For a good number of years readers have been asking why FN won’t sell their AR platform to the public. Well the wait is over FN is now selling the FN-15 to the public. This is our first new product announcement for SHOT show 2014.

I was invited to a product meeting with FN this evening at the 702 Range here in Las Vegas. New products were shown to our small group and demonstrated on the indoor range as well as a question and answer session with the head of each department.

The highlight of the meeting was the announcement that FN will now sell FN’s version of the AR15 the FN-15 to the public. For those of you who are fans of FN guns as well as the AR you just got the opportunity to add this rifle to your collection! I’m also sure this good news for those who have been asking for this rifle.

Check with your local gun shop for ordering details. The MSRP is $1100 with a street price a bit lower as always. Models available will be the carbine with 16 inch barrel as well as the full size rifle with a 20 inch barrel. As you can see below it has a good set of features. FN is well known for making high quality barrels and the FN-15 lives up to that standard. If I understand correctly the FN-15 barrel uses the same materials as the M-249 barrel. They expect a very long life from these barrels.

“The FN 15TM Carbine has a 16-inch chrome-lined, alloy steel barrel and is available in 5.56mm NATO. The polymer forearm and butt stock are both black, and the stock is collapsible into six positions, making the total length 31.9 inches at its shortest and 35.2 inches at its longest. The FN 15TM Carbine also features an A2-style compensator and a 1:7-inch RH twist rate. It comes with fixed A2-style front sights, a removable M4-style rear carrying handle, and one GI pattern 30-round aluminum magazine.
The FN 15TM Rifle has a 20-inch chrome-lined, alloy steel barrel and is available in 5.56mm NATO. The polymer forearm and fixed butt stock are both black, and the total length is 39.5 inches. The FN 15TM Rifle also features an A2-style compensator and a 1:7-inch RH twist rate. It comes with fixed A2-style front sights, a removable M4-style rear carrying handle, and one GI pattern 30-round aluminum magazine.”

Stats:
Muzzle Device
A2-style compensator
A2-style compensator
Sights A2-style fixed front sights, removable rear M4-style carrying handle A2-style fixed front sights, removable rear M4-style carrying handle
Stock
Black, six-position collapsible
Black, A2-style fixed
Forearm Black, two-piece ribbed, round
Black, two-piece ribbed, round
Weight (with sights and empty magazine) 6.935 lbs. 7.965 lbs.
Length 31.9 – 35.2 inches
39.5 inches
Width
2.53 inches
2.53 inches
Height (with sights and magazine) 10.5 inches 10.5 inches
Length of Pull
9.9 – 13.2 inches 10.6 inches
Magazine
GI pattern 30-round aluminum
GI pattern 30-round aluminum

FN was very thorough in answering our questions and allowing us to shoot the FN-15 in both carbine and rifle configurations. This rifle has a very nice trigger for what is essentially a stock trigger. It proved itself to be very accurate as well which I can attribute to the quality fit and finish as well as the barrel. There was no movement between the lower and upper receiver. The fit was uniform throughout.

I hope this release is something that will benefit and please the readers. I know I’m getting one of these!

Normally we don’t post articles from SHOT until tomorrow but I felt this was important enough news to sit down and write it up so TFB could share this news with you as soon as possible.

I’ll have a full review for you in a few weeks.