The Fusil Automatique Leger, or Light Automatic Rifle (LAR).

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 (most notably with the Stg44 assault rifle). With the adoption of the 7.62mm x 51 (.308 Winchester) caliber as the NATO standard, FN rebuilt their rifle to fit the new cartridge and created what is possibly the classic post-war battle rifle. Introduced in 1951, and beginning production two years later, it has been described as the "right arm of the free world."

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 (the 7.62x51 mm NATO standard round) commonly called the .308 Winchester in the USA.

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 (designated 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. A number of FALs were made for West Germany and designated the G-1 before the adoption of the G-3 series of assault rifles, based upon the Spanish CETME assault rifle.

Great Britain adopted its own variant of the FAL in 1957 (calling it the L1A1) manufacturing it based on imperial measurements and incorporating minor changes 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 British version was designated L1A1 and was known in service as the SLR (Self-Loading Rifle). The Canadian version was termed the C1. The L1A1 was replaced in the early 1980s by the Enfield SA80. The L1A1 SLR in Australian service was supplanted by the Steyr AUG in the 1990s while R1 rifle in South African service had been superseded around mid 1980s with the locally built R4 assault rifle. The R4 is a licensed copy of the Israeli Galil assault rifle; the Israelis replaced their FALs with the Galil around 1975 as had the Dutch. The USA had tested the FAL as the T48 in the late 1950s, but chose to adopt its competitor, the T44, which became the M-14 rifle, a modified version of the earlier M-1 Garand rifle.

The FAL operates by means of a gas-operated action Firearm action very similar to that of the American BAR - 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. Heavy barrel squad automatic rifle and folding-stock, shorter-barrel paratrooper versions of the FAL have also been manufactured.

External links

• Additional information, including pictures at Modern Firearms