FN MAG® TACTICAL with Long Rail
7.62x51mm General Purpose Machine Gun
Designed and originally manufactured by FN HerstalThe FN MAG® TACTICAL with Long Rail introduces a new variant tailored to today’s operational requirements. It preserves core performance of the original FN MAG® medium machine gun while enabling the seamless integration of day, night or thermal optics through its extended rail architecture.
This new variant also features an ergonomic tactical buttstock, improving handling and operator comfort.
These unique enhancements are available on new factory weapons or as part of a Tactical Kit with Long Rail, allowing current FN MAG® users to upgrade their existing weapons.
The tactical buttstock is available as a stand-alone upgrade.
Key Benefits
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UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE FEATURES DESIGNED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD
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DUAL OPTIC CAPABILITY
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OPTIMISED ERGONOMICS
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DELIVERS THE SAME HIGH PERFORMANCE AS THE ORIGINAL, COMBAT-PROVEN FN MAG®
An innovative solution featuring four key enhancements for modern soldiers.
1.Long Picatinny top rail
- Long 11’’ monolithic Picatinny type top rail while maintaining the use of original iron sights
- Allows +/- 14’’ of operational space for in-line day, night or thermal optics
- Ensures optimised eye relief
- Still allows the use of iron sight
- Features the FN® SIDE-CLICK system, allowing effortless one-handed opening of the feed cover.
2.Feed-cover retention mechanism
- Retention power up to 2.5 kg optics
- Built-in opening stop at 62° to preserve optics
- The FN® AUTO-LOCK retention mechanism holds the feed cover open
3.Articulated carrying handle
- Allows the barrel change even when the weapon is equipped with in-line optics
- Ensures balanced transport of the weapon
4.Tactical buttstock
- 3-position length adjustment
- 6-position cheek rest adjustment
- Integrated folding shoulder rest
- Ergonomic and soft butt plate
- Also available separately from the kit
MEDIA
Faqs
What is the FN MAG® TACTICAL with Long Rail?
It is a new configuration of the FN MAG® optimized for use with optical sights, including long optics or in-line mounting of day and night optics.
This requirement has existed for a long time on sniper rifles, then spread to assault rifles, with recent designs almost all having a long top rail. Recent feedback from combat operations has expressed a strong demand for a similar capability on GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) type weapons.
The FN MAG® TACTICAL with Long Rail offers a configuration of the widely-used FN MAG® adapted to meet new requirements that come from evolving operational missions and increased use of day and night optics.
What are the modified features on the new configuration?
- A long 11” top rail.
- A larger feed cover latch on both sides of the top rail that unlocks the cover if either one is pressed thanks to the FN® SIDE-CLICK system. On the standard feed cover both must be pressed simultaneously.
- An FN® AUTO-LOCK feed cover retention mechanism with two functions:
- Holds the cover open even with 2.5kgs of weight on the rail.
- Limits the fully-raised angle of the cover to avoid striking the optic’s front lens on the weapon when the cover is opened.
- Articulated carrying handle. The new handle, which is also longer, allows the user to attach and remove the barrel when a long optical sight is fitted. With the standard handle there is interference between the sight and the handle.
The modified handle also compensates for the change in the weapon’s centre of gravity when optics are fitted. - Telescopic fully adjustable buttstock with 3 length positions and 6 cheek rest height positions. It also has an integrated folding shoulder rest and a soft ergonomic butt plate.
Why not just put a longer rail?
The long rail allows a long optical sight or in-line mounting of two optics, however when this is done it will nearly always create difficulties for the user. The FN MAG® TACTICAL with Long Rail does not just solve one problem while adding several other problems, it provides a complete solution.
The long rail assembly allows the user to aim with the standard 200 – 800m iron sight as a back-up solution.
The added weight of optical sight on the feed cover would make it necessary for the user to continually hold the cover open when loading, unloading or clearing the gun. The new FN® AUTO-LOCK feed cover retention mechanism holds the cover open, leaving both hands free for other actions.
If an optical sight extends beyond the front of the feed cover, the front lens can hit part of the weapon, risking damage to the sight. The new feed cover limiting device eliminates this risk.
The standard carrying handle will be blocked by a sight placed on the forward part of the rail. The user would have to take the sight off to remove or attach a barrel. This makes it impossible to quickly change a hot barrel during sustained fire. The new extended articulated handle eliminates this problem.
When using a magnifying optic, the eye must be positioned at a specific distance from the rear lens (eye relief).
For optimized aiming, and for comfort during prolonged firing or surveillance, the shooter’s eye should be aligned with the optical sight while supported by the cheek rest.
Different optical sights can have varying eye relief requirements. The user’s equipment and the position of the sight will also modify eye relief. The height of the axis of optical sights is always higher than for the iron sights, and will vary between optics. To obtain a correct and comfortable aiming position the buttstock must allow adjustments to compensate for all these variations. The new tactical buttstock allows the user to obtain correct eye relief and cheek rest height.
Do you have to buy a new FN MAG®?
No. In-service FN MAG®s can be converted fully or partially using conversion kits.
- Buttstock conversion only; any fixed buttstock can be replaced by the Tactical buttstock.
- Complete conversion kit, the so-called Tactical Kit with Long Rail, composed of:
- Tactical buttstock assembly
- Long rail assembly
- Feed cover retaining assembly
- Articulated carrying handle assembly.
The Tactical Kit with Long Rail is not available without the Tactical buttstock. This would generate too many problems for the user, (see above; “Why not just a long rail?”).
Can any type of FN MAG® be fitted with these kits?
Any configurations manufactured according to FN Herstal specifications and used in either dismounted or mounted roles that have a feed cover with integrated rail can be converted. If the cover does not have a rail, it must be replaced with a cover that does have a rail. This cover can be ordered from FN.
These modern enhancements not only apply to the original FN MAG® but are compatible across all configurations, such as M240s (US designation) and L7A2s (UK designation).
The long rail attaches to the integrated rail on the feed cover. Can this be a problem?
No. The attachment is very secure and eliminates the risk of play between the two parts.
Attaching the long rail to the existing rail avoids the need to replace the feed cover on more recently produced FN MAG®s.
Is it preferable to convert an existing weapon or replace it?
The FN MAG® is famous for its very long life. In most cases it will be cost-effective to convert weapons that are in service.
The exception will be guns that are very old or worn.
Can the FN MAG® TACTICAL with Long Rail be fitted with the FN SMARTCORE® shot counter?
Yes.
