Columbia Star

1963        Celebrating 60 Years      2023

Making the world’s most reliable machine gun





Two soldiers fire the M240B machine gun manufactured by FN   Photo by FN Group

Two soldiers fire the M240B machine gun manufactured by FN Photo by FN Group

At the end of Old Clemson Road near the Village at Sandhill sits FN manufacturing where they have been since 1980. FN is the easier way of saying “Fabrique Nationale,” as in the Belgian-based maker of small arms. FN is also the owner of Browning, the hunting guns manufacturer, and the name Winchester, which recently discontinued production.

The factory cranks out about 45,000 weapons annually, mostly the M240 machine gun, the M249 squad automatic weapon, the FNP-9 Euro pistol, and the FNP-40 pistol. Also, replacement parts for the M16 are made there. Altogether, FN makes about 70% of the small arms for the US military, all branches.

Last week, the Columbia World Affairs Council organized a tour of the FN factory for about 20 people. FN personnel served a barbeque lunch and fielded questions in the office wing before inviting the group to the assembly plant. Security was understandably tight, and safety was paramount. Everyone, employees included, wore safety glasses.

The factory floor was spotless. FN’s operation could be the small arms equivalent to watch making. All shifts included, FN employs 550 Midlands residents in precision manufacturing.

The FN factory practices what the Japanese call Kaizan or continuous improvement. There is no room for error, no acceptance of a jam or a breakdown on the product. The guns have to fire the first time, every time, for tens of thousands of times without a failure.

Cited as the world’s most reliable machine gun, FN’s M240 fires 26,000 mean rounds between failure (MRBF). The Army’s Lt. General Senn, responsible for procurement, said the M240 got a grade of A, but the only reason the gun got an A was because there was no higher grade than A.

The Army’s predecessor to the M240 was the M60 using the same 7.62 mm NATO round. The M60 was the workhorse of the Vietnam disagreement, but the M60 jammed about every 800 rounds.

A new titanium M240 is being developed as is the next generation assault weapon.

The FN pistols, both the FNP-9 Euro and the FNP-40, are made with a new high capacity Polymer frame. Each member of the tour group fired a 10-round magazine of 9 mm bullets out of the FNP-9 Euro. The FNP-9 Euro is about to go on retail sale at all Bass Pro Outdoor World shops to include Myrtle Beach. There are 32 Bass shops in the country.

For most of the 20th century, the US Army’s standard issue pistol to its officers was the .45 caliber automatic. The 9 mm automatic replaced the American .45 caliber automatic, but the Italian firm Beretta won the supply contract. FN sees itself as a possible successor to Beretta in this instance. Unofficial word has it the Army is dropping the 9 mm in favor of a larger round. Maybe the Army is interested in the FNP-40 which is a .40 caliber automatic.

FN is a family-owned, privately held corporation based in Belgium. Their only small arms factory in the US is on Old Clemson Road.



One response to “Making the world’s most reliable machine gun”

  1. Thomas Pickens says:

    Wasn’t the Vickers machine gun far more reliable? It could sustain fire for over 12 hours without a failure.

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