Slovenia's Specialized Bullpup: the F2000S
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ค. 2023
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When the Slovenian Army decided to adopt a new infantry rifle in the mid-2000s, the Arex Defense company decided to submit the F-2000 into the trials. The H&K G36 was widely expected to be the winner, but Arex had already been involved in making F2000 parts as a subcontractor for FN, and wanted a chance at a domestic-production rifle for Slovenia.
The one major hurdle was that the Army tender required the rifle to have a carry handle, which the F2000 does not. At the request of Arex, FN agreed to design a version of the rifle with such a feature, but balked at the extremely tight time frame required. So instead, Arex made their own new upper receiver for the F2000, with an elevated picatinny optics rail and a carry handle beneath. This was entered into the rifle trials and ended up winning. A contract for 6500 of the guns was issued, and they were delivered in 2006-2007. The final design was designated the F2000S by FN (not to be confused with the civilian-sale semiautomatic FS2000).
Thanks to Arex Defense for giving me access to this rifle to film, and thanks to Polenar Tactical for hosting me in Slovenia!
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Back in the early 2000s this gun was in just about every videogame. Splinter Cell being the the one that comes to mind.
Do they make a sticky shocker attachment?
In Ghost Recon they were the standart
@@MRFLAPPYTREE no, it was shot from GL1 grenade launcher
They took it to fill most roles, OG model was basically standard F2000 (GL1 & 1.6x optic, with a suppressor) which worked like a marksman rifle (in-game had 2-6x zoom) then GL1 had wide array of stuff to deploy (non-lethal though)
Later they redone the model to have like actual integrated suppressor (modeled after mk23 one i believe) and collapsible stock (i know from design perspective would've not worked because of the removed buttstock, so bolt would have nowhere to move) on top of making it "modular" as in making 4 configs of it besides GL1 2 stood out, "sniper" & "shotgun", the former added that 1.6x (1.5-3.5x now) replacing C-more red dot & adding bit over the suppressor, the latter horizontal grip with a SPAS-12 looking masterkey
@@Juozapas001 Very informative, thank you!
There was a period in the 2000s when games set in the near future had this and the XM8 as the standard NATO weapons, viz Stalker and ArmA 2 and so on. It's like there's a parallel future that never happened. And this is another video where Ian casually produces an extremely rare gun from just off camera.
Was the gun in Splinter Cell based on this too? I'm guessing the sticky camera launcher was a bit of creative license.
Yes it was
OG modern warfare 2 had the F2000. Modern warfare 3 had a weird south American rifle that had a canted magazine, called the FAD. I don't think it ever entered production as a service weapon.
@@pjf674 Yep. It's called the SC-20K in that game, but it is actually referred to directly as the F2000 in one voice line during the CIA HQ mission. So they probably did originally plan to call it by its real name, but changed it later for whatever reason.
Yeah, then the militaries of the world decided that they're obsessed with AR-15 and AK variants, so bullpups are still not common issue. Though I guess the AUG has seen adoption by various countries, I think that Israel might still have the Tavor in its inventory.
It really looks like a prop from a '90s sci-fi movie. The furniture just stuck on to hide the real gun underneath.
Very true. Reminds me of the M41A space marine rifle from Aliens: I would never have guessed there’s a Thompson SMG below all that polymer.
I've always thought so. A very cool gun, and one of the few truly ambidextrous bullpups. Which is a big deal to me, being a lefty like Ian!
I really appreciate you putting the apostrophe in the right place in "'90s".
With the acoustics from the range, it even sounds like a laser gun!
Starship Troopers. Service guarantees Citizenship!
Would you like to know more?
The main reason for the carry handle requirement was because the army was not allowed to just write G36 in tender. But then they were informed by H&K that optics from german version are not part of the export version and suddenly they were willing to give other contenders a chance.
They wanted integrated optics?
@Juozapas001 I'd say most of the shortcomings of the G36s integrated optics system are in hindsight. In the 90s/2000s before picatinny was widely known it seemed like a great concept, though it pales in comparison to what we have now.
In the end Slovenian military ended up with excellent primary weapon and local company and local people got their share of work and benefit. Nije svako zlo za zlo
@@Juozapas001 It was a really popular concept back then.
@@PsihoKekec among procurement circles perhaps :D
I have a civilian FS2000. It’s really an underrated rifle. It has always been reliable, accurate, and comfortable to shoot. The brass ejection is convenient, especially when you’re at a range. I can’t speak to how the rifle performs in combat conditions, but it’s been a fun rifle to own and shoot.
Don't ever sell it. They're collector's items now. FNH stopped producing them for the civilian market some time ago. Buying a used one now can fetch a pretty price.
What does a civvie need an FS2000 for?
@@tonyrandall3146 The security of a free state.
We'll see what ukrainians have to say about them, some made their way in i heard
@@KingdomOfDimensions cringe
Its crazy how much the aesthetics of the gun are improved (imo) with just a small adjustment to the height of the rail
I agree! Such a minute change, but it looks so much nicer.
True, and it's both useful, ergonomic and looks great. I'm truly surprised FN didn't decide to simply include it in their own model, it's just such an obvious thing to do
Yup, unexpected improvement!
I used it when i was in Slovenian army. Its very accurate and comfortable to shoot. Negatives are mostly certain plastic parts which can break and it can be quite prone to stoppages when you are geting used to it. Still i enjoyed it and i think it doesnt deserve all the hate that it gets
Do you remember what kinds of stoppages it had? And for "when you are getting used to it" so it's depending on handling maybe, like pistols?
A lot of the time it's the look that makes people hate on it. Melted plastic toy and tactical tuna are things I've heard it called.
Personally I don't really care what a gun looks like as long as it serves a purpose. In this case what I see is a gun that seems to have very little in the way of details that could snag on camouflage net and the like. This is something I would definitely have appreciated back when I did my military service.
Other than that I can't really say anything about it as I have never held the gun.
@@blahorgaslisk7763 yeah basically it's the "mattel argument" like with M16 all over again, or the Glock, same old song
That was my thought when I looked at it, the crevices you need to get into to remove mud is by far the thing you remember the most after a stint in the army, or at least it was for me.
You named only couple problems it has. I trained with the M70 and tried for some time the F2000 (Civilian version) and I would pick an upgraded M70 anytime over the F2000. I consider the F2000 as an overly complicated, full-of-weak-points-and-liabilities rifle. IMO, we would have done much better by just upgrading the M70. Switching to the 5.56, increasing the sight radius (And upgrading the sighs and adding a picatinny rail),
The F2000s slow puking of spent brass will never get old. Also, too bad we didn't get to see Ian try the carry handle, to see it it's as good as the Famas :D
Yeah it's somewhat shallow and I was wondering if it maybe becomes uncomfortable with this kind of optics mounted above? Seeing it actually handled would make it clearer
As the owner of a PS 90 and anAUG- I don’t see why the thumb hole in the stock was not appropriate as a carry handle. They work just fine for me.
As a slovenian i didnt even know we have this type of industry in our country. love the work that you do.
It's just not a company you see advertised at a bus stop or on TV. 😁
Slovenia does not exist. You mean Russia.
@@gvs6462 I think you mean North East Italy.
I'm part Slovenian. This part of the world and our people make excellent guns.
Same
Just as a fun little detail about Slovenian adoption of F2000, the case ejector port and charging handle were replaced with more durable materials beacuse they were breaking in cold temperatures.
Had the pleasure of using the F2000s in basic. It handles well and is comfortable to carry on long hikes. I loved it!
I own the civilian version of the F2000 and really enjoy it very much. Very accurate rifle, even with the iron sights and I always draw a crowd when I go to the range. Everyone wants to see the "space gun" as they call it. I've had offers from people to buy it from me because FNH no longer produces it for the civilian market, but I'm not parting with it.
I don't blame you, I wouldn't either
I call bullshit.
Yeah, call it vanity if you want but I love that feeling. I own a amt automag 3 and when I shoot it at the range I get looks and gawkers 😂
It even makes laser sounds at the range. Honestly I looks like a laser gun.
Spang! It sounds like the seismic charge from Attack of the Clones.
That's the sound of the bang reverberating off the walls and interacting with the mic.
If you slammed a door really loudly it would probably make the same noise at that range lmao
The same sound effect also exist in AKB-15 video
Guys, I don't think anyone actually thinks that's how the report of the gun sounds and are aware that's it's due to reverberation in the room. Still sounds sci-fi as hell though.
Got a chance to hold one of these back in the 2010s, despite it's look it fits amazingly well in the hand.
The fat butt pad also distributes recoil rather nicely.
Fully-grown P90.
OMG my country again! Thanks Ian :)
it’s impressive to see how Arex Defense adapted the F2000 to meet the specific requirements of the Slovenian Army. Great content as always Ian and team!
Such a cool mod
Is this a bot comment??
Hey Ian, I've missed some videos being in BMT, but I'm excited to start catching up. Wanted to show some support and say thanks for all the content over the years.
That looks like a super nice rifle, and one of the few bullpups that is lefty-friendly without replacing parts.
Always loved the f2000, but the raised rail honestly makes it look even better.
5:49 Ian treating the gun like an extention of his 3rd arm. Sign of a true pro.
I've been obsessed with the Slovenian F2000 for years as i think it's one of the coolest looking guns ever adopted. The pictures I see of the Slovenian army using it just looks so badass and sci-fi.
Same. It's just such an interesting gun, looks so futuristic yet is quite simple inside, and the fact that it's looks is not just for show but is purposefuly design that way for ergonomics and sealing from outside elements, providing a comfortable and reliable gun. I really think this design has a lot to offer that simply couldn't break through in it's time, and will make a comeback some time in the future in perfected form
yes a lot of things here are fiction...
"I am not like other F2000´s."
- Slovenian F2000 -
As a Belgian, I actually prefer this upper on the F2000. Not only does it look better, it's actually more comfortable to aim with, and the carry handle is an added bonus. I wish that upper was available as a parts kit for the FS2000.
That would have been a good idea. FN couldn't make the handle in time for the Slovenian project. But why not go ahead and make the new upper and sell a kit later? You would think between the military and civilian users there would be a market for one.
the bullpul + carry handle combo looks awesome.
Why would they need 2yrs to redesign? Were there any shortcomings for have a raised sight and optic outside of larger distance between barrel and line of site?
If you hadn't told us it was put together in a matter of weeks I'd have sworn this was an optional configuration. Looks elegant and retains perfect functionality.
You're thinking outside the box.📦 😏
Probably an excuse to justify charging a bunch of extra time and materials R&D costs. Or they hoped that the long timetable and Slovenian impatience would combine to just make them accept what FN already produce.
Big companies are inflexible, and it takes 3 forevers to get through the process. I'll bet the redesign involved one engineer, one machinist, and one draftsman, all with the desire to Get It Done.
Neat little variant of the Tactical Tuna!
I had the chance to shoot a full auto F2000 last December. Cool factor aside, couldn’t go through a full mag without stoppages. And I’ve used staplers with better triggers.
The F2000 is an extremely magazine sensitive rifle, the feed lips have to be in perfect condition. Unfortunately, it is only designed to accept aluminum mags, which are notorious for developing feed lip issues. I had to go through a couple dozen aluminum mags just to find a few that my own FS2000 would not have malfunctions with. And yes, the trigger feels like a Nintendo Zapper light gun.
My experience is that the trigger is weird, but actually not that bad once you get a feel for it. The trigger pull is just long, but you can feel the break point easily enough for more precise shooting where required.
@@ostiariusalpha It's not just a feed lip issue with the aluminum mags. There were also problems with the followers tilting. Even the updated anti-tilt followers in GI issue aluminum mags sucked. When Magpul released their anti-tilt followers I put them in all of my aluminum mags and never had another feed issue with my FS2000.
@@norikotakaya14292 Yep, black follower is an automatic no-go.
The Tactical Tuna, now with more tactical!
😂🐟 it does sort of remind you of a gun / tuna fish.
Yes, we that own some version of this rifle do love our mildly insulting nicknames for it. The factory BUIS section are the ratface sights, because that's the kind of head shape required to use them comfortably. The chamber observation port is called the toilet lid. And so on.
This redesign is very clever and simple. Really smart guys.
I love the acoustics in that firing range. Could get some awesome drum sounds from its use.
I never understood why this bullpup wasn't more widely adopted, I guess it just sort of popped up at the same time as a lot of other bullpups and they all had to compete with each other globally. Always loved the unique front ejection!
The trigger is better at AR platforms - since on this bulpup the trigger assembly is long way from firing pin it has that mushy trigger that bulpups were often associated with. This is something that can be solved - I think tavor has nice trigger. Second is the challenging way to clear malfunctions. In Ar style platfomr you can reach your trigger in a action or rock
a bolt really violently to help clear stoppage. But with bulpup you don't have that luxury due to enclosed nature of the firing action assembly.
But this beauties truly shine in Urban environment aka CQB. I wish FN would have will and innovation to improve this rifle.
Because it sucks!
@@awfultruth6216 look at the comment above yours and then back at your own and you will see projecting your inadequacies on the gun just shows everyone how intelligent you are. Given a grade out of 10 your brain gets a -7 and a see me after class note. do better or shut up
@@tbhbrievodarchive5857ts conversions to bullpups which have a bad trigger due to the distance. Standard bullpups designed to be bullpups dont have that issue.
reallt cool to see one off rifles like this, and the story behind the carry handle was really cool.
I never realized how thick the F2000 was. It looks like you could take the shell off and there'd still be a complete gun inside. No wonder they wanted a carry handle!
It is a polymer shell over all the working guts.
@@Chilicharger665 And would all those guts still work if you took the shell off? No, they would not.
In my opinion the f2000 is both the ugliest and most beautiful I have seen
@@Bacteriophagebs what does that have to do with anything?
@@Chilicharger665 It's not a complete gun if it won't work. I said that it looks like you could take the shell off and there'd be a complete gun inside.
I always thought these were underrated... I think really the only big thing missing was last round bolt hold, which probably didn't help it in competition. I've fired two of these owned by others at ranges and they feel perfect in my hands, very comfortable and natural. My favorite thing was the fire selector, which I know some people didn't like.
My old friend called this the boat gun from call of duty
Sam Fisher's rifle from Splinter Cell.
The SC-20K which was integrally suppressed and had a silenced underbarrel multipurpose launcher. Tom Clancy ate, drank, breathed, slept, and nutted tactically.
I remember watching a CSI EPISODE which was a part of a 3 episode story arc. It involved bull pups stolen from a testing armory and a 5 man execution squad of mercenaries. The 2000 model your presenting resembles the wepon in the episode. Most TV viewers has never seen such a powerful compact design. Thanks for your channel I've seen small caliber bull pups and even 50 cal. Bull pups.😮😮 6:12
That was the FN P90 in those episodes.
I had no idea this variant even existed. Great stuff!
Everything Ian says about arex makes them look cooler. What a baller move to 1up fn herstal in 6 weeks.
I had the pleasure of renting a f2000 at one of the local ranges, it's a very comfortable and accurate rifle. As a left handed shooter I really appreciate the ambidextrous controls and forward ejection system on it. I wish this rifle had caught on more so they weren't so expensive.
:) FN makes some neat stuff. I have a PS90 and an M249S, but I have never had the chance to fire an FS2000. That being said, I do have a Keltec RFB, which has a very similar forward eject systems for the spent cases. Other than that, it's a completely different setup, being chambered in 308, and based on the FAL internally.
Thanks Ian for great vids , very informative & well made,
atb brian
Knowing the provenance behind this special variant just made the AX serial number look sooo much cooler lol
Really hoping that one day gun companies can realize just by putting an X in the name doesn't necessarily make the gun look more appealing...
I think the Solvenian one is a bit better, the location of the optic looks more comfortable.
Guess the Solved that problem
Indeed, the standard F2000 optic rail height seems more intended for soldier with rat-shaped faces. On my own FS2000, crushing my square Swedish face down to look through the factory sights is not easy.
I love that carry handle! They should see about importing that into the US
In middle and eastern europe, saying that something is impossible is an personal offence
First the SAR-80 and then the F2000S. Cool that Slovenia uses exotic designs!
There was an FS2000 in my local gun shop for $2100 probably 10 years ago when i was a teen. Looked and felt like it could handle amazingly
Great video and very informative.
Looks a lot like one of the guns from Starship Troopers!
Or from Halo 😁
The F2000...When someone decided to turn a fish into a gun.
Saw these when I was over in Croatia and Slovenia for a training exercise. Didn't realize at the time that theirs was modified from the base model.
Hi Ian, I was over in Slovenia 2 weeks ago and shot an IPSC math in in Ljubljana!!! Wish I cold have met up with you! :)
I've been waiting for this 🐐
Tactical Tuna!! Its actually pretty solid.
I love the approach of "fine I'll do it myself"
I remember seeing the f200 for 1100 back in 2010. I wish I was old enough to bout one because the piece now is soooo insaaane. I’m still hooding to get one but I’m glad to see the f2000 is in a vid
I went and found the 10 year old video about the F2000, oh, how video production has improved!
My experience with the F2000 is that while exceptionally ergonomic, i find it difficult to use in the prone position. The higher pic rail on this model does seem to be an improvement if i an being honest though.
Sam Fishers signature rifle from Splinter Cell, always wondered what the real version was like from playing those games also didn’t realise that it’s from Slovenia either great vid as always.
It's not. It's based on the FN F2000 by FN Herstal. FN Herstal is Belgian, with Herstal being the name of a city close to Liège. They've been in business since 1889.
@@Shrikinator so it is, very similar though.
The problem with many bullpub design rifle is that the case ejection port is close to the user's eyes. When firing continuously, the excess gunpowder smoke irritated their eyes.
This seems like a trivial matter. But it is very serious. When you are in the heat of battle.
These things have happened to the Royal Thai Army that used to use the Tarvor as the new standard rifle and then retire the M16, but eventually the Army had to return to using the M16 as before.
FN F2000 design is very clever. that makes the casing ejection port at the front of the gun.
Well made improvement. Makes sense.
So that's what living inside of a bouncy ball would sound like, an acoustic masterpiece.
its a lefty bullpup so how can you not love it?! my local gun shop still has one of these on the wall and its been there for probably 15 years now lol. it is such a cool gun
Where? If it's new, I'd buy a second one.
Arex deserves more recognition.
I like the loading bench in background ❤
How convenient I was watching an old q&a last night about bill pups
Wish I would've purchased one of these around 2005 timeframes when they were everywhere. I kind of dig the looks now.
that last casing just dropping out casually xD
Yay a follow up f2000 video, it’s been ages since he did a video on it and it wasn’t the most comprehensive one.
The magazine went in the rifle nice and smoothly, I didn't see you take it out. Was it as smooth coming out? I have a civilian fs2000 and it's very finicky about what brand and style of mag i use. The metal on some stainless mags is too thick compared to aluminum mags and they just dont sit reliably, forget trying to fit a pmag in there.
something about the reverb of an indoor range just makes my brain release the happy chemicals.
I love how Ian smiles pretty much time he shoots a gun. As he has a fairly staid demeanor, but he’s never “too cool” doing something most of us never will- firing a full auto weapon.
One time where the cool factor outsells the specs lol, and I love how FN was like no way and Slovenia just goes hold my beer mode
Range gun shots sound like they were ripped from the original Half Life lol
I have a replica FN2000, beautifully balanced rifle to shoulder and great for us lefties too! So they required a carry handle...why? And then after all that fuss to create a clever solution for them, they then add an officially adopted optic that seems to have an eye relief which requires it to be mounted right where the carry handle is, making the handle useless..this makes sense how exactly? Lol. Still love this bullpup and its cartridge ejection system though.
Because the shape of the rifle is prevent from carrry it by 1 hand when you not hold the pistol grip.hence, the carry handle help to carry the rifle so you dont have to hold the pistol grip all of time.
Also it help in prone position, which bring the rifle more to the eyes level.
Another reason is reduce the hot gas dissort the view. The original rifle have very low profile between the sight and the muzzle. Raise it up couple inches, help to reduce the disortion from the hot gas at the front of the muzzle, give it more clear view when you use iron sight.
@@boocomban fair enough but aren't slings designed for exactly that purpose? It uses the same one point sling set up as the P90, its little brother.
Another commenter said that the carry handle in the army requirements were a part of laser-focusing the requirement to fit G36. Like if you want a specific product or company to win a bid, you describe the existing product / company very specifically, so that even if some other offer suddenly appears, it couldn't fit the requirements. But for one reason or another, the customer cooled off to the H&K's offer, and chose F2000 instead. And it wouldn't have been able to enter the bid unless it had this carry handle.
@@ayebraine yeah but H&K specifically said that the rail on the G36 is not to be used as a carry handle since it's mostly polymer with a bit of steel sheet reinforcement. It's only to be used for lightweight optics and to protect the charging handle/cocking system, stop it getting snagged on kit, brush etc..
@@shovelchop81bikeralex52 the sling is also a problem on original F2000. Too close to the front sight so it block the front sight. Remember that F2000 designed to use it intergrated optic like AUg, tarvor as the rifle is a straight line from stock to muzzle.
The carry handle solve this problem by raise the sight higher as well as moving the sling swivel further from the front sight.
The standard issue rifle when you wanna give the Covenant their bomb back.
*Blow Me Away starts to play*
the smile at the end says it all, its a nice gun
Funny how, after those first introductory shots, my first thought is: Oh boy, that firing range needs to fix its acoustics! Get some obsorbtion panels up to cut down on the reverb/echo.
*FN tells Arex that it isn't possible to redesign the F2000 to have a carry handle in four weeks*
Arex: "FINE. I'LL DO IT MYSELF."
Is it just me, or is anyone else checking the background for Mr Polenar Tactical peeping out from behind one of the pillars?
Nah... it's just you! I was looking around for Manca.
It wasn't just you. Instead he was sneakily standing in the background at the range.
I was about to comment "WTF? -No Background Ziga? 😔" when I saw your comment...
Great minds think alike, or fools never differ...?
Also, I'd like to see a Background Manca appear in one of Ian's videos too... 😊😍😘
looks like a good day of fishing
That's pretty neat that they took it into their own hands to modify
literaly one of the best guns out there
Any chance they also made it possible to take most STANAG magazines incl. Magpul EMag, or it still requires the F2000 / FNC mags?
I still adore this rifle.
I love bullpups, and I'm wondering if you ever made an episode about the SVU...
As an owner of an fs2000, you have no idea how badly I want that top rail.
You're looking great man
Hell yeah, these guns are awesome, I love the ejection system
If you're a reloader that front ejection system would be wonderful. No more picking spent brass out of the grass when this thing drops them by your feet!
@@444mopar but youd have to count your shots, lol
The OEM scope and underbarrel GL made this look even crazier than it already is.
"It feels just like shooting a standard F2000, but with a slightly higher optics riser."
I have to say, that was not entirely unexpected.
I am not Slovenian, but I drank some Hella Slovenian wine 30 years ago.
I wondered if this was reviewed already a couple of weeks ago but never bothered to check.
Great one.
I like the F2000, ergonomically it feels very good in the hand and is very easy to point and shoot given the bulk of the gun is right against your shoulder.
Wish it had a redesigned mag release near the trigger guard and allow the mags to drop free without the rubber gasket holding them, otherwise I kind of like stuff like the locking charging handle and the selector switch being where it is.
DO WANT!!! Always been one of my favorite rifles, I so wish I would have bought one when I had the chance.
FN says redesign takes two years. Chad eastern european cnc worker: ill have it ready this afternoon if you buy me Vodka 😅
Here in slovenia 🇸🇮, vodka is really not a thing.
@@andrazlogar861 He's probably American... and has no idea that Slovenia borders Austria and Italy...
@@andrazlogar861 beer then:p. closest ive been to slovenia is Slovakia, and vodka was very present there 😛
@@mbrackeva how ignorant of you to assume im american, im Swedish…. But Poland borders germany and Czechia, beer nations. And vodka is strong presence there
I remember an old video on Forgotten Weapons where Ian called the F2000 "A soon to be forgotten weapon"
Seems like it did get remembered a little :D Still love the video though.