FN has you covered with the new M249S Para semi-auto rifle (PHOTOS)

FN's new M249S Para brings a collapsible stock to the semi-auto belt-fed rifle already in their Military Collector series. (Photos: FN)

FN’s new M249S Para brings a collapsible stock to the semi-auto belt-fed rifle already in their Military Collector series. (Photos: FN)

The latest addition to the FN Military Collector Series is collapsible-stocked rifle in an ode to the Paratrooper model of the FN SAW developed for airborne forces.

The Military Collector Series kicked off in 2015 to feature commercial variants of FN’s most iconic, battle-proven and historic military designs but without the tax stamps and hassle of Post-86 requirements. The newest addition to that line is the M249S Para, which FN insists is authentic in almost every detail to the “real steel” being used by the military.

“You’ll notice only two major differences between the semi- and full-auto versions – the barrel length and reconfigured internal components to change the rifle’s operation from open-bolt to closed-bolt,” said John Keppeler, senior vice president of sales and marketing for FN America.

The Para, in a departure from the semi-auto M249S — which uses a buffered polymer buttstock assembly and goes 40.75-inches overall length– for a rifle that uses a telescoping buttstock assembly to collapse overall length down to 31.5-inches.

fn-m249s-para-2 fn-m249s-para-5 fn-m249s-para-6 fn-m249s-para-3 fn-m249s-para-7 fn-m249s-paraWeight between the two models is the same (17 pounds), though the Para has a 16.1-inch barrel instead of the M249S’s 18.5-incher.

Both use a closed bolt, semi-auto only action that accommodates either a 200-round belt or STANAG magazines.

MSRP is $8,799, or about $300 more than the fixed-stock variant released in 2015. It is available in FDE and the always popular black.

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