FN 303 Tactical
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 193 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.90 kg
- Introduced
- 2017
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FN 303 Tactical is a semi-automatic, compressed-air-powered less-lethal launcher developed by FN Herstal. A shoulder-fired evolution of the original FN 303, it fires .68-caliber (roughly 18mm) fin-stabilized impact projectiles from a 15-round drum magazine using compressed air stored at 3000 PSI, producing no report, muzzle flash, or recoil. The Tactical model adds a modular polymer chassis, interchangeable buttstock options, adjustable sights, and MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail integration for crowd control and law-enforcement use.
The FN 303 originated from the XM303 project by the Monterey Bay Corporation, with development input from paintball technology firms including Airgun Designs, before FN Herstal industrialized it as a police and military less-lethal launcher.
Uses compressed air rather than a cartridge propellant; projectiles have a polystyrene body, a non-toxic bismuth frontal mass, and clear polymer stabilizing fins. Payload variants include impact, marking (paint), and irritant (PAVA/OC) rounds. Barrel is smoothbore as projectiles are fin-stabilized. Overall length is telescoping (approximately 508-757 mm depending on stock configuration).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2017
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 193 mm
- Overall length
- 757 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.90 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 15
- Magazine
- Drum
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
- 90 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 31 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
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.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Modular polymer chassis
Interchangeable buttstocks
Picatinny rail
Adjustable sights- Compressed air operation
- Fin stabilized projectiles
No noise flash or recoil
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 1,612 rifles | 2.90 kg | 3.50 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 757 mm | 1080 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 193 mm | 584 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 15 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the FN 303 Tactical
How much does the FN 303 Tactical weigh?
The FN 303 Tactical weighs 2.90 kg (6.39 lb) empty.
What caliber is the FN 303 Tactical?
The FN 303 Tactical is chambered in .68 Caliber (18mm) Less-Lethal.
How many rounds does the FN 303 Tactical hold?
The FN 303 Tactical holds 15 rounds, fed from a drum magazine.
How long is the FN 303 Tactical?
The FN 303 Tactical is 757 mm (29.8 in) long overall, with a 193 mm (7.60 in) barrel.
Who makes the FN 303 Tactical?
The FN 303 Tactical is made by FN Herstal (Belgium). It was designed by FN Herstal.
When was the FN 303 Tactical introduced?
The FN 303 Tactical was introduced in 2017.
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
- United States Armed Forces
- United States
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/fn-303-tactical' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fn-303-tactical", "name": "FN 303 Tactical", "manufacturer": { "id": "fn-herstal", "name": "FN Herstal", "countryCode": "BE", "foundedYear": 1889, "website": "https://www.fnherstal.com", "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 03:43:43", "version": "868b12ac455d24b965edddf486bafb1892f606961311b1ab9907556e3a23b075" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 2017, "barrel_length_mm": 193, "weight_empty_g": 2900, "action_type": null}