French special troops use AR-15's?

[guncollector]

In today's NYT's story on the Paris Bombing suspect (Paris Bombing Suspect Refuses to Cooperate With Investigation) there's a photo of the French (Army? Gendarmerie? Justice Police?) armed with AR-15 rifles, complete with what looks like Aimpoint Comp M4's.



Am I imagining? Anyone got the scoop?

BTW, I was in Paris for a week in the week or two after the Belgium attacks. French Army 3-man patrols were prevalent throughout all the arrondisements we visited. They all carried FAMAS rifles.

[Bansh88]

I think a lot of swat types are allowed to use weapons of their choice. These guys might be fans.

[omgwtfbbq]

There are a great deal of foreign governments who special military/police units use M4s or their own version there of. Not uncommon.

[ChuckDizzle]

In today's NYT's story on the Paris Bombing suspect (Paris Bombing Suspect Refuses to Cooperate With Investigation
, there's a photo of the French (Army? Gendarmerie? Justice Police?) armed with AR-15 rifles, complete with what looks like Aimpoint Comp M4's.

Am I imagining? Anyone got the scoop?

It's almost like it is the most reliable, durable, accurate, easy to use and deadly rifle for the dollar (or Euro) out there. Weird.

[omgwtfbbq]

Also. That appears to be an HK416.

[j-shot]

It's france. Will they even use them?

[guncollector]

I dig that they're obviously rattle-can, camo-painted too.

[Scratch705]

i'm sure the arms maker here have foreign contracts too just like we here in USA have contracts with foreign arms makers too.

[MotoFahren]

Not wearing gloves? Dudes aren't even operators.

[Christopher761]

One guy has arm patch, and the other has missing patch. Hard to tell who they are.

It looks like they are equipping themselves with their own gear. You can tell by the use of the family station wagon.

[penguin0123]

That is an HK416.

If you've seen the french film Forces Speciales, it has AR galore in it. Really good gunfights (and Dianne Kruger) in there.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Forces_sp%C3%A9ciales

[CalNRA]

Not wearing gloves? Dudes aren't even operators.

hey, those guys are driving an Audi Q7, that's just how some Parisians taking their kids to school these days...

[flyboy3394]

While in Paris this past September, I saw multiple 3 and four man French army patrols, all with FAMAS rifles. Never with any AR patterned rifle, but it would make sense that their Special Forces would use other types of weapons, beyond what their regular infantry use. For instance, their police patrols carried MP5's and sometimes Beretta Model 12's, one per 3-4 man group.

just my 2 cents

[Daisy'sDad]

Not wearing gloves? Dudes aren't even operators.

AND, no shemagh that I can see.

[QXSOUP]

The guys in the first photo are either Gendarmerie or Police nationale. They have Sig SP2022's as a sidearm.

The 416's recently replaced the Mini 14.