FN Browning Group has completed its purchase of Portsmouth rifle maker Accuracy International, making it the UK’s sole manufacturer of both military machine guns and rifles through Accuracy International and FN UK, according to the company.
Accuracy International, founded in Portsmouth in 1980, will continue to operate under its own name. The company says its rifles are trusted by military, law enforcement and sports shooters in more than 70 countries. The Belgium-based group employs 4,200 people and runs more than 20 industrial sites across nine NATO countries, and said the deal extends its portfolio into precision and extreme long-range rifle systems.
Julien Compère, chief executive of FN Browning Group, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Accuracy International and its teams to FN Browning Group. Our Group has always been built on industrial expertise, innovation and a long-term vision, and this acquisition is fully aligned with that approach. Our objective is clear: to preserve what makes Accuracy International unique while creating new opportunities and building on our respective strengths. This acquisition also deepens our long-term commitment to the United Kingdom, one of the strategic pillars of our industrial footprint, and reinforces our position as the sole UK-based manufacturer of machine guns and rifles.”
Tom Irwin, a director of Accuracy International, said: “Joining FN Browning Group opens an exciting new chapter for Accuracy International. We share the same commitment to engineering excellence, product quality and long-term investment. Becoming part of the Group provides us with additional resources, international reach and new opportunities for growth, while preserving the identity, values and expertise that have made Accuracy International a global benchmark in precision rifle systems.”
The group’s UK presence also includes FN UK, Eley Hawk and a shareholding in Sentinel Photonics. The UK Defence Journal reported the agreement in May, when it was subject to regulatory approvals and Accuracy International was expected to keep its engineering and manufacturing presence in the UK and US.
