FN Herstal

FN grew from the gunmakers of Liège in Belgium, who formed Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre in 1889.² The company took on the Belgian government's order for 150,000 Mauser rifles at its Herstal factory.¹ It assembled its first rifles on New Year's Eve 1891.¹ In 1896 FN diversified into bicycles, a business that led to its partnership with John Moses Browning.³

In 1897 FN's sales manager, Hart O. Berg, met Browning in Hartford, Connecticut, while investigating bicycle technology.⁴ Their manufacturing partnership began on 17 July that year.⁵ FN went on to acquire Browning in 1977.⁶ In June 2024 the parent group became FN Browning Group; it belongs to Wallonie Entreprendre, which the Walloon Region owns.^{7, 8}

FN's 2024 activity report lists Herstal and Zutendaal as its Belgian sites.⁹ The report places B25 production at the John Moses Browning Collection workshop in Herstal, including hand engraving to customers' requirements.¹⁰ Herstal also makes barrels for several Browning models and ships them to Browning Viana.¹⁰ The report dates Browning and Winchester firearm manufacture at Viana to 1973.¹¹

FN opened its Columbia plant in 1981 to support US military contracts and to reach the consumer market.¹² The 2024 report names the group's subsidiaries as FN Herstal, FN America, FN UK, Browning North America, Browning International and Browning Viana.¹³ The group also holds shares in Miroku.¹³ The report describes a sporting division that sells Browning and Winchester firearms; Olin owns Winchester and licenses the group to design, manufacture and market Winchester products.¹⁴