FN FAL

The Fusil Automatique Léger ("Light Automatic Rifle") or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN). During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, with the notable exception of the United States. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by over 90 countries

The FAL was predominantly chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO round, and because of its prevalence and widespread use among the armed forces of many NATO countries during the Cold War it was nicknamed "the right arm of the Free World".

The FAL operates by means of a gas-operated action very similar to that of the Russian SVT-40. 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 heavy receiver much like the bolts of the Russian SKS carbine and French MAS-49 series of semi-automatic rifles. The gas system is fitted with a gas regulator behind the front sight base, allowing adjustment of the gas system in response to environmental conditions, and can be closed completely to allow for the firing of rifle grenades. The FAL's magazine capacity ranges from 5 to 30 rounds, with most magazines holding 20 rounds. In fixed stock versions of the FAL, the recoil spring is housed in the stock, while in folding-stock versions it is housed in the receiver cover, necessitating a slightly different receiver cover, recoil spring, and bolt carrier, and a modified lower receiver for the stock.[3]

FAL rifles have also been manufactured in both light and heavy-barrel configurations, with the heavy barrel intended for automatic fire as a section or squad light support weapon. Most heavy barrel FALs are equipped with bipods, although some light barrel models were equipped with bipods, such as the Austrian StG58 and the German G1, and a bipod was later made available as an accessory.

Among other 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles at the time, the FN FAL had relatively light recoil, due to the gas system being able to be tuned via regulator in fore-end of the rifle, which allowed for excess gas which would simply increase recoil to bleed off. In fully-automatic mode, however, the shooter receives considerable abuse from recoil, and the weapon climbs off-target quickly, making automatic fire only of marginal effectiveness. Many military forces using the FAL eventually eliminated full-automatic firearms training in the light-barrel FAL.

Type Battle rifle
Place of origin Belgium
In service 1953–present
Used by See Users
Wars Vietnam War
Cambodian Civil War
Six-Day War
Portuguese Colonial War
South African Border War
Northern Ireland Troubles
Rhodesian Bush War
Falklands War
Gulf War
Balkan Wars
Cenepa War
Sierra Leone Civil War
Yom Kippur War
Rwandan Civil War

Designer Dieudonné Saive, Ernest Vervier
Designed 1947–1953
Manufacturer Fabrique Nationale (FN)
Produced 1953–present (IMBEL only)
Number built 2,000,000+ [1]
Variants See Variants
Specifications
Weight FAL 50.00: 4.3 kg (9.48 lb)
FAL 50.61: 3.90 kg (8.6 lb)
FAL 50.63: 3.79 kg (8.4 lb)
FAL 50.41: 5.95 kg (13.1 lb)

Length FAL 50.00 (fixed stock): 1,090 mm (42.9 in)
FAL 50.61 (stock extended): 1,095 mm (43.1 in)
FAL 50.61 (stock folded): 845 mm (33.3 in)
FAL 50.63 (stock extended): 998 mm (39.3 in)
FAL 50.63 (stock folded): 748 mm (29.4 in)
FAL 50.41 (fixed stock): 1,125 mm (44.3 in)

Barrel length FAL 50.00: 533 mm (21.0 in)
FAL 50.61: 533 mm (21.0 in)
FAL 50.63: 436 mm (17.2 in)
FAL 50.41: 533 mm (21.0 in)


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Cartridge 7.62x51mm NATO
Action Gas-operated, tilting breechblock
Rate of fire 650–700 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity FAL 50.00: 840 m/s (2,756 ft/s)
FAL 50.61: 840 m/s (2,755.9 ft/s)
FAL 50.63: 810 m/s (2,657.5 ft/s)
FAL 50.41: 840 m/s (2,755.9 ft/s)
Effective range 200–600 m sight adjustments
Feed system 20 or 30-round detachable box magazine
Sights Aperture rear sight, post front sight
553 mm (21.8 in) sight radius (FAL 50.00, FAL 50.41)
549 mm (21.6 in) sight radius (FAL 50.61, FAL 50.63)

USERS
Angola
Argentina
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Congo
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Democratic Republic of Congo
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Honduras
India
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Kenya
Kuwait
Liberia
Libya
Luxembourg
Malawi
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
Nigeria(Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria) in Nigeria as the NR-1.
Oman
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines: Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Portugal
Rwanda
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Swaziland
Syria
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Venezuela
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

"AK is for the masses and the FAL is for the classes"