At Milipol 2025 FN Herstal Debuts Winchester SX4 Shotgun as New Anti-Drone Solution.

Belgium’s FN Herstal has introduced a military configured Winchester SX4 shotgun at Milipol 2025 in Paris, positioning the semi-automatic platform as a close-range counter-drone solution. The debut signals growing demand for simple, affordable tools that can counter low-cost aerial threats in dense urban environments.

FN Herstal used this year’s Milipol security exhibition to quietly roll out a specialized version of the Winchester SX4, a shotgun long associated with hunting and sport shooting inside the FN Browning Group. According to information shared with Army Recognition at the event, the company has adapted the SX4 for close-in counter-unmanned aerial system operations, adding a military-focused configuration that could be issued to select units tasked with stopping commercial quadcopters and similar drones during urban security missions. Company representatives at the show described the design as a low-footprint option meant to complement electronic jamming and short-range interceptors.
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The FN Herstal SX4™ semi-automatic shotgun in its tactical configuration on display at Milipol 2025, optimized for short-range counter-drone operations with red dot optic compatibility and mission-adapted ammunition. (Picture source Copyright: Army Recognition Group)

This unveiling marks the first official presentation of the SX4 in a security role, indicating its potential fielding by specialized urban counter-UAS units and directly responding to increasing operational demands.

The rise of small, inexpensive drones has dramatically shifted the threat landscape for both military and internal security forces. These compact aerial systems are now being weaponized or used for persistent surveillance, allowing non-state actors, insurgent groups, and even lone individuals to bypass traditional defenses. Drones equipped with improvised explosives or high-resolution cameras have been spotted hovering over convoys, forward operating bases, and critical infrastructure across conflict zones. Unlike traditional air threats, these drones are often too small for radar systems to track effectively and too low-flying for traditional air defense missiles to intercept economically or accurately.

This new layer of threat has created a major gap in defense capabilities for dismounted units and fixed-site security teams. High-end counter-drone technologies such as directed energy systems, RF jammers, or integrated radar arrays are often costly, complex, and not viable for mobile forces or urban deployments. In contrast, using shotguns offers a practical, immediate solution. When combined with specialized ammunition, a semi-automatic shotgun provides direct kinetic engagement against drones at short range, giving soldiers or security personnel a last-line defense that is cost-effective, fast-reacting, and easily trainable.

What differentiates the SX4 Tactical from conventional shotguns is its tailored design for operational reliability in combat environments. It is chambered in 12-gauge 76mm (3-inch Magnum), delivering significant firepower with rapid follow-up shots. The gas-operated ‘Active Valve’ piston system self-adjusts based on ammunition pressure, allowing operators to use a wide range of loads from standard buckshot to specialized anti-drone frangible shells without compromising cycling reliability. This adaptability is crucial in the C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System) environment, where ammo flexibility directly translates into mission effectiveness.

The military-grade SX4 Tactical features a 470mm hard-chromed barrel with Back-Bored™ technology for tighter shot grouping, ideal for hitting fast-moving aerial targets. FN has coated the platform in a tough Cerakote® finish, available in Flat Dark Earth or black, to endure harsh operational environments. A polymer stock with a 32mm Inflex II recoil pad enhances control during sustained fire.

The SX4 military model also includes a reinforced polymer stock for added durability in field conditions, a factory-mounted Picatinny rail compatible with red-dot optics, and ammunition optimized for drone disruption. Operators can engage airborne threats effectively within a range of approximately 30 to 70 meters, a zone that typically represents the final engagement window after initial detection by acoustic sensors, optical trackers, or RF triangulation tools. This short-range lethality ensures that drones that evade earlier detection layers can still be neutralized before they deliver payloads or collect actionable intelligence.

From a tactical standpoint, the inclusion of ghost ring sights and the optical rail ensures compatibility with modern targeting systems, essential for fast acquisition against erratic drone movement. The platform is lightweight at around 3 kilograms unloaded and, with a 4+1-round standard capacity, expandable via optional +4 or +6 extensions, delivers sustained suppressive potential at close range.

Though originally developed under the Browning sporting heritage, the SX4’s integration into FN Herstal’s military product line highlights the manufacturer’s strategic use of internal synergies within the global FN Browning Group. Sources within FN confirm that the tactical variant was accelerated through development in direct response to requests from NATO-aligned forces operating in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, where drone incursions are now a daily battlefield reality. While FN Herstal did not disclose specific procurement contracts or user nations at Milipol, its presentation strongly suggests operational use in field trials by European forces. Any potential future adoption by U.S. units remains speculative at this stage, but would align logically with known mission profiles and current dismounted C-UAS requirements across infantry and special operations formations.

FN Herstal’s quiet repurposing of a civilian shotgun into a frontline anti-drone tool underscores a broader industry shift. In an era of cheap UAV proliferation, traditional firearms, when thoughtfully adapted, can serve as the final defensive layer in a multi-tiered C-UAS strategy. While electronic warfare and directed-energy systems dominate headlines, platforms like the SX4 Tactical are already proving decisive in contested zones, especially for foot patrols and perimeter defense.

As drone threats grow in scale and sophistication, FN Herstal's SX4 Tactical may serve as a crucial stopgap measure. It combines affordability, simplicity, and deadly effectiveness in a single platform. With deployment already underway in select units, its performance in the coming months will offer valuable insights into how legacy weapon platforms can be reengineered for future battlefields.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.