Genesis of the VHS: IM Metal Gets a FAMAS
This video explores the genesis of the VHS rifle, a project by IM Metal (later HS Produkt) that aimed to develop a new rifle for the Croatian Army. Influenced by French Foreign Legionnaires using the FAMAS during the Croatian Homeland War, IM Metal based their design on the FAMAS. They sought to lighten the rifle by removing the bipod and receiver extension, repositioning the charging handle, and creating a new upper handguard. Crucially, they replaced the lever-delayed action with a short-stroke gas piston system. The featured rifle is the original FAMAS prototype, representing the initial stages of this development, which would eventually lead to the VHS-1. The video highlights the FAMAS layout, ergonomics, and the transition to a gas piston system.














