My nostalgia for working with the French Special Operations Forces finally got the best of me and I picked up an FRF2 sniper rifle. I have a correct APX 806 scope for it but am keeping it on my MSE clone. It turns out that the French used a number of different scopes on it throughout all branches of their military and Gendarmerie. The Nightforce NXS was used by the Air Force so I slapped one of those on until my Schmidt and Bender 6x42, as used by the Naval Commando's, arrives from Germany.
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Carrying on the French Airborne tradition, French Parachutist number 525501 serial numbered wings.
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French L'ecole de Aeroportee
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French C-160 Transall. Red bunny helmet is a French HALO jumber
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Inside the French C-160 during jump. Practice retrieving a towed jumper.
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The FR-F2 is an upgrade from the earlier FR F1 sniper rifle. The rifle barrel is thermally shielded along a considerable part of the barrel by a polymer shroud. The barrel is free floated and is equipped with a flash hider.[3] It uses a different bipod-stock configuration from its predecessor, which is built just ahead of the receiver. GIAT studies lead to a new three groove conical barrel. Tapering the barrel from the throat area up to the first 100 mm of the barrel and at the muzzle end reduced barrel wear caused by propellant gasses passing the projectile in the bore.
The rifle's manual safety is located at the rear of the trigger.[3]
It uses 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition and is equipped with a telescopic sight.[3] French army standard issue is either an APX L806, with a bullet drop compensation calibrated for 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition from 100 to 800 m in 100 m increments, or SCROME J8 (Army) or Nightforce NXS (Air force) or Schmidt & Bender 6×42 mil-dot (Navy). Backup sights on top of the barrel shroud are standard on each F2 rifle.[3]
The rifle is also issued as part of the FÉLIN infantry combat system outfitted with a SAGEM Sword Sniper 3-in-1 optic, which serves as a telescopic sight, thermal weapon sight, and laser rangefinder. The FR F2 utilizes the same basic bolt design as the older MAS-36 infantry rifle. The MAS-36 bolt action was however extensively modified and strengthened to reduce accuracy-inhibiting flex in the FR F1 and FR F2.