FAMAS Country France Type Assault rifle Manufacturer Paul Tellie Introduction 1978 Specifications Weight 3.61 kg (7.96 lb) (FAMAS F1) 3.8 kg (8.38 lb) (FAMAS G2) Length 757 mm (29.8 in) / 965 mm (38.0 in) with bayonet Barrel length 488 mm (19.2 in) Cartridge 5.56x45mm NATO Action Lever-delayed blowback Rate of fire 900-1000 rounds/min (F1) 1000-1100 rounds/min (G2) Muzzle velocity 960 m (3,149.6 ft)/s (F1) 925 m (3,034.8 ft)/s (G2) Effective range 300 m (F1) 450 m (G2) Feed system 25-round box magazine (F1) 30-round box magazine (STANAG system) (G2) Sights Rear aperture fitted with tritium night inserts, front post

The FAMAS (French: Fusil d\'Assaut de la Manufacture d\'Armes de Saint-Étienne or \"Saint-Étienne arms factory assault rifle\") is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by the Saint-Étienne arms factory, which is a member of the French government-owned Nexter (formerly GIAT Industries) group. It is the service rifle of the French military.

The FAMAS project began in 1967 under the direction of Paul Tellie and the first prototype was completed in 1971, with French military evaluation of the rifle beginning in 1972. Production problems delayed the general issue of the new rifles. The French military finally accepted the rifle in 1978 as the standard French combat weapon.

After adoption, the FAMAS F1 replaced the aging MAS 49/56 rifle and MAT-49 submachine gun, and approximately 400,000 FAMAS F1 assault rifles were produced, with production now complete. The F1 was followed by the G1 that included several minor improvements such as redesigned grips and an enlarged trigger guard, but it remained conceptual and was never actually produced. The FAMAS G2 was developed circa 1994 to bring the rifle more in compliance with NATO standards by having tighter rifling and accepting standard NATO magazines, but also included several other upgrades taken from the G1 model, such as the enlarged trigger guard and improved hand guards. The French Navy purchased the FAMAS G2 in 1995, and began distributing it to the Fusiliers Marins and Commandos de la Marine, but the French Army has held off large scale purchase of the G2 to date, and the FAMAS F1 still remains the Army\'s primary service rifle. Small quantities of the FAMAS F1 have also been exported to Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, but for the most part, the rifle has remained almost exclusively in French service.