The FAL (French: Fusil Automatique Léger, English: Light Automatic Rifle) is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal and others since 1953. During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the notable exception of the United States.

The FAL rifle, French "Fusil Automatique Léger" meaning Light Automatic Rifle is a battle rifle designed by Belgian small arms designers Dieudonné Saive and Ernest Vervier and then manufactured by FN Herstal.

Oct 18, 2021 · Whether you know it as the FAL, L1A1 or something else, of the many nations to produce this iconic battle rifle these are the 5 most common.

Mar 3, 2014 · FN FAL armed most of the Western world and their allies during the Cold War era. In the late 1940s, the Western allied countries in the NATO military pact were shopping for a new, modern battle...

Mar 18, 2020 · The FN FAL is one of the most revered battle rifles of the 20th century, often referred to as the "right arm of the free world," due to its use by so many NATO countries. While it's a...

Jul 30, 2024 · The FN FAL is a gas-operated, selective-fire battle rifle that fires the aforementioned 7.62 × 51 mm NATO cartridge. It features a short-stroke gas piston system, similar to the Soviet SVT-40, and a tilting breechblock locking mechanism.

May 31, 2024 · The FAL is a gas-operated, piston-driven, self-loading rifle, and it ended up being chambered in 7.62 NATO. The gas system is simple and straightforward, with a gas port in the barrel tapping gas out of the bore to hit the end of the piston.