FN FNC Bolt

[navgunner]

I did a basic search and couldn’t find anything here quite like what I’m wanting to know. If I missed the mark and it’s already been addressed, would someone please provide a link.

#1 Does anyone know if there’s ever been a domestically manufactured FNC bolt? Personally, I’ve never had the need for a spare, but it seems like there’s always been and abundance of interest from people who are fortunate enough to own this platform of rifle.

#2 Does anyone have access to the engineering drawings for the bolt? My thought is that it’s absolutely possible to manufacture these with the right equipment. They would be expensive but I’m sure you could sell at least a couple dozen or more.

Thoughts?

 

[paco]

Be adviced that the headspace is set by using on of the 9 boltsizes. So, if you replace the barrel, you need to check that your headspace is within spec. I wrote a toppic on this some months ago. So there is no universal ine size fits all bolt.

Paco

 

[paco]

FN FNC Belgian Army arsenal barrel replacement tool + info​

• Thread starterpaco
• Start dateMay 29, 2023

 

[navgunner]

FN FNC Belgian Army arsenal barrel replacement tool + info​

• Thread starterpaco
• Start dateMay 29, 2023

Wow! That’s pretty much sums it up. Thank you, @paco

 

[ScottinTexas]

At one time I owned a FA FNC and complete semiauto just for spare parts. Honestly, once I learned that the only parts available in the US would be from salvaged guns and VERY expensive, I figured I would never shoot either and opted to just sell them both together as a package.

There is virtually no part for these available in the US and the few that are are pricey and custom jobs that once they disappear will probably never be made again.

 

[howdy]

I did a basic search and couldn’t find anything here quite like what I’m wanting to know. If I missed the mark and it’s already been addressed, would someone please provide a link.

#1 Does anyone know if there’s ever been a domestically manufactured FNC bolt? Personally, I’ve never had the need for a spare, but it seems like there’s always been and abundance of interest from people who are fortunate enough to own this platform of rifle.

#2 Does anyone have access to the engineering drawings for the bolt? My thought is that it’s absolutely possible to manufacture these with the right equipment. They would be expensive but I’m sure you could sell at least a couple dozen or more.

Thoughts?

There have not been domestically produced bolts, due to anticipated lack of production scale level demand and therefore difficulty/slowness to sell off the production run and recoup costs. I have seen this stated a couple of times by different people. The most interesting one I've read was in a post by @okpud here, who it seems was pretty close to doing a run many years ago, but the aforementioned reasons dissuaded him.

The numbers are now 15(?) years old, but he said it would have to be a run of 100 bolts, price would be $500, and it would take ~4 years to sell them all. I am pretty curious how these numbers have changed up to this point, perhaps it is a more attractive proposition for the FNC market today? Perhaps not. Here is the post:

FNC bolt or bolt repair

I know we were over this many times before, but I have a broken bolt on my FNC. Any word on replacements or does anyone know someone who could weld the item? One of the lugs fractured. Thank you for any help!

www.uzitalk.com

 

[deadduck]

I would be down for one bolt please. (as I have said on the last 4 'USA Made Bolt' threads)

 

[tomk]

If someone made a bolt + barrel spares combo and sold it for $1000 I bet that they could move at LEAST 100 of them. Even the guys with semi guns need spares. I'm not sure what other parts would be needed. MG prices have doubled in the past decade. The prospect of spending $1000 for spares on a $20k gun seems a lot less of a stretch. With spares available, the gun prices could go up too...

 

[howdy]

Agreed. I have 2 GM barrels, a 3rd is on my list, and I would be very happy to have the chance to do the same with spare bolts. I love this gun, it's the only mg I own, and I would love to keep it running for decades to come.

I had previously emailed with Sven of Manticore Arms about producing FNC bolts, he seemed pretty interested in doing it, but would need a bolt in hand to get measurements from, not sure there's anyone willing to send off a spare FNC bolt though.

 

[navgunner]

Based on what I’ve learned in the past couple of days (thank you @paco ), it looks like there’s not a one size fits all bolt.

All that being said… Is the bolt the issue or is it the bolt carrier which is welded to the piston assembly? Or… Is it a combination of the both?

 

[howdy]

Based on what I’ve learned in the past couple of days (thank you @paco ), it looks like there’s not a one size fits all bolt.

All that being said… Is the bolt the issue or is it the bolt carrier which is welded to the piston assembly? Or… Is it a combination of the both?

Given the narrow range of FNCs we have here in the US, I wouldn't be surprised if all of the bolts are the same version. No idea whether they actually are, however.

 

[Quake Guy]

Know any Ukrainians? A bunch of FNCs were donated to their cause, some probably getting worn out by now.

 

[paco]

Folks,
I wish i could say making an FNC bolt is easy, it is not. It is in fact much harder as an AR15 bolt. Many tollerances are affecting to each other making it hard to have "one size fits all" bolt. The sum of all the these tollerances on surfaces that have contact with each other makes that the arsenal folks have arranged there spare bolts in several size boxes.
It is a bit like aligning the flash hider with all these insert washers untill the angle is correct.
Unless you are a high skilled machine operator and you know a lot on harding / heating i advice you to stay away of this expensive project.
500$ is way to cheap in my opinion for only a 100Pc boltrun with no guarantee that your combiniation is within the correct headspace.
Very likely, the operator will need to offer a service that he tries your upper+barrel+boltcarrier and handpick a bolt that fits your weapon.

My 2 cents.

Paco

 

[navgunner]

Paco is right.

 

[howdy]

The headspacing, according to those who have done it for FNCs in the US, is done by removing material from the bolt face to match the barrel.
What beyond said headspacing is peculiar to the FNC bolt? Someone making a run of any rifle bolts would of course need to be knowledegable in machining and metallurgy.
@paco Have you spec'd the cost of materials, labor and other associated costs to produce FNC bolts in the US? Curious what you're basing your pricing opinion on here.

 

[paco]

I have checked the plans, materials, heating, surfacehardning. The headspace is taken from the case neck, hard to pinpoint.
The rotationangle of the lugs depends on the boltcarrier specs. The rearsurface of the lugs grabs in the negative lugs, and so on.
I m comfy you need a long time on frustrations with trial and error to get all this within predictable specs.
Its not a 1+1=2 story.

Paco

 

[tomk]

There are lots of examples where American ingenuity will rise to meet a challenge. There's a certain breed "out there" that gets interested when they hear "can't be done".

Of course there's a larger group that starts the effort with "hold my beer" = mixed results....

I think that a solution can and will be found.

 

[chili17]

Like everything, I think it is a function of money. Cost of the firearm vs cost of the parts. 40yrs ago it made no sense to repair a M16 as the cost would be close to just buying a new one. You have seen the same with the mac type smgs. Would people spend $1000 on a Lage upper when you could just buy and uzi for $1200? Probably not. Basically what I'm saying is once the FNC price point reaches a certain value, I think you will see people start to make parts because they can make money beyond wages.

 

[ScottinTexas]

There are many discontinued german-made guns, like Sigs and HK's that are getting crazy expensive and generally no (or very few) milled replacement parts are being reproduced in the US. Some folks are making springs but that's about it.

Replacement parts other than that can only be obtained through Gunbroker parts kits which are probably police-seized crime guns.

I really don't expect that any FNC parts will ever be made, especially the complicated bolt. Just my opinion.

 

[paco]

HK is doing very complicated in Europe to provide civilians spareparts.
So yes, even we buy alot of US made HK parts. But the volume of HK MP5 users is significant larger as FNC users.
FN is also a pain in the ass as they only deliver parts to the Browning guys, means no military parts...

Paco