TUTORIAL: FS2000 Standard to Tactical Conversion.

[artranscience]

Ok, here goes. I tried to take a lot of pictures throughout the process, but, as you will see, as I got further into the process I focused more on cutting and sanding than I did on documenting. I didn't take any pictures of reassembly either but it is rather obvious by that point and I will do my best to explain it. The important parts are here.

First things first: you need to acquire the picatinny rail/ejection port tube housing piece from a tactical model. There are people on this board who can facilitate that. Don't call Browining - they want over $700 for the parts. It cost me a bit over $400. Pricey, yes. Worth it? Well, to me, it was, especially since I got to turn the weapon into a project and make this tutorial.

Next, you need to understand that you will be cutting, dremeling, sanding, and otherwise modifying the upper receiver of your rifle. This was extremely scary, to say the least. I did this with an old, bent, worn out hand saw and a cordless dremel. It was not an optimal situation, but I was a jarhead in a past life so I am used to making do with sub-par equipment. All in all it worked out. There are a few edges here and there I still might clean up later, but it is 100% serviceable right now and, IMHO, looks great. If you know what you are looking for you can easily tell that this is not a tactical model FS2000, but it fits the spirit of the tactical model. It is, for all intents and purposes, functionally equivalent to the tactical model (ignoring the fact that I don't have the factory tactical iron sights on here).

Warning: this post is a work in progress and I will be editing it for clarification/misspelling/other issues.

Here is the finished product, after I remembered the sling attachment point:



And here is the tutorial:

Separate the upper receiver from the body.


First, remove the sling swivel.




Next, begin removing the 2mm screws - don't lose them.


Continue removing the screws.


More screws. There are 6 total. 4 of them are the same length, 1 on the bottom is longer, and 1 on the bottom is shorter.


More screws. This is the short one.


Final 3 screws. The long one is on the far left.


All screws removed and relative to their positions.


Peel the polymer housing apart.


Continue removing the polymer frame.


Remove the barrel and rail/ejection tube group completely from the polymer frame. It might be a bit sticky but it just pulls out. A barrel support plate and the rail/ejection tube group will be sort of slotted in there.


The rail/ejection tube group slides off of the rear of the barrel.


Pop the rail and barrel apart completely.


More angles of the parts separated.


Again, the parts separated. The rail group is what we are swapping out.


Ok, now these nasty little crenelations are going to have to go. They get in the way of the much larger tactical rail group. Dremel time.


A few of the crenelations dremeled away.


The other half of the frame. Dremel these too.


Again, a few of the crenelations dremeled away.


Crenelations gone. You also have to dremel the sides a bit too to get the new rail to fully seat. It is a tiny bit wider than the frame for the standard.


Ok, now we have to get rid of some plastic. The space where the optics cover release button sits has to go. I cut it off entirely, in line with the plastic leading up to the sling swivel attachment point in the front. I forgot at the time, but you actually want to dremel it in a bit just behind the front attachment point for the sling, too, IF you have the tactical model sling attachment point.


First I tried sawing a bit off to gauge how much space I needed. Again, I ended up deciding to just cut in a straight line.


Completely sawed off, before sanding.


Sanding bit for the cordless dremel.


Sanding off where the crenelations were. This doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be smooth. The tactical rail group will cover this up.


More sanding and dremeling. At this point, just reassemble the rifle with the tactical rail vice the standard rail. It may be a pain to slide into the top portions of the polymer frame, but with enough sanding and pushing it will go in. If a little elbow grease doesn't get it in, you need to sand more. Don't force it.


Finished product, more or less. This is before I remembered to take it apart and put the sling attachment point on.


Ditto.

[SgtStrykerUSMC43]

I knew you could do it.

[tqtran]

Does everyone else see Java Script code too????

[artranscience]

Javascript was just there while I was editing. Fixed now.

[Armourall]

Excellent pics and description....will I do it....probably not as living in Canada makes it hard to fix things that "break". Parts are non-existent up here.

[dubcee]

:P

I am so tempted.......

[Young Guns]

big congrats man. looks great. +1 rep.

Semper Fi!

[SgtStrykerUSMC43]

:P

I am so tempted.......

You can forgo the Dremel work and cutting, but it will cost an extra $200.00 for the factory barrel support side panels.

[capice2003]

Hey we got te same setup all the way down to te devil dog part lol I got an Osprey FDE for my FNP and so far stocked Fs2000. I'm thinking about getting that ACOG ECOS for the Fs2k.

[sbkarmen]

Man I so want to do this, but in a weird way I like the Alien Vagina look too. Man I don't know which way to go! I think the only way to take care of this problem is to have both of them! lol

Looks good man and thanks for the tutorial, been wondering if this was even possible to do and look so clean.