifier for the Aimpoint for a little more yardage, I only shoot 100 yds now so it's not a big deal.
Disassembly is weird, the owners manual doesn't help either, at one point it tells you to unscrew something with a 2.5mm allen wrench and then put it back with a 3mm.
But at the price it's hard to beat i think, a piston driven .308 semi auto that is very accurate and doesn't need anything out of the box, save for another mag.
 
SuperNaut It is a good suggestion H2O Man and it was at the top of my list.
If one had come along in the $12-$1400 range, I'd probably have one.
Click to expand...

Just so you know, I was not including the SOCOM or SOCOM II as potential candidates.
I prefer those with 22.0" and 18.0" barrels.
Good luck.
 
I have an FNAR too, the light barrel model. My shopping checklist was as follows:
1. .308, so that I can use for deer.
2. Semi-auto, with possibility of hi-cap mags (I know they're scarce, but I have managed to scrouge up 2 20-rounders, in addition to the 20 it came with).
3. Decent accuracy.

The M1A would fit this, but I hate the idea of putting my finger inside the trigger guard to disengage the safety. Also, it's quite a bit more expensive than the FNAR. And *heavy*! I know that the FNAR is a bit nose heavy, but the M1A was much more so, at least to me.

Thought about an Armalite AR-10 or DPMS AP4, but you just couldn't find 'em when I was looking (about a year ago), and they were really expensive if you did see one.

Also, the FNAR is a breeze to clean. You don't have to take it apart, strip down the bolt, disassemble the piston system, etc. In fact, FN says not to. I don't understand guys here who write, "The manual says not to take it completely apart, but I did anyway." Maybe they're smarter than the engineers who designed the rifle. Me, I pretty much follow what the manual recommends. (Part of this may be a minor mechanical inhibition, which produces extreme terror at the idea of not being able to get the blasted thing back together. I'd hate to make the walk of shame to the gunsmith's counter with half a rifle and a bag of parts.)

I've shot the rifle only 4-5 times, but I'm getting 1.25-1.75" groups. That's using Federal Fusion and Winchester PowerPoint ammo. For some reason, this rifle really doesn't like Federal Gold Medal Match ammo. But the Wal-Mart El Cheapo ammo, it loves. Fine with me!! To be perfectly frank, I'm not that great of a shot, and I'm using a cheap Bushnell scope, 'cause I don't have the money to put expensive glass on it. Guys who shoot well could probably do better than I have done, especially with a really top quality scope.

Hope this helps!

frayluisfan
 
I just can't stand the name. FNAR (I'm assuming pronounced "eff-nar") sounds like a made up name grade-school kids call their peers. "Dude, you're such an FNAR!"
 
SuperNaut said:
However, saying the mags are scarce is like saying that Salma Hayek is slightly attractive.
Click to expand...

My local gun shop has about 10 of the FNAR 20 round magazines sitting on the counter (and maybe more in the back) ... they've been there for a while. They're $55 each or $53 each for two or more. I have no idea nor care if this is a good price since I'm not in need of any.

:)
 
1858...What gunshop? If they sell online they could make a small fortune. I paid $65 for mine and that was the best deal I could find at the time.
 
cooks 7, I just sent you a PM and I don't think he'll make a fortune off FNAR magazines ... he only carries them as a service since he's sold a couple of FNARs over the last six months or so. I almost bought one but decided on an M1A and FAL instead.

I noticed that those FNAR magazines are heavy ... they must sell them loaded or something.

:)
 
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