• SUBSCRIBE TO MAGAZINES
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
YOU MUST BE A VIP - WELCOME TO THE NEW ATHLON OUTDOORS SUPERSITE! We are excited you are here!!

FN Military Collector Series: Three Frontline Legends

ShareTweetPin
Best Handguns for Women [2022]

For fans of more modern weapons, FN’s new Military Collector series includes (from top to bottom) the semi-auto M16, M249S and M4.

Paul ScarlatabyPaul Scarlata
December 22, 2016
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
For fans of more modern weapons, FN’s new Military Collector series includes (from top to bottom) the semi-auto M16, M249S and M4.
FN Military Collector M16
FN Military Collector M249S

FN Military Collector M4
FN Military Collector M4
FN Military Collector M4


Since the end of the Revolutionary War, American shooters, hunters and gun collectors have shown a propensity for our military’s standard-issue rifles. Part of this is because many thousands of them gained an intimate knowledge of these weapons while serving their country. Thus, it was only natural that when they returned to civilian life and needed a firearm for hunting, home defense or militia service, they chose one they were already familiar and comfortable with.

Then there was the economic aspect. Until the end of World War II, it was our government’s practice to sell off surplus military rifles in an attempt to reduce inventory, conserve storage space in arsenals and recoup some of the expenses of manufacturing them. So it was that Model 1795 and Model 1816 smoothbore, flintlock muskets were seen in the hands of frontier settlers, hunters and militiamen well into the 1860s. The Model 1841 percussion rifle-musket (aka the Mississippi Rifle) served with distinction in the Mexican-American War and was popular with discharged veterans, many of whom were early explorers of our Western frontier.

Surplus Sales

FN Military Collector M16

After the Civil War, the civilian market was inundated with surplus Model 1861 rifled muskets that were snatched up at bargain prices by cost-conscious farmers and the thousands of new settlers heading west. Many veterans of our fratricidal conflict became familiar with the new metallic-cartridge-firing rifles, and surplus Spencer carbines and rifles, along with Springfield Model 1865 and 1870 “Trapdoor” rifles left over from U.S. military trials, found a ready market.

When the Army replaced the Springfield Model 1873 with the new small-bore, smokeless-powder Krag-Jørgensen rifle in 1894, the .45-70 Trapdoor could be bought for a few dollars from mail-order dealers. When they were replaced by the Springfield Model 1903, surplus Krags could be bought for less than $5, and thousands were used by hunters looking for a bargain rifle.

  • RELATED STORY: FN Sentinels – 8 Battle-Proven ARs From FNH USA

The story repeated itself after World War I when the government disposed of excess M1903 and M1917 Enfield rifles, thousands of which were sporterized to make them more suitable for hunting. The post-1945 years saw additional M1903 and M1903A3 rifles sold off, followed shortly afterwards by M1 Garands and M1 Carbines, which could be purchased from surplus dealers or through the Director of Civilian Marksmanship Program (DCM) at cut-rate prices. In fact, my older brother bought a mint-condition M1 Carbine from the DCM in 1966 for the princely sum of $20.

This largess came to an end in the when the armed forces began adopting select-fire rifles and increasing anti-gun legislation discouraged the government from disposing of surplus military firearms to civilians.

While these actions increased the prices of those rifles already on the market, it had the secondary effect of encouraging entrepreneurs to begin producing semi-auto reproductions of M1 Garands, M1 Carbines and M14 rifles using a combination of surplus and newly made parts. When the M16A1 rifle was adopted, its civilian-legal version, the AR-15, quickly became the hottest item on the semi-auto rifle market, a position it continues to hold to this day.

Battlefield Icons

FN Military Collector M249S

One of the newest entrants into this burgeoning civilian market is FN, a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-quality, reliable firearms for military, law enforcement and commercial customers worldwide. The company’s American headquarters are in McLean, Virgina, with manufacturing operations in Columbia, South Carolina.

FN has been manufacturing the M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW) for the U.S. armed forces since the early 1980s, and in 1988 it received a contract to produce the M16A2 rifle for the Army and Marine Corps. In 2012, it also received a contract for M4A1 carbines. With the seemingly insatiable current market for AR-15/M4-type rifles, it only made sense for FN to enter the booming civilian market. In November of 2015, the FN Military Collector series launched, a product line that features commercial variants of its iconic military designs.

The initial products in the FN Military Collector series are the M4 and M16, which are civilian versions of the U.S. armed forces’ currently issued M4A1 carbine and M16A4 rifle. The series also includes the semi-automatic M249S, a civilian-legal replica of the full-auto M249.

FN Military Collector M4

All three weapons are chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge and feature 7075-T6 aluminum alloy receivers and polymer furniture. The M4 and M16 will accept all commercially available 10-, 20- and 30-round magazines and many accessories, while the M249S can use 20- and 30-round magazines or M27 linked belts.

  • RELATED STORY: SLP Competition – FN America’s 12-Gauge Range Master

The M4 and M16 both feature receivers with full-length Picatinny rails, Knight’s Armament M5 RAS handguards, ambidextrous safety levers, forward assists, ergonomic magazine releases, A2-style front sights, flip-up rear sights, spring-loaded ejection port covers and bayonet lugs. They each come with an aluminum, 30-round magazine. The M16 has a fixed buttstock while the M4’s is collapsible. In addition, the M4’s A2-style compensator is pinned and welded to the barrel for a 16-inch overall length.

According to Mark Cherpes, the president and CEO of FN America, “This new line of products allows us to showcase FN’s battle-proven legacy of producing firearms for militaries worldwide and passing this technology on to our commercial customers. We’re excited to bring these semi-automatic versions of the world’s most iconic products to America’s gun owners.”

For more information, visit fnamerica.com or call 855-536-4872.

This article was originally published in ‘Military Surplus’ #188. For information on how to subscribe, please email subscriptions@outdoorgroupmags.com or call 1-800-284-5668.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show

10 of the greatest pistol trainers and gunfighters

TOP 10: The Best Shooting Instructors & Gunfighters of All-Time

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: The Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Ruger LC Charger Left

NEW for 2023: Ruger LC Charger Brings 5.7x28mm to Pistol Line

TRENDING

Alien Gear OWB Cloak Belt Holster, on body

Alien Gear Cloak Holster Line Adds Much-Anticipated OWB Holster

Kel-Tec Pocket Powerhouses

SHOT Show 2018 Ballistic Innovation

Ballistic’s Guide to the Coolest Innovation at SHOT Show 2018

Kitanica American Hoodie, kitanica, kitanica american, kitanica hoodie, american hoodie

Kitanica’s American Hoodie: Perfect For The Outdoors

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

Weatherby Model 307 action and rifles.

Weatherby Model 307: First New Weatherby Action in 50+ Years

Big news out of Weatherby with the announcement of the company's first new centerfire rifle action in more than...

RELATED POSTS

The new Springfield Armory Saint Victor in tungsten grey finish.

Springfield Armory Adds SAINT Victor 5.56 in Tungsten Grey Finish

...

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite pistols

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite: Pistol Modularity Redefined

...

The Meridian Defense PMC Rifle.

The Meridian Defense PMC Rifle Offers the AK-47 Your Way

...

Load More

MOST POPULAR

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show

10 of the greatest pistol trainers and gunfighters

TOP 10: The Best Shooting Instructors & Gunfighters of All-Time

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: The Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

TRENDING

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

New for 2023: The 21 Best New Handguns Seen at SHOT Show

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

300 Blackout vs 308, rifles, ammunition

300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s?

LONG RANGE PRECISION VIDEO SERIES

MORE VIDEOS

The Uzi and its long history in Hollywood movies.

Lights, Camera, Uzis: The History of Hollywood’s Uzi Love Affair

R. Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.

In His Own Words: How R. Lee Ermey Became Gunnery Sgt. Hartman

HANDGUNS

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite pistols

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite: Pistol Modularity Redefined

The Beretta 92XI SAO.

Beretta Expands Its Popular 92 Line with the 92XI SAO

Ruger LC Charger Left

NEW for 2023: Ruger LC Charger Brings 5.7x28mm to Pistol Line

The CZ DWX Compact.

First Look: CZ DWX Compact Comes in a Concealed Carry Size

Otto Kron’s WWI Mauser HSc.

History: The Mauser HSc Recovered After a War Criminal’s Capture

America's first high-capacity autoloader, the Savage Model 1907.

Savage Model 1907: America’s First High-Capacity Autoloader

RIFLES - click to see all

Weatherby Model 307 action and rifles.

Weatherby Model 307: First New Weatherby Action in 50+ Years

The new Springfield Armory Saint Victor in tungsten grey finish.

Springfield Armory Adds SAINT Victor 5.56 in Tungsten Grey Finish

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite pistols

ZEV Technologies OZ9 V2 Elite: Pistol Modularity Redefined

Wisconsin To Get a New Firearms Training Center, Mission94, in Early 2024.

Mission94 Firearms Education Center to Open in Early 2024

AMMO - click to see all

Testing the effective range of the .410 for hunting and survival.

So Just How Far is the Effective .410 Range for Hunting & Survival?

Two new Henry lever-action rifles chamber the Remington 360 Buckhammer.

360 Buckhammer: Core-Lokt Ammo, Henry Levers & the BFR

Arsenal SAM7SF lead AK evergreen

Top 20 AK Rifles & Soviet Weapons

A collection of .45-70 loads for lever-action rifles.

Magnificent 7: Testing Seven of the Best .45-70 Cartridges

Back when the west was wild, coach guns were your best bet against unwanted threats.

Best Coach Guns: the Stow-N-Go Defenders You Want Riding Shotgun [2023]

We tested the performance on eight of the best 9mm defensive loads.

Top Dog 9s: We Tested 8 of the Best 9mm Self-Defense Rounds

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .