20 Facts About FN FAL

The British Commonwealth variant of the FN FAL was redesigned from FN's metrical FN FAL into British imperial units and was produced under licence as the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle.

Formally introduced by its designer Dieudonne Saive in 1951, and produced two years later, the FN FAL has been described as the "Right Arm of the Free World".

FN FAL operates by means of a gas-operated action very similar to that of the Russian SVT-40.

FN FAL rifles have 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.

Many military forces using the FN FAL eventually eliminated full-automatic firearms training in the light-barrel FN FAL.

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The L2A1 or 'heavy barrel' FN FAL was used by several Commonwealth nations and was found to frequently experience a failure to feed after firing two rounds from a full magazine when in automatic mode.

American company DSA manufactures a copy of the FN FAL called the DSA SA58 FN FAL that is made with the same Steyr-Daimler-Puch production line equipment as the StG-58.

Early versions of the DSA FN FAL included a 4140 billet upper receiver, machined from a 19-pound block of 4140 steel, and a lower receiver milled from a block of 7075 T6 aircraft grade aluminum.

FN FAL has been used by over 90 countries, and some seven million have been produced.

The FN FAL was originally made by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal in Liege, Belgium, but it has been made under license in fifteen countries.

The standard metric-dimensioned FN FAL was manufactured in South Africa, Brazil, Israel, Austria and Argentina.

The FN FAL version ordered by the IDF came in two basic variants, both regular and heavy-barrel, and were chambered in 7.

The Israeli heavy barrel FN FAL was designated the Makle'a Kal, or Makleon, having a standard handguard improved with a perforated metal sleeve around the heavy barrel, and a wooden handguard with a heat shield.

Israeli forces were primarily mechanized in nature; the long, heavy FN FAL slowed deployment drills, and proved exceedingly difficult to maneuver within the confines of a vehicle.

The Israeli FN FAL was eventually replaced from 1972 onwards by the M16 and in 1974 by the Galil.

FN FAL was produced under licence in South Africa by Lyttleton Engineering Works, where it is known as the R1.

The FN FAL was originally designed to handle intermediate cartridges, but in an attempt to secure US favor for the rifle, the FN FAL was redesigned to use the newly developed 7.

FN FAL rifles are still commercially available from a few domestic firms in semi-auto configuration: Enterprise Arms, DSArms, and Century International Arms.

Until recently, the FN FAL was the main service rifle of the Venezuelan army, made under license by CAVIM.

The FN FAL was used by the Argentine armed forces and the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle, a semi-automatic only version of the FN FAL, was used by the armed forces of the UK and other Commonwealth nations.