Iconic Arctic Warfare manufacturer Accuracy International joins FN Browning Group
Whether you know it from “Counter-Strike” as the AWP or “Call of Duty: Black Ops” as the L96A1, Accuracy International’s iconic bolt-action sniper rifle has been widely fielded by police and military forces around the world for over three decades. In a move that signals how far the company has come, AI has joined the FN Browning Group.
In 1978, AI was founded by a group that included British Olympic shooters. After the 1982 Falklands War, the British Army sought a replacement for its Lee-Enfield-based L42A1 sniper rifle. Following a strenuous selection process, AI beat out established manufacturers including Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer, and Remington with its Precision Marksman rifle. Entering British Army service in 1984, the PM was designated the L96A1.
Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, the PM could achieve 0.5 MOA ten-shot groups with 168-grain ammo at 100 yards. The PM was so accurate that it was capable of a first-shot hit with a cold, warm, or even a fouled barrel.
Following its success with the British Army, AI upgraded the PM for Swedish military service. Called the Arctic Warfare, the rifle was optimized for high performance in cold weather and maintained its accuracy at temperatures as low as −40 °F. Along with enlarged controls and a reinforced stock, the AW was adopted by the British Army as the L115.
Though it started in a British garden shed, AI has gone on to supply precision rifles to customers around the world, including U.S. Special Operations Command. With its accession to the FN Browning Group, AI joins legendary manufacturers like FN Herstal, Browning Arms, and Winchester.
“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,” FN Browning Group CEO Julien Compère said in a company press release.
“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.”
FN and AI announced the strategic acquisition agreement in May 2026 and noted that AI would “continue to operate under its own brand, its engineering culture and its UK and US manufacturing bases.”
“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,” AI Director Tom Irwin said in the FN release. “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.”
In the United States, AI is officially distributed by Eurooptic and Mile High Shooting.
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