the US Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) and the British and
Commonwealth Bren LMG. The heavy-barrelled 50.41 FALO
While a 6.8kg (15lb) weight is not light to an infantryman
version of the FAL was used as a SAW, and the variants
humping it over hill and dale, the FALO’s weight wasn’t bad
manufactured in Argentina and Brazil are known as the FAP.
when compared to other SAW types. It weighed 2kg (4lb 6oz)
The Canadian and Australian armies worked together on
less than the BAR, 3.4kg (7lb 8oz) less than the Bren and
their version of the FAL SAW, known as the C2A1 by the former
3.18kg (7lb) less than the more recent FN Minimi, whose
and the L2A1 by the latter. As a weight-saving measure, the
5.56×45mm ammunition also lacks the range and hitting power
C2A1/L2A1 featured a unique front handguard that folded
of the FALO’s 7.62×51mm NATO.
down to do double duty as a bipod. Two steel bipod legs with
Even so, reviews of the FALO were mixed. One universal
steel shoes were covered on three sides with wooden heat
complaint was that the longer 30-round magazine interfered with guards; when folded up to the bottom of the barrel, these
use of the weapon when fired from the prone position. Neither
formed the forearm. One problem immediately comes to mind,
Argentina nor Israel even bothered with the larger 30-round
though; the gunner, after firing support in the prone position, magazines and universally issued the standard 20-round
could rush to advance without folding the handguards first and magazine for their SAWs. Australia was later to do the same.
receive severe burns to his hand.
According to the Australian Army manual, the L2A1 is capable of: The Australian L2A1
a. delivering a high rate of aimed fire in single shots, or
Calibre: 7.62×51mm
NATO
bursts of automatic fire, at ranges up to 600m [656yd];
Length: 1,137mm
(44.75in)
b. continuous fire, using mostly single shots and some
Barrel length:
533mm (21in)
bursts of two or three rounds of automatic fire; and
Magazine:
30-round detachable box
c. long bursts of up to 10 rounds for short periods.
Weight of full magazine: 0.68kg (1.5lb)
(Australian Army 1983)
Empty weapon weight: 5.7kg (12.5lb)
Loaded weapon weight: 6.8kg (15lb)
Therein lies the rub. The SAW versions of the FAL require a
Sights:
Blade foresight; dial aperture rear
well-trained soldier who would fire short and aimed bursts.
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Conscript troops trained to a superficial standard almost
more conventional adjustable and swivelling bipod mounted to
universally point the muzzle in the general direction of the
the barrel, which had the added benefit of lowering the
shooter’s profile by some 76mm (3in). The 30-round magazine
The standard Metric-pattern versions of the FALO proved to
was done away with in favour of the standard 20-round
be more user-friendly than the Canadian and Australian versions.
magazine. The new handguard had inner and outer perforated
The Israeli Makleon had a standard handguard improved with a metal casings around the barrel to aid cooling by both
perforated metal sleeve around the heavy barrel, and a wooden
conduction and convection, with the outer sleeve protected by
handguard with a heat shield. The folding bipod was attached
a bonded rubber grip. A bolt hold-open device was added to
directly to the barrel, as with the Austrian StG 58.
lock the bolt open after the last round fired; a feature common Despite the extra-thick contour of the barrel, the FALO did
to Metric-pattern FALs.
indeed get very hot with any extended firing. Most machine guns These and other modifications greatly improved the
fire from an open bolt; that is, when not actually shooting, the handling and accuracy of the FAL SAW. Two- or three-round
bolt locks to the rear, allowing air to circulate through the barrel.
bursts were well centred and the spread was 300 per cent
Firing from a closed bolt, the FALO did not have anywhere near better grouped than the L2A1’s, which also had inevitably
the cooling effect of an open-bolt weapon. After sustained firing strayed downwards and left from the torque imparted by full-and barrel heating, ‘cook-offs’ were possible, the cartridge
automatic fire. The X2F2A2, in semi-automatic mode and
immediately firing as it was chambered into the red-hot barrel.
with use of the bipod, was considered accurate enough to
be used in a sniping role with the Canadian C1 Leitz
telescopic sight mounted. Further
improvements led to the culmination
of the project in the Australian
X3F2A2.
What potential the weapon
might have had in battle remains
unknown, however. Development was
ABOVE An FN-made FALO heavy-barrelled SAW with folding
suspended and the project grudgingly dropped when Australian
bipod, a long flash suppressor, and an adjustable rear peep
forces entered the Vietnam War and were equipped with the
sight graduated to 600m. It has a plastic stock, a plastic hollow American 7.62×51mm M60 machine gun – a dubious decision
pistol grip and a hardwood handguard with deep grooves.
considering the problems the M60 has suffered throughout its
(Photo courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company)
lifespan.
The X2F2A2
The Australians experienced numerous problems with the L2A1
Evaluating the FAL as a SAW
SAW as it was originally made in the FAP pattern. These were
Commonwealth troops who used both the FALO and the Bren
endemic to the breed and included: uncontrollability in full-
gun almost universally preferred the latter. The FALO, however, automatic fire; prolonged firing leading to overheating and
usually got higher marks than the M60 machine gun from those
cook-offs; the bipod tilting out from under the axis of the bore who had fired both. It has been noted that the FALO tended to
from the torque of firing; an awkward prone firing position with experience a failure to feed the third round in the magazine.
30-round magazines; and problems with firing in an assault
Most shooters experienced in using the FALO claim these
position. During combat, more than one soldier forgot to fold
up the bipod legs to use as a heat shield and instead grabbed
especially if they are dirty. One American gun writer tested the the bare, red-hot barrel.
FALO against the US M14A1 in the 1980s. (The M14A1 was to
A new, upgraded weapon known as the X2F2A2
have been the SAW version of the M14, and featured a folding
Automatic Rifle was developed from existing L2A1s.
bipod and foregrip to enable the firer to control recoil better.) Improvements included a new in-line SAW-type butt with a
Using 20-round magazines, he experienced only two
handhold for the non-firing hand and a rubber butt pad. The
malfunc
tions (one ammunition-related) while putting 2,500
wooden bipod/handguard combination was replaced with a
rounds through the FALO.
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In early 1959, only
two months after
taking power, Castro
sent a Major Ricardo
Lorie to Belgium to
purchase some US $9
million-worth of arms
for the new regime
directly from FN. The
arms included some
22,500 FALs, 50
million rounds of
7.62mm ammunition
and compatible rifle
grenades. An unknown
number of heavy-
barrelled FAPs also
found their way into
The FN FAL was and remains
Cuban service. The FALs delivered from FN were stamped with the Cuban popular throughout much of the
Coat of Arms as used on the FALs purchased earlier by Batista. These crests Americas. These FAL-armed
supposedly enraged Castro. When the Soviets helped equip the Cuban troops are from the Eastern
military with AK-47s, the FALs were mothballed, but many found their way Caribbean Defence Force, a
coalition of Caribbean nations
to Venezuela, El Salvador, Chile and Nicaragua in the hands of Cuban that supported the US-led
‘advisors’ supporting insurgents in those nations. In the early 1980s, an invasion of Grenada in 1983.
‘unknown’ FAL variant showed up in the hands of communist guerrillas in (DoD)
El Salvador; these were notable for a hole the size of a quarter (24mm) cut through the magazine well in the upper receiver. It turned out that these mystery FALs were Cuban weapons which had had the coat of arms removed.
The FAL was – and in some cases remains – extremely popular
throughout South and Central America, not least in the high Andes during the Cenepa War, the short-lived border dispute between Ecuador and Peru in January and February 1995, the climax of decades of skirmishing over the line. Both Argentina and Brazil manufactured their own versions of the FAL and FAP as well as exporting their weapons to Paraguay, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. These weapons continue to be used in government clashes with bandits, insurgents, smugglers and drug cartels.
Brazil in particular, although possessing modern conventional military forces, has to police the endless rainforests of the vast Amazon Basin –
strictly light-infantry country. The Army includes no fewer than five specially trained and equipped Jungle Infantry Brigades, and has a renowned Jungle Warfare Instruction Centre at which US Special Forces (Green Berets), British SAS soldiers and Légionnaires of France’s Légion Étranger (Foreign Legion) have attended training for jungle warfare.
The locally manufactured IMBEL FAL in its various makes and
models, especially ‘Para’ and carbine versions, remains in frontline service with some Brazilian forces. Brazil is retooling its FAL production lines to begin refurbishing – and resume the manufacture of – the FAL. There is even talk of Brazil’s armed forces retaining the 7.62×51mm NATO as a 68
standard rifle calibre and not switching over fully to the 5.56×45mm.
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IMPACT
The quintessential battle rifle
What was the FAL’s great impact on military operations? It was intended to equip NATO infantry to face down hordes of Soviet tanks and mechanized infantry swarming into Central Europe in a Third World War.
Thankfully, the FAL never had to fulfil this particular purpose.
It was introduced at a time when the face of war was changing from major set-piece conventional warfare, as in World War II, to insurgencies and revolutions; so-called ‘small wars’. It served very well in these
‘brushfire wars’, and was many an infantryman’s best friend. For the most part, it set the standard for a reliable, sturdy and accurate military weapon for professional soldier and conscript alike. To many, it remains the quintessential battle rifle.
The FAL/SLR has many strengths that endear it to users to this day.
The main point most often mentioned is the sheer power of the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge – no matter how it came about.
THE 7.62×51mm NATO
Regardless of the political activity that went on before its adoption, and the tantalizing speculation about the .280in/7mm round over which it triumphed, the 7.62×51mm NATO did turn out to be an excellent, powerful military cartridge. It was used in a variety of weapons that gave sterling service around the world and continue in use to this day.
With millions of FALs manufactured and internationally distributed, the rifle played a large part in making the 7.62×51mm NATO the success it was. Just as the FAL is often regarded as the quintessential post-war battle rifle, the 7.62mm NATO is regarded as the consummate battle-rifle calibre.
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Penetration
When it comes to performance, even the standard M80 147-grain full metal jacket (FMJ) round in 7.62mm offers substantial penetrative power, even though it is a first-generation bullet designed in 1953 with a soft-lead core under a light gliding metal jacket. It can penetrate a 3.45mm (0.14in) standard NATO steel plate at 620m (678yd), which is also listed as its maximum effective range. Chambered in a variety of sniper rifles, it has been used quite successfully to ranges of 1,000m (1,094yd) and even a bit beyond. Although packing more recoil than the intermediate rounds, the 7.62mm round’s power and range endeared it to many of its users.
Long after other forces had gone over fully to the 5.56mm assault rifles, some specialized units continued to use the 7.62mm battle rifle. For instance, for use in mountain environments troops such as the German Gebirgsjäger retained the 7.62mm G3 and the Italian Alpini their BM-59
after the regular infantry of these two nations had gone over to the 5.56mm G36 and M70 Beretta respectively. Austria’s elite forces, the Jagdkommando, kept the StG 58 until the mid-1990s; as they had trained to operate behind enemy lines in case of a Soviet invasion, they wanted a rifle that could outrange the enemy’s Kalashnikovs and deal heavier and more destructive blows against soft-skinned rear-echelon vehicles.
In urban environments the superior penetration offered by the
7.62×51mm round has gained new appreciation after infantry experiences in places like Mogadishu, Baghdad, Fallujah and Kabul over the last two decades. A comparison between the 7.62×51mm NATO M80 Ball and the 5.56×45mm M193 55-grain ball that replaced it shows why.
In military parlance, the 7.62×51mm round ‘turns cover into
concealment’. There are certain situations, however, in which the 7.62×51mm delivers too much power. In British Guiana (since 1966 the independent country of Guyana) in 1963, where British troops had been deployed since the previous year to quell civil unrest, a small patrol of 1st Battalion, The Coldstream Guards, was surrounded by a mob of rioters who refused to disperse. A single round was fired from an SLR; that one bullet killed three people and wounded another (Dewar 1984: 65). In military use, of course, ammunition besides FMJ was developed, such as tracer, armour-piercing and other specialized rounds.
PENETRATION (in inches)
Concrete
5.56 x 45mm M193
7.62 x 51mm M80
Sandbags
Pine
boards
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
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Range
With the additional power of the 7.62×51mm NATO in the FAL/SLR In the 1980s Belgium adopted the comes longer range, especially for the soldier sufficiently trained in FNC assault rifle as its 5.56mm marksmans
hip to utilize that benefit. In mountainous areas such as replacement for the venerable FAL. It has been made under
Afghanistan, and in open spaces like the Falklands, the desert and the licence, with adaptations, in Arctic, range is king. A 2009 British MoD study stated that well over half Indonesia (as the Pindad SS1) and of the British forces’ firefights in Afghanistan occurred at ranges of between Sweden (as the Ak 5) and sold to 300m and 900m (328 and 984yd; Drummond & Williams 2009: 9). several other nations. (Rama/CC-BY-SA-2.0-FR)
An American source in Helmand stated the average engagement range encountered was 500m (547yd; Wall 2010: 2). Here the value of the 7.62×51mm round quickly became apparent, and 7.62mm NATO weapons were reissued down to squad or section level, although the FAL/SLR was not among those weapons. The assault-rifle theory that the average engagement range need not exceed 300m (328yd) applies in most
environments, but not all.
While the FAL’s effective range is listed as 600m (656yd) and the sights were graduated to that range, it is certainly capable of inflicting casualties out to 800m (875yd) in good hands. With the 4× L2A2 SUIT or the 4×
Hensoldt Zf 24, first-shot hits on man-sized silhouette targets out to 600m (656yd) are feasible. Beyond that range one requires ‘sighting shots’ to
‘walk’ the bullet impacts onto the target to determine the proper hold-over and hold-off – that is, moving the sight or reticle off the target itself to compensate for wind drift or ranges further than the sight is designed for.
THE FAL’S REPUTATION
With the exception of the Israeli experience, the FN FAL set the West’s standard for durability, ruggedness and reliability. Apart from its weight, the above attributes led many veterans who used the FAL/SLR to retain a fondness and even affection for the old warhorse; American veterans of wars past often have a similar enduring nostalgia for the M1 Garand.
Soldiers, Marines and airmen from military forces around the world recall their FALs with much fondness. The author certainly does not remember the M16A1 with anything even approaching affection.
Reliability
As noted earlier, the FAL/SLR served from the Canadian Arctic to the Falklands, in jungle and desert, and in many hostile urban environments.
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While good troops always observe proper cleaning and maintenance of their weapons, sometimes it is just not possible to keep them spotless at all times. How well does the FAL stand up when subjected to real use and abuse above and beyond the call of duty?