FN 303
Encyclopedia
The FN 303 is a semi-automatic
non-lethal riot gun
designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
. The FN 303's projectiles have been specifically designed to break up on impact, reducing risks of penetrating injuries. Typical operating scenarios include domestic violence intervention, marking violent suspects and building surveillance.
s from a 15-round drum magazine. It is designed to incapacitate the target through blunt trauma
without causing critical injuries, and is most widely used for riot control
and other kinds of combat where lethal weapons should be avoided. The 303 can be fired from the shoulder using adjustable iron sight
s, or it can be mounted in an under-barrel configuration on most assault rifle
s when its stock assembly is removed (in this configuration, it is designated M303). It also comes with a top-mounted Picatinny rail
that can fit most commercial weapon accessories, such as telescopic sight
s, laser sights and tactical light
s. FN markets its own set of accessories for the launcher, including tactical vests, slings, carrying bags, and gas compressors. It is accurate at distances up to 35 metres (38.3 yd).
related design and manufacturing firms—Airgun Designs
and Gun F/X Tactical Development, a division of Pro-Team Products.
The proof of concept prototype was named the UTPBS, Under Barrel Tactical Paintball System.
The design could be attached to an M16 rifle
and was conceived as a less-than-lethal weapon system coupled with a lethal weapon system, providing a wide range of response capabilities that were immediately available. A stand-alone version was also developed.
The UTPBS also featured a rotating barrel magazine, allowing for a wide range of different projectiles to be available and selectable without the need to change magazines.
Monterey Bay Corporation and specifically Gun F/X Tactical Development also developed the bismuth
-weighted projectile to provide the necessary mass, allowing the UTPBS to achieve the engagement range requirements.
round. The forward half of the sphere is a non-toxic granulated bismuth
shell designed to fragment on impact to prevent penetration damage. The rear half of the sphere contains one of several color-coded liquid payloads:
in which Victoria Snelgrove
was shot in the eye and fatally wounded. Subsequent tests by Boston Police indicated that the 303's accuracy "decreased significantly" after about three hundred firings. This is circumstantially corroborated by testimony of the officer who fired the weapon, stating that he was aiming at a rioter throwing bottles and did not even know that a bystander had been hit.
A fifteen million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Boston and FN Herstal was settled in July 2006. In 2007 the Boston Police destroyed their remaining FN303s, stating they were more powerful and lethal than had been anticipated.
During violent protests in front of the ARCELOR [former ARBED] building in Luxembourg
city on May 11, 2009, the weapon was used for the first time by Luxembourg police forces. An RTL cameraman was hit in the hand, breaking one finger.
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
non-lethal riot gun
Riot gun
A riot gun or less-lethal launcher is a type of firearm that is used to fire "non-lethal" ammunition for the purpose of suppressing riots. Less-lethal launchers may be special purpose firearms designed for riot control use, or standard firearms, usually shotguns and grenade launchers, adapted to...
designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
. The FN 303's projectiles have been specifically designed to break up on impact, reducing risks of penetrating injuries. Typical operating scenarios include domestic violence intervention, marking violent suspects and building surveillance.
Overview
The FN 303 uses compressed air to fire projectileProjectile
A projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....
s from a 15-round drum magazine. It is designed to incapacitate the target through blunt trauma
Blunt trauma
In medical terminology, blunt trauma, blunt injury, non-penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma refers to a type of physical trauma caused to a body part, either by impact, injury or physical attack; the latter usually being referred to as blunt force trauma...
without causing critical injuries, and is most widely used for riot control
Riot control
Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
and other kinds of combat where lethal weapons should be avoided. The 303 can be fired from the shoulder using adjustable iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
s, or it can be mounted in an under-barrel configuration on most assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s when its stock assembly is removed (in this configuration, it is designated M303). It also comes with a top-mounted Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
that can fit most commercial weapon accessories, such as telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
s, laser sights and tactical light
Tactical light
A tactical light is a flashlight used in conjunction with a firearm to aid low light target identification, allowing the marksman to simultaneously aim and illuminate the target. Tactical lights can be handheld or mounted to the weapon with the light beam parallel to the bore...
s. FN markets its own set of accessories for the launcher, including tactical vests, slings, carrying bags, and gas compressors. It is accurate at distances up to 35 metres (38.3 yd).
Development history
The FN 303 is based on a proof of concept project originated by the Monterey Bay Corporation and designated the XM303 by that company. The development team consisted of designers and researchers from two paintballPaintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
related design and manufacturing firms—Airgun Designs
Airgun Designs
Airgun Designs, Inc. is a manufacturer of paintball markers and equipment formerly based in Wheeling, IL. The company is now based in Cary, IL. They are best known for manufacturing the Automag paintball marker. Tom Kaye founded AGD in 1987...
and Gun F/X Tactical Development, a division of Pro-Team Products.
The proof of concept prototype was named the UTPBS, Under Barrel Tactical Paintball System.
The design could be attached to an M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
and was conceived as a less-than-lethal weapon system coupled with a lethal weapon system, providing a wide range of response capabilities that were immediately available. A stand-alone version was also developed.
The UTPBS also featured a rotating barrel magazine, allowing for a wide range of different projectiles to be available and selectable without the need to change magazines.
Monterey Bay Corporation and specifically Gun F/X Tactical Development also developed the bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
-weighted projectile to provide the necessary mass, allowing the UTPBS to achieve the engagement range requirements.
Ammunition
The FN 303 fires a spherical, fin-stabilized projectile. According to FN, the fin-stabilized design provides greater accuracy than a standard paintballPaintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
round. The forward half of the sphere is a non-toxic granulated bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
shell designed to fragment on impact to prevent penetration damage. The rear half of the sphere contains one of several color-coded liquid payloads:
- Training/Impact (clear): non-toxic glycol base with no additives, used for training and when the impact sting is the preferred deterrent.
- Permanent paint (yellow): latexLatexLatex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
-based polymerPolymerA polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
paint used to mark suspects for later identification. - Washable paint (pink): water-soluble fluorescentFluorescenceFluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation of a different wavelength. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore lower energy, than the absorbed radiation...
pink pigment in glycol base, similar to standard paintballPaintballPaintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
filling, used to mark suspects short-term. - Oleoresin capsicum (orange): glycol base mixed with 10% OC (pepper sprayPepper sprayPepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
) at 5 million SHUScoville scaleThe Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat of a chili pepper. The number of Scoville heat units indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.The scale is named after...
, used to incapacitate targets.
Safety
The FN 303 was involved in a controversial 2004 incident in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in which Victoria Snelgrove
Victoria Snelgrove
Victoria Snelgrove was a junior majoring in journalism at Emerson College. She had transferred from Fitchburg State College in the fall of 2003. She was hit with a crowd-control round and mortally wounded by Boston police officer Rochefort Milien on October 21, 2004 when she was eight days away...
was shot in the eye and fatally wounded. Subsequent tests by Boston Police indicated that the 303's accuracy "decreased significantly" after about three hundred firings. This is circumstantially corroborated by testimony of the officer who fired the weapon, stating that he was aiming at a rioter throwing bottles and did not even know that a bystander had been hit.
A fifteen million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Boston and FN Herstal was settled in July 2006. In 2007 the Boston Police destroyed their remaining FN303s, stating they were more powerful and lethal than had been anticipated.
During violent protests in front of the ARCELOR [former ARBED] building in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
city on May 11, 2009, the weapon was used for the first time by Luxembourg police forces. An RTL cameraman was hit in the hand, breaking one finger.
Users
- DSU counter-terrorism group.: In use with the Land Forces and the Military Police.: In service with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Used twice—once as a defensive weapon when protesters illegally entered a police station, and once during riots in November 2007.: Purchased 2,000 launchers in 2009.: Unité Spéciale de la PoliceUnité Spéciale de la PoliceThe Unité Spéciale de la Police is a special unit of the Grand Ducal Police that was created in Luxembourg in 1999. It is tasked with responding to especially dangerous situations such as hostage rescue operations, arrests of dangerous individuals, bomb threats, and dignitary protection duties...
of the Grand Ducal PoliceGrand Ducal PoliceThe Grand Ducal Police is the primary law enforcement agency in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The police is under the control of the Minister for the Interior of Luxembourg, although they operate in the name, and under the ultimate control, of the Grand Duke. Day-to-day executive control is...
.: Çevik Kuvvet of the General Directorate of SecurityGeneral Directorate of SecurityThe General Directorate of Security are the civilian police force responsible for law enforcement in Turkey.-Structure:In the provinces, it operates under the command of governors and district governors . Civil administrators are responsible for the security and wellbeing of towns and districts...
.: Used by the ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, and Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in the Afghanistan WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and Iraq War. Also used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Alameda County Sheriff's OfficeAlameda County Sheriff's OfficeThe Alameda County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency serving Alameda County, California. The ACSO is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies , the American Correctional Association , National Commission on Correctional Health Care and the...
.