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Fabrique Nationale FN F2000

2001 MODERN

Fabrique Nationale FN F2000 History

Introduced in 2001, the FN F2000 was touted as a next-generation weapon system, with the modularity of its design being its main selling point. Developed by the Belgian national Fabrique Nationale's long-term focus on firearms, the system employs the popular "bullpup" configuration now increasingly common in modern automatic weapon designs.

Basically, the bullpup arrangement places the magazine feed behind the pistol grip unit, which is usually integrated into the oversized stock. This makes the final product more compact and adds more accuracy when trying to control such weapons with full automatic fire.

The basic system consists of an automatic rifle that can be swung with both hands without changing the frame. The body of the F2000 is mainly made of lightweight polymer and is a relatively compact kit for punching assault rifles. Spent ammo is ejected forward and away from the shooter via an interesting chute that runs along the top right of the receiver - so, unlike other guns in its class, the F2000 can be handled by left- or right-handed shooters - Spent 's shells were ejected far from the operator's face.

The design was also developed with future development on the battlefield in mind, as it is marketed as a modular weapon system that allows operators to highly customize the rifle to the specifics of the mission.

The FN F2000 offers an optional under-mounted 40x46mm GL1 series breech-loading single-shot grenade launcher with a pump-action twist lock that replaces a removable foreguard when installed (similar to a 12-gauge shotgun components can be connected in this way). Implementing the launcher with the assault rifle section only increased the overall length of the weapon system by an inch, while adding only 2 pounds to the overall weight.

The existing pistol grip on the automatic rifle section also activates the integrated grenade launcher unit, minimising the need for the operator to change hand positions when engaging with their weapon of choice. Below the main trigger is a separate trigger system for operating the transmitter.

The 40mm grenade launcher is capable of firing standard "dumb" grenades using the built-in Fire Control System (FCS), which is powered by a battery mounted in the shoulder piece. The FCS is operated by a button near the main trigger system, which activates the onboard laser rangefinder, which transmits the calculation results to the computer.

The user is then "guided" to the weapon's optimal elevation angle based on target distance and environmental factors, and he/she can then attack at the optimal angle with fairly accurate results.

To date, FN has developed several variants based on the original F2000 configuration. The F2000 "Tactical" ships from the factory without an integrated optical sight assembly, replaced by a MIL-STD-1913 type rail system. Iron sights replaced missing sights.

The F2000 "Tactical TR" is similar to the F2000 Tactical, but has three rail positions for a wider range of tactical options. The F2000 "S" is a combat version specially developed for the Slovenian army with a Picatinny rail bracket with an integrated carrying handle above the receiver. The FS2000 is a semi-automatic pure fire model for civilian use, they lack the range of military versions and have other civilian market modifications to make their ownership legal. The "standard" FS2000 is similar to the FS2000 above, also for civilian use, but with factory 1.6x magnification components.

Another civilian entry, the F2000 CQB has the handguards removed and replaced with a three-point Picatinny rail system for optional accessories.

The F2000 is deployed around the world beyond the Belgian border and is currently in service with the armed forces of Belgium, Croatia, India, Libya, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Slovenia. It is important to note here that all purchases are made specifically for the special forces of each country, not for the regular army.

As the F2000 is an ongoing development product at Fabrique Nationale, several other optional extras are in the works. One of the new additions is a multi-shot grenade launcher unit, and the ability to fire "smart" grenade ammunition.