FN FAL

Sitting around with a number of gun aficionados, the question was submitted, “What rifle besides our beloved M16 rivals the AK in distribution and commie notoriety?” The answers varied but one stands out as true, the FN FAL the right arm of the free world. Originally designed by Fabrique National as the Fusil Automatique Léger ("Light Automatic Rifle") or FAL. It was the hammer for good guys everywhere to fight the red menace of communism. 

Design and Influence   

 

Designed in the mid-1940s post WW II it was strongly influenced by the German StG 44 and the Russian STV-40. In fact, it has a similar gas operated feature with a short-stroke piston. The very first design was developed in the 7.92 x 33 Kurtz. The same intermediate cartridge used successfully by the German Sturmgewehr 44-the Grandfather of modern military assault weapons. However, with limits on post war ammunition supplies FN grabbed the attention of the British Commonwealth looking for a new battle rifle chambered in .280. Obviously FN was on this like a fat kid on a cupcake, but politics and the formation of NATO saw things a tad bit different. Post WW II saw the United States in a very powerful position to dictate policy and an “in the weeds” influence over standard battle rifles. At the time the US was the only power on the planet that kept the Soviets in check after the war. War-torn Europe was in no condition to face the Soviet war machine and so the US pushed hard for the .30 Cal Lite round to be the standard NATO round, which we know and love today as the 7.62 x 51 NATO. It is also noteworthy to mention that the FN FAL was strongly influenced with John Browning’s designs. Dieudonné  Saive (pictured below) the creator of the FN FAL completed work on John Browning’s high power 1935 and was more than likely inspired by Browning’s genius to create the FAL.

 

The right arm of freedom fades away hard

 

The FAL was distributed or made by over 90 countries. Wherever AK barked its distinctive rapport, an FAL was more than likely to answer. It served in a number of conflicts and still serves in some capacity with many third world nations.  The bottom line is that it did the job and truly helped stop the spread of geo-political instability in a number of disputed regions from the late 50’s to the 80’s and sometimes to our present. Fortunately or unfortunately speed is a soldier’s friend and weight is his enemy. And weight my friend is something the FAL has in abundance. With the weight between 9.5-13 lbs it is a heavy little lady to lug through any environment and to carry the massive 7.62 x 51 was an added burden.  Countries eventually looked for a more sound option, namely the 5.56 NATO. Lighter and more compact, the round offered more versatility in the field.  However, the FAL did have a very unique clash with itself during the short skirmish between the UK and Argentina over those (Mother)-Falkland Islands. One of the few times the same rifle was pitted against opposing forces the British prevailed and simply out-soldiered the Argentinians. Although the rifle served well in many countries its weight and cumbersome length contributed to the retirement of the rifle and the adoption of bullpups and lighter carbines.

 

Where Can I Get One?

I know what you are thinking, “Thanks for the history lesson. Where can I buy one?” The answer, everywhere. You may not find it in your local gun shop, but the internet is full of good deals. However, this is where you will have to do a little research and determine the type of FAL you may want. Determine if you are looking for an “inch” or “metric” FN FAL, then go to the FAL Files http://www.falfiles.com/forums/ and ask away. This forum has a ton of expertise from builds to where you can purchase an FAL for a decent price. Once you purchased one or in the process of a build take a look at http://www.dsarms.com . DSA Inc offers a number of parts and accessories for your FAL build or to put a little lip stick on the girl before the big range day. Gunbroker  http://www.gunbroker.com usually has some very good deals but this is where the research will  come in handy from the FAL files. With prices ranging from 500 to 2,000+ it behooves one to get the facts straight.

 

Wrap it up folks!

I personally own an Israeli FAL and have never regretted ownership of this great piece of history. Sarah (my FAL) is not a tack driver but she is a ton of fun to shoot and after emptying a 20 round mag of 7.62-I can see why it was such an effective rifle against the AK. It is a great addition to any collection and its rugged design will allow this rifle to be passed down to the next generation. Have fun be safe and stay on target.

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day

 

A day of remembrance, a day to reflect and for some a day to mourn. Never a day to cast judgment. As a service members, the loss of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives in the line of duty (and sometimes beyond that) is close to our hearts. We know their families, we have to go on without their presence in our day to day lives and we have to look the children in their eyes searching for some words that may comfort or provide understanding. We see the people of this country bowing their heads using words like “remember” and “never forget” but do they really mean it? Some politicians pretending to understand service to the country but never truly connecting with the loss of a true combat brother and the meaning of that sacrifice  

For me, it’s perfectly acceptable. Have your BBQs, go on your trips, plan your long weekends.  The ones we lost would have done the same, they would have loaded up their families on a long trip or had a couple colds ones for race day. It’s part of being an American. To enjoy that freedom that so many did die for and secure. The price of freedom is paved with broken families, blood and horrible stories that the survivors sometimes feel bittersweet when they see people frolicking about what they will do on their extended weekend. It angers us, what was the point of my friend getting blown up? So you can talk about what a pain it is to have to drive 3 hours to your stupid get away! What about the families that won’t have that, instead that family visits a grave. I get it man, the anger towards such a nonchalant attitude. BUT we choose to serve and we have CHOSEN to put our lives on the line to give our people the chance to live their lives as they see fit.

But if you are out Monday and have never served, look around you. Breathe in the air, hug your family, and be glad to be alive. And if you are so inclined think about the faceless soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen throughout our history who have died to make this such a great day for you to be alive.

I will always remember them and never forget their sacrifice. I will not make their loss meaningless and will live my life to the fullest extent possible. My children will learn of what it means and become better people for knowing that they have set the bar for the price we are willing to pay to have our freedom.

 

Fun Rifles with a Rich History [FAL, Garand, Mosin]

SO many rifles come to mind when looking for a historical connection with your shooting recreational activities. Most of the fun is shooting the rifle trying to imagine what those soldiers had to go through. Anyone who has ever served understands that the rifle becomes a part of you. Waking up in the morning you reach for it, the annoying way it swings and hits your leg or the constant weighted feeling of slinging it EVERYWHERE. We bitch about it but also miss it in a way once we are back in the States. No way I'm advocating to sling your rifle around all day by no means, but modern firearms are little plastic toys compared to some of these older rifles. Hence, when shooting something with a little history on it--thoughts reflect--what was the grumbling behind this heavy piece of wood and steel. However, in a crunch it was their best friend. These are my top 3 old war rifles to shoot whenever you get a chance:

Israeli FN FAL. Replacing the polymer with wood. It supports a forward assist and cut grooves into the bolt to allow operation in a sandy environment. Depending on the model anywhere from 500-2000 dollars. Do your research.

 

 

FN FAL
The right arm of the free world. Designed by Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and named the Fusil Automatique Léger ("Light Automatic Rifle") or FAL. It packs a heavy punch keeping the spirit alive for post WW II heavy battle rifles. Original FALs-heavily influenced by the StG 44-were designed to shoot the British .280 BUT heavy American persuasion and trying to get everyone on the same sheet of music for ammo distribution pushed the FAL into eating up NATO 7.62x51 (.308). The rifle is heavy weighing between 10-13 lbs. depending on what variant you have. It also has the unique history to be one of the few battle rifles that fought against itself. During the brief war between the British and the Argentinians over those (Mother)-Falkland Islands. How does it shoot?

I personally own an Israeli version, semi-auto of course. It is heavy, hard to run with and takes a ton of patience to learn how to shoot, but the 308 slamming into a target at the end of the range is worth the hassle. However, it makes that the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) tossed  their FALs for the lighter AK or UZI in close fights. But the AK cannot touch the firepower of the FAL in a distance game. Unfortunately that is the common failure of any rifle, not being able to adapt it to any environment. Eventually, the Israelis redesigned their battle rifle and produced the Galil. I digress, if you are looking for a fun rifle to shoot and maybe a pig hunt look into the FAL.

 

                           Fun at the range in with the M1 Garand. Even a beat up Garand can go for 600-700 dollars. CMP still offers Garands at a great price

M1 Garand
We take Semi-auto for granted these days from our 10-22s to the AR-15 its become the norm for military style rifles. But imagine a battlefield with only hard hitting bolt action rifles, pistol caliber sub machineguns, and crew served machine guns. As you military tactically minded folks can surmise one would have to change the way you fight. In an infantry fight the goal is to overwhelm your enemy with mass fire. This allows the next platoon or squad to move in and lay down covering fire and so on. The Germans based all of their tactics around the MG-34/42 so they could protect the crew served weapons. The Americans replaced all of their 1903 Springfields with 8 round hard hitting 30-06 Garand rifles. This firepower in the hands of the average infantry soldier was unprecedented at the time and it wasn't until right about the end of the war that countries scrambled to make a similar rifle that could compete. The Germans and the Russians did cut down the cartridge to an intermediate round 7.92 x 33 and 7.62 x 39 respectfully. The difference being they could not get them in the hands of every soldier (thank God) nor mass produce these rifles in the quantities of that the US could. Basically why you see Garands everywhere and not StG 44s.

This is one of the best rifles to shoot. For a mass produced semi-auto ahead of its time the balance accuracy are incredible. The heft of the rifle helps follow up shots, which would have been a damn fine thing to have ties in with other Garand suppressing a German MG. Once the rounds have been shot the clip bounds out of the top of the rifle with the stamped steel clip making a Klang sound. Something the GIs took advantage of in the war by throwing an empty on the ground after firing a few shots. Thinking that they were empty and reloading, Japanese and sometimes German soldiers would rush their positions only to be cut down by the massive 30.06. Of course your typical range does not offer the same perilous opportunities but can be recreated for fun. I like to have 5 targets at varies ranges and depths. I will fire 2 shots and throw and empty. with the remaining 6 rounds attempted to put accurate fire on the targets. It's fun but extremely difficult especially for time.

 

 

Mosin M91/30. Prices have risen recently but still under 300 bucks for decent rifle.

 

 

M91/30 Mosin Nagant
Wait just a minute! You just wrote about two great battle rifles and now you're throwing up the Russian Pinko crap. Well, yeah...as far as war rifles go the Mosin is one of the most reliable massed produced rifles of the war. It is heavy but no more than any other rifle of that time. It's usually not as accurate due to pitting in the rifling but it was made for a Russian peasant so get over it. Although its not a tack driver it will accommodate a fairly good grouping as long as the shooter is consistent. This is yet another war surplus rifle that is still fairly cheap and can be bought two or three at a time. More so than the two rifles above.

The ammo is still cheap the rifle is cheap but the fun is non stop. When you have a rifle that packs the punch that a 7.62x54 does and can shoot it all day with ammo left over...Well you got yourself a gem my friend. With so many of these rifles produced the internet is flooded with after market parts and accessories for the Mosin. This is an excellent firearm to own for you prepper minded folks. Used as a defense or hunting rifle it serves a multi-player in your arsenal. After all the pinkos needed something hard hitting, effective, and durable and this is what they came up with.



Some websites to check out: These sites can direct you into purchasing the Garand and accessories for your Mosin.
http://thecmp.org/
http://brassstacker.com/