Guns FNH FNAC (FN Advanced Carbine) Recoil Staff March 12, 2012 2 Comments, Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Read our affiliate policy. Find out more about how we test products. FN Herstal USA’s latest SCAR variant the FNAC (FN Advanced Carbine) will be their entry into the US Army Individual Carbine competition. The Individual Carbine competition is the Army’s open competition to replace the M4. This competition only applies to the Army, other branches of the US Military will be sticking with the M4 for now. The FNAC is chambered in NATO 5.56x45mm like the SCAR-L and civilian SCAR-16s, but the FNAC has some significant differences. The barrel is 14” long, 0.5” shorter than the SCAR-L STD and 2.5” shorter than the SCAR-16s. Compared to both the L and 16s the FNAC has removed the integrated front sight from the gas block and put a traditional folding front sight on the picatinny rail. The most significant difference is the charging handle has been re-engineered to be non-reciprocating. One of our dislikes of the SCAR-17s (.308 chambered civilian version of the SCAR-H) that we reviewed in issue 1 of RECOIL Magazine was the reciprocating charging handle. Will their be a civilian variant of the FNAC – or at least conversion kits that allow SCAR-16 and 17 owners convert to a non-reciprocating charging handle? Only FNH knows that. Here is what FN Herstal USA is saying about the FNAC The FN Advanced Carbine (FNAC) is ready to serve as the U.S. Army’s next generation Individual Carbine. Its pedigree of excellence evolves from bold advancements in technical design validated by exhaustive testing for reliability, accuracy and durability. Expect the same high performance under extreme conditions with ease of maintenance and minimal logistics support seen in all FN SCAR® weapons. CALIBER: 5.56x45mm NATO Selective fire Short-stroke gas piston Rotating, locking bolt 625 rounds per minute (RPM) cyclic rate of fire Compact design Composite polymer trigger module RECEIVER Hard-anodized monolithic, aluminum receiver MIL-STD 1913 accessory rails at the 3,6,9 and 12 o’clock positions, sequentially numbered grooves Removable front and rear back-up iron sights BARREL 14″ barrel length Hammer-forged, chrome-lined steel Fully free-floating design Cerakote flat dark earth (FDE) surface finish Effective flash hider and sound suppressor M9 bayonet compatibility STOCK Telescoping design Side folding feature provides more compact weapon package in aircraft and vehicle deployments, and can still be fired from the folded position Adjustable cheekpiece Composite polymer construction with molded-in FDE color OPERATING CONTROLS Ambidextrous selector lever and magazine release Non reciprocating charging handle, with ambidextrous control and forward assist capability Enlarged trigger guard for easier access when wearing gloves Adjustable gas regulator for use with sound suppressor to maintain constant rate of fire MAGAZINE Standard M16/M4 Aluminum magazines www.fnhusa.com Why you can trust RECOIL Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. 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I've fired both the SCAR-L and the SCAR-H. Great weapons; both of them are very well balanced when you hold them while aiming down the sight. I feel like both of these weapons are a shortened and lightened version of the G3 using a new chamber but ultimately the same exact firing mechanism. When you fire the SCAR's and compare them to the G3, they feel almost exactly the same. What isn't the same is price. You can pick up a G3 for less than half the price a SCAR would cost you. I would also point out that you can buy shortened barrels and conversion kits to make the G3 less bulky. Just a thought.
I believe the departure of using the reciprocating charging handle and relocation of the fixed front sight to the rail is a "win-win". Shortening the barrel just makes more sense as well. On a technical clarification -- the operating systems of the G3 and the SCAR are so NOT related you might as well be comparing apples to chain saws. HK's delayed roller vs FN's short stroke piston system are worlds apart functionally.
