FAMAS FÉLIN
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 488 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.50 kg
- Introduced
- 2010
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FAMAS FÉLIN is the French Army's standard FAMAS F1 assault rifle modified for integration with the FÉLIN (Fantassin à Équipements et Liaisons Intégrés - 'Integrated Infantryman Equipment and Communications') future-soldier system. Developed by Safran Electronics & Defense, the upgrade replaces the integral carry handle with a low-profile mount for a day/night/thermal video sight that transmits its image feed to a helmet-mounted eyepiece, allowing the soldier to engage targets from cover without exposing themselves. A new forward grip houses electronics keypad controls. The system entered service in 2010, with first front-line deployment in Afghanistan in September 2010. A total of 31,455 FÉLIN systems were delivered before the FAMAS itself was replaced by the HK416F starting in 2017.
The FÉLIN system was France's answer to the U.S. Land Warrior program, but unlike its American counterpart it actually entered widespread service - making the French infantryman one of the first fully networked, sensor-equipped soldiers on the battlefield, peering around corners through a rifle-mounted thermal sight feeding into a helmet eyepiece.
The FÉLIN system as a whole weighs approximately 24 kg in full grenadier configuration including body armor, batteries, and electronics. Cost was approximately €38,000 per unit (€49,000 with development amortization). Project budget was €1.1 billion (FY2012). Distribution: 22,588 to infantry, 3,576 to engineers, 2,801 to armoured cavalry, 2,480 to artillery.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Nexter Systems (formerly GIAT Industries / MAS)
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- France
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 2010 to 2017
- Variant of
- Soldier system upgrade
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 488 mm
- Overall length
- 760 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Lever delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 25
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 925 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1700 J
- Effective range
- 450 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 1000 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Bullpup
Integrated optics mount
Thermal video sight- Helmet mounted eyepiece
- Data radio link
- Battery powered electronics
Key pad controls
Carry handle- Burst 3 capable
Bayonet lug
Rifle grenade capable
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 4.50 kg | 3.60 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 760 mm | 920 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 488 mm | 449 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 25 | 30 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the FAMAS FÉLIN
How much does the FAMAS FÉLIN weigh?
The FAMAS FÉLIN weighs 4.50 kg (9.92 lb) empty.
What caliber is the FAMAS FÉLIN?
The FAMAS FÉLIN is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the FAMAS FÉLIN hold?
The FAMAS FÉLIN holds 25 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the FAMAS FÉLIN?
The FAMAS FÉLIN is 760 mm (29.9 in) long overall, with a 488 mm (19.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the FAMAS FÉLIN?
The FAMAS FÉLIN is made by Nexter Systems (formerly GIAT Industries / MAS) (France). It was designed by Safran Electronics & Defense (FÉLIN integration); Paul Tellié (FAMAS base rifle).
When was the FAMAS FÉLIN introduced?
The FAMAS FÉLIN was introduced in 2010 and discontinued in 2017.
How does the FAMAS FÉLIN operate?
The FAMAS FÉLIN uses a lever delayed blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- French Armed Forces
- 2010
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/felin-rifle' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "felin-rifle", "name": "FAMAS FÉLIN", "manufacturer": { "id": "nexter-systems", "name": "Nexter Systems (formerly GIAT Industries / MAS)", "countryCode": "FR", "foundedYear": 1971, "website": "https://www.nexter-group.fr", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:49", "version": "b1774e07efca1a65414cb13844d3022050c16bd7dba36be3fef47e779903d14b" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "FR", "year_introduced": 2010, "barrel_length_mm": 488, "weight_empty_g": 4500, "action_type": "lever_delayed_blowback"}