FN FAL

The Fusil Automatique LÃ©ger (light automatic rifle) or FAL is a 7.62 Ã— 51 mm NATO self-loading, selective fire rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN) during the Cold War, and adopted by many NATO countries. It has also been adopted by many other nations for their armies as well as being a popular civilian rifle.

History

The FN FAL was originally designed to fire the 7.92 mm Kurz patrone (short cartridge) developed and used by the Germans during World War II (see StG44 assault rifle). With the adoption of the 7.62 Ã— 51 mm (.308 Winchester) caliber as the NATO standard, FN rebuilt their rifle for the new cartridge and created what is possibly the classic post-war battle rifle. Introduced by its designer Dieudonne Saive in 1951, and produced two years later, it has been described as the "right arm of the free world."

The FAL operates by means of a gas-operated action very similar to that of the American Browning Automatic Rifle. The gas system is driven by a short-stroke, spring-loaded piston housed above the barrel, and the locking mechanism is what is known as a tilting breechblock. To lock, it drops down into a solid shoulder of metal in the receiver like the bolts of the Russian SKS carbine and French MAS-49 series of semi-automatic rifles. The FAL's magazine capacity ranges from 5 to 30 rounds, with most magazines holding 20 rounds. Unlike some other tactical rifles (notably the Ruger Mini-14), reliable high-capacity magazines for the FN FAL are quite inexpensive.

The FAL battle rifle was countered in the Warsaw Pact by the AK-47, each being fielded by dozens of countries and produced in many of them. A few, such as Israel and South Africa, manufactured and issued both designs at various times. Unlike the Russian AK-47 assault rifle, the FAL utilized a full-power rifle cartridge. In the West, FAL's primary competitor was the German Heckler & Koch G3.

Despite using a full-power .30 cartridge, the FAL's recoil is relatively light. This is due mainly to this rifle's weight, but also to its gas-operated design. In full-automatic mode, however, the shooter receives considerable abuse from recoil.

Production and use

The FAL was made by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN) in Liege and under license in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, South Africa (where it was known as the R1), Brazil, Australia, Canada, Israel, Austria and Argentina. India manufactured FALs without license from FN. Mexico assembled FN-made components into complete rifles at its national arsenal in Mexico City. The FAL was also exported to many other countries, such as Venezuela, where a small arms industry produces some basically unchanged variants, as well as ammunition. By modern standards, one disadvantage of the FAL is the amount of work which goes into machining the complex shaped bolt and bolt carrier. The FAL's receiver is also usually machined, whilst most other modern military rifles use quicker stamping or casting techniques. Modern FALs have many improvements over those produced by FN and others in the mid-20th-century (for comparison, see a photo of a modern Para-style FAL).

While no production numbers are known, it is estimated that FAL production (in all of its variants) has exceeded 1,000,000 units.

Argentina

The Argentine Armed Forces officially adopted the FN FAL in 1955, but the first FN made examples did not arrive in Argentina until the autumn of 1958. Subsequently, in 1960, licensed production of FALs began and continued until the mid to late 1990s, when production ceased.

Argentine FALs were produced by the government owned arsenal FM (Fabricaciones Militares)at the Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles "Domingo Matheu" (FMAP "DM")in Rosario. The acronym "FAL" was kept, its translation being "Fusil Automatico Liviano", (Light Automatic Rifle). Production weapons included "Standard" and "Para" (folding buttstock) versions. Military rifles were produced with the full auto fire option. The rifles were usually known as the FM FAL, for the "Fabricaciones Militares" brand name. (FN and FM have a long standing licensing and manufacturing agreement.) A heavy barrel version, known as the FAP (Fusil Automatico Pesado, or heavy automatic rifle) was also produced for the armed forces, to be used as a squad automatic weapon.

A FAL offspring chambering the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge was developed in the early 1980s; it was dubbed the FARA (Fusil Automatico Republica Argentina). The design borrowed features from the FAL such as the gas system and folding stock. It seems to have been also influenced to some degree by other Western rifles (the Beretta AR70/223, M16, and the Galil). An estimated quantity of between 2,500 and 3,000 examples were produced for field testing, but military spending cuts killed the project in the mid 1980s.

There was also a semi-automaticâ€"only version, the FSL, intended for the civilian market. Legislation changes in 1995 (namely, the enactment of Presidential Decree NÂº 64/95) imposed a de facto ban on "semi-automatic assault weapons". Today, it can take up to two years to obtain a permit for the ownership of an FSL. The FSL was offered with full or folding stocks, plastic furniture and orthoptic sights.

Argentine FALs saw action during the Falklands/South Atlantic War, and in different peacekeeping operations such as in Cyprus and the former Yugoslavia. Rosario made FALs are known to have been exported to Bolivia (in 1971), Colombia, Croatia (during the wars in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s), Honduras, Nigeria (this is unconfirmed, most Nigerian FALs are from FN in Belgium or are British made L1A1s), Peru, and Uruguay (which reportedly took delivery of some Brazilian IMBEL made FALs as well).

The Argentine Marine Corps, a branch of the Argentine Navy, has replaced the FN/FM FAL in front line units, adopting the U.S. M16A2. The Argentine Army has expressed its desire to acquire at least 1,500 new rifles chambered for the 5.56 Ã— 45 mm NATO SS109/U.S. M855 (.223 Remington) cartridge, to be used primarily by its peacekeeping troops on overseas deployments.

Australia

The Australian Army used the British L1A1 SLR (Imperial) until it was supplanted by the Steyr AUG in the 1990s. The Australians also operated an automatic rifle variant, similar to the FN FAL 50.41/42, but with a larger bipod and no handguard, under the designation L2A1. Also developed for these rifles were 30 round magazines, essentially converted from magazines used in the L4 machine gun.

Many Australian soldiers used the rifle during the Vietnam War despite its unsuitability for close jungle combat. In fact, many Australian soldiers preferred the larger caliber weapon over the American M16 simply because they could trust the 7.62 Ã— 51 mm round to kill an enemy soldier outright. By contrast, the 5.56 Ã— 45 mm NATO round fired by the M16 could not always be relied upon â€" especially when firing over longer ranges. Australian jungle warfare tactics during the Vietnam War, which were far more conservative than those employed by U.S. troops, were determined in part by both the strengths and limitations of the SLR. Because of financial constraints, soldiers were not allowed to discard empty magazines â€" they had to refill them when given the opportunity.

Another interesting product of Australian participation in the conflict in South East Asia was the field modification of L1A1 and L2A1 rifles by the SASR for better handling. Nicknamed "The Bitch", these rifles were field modified, often from heavy barreled L2A1 automatic rifles, with their barrels chopped off immediately in front of the gas block. Those converted from L1A1 rifles had a field expedient sear or other "foreign object" installed to allow the rifle to function in full-auto. These rifles were also often fitted with XM148 40 mm grenade launchers obtained from U.S. forces.

Austria

The Austrian Army used a variant of the FAL under the designation Sturmgewehr 58 (Stg. 58) until it was replaced with the Steyr AUG. Produced locally by Steyr Mannlicher, the Stg. 58 was outwardly similar to the German G1, among others, featuring the same slimmer horizontally-ribbed handguard, and a similar flash hider.

Brazil

Brazil took delivery of a small quantity of FN made FALs for evaluation as early as 1954. Troop field testing was performed with FN made FALs between 1958 and 1962. Then, in 1964, Brazil officially adopted the rifle, designating the rifle M964 for 1964. Licensed production started shortly thereafter at the IndÃºstria de Material BÃ©lico do Brasil, or IMBEL, in ItajubÃ¡ in the state of Minas Gerais. The folding stock version was designated M969A1. By the late 1980s/ early 1990s, IMBEL had manufactured some 200,000 M964 rifles. Brazilian made FALs are characterized by their simple, unmilled receivers, a feature which simplifies production and lowers cost. Early FN made FALs for Brazil are typical FN 1964 models with Type 1 or Type 2 receivers, plastic stock, handguard, and pistol grip, 22mm cylindrical flashhider for grenade launching, and plastic model "D" carrying handle. Brazilian made FALs are thought to have been exported to Uruguay.

Main article: IMBEL MD2

Brazil also makes its own FAL variants, known as the MD-2 and MD-3 assault rifles, manufactured by IMBEL. The first prototype, the MD-1, came out around 1983. In 1985, the MD-2 was presented and adopted by the Brazilian Armed Forces. The MD-2/MD-3 is still very similar to the FAL, minor changes include a change in the locking system, which was replaced by an M16-type rotating bolt, and different chambering, for use with the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge. The MD-2 and MD-3 use M16-compatible magazines, but both versions differ from each other in the buttstock. The MD-2 features a side-folding stock, the MD-3 uses the same fixed polymer stock of the FAL.

IMBEL produced a semi-automatic version of the FAL for the Springfield Armory, which was marketed in the US as the SAR-48, starting in the mid-1980s.

IMBEL made receivers have been much in demand among American gunsmiths building FALs from "parts kits."

Canada

The Canadian Forces operated a number of versions, the most common being the FN C1A1, similar to the British L1A1 (which became more or less a Commonwealth standard), under license by the Canadian Arsenal Limited company. Canada was the first country to use the FN. The C1 and C1A1 used a folding disk rear sight with ranges from 200 to 600m. It served as Canada's standard battle rifle from the early 1950s to 1984, when it began to be phased out in favor of the lighter Diemaco C7. The Canadians also operated an automatic variant as a section support weapon, similar to the FN FAL 50.41/42, but with a larger bipod and no handguard, under the designation FN C2A1. Variants of the initial FN C1 and the product improved C1A1 were also made for the Royal Canadian Navy, which was capable of automatic fire, under the designations C1D and C1A1D.

Germany

The first German FALs were from an order placed in late 1955/early 1956, for several thousand FN FAL so-called "Canada" models with wood furniture and the prong flashhider. These weapons were intended for the Bundesgrenzschutz (border guard) and not the nascent Bundeswehr (army), which at the time used M1 Garands and M1/M2 carbines. In November 1956, however, West Germany ordered 100,000 additional FALs, designated the G1, for the army. FN made the rifles between April 1957 and May 1958. G1s served in the West German Bundeswehr for a relatively short time in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before they were shunted aside following the adoption of the Spanish CETME Modelo 58 rifle in 1959 (which was extensively reworked into the G3 by Heckler and Koch). The G1 featured a pressed metal handguard identical to the ones later used on the Austrian Stg. 58, as well as the Dutch and Greek FALs, this being slightly slimmer than the standard wood or plastic handguards, and featuring horizontal lines running almost their entire length. G1s were also fitted with a unique removable prong flash hider, adding another external distinction. The main reason for the replacement of the G1 in Germany centered around existing bitterness stemming from World War II and the refusal of the Belgians to grant a license for production of the weapon in Germany. Many G1 FALs were passed on to Turkey after their withdrawal from German service. Incidentally, there is a photograph of an Angolan UNITA rebel taken during the mid 1970s who is armed with a G1. How a G1 ended up in Angola can only be guessed, but it is possible that a quantity was floating around on the international arms market at the time and UNITA snapped them up. It is also possible that Portugal, the former colonial master in the country, acquired some to supplement their own standard Mo.961 FALs, and left some of them behind when they granted Angola its independence in 1975.

India

Designated the 1A SLR (Self Loading Rifle), Indian made FALs were roughly based on the British L1A1, but the measurements match neither the FN nor the British made weapons. The 1A SLR, officially adopted by India in 1962, was an unlicensed version of the FAL, and this caused some difficulties with FN, as India refused to properly license its manufacture. It has been the mainstay rifle of the Indian Army for almost 45 years, and first saw combat use during the 1965 war with Pakistan. The variant manufactured in India is restricted to semi-automatic fire. It continues to be used as a front-line weapon, but has been supplemented in many units by AK series weapons acquired from Romania, Russia, Hungary, and reportedly Israel. Its intended replacement, the indigenously designed 5.56 x 45mm FAL/AK based assault rifle called the INSAS, has had serious teething problems and production delays, forcing the Indian Army to continue to use the 1A SLR. The INSAS is part of a family of rifles, carbines and light machine guns. Indian 1A SLRs have been provided to Bangladesh and Nepal.

Israel

After the War of Independence (1948), the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had to overcome several logistical problems (the supply of ammunition, repairs, spare parts and so on),which were a result of the wide variety of old firearms that were in service. In 1955 the IDF adopted the IMI-produced Uzi submachine gun. The Uzi was a superb automatic weapon, but it had one major drawback: its short range. In order to compensate for that, the IDF decided in the same year to adopt the FN FAL as its standard-issue infantry rifle, under the name Romat (×¨×•×ž"×˜), an abbreviation of "self-loading rifle". The FN FALs ordered by the IDF were mostly semi-automatic and chambered for 7.62 mm NATO ammunition. They were effective up to a range of 730 meters as well. Thus, the IDF standard infantry weapons during the mid-fifties were a combination of the FAL, the Uzi, the Mauser Kar. 98K (which was still very common as a front line weapon), and M1 Carbine (some of these were used as sniper rifles), the FN Model D Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), the .30 cal. Browning M1919A4 machine gun (including some FN made guns), the .50 cal. Browning M2HB.

The FN FAL first saw action in relatively small quantities during the Suez Crisis of 1956, and by the Six-Day War in June 1967, it was the standard Israeli rifle. During the Yom Kippur War of October 1973 it was still in front-line service as the standard Israeli rifle, but over the preceding years had received some unfavorable reviews from the soldiers who used it. Its alleged main shortcomings were its inability to fire fully-automatically (many Israeli FALs, however, did have full auto capability) and, although extremely well made, a lack of reliability in harsh desert conditions. The rifle was sensitive to fine dust and sand, and as a result performed poorly, often malfunctioning. The rifle was just starting to be replaced with the 5.56 x 45mm IMI Galil (the first ones were issued in May 1973), when the October 1973 war broke out. Israeli soldiers frequently substituted their FALs with American emergency-aid M16A1s and captured AK-47/AKM assault rifles that were taken from dead and captured Arab soldiers. The Galil saw limited action in October 1973, and proved itself highly durable and reliable in the desert conditions of the Sinai Peninsula and the muddy Golan Heights.

The FN FAL was officially superseded in 1975, and was replaced by the IMI Galil as the IDF standard issue weapon. It continued in service for a few years in the reserves.

The Netherlands

The Royal Netherlands Army adopted the Belgian rifle with bipod but without full-automatic capability in 1961. They had unique sights (hooded at the front) and the German style front handguard. Some were fitted with night vision devices and there were sniper versions as well, and the heavy-barrel FAL 50.42 version was also adopted later as a squad automatic weapon. This rifle was replaced in the 1990s by the Diemaco C7.

New Zealand

Unlike the Army, which uses the U.S. made M16 Assault Rifle, the Royal New Zealand Air Force continues to use the FN FAL, though under the name 7.62mm SLR (for Self Loading Rifle). The Instructors at the RNZAF's General Service Training School (recruit training unit) deride the plastic-stocked M16 for its 'Micky Mouse' look and its higher velocity bullet which tends to do less damage to its target on impact. The majority of RNZAF SLR's are equipped with lightweight barrels, and thus have the automatic selector deactivated so that it can only fire semi-automatically.

South Africa

The South African military used three variants of the FAL: a rifle under the Commonwealth pattern with the designation R1, a "lightweight" variant of the FN FAL 50.64 fabricated locally under the designation R2, and a model designed for police use not capable of automatic fire under the designation R3. The R2 was built by Lyttelton Engineering Works, Armaments Development and Production Corporation of South Africa (LEW, ARMSCOR). ARMSCOR was the South African state arms manufacturers, until it was privatized and broken down into many smaller companies in the post-Aparthied Era. The R1 rifle in South African service had been superseded around the mid 1980s with the locally built R4 assault rifle, a license-built copy of the Israeli Galil.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom adopted its own variant of the FAL in 1957 as the L1A1 SLR (Self-Loading Rifle). It was manufactured using Imperial measurements and minor changes were incorporated, including a folding cocking handle, a prong-shaped flash suppressor, a folding rear sight, sand removing grooves in the slide, and a strengthened magazine catch. The UK variant, and many others, is semi-automatic only, while the original Belgian version and other metric variants are selective fire. Most parts on the British "inch" version are not interchangeable with those built on a metric pattern. The L1A1 was replaced in the mid 1980s by the Enfield SA80 L85A1.

United States

The USA had tested the FAL, manufactured by Harrington & Richardson (H&R), as the T48 in the mid 1950s, but chose to adopt its competitor, the T44, which became the M14 rifle, a heavily modified version of the earlier M1 Garand. The US interest in the FAL is one of the primary reasons why the weapon was rechambered in 7.62 Ã— 51 mm NATO over the intermediate cartridges originally tested by FN (the other reason being the standardization of the round throughout NATO, until the advent of the Armalite series of rifles in the 1960s). The United States also received some FAL HBARs (either 50.41 or pre-50.41) for testing, under the designation T48E1. American unconventional forces often chose the FAL for use.

The SA58 series, an American commercial derivative, is currently manufactured by DS Arms in Illinois. DS Arms makes a wide range of clones, including weapons patterned from the Austrian Stg. 58 and the H&R T48, and is the only manufacturer in the United States making complete FALs.

During the late 1980's and 1990's, many countries decommissioned the FAL from their armouries and sold them en masse to United States importers as surplus. The rifles were imported to the United States as fully-automatic machine guns. Once in the U.S., the FAL's were "de-milled" (upper receiver destroyed) to eliminate the rifles' character as a machine gun. Thousands of the resulting "parts kits" were sold at generally low prices ($90 - $250) to hobbyists. The hobbyists rebuilt the parts kits to legal and functional semi-automatic rifles on new semi-automatic upper receivers. These amateur "gunsmiths" are known to internet discussion groups as members of WECSOG (Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithin'). A reference to the amusing and haphazard mechanical skills of the cartoon character.

Gary Jeter established and popularized the WECSOG acronym in the year 2000 in various technical and lighthearted internet posts on the topic of assembly of FAL parts kits. The amusing concept of "WECSOG" spread rapidly in the United States, as members of various internet discussion groups shared information online about FAL history, construction, assembly techniques, and parts sources. WECSOG has evolved from an inside joke among FAL hobbyists to a widely observed internet reference to amateur gunsmithing of all sorts.

Variants

FAL 50.41 & 50.42

*Also known as FALO;
*Heavy barrel for sustained fire with 30-round magazine as a squad automatic weapon;
*Known in Canada as the C2A1, it was their primary squad automatic weapon until it was phased out during the 1980s in favor of the C9, which has better accuracy and better ammunition capacity than the C2;
*Known to the Australian Army as the L2A1, it was replaced by the FN Minimi;
*The 50.41 is fitted with a plastic buttstock, while the 50.42's buttstock is made from wood.

FAL 50.61

*Folding-stock, standard barrel length

FAL 50.63

*Folding-stock, shorter-barrel paratrooper version;
*Two variants with differing barrel lengths: 458 mm versus 436 mm. The shorter version was requested by Belgian paratroopers. This allowed the folded-stock rifle to fit through the doorway of their C-119 Flying Boxcar when worn horizontally across the chest.

FAL 50.64

*Folding-stock, standard barrel length, 'Hiduminium' aluminum alloy lower receiver

FN FAL: Encyclopedia BETA

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