FN FAL

The FN FAL is a 7.62 mm assault rifle, which is still in service with some armies in the Western Hemisphere. It was developed and manufactured by the Belgian State-run Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, in 1953. It was NATO’s first modern assault rifle as it was introduced into active service by Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom in the 1950s. South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Israel, and Brazil would also incorporate the Fusil Automatique Léger, which are the French words for Light Automatic Rifle (LAR). The German version was called the Sturmgewehr 58. To comply with this new NATO’s standard rifle caliber, the 7.62mm, the United States of America would develop the M14.

Technical Characteristics

The FN FAL is a gas-operated automatic rifle. This operation system for reloading and ejection of empty casings is simple and straightforward. It utilizes the gas from the ignition to drive the recoiling of the bolt and carrier. The gas is fed from the barrel into the gas cylinder through a regulator, which can be turned around to increase or decrease the amount of gas sucked out into the cylinder. Then the gas pressure pushes the cylinder piston backwards, which in turn shoves the bolt-containing carrier rearwards freely for about 8 cm, opening the ejection port and allowing the empty cartridge case to be ejected as a new round is loaded into the chamber from the magazine.

The FN FAL is fitted with a fire selector lever, with three positions: safety, semiautomatic, and fully automatic. This fire selection switch is located on the left-hand side, right above the trigger. The manual-actuated cocking handle is also on the left-hand side of rifle. The first version rifle barrel features a lug for the bayonet to be fixed on. The chamber is fed from a 20-round detachable box magazine.

Service History

The FAL was used in major armed conflicts. It was employed by the Israeli troops in the Six Day War in 1967. The South African Army also used this rifle in the Rhodesian Bush War, the South African Border War, and the Angolan Civil War. In 1982, it was the standard issue rifle of both the Argentinian forces and the British Army and Royal Marines during the Falklands War. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, it was used by Latin American countries in low-intensity armed conflicts against communist guerrilla armies.

Specifications

Type: Assault automatic rifle

Weight: 4.50 kg

Overall Length: 1.090 m (the classical version)

Barrel Length: 53.3 cm

Rifling of Barrel: 4 right-twisting grooves

Operation System: gas, with regulator and piston.

Rate of Fire: 700 round/m in automatic. 60 round/minute semiautomatic.

Cartridge: 7.62x51mm NATO

Effective Range: 300 m

Maximum Effective Range: 600 m.

By means of a lever at the back of the receiver below the rear sight, you can break open the rifle to remove the bolt and carrier by pulling its end rod (mouse’s tail)

Below, the FN FAL, whose variant is fitted with flash hider.

 Below, the rifle magazine releasing latch and the fire selection switch.Below, the rifle magazine releasing latch and the fire selection switch.