Jim1973
18 May 2010, 12:50
Got a chance to fire my FNAR HB this weekend.
Overall I like this weapon and am glad I purchased it. I purchased it for $1600 out the door, which isn't the best price but better then the $2200 it sells for in other areas where I live. 20 round mags won't be a problem in my area but I will have to hunt for 10/5 round magazines.
I tried 2 types of ammo, cheap Federal 150gr and good Black Hills 175gr (I think) I didn't bore site my scope, just took it off another rifle and placed it on the FNAR rail. Took about 8-10 rounds to get zeroed with the Federal and then switched to the Black hills to confirm.
I wasn't trying to get sub MOA but I can tell that I should be able to obtain it with a little effort and the right ammo. This time out was only @100m I will be moving to the 200, 300m ranges in the next few weeks.
Here is a list of things that I would list as "negative" but more for my personal preference, rather then the weapons capabilities:
1. Magazine is too loose in the well. It "rattles" every now and then and can be annoying. I believe I seen some FNAR owners taping up their magazines, not sure if this is the reason why.
2. 20 round magazine is not suited for bench/range shooting. I have to use an extra sandbag to clear the magazine on the bench, otherwise I am resting on the magazine. I figure the 10/5 round magazine will be better suited.
3. (most annoying) The rounds eject at an angle which deflects off the side of the reciever. This leaves brass skid marks along the reciever. So far the blueing is holding up better then I would expect it to but I can tell after awhile I will have a brass colored reciever. Researching this, I think it can be fixed by adjusting the gas cylinder but those who have done it report a change in accuracy. For now I have placed a small sticky back rubber piece to take the brunt of the hits. I will figure out a long term solution after I am more familiar with the weapon.
4. The scope rail is unusually long. The scope I used had a 50mm objective which with the mounts I was using caused the scope to rest on the rail without being able to secure the leading mount. This was an annoyance but an easy fix. I was able to place the scope so the objective hung over the leading edge of the rail and then just adjust the eye relief so I had a reasonable relief. I thought this was going to be an annoyance but after a few rounds I realized this setup was almost perfect for my shooting style. I would still rather have a smaller rail but there must be a reason why they make it so long.
5. Trigger pull is about 5 lbs, but I would rather have it set to 3lbs. I will leave it as is until I feel I have an adequate baseline of how the weapon was out of the box.
6. I never noticed it before but I guess I am use to having a bolt release on the left side of the weapon. The FNAR release is on the right side. by the end of my shooting session it become second nature but I still think I would rather it be on the left side or bothsides.
Again, nothign was a dealbreaker, I am satisfied with this platform so far and look forward to testing it out over the next few weeks.
Thanks
Jim
Overall I like this weapon and am glad I purchased it. I purchased it for $1600 out the door, which isn't the best price but better then the $2200 it sells for in other areas where I live. 20 round mags won't be a problem in my area but I will have to hunt for 10/5 round magazines.
I tried 2 types of ammo, cheap Federal 150gr and good Black Hills 175gr (I think) I didn't bore site my scope, just took it off another rifle and placed it on the FNAR rail. Took about 8-10 rounds to get zeroed with the Federal and then switched to the Black hills to confirm.
I wasn't trying to get sub MOA but I can tell that I should be able to obtain it with a little effort and the right ammo. This time out was only @100m I will be moving to the 200, 300m ranges in the next few weeks.
Here is a list of things that I would list as "negative" but more for my personal preference, rather then the weapons capabilities:
1. Magazine is too loose in the well. It "rattles" every now and then and can be annoying. I believe I seen some FNAR owners taping up their magazines, not sure if this is the reason why.
2. 20 round magazine is not suited for bench/range shooting. I have to use an extra sandbag to clear the magazine on the bench, otherwise I am resting on the magazine. I figure the 10/5 round magazine will be better suited.
3. (most annoying) The rounds eject at an angle which deflects off the side of the reciever. This leaves brass skid marks along the reciever. So far the blueing is holding up better then I would expect it to but I can tell after awhile I will have a brass colored reciever. Researching this, I think it can be fixed by adjusting the gas cylinder but those who have done it report a change in accuracy. For now I have placed a small sticky back rubber piece to take the brunt of the hits. I will figure out a long term solution after I am more familiar with the weapon.
4. The scope rail is unusually long. The scope I used had a 50mm objective which with the mounts I was using caused the scope to rest on the rail without being able to secure the leading mount. This was an annoyance but an easy fix. I was able to place the scope so the objective hung over the leading edge of the rail and then just adjust the eye relief so I had a reasonable relief. I thought this was going to be an annoyance but after a few rounds I realized this setup was almost perfect for my shooting style. I would still rather have a smaller rail but there must be a reason why they make it so long.
5. Trigger pull is about 5 lbs, but I would rather have it set to 3lbs. I will leave it as is until I feel I have an adequate baseline of how the weapon was out of the box.
6. I never noticed it before but I guess I am use to having a bolt release on the left side of the weapon. The FNAR release is on the right side. by the end of my shooting session it become second nature but I still think I would rather it be on the left side or bothsides.
Again, nothign was a dealbreaker, I am satisfied with this platform so far and look forward to testing it out over the next few weeks.
Thanks
Jim