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FN FAL

Small Arms And Sidearms

The FN FAL is a Belgian battle rifle designed by Dieudonne Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal, introduced in 1951 and entering wide production from 1953 in 7.62x51mm NATO caliber with a gas-operated action and tilting breechblock. More than 90 countries adopted the rifle during the Cold War, and its ubiquity among NATO and allied forces earned it the nickname the right arm of the free world. Approximately 7 million FN FAL rifles were produced, and Commonwealth nations built their own licensed variant known as the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle. The United States was a notable holdout among NATO members, choosing the domestically designed M14 rifle instead of adopting the FAL.

Facts
Classification
Caliber
7.62x51mm NATO 1
Caliber
.280 British 1
Service Status
In Service 1
Weapon Class
Battle rifle 1
Introduced Year
1953 1
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)
Rifle 1
FAQs

Why was the FN FAL usually fired semi-automatically?

Full-automatic fire caused noticeable muzzle climb, so semi-automatic fire suited it best.

Unlike the earlier SAFN rifle, the FAL could fire full-automatic, but Military Factory notes that it served best as a battle rifle in semi-automatic mode because automatic fire produced noticeable muzzle climb from its recoil. A squad automatic version addressed the problem with a heavier barrel and a bipod, and some users found success with it.
Connections

Associated With

Falklands War, Wars

The Belgian designed FN FAL, nicknamed the right arm of the free world, was carried by both British and Argentine infantry in the Falklands War

Operated By

Argentine Armed Forces, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: FN FAL
Israeli Defense Forces, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: FN FAL

Used In

Bosnian War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: FN FAL
Falklands War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: FN FAL
Six-Day War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: FN FAL
Syrian Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: FN FAL
In the Other Atlases

Manufactured By

FN Herstal

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: FN FAL
Steyr-Daimler-Puch

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: FN FAL
Sources
1. Wikipedia: FN FAL
Wikipedia
  • History section, FN FAL Wikipedia article, comparison to AKM
    The FAL battle rifle has its Warsaw Pact counterpart in the AKM, each being fielded by dozens of countries and produced in many of them.
  • Lead section, FN FAL Wikipedia article, manufacture start year
    manufactured by FN Herstal and others since 1953.
  • Lead section
    The FAL (French: Fusil Automatique Léger 'Light Automatic Rifle') is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal and others since 1953.
  • Infobox: cartridge
    7.62×51mm NATO .280 British
  • Infobox: service
    1953-present
  • Caliber attribute (fn-fal)
    The FN FAL is a Belgian battle rifle designed by Dieudonne Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal, introduced in 1951 and entering wide production from 1953 in 7.62x51mm NATO caliber with a gas-operated action and tilting breechblock.
  • Used In: Bosnian War, Wikipedia article text
    Unknown number used by the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and special police of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian war.
  • Used In: Falklands War, Wikipedia article text
    During the Falklands War, the FN FAL was used by both sides.
  • Used In: Six-Day War, Wikipedia article text
    The Israeli FAL first saw action in relatively small quantities during the Suez Crisis of 1956, being the standard-issue rifle in the Six-Day War in June 1967, the War of Attrition of 1967-1970.
  • Used In: Syrian Civil War, Wikipedia article text
    During the Syrian Civil War, FALs from various sources, including Israel, were used by governmental forces, rebels, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Kurdish forces.
  • Operated By: Israeli Defense Forces, Wikipedia article text
    In 1955 the IDF adopted the IMI-produced Uzi submachine gun and the FN FAL in order to standardize their infantry armament; with the FAL being designated Rov've Mitta'enn or Romat (רומ"ט), abbreviation of "Self-Loading Rifle".
  • Operated By: Argentine Armed Forces, Wikipedia article text
    It is the regular rifle of the Argentine Armed Forces, and is used by the Army and Air Force, and as a secondary rifle in the Navy.
View the Source
Wikidata: FN FAL
Wikidata Q329844, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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