TFB Review: The FN Guardian – FN America's Most Affordable AR-15

The name FN can spark either controversy or praise depending on who you ask about them, and more importantly, what exact product you’re talking about. A little while back I had the rare opportunity to run an FN SCAR 17 absolutely ragged for about three days in the desert – something that I think not a lot of civilian rifles ever get to experience. While the SCAR 17 nearly killed the Trijicon VCOG that was attached to it, the rifle itself managed to keep running, without any malfunctions for the entire week in which about 500+ rounds of .308 ball ammo were shot through it. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has had extensive experience with FN’s vast product line as they carry a reputation for having some of the best “combat-proven” equipment in the industry. However, the big downside to all that is that most of their highly sought-after AR-15 rifles and barrels are somewhat overpriced according to some. One prime example of this is FN’s 15 DRM3 and TAC 3 rifles which both cost nearly $2000 but are known for being some of the best “duty grade” off-the-shelf AR-15s available. This is simply not the case with the new FN Guardian, which comes in at an MSRP of $999 and can now be found for a street price of around $875. But does the FN Guardian still maintain the legendary reliability and accuracy that FN’s AR-15s are known for? We’ll find out in today’s review!

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