Review: FNAR - Competition rifle that is not ready for competition

For many years Fabrique Nationale (FN) has produced many fine products.  But no one bats a thousand and every company produces a mediocre or bad product.  Today I review one of FN’s least desirable products.  The FNAR. 

The FNAR is a semi-automatic rifle based on the Browning BAR.  (The hunting rifle, not the military rifle)  FN took the Browning design and added a magazine well to accommodate 5, 10 and 20 round magazines and a PIcatinny rail and a fancy stock.  Otherwise, the action is the same.  It is chambered only in .308 Winchester. 

Overall it is a sound design.  The fit and finish is excellent.  Just what you expect from a FN. The Competition model is colored blue (the company color) and looks sharp.  Has a nice adjustable cheek piece to fit the shooter.  A large Picatinny rail for mounting any optic.  It also includes a small Picatinny rail on the end of the barrel if you are so inclined to add iron sights.  The short, medium weight, 20 inch barrel is handy.  The action is smooth and functions well. 

This is where the good ends.  Let me move on to why this is not a good rifle, especially for a competition rifle. 

The Bad:

11. The medium weight barrel unbalances the rifle.  All the weight is up front and makes the rifle clumsy to move quickly and efficiently.

22. The Competition stock has no provisions for a sling or for a bi-pod.  This tells me this rifle was designed for one and only one type of competition.  One that does not require the use of a sling or bi-pod.  Without aftermarket gunsmithing, this rifle is not useful for multiple uses or competition types.    

33. The front Picatinny rail is pointless.  It is intended to put iron sights on.  But with iron sights you want a longer sight radius to minimize aiming errors.  The 20 inch barrel is a bit short for iron sights, especially if you want to win at competition.  Just remove the front Picatinny rail.   Most people will be using some sort of optic in today's world. 

Also, the iron sights sit very high above the bore, which will not allow for a good cheek weld.  This is not good for your accuracy.

44. The magazine release is too far forward.  Though ambidextrous, it is located too far forward for easy access, which will slow down your magazine changes.  This fact alone will lose you the competition.

55. Proprietary magazines that are stupid expensive.  Running around $50 each.  Ouch!  Since you added an extended magazine well, How about using standard off the shelf magazines?  Way to think of your customers needs FN.   

66. The bolt release is also in a bad location that will slow you down. 

77. Trigger.  It is definitely not what I would call a competition trigger.  Though light at approximately 3 – 3.5 pounds.  It is full of slack, creep, grit and crunch.  It is everything but a competition trigger.  Fine for a hunting rifle.

88. Complex gas system that is major pain to take apart to clean.  Definitely follow the instruction manual.  Lots of small screws, pins and springs that need to be taken out.  Good news, you do not need to pull it apart very frequently.  Bad news is the instruction manual that came with the rifle is incomplete.  It only explains how to disassemble the gas system.  But does not tell you how remove the bolt from the receiver.  Thank Google for the power of YouTube.  And a big thanks to FN for doing a half-ass job on the instruction manual.  Incomplete, small with tiny black and white pictures that are hard to see. 

99. Only chambered in .308 Winchester.  Why not 6.5 Creedmoor?  Same horsepower but much less recoil.  Less recoil means faster return to target.  How about .223?  Even less recoil and lower ammunition costs.  The only advantage of .308 is knockdown power at longer ranges (400+ yards).  Assuming you can hit your target.

110. Accuracy:  Definitely mediocre.  Even with the medium weight barrel, the rifle acts very much like a light weight hunting rifle.  The accuracy expands and contracts with the temperature of the barrel.  See Photo.

1.    First group, cold bore.  This is what you expect from a competition rifle.  The separation is most likely operator error. 

2.    2^nd group.  As the barrel heats up, the group open ups.  Still not bad.  Ignore the flying on the lower left of the group.

3.    3^rd group.  WTF?  Pushing 3 inches and no clue where shot #5 went.  This is AK territory.  Or Tavor is you prefer.  It also limits your maximum effective range depending on target size.  A 3 inch group at 100 yards gives you have a theoretical 15 inch group at 500 yards.

4.    4^th group.  After a short barrel cool down, the group closes up a bit.  Getting back to normal.  Again, separation is probably is operator error.

Not good for a competition rifle.  Fine for a hunting rifle.   

Conclusion:

The FNAR evolved from the Browning BAR hunting rifle.  Fabrique Nationale sexed it up and threw it out into the market place and marketed it as a “competition” rifle.  The FNAR is not a competition rifle in any way shape or form.  It is outclassed by the AR-15.  Hell, it is outclassed by an AK-47 and even a Tavor. 

I know YouTube is full of videos of people singing the praises of this rifle.  Sure, if a 1-3 inch gun is accurate enough and you limit your range to not more than 500 yards on a target not smaller than 10” in diameter, then yes, the FNAR is a fine rifle. 

I disagree with most people on this rifle.  It is outclassed by almost all other rifles.  For the same $1500 I can build a hell of a great AR-15 that will outshine the FNAR in all respects. 

It is the height of mediocrity for a “competition” rifle.  It is something I would expect out of Taurus, not FN.   

Fabrique Nationale needs to discontinue this rifle and remove it from the catalog.  Shut down the assembly line and put the money into fixing their other craptactular products.  

If you are hell bent on owning one of these, I do recommend the Browning BAR version.  It is a nice, sleek design with a flush fit magazine and available in multiple calibers.  It is hunting oriented, but that is what this design was meant to be and nothing else. 

Browning BAR Rifle

This is my $1.02 worth.  

By: Mez

04/17/2016

Tactical Rifle Skills 2

A few weeks ago, I spent the day out on the range in Double Tap's TRS2 class. I took the TRS1 class twice, and wasn't sure what to expect from TRS2, but I loaded up my gear and headed to class anyway.

My goal this year is to increase the number of training classes I take. Every year, I teach additional phlebotomy classes to earn extra "play" money for the year. In the past, I used that money to buy new guns for me and the hubby. I've also used that play money on horses and the Writers' Police Academy. Instead of buying a new gun this year, I decided to take as many training classes as I could reasonably afford (and still attend WPA).

TRS2 was the first class on the schedule for me. For Christmas Mez gave me an AimPoint red dot for my AR and I was excited to get to use it. For both TRS1 classes, I used iron sights. I believe it's a good skill to have, and I'm glad I took the fundamental course with the bare basics.

The class built nicely on TRS1, though it had been over a year since that class. It took me a while to get back in the groove of things and feel comfortable again. We started with a review of the previous class and did some warm-up exercises. I still struggle with mag changes the way we were taught. My hand isn't big enough to do the "beer can" mag change, so I mostly use the "L" method, though I sometimes have issues with the magazines slipping when I do the "L". What I've come up with is kind of a bastardization of the "beer can" method.

Instead of wrapping my hand around the magazine like a beer can, I hold it like I would a pistol mag, with the butt of the magazine resting in my palm. Then I can grasp the magazine in the gun with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers, keeping my index finger between the mags. I can pull the magazine out, shift my hand just a bit to the right and slam the new magazine home. I've found that I'm less likely to drop a mag or fail to seat the new one using this method.

After running through our paces from TRS1, we started into the new stuff. We worked on threats from the side and the rear. We learned how to quickly and safely turn to face the threat without sweeping each other with the muzzles of our rifles. Since I was on the far left side, I was feeling pretty good when our threat was to the left. I knew I had control over my own rifle and that I wouldn't sweep anyone in front of me. Boy, did I pucker up when the threat was on our right and I had three people behind me having to turn with their guns. It was not a comfortable feeling. I mean, we'd only been on the range an hour or so and I was so focused on what I was doing I didn't look around to see how their gun-handling skills were. (I may or may not have trust issues.) It was like doing a trust fall, but with projectiles that could kill me.

I was actually very comfortable with the skill, because I'd finally made the connection that handling the rifle is just like handling an over-sized pistol, and I had already done those skills with a pistol.

Probably the most uncomfortable part of the day for me was when we were learning unconventional shooting positions. Yes, I'd shot from most of those positions with a pistol, but the added length of the rifle barrel made it more complicated for me to move from one position to the next. When in a crouched or kneeling position, the rifle is as tall as I am. While I wasn't as fluid as other students, I did manage to complete each of the positions and I got my hits on target.

The most psychologically difficult position for me to shoot from was supine. Flat on my back with my heels drawn up to my knees is not a good position for any female. Not only is it a powerless position, trying to shoot with my rifle flat against my body was difficult. In order to see through the optic while still lying flat on my back, I laid the gun on its left side and drew it up my body until my shooting hand was pretty much level with my shoulder. By lifting my head off the ground I could look through the optic and made my hits.

The purpose of making us shoot from a supine position was to remind us that even if we ended up flat on our backs we could still get our shots on target. The example given was if we were backing up and tripped. From the ground we could still continue to send rounds downrange.

I might have struggled with the unconventional shooting positions, but once we started shooting on the move I was in my element. We shoot on the move frequently in the defensive pistol matches, and frankly, doing it with a rifle and a good optic is much easier than with a pistol. One of the exercises had us moving forward while shooting at steel, then moving on the diagonal shooting at 3" dots on silhouettes, and finally ending with a transition to pistol to take out the last guy.

When I finished my run-through I was feeling okay about it until the instructors pointed out that I was the only student to not throw rounds outside of the 3" dots. That was truly the confidence boost I needed. I felt I'd been lagging behind the other students with some of the other exercises, but to absolutely NAIL a difficult exercise made me feel much better.

Our final exercise of the day took skills we'd learned throughout the day and put them all together. We started shooting from prone, had to run to cover, engage a few targets, move to different cover (2nd cover required us to contort ourselves to fit behind it), and engage the next few targets before stepping out from cover and shooting the remaining targets as we walked toward them.

This was another exercise where my defensive pistol practice really paid off. I took the time to do a tactical reload while behind cover so that I wouldn't have to reload from empty while exposed. The instructors asked what made me think to do that, and it was absolutely something I picked up from the monthly matches.

It was an excellent class and I learned a lot; I pushed myself to do things that were not comfortable or easy, yet I left the class feeling very accomplished. I'm beginning to feel less like a noob with the AR, but will still take the class a second time. Next time around, though, I might do it left-handed. I just need to get an ambi mag release and ambi safety. I always tell my medical students when they are learning a new skill, such as phlebotomy, that it's awkward even with your dominate hand, so you might as well learn it with both hands as you'll never know when you'll need to use your non-dominate hand. Manipulating the carbine is getting more comfortable with my dominate side; might as well learn to do it with my non-dominate side as well.

If you ever get the chance to take a class from Mike and Will from Double Tap, you should jump at it.

My next class is Concealed Carry Essentials. Even though I carry daily, there's always something new to learn. I can't wait!

Educating New (And Old) Shooters

It's been a while since I've darkened this space with my presence. It's been for good reasons I assure you (none of them "fun with a gun" related unfortunately). I had an interesting encounter at work yesterday which prompted me to put pixel to internet.

My office employs about 150 people; and, being in a gun friendly state, there are a quite a few of us who are well known to be "out of the closet" gun nuts. There are also several young people just getting their feet wet in the shooting world.

Among those young people is a 20 something female who is looking to get her first gun for self defense. She recently had her first visit to a range to try out some guns.

Her first comment to me was: "It was so loud."

"Indoor range?", I asked.

Sure enough it was. I explained to her that it's loud because your are essentially setting off small explosives each time you pull the trigger, and the overpressure from those explosions bounces off the walls of the range and impacts the entire body. Outdoor ranges mitigate that issue somewhat by having fewer hard surfaces for the overpressure to bounce off of.

Her next comment: "Guns are so expensive. It's a car note."

I asked her what she had been expecting. Her response: "I thought they were like $20."

My first reaction was something along the lines of "Seriously???". Then I got to thinking about it. If you've never looked at buying a product (any product) or paid any attention to ads for such a product, how would you know what to expect?

So, I spent a few minutes educating her on the gun market and what she could expect to pay for a gun with which she could reasonably trust her life. She had a little sticker shock since she kept repeating "It's a car note" over and over. There was even a discussion of Cerakoting as she mentioned a desire for a "pretty" gun (pink, in fact).

I mention this encounter not to make fun of her ignorance (literally "lack of knowledge" in this case). The reason I tell this story is that I've been reflecting on what I know about guns and more importantly what I don't know. We all start out at one time or another in the same place my co-worker is coming from which is an interest and not much, if any, knowledge.

I started out shooting when I was a kid, and most of what I know (and many a bad habit) I picked up here and there along the way from other shooters, Boy Scouts, my lunatic grandfather, magazines and the internet. Some (perhaps most) of what I know is pure fertilizer (in fact, some of the things I've written here probably fall into that category). I've spent a lot of time seeking out accurate information from reputable sources to correct some of that fertilizer, but I have a long way to go still.

It would be easy to say new shooters should take an intro to shooting course from a reputable trainer and progress from there. Based on personal experience, some of those classes are better than others and the worst of those are more harmful than helpful.

Unfortunately, I don't have an easy answer to offer since learning to sort fact from crap is part of the learning process. For my part, this encounter served to renew my commitment to learning and being a resource to new shooters. Hopefully, I can serve up more insightful help as opposed to worthless fertilizer.

Sexy Holsters, Part II

Note: despite the "Sexy Holsters" title, this post applies to all new shooters and their gear. It just so happens that I have seen dangerous sexy holsters most recently.
 
It is important for us as shooters and instructors to help educate new shooters. We know that there are is a large batch of new gun owners joining our ranks. Many of them will take a basic class (if required) to obtain their concealed carry permit and stop there.

Sadly, many of these new owners will see sub-par - and sometimes down-right dangerous - holsters and buy them because they don't know any better. It is our job to educate them, even if it is only a five minute discussion or a handout in a basic level class. If the students are not exposed to what they need to look for in a good holster, they'll forever be at a disadvantage. Additionally, we need to explain to them why certain things are so important. Giving students a list of what they need without giving the why of it isn't going to help them learn to evaluate their gear critically.

What I find even more frustrating are the manufacturers who are cranking out these holsters. The ones I spoke with at SHOT Show didn't really have a clue about what a good holster entails and they themselves had not continued their training beyond the basics. If the designer does not know what is required in a good concealed carry holster, how can they possibly design one?

The reality is that these poor designs are going to continue to pop up. Why? Because you'll always find people who say, "I've carried this way for years and never had a problem." They're right - they've not had a problem because they've never had to access their gun in an emergency. They've not taken a class with their concealed carry rig and have never tested it under pressure.

I hope to be one of the people who carries daily, yet never needs to use my gun, but that doesn't mean I'm going to use inferior equipment. I want to know my gear works every time.

Beware of Sexy Holsters

Do you remember, in the not-so-distant past when gun manufacturers just painted guns pink and called them "women's" guns without any thought about the functionality of the gun? (Let's be honest, there are still a whole lot of manufacturers continuing to do this - only they offer a wider variety of colors.)

It took a few years, but there are now manufacturers who are making guns that fit a variety of hands. After years of having to "make do" with guns that didn't fit my hands, it makes me very happy to see different sized pistols being offered.

Now that we have more gun options for smaller hands and the number of female shooters joining our ranks has sky-rocketed, holster manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon. I saw several holsters for women that are not only a Bad Idea, but are dangerous. Look people, you cannot just slap together a sexy looking holster and market it to women. Wait ... apparently you can, as evidenced by the holsters we saw on the floor.

Just like with guns, women need the same functionality in their holsters as men do. A good holster should:

1. hold the gun securely in place (no flapping, or migrating)
2. cover the trigger (without being able to inadvertently activate the trigger)
3. allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun
4. not require constant adjusting and re-adjusting

It's really not that difficult, just four basics need to be covered. Of course, there's the ability to conceal comfortably and too many manufacturers - even holsters "made by women for women" - are focusing on the concealability and overlooking the four basics.

One of the holsters we saw was no better than using an ACE bandage to strap your gun to your body. It's got a sexy name (no, I'm not giving the name or a link to this product) and their sales pitch is great. They talk about the versatility of their holster: how you can carry anything from a pocket gun to a full-sized one and how many different places on your body you can wear their holster. If we use the four listed basics as a checklist, it fails on three of the four.

1. Does it hold the gun securely in place? No, there is nothing to keep a pocket gun from slipping down in the pocket of the holster, or to keep a full-sized gun from flapping over with bending.
2. Does it cover the trigger? Yes, the trigger is covered, by only by a couple of thin layers of cloth so while it's technically covered, I'm not convinced that the trigger cannot be activated
3. Does it allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun? No, in fact, the manufacturer recommends wrapping the holster over the grip of the gun to get better concealment. If you cannot put your hand on the grip of your gun easily, you might as not wear one.
4. Does it require constant adjusting and re-adjusting? Yes, which is a bad, bad thing. Have you ever worn an ACE wrap? If so, you know that it needs constant readjusting throughout the day; it shifts and slides around, or gets too tight or too loose with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Another holster was corset-style. It was dead sexy, no doubt. I've seen several different version and each time I just roll my eyes. One of the corset-style holsters places the butt of the gun right under the carrier's breast. Another corset-style holster places the gun in a better place - between the breasts - but still makes the drawstroke difficult. These types of holsters fail in one (possibly two) of our four basics.

1. Does it hold the gun securely in place? Yes, as long as the corset is made well with good stays.
2. Does it cover the trigger? Yes, though it's covered with just a layer of cloth.
3. Does it allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun? No. The first type of corset-holster which puts the grip of the gun directly beneath the breast might look sexy as hell, but if you're using your gun to give one of the girls a little "lift", there is no room to draw it. The second type of corset-holster carries the gun in a better place, but is still difficult to access. With both types of corset-holsters, the carrier either needs to pull her shirt up over her breasts or wear shirts that allow access from the collar. 
4. Does it require constant adjusting and re-adjusting? This depends on the quality of the corset and stays. If it is made properly, there shouldn't be any adjustment required during ADLs. After all, our ancestors settled the West wearing corsets. However, if the corset is poorly made it will slip, twist, and roll with ADLs.

Oh, the yoga pants. I almost forgot those. They're popping up all over the place. I have to tell you, I love a good yoga pant, and I don't even do yoga! However, the yoga pants with built-in holster fail on all four of the basics.

1. Does it hold the gun securely in place? No. Beware, without a retention strap, too much bending will allow the gun to "walk" up out of the cloth pocket and fall out. 
2. Does it cover the trigger? Yes, with just a layer of cloth.
3. Does it allow the carrier fast and consistent access to their gun? Since the gun typically sits in a designated pocket the answer is yes and no. Yes, it might be in the pocket (you know, if it didn't fall out with ADLs); no because the it's just in a pocket and you can't guarantee consistent access.
4. Does it require constant adjusting and re-adjusting? Yes. Think about how many times a day women adjust their yoga pants. Most women do it unconsciously, so just watch others. Now, add the weight of a gun to the pants and imagine how many times during ADLs the carrier will have to adjust.

Are there good holsters for women on the market? Absolutely! There are a couple of great holster manufacturers out there that are made by shooters who put a lot of thought into their holsters and address all of the four basics while still addressing concealability.


Concealed carriers should examine their carry gear as critically as they examine their carry guns.

SHOT Show 2016: Kimber Revolver

Here is a quick post of a neat item from Kimber we found at Industry day.  Normally I am not a big fan of Kimber due to their 1911 line of pistols.  Simply because I think they are overpriced for what they are.  But this time, I think Kimber has a possible winner.
Kimber has introduced a revolver.  The K6s.  It is a snubnose revolver.  2 inch barrel.  Stainless steel body. 23 ounces.  And a 6 shot cylinder instead of the more traditional 5 shot cylinder.  The overall size does not appear to be bigger than a comparable Ruger or Smith snubnose revolver.
It is chambered in .357 magnum.  Will also shoot .38 Specials. 

What sets this revolver apart is the 6 shot cylinder and more importantly, the trigger.  Factory revolvers are notorious for heavy, crunchy triggers.  Typically in the 12 - 16 pound range and desperately need the loving touch of a good gunsmith to smooth them out.
Kimber's specification for this revolver is 9.5 - 10.5 Lbs.  This is a very good trigger weight for a revolver.  To top it off, the trigger is very smooth.  Smooth  is very important in a revolver.

I only had limited time to test fire this revolver.  But after 18 rounds, I was impressed for a Kimber product.  The trigger was smooth, not too heavy and easy to press.  Kimber representatives claimed we were firing full power, 158 grain .357 magnums.  Didn't feel like it.  This pocket revolver was very easy to manage.  My Ruger SP101 can be a handful with full power loads.  First, impression, I like it.   

Now the bad news.  MSRP is $899.  OUCH!  This is very high for a snubby revolver.  A comparable Ruger or Smith will retail for $550 - $750.  But, they have stock triggers and typically need some TLC.  This is where the Kimber shines.  I don't think additional work is necessary on the Kimber.  If you combine purchase price and a trigger job, you are at or almost at the same price as the Kimber.  I do think you are paying a little more for the Kimber name.  But the performance was very nice.

Definitely take a look at the Kimber revolver if you are in the market for a pocket revolver.  The price is high, but the additional work most revolvers need has already been done for you by the Kimber factory.

01/19/2016

By: Mez

It's that time again!

Our annual SHOT Show trip is just around the corner - in approximately 30 hours we'll be hitting the highway on our way to Vegas.

I'm having a hard time getting as excited as I have in the past. I am definitely looking forward to seeing my peers, but I can't say there's anything I'm just dying to see.

Part of my lack of excitement is real-world work stress. Now that I'm finished with work for the week and there's literally nothing else I can do to ensure my students do okay in my absence, I'm starting to feel the stirring of excitement.

Industry Day is always a good time and last year Mez and I spent a lot of time in the non-shooting area. We found it was a good place to wander and talk to vendors. In years past, we'd been too busy wanting to try all the guns and we'd overlooked an area full of great items. We won't make that mistake again.

I am looking forward to the panels and presentations as well. Again, last year, I spent more time sitting in presentations than I had in the past and found that I really enjoyed them and learned a lot.

There is also a women's meet and mingle on Thursday that I'm looking forward to - it's an opportunity to expand my network. As an introvert, that's hard for me to do, but something organized makes it a lot easier.

I know posting has been sporadic here, and I apologize, but look for new (brief) posts throughout the next week. I'll be posting on Facebook throughout the show, so if you're not following us there, you might want to click on over.