Meet the FNAR
The FNAR is basically a redesigned BAR chambered in 7.62x51, also known as the .308 Winchester. There were a few different versions available during its lifetime, and this is the “heavy” variant. It has a hammer-forged, 20-inch fluted barrel with a 1:12 twist and weighs 9.25 pounds.
I got this rifle from the Guns.com Certified Used section. It includes a 2004 Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14 scope with mil-dot reticle and an adjustable monopod attached to the sling swivel stud on the end of the buttstock.
With scope and monopod, it weighs about 11 pounds, which is comparable to other .308 battle rifles. It’s actually on the light end. FN achieved this by making all the furniture polymer and the receiver aluminum.
Related: Two Guys One Gun Podcast, Episode 33 – America’s Battle Rifles with Chef Rush
The three best features of this gun are accuracy, reliability, and adjustability. Let’s take a closer look.
Accuracy
FN sold these with a 1 MOA guarantee, but I was not able to get those results. I’d call my test sample a 1.5 to 3-MOA gun, depending on ammunition. I would bet there is a load that would shoot 1 MOA. For a field rifle, these results are completely adequate.
I do want to highlight the excellent trigger. This is close to match-quality for a production rifle. It’s a clean, two-stage trigger with a 4-pound break. The trigger makes the gun very enjoyable to shoot.
Reliability
This gun never saw large-scale combat, but from my experience and coupled with everything I read, I believe this is a reliable gun. It has several features lending it to reliability, including a chrome-lined barrel. Chrome lining increases the life of the barrel and impedes corrosion. Most militaries insist on chrome-lined barrels.
The FNAR also uses a seemingly robust short-stroke gas piston system. The piston is located under the barrel, and when the gas is bled off to push the piston, dual action bars unlock the rotating bolt. It is a pretty clean and heavy-duty system.
Even though the barrel is not threaded for a muzzle device or suppressor, the gas system is adjustable, so you can tune it to a particular load. You just have to take off the handguard to do it, so it’s not a quick change.
Adjustability
My third notable feature on this rifle is its adjustability, which is good for something designed in the early 2000s. FN originally included six stock spacer shims to adjust drop and cant of the butt pad, three different rubber risers to adjust the comb height, and three rubber recoil pads of varying thickness to adjust the length of pull.
The only things you cannot adjust are the grip, which is molded in, and the length of pull, if you need something shorter than 13.5 inches. The length of pull might be too long for smaller shooters.
Luckily, a few companies still produce aftermarket parts for the FNAR. Infitech sells a stock adapter that will allow you to use AR stocks and grips.
Negatives
There were a few things I didn’t like. My biggest complaint is that for a field rifle, takedown is complicated. Multiple tools are required, and small parts are not captured and easily lost. I didn’t take it completely down because it was so involved, but I did remove the handguard to show you the gas block, piston, action bars, guide rod, recoil spring, and rotating bolt. While clearly robust, the intricate field strip makes it a liability in bad conditions.
Next, while the accessory options were good for the time – Picatinny scope rail, three Picatinny forward rails, and sling swivel studs – they don’t allow for contemporary accessories. There is no full-length Pic rail on the forend, so you can’t mount lasers or forward-stationed optics like thermal clip-ons.
Also, there are no quick-detach sling attachment points, which is now the current standard. And as mentioned earlier, the barrel is not threaded. Again, you can solve this with aftermarket parts, but it is not standard. You can get a completely enclosed, free-floated Infitech handguard with M-LOK slots.
I think the cost of this rifle when it debuted was one of the reasons for its lack of popularity. In 2008, FN sold it for $1,800. I think this high price made it undesirable for an unproven design. In addition, the proprietary magazines were expensive. They worked well, but they were heavy in addition to being costly.
Lastly, since it is no longer being produced and was never that popular to begin with, parts and aftermarket support will get more and more difficult to find as time goes on.
Conclusion
While the FNAR performs well, it doesn’t really do anything other .308 rifles don’t, and it requires learning a new battery of arms. The magazine release is ambidextrous, but it is a bit far forward. The bolt lock is a little different, and the safety is a crossbolt style like on a shotgun.
Still, the FN FNAR is a very interesting weapon that has a lot of things going for it. The bones are very good. It is reliable, reasonably light, and has a good trigger. And, since I don’t think it’s on the top of anyone’s list, you can find good deals on it like these on Guns.com. If you find it used, I recommend a second look.
