Select Fire: FN Factory Tour to see how M240s, SCARs and 509s are Born

Select Fire: FN Factory Tour to see how M240s, SCARs and 509s are Born

In this episode of Select-Fire, we packed our bags for FN’s factory in Columbia, South Carolina to see how they craft the “world’s most battle-proven firearms.”

FN, or Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre, was originally formed in 1889 in Belgium, where they have a rich history and are still active today. After initially producing more than 150,000 Mauser bolt-action rifles for the Belgian government and others, they soon entered into a long collaboration with American firearms genius John Moses Browning. This relationship led to the Auto 5, the world’s first successful mass-produced semi-auto shotgun– a design that proved so popular it remained in production for almost a full century.

Browning and FN also produced some of the most iconic semi-auto pistols of the early 20th Century including the Model 1900, 1910, 1922 and the revolutionary Hi-Power, which set the bar for a double-stack combat handgun for generations. For the hat-trick, FN also produced variants of the Browning Automatic Rifle, which saw military service around the world, and collaborated with the inventor’s sons and grandsons on commercial designs even as the gun maker introduced its wildly successful FAL series of battle rifles. Today, they still produce the M2 Browning heavy machine gun, the vaunted “Ma Deuce,” which is the Western standard for rock and roll support weapons.

Speaking of going cyclic, FN came to South Carolina in 1981 to produce the M240 medium machine gun for the U.S. military. A variant of the company’s extremely popular FN MAG 58, the company still makes over 300 M240s in the Palmetto State every month.

Besides the M240, the Columbia plant also cranks out 500 M4 rifles for military contracts every single day.

FN makes roughly 500 M4s every day. After they’re test fired, they’re disassembled, cleaned, then reassembled and given a 101-point inspection. Then, they’re literally dipped in preservation oil and packaged 50 rifles to a large wooden crate.

Other current FN staples include the Minimi–short for the French “Mini Mitrailleuse” or mini machine gun– which was adopted in the U.S. as the M249 SAW along with specialized variants like the Mk 46 and Mk 48; the MK19 40mm grenade machine gun, and the M3 .50 cal.

The company’s past success and the desire to constantly innovate led to the development of modern firearm platforms that have seen adoption across not only military and law enforcement users but on the commercial market as well. These include the FN Five-SeveN, the FN-15, the FNS/FNX, and 509 series handguns, as well as the crowd-pleasing SCAR.

The SCAR is an excellent example of a weapon system developed by FN for the military, that went on to be very successful in the consumer market.

And to see how they are all born, check out the latest Select Fire installment, above.

50 Comments

  1. Peter Roberts on November 2, 2021 at 9:50 pm

    Awesome!!!!!!!!!❤️👌🏽



  2. DirtyDan 69 on November 2, 2021 at 9:51 pm

    Dude whenever i get into a new gun its ALWAYS made by these guys. There guns look good to. Not like boring shit thats uncomfortable to hold.



  3. Rhino on November 2, 2021 at 9:51 pm

    140 OF THOSE CRATES OF JUST M4S EVERY MONTH?! Holy freakin smokes man!



  4. Steven Nihipali on November 2, 2021 at 9:53 pm

    I need a tour! Disabled veteran here and I’m making a trip to SC when I can



  5. Jae Hyun on November 2, 2021 at 9:57 pm

    Damn, Scar 17s for $2,899….People are buying them for 4k right now lol



  6. ian fenwick on November 2, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    Yes "freedom". . .free to only buy semi-automatic variants, non-imports, try to find ammo when the military buys it all up, free to pay a tax stamp and wait 1 year for a suppressor to protect your hearing. If that’s "freedom" I’d rather live in an "oppressive" European country with public transportation and functional infrastructure.



  7. Jerod Conrad on November 2, 2021 at 10:01 pm

    Just here looking for the boogie2988 comments.



  8. Chris Duhaime on November 2, 2021 at 10:02 pm

    U. Won’t see a colt tour like this they passed away



  9. Bieber Alex on November 2, 2021 at 10:03 pm

    Check out a reliable gun store called *mrmasterglock on wickr* I got glock from this the same store I really appreciate them



  10. Guy Brown on November 2, 2021 at 10:04 pm

    What part of S.C please? Machinist of over 30 years. Top pay?



  11. Colby C. on November 2, 2021 at 10:05 pm

    FN got with Aaron Cowan for there dot guns



  12. Fell Man on November 2, 2021 at 10:06 pm

    Can someone help me get rid of the Hughes amendment so that we all can own these brand new?



  13. Mike Angel on November 2, 2021 at 10:07 pm

    love it. Big fan of FN



  14. Richard Martinez on November 2, 2021 at 10:07 pm

    There are flaws with the 509 still, such as the firing pin breaking easily. Mine broke after just 400 rounds through my 509 midsize MRD, they want me to send it in for repairs, i will not trust my life with their OEM striker. I have decided to install the APEX heavy duty striker for my 509, and to any poor soul out there that has to use their 509 when they need it the most and it’s broken well…



  15. Chris Baker on November 2, 2021 at 10:08 pm

    I love FN!!! My favorite firearms. So glad to see this video. Thank you



  16. Xogroroth666 on November 2, 2021 at 10:09 pm

    FN: Belgian pro military shit.



  17. Bill Randolph on November 2, 2021 at 10:09 pm

    I think "FN" stands for FUCKING NICE!



  18. Fat Daddy Diesel on November 2, 2021 at 10:11 pm

    Wow
    Instant fan



  19. scopeseye on November 2, 2021 at 10:12 pm

    Aaaand the government just handed thousands of these outstanding firearms to a terrorist organization. All the while attempting to take firearms from lawful citizens.



  20. Big City Diddy Straight Talk Ministry on November 2, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    It’s hard to have high quality with a lot of black employees anyone that’s worked with black people at manufacturing facilities know this 😳



  21. xxdizannyxx on November 2, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    Heyyy the host is Boogie… never watched his videos so its nice to get to know him.. nice guy!



  22. Scott Dahlberg on November 2, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    I love the SCAR, i want one so bad. I have a Browning Hi-Power Practical and I will never give it up. It feels so right, compared to the Glocks and other firearms. I want to work there.



  23. Ethan Clarke on November 2, 2021 at 10:23 pm

    Wonder if the employees can buy directly from there 😃



  24. Michael Leopold on November 2, 2021 at 10:23 pm

    Interesting video



  25. Mustafa Arabas AG. on November 2, 2021 at 10:23 pm

    What a great company, i had FNP 9 , very good handgun . And i made a review about it .



  26. Eastwood #400 on November 2, 2021 at 10:25 pm

    Fantastic video! Send one of those M4 crates to my house too



  27. mohamad juania on November 2, 2021 at 10:25 pm

    Love n pride



  28. Dr Evil on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Nice video. FN is and will always be my choice for a rifle. Pistols, i stick with CZ
    Now do a CZ video



  29. hangugeohaksaeng on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Is this the only place these models are manufactured?



  30. GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    The FN FAL para was my wife when I was in the army.



  31. Jerry Hubbard on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    I took a vip tour of the plant by a friend that works there. Really cool place and the museum collection they have in the plant is priceless.



  32. Billy Bob on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Belgian and American pride



  33. Jeanette kirk on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    Want FN 509



  34. Hans Strouf on November 2, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    FN should fire the obese.



  35. jessie pinkman on November 2, 2021 at 10:28 pm

    I can’t help wonder why the US Army didn’t just adopt the MG42. Nobody’s made a better machine gun in this or any other century… comparing the MG42 to the M240 is like comparing Star wars to Buck rogers, clunky, big, bulky, with more rivets than a 1918 tank on it, the MG42 is ingenious in its relative simplicity and the easiest barrel change there is. "Not invented here" syndrome or something else?



  36. Cris N on November 2, 2021 at 10:29 pm

    Do they offer tours for military vets? I know my wife and I would love to check it out.



  37. paul4utica on November 2, 2021 at 10:30 pm

    Great presentation.



  38. area51r on November 2, 2021 at 10:30 pm

    5,000,000 rounds is almost 14,000 a day. wow



  39. 42N8 1 on November 2, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    Less FDE and more black, thank you.



  40. TheSneakySnek on November 2, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    FNC was nowhere to be seen



  41. 69deputy on November 2, 2021 at 10:36 pm

    Fn please make a fal and fnc to sell on the commercial market!



  42. Jason Dowling on November 2, 2021 at 10:38 pm

    One could say this is F’N nice!



  43. Hans Strouf on November 2, 2021 at 10:40 pm

    You forget to say that Paul Mauser learned his trade at FN Herstal, P Mauser to work 3 years in Liège, Browning did nothing special just to make FN known in the USA, the grandson of Browning designed a great rifle of hunt



  44. hotrodsather on November 2, 2021 at 10:40 pm

    How many SCARs do they build a day? Why none in stock?



  45. Sandy Mitchell on November 2, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    love FN



  46. Tab Creedence on November 2, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    When you were caressing the crate of M4’s, I felt that bro



  47. Raj Biswas on November 2, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    look at them they are called professionals proud and love their jobs..not like our country just working bcz it is a govt job



  48. François Praslin on November 2, 2021 at 10:44 pm

    Hey !! Quit calling my beloved Fabrique Nationale a "Belgian" arms company, it’s WALLON first and foremost. Everysingle FN gun is made in Wallonie by Wallons, the flamish contribute ZERO to our beloved Fabrique Nationale, therefore we’re not obligated to include them in it. FN are Wallon guns, no Belgians or flamish involved



  49. Latron Williams on November 2, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    ❤❤❤🧡❤❤❤



  50. S Starklite on November 2, 2021 at 10:48 pm

    The only way to turn swords into plowshares is to end the oppressive wage system,
    because then if there are no more weapons manufacturers, no one will starve.
    We should force all the rich people to redistribute money equally worldwide because
    it never should have been distributed unequally in the first place.
    When we eliminate all weapons manufacturers, that money saved
    could be distributed equally worldwide (UBI) and end world poverty
    and human suffering. That’s what GOD wants all nations to do ASAP.

    Isaiah 2:4, Joel 3:10, Micah 4:3