Re: FN PSR III
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Action Guy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What about the PSR concept do you like (of what you know about it)? What about the SPR line do you like? What about the TSR line do you like? Or dislike? What about another company's products do you like and made you consider them over an FN?
I'm all ears (or eyes, as this is a forum).
Semper fidelis,</div></div>
Mr. Voss, what I believe was very appealing to alot of people looking at the PSR line was the stock options. I have a A3G, which I absolutley love, and off the bench it is awesome, but for me at least it does not lend itself well to field/hunting use. I did use it to hunt antelope this past August, but its weight, and particulary the size of the stock (namely the butt stock) made it less than ideal for this application. So, even before my hunt, I have been in the market for a second rifle. Yes, I could go out and buy any XYZ name brand light hunting rifle, but I am not interested in a rifle that I will simply use to hunt with once a year (if I get luckly enough to draw a tag) and shoot maybe 5 rounds thru it in a 12 month period. I want a dual purpose precision rifle. One that gives me for the most part the look and feel of a hunting rifle, but gives me the enjoyment and ability to use it for precision target shooting the other 11 months out of the year. Now I realize mixing the two will have some draw backs on both sides. It will have to have a heavier contour barrel for the precision side of things, this will obviously add weight that you wont find in many hunting rifles, and the stock wont be what some consider optimal for bench and target shooting, i.e. no butt hook, or big fat butt stock to slide your rear bag around under.
You will find this "mix" if I can call it that, surprisingly popular however. Just look at how many original M40 fans you will find on this and other sites and every shooting range in America. While the PSR line was canceled, below are links to several posts of peoples rifles built off FN actions that very much replicate what you were going to offer, and this is just what I could find in 5 minutes on one website.
1.
Almost exactly like the PSR III minus the fluting 2.
Pictures on bottom half of page 3.
Very similar to PSR III but with 20 inch barrel 4.
Incomplete, but you can see the stock he selected for it 5.
Very first photo The point is, I think your PSR line should be offered. And you can keep it alot simpler by just cutting the "PSR" right out of it. Why set up an entirely new line of rifles when you could just add a simple stock option to your existing line? The PSR I, and PSR II at least in appearance, seemed no more than to be your TSR upgraded from the Hogue stock (that many people are not a fan of) to a McMillan M40A-1. Just add a third TSR and give it an extra letter (TSR XPH?) and offer it in the McMillan. Of course it will be more expensive than the other 2, but I believe people will love it because it saves them the hassel of replacing the Hogue stock (which it appears many do). The same could be applied to the SPR line. While the A3G would obviously be left alone, and I believe the entire appeal of the A5's are in fact the stock, you could simply expand the A1 line. Once agian, give it an extra letter (A1H, A1AH?) and offer both the 24 and 20 inch in either the standard big butted stock, or the M40A-1 (or whatever particular general purpose stocks the PSR's where in). If the price of the stock is a little more, raise MSRP on them, if they are cheaper, lower MSRP. The benefit here would be more selection for the customer, and for FN an appearance of having a fuller line, and all you guys have to do is slap the exact same rifles in a different stock from the same company you do business with anyway. No different name to mill on the side, no different promotions, no different owners manuel to make. Just like you can get the A1 with a 20 or 24 inch barrel, offer them in an A1 or M40 stock. No need to change anything at all with the barreled actions, just drop them in either stock #1 or #2 at the end of the assembly line. With the PSR line gone, my next rifle (once I can get an action) is going to be very much like #3 above. Essentially a PSR III with a 20 inch barrel. A short, handy, precision .308 with a "hunting" stock. That is of course, unless a factory FN option becomes available first