AK-47 or AR-15? That debate has been going on for a very long time now, and probably will continue to go on until the end of time. You'll never see a "which is best?" article from me on that subject, as I believe that both weapons have their merits. But I don't think that those two are the ONLY two choices out there in the arena.The FN FAL is a very fine piece of machinery, and that was recognized by many, many countries over the last fifty years, and it has seen use in over 90 countries, earning it the nickname of the "Right arm of the Free World". Of course, the FAL is in a slightly different category from the AK/AR, as those are "Assault Rifles" and the FAL is a "Battle Rifle". The difference is in the cartridge. The FAL uses the big-boy 7.62x51 NATO round, while the assault rifle cartridges are considerably weaker in comparison.
Generally used as a semi-automatic weapon in practice, most versions were capable of firing in full-auto mode. However, full-auto controlability suffered due to the barrel being quick to rise and the high amount of recoil being inflicted on the firer. A heavy-barrel version was available that somewhat alleviated this shortcoming. However, HBAR or no, the FAL is best utilized as a semi-auto weapon.
The FN FAL is a very capable weapon, in that it is reasonably accurate, packs a heavy punch, can take a beating, and is environmentally rugged. In concept and execution, it is very similar to the M-14, though the M-14 is arguably more accurate.
By: Steve
When I was in the Canadian Army, we carried the FN C1, a slightly modified version of the FAL. No full auto version except for the FN C2, which was an FAL that had a bipod, a heavier barrel and 30-round magazines. we had two of these in every section.
ReplyDeleteThey were a bit heavy to carry and in all the time I was in the Army I was never issued a rifle that was younger than I. But they took a lot of beating and could be quite accurate.
By 1990 Canadian rifle sections were mostly re-equipped with Canadian-made variations of the M16 and M240.
the right arm of the free world. Throw some rails on the para version and you have my dream rifle.
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