FN FAL: A rifle that served in 90 countries

FN FAL: A Rifle That Served in 90 Countries. This issue of Gun Lore tells the full story of the FN FAL: the Belgian battle rifle nicknamed "The Right Arm of the Free World," adopted by more than 90 countries and became a symbol of the West's Cold War-era opposition to the Soviet AK-47. We explore how Dieudonné Saive, a student of the legendary John Browning, began working on the rifle in devastated post-war Belgium in 1946, how the political battle between Churchill and Truman determined the fate of the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, and why the US ultimately rejected the FAL—while all other allies adopted it. We discuss: the revival of Fabrique Nationale after the Nazi occupation, the influence of the German StG 44 on the design, the failed Churchill-Truman deal of 1952, a technical analysis of the variable-exhaust gas system, licensed production in 15 countries under the designations L1A1, C1, G1, R1, and StG 58, the combat history from Malaya and Congo to Vietnam and the Falklands War, the Falklands paradox of 1982, when both sides fought with the FAL, continued production in Argentina and Brazil to this day, and the FAL's iconic status in the American civilian market through the DSA SA58. Let us know in the comments what weapon we're reviewing next. #gunlore #wwll #ww2 #military #weaponhistory #uzi #weapon