FN FAL
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| Image:FN FAL.jpg | |
| FN FAL | |
|---|---|
| Type | Battle rifle |
| Nation(s) of Origin | Belgium |
| Era | Post World War II |
| History | |
| Date of design | |
| Production period | 1953 to present |
| Service duration | |
| Operators | (see text) |
| War service | |
| Variants | |
| Number built | |
| Specifications | |
| Type | Battle rifle |
| Caliber | 7.62 mm |
| Barrel length | 533 mm |
| Ammunition | 7.62 x 51 mm NATO |
| Magazine | 20-round detachable box |
| Action | Gas-operated, tilting breechblock |
| Length | 1090 mm |
| Weight | 4.45 kg |
| Rate of fire | 650 rounds/min (full auto) |
| Muzzle velocity | 823 m/s (2700 ft/s) |
| Effective range | 600 m |
The FN Fusil Automatique Leger (light automatic rifle) is a 7.62 mm caliber self-loading firearm 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 been a popular civilian rifle.
Contents |
History
The FN FAL was originally designed to fire the 7.92mm 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 x 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 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 firearm 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 bolt, as to lock, it hinges down into a solid shoulder of metal in the receiver like the bolts of the Russian SKS carbine and French MAS-49 series of semiautomatic rifles. FAL magazine capacity ranges from 5-30 rounds, with most magazines holding 20 rounds.
The FAL battle rifle was NATO's answer to the AK-47, in terms of the sheer number of countries that adopted it (over 70). Unlike the Russian AK-47 assault rifle, the FAL utilized a full-power rifle cartridge.
Despite using a full-power .30 cartridge, the FAL's recoil is light. This is a function mainly of this rifle's weight, but also somewhat of its gas-operated design.
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.
Argentina
The Argentine Armed Forces adopted the Belgian FAL in the early 1960s, and eventually ended up producing it locally, until the mid to late 1990s, where production stopped.
Argentine FALs were produced at the Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles "Domingo Matheu" (FMAP "DM"). The acronym "FAL" was kept, its translation being "Fusil Automatico Liviano", Light Automatic Rifle) Production variantes included "standard" and "para" (folding stock) rifles. Military rifles were produced with the full auto fire option. Rifles were usually known as FM FAL, for the "Fabricaciones Militares" brand name. 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 round was developed in the early 1980's; it was dubbed the FARA (Fusil Automatico Republica Argentina). The design borrowed both features from the FAL (Gas system, folding stock) as from other western rifles (AR70, M16, etc.). Only 150 examples were produced for testing, but military spending cuts killed the project in the mid 1980's.
There was also a semi-auto only version , the FSL, intended for the civilian market. Legislation changes in 1995 (namely, the enactment of Presidential Decree Nº 64/95) imposed a de facto ban on "semiautomatic assault weapons". Today, it can take up to two years to obtain a pemit for the ownership of an FSL. FSL was offered with full or folding stocks, plastic furniture and orthoptic sights.
Argentine FALs saw action in the South Atlantic War and in different peacekeeping operations (Cyprus, Croatia, etc.).
The Argentine Marine Corps, a branch of the Argentine Navy, has replaced the FN/FM FAL in front line units, adopting the US Made M16A2. The Argentine Army has expressed its desire to acquire at least 1500 new rifles chambered for the .223 Remington (5.56 x 45 mm NATO SS109/ US M855), to be used with its peacekeeping troops.
While no production numbers are known, it is estimated that FAL production (in all of its variants) has exceeded 120,000 units.
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.
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 calibre weapon over the American M-16 simply because they could trust the 7.62 x 51 mm round to kill an enemy soldier outright. By contrast, the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round fired by the M-16 could not always be relied upon - especially when firing over longer ranges. Australian jungle warfare tactics during the Vietnam War, which were far more conservative than those employed by US troops, were determined in part by both the strengths and limitations of the SLR. Because of financial constraints, soldiers were forbidden to discard empty magazines - which they refilled when given the opportunity.
Another interesting product of Australian particiaption in the conflict in South East Asia was the field modification of L1A1 and L2A1 rifles by the SASR for better handling in the enviorment. Nicknamed "The Bitch," these rifles were field modified, often from heavy barreled L2A1 automatic rifles, with their barrels chopped off right after 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 US 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, 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 makes its own FAL variants, known as the MD-2 assault rifle, manufactured by the Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (Brazilian War Supply Industry), IMBEL. The first prototype, the MD-1 came out around 1983, and in 1985, the MD-2 was presented and adopted by the Brazilian military. The MD-2 is still very similar to the FAL, with minor changes, which include a change in the locking system, which was replaced by an M16 style system. The MD-2 uses all M16 compatible magazines.
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). The Canadian variant 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, capable of automatic fire, under the designations C1D and C1A1D.
Germany
A number of FALs were made for West Germany and designated the G1 before the adoption of the G-3 series of battle rifles, based upon the Spanish CETME battle rifle. G1's featured a handgaurd dissimilar to the standard models, being slightly slimmer and featuring horizonal lines running their entire length. Also, the G1's were fitted with a model specific 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.
Israel
After the Israeli War of Independence, the Israeli Defence Forces had to account for the hard logistic problems which results from the wide variety of old firearms that were in service. The IDF decided to adopt a standard issued firearm for the combat soldiers, in order to make ease of logistic maintainance (repairs, ammunitation, spare parts etc). 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 compenstate for that the IDF decided to adopt the FN FAL as standard issued infantry rifle, under the name "Romat" (רומ"ט), an abbervation of "self-loading rifle". The FN FAL the IDF ordered were semi-automatic and chambered for 7.62 mm NATO ammunition. They were capable of 730 meters shooting as well. Thus, the IDF standard infantry weapons during the mid-fifties were a commbanition of FN FAL, Uzi, BAR machinegun, Browning 0.3, Browning 0.5 and the Mauser K98 and M1 Carbine as sniper rifles.
The FN FAL saw action in the Suez War (1956), Six Day War (1967) and Yom Kippur War (1973) but recieved unfavorable reviews by the soldiers who use it. Its main shortage was the inability to carry out full automatic fire and its lack of durability to harsh desert condition. The rifle performed poorly in sandy enviorment as sand or mud cause it to jam rapidly. The rifle was being replaced during the later stages of the Yom Kippur War when Israeli soldiers replaced for American emergency aid M-16 rifles, and AK-47 assult rifles that were taken from dead and captured Arab soldiers. The Israeli IMI Galil also saw limited action and prove itself highly durable and reliable in the harsh desert conditions of the Sinai and the muddy Golan Heights.
The FN FAL were officialy abandonded in 1975, and were replaced by the IMI Galil as the IDF standard issued weapon.
South Africa
The South African military used three variants of the FAL, a rifle under the Commonwealth pattern under the designation R1, a lightweight variant fabricated locally under the designation R2, and what was essentially a copy of the FAL 50.63 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 armory, until it was privatized and broken down into many smaller companies in the post-Apartied Era. The R1 rifle in South African service had been superseded around mid 1980s with the locally built R4 assault rifle, a license-built copy of the Israeli Galil which Israel had replaced their FALs with around 1975.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom adopted its own variant of the FAL in 1957 as the L1A1 SLR ( Self-Loading Rifle). . It was manufactured in Imperial measurements and minor changes were incorporated including folding a cocking handle, prong shaped flash eliminator, folding rear sight, sand removing cuts in the slide, and 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 early 1980s by the Enfield SA80.
United States
The USA had tested the FAL as the T48 in the late 1950s, but chose to adopt its competitor, the T44, which became the M14 rifle, a heavily modified version of the earlier M1 Garand rifle. The US interest in the FAL is one of the primary reasons why the weapon was rechambered in 7.62 x 51 mm NATO over the intermediate cartridges originally tested by FN. The United States also received some FAL HBARs (either 50.41 or pre-50.41) for test, under the designation T48E1.
Variants
FAL 50.41 & 50.42
- Also known as FALO
- Heavy barrel for sustained fire with 30 round magazine Squad Automatic Weapon (Light machine gun)
- Used by Canada as the C2A1 as their primary squad automatic weapon until it was phased out during the 1980s in favor of the C9, which has a better accuracy and better ammunition capacity than the C2.
- Used by the Australian Army as the L2A1 until 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
FAL based rifles
India
India manufactures its own FAL-AK 47 based assault rifle, called the INSAS, which is part of an arms family of rifles, carbines and LMGs.
External links
- Additional information, including pictures at Modern Firearms
- Remtek - FN FAL Info
- Nazarian`s Gun Recognition Guide
- The FAL Files
- FAL Gallery
