FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger)

Produced by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, the FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger- Light Automatic Rifle) is arguably one of the most famous and most widely adopted and adapted weapons of the post WW II era matched only perhaps by the AK-47. As many variants, versions and type classifications, both licensed and unlicensed, exist as the number of countries it has been used in. Developed originally by Fabrique Nationale to fire the German 7.92 mm Kurz patrone (short cartridge), the FN FAL was adapted to fire .280/30 British cartridges and eventually the NATO standard 7.62 x 51 mm cartridge. The design team led by Dieudonne Saive first introduced the assault rifle in 1951 and in 1953 the 7.62 mm NATO FN FAL began full production. It has entered service in approximately 70 countries and has been manufactured in at least 10 of them. Though it was developed and produced in Belgium, the first country to formally commission it into their armed forces was Canada, which classified it as the C1 in a slightly modified version. Since then it has been adopted and adapted by Britain, Australia, Brazil, Israel, South Africa and numerous others including an unlicensed version by India which has also supplied it to Nepal.

The FN FAL is a gas operated light semi-automatic, selective fire rifle. The gas system operates by means of a short-stroke, spring-loaded piston with a locking system called the tilting breechblock. The locking system locks the breech by tilting backwards and dropping down onto the floor of the heavy receiver. The receiver itself is machine forged unlike the stamped or cast receivers of other guns. The gas system is housed above the barrel and the spring is used to return the piston. The reloading of the chamber is caused by the inertia generated in the bolt group by the firing of a round. The gas is controlled by means of a regulator to facilitate selection of mode of fire and can be adjusted to various conditions. The gas can be cut off completely for launching rifle grenades. The safety/fire selector comes in two or three positions depending on whether the rifle is semi-automatic or selective fire capable. The trigger group, which includes the pistol grip, is partially detachable and is hinged behind the magazine well. The rifle is available in fixed butt and foldable butt configurations and the recoil spring is housed either inside the butt or in the receiver cover depending on the configuration. Bolt carriers are also different in foldable and fixed butt configurations. The FAL is hammer fired and uses a single sear fro any mode of fire. The barrel comes with a flash hider that doubles up as a grenade launcher. All FALs are equipped with swing swivels and bayonet lugs.

The FAL uses a full power cartridge but despite this it has a relatively light recoil because it is a gas operated weapon and also due to its own weight (4.5 kg). The magazine capacity for the FAL is between 5-20 rounds though the heavy barreled SAW versions can use 30 round magazines. The maximum rate of fire is 650-700 rpm.