French firm Verney-Carron manufacture a nifty dual barrel less-lethal pistol called the Flash Ball. The gun fires 44mm less-lethal balls. The company claims they contain 20% less energy at 7 meters than a .38 Special. The company has also developed a round which deploys [Read More…]
A reader emailed us an interesting photo of a FN SCAR Mk. 17 being carried by a French policeman during a raid. It has a long barrel and a bipod, so it is obviously intended for sharpshooter work, but is fitted with a 1x EOTech holographic scope. This is actually not a [Read More…]
I first reported rumors that the French would be replacing the FAMAS rifle back in 2009. During a recent meeting with the Commission of Defense, the French CEMAT (Chef d’Etat Major de l’Armée de Terre / Chief of Staff of the Army), General Ract Madoux, [Read More…]
In November last year I reported on a tip I received that the French Army was about to purchase over 10,000 FN Mag machine guns. This deal has now been made public. The French are purchasing 10,881 machine guns from FN for 100 million Euros! The contract most likely [Read More…]
I have been informed that the French DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement, Armament Procurement Agency) will be adopting the FN MAG to replace the AANF1 machine guns in service.The purchase of 10-11,000 is expected to be confirmed soon. After losing a couple of [Read More…]
I want to congratulate long-time reader and contributor Aurélien on the publication of his first “major work”, a special edition of the French magazine RAIDS. The edition is entitled “le pistolet au combat” (the handgun in battle). It covers the [Read More…]
Nearly 70 years after it was first produced by Mauser during WWII, the MG 151/20 20mm autocannon is still being manufactured by French firm Nexter. In the below photos it is hooked up to one of those fancy remote control turrets which is mounted to a stripped-down [Read More…]
This incredibly gorgeous rifle was built by French gunmaker Dorleac & Dorleac who celebrate their 25th anniversary in September. The rifle is Dorleac’s Heeren Stutzen model. It uses the 19th century Nagel and Menz action that has been strengthened for modern [Read More…]
A reader emailed in these photos which he took at a weapons exhibition run by a Paratrooper Association. The expo was held in Chambery, France, during the weekend. Sadly these guns are all demilled to comply with French law. Nazi symbols, which are present on some [Read More…]
I admit to being one of those smart-asses you find lurking in gun shops who insist on using the correct pronunciation for the names of foreign guns 😉 Laurent was kind enough to record an MP3 for us which demonstrates the pronunciation of French firearms and [Read More…]
Rumors that the French military are considering dropping the FAMAS rifle have been spreading fast across the internet. The speculation arose from a post [English translation] at The Mammoth, a French milblog. I asked Aurelien, an authority on the French military, what [Read More…]
A blog named Odd Russia has photos of what they claim are a French and Russian bullet that hit each other during the Crimea War. Odd Russia has many more photos but no link to the source of the images. It could be true, or it could be a hoax. I think both the French [Read More…]
Armed Canadian describes the bolt action French MAS36 rifle as classic “weapon of war”. It features no safety what-so-ever (including no mosin-nagant type “safeties”) and an integral bayonet that is stored under the barrel. Despite its classic [Read More…]
There photos are of a Sig Sauer Pro that was left in an electric oven at 210°c / 400°f for 20 minutes by a French police officer. After cleaning it he put it in to dry but was distracted by a phone call. I propose this as a candidate Xavier’s Ugly Gun Sunday. [Read More…]
The 8 mm Lebel (8x50Rmm French) was and first smokeless powder cartridge adopted by the military of any country. It is also the one of the most bizarre looking cartridges I have seen. Photo from Wikipedia It was introduced in 1886 and served through WWI. It was made [Read More…]
Gary Sterne discovered the huge ‘Maisy Battery’ after he found a crinkled map which fell out of an old pair of US serviceman’s trousers at a military memorabilia fair in Stockport. … He discovered an extensive installation “the size of four [Read More…]