FAL

The FN FAL is a battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51MM Nato from Fabrique National Herstal (FN). The FAL was designed from 1947-1953 as a standard new rifle for NATO. The first FAL prototypes were chambered in the German 7.92x33mm (8mm Kurz), later chambered in .280 British, and finally in 7.62x51mm. During the NATO rifle trials, the rifle was competing against the British EM-2, but the United States wanted to use the T65 cartridge instead of .280 British. After the British being more interested in the EM-2 rifle, FN agreed to use the T65 cartridge, the British did adopt the EM-2 for a short while, but later decied to standardize on a single cartridge instead of going their own way. The United states later decided to adopt their own rifle, the T44 (M14).

While the United States screwed over NATO, the FAL was later adopted in 7.62x51mm by NATO countries since 1954. This included the United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria.
The FAL was adopted by 90 countries, and was known as the ‘’Right arm of the free world’’.
While most countries replaced the FAL for newer assault rifles, the FAL is still being produced and in wide use all over the 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. The piston system can be bypassed completely, using the gas plug, to allow for the firing of rifle grenades and manual operation.
The FAL's magazine capacity ranges from five 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.

FAL VARIANTS

Belgium:

United Kingdom & Commonwealth:

Netherlands & South Africa:

Germany & Austria:

Argentina & Brazil:

Israel & Venezuela

FALO & ParaFal