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by R. Blake Stevens and Jean E. Van Rutten
Monsieur Jean E. Van Rutten, demonstrating the then-current Gewehr 1-type FAL to the late Shah of Iran, at Mossal Arsenal, near Teheran, 9 November 1958. Between
M. Van Rutten and the Shah are Monsieur Tomson, Director of the FN Cartoucherie, and Iranian Gen Daftari.
About the Authors R. Blake Stevens is the founder and president of Collector
Grade Publications Incorporated, and to date the author of
eight published books on modern military small arms. Born
in 1938, Mr. Stevens lives and works in Toronto.
Jean-Etienne Van Rutten (1925-1982), a Belgian national,
enlisted in the No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando group after the
liberation of Belgium in September, 1944. He qualified for
officer training but, as that course ran for some months, he
joined as an enlisted man in order to see action against the
Germans as quickly as possible.
Following training in Sussex and at the famous Achnacarry
castle Commando camp in the north of Scotland, M. Van Rutten
served with distinction in Europe until the end of the war,
after which he exchanged his green beret for the Belgian Army
rank of Commandant (between Captain and Major).
He joined the famous armsmaking society Fabrique Nationale
in 1947 already a weapons expert, and for the rest of his
lifetime he bore the FN standard into virtually every country
of the free world, successfully demonstrating such FN arms
as the F A L and the M A G .
As regards this book, the importance of Jean Van Rutten's
contribution cannot be overestimated. A l l too often today the
weapons historian is too late: after a short lifespan of crucial
usefulness to the manufacturing process such items as "one-off'
prototypes, handmade working models, drawings and other
supporting documents are simply thrown away in the name
of "bottom l ine" cost-effectiveness. Fortunately, however, in
the case of the F A L rifle, M. Van Rutten felt strongly about
preserving the modern history of FN as reflected in its arms
developments and production. During his last years as Chargé
de Missions of F N ' s Defence and Security Divis ion, he
assisted Collector Grade in the preparation of two of the most
popular gun books ever produced, The Metric FAL and The
Browning High Power Automatic Pistol
Acknowledgements
This book cou ld not have been written without the
whole-hearted support of Fabrique Nat ionale Her-
stal. The co-operat ion and encouragement
received at every turn is grateful ly acknowledged,
especia l ly f rom the underment ioned:
René Laloux, Honourary Cha i rman of the
Board of Directors of FN
Bernard Regout , General Manager, FN
Defence and Secur i ty Branch (BDS)
Jean-Paul Denis , B D S Qual i ty -Contro l tech
nic ian (Bal l is t ic Laboratory)
Pol Dessard, B D S Sales and Technica l
Manager, Latin Amer ica , Spain and
Portugal
C laude Gaier , Chef de Service, Cul tura l
Affairs Department
André Hougardy , Technica l Assistant, B D S
Research and Deve lopment Department
Robert Nondon faz , Sales Manager, FN
Sport (Browning)
A la in Renard, B D S Market Research Dept
( IREM)
Harry Tintner, B D S Sales Manager, Far East
Gaston von Bel leghem, Cul tura l Affairs
Department
The authors also wish to thank the fo l lowing in
d iv iduals, whose contr ibut ions have enhanced this
book:
Ron Bridges, Mi tcham, Surrey, England
Dr Edward Eze l l , Woodbr idge, V a , U S A
Char les R. Fagg, Pusl inch, Ontar io, C a n a d a
Wi l l P iznak, Huguenot , New York, U S A
Co l George von Rauch , H igh land Park,
N.J . , U S A
Terry L. Wi l lson, Pietermari tzburg, R S A
Wi l l i am H. Wood in , Tucson, A r i zona , U S A
The fo l lowing publ icat ions have been consulted
and/or quoted:
Mauser Rifles and Pistols, W . H . B . Smith,
S tackpo le Books, Harr isburg, Pa, 1946
German Pistols and Holsters 1934 -1945, Maj
R.D. Whit t ington I I I , Brownlee Books, 1969
L'Épreuve des Armes a Feu a Liège 1672 -1972,
Claude Gaier, L iège, 1972
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre 1889 -
1964, L iège, 1965
The EM-2 Concept and Design, Thomas B.
Duge lby , Co l lec tor Grade Publ icat ions,
1980
The American Rifleman, November, 1951
art icle "Tha t .280 British Car t r idge" by Phil
Sharpe
Table of Contents
Book One — The Genesis of the FAL Rifle
Preface — René La loux, C . V . 0 1
Introduction: The Debt to L iège - C laude Gaier 3
Chapter 1: Fabr ique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre 5
Chapter 2: The First Four Prototypes 17
Chapter 3: Prototypes 4 to 16 (1949 -1950) 43
Chapter 4: Prototypes 17 to 22 (1950 -1951 ) 59
Chapter 5: Prototypes 23 to 27 (1951 ) 81
Chapter 6: Prototypes 28 to 42 - Debut of the FAL (1952) 93
Chapter 7: Prototypes 43 to 49 (November 1952 - Ju ly 1953) 121
Book Two — The Golden Age
Introduction 147
List of Trials Rif les and Accessor ies made to order, 1954 -1968 148
Part One : The FAL ' C a n a d a ' 1953 153
The United States, 1954 -1957 157
The Fort Benning T48 manual 163
The United K ingdom, 1954 217
Belg ium, 1954 225
Venezue la , 1954 230
Israel, 1955 235
Argent ina, 1955 238
Belgian Congo , 1955 244
Luxembourg, 1956 246
Paraguay, 1956 247
Part Two: The German Gewehr 1, 1956 -1959 249
Part Three: The Wor ld Takes Over
Qatar, 1956 257
Kuwai t , 1957 259
Austr ia, 1958 262
Peru, 1958 266
Indonesia, 1958 268
C u b a , 1958 269
South A f r i ca , 1960 270
Chi le , 1960 272
Saudi Arab ia , 1960 273
Ecuador , 1960 275
Ho l land , 1961 276
Portugal , 1961 277
Tha i land , 1961 278
Braz i l , 1964 279
Greece, 1965 281
Bol iv ia , 1978 282
Part Four: Prototype and Experimental FALs
The FAL 'Para ' 283
The FAL Compet i t ion model 286
The Swedish Experimental FAL, 1960 288
The B lowback FAL, 1964 290
The FN FAL .22 Convers ion Unit 291
The FAL and the Future:
• No 1 - The 3-shot Burst Dev ice 292
• No 2 - The 'Min i -FAL' ca l .223 293
• No 3 - The Stamped FAL Prototype (7.62 mm Rotary Bolt) 295
Part Five: The FAL and the BATF 297
Part Six: The FAL Today 299
Countr ies Adopt ing the FAL Ri f le 299
FAL Cont ract Serial Numbers and Factory Model Designat ions 300
The Three Basic FAL Receivers 303
Current FAL Product ion Models:
(a) Mil i tary 305
(b) Compet i t ion and Sport 307
(c) the Redesigned FAL ' U S A ' 308
Book Three: The FAL Gazetteer
P a r t i : I l lustrated FAL Parts List and Of f i c ia l FN Nomencla ture 311
Barrel Group 312
Receiver Group 314
Mechanism Group 316
Lower Receiver Group 318
Butt Group 320
Magaz ine Group 321
Part 2: Of f i c ia l Canad ian and British Nomencla ture
(a) Canad ian 322
(b) British 325
(c) Of f i c ia l UK /Canad ian Parts Interchangeabi l i ty List 329
Part 3: The FAL Check List
I Barrel Group 331
II The Upper Receiver 334
II I Sights and Opt i cs 339
IV The Lower Receiver 344
V Accessor ies and Anci l lar ies
• Bayonets and Scabbards 350
• Blank Firing Adapters 352
• Grenade Launchers 353
• Grenades 355
• FN 7.62 N A T O Ammuni t ion 357
• Dust Cover 358
• FAL Tools 359
Part 4: Metr ic/ Imperial Measurement Converter 363
The FAL Series: Chrono log ica l Index to Volumes 1, 2 and 3 365
Off icial Trials Reports and Manuals Reprinted or Excerpted in the FAL series 371
Frontispiece
Dieudonné Joseph Sa ive (1888 -1970) Of f icer of the
Order of Leopo ld , Honourary member of L'Associ
ation des Ingénieurs de la Université de Liège,
Inventor of the FAL Ri f le, holding FN FAL proto
type no 47. — FN Archive
Book 1
Preface by Monsieur René Laloux, C. V. O.
Director-General of Fabrique Nat ionale, Herstal 1950 - 1963
President du Conseil d'Administration 1963 - 1964 Honourary Cha i rman of the Board of Directors
When Mr Blake Stevens asked me to draw up a
preface for his third volume dedicated to the F A L
rifle, a book third in a series but in fact first and most
important in its scope, I d id not hesitate for an in
stant to accept the proposit ion: first because I con
sider the F A L one of the most bri l l iant of the numer
ous small arms created at FN since its founding in
1889, and moreover because it gives me the occasion
to speak of the capacious genius of the Belgian inven
tor Dieudonné Saive. Dur ing his lifetime, Monsieur
Saive's many innovations were generally introduced
to the world under the FN trade name 'Browning', and
it is with pleasure that, after al l these years and my
long association with Monsieur Sa ive , I now see his
accomplishments r ightful ly attributed to h im.
Dur ing both wor ld wars, once in 1915 and again
in 1941, Monsieur Saive left his own country, oc
cupied as it was by the Germans, and went to work
in England, the first time at the V ickers machine gun
manufactory, . . . and the second time at Cheshunt,
where the Brit ish had established a refugee small
arms study group, several kilometres f rom central
London in order to avo id bombardment.
Monsieur Saive's success in the domain of small
arms design was of course material ly aided by the
hands and minds of the artisans at his disposal in
Herstal, both in the creation of his prototypes and in
their later mass product ion. Indeed, it was this
traditional, unique concentration of ski l led firearms
'know-how' which attributed to the decision of the
greatest firearms designer the wor ld has ever known ,
John M. Browning, to come f rom Utah and establish
himself here in the Liège area, where death took h im
in the very offices which FN had placed at his dis
posal in Herstal .
I wou ld also l ike to take this opportunity to
thank the Brit ish mil i tary authorities, to whom is due
in great part the creation of the F A L rifle. Aware as
they were of the importance of the work being done
by the Belgian team at Cheshunt, they requested, af
ter the war, FN 's continued participation in what
became an international project involv ing the U K ,
the United States and C a n a d a , to create a new type of
light infantry rifle. FN enthusiastically accepted this
proposal, and it was under the flag of Great Bri tain
that FN first carried home the v ictory, technical and
poli t ical, of the F A L , thanks to the actions of S i r
Winston Church i l l . T h i s , certainly, merits remem
bering, for this attitude of a great country towards
one of such smal l size is indeed infrequent !
I t remains only to thank Mr Blake Stevens, and
Monsieur Jean V a n Rutten, for hav ing prepared this
excellent book on the F A L rifle.
Foret-Trooz, Belgium August, 1981
Introduction
Gunmaking: The Debt to Liege
by Claude Gaier Director of the Musée d'Armes of Liège
A highlight of European gunmaking, Liège is an old
French-speaking city of eastern Belg ium, located six
ty-five miles from Brussels and close to the German
and Dutch borders. It was founded in the eighth cen
tury, on the banks of the Meuse river. T h i s is the
place where metalworking, mechanics and arms-
making blend into a l iv ing tradition dating back to
the Middle Ages when Liège was the capital city of an
almost independent pr incipal i ty, vassal to the Ger
man emperors. Th i s small state was declared neutral
country in 1492 and hence found it profitable to
provide weapons to foreign belligerents. From then
on, Liège became an arsenal. For more than a hun
dred years, however, the exportation of ordnance
prevailed over that of smal l arms. Jean Curt ius
( + 1628) became the wealthiest man in Liège as sup
plier of powder and ammunit ion to the k ing of Spa in .
The making of armour stamped out of sheet-
iron, of swords, pikes, halberds and of firearms was
also practiced. By that time, exportation had begun
on a wide scale. The fighters of the Dutch-Spanish
war or of the Th i r ty Years war drew freely f rom
Liège stores. On the other hand, the great Liège in
dustrialist Louis de Geer emigrated to Sweden and
established gun foundries there which helped K i n g
Gustavus-Adolphus to achieve some of his famous
military victories.
The very peculiar organization of the Liège gun
production of old deserves mention. It became
established in the seventeenth century and lasted as
such until well after the first Wor ld War . The entire
trade was controlled by a handful of merchants who
did the marketing, supplied thousands of craftsmen
with the raw material they needed, paid them for
their handwork and sold the finished weapons for
their own profit. T h e barrel makers were settled in
the country, close to the streams and rivulets which
activated their hammering, dri l l ing and pol ishing
machinery. A l l the other armourers worked in smal l
familial shops, situated in Liège (and also Maestricht
until the early eighteenth century) or in suburban
communit ies, where they would divide into groups,
devoted to var ious specialties of the gunmaking
process. Th i s system of "collective manufacture" as it
was called, evolved into a very intricate network
concerning thousands of people, f rom the wealthiest
to the most modest apprentice.
The proofing of firearms was common practice
in the sixteenth century but since it was done
privately by buyers or suppliers it d id not provide
sufficient legal guarantee. For this reason, archbishop
Max imi l ian-Henry of Bavar ia issued an edict in 1672
that the proof of Liège firearms was to be compulsory
under official supervision. A l l successfully tested
weapons had to be stamped wi th the "perron" mark,
featuring a monument topped with a column which
still is a symbol of the city. Th i s decision was enfor
ced later on by Napoleon. After three hundred years,
the Liège Proof House remains one of the best
warrants of the quali ty of Liège guns.
T h e mil i tary weapons were exported al l over the
wor ld . France used Liège harquebus under Lou is X I I I
as later Napoleon I I I had Chassepot needle-fire rifles
made in the same city. Freder ick-Wil l iam I of Prussia
asked Liège people to bui ld up his arsenals. Benjamin
Frank l in had Liège muskets shipped to Amer ica
during the W a r of Independence. T h e Brit ish fought
the Cr imean W a r wi th Enfield rifles manufactured in
Liège; the papal troops opposed Gar iba ld i wi th
Liège-made Remingtons; the Russ ian officers used
Belgian-made revolvers at the turn of the last cen
tury. A few years later, the first large order for
automatic pistols was placed in Liège by the Spanish
government. Established in 1889, Fabrique Nationale
Herstal (best known under the acronym: F N ) is one
of the most outstanding designers and manufacturers
of mil i tary weapons in the wor ld today.
No less famous are the Liège sporting guns and
pistols. Depending on the requirements of the custo
mer, the best craftsmen have united there to produce
4 Gunmak ing : The Debt to Liège
arms that could reach the level of masterpieces. Liège
has become and still is famous for its firearms
engravers. Some of the best damascus barrels the gun
wor ld has ever produced were forged near Liège. I n
numerable fowling pieces and target or duell ing
pistols sold by Par is ian or London gun dealers were,
in fact, of Liège or igin. The Amer ican inventor John
M. Browning came to Liège to have his automatic
pocket pistol and five-shot automatic shotgun
manufactured where the finest crafted and engraved
Browning guns are still made today.
The importance of the Liège gun business
reached its c l imax in the nineteenth century. Short ly
before Wor ld War I, there were more than 14,000
people employed in arms mark ing, among them
nearly two hundred independent entrepreneur-
merchants. In 1907, the production of Liège weapons
reached an all-time record of 1,579,479 pieces. Both
Wor ld Wars and the great depression have altered
the condit ions of this trade. Home workshops have
almost disappeared and modern methods of
manufacturing now prevai l . T h e majori ty of Liège
guns and pistols for ordnance and sports are now
produced by F N , which has become a diversified in
ternational group wi th subsidiaries and associates all
over the free wor ld . Many mil i tary small arms, both
in 7,62 and 5,56 mm calibre, of FN design or
manufacture are in use in Nor th Amer ica today.
Liège ranks among the very first arms making centres
in the wor ld , as it has for centuries.
Chapter One
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre
In Liège today are to be seen numerous high, dome
like hills, some barren, some scrub-covered, some
actually built-over with modern residences. These
small mountains, which tower over the city's
modern-day multi-storey bui ldings, were formed of
nothing more than the pi led-up, nineteenth-century
tailings from the coal mines which from ancient
times have honeycombed the ground now under
the city.
Steel for the armsmakers of Liège now comes
from Sweden, and coal-f ired smelters have given
way to more modern methods. Some of the high
hills have themselves been level led and their con
tents used as roadbed fil l in the construct ion of
Belgium's modern superhighways, but many remain
as powerful reminders of the industry and deter
mination of the people of Liège.
The hereditary armsmaking fami l ies of Liège
have over the years entrenched themselves deeply,
by social, school , fami ly and business ties into the
very fabric of polit ics and life itself. In return, the
ancient city has respected and venerated the
thousand-year life's b lood brought by her arms-
making guilds. By Napoleon's royal decree, of the
14th December, 1810 a General Proofing law for all
French territory made compulsory the proofing of
all weapons, excluding the inexpensive ' trade' mus
kets used for bartering with native peoples in Amer
ica, Afr ica and the far East. O n e of the armsmakers
themselves was to be the overseer and administra
tor of this proofing faci l i ty, thus recommencing
many years of the old French tradit ion of affer
mage, wherein one privi leged fami ly , or house, pur
chased from the K ing the exc lus ive and hereditary
rights to be 'proofmaster', for a set price, and then
charged any and all comers whatever the market
would bear for the proofing of their arms. The
historic Laloux fami ly was the proofmaster of
Liège. By the time the new law of the independent
Belgian state of 1846 cance l led the old proof ing
system, the La loux fortune was substant ial , and the
fami ly cont inued to f igure prominently in the arms-
making business of Liège. The present-day Liège
Banc d'Épreuves, (Proof House)* , was conf i rmed in
law by the Statute of 24th May, 1888, and aside
from brief periods and during the two world wars,
has been in unwaver ing existence ever s ince.
By 1850, the revolut ionary concept of inter-
changeabi l i ty was being demonstrated by the
famous Amer ican gunmaker Samuel Col t . Whit-
worth machines, newly invented, made possible
metalworking precision of a degree hitherto
unknown. The products of the Liège armouries
soon began to bear witness to this new age. In 1869,
the electr ic dynamo was invented by Liègois artisan
Zenobe Gramme; electr ic motors soon began to
spell the end of noisome steam-drive in the sprawl
ing factories of L iège.
Each of the proud, independent Liègois arms-
making houses was a separate entity unto itself,
with tradit ional supply routes, manufactur ing prac
t ices, customers and rivalries. The largest had
literal control over every conce ivab le facet of their
business, from partnership in the iron mill to a
vo ice in the tradit ional ly defense-conscious
Government. They were, shall we say, geared for
product ion. A long with numerous commerc ia l en
terprises, they had already become, by 1700, the
arms suppl iers to the major armies of Europe. In
1830, nearly 200,000 arms were forged, bored,
mi l led, s tocked, proofed and accepted at the Banc
d'Épreuves in Liège. Arms proofed in the afore
mentioned state Proof house trebled in number to
c lose to 600,000 per year in the scant twenty-year
period 1830 to 1850.
In 1854, during the Cr imean War, the houses of
Anc ion and Company , Pirlot Brothers, Renkin
* The word banc is derived from the literal "bank" of a dozen or more barrels, routinely lined up for proofing at one time.
6 Fabrique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre
Fig 1 Hand-forming a damascus steel barrel around a mandrel, in the Liège of the nineteenth century.
— Musée d'Armes de Liège
Brothers and Auguste Francotte joined forces to
furnish a hard-pressed British Government with
20,000 Enf ield Muskets. (That same year, an order
was executed in Liège for a " large quanti ty of
revolvers, to be del ivered to Mr Samuel Co l t v ia
Russia") . This and other 'marr iages of conven ience '
became more and more the order of the day as
foreign governments rushed ever-larger orders to
Liège, and the firms strove to fulf i l l them. These
temporary mergers were seen by the more prudent
Liègois f irms as a weak link in an otherwise strong
chain. In 1867, the newly-establ ished armsmaking
firm of Dresse-Laloux and Company , founded in
1862, was successfu l in acquir ing the contract to
convert the entire rifle arsenal of the Belgian Army
to the new Alb in i -Brändl in trapdoor breechloading
system. The qual i ty Liège product, and the ad
mirable despatch with which i t was del ivered,
brought fabulous foreign orders. In the heady course
of 1870 several prominent Liègois armsmakers,
including the f irm of Dresse-Laloux, endeavoured
to end the uncertainty of the temporary, per-order-
basis l iaisons among the armsmaking houses. They
establ ished the first permanent common en
deavour, ca l led the "Li t t le Syndicate" . It was im
mediately wished well by the Belgian government
with a healthy contract to make the Comblain
model rifle for the Belgian civ i l guard. A second
coal i t ion was formed on Apr i l 11, of that same year
— several months before the breakout of the Franco-
Prussian war - the "Lit t le Synd ica te" and others
joined in a venture f rankly descr ibed as "commer
c ia l , but of great success" . The independent way of
thinking was deeply ingrained however, and was
hard to put to rest. A third col lect ive, including a
yet-again expanded "Lit t le Syndicate" , f inally
agreed, under the crushing pressure of work, to join
forces as "The Reuni ted Armsmakers " in 1886.
The f irepower advantage offered by the
proliferating new breechloading rifle designs
needed little proving; the whole wor ld was re
arming with them. Redoub led foreign orders meant
an oppressively heavy product ion schedule for
everyone in Liège. This soon forced the Reuni ted
Armsmakers, together with some remaining In
dependents, to join forces at last, all manifest ly
dedicated to the establ ishment of a "manufactory
of military arms equal to the actual necessity". On
July 3rd 1889, the uncontested proposal for the
name of the new, al l -embracing Society was
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre — l i terally,
the "Nat ional Manufactory of Weapons of War" .
The signatories were as fo l lows:
• Albert S imonis, armsmaker
• Jules Anc ion and Company , armsmakers
• Dresse-La loux and Company , underwriters
and armsmakers
• Liègois Manufactory of Firearms, Ltd
• Dumou l in Brothers, armsmakers
• Joseph Janssen, armsmaker
• Henri Pieper, armsmaker
• Pirlot and Frésart, armsmakers
• Credit Genera l Liègois C o m p a n y Limited
• N ico las V ivar io , landowner
• Auguste Francotte, armsmaker
• Emi le and Léon Nagant , armsmakers
The new Society, or F N , as it soon became
known, immediately entered into contract with the
Belgian government to supply, at a st ipulated price
of 79 francs per weapon, 150,000 of whichever
design the government chose as the new repeating
rifle for the Belg ian Army. Belg ium, a very smal l
nation geographica l ly , nevertheless lacked little in
its age-old determinat ion to defend its sovereignty
by its own endeavour as ef fect ively as possible. A
number of breech loading rifle designs had been
made, and consequent ly thoroughly studied, by the
independent companies now compr is ing F N , under
various contracts for foreign governments. The
newly-introduced 1888 Mauser rifle, however,
made in Germany, and the new concept of charger,
or packet, loading, was immediately seen as c lear ly
superior to any system thus far tested. The Mauser
design at this point featured the Mannl icher-style
clip, which was loaded en bloc with the cartr idges
it contained. This en bloc c l ip was necessary for
feeding, but cou ld not be replenished. The
following interesting account of this period is
reprinted by kind permission of S tackpo le and C o ,
from the late Walter H.B. Smith's 1946 book
Mauser Rifles and Pistols:
Fig 2 Although patented in Paris, the electric dynamo was invented by a Liègois, Zenobe Gramme. A rifle was later made for him in Liège, featuring a damascus barrel of incredible artistry. Here is a view of the top three flats of this octagon barrel - the name of the famous inventor can be seen, masterfully woven into the steel, over and over. — Musée d'Armes de Liège
The Rise of the Mauser Clip-loader
Short ly after the introduction of the Model 1888 rifle
into Germany, Belgium considered adopting a
similar type of multiple (or packet) loading arm.
However , after careful consideration and tests of
loading systems, it was decided that a more desirable
form than the Mannl icher would be one in which the
cartridges could be inserted singly to reload the
magazine when time or opportunity permitted; in
which the clip wou ld not constitute a necessary part
of the magazine mechanism, since rusting or defor
mation of the cl ip could result in jams; and in which
8 Fabrique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre
the desirable factor of single-motion magazine
loading could be retained.
The Belgian A r m y therefore requested manufac
turers of small arms in all countries to submit rifles
into which the cartridges could be speedily inserted in
groups as in the Mannl icher, but without the draw
backs encountered wi th the packet system of loading
where the arm could not be singly reloaded or the
magazine held in reserve during battlefield use. It was
stipulated that it was indispensable to the complete
reliability of the arm that the magazine should be
such as to permit refill ing with single cartridges at
any time.
From this request of the Belgian Government
developed the next Mauser rifle, one based on an in
vention of Mauser's patented under specification no.
12689 in England in 1888. Th i s device was the now
famil iar cartridge clip upon which f ive cartridges are
mounted so they can be stripped down into the
magazine without inserting the clip itself. T h i s sys
tem permits reloading with indiv idual cartridges
whenever the magazine is part ly depleted and oppor
tunity permits. Th i s strip-in cl ip, by speeding up
magazine loading without danger of jamming, com
pletely revolutionized the development of mil i tary
rifles.
I ronical ly enough, the first official tests of the
new Mauser loading system were held in Eng land;
and the Brit ish War Off ice passed up an opportunity
to be the first in the field with this new form of speed
loading.
Model 1889, Belgian Mauser In response to the request of the Belgian Government
for the submission of test rifles, weapons were sup
plied by manufacturers f rom many countries. After
extensive and detailed testing, the Belgian Govern
ment f inal ly accepted the new Mauser rifle. Th i s
was the first weapon manufactured by Mauser to
employ a box magazine, and the first on which his
now famous cartridge clip was used as a quick
loading instrument.
Wi th only minor modif ications, this rifle was of
f icial ly in use by the Belgian Government in Wor ld
War I. The essential design of the rifle was so correct
that only minor modif ications were necessary; and
even the most modern Mausers va ry f rom it in detail
rather than principle.
Herr Mauser had prudently 'papered' his new in
ventions with exhaust ive patents, at home and
abroad, including a hal f -dozen in Belg ium itself. A l l
Mauser designs, and indeed the Waffenfabr ik
Mauser factory, were part of the empire of the
megal i th ic Ludwig Loewe and Company of Berl in.
FN foresaw the impact that the new Mauser design
was yet to have. They entered into a contract with
Loewe in August , 1889, offering product ion, under
l icense, of the new Mauser designs in exchange for
FN's "acquis i t ion of materials necessary for the
mass product ion of the aforesaid rifle and the
technical assistance required to that end". An in
t imate and complex l iaison with the German arms
industry was thus built up over the first few years of
existence of the new Fabrique Nationale cartel. The
manufacture of the Belgian Mauser rifle and its
variants was to become a mainstay of the
economies of both Belg ium and Germany: over
1,350,000 arms of all types were proofed at Liège in
1900; the industrial census had four years earlier
numbered more than 13,000 artisan-armourers in
the Liège area.
Assured of their future act iv i ty over the next
few years, the FN Society embarked on the con
struction of a faci l i ty suitable to their purpose, and
decided on some property in the area of the parish
of Herstal , near Liège. Here they built first an ar
moury and later a cartr idge manufactory. Their
careful ly- invested interest in, and development of,
both arms and their ammuni t ion continues to this
day.
The bonds with the covetous Ludwig Loewe
and Co grew tighter, through increased contact
with other Loewe subsidiaries, Deutsche Waffen
und Munit ionsfabr iken, (DWM), and the cartridge
factory Deutsche Metal lpatronenfabrik. FN cor
rectly saw license to the Mauser patents as the key to
the future, and in 1891 signed further binding con
tracts with the German giant, which granted FN
what appeared to be direct l icense to manufacture
the 1889 model Mauser rifle.
Numerous mil i tary orders fo l lowed, each with
smal l but dist inguishing variat ions to the basic
Mauser design as demanded by the various client
governments. A l l was well until Brazi l placed a
direct order with Fabrique Nat ionale for a pro
posed modi f icat ion of the 1893 FN-licensed
"Span i sh " Mauser. Waf fenfabr ik Mauser, seeing
their hitherto c losely-held rein on events loosening
by the minute, threatened suit if FN should proceed
with the order. A draconian battle ensued, resulting
in the abject at tachment of FN to the gigantic
chain of jewels wh ich was Ludwig Loewe. Belgian
artisans were henceforth directed by German
technic ians. It was the period during which, for
good or il l, FN quite l iterally abandoned the in
nocence of empir ical inspiration and advanced to
methods of modern-day scient i f ic analysis. There
was much to learn in the "German school" , and FN
product ion smoothed out dramat ical ly under the
pract iced hands of overseeing Loewe engineers, all
graduates of apprent iceships at D W M and Waf fen
fabrik Mauser.
The "p ie" of Mauser rifle profits was appor
tioned thusly in 1897:
• D W M (Berlin) 32 .5%
• Mauser Waf fenfabr ik (Oberndorf) 2 0 %
• Steyr Waf fenfabr ik (Steyr) 32 .5%
• Fabrique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre (Her-
s t a l ) 15%
The FN directors saw that the Mauser patent
stranglehold prec luded their ever seeing the lion's
share of the profits, regardless of how di l igent ly
they improved their product ion capac i ty . The
directorship therefore undertook to establ ish a
series of new div is ions, independent of the Loewe-
dominated armoury. These were set up and over
the years designed, developed and sold b icyc les ,
motorcycles, motor vehic les and sporting arms.
In the course of an energetic campa ign to pur
sue viable new designs for this latter d iv is ion, the
Browning brothers of Ogden , Utah, U S A were en
countered. An intimate l iaison of many years stand
ing was thus begun.
After several years of contract negotiat ions by
mail, the rocksure Mormon John Moses Browning
first travelled to Europe in February, 1902, and felt
right at home in Herstal /L iège. Indeed, in the course
of his famous associat ion with F N , he made over 60
sea voyages to Belg ium. John Moses Browning was
known in the atelier as "the master". The FN artisans
genuinely revered this tal l , stern Amer ican .
Years of great d i l igence and prosperity
followed, with orders pouring in from around the
world for Browning's ever-new sporting designs and
FN-licensed Mauser mil i tary rifles. Dur ing this
period, before Wor ld War I, the FN Society
remained deeply and contractual ly involved with
the large German arms cartel .
Ties of long-standing mutual respect, built up
among these part icipants in their common en
deavour, were shattered by the 1914 invasion of
Belgium by the German Imperial Army. After a
short, tragic resistance, the Liège city square fel l on
the 16th of August 1914. The Germans immediately
declared that FN's industrial act iv i ty should
proceed "unimpeded". Examples of determinat ion,
not to say heroism, greeted this demand. The direc
tor himself. Monsieur Andr i , with the unanimous
approval of the Counc i l of the Society, refused to
manufacture arms for the Germans. He and others
were interned in prison camps. The Germans in
desperation f inal ly c losed the weapons faci l i ty
altogether, barred the Belgian directorship from
entering the plant, and set up a vehic le repair shop
in the FN motor veh ic le div is ion.
The end of the war was also the end of an
epoch. D W M was forced to cede its control l ing in
terest in Fabr ique Nat ionale to a newly-formed
Liègois f inancia l union. The c l imate engendered by
the war had made German dominat ion, especia l ly
of a weapons factory, intolerable to the Belgian
consc ience.
In the euphor ia of victory, the thought was
that once the war damage was swept up and
forgotten, the Society would resume its tradit ional
activi t ies and soon recapture the pre-war era of
fabulous prosperity. Disenchantment rapidly set in
on every score. The war had dealt a death-blow to
the stabil i ty of the var ious monetary systems on
which rested the entire European economy; the
v indict ive treaties of Versai l les and Sèvres only
aggravated the situation. Massive currency
devaluat ions, together with cr ippl ing customs
duties, defeated any thought of revived inter
national trade. FN also faced grave problems in in
ternal re-organization. Before the war, the c lose
associat ion with the overseeing German Deutsche
Waf fen und Muni t ionsfabr iken (DWM) had been of
inest imable va lue from the standpoint of the tech
nical expertise the Germans had pumped in. In
point of fact the key technical posit ions in the pre
war FN factor ies had been largely a German pre
rogative. This was now out of the quest ion, even
though it meant absolutely drastic cu tbacks in
product ion, due to the plain and simple lack of
manager ia l ly-qual i f ied Belgian personnel. Art isans,
known in their tradit ional numbers before the toll
of the war, were now almost a thing of the past.
Handwork itself and the traditions it personif ied
now had to compromise with the modern machine
age the war had brought about. A new technica l -
work-force had to be wrought from the young and
the avai lab le. A professional school was
establ ished within the conf ines of the FN factory
grounds in Herstal . Pioneer work in psycho log ica l
testing greatly improved the usual trial-and-error
methods of recruitment. This contr ibuted in the
end to a high order of success among those accep
ted, but in direct contrast to the fifteen years of
tranqui l , albeit subservient, prosperity which had
preceded Wor ld War I, the post-war period was
gray indeed.
War reparations and reconstruct ion assistance
from the Belgian government aided in a slow but
determined re-establishment of qual i ty weapons
product ion. The directors, at the earl iest possible
opportunity, embarked on an ambit ious program
me to modern ize the tool ing and methods of pro-
10 Fabr ique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre
Fig 3 The historic coat of arms of Liège, featuring the famous Perron, in use since 1811 as an acceptance proof-mark. The medals appended to the shield were awarded to the city by the Belgian government for its heroic conduct during World War One.
— Musée d'Armes de Liège
duction in the armoury. John Browning had returned
to Herstal , and in concert with FN personnel,
worked contentedly on numerous successfu l com
mercial projects. He was complet ing one of his
most famous designs, the Browning superposed
shotgun, when he died suddenly in 1926, in the very
off ices where he had worked. His marvel lous inven
tive gifts had held ful l sway there for more than
thirty years. He is remembered to this day, in name
and legend, at FN and indeed throughout French-
speaking Europe, where the word "browning" is
synonymous with "pistol" .
Dur ing the just-finished First War, John
Browning had devoted his t ime and work to the
mil i tary need in the United States. He had invented
and perfected two arms: a shoulder f ired, gas-
operated machine-r i f le and a water-cooled, short-
recoil-operated light machine gun. These were
qu ick ly adopted into Amer ican service, respec
t ively as the Browning Automat ic Rif le (BAR)
model 1918, and the 1917 Browning water-cooled
machine gun. Both weapons saw duty on the French
front. Col t 's had successfu l ly negotiated the con
tract to manufacture these new Browning weapons,
at its Hartford plant, and had been granted the ex
c lus ive, world-wide rights to the two designs.
In 1924 the reconstructed Pol ish Army decided
to adopt the B A R design, with slight alterations, in
to its mil i tary service. They proposed to Colt's that
they buy several thousand machine rifles outright,
and then bring manufactur ing procedures to
Poland to make the remainder under l icense. Colt's
entered into a contract, naming FN as its European
agent. It was soon made apparent that the suc
cessful product ion of a relatively compl icated
weapon like the B A R required a good deal of
previous arms experience. Colt 's was busy enough
at home and cou ld wel l see peril in spreading itself,
too thinly, across Europe. A contract was signed in
December 1927, naming Fabrique Nationale d'Armes
de Guerre the sole suppl ier of 10,000 modif ied BAR
automat ic rifles for the new Pol ish army.
Over six hundred new metalworking machines
were purchased for the armoury during this period.
The engineering school was proving a great suc
cess, and the graduate technic ians grew daily more
at ease with the most del icate problems of dimen
sioning and tolerancing.
The memories of the war lingered on, however.
A new FN ammuni t ion factory was constructed at
Bruges, still in Belg ium but considerably further
west than Herstal , away from the German border.
The Belgian government felt that, to safeguard its
very autonomy, as much spec ia l ized knowledge as
was here embodied should not be concentrated in
any one p lace. Through the early thirties, the FN
motor vehic le div is ion, wh ich by now had for years
been manufactur ing quite an extensive line of
unique, chainless b icyc les , as well as motorcycles
and motor vehic les, took these latter vehicles into
compet i t ion. Their motorcyc les and racing cars
met with success after bri l l iant success at the gala
pan-European auto rall ies and road races of the
period. At the c lose of 1935, FN proudly held 81
world racing records.
It was, however, t ime to regroup. Quantity
manufacture of commerc ia l motor vehicles in a
Europe s lammed shut with protectionism and
paranoid trade barriers seemed utterly impractical.
The director general of the FN Society at that time
was Monsieur Gustave Joassart , whose views as to
what lay ahead for FN have to this day proven
prophetic. He f i rmly directed the total effort of the
by-now considerable technical entity of Fabrique
Nat ionale into "the business of arms and
munitions". In this belief, he was ably assisted by
Monsieur René Laloux, who as assistant director
under Monsieur Joassart , was himself the son of a
respected FN administrator. He was and is today
the living face of the aristocrat ic La loux tradit ion
of armsmaking.
A certain Monsieur Dieudonné Saive had been
working with quiet dist inct ion in the armoury since
August 14, 1919. Indeed, he had spent the latter
years of Wor ld War I working as a common
machinist for the A l l ied cause, in the V ickers
machine gun factory in England, and thereafter
became John Browning's trusted assistant. Hence
forth the process of FN prototype weapons
development was to be under his control . Under his
direction a s lowdown device, and later a qu ick-
removable barrel, were added to the FN-l icensed
version of the B A R . Both features were adopted ex
tensively in pre-world-war-II Europe. Monsieur
Saive also modif ied the basic 1917 Browning infan
try machine gun into a smal l or medium cal ibre
weapon, capab le of a high rate of fire, ideal for the
newly-popular pursuit and fighter aircraft of the
day. In 1932 Monsieur Saive designed a smal l
pocket or purse pistol of appeal ing form. It was
marketed successfu l ly as the "Browning Baby" in
calibre 6.35 mm (.25 A C P ) . Later he appl ied his own
ideas on combin ing manageable weight and
proportions, with the large-capaci ty prototype
high-powered automat ic pistol John Browning has
left behind. The 9 mm model 1935 GP (Grande
Puissance) was thus born as the 13-shot Browning
High Power Pistol.
In those days, and indeed ever s ince the founding
of the Society in 1889, the tradit ion of 'al l for one'
was very strongly held at F N . Even today there is
some object ion to indiv iduals ' identities being at
tached to each success ive invention and develop
ment. Monsieur Sa ive and Monsieur La loux
however went on to make up a team in the league
of those who deserve status as indiv iduals.
Throughout the later thirties, in the midst of slow
economic renaissance, the nations of Europe
watched the phenomenal rise of Nat ional Socia l is t
power in Germany. React ion among Germany's
proximitous neighbours was very mixed. In 1936,
from Akt iebolaget Bofors, the famous Swedish
Powder and Arms f irm, whose patents fund the
Nobel prize, FN obtained the l icense to manufac
ture the superb 40 mm Bofors automat ic cannon.
Nationalist Ch ina , f ight ing for its life against in
vading Japan, made Ch iang Ka i Chek the largest
cl ient FN had ever had. In the course of the thirties,
Ch ina purchased over 164,000 Mauser rifles, large
quantit ies of numerous other weapons and over
100 mil l ion infantry cartr idges. FN was very busy
supply ing Latin Amer ica , Europe and the far East
with ever increasing numbers of arms. The 3rd of
Ju ly 1939 marked the 50th anniversary of the foun
ding of Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre.
Monsieur Joassart , the director general, noted to
his fel low-workers in a speech marking the oc
casion that FN had tradit ional ly been involved in
two activi t ies. These he cited as the manufacture of
goods for the mil itary, or for war, and goods of
commerc ia l manufacture: shotguns, b icyc les,
motorcyc les and motor vehic les, for sale to the
general publ ic . He then declared: "Born to keep
Belg ium free, and baptised at its birth Fabrique
Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, our Society must per
sonify the life and act iv i ty destined by our name."
As the threat of war loomed up for the second time
in a quarter-century, FN returned to the " loves of its
foundat ion and its first years", as Monsieur Joassart
put it, and became strictly and determinedly an ar
senal .
On the first of September 1939, the Naz is invaded
Poland. France and Great Britain declared war on
Germany. The smal l nations of Europe ceased
mobi l izat ion and held their breath under a shaki ly-
declared neutrality. FN was determined that their
newly-made stocks of Bofors anti-aircraft cannon
should not aid their hated neighbour. Without wait
ing for orders to be processed, all ava i lab le cannon
were shipped out in t ime to render precious service
to both France and England in the course of the war
years that were to fol low. The 'phoney war' seemed
to drag on interminably, then Germany suddenly
moved north on Denmark and Norway. The British
Defense Establ ishment was galvanised into act ion:
FN was hurriedly invited to erect a plant, in Eng
land, to manufacture .50 Browning aircraft machine
guns. Monsieur Joassart , who now occup ied the
combined off ices of director general and admin
istrator, went to Eng land, accompan ied by his
assistant director, Monsieur René Laloux. They
were in the midst of talks with the British Ministry
of Defense on May 10th 1940, when Belg ium and
the Netherlands were invaded. Hitler's Wehrmacht
had launched the first grand Western front offen
sive against the Al l ies.
12 Fabrique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre
The war did not exact ly take FN unawares. In 1939,
in accord with the Belg ian Defense Ministry, the FN
Counc i l had cance l led the del ivery of weapons or
ders to potential ly hosti le cl ients. The Liège area
was still bitterly remembered as being relatively
undefendable. The Bruges ammuni t ion faci l i ty,
farther toward the French coast, was capab le of
producing one mil l ion cartr idges a day, and was by
no means to fal l into Naz i hands. A plan was in
existence to effect the evacuat ion of strategic
machines and materials from Herstal and the
Bruges plant to several factories already set up in
the south of France.
The newly developed German "l ightning war"
tact ics staggered the world. In contrast to the first
world war, during which Belgian troops were never
complete ly defeated, Belg ium now capi tu lated in
18 days. Mechanised German units entered Liège
on the 12th of May 1940, sweeping away any token
resistance before them. Belgian General Quint in ,
commanding the Bruges area, ordered the im
mediate evacuat ion of the complete FN Bruges
ammunit ion faci l i ty to France. Four trainloads of
machines and equipment, and several car loads of
FN personnel, were reunited at the State Arsenal of
Toulouse in early June. Unfortunately, the ar
mist ice on the French front was declared the very
day before the machines were ready to begin pro
duct ion of ammuni t ion to augment A l l ied suppl ies.
The new faci l i ty remained dormant; the Germans
were unable to get their c lutches on this plum for
two ful l years hence due to the neutralit ies agreed
to in the setup of V i chy France. Be lg ium, together
with Luxembourg and the northern districts of
France, fel l into the vanquishers ' hands.
Two of the FN directors who l ived in Liège
were summoned by the German area commander.
Each , separately, was ordered to react ivate the fac
tories. The directors refused point-blank, and in this
were upheld by the FN counc i l president. Monsieur
Alexandre Ga lop in . The Germans meanwhi le
seized all the completed arms and munit ions to be
found in the factory, and prepared them for im
mediate issue. The two Liège directors were sum
mari ly informed that the entire FN operation was
henceforth a subsidiary of D W M , Berl in. Such in
terests of the FN Society as were deemed worthy of
considerat ion were henceforth to be represented
by an off icer of the Oberkommando der Wehr-
macht (OKW) . As a f inal note of ignomy. Fabrique
Nationale d'Armes de Guerre ceased to exist as such
and was now of f ic ia l ly " D W M , Werk Lütt ich".
Memories die hard on both sides of the German-
Belgian border.
A steadi ly darkening period fo l lowed. The FN
directors appealed to the Germans, arguing that
peace would inevitably come, and courageously
demanding the right to prepare for the day when FN
would once again lead the world in the manufac
ture of such things as sporting arms and bicycles.
The Germans curt ly agreed that two smal l offices
cou ld be opened in the city of Liège for this pur
pose. At first the Germans were almost em
barrassingly unsuccessfu l at keeping the FN facil ity
al ive. Of a prewar labour force of 10,000, only
about 1,000 agreed to stay and work voluntari ly. By
the spring of 1942, however, an iron grip tightened
merci lessly on every possible supply source as
more and more weapons, munit ions and vehicles
were swept up in the colossal German war effort.
The off ices which FN had set up for research were
summari ly c losed, and the two uncompromising
directors. Monsieur Pommerenke and Monsieur
Lecocq , were conf ined to house arrest. The other
staff members were ordered to return to the plant
and a labour force of 12,000 was coerced from the
gray, conquered ci t izenry of Europe by new Nazi
"obl igatory work" orders.
Two years of this hated work, marked by ram
pant sabotage, ended very soon after the Al l ied in
vasion of Normandy on the 6th of June, 1944. In a
reverse-replay of the l ightning Naz i arrival four
years earlier, German plans for the complete
evacuat ion of "Werk Lüt t ich" back to the
fatherland were largely foi led by the quick All ied
advance. On the 5th of September the hated O K W -
appointed director released the Liège directors
from their conf inement and without ceremony
returned to them possession of the FN works. He
then left, his overseers and troops fol lowed, and
Liège was l iberated by Amer ican troops three days
later.
The factories were in a shambles. The very
heart of the plant, nearly two thousand machine
tools of the latest design, had been methodical ly
crated and sent off on goods trains to D W M plants
in Germany and Poland. Most of what the Germans
left behind had been merci lessly worked to near-
co l lapse during the occupat ion . The Americans
immediately declared Liège an Al l ied provisioning
area. The cr ippled FN works was nursed into 24
hour-a-day product ion of s imple but strategic items
requiring a relat ively low degree of accuracy in
manufacture: cast-iron tank treads, stamped-and-
welded jerrycans — anything to begin the
revi tal izat ion process as qu ick ly as possible. The
Germans, beaten back on every front, now resorted
to desperate tact ics to postpone their inevitable de
feat. Fevered research had provided them with fan
tastic new rocket weaponry, combining offence
with defence. Ful ly aware of the potential of the
Liège area even after their despoi lat ion of it, the
Fig 4 When the Germans left in 1944, the FN factories were in a shambles.
— FN Archive
crumbling Reich concentrated madly on its further
destruction. From November 1944 to February
1945, Liège was a target for very heavy V-1 and V-2
rocket-bomb at tacks. The map in f igure 7 shows the
number and locat ion of the strikes, as the Germans
vainly tried to deny the Al l ies this source of supply.
General Walter Dornberger later wrote a book en
titled V-2, and is quoted by Gen Ju l ian Hatcher in
his famous "Notebook" as saying: "The V-2 rocket
weighed 8,818 lbs (empty of fuel but with warhead).
It rose in mid-fl ight to a height of 56 miles at a ve lo
city of 3,000 to 3,600 feet per second, and struck its
target with the energy of roughly fourteen hundred
million foot-pounds." The FN factory bui ld ings
sustained extensive and repeated damage (see
f igures 5 and 6), but were stil l in operat ion when the
European war ended in May 1945.
As the war neared its end, every US mil i tary
smal l arm in Europe had to be c leaned, inspected,
gauged, repaired with spare parts either suppl ied or
newly manufactured, and then packed away. The
Amer icans, in return for loyal and herculean efforts
expended on their behalf, gave the job to F N . The
factories, which the personnel had part ial ly recon
structed, were able to complete this monumental
endeavour in just one year. More than 2,100,000 US
smal l arms weapons of every descr ipt ion were
processed.
14 Fabrique Nat ionale d'Armes de Guerre
Fig 5 Initial V-1 f ly ing-bomb strike on the FN head off ices, November 28, 1944.
Fig 6 Second V-1 strike, Christmas eve, 1944. John Browning had worked and died in these offices.
— FN Archive
Fig 7 A map of the Liège area showing V-bomb strikes 1944-45.
1 6 F a b r i q u e N a t i o n a l e d ' A r m e s d e G u e r r e
Fig 8 Refurbishing M1 Garand stocks in an FN atelier. One scene from among hundreds, 1945. Over two million American small arms were reconditioned at FN during and after the final months of the war.
— FN Archive
Chapter 2
The First Four Prototypes
A m o n g t h e m a j o r i t y o f t h o s e a t F N w h o h a d
initially r e fu sed t o w o r k for t h e G e r m a n s , f ive
v a l u a b l e m e n w e r e a i d e d t o e s c a p e t o E n g l a n d , b y
a long a n d c i r c u i t o u s r o u t e , in t h e s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 1 .
In a journey las t ing seve ra l m o n t h s , t h e f ive t r a v e l l e d
sou th b y t r a in t h r o u g h F r a n c e , t h e n S p a i n , a n d o n
to neutral Po r tuga l . T h e o n l y ' h i c c u p ' in t h e a r r a n g e
men t s w a s t h a t all f ive b o r e a B e l g i a n p a s s p o r t ,
issued in t h e s a m e n a m e ! I t w a s f o r t u n a t e l y c o u n t e r
signed by a h i g h - r a n k i n g , p r o - G e r m a n F r e n c h of
ficer. A s m a l l KLM a i r c r a f t w a s still m a k i n g s c h e d
uled f l ights f r o m P o r t o , P o r t u g a l t o Br i s to l , Eng
land, a n d t h e f ive , s p l i t i n t o t w o g r o u p s , e s c a p e d .
O n e o f t h e f ive , t h e d i s t i n g u i s h e d FN d i r e c t o r
genera l G u s t a v e J o a s s a r t , w a s s u b s e q u e n t l y e l e c
ted u n d e r - s e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e i n t h e B e l g i a n g o v e r n
ment - in -ex i l e i n E n g l a n d . A n o t h e r o f t h e g r o u p ,
D i e u d o n n é S a i v e , h a d b e e n a s m e n t i o n e d e a r l i e r
FN's chief a r m s d e s i g n e r s i n c e t h e d e a t h o f J o h n
Browning in 1 9 2 6 . His n e w g a s - o p e r a t e d , t i l t i n g - b o l t
rifle de s ign h a d b e e n w e l l i n h a n d w h e n t h e G e r
m a n s i n v a d e d B e l g i u m . T h e d r a w i n g s fo r t h i s d e
sign had b e e n h i d d e n . M . S a i v e r e f u s e d t o w o r k for
t he Naz i s , a n d c o n t i n u e d his w o r k , o s t e n s i b l y o n
' c o m m e r c i a l ' p r o j e c t s , i n t h e lof t o f o n e o f t h e
small Liège o f f i c e s t h e G e r m a n s h a d a l l o w e d .
W h e n h e left, t h e d r a w i n g s w e r e c o u r a g e o u s l y
s e c r e t e d on his p e r s o n , a n d u p o n his a r r i va l i n
England h e o f f e r e d t h e m a n d his s e r v i c e s t o t h e
British Min i s t ry o f D e f e n c e . H e w o r k e d o n t h i s
p r o j e c t unt i l t h e l i b e r a t i o n o f B e l g i u m as a m e m b e r
o f t h e m u l t i - n a t i o n a l S m a l l A r m s G r o u p , a t
C h e s h u n t , u n d e r UK Col E.N. K e n t - L e m o n . T h e
s tory o f his rifle, k n o w n a n d f i rs t m a d e in E n g l a n d
as t h e EXP-1, is r e l a t e d in V o l u m e T w o of t h i s s e r i e s ,
UK and Commonwealth FALs. M o n s i e u r R e n é
Laloux, a s s i s t a n t d i r e c t o r t o M o n s i e u r J o a s s a r t , a n d
a l so o n e o f t h e g r o u p o f e s c a p e e s , w a s h i m s e l f t h e
s o n o f a r e s p e c t e d FN a d m i n i s t r a t o r , a n d t h e s c i o n
o f a n h i s t o r i c f o u n d i n g f a m i l y o f t h e o r i g i n a l 1 8 8 9
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de G u e r r e . A s h r e w d ,
a r i s t o c r a t i c m a n . M o n s i e u r L a l o u x w a s r igh t a t
h o m e w i t h t h e ' o l d s c h o o l t i e ' t r a d i t i o n s o f t h e u p
p e r - c l a s s o f f i c e r s o f t h e Bri t ish A r m a m e n t D e s i g n
E s t a b l i s h m e n t (ADE). T h e r e w a s o f c o u r s e m u c h
h i s t o r i c a l g r o u n d i n g for t h i s a s s o c i a t i o n , la id s i n c e
t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y b e t w e e n t h e Armuriers o f
L iège a n d t h e Bri t ish g o v e r n m e n t . M o n s i e u r La loux
b e c a m e f a s t f r i e n d s w i t h s e v e r a l i n f l u e n t i a l Bri t ish
o f f i c e r s w h o w e r e k e e n l y i n t e r e s t e d i n a r m s , a r m a
m e n t s a n d t h e i m p r o v e m e n t s t h e w a r w a s b o u n d t o
b r i n g t o m i l i t a r y w e a p o n r y . A c o m m o n p u r p o s e
e x i s t e d a m o n g t h e m al l . Af te r t h e w a r t h e s e a s s o c
i a t i o n s p r o v e d t h e b a s i s fo r a s t u n n i n g l y s u c c e s s f u l
c o - o p e r a t i v e r a p p o r t b e t w e e n t h e Bri t ish a n d
F a b r i q u e N a t i o n a l e , w h e r e i n m u c h c a p t u r e d infor
m a t i o n , t r i a l s r e s u l t s a n d n e w f i n d i n g s w e r e f r ee ly
p o o l e d .
W i t h t h e c o l l a p s e o f G e r m a n y i n M a y 1 9 4 5 ,
t h e v i c t o r i o u s Al l ies w e r e f r ee t o e v a l u a t e G e r m a n
w a r t i m e rifle a n d c a r t r i d g e d e v e l o p m e n t s a t t h e i r
l e i s u r e . T h e s e j o b s n a t u r a l l y fell t o t h o s e c o n c e r
n e d w i t h a r m a m e n t s i n t h e r e s p e c t i v e Al l i ed c o u n
t r i e s . I n Br i ta in , e v i d e n c e s o o n s h o w e d t h e ADE
t h a t , i n s p i t e o f e v e r - i n c r e a s i n g a d v e r s i t i e s , t h e
G e r m a n s h a d m a d e a s t o u n d i n g a d v a n c e s i n t h e
e c o n o m i e s o f w e a p o n s c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d in te r
m e d i a t e c a r t r i d g e d e s i g n , a n d i n t h e p r o c e s s w e r e
we l l o n t h e w a y t o n o t h i n g less t h a n a c o m p l e t e
r ev i s i on o f E u r o p e a n i n f a n t r y t a c t i c s . A s t h e Bri t ish
p l u m b e d t h e full i m p o r t o f t h e n e w G e r m a n 7.92
Kurz " i n t e r m e d i a t e " c o n c e p t s , FN, w i t h c o n
s i d e r a b l e Al l i ed a s s i s t a n c e , d e t e r m i n e d l y r e b u i l t it 's
s h a t t e r e d p r o d u c t i o n c a p a c i t y a n d r e s e a r c h
f ac i l i t i e s . T h e f i rm w a r t i m e a s s o c i a t i o n s m e n t i o n e d
a b o v e k e p t t h e m p r ivy t o e a c h o t h e r ' s f i n d i n g s a n d
1 8 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 9 From the Ideal Calibre Panel's research which led to the UK .270 and .280 cartridges, the March 1947 Fort Halstead report was a milestone. Variables were ex
plored, within an empirical relationship, for four emergent calibres. In this example, the cartridge base diameter is twice that of the bullet.
d e v e l o p m e n t s . T h e Bri t ish c o n d u c t e d f i r ing t e s t s o f
cap tu red lots o f G e r m a n 7.92 Kurz a m m u n i t i o n ,
using w a r t i m e M P 4 4 a s s a u l t r if les. T h e y w e r e s o
impressed w i th t h e h a n d l i n g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a n d
accu racy r e su l t s t h a t t h e y t h e m s e l v e s u n d e r t o o k t o
rewrite t h e c o n c e p t s o f s m a l l a r m s for t h e Bri t ish
Army M o n s i e u r Sa ive , a t t h e h e l m o f all n e w
military a r m s i n v e n t i o n a n d r e s e a r c h s t u d y a t F N
since 1932 , h a d a t his d i s p o s a l p r o d u c t i o n
workshop n u m b e r 74, k n o w n as Groupe 74. M o n
sieur Laloux, h imse l f n o w a full d i r e c t o r of t h e FN
Society, w a s a b l e t o e f f e c t s m o o t h l i a i son b e t w e e n
the British r e q u i r e m e n t s a n d M o n s i e u r Sa ive ' s
Groupe 74. T h e d e e p Bri t ish i n t e r e s t in w a r t i m e
German 7.92 Kurz i n t e r m e d i a t e c a r t r i d g e
d e v e l o p m e n t s led to a r e q u e s t by t h e ADE for ex
tensive s t u d i e s o f t h e b a l l i s t i c s o f t h i s c a r t r i d g e to
be u n d e r t a k e n , u n d e r c o n t r a c t , by Fabrique
Nationale d'Armes de Guerre. On S e p t e m b e r 30,
1946, FN w a s o f f i c i a l ly a s k e d to p a r t i c i p a t e in
British Col E d m u n d s ' " I n f a n t r y C o m b a t W e a p o n "
p r o g r a m m e . D u r i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g m o n t h , i n
response t o t h e U K r e q u i r e m e n t s . M o n s i e u r S a i v e
c o n s t r u c t e d a M a n n b a r r e l (a f ixed, s i n g l e - s h o t t e s t
a p p a r a t u s u s e d for b a l l i s t i c s t u d i e s ) for t h e FN
Ballistic L a b o r a t o r y . I t f e a t u r e d t h e " c h a m b e r a n d
barrel prof i le o f t h e G e r m a n a u t o m a t i c c a r b i n e o f
1944" (MP44). Af ter a s c a n t t w o m o n t h s o f b a l l i s t i c
test ing, i n D e c e m b e r , 1 9 4 6 , M o n s i e u r S a i v e u n d e r
took t h e s t u d y a n d e x e c u t i o n o f a p r o t o t y p e
a u t o m a t i c c a r b i n e i n ca l 7.92 m m K u r z . T h e Bri t ish
were m o s t s e r i o u s a b o u t e x p l o r i n g th i s n e w d i r e c
tion, and w i th t h e i r u s u a l t h o r o u g h n e s s w e r e fun
ding p r o t o t y p e w e a p o n p r o g r a m m e s a t h o m e , b o t h
a t BSA and RSAF Enf ie ld , as w e l l as a t FN. All w e r e
g i v e n t h e s a m e t a s k : t o s t u d y t h e p r o b l e m s o f a
n e w , l i g h t w e i g h t a u t o m a t i c rifle, o r c a r b i n e , for a
n e w c a r t r i d g e i n t h e m e d i u m p o w e r r a n g e .
T h e EXP-1 ( l a t e r t h e s u c c e s s f u l 1 9 4 9 SAFN)
rifle a c t i o n , a r o u n d w h i c h M . S a i v e h a d o r i g i n a l l y
h u n g t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l , f u l l - l eng th m i l i t a r y t r a p
p i n g s o f t h e d a y , p r o v e d w o r t h y o f g r e a t a d a p
t a t i o n . His f irst a t t e m p t a t c o m b i n i n g a s c a l e d -
d o w n v e r s i o n o f t h i s p r o v e n a c t i o n , f i r ing m e d i u m -
p o w e r e d a m m u n i t i o n , r e s u l t e d i n t h e p r o t o t y p e
l ight a u t o m a t i c c a r b i n e se r ia l n o 1 , c h a m b e r e d for
t h e 7.92 Kurz c a r t r i d g e . This ini t ial p r o t o t y p e w a s
r e a d y for its f i rs t t r i a l s o n N o v 2 1 , 1 9 4 7 , a n d w a s
d e m o n s t r a t e d t o v i s i t i ng E n g l i s h m e n Br igad i e r -
G e n e r a l J o h n B a r l o w a n d Col E . N o e l K e n t - L e m o n ,
a t t h e B e l g i a n m i l i t a r y r a n g e s a t Z u t e n d a a l o n
J a n u a r y 1 3 a n d 1 4 , 1 9 4 8 .
B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w , l a t e r t o h o l d t h e k e y p o s t o f
D i r e c t o r o f Ar t i l l e ry (Smal l Arms) , a n d h i m s e l f
t w i c e a King's P r i z e w i n n e r a t Bisley, w a s k e e n l y in
t e r e s t e d i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e f i ne s t p o s s i b l e
a r m a m e n t for t h e Bri t ish s o l d i e r . I t b e c a m e his f i rm
be l i e f t h a t F N w a s " o n t h e r igh t t r a c k " t o w a r d th i s
e n d , a n d he t h e r e f o r e b e c a m e a g r e a t a l ly o f t h e FN
p r o d u c t , a i d i n g a n d e n c o u r a g i n g its d e v e l o p m e n t
t o t h e b e s t o f his c o n s i d e r a b l e a b i l i t i e s , b o t h a t
h o m e a n d a b r o a d . H e a n d M o n s i e u r L a l o u x w e r e
p a r t i c u l a r l y c l o s e t h r o u g h o u t t h i s p e r i o d o f
p r o t o t y p e d e v e l o p m e n t , a n d i t w a s t h r o u g h h im
t h a t M . L a l o u x l a t e r s h o w e d his g r a t i t u d e t o
E n g l a n d in a m o s t f i t t i ng m a n n e r , a s we sha l l s e e .
A Review of UK Intermediate Cartridge Development
Fig 10 The UK Armaments Design Department's Idea l Calibre Panel issued a definitive, detailed Technical Report in March, 1947, entitled, "The Choice of a Standard Round for Small Arms". Exerpted here in figures 9 to
13, the report explored, in some depth, what happens when certain variables in a cartridge design are manipulated. The British were deeply committed to this project.
20 T h e First Four Pro to types
Fig 11 Same criteria as explored in Fig 9, except calculations based on a cartridge base diameter 1.8 times bullet diameter.
Col E.N. K e n t - L e m o n w a s in c h a r g e of r if le
d e v e l o p m e n t a t Enf ie ld , a n d i n d e e d h a s b e e n
cal led " t h e f a t h e r of t h e EM-2". (This s t o r y i s t o l d in
detai l in t h e C o l l e c t o r G r a d e b o o k The EM-2, Con
cept and Design by T h o m a s B. D u g e l b y ) .
F o r t u n a t e l y for t h e a u t h o r s o f t h i s p r e s e n t
book, M o n s i e u r L a l o u x w a s i n t h e h a b i t o f k e e p i n g
m e t i c u l o u s n o t e s o f all i m p o r t a n t m e e t i n g s , a s t h e y
h a p p e n e d , a n d t h e n p r e p a r i n g a n d d i s s e m i n a t i n g
reports , b a s e d o n t h e s e n o t e s , t o all c o n c e r n e d
within t h e FN o r g a n i z a t i o n . He will be q u o t e d ex
tens ively i n th i s v o l u m e . His o n - t h e - s p o t r e p o r t s a r e
i n d i s p e n s a b l e t o t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f b o t h t h e
overall p i c t u r e a n d e a c h s p e c i f i c i n c i d e n t . Th i s
pivotal e a r l y e n c o u n t e r w i t h his f r i end G e n e r a l
John Bar low, on t h e o c c a s i o n o f t h e f irs t t r i a l s o f
the new 7.92 Kurz c a r b i n e , h e r e p o r t e d t h u s l y :
The 7.92 s h o r t c a r b i n e w a s d e s i g n e d b y M . S a i v e i n
response t o t h e Br i t i sh " I n f a n t r y C o m b a t W e a p o n "
p r o g r a m m e , first i n t r o d u c e d t o u s b y t h e l a t e C o l
E d m u n d s . T h e a r m w e i g h s 3 .8 K i lo s ( 8 1 / 2 lbs . ) a n d
shoots 500 r o u n d s p e r m i n u t e . T h e c a r b i n e w a s
presented t o o u r g u e s t s d u r i n g t h e m o r n i n g o f t h e
13th a n d sho t for f u n c t i o n a n d p r e c i s i o n a t 2 5 m e t r e s
that s ame a f t e r n o o n . T h e n e x t d a y w e all w e n t t o
Zu tendaa l for m o r n i n g a n d a f t e r n o o n s h o o t s . I h a v e
since rece ived w o r d f r o m G e n e r a l B a r l o w t h a t t h e y
were de l igh ted w i t h al l a s p e c t s o f t h e a r m : de s ign ,
ease o f h a n d l i n g a n d f u n c t i o n . T h e y w e r e m o s t ex
cited a n d eage r t o h a v e m o r e c o m p a r a t i v e t r i a l s s u c h
a s w e h a d o r g a n i z e d a t Z u t e n d a a l i n o r d e r t o f u r t h e r
examine a t first h a n d t h e poss ib i l i t i e s o f t h i s n e w t y p e
o f w e a p o n . I t w a s a g r e e d a m o n g u s t h a t t h e w e a p o n
of the fu tu re w o u l d fire a m o r e p o w e r f u l c a r t r i d g e
than the 7.92 K u r z . T h e B r i g a d i e r a s k e d i f o t h e r
p r o t o t y p e s c o u l d b e m a d e r e a d y q u i c k l y i n o r d e r t o
d e m o n s t r a t e t h e m t o t h e U K W a r Off ice . I g u e s s e d
that th ree o r f o u r m o n t h s w o u l d b e n e e d e d , a n d
suggested a d e m o in L o n d o n . B a r l o w ' s i d e a h o w e v e r
was t o b r i n g t h e Br i t i sh off icers o v e r t o H e r s t a l , a s
our facilities for s u c h a s h o o t w e r e m o r e e x t e n s i v e .
After t he s h o o t a s Z u t e n d a a l , w e w e r e p r i v a t e l y
made a w a r e o f t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f b o t h t h e n e w U K
.280 r o u n d a n d M r K e n t - L e m o n ' s E M - 2 . T h e r e l a t i o n
be tween the p o w e r o f t h e c a r t r i d g e a n d t h e w e i g h t o f
the a r m g a v e u s m u c h ins igh t i n t o t h e Br i t i sh q u e s t
for a n e w i n f a n t r y w e a p o n .
Fig 12 The British narrowed their study to four possible calibres in their 1947 Fort Halstead report. Using the above model, variables in all four emergent calibres were explored. (Figs 9, 11, and 13)
m i n u t e s o f t h e s e t r i a l s a r e r e p r i n t e d ful ly i n
V o l u m e Two. M o n s i e u r L a l o u x ' l a t e r r e c a p o f t h i s
s a m e e x p e d i t i o n i s a s f o l l o w s :
Mons i eu r La loux ' i d e a t o d e m o n s t r a t e c a r b i n e n o 1
i n England w a s a c c e p t e d . Trials w e r e h e l d a t En
field o n t h e 7 t h o f Apr i l , 1 9 4 8 w h e r e c o m p a r i s o n s
were m a d e a m o n g w e a p o n s i n c a l i b r e s 9 m m
P a r a b e l l u m , .30 M 1 C a r b i n e a n d 7.92 K u r z . T h e
W e r e t u r n e d t o E n g l a n d w i t h t h e l i t t le c a r b i n e a t t h e
r e q u e s t o f G e n e r a l B a r l o w , w h o w a n t e d t o
r e p r o d u c e , i n f r o n t o f t h e W a r Off ice a u t h o r i t i e s , t h e
t r i a l s w e h a d h e l d b e f o r e h i m a n d M r K e n t - L e m o n a t
Z u t e n d a a l t h e 1 4 t h o f J a n u a r y p a s t . T h e d e m o n -
Universal Carbine Trials at Enfield 7 April 1948
2 2 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 13 The same four calibres and the same criteria as in figs 9 and 11. Problems solved for cartridge base diameter 1.6 times bullet diameter.
s t ra t ion w a s t h e r e f o r e a t t h e b u t t s , n o t o n l y t o
present a n a r m w h i c h w e felt r e s p o n d e d t o t h e l a t e
Col E d m u n d s ' I n f a n t r y C o m b a t W e a p o n p r o g r a m
me, b u t m o r e p a r t i c u l a r l y t o s h o w t h e p r e c i s i o n
which o n e m i g h t a t t a i n , s h o o t i n g f r e e h a n d o n
au toma t i c fire a c a r t r i d g e r e d u c e d in p o w e r , c o m
pared to the s t a n d a r d m i l i t a r y rifle c a r t r i d g e s o f t h e
day .
T w o U K G e n e r a l Of f ice rs p l u s M r K e n t - L e m o n
and A u s t r a l i a n M a j o r H a l l ( the i n v e n t o r o f t h e H a l l
rifle — Ed) w e r e p r e s e n t . T h e a c t u a l t r i a l s w e r e c o n
ducted b y C a p t a i n Y e a r s l e y , o f Tes t ing s e c t i o n , R S A F
Enfield. A f t e r w a r d s , M o n s i e u r S a i v e , t h e i n v e n t o r o f
the FN C a r b i n e , g a v e a br ief e x p l a n a t i o n of t h e func
t ioning of t he a r m .
F r o m the p o i n t o f v i e w o f p r e c i s i o n , t h e s h o o t i n g
clearly s h o w e d r e su l t s a k i n t o t h o s e w e h a d e x p e r i e n
ced a t Z u t e n d a a l : t h a t a i m e d , f u l l - a u t o m a t i c fire w a s
possible w i t h o u t sacr i f ic ing a c c u r a c y . G e n e r a l
Dowler a s k e d m e i f o u r a r m h a d b e e n a d o p t e d b y t h e
Belgian A r m y . I s a i d t h e r e w a s a g r e a t d e a l of in
terest. H e p r e d i c t e d t h e n e w d e s i g n w o u l d s i m p l y
fo rce i ts o w n a d o p t i o n , l o n g b e f o r e a n y t h i n g c o u l d
h a p p e n t h r o u g h t h e n o r m a l m i l i t a r y c h a n n e l s .
O n t h e s t r e n g t h o f t h e s e e n c o u r a g i n g r e s u l t s , t w o
m o r e " U n i v e r s a l C a r b i n e s " w e r e o r d e r e d b y t h e
Bri t ish M i n i s t r y o f D e f e n c e on Apri l 2 n d 1 9 4 8 .
T h e s e w e r e o r i g i n a l l y t o h a v e b e e n i n 7.92 Kurz
c a l i b r e l ike n o 1 , b u t t h e Bri t ish h a d p r o g r e s s e d far
e n o u g h a l o n g w i t h t h e i r I d e a l C a l i b r e P a n e l ' s n e w
p r o t o t y p e c a r t r i d g e s t o r e q u e s t t h e n e w w e a p o n s
b e m a d e u p for t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l U K .280 (7x43
m m ) r o u n d . ( N o t e : Full d e t a i l s o n Bri t ish c o n t e m
p o r a r y c a r t r i d g e d e v e l o p m e n t a r e t o b e f o u n d i n
V o l u m e Two.)
A f u r t h e r m e e t i n g w a s h e l d i n L o n d o n on J u n e
1 6 t h t o d i s c u s s p o i n t s r a i s e d b y th i s n e w U K o r d e r .
M o n s i e u r L a l o u x l a t e r n o t e d t h a t B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w
Fig 14 FN Universal Carbine cal 7.92 Kurz, serial no 1. Still 'in the white' for its initial appearance at Zutendaal on November 24, 1947.
Fig 15 Prototype no 1, calibre 7.92 Kurz, broken open to show ease of field stripping. The later improvements to this same carbine are pictured in Volume Two.
2 4 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 16 The short-lived UK Ideal Calibre Panel's .270 cartridge case, (7 x 47.5 mm). Drawing date July, 1948. This project lasted 10 months only and was superceded by the .280.
h a d t h e r e g i v e n h im 5 0 s a m p l e s o f e a c h o f t h e
Bri t ish r o u n d s t h e n u n d e r d e v e l o p m e n t : t h e s h o r t
l ived .270, (7 x 4 7 . 5 m m ) , a n d t h e .280 (7 x 43 m m ) .
T h e s e w e r e h a n d e d o v e r t o M o n s i e u r S a i v e . T h e s e
o r ig ina l , 1 9 4 8 - d a t e d Bri t ish .280 r o u n d s w e r e m a d e
u p w i t h a so f t s t e e l - c o r e d b u l l e t , a n d M o n s i e u r
La loux t o l d t h e B r i g a d i e r t h a t F N i n t h e p a s t h a d
f o u n d th i s c o n t r i b u t e d n e i t h e r t o a c c u r a c y n o r e a s e
o f m a n u f a c t u r e . B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w c o u n t e r e d t h a t
t h e ini t ial Bri t ish a c c u r a c y t r i a l s h a d b e e n m o s t
s a t i s f a c t o r y . M o n s i e u r L a l o u x a s k e d for a f u r t h e r
2 5 0 c a s e s o n l y for t h e .280 c a r t r i d g e , h a v i n g i n
m i n d t r y i n g t h e m o u t , l o a d e d w i t h t h e s t a n d a r d F N
7 mm l e a d - a n t i m o n y - c o r e d b u l l e t k n o w n a s t h e S -
1 2 . H e e s t i m a t e d t h a t for w e a p o n s t r ia l s wi th t h e
n e w .280 c a r b i n e s , a m i n i m u m of 10 ,000 rounds
w o u l d b e n e e d e d , a n d a r r a n g e m e n t s w e r e m a d e
w i t h B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w t o r e s e r v e th i s q u a n t i t y , o n c e
UK p r o d u c t i o n w a s a l i t t l e m o r e a d v a n c e d . As far
a s t h e t w o n e w a r m s t h e m s e l v e s w e r e c o n c e r n e d ,
t h e Bri t ish w a n t e d a p a t t e r n m u c h l ike c a r b i n e no 1 .
D e t a i l s s u c h a s b o r e d i a m e t e r , ba r r e l l eng th and
n u m b e r o f r if l ing g r o o v e s w e r e left e n t i r e l y to FN to
d e c i d e . T h e Bri t ish f a v o u r e d a 20-sho t , d e t a c h a b l e
m a g a z i n e , a g a i n l ike t h a t o n c a r b i n e n o 1 . M o n s i e u r
La loux c o m m e n t e d t h a t a g r e a t d e a l o f careful
t e s t i n g w o u l d be n e c e s s a r y in o r d e r for FN to fur
n ish t w o w o r k i n g p r o t o t y p e s , m a d e for a c a r t r i d g e
h e r e t o f o r e u n k n o w n t o t h e m . H e m a d e i t c l e a r a l s o
t h a t t h e Bri t ish w e r e p u r c h a s i n g o n l y t h e t w o c a r
bines , n o t t h e r igh t s t o t h e d e s i g n itself. A p r i c e w a s
a g r e e d u p o n , a n d B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w s e e m e d m u c h
i m p r e s s e d t h a t M o n s i e u r La loux fe l t t h e o r d e r
cou ld b e c o m p l e t e d d u r i n g t h e c u r r e n t y e a r .
Back h o m e i n H e r s t a l , M o n s i e u r Sa ive ' s
Groupe 74 f irst c o n s t r u c t e d a n o t h e r M a n n b a r r e l to
the Brit ish .280 s p e c i f i c a t i o n s . P r e s s u r e a n d
v e l o c i t y c u r v e s w e r e m e t i c u l o u s l y p l o t t e d i n t h e
FN Ballistic Labora to ry , us ing t h e s a m p l e UK r o u n d s
s u p p l i e d b y B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w . T h e s e r e s u l t s w e r e
used b y M o n s i e u r S a i v e t o e f f e c t t h i s f irst
e n l a r g e m e n t o f his o r i g i n a l c a r b i n e d e s i g n . Ser ia l
n u m b e r i n g o f t h e s e ini t ia l FN c a r b i n e p r o t o t y p e s
had q u i t e p r a g m a t i c a l l y s t a r t e d a t " 1 " , a n d n o w j u s t
kep t g o ing . T h e first .280 " U n i v e r s a l C a r b i n e "
t h e r e f o r e , w a s se r ia l n o 2 , a n d w a s o f c o n v e n t i o n a l
des ign. I t w a s d e s c r i b e d a s " t h e l og i ca l r e s u l t o f t h e
e x p e r i e n c e g a i n e d w i t h c a r b i n e n o 1 , a d a p t e d t o
t he l o n g e r .280 c a r t r i d g e . " I t w a s p r o o f e d a n d r e a d y
for tr ial on J a n 7 , 1 9 4 9 . T h e s e c o n d o f t h e ini t ia l
.280 c a r b i n e s , se r i a l n o 3 , u s e d t h e s a m e b a s i c a c
t ion b u t w a s m a d e u p i n t h e " b u t t l e s s " c o n f i g u r a
tion as e m b o d i e d in t h e t h e n - p o p u l a r Bri t ish EM-1
Fig 17 FN medium-powered ammunition comparison chart, prepared in response to the UK Infantry Combat Weapon programme. Time of flight, mid-range trajectory (MRT), energy and practical maximum range are compared, for three medium-powered calibres: 9 mm Parabellum, .30 US Carbine, and 7.92 Kurz.
a n d EM-2. I t w a s r e a d y for p r o o f i n g C h r i s t m a s Eve
1 9 4 8 , t h u s k e e p i n g M . L a l o u x ' p r o m i s e t o h a v e a
p r o t o t y p e c o m p l e t e d b y t h e e n d o f t h e y e a r . Br iga
d i e r B a r l o w c a m e o v e r a g a i n w i t h Col K e n t - L e m o n
t o v i e w t h e ini t ia l t r i a l s o f t h e s e n e w c a r b i n e s ,
t o g e t h e r w i t h c a r b i n e n o 1 , w h i c h h a d b e e n " im
p r o v e d " a s a r e s u l t o f t h e e a r l i e r t r i a l s . T h e s e c o m
p a r i s o n s w e r e h e l d a t t h e F a b r i q u e N a t i o n a l e t e s t
r a n g e s a t Z u t e n d a a l f r o m t h e 1 7 t h t o 1 9 t h o f
J a n u a r y , 1 9 4 9 . T h e F N c a r t r i d g e w o r k s h a d m e a n
w h i l e c o m p l e t e d t h e l o a d i n g o f t h e 1 0 0 e m p t y .280
c a s e s M o n s i e u r L a l o u x h a d b r o u g h t b a c k f r o m
E n g l a n d . T h e y h a d b e e n l o a d e d w i t h t h e r e g u l a r F N
139-g ra in , 7 mm " t y p e S" ( s p i t z e r p o i n t ) f l a t b a s e
b u l l e t , a n d Bofor s p o w d e r . T h e s e w e r e t e s t e d a l o n g
w i t h Engl i sh l o a d i n g s f e a t u r i n g b o t h l e a d a n d s t e e l -
c o r e d .280 b u l l e t s , i n t h e n e w c a r b i n e s , i n t h e
p r e s e n c e o f M . L a l o u x a n d t h e t w o E n g l i s h m e n .
Two t e n - s h o t g r o u p s for e a c h c a r t r i d g e t y p e w e r e
f i red a t 1 0 0 m e t r e s , a n d m e a s u r e d for e x t r e m e hor i
z o n t a l a n d v e r t i c a l s p r e a d . ( T h e s e f i g u r e s , w h e n
2 6 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 18 FN carbine no 2, the first in UK .280 calibre. Conventional configuration; left-hand side view. Cocking handle around gas piston, as on number 1.
Fig 19 FN carbine no 2, cal .280, right-hand side view Proofed on January 7, 1949.
Fig 20 UK ADE demonstration photo of FN .280 carbine, serial no 2, as presented at Enfield, Bisley, Warminster, Woolwich and Hythe, showing the various barrel length/ handguard configurations made up for the March, 1949 Enfield expedition.
a d d e d t o g e t h e r a n d s u b j e c t e d t o a s i m p l e f o r m u l a ,
give a r e v e a l i n g p o i n t o f r e f e r e n c e k n o w n as ' f i gu re
of meri t ' . )
This for t h e U K r o u n d s a v e r a g e d 1 4 0 m m w h i l e
the F N l o a d i n g s a v e r a g e d o n l y 1 2 3 m m . S i n c e
length o f b a r r e l w a s t h e i r p r e r o g a t i v e , FN h a d fur
nished t w o for c a r b i n e n o 2 , i n 2 3 " a n d 1 9 " (587 a n d
487 mm) . C a r b i n e n o 3 , t h e " b u l l p u p " .280, a l s o h a d
a 2 3 " ba r r e l , a l t h o u g h by v i r t u e of its d e s i g n i t w a s
shor ter o v e r a l l . B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w ' s s h o o t i n g p a r
t icu lar ly w a s n o t i n t h e l e a s t i n c o n v e n i e n c e d b y t h e
co n f i gu ra t i on o f t h i s a r m a n d h e s e e m e d i n f a c t t o
prefer i t t o t h e m o r e c o n v e n t i o n a l n o 2 . A n
e n i g m a t i c Col K e n t - L e m o n r e t u r n e d t o E n g l a n d a s
soon a s t h e t r i a l s w e r e c o m p l e t e d . M . L a l o u x a n d
Brigadier B a r l o w t h e n s a t d o w n t o d i s c u s s t h e
results o f t h e t r i a l s . T h e y d id so i n t h e l igh t t h a t t h e
British h a d b e e n w o r k i n g o n v a r i o u s a c t i o n s , b a s e d
o n t h e b u l l p u p c o n f i g u r a t i o n , s i n c e 1 9 4 7 . Tes t
results w e r e "still c l a s s i f i ed" . FN h a d f r o m s c r a t c h
c o m e u p w i t h c a r b i n e n o 3 , w h i c h f u n c t i o n e d w e l l ,
in less t h a n a y e a r . B o t h m e n w e r e a w a r e o f t h e s e
facts . Br igad ie r B a r l o w w a s m o s t e a g e r t o t a k e t h e
n u m b e r 3 c a r b i n e b a c k t o E n g l a n d , o s t e n s i b l y for
a m m u n i t i o n t e s t i n g . M . L a l o u x c o u n t e r e d b y of
f e r ing t o m a k e u p a b o l t - a c t i o n M a u s e r c h a m b e r e d
for t h e .280, a s a p r e s e n t , b u t B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w
d e c l i n e d t h e of fer . M . L a l o u x ' p o s i t i o n w a s t h a t ,
a s i d e f r o m t h e q u e s t i o n o f FN's p r o p r i e t a r y r igh t s t o
t h e d e s i g n , m o r e t e s t s a n d t r i a l s w e r e n e c e s s a r y t o
p e r f e c t t h i s j u s t b a r e l y - c o m p l e t e d p r o t o t y p e .
F ina l ly , t h e y a g r e e d t h a t c a r b i n e n o 2 , t h e c o n v e n
t i o n a l .280, w o u l d be a v a i l a b l e for UK t e s t s , i n
E n g l a n d , d u r i n g t h e s e c o n d half o f F e b r u a r y , a n d ,
a s s o o n a s i t c o u l d r e a s o n a b l y b e d o n e , M . La loux
w o u l d p r e s e n t h i m s e l f i n L o n d o n a l o n g w i t h c a r
b i n e no 3 for a f u r t h e r W a r O f f i c e d e m o n s t r a t i o n .
M. L a l o u x e x p r e s s e d FN's i n t e r e s t in a s s i s t i n g in a n y
w a y p o s s i b l e a t t h e u p c o m i n g U K t r i a l s a t t h e P e n -
d i n e E x p e r i m e n t a l E s t a b l i s h m e n t . This i n t e r e s t
q u i c k e n e d a s h e l e a r n e d f r o m B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w t h a t
Enf ie ld p r o p o s e d t o f ie ld t w o e n t r i e s for t h e s e
t r i a l s , BSA a n o t h e r , a n d t h a t t h e r e w e r e t o b e
A m e r i c a n o b s e r v e r s p r e s e n t .
Fig 21 FN carbine no 3, calibre .280. The same basic design as no 2 but made up in the popular 'bullpup' configuration of Enfield's EM-2. Left-hand side view. FN photo dated January 24, 1949.
Fig 22 FN carbine no 3, calibre .280, right-hand side view.
2 8 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 23 FN carbine no 2, of conventional design, stripped for Enfield parts cataloguing, 1950. Compare with fig 24 below.
Fig 24 FN carbine no 3, the 'short one', stripped as above. Note that while carbine no 2 is listed as having 37 parts, no 3 is deemed to have 48.
T h e L o n d o n m e e t i n g t o o k p l a c e f r o m M a r c h 2
t o 4 , 1 9 4 9 . M m . La loux , V o g e l s a n d S a i v e b r o u g h t
a l o n g c a r b i n e s no 1 , 2 , a n d 3 , a s w e l l a s a s e l e c t i v e -
fire FN49 (SAFN), in .30-06 c a l i b r e . This w a s a v e r y
i m p o r t a n t g e t - t o g e t h e r , w h i c h i n c i d e n t a l l y in
t r o d u c e d a h i t h e r t o u n k n o w n e a r l y p r o t o t y p e o f
w h a t b e c a m e t h e BSA 2 8 P (Vol 2), a n d h e r e i s M.
L a l o u x ' r e p o r t of it:
Light Auto Rifle .280
3rd of M a r c h
W e a r r i v e d a t Enfie ld i n t h e a f t e r n o o n w h i l e t h e
w e a p o n s , w h i c h h a d a r r i v e d t h e n i g h t b e f o r e , w e r e
u n p a c k e d . W e f o u n d o u r s e l v e s a m o n g m a n y o f
Bar low's c o m p a t r i o t s . W e w e n t t o t h e r a n g e s t o e n
sure the a r m s w e r e f u n c t i o n i n g , a n d t o f ami l i a r i ze t h e
shoo te r s w h o w o u l d m a n i p u l a t e t h e m t h e f o l l o w i n g
d a y .
Resu l t s o f t h e p r e l i m i n a r y s h o o t — t h e t w o c a r
bines w e r e first f i red s ing le s h o t f r o m t h e p r o n e
pos i t ion , t h e n o n a u t o m a t i c f r o m t h e h i p :
C a r b i n e n o 2 ( w i t h b u t t ) : n o s t o p p a g e s .
C a r b i n e n o 3 : o n e o r t w o fa i lu res t o eject a n d
fa i lures t o fire f r o m t h e h i p . M o n s i e u r S a i v e a d
jus ted t h e g a s r e g u l a t o r a n d 2 ser ies of 5 s h o t s
w e r e f i red w i t h o u t f au l t .
4th of M a r c h
T h e p r o g r a m m e l a id o u t fo r u s b e g a n w i t h a
conference d u r i n g w h i c h B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w a n d M r
K e n t - L e m o n t o o k t h e f l o o r .
I n t he w a i t i n g r o o m , b e f o r e h a n d , w e h a d b e e n
reun i ted w i t h C l a u d e P e r r y , t h e Chief d e s i g n e r fo r
BSA, w h o h a d i n t h e s h o r t s p a c e o f t w o m o n t h s
des igned a rifle, a lbe i t o n e still in n e e d of e x t e n s i v e
debugg ing . D u r i n g t h e w a r , h e h a d w o r k e d a t
C h e s h u n t u n d e r K e n t - L e m o n a n d h a d i n d e e d b e g u n
there a r o u n d t h e e n d o f 1 9 4 1 , s e v e r a l d a y s b e f o r e
w e h a d a r r i v e d a t t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t a s re fugees f r o m
occupied B e l g i u m . I f o u n d h i m in exce l len t sp i r i t s ,
bu t i t a p p e a r e d h i s d e s i g n w a s r e g a r d e d w i t h o u t
m u c h s y m p a t h y b y t h e Br i t i sh off icials .
W e w e r e t h e n i n t r o d u c e d , i n t h e c o n f e r e n c e
r o o m , t o a b o u t 3 0 h i g h r a n k i n g W a r Off ice a n d
M i n i s t r y o f S u p p l y off icers , a m o n g t h e m G e n e r a l
C r a w f o r d , D e p u t y Chief o f t h e I m p e r i a l G e n e r a l
Staff, G e n e r a l Fes t ing , D i r e c t o r o f W e a p o n D e v e l o p
m e n t , a n d G e n e r a l F a i r b a n k s , D i r e c t o r o f I n f a n t r y .
T h e r e w e r e a l s o t w o A m e r i c a n o b s e r v e r s w h o w e
r e c o g n i z e d a s h a v i n g b e e n t o F N p r e v i o u s l y , d u r i n g
t h e A m e r i c a n l i b e r a t i o n .
A l l t h e d e s i g n t e a m s p r e s e n t w e r e a s k e d t o g ive a
s h o r t d i s c o u r s e o n t h e p r o g r e s s o f t he i r a r m s
d e v e l o p m e n t . I s p o k e first , of o u r r e s e a r c h t o w a r d s a
u n i v e r s a l w e a p o n t o r e p l a c e t h e c u r r e n t p i s t o l ,
m a c h i n e c a r b i n e , se l f - load ing rifle a n d l igh t m a c h i n e
g u n . I m e n t i o n e d t h e G e r m a n M P 4 4 , i n 7 .92 K u r z
c a l i b r e , first s h o t i n E n g l a n d in A p r i l 1 9 4 5 . Fo r t h e
s a k e of c l a r i t y I of fered a c o m p a r a t i v e list of ex i s t ing
m i l i t a r y c a r t r i d g e s , n u m b e r e d i n t e r m s o f i n c r e a s i n g
p o w e r , a s f o l l o w s :
1 . 9 m m P a r a b e l l u m
2 . 3 0 U S c a r b i n e
3 . 7 .92 K u r z
4 . .280 U K
5 . .303 Br i t i sh
6. .30-06
I n r e s p o n s e t o t h e .280 p r o g r a m m e , i n w h i c h w e
h a v e p a r t i c i p a t e d s ince J u n e o f 1 9 4 8 , F N t h e n p r e
s e n t e d i ts t w o t y p e s o f a u t o m a t i c c a r b i n e s :
• t h e first , (ser ial n o 2 ) ; c o n v e n t i o n a l , w i t h b u t t , a n d
Fig 25 FN carbine no 3, cal .280, shown in its light support role with bipod attached. See Volume Two (fig 17, page 36), for a manned view of the 'business end' of this arrangement.
3 0 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 26 FN carbine no 3, breech area. Note the offset, folding rear sight and the FN logo engraved over the chamber. — Photo: Thos. B. Dugelby
a s h o r t e n e d b a r r e l ;
• t h e o t h e r , (serial no 3 ) w i t h o u t b u t t i n o r d e r to
r e d u c e o v e r a l l l e n g t h .
N o 2 , t h e F N .280 c a r b i n e w i t h b u t t s t o c k ,
w e i g h e d 8.5 lbs a n d h a d a t o t a l l e n g t h of 39" w i t h a
19" b a r r e l . N o 3 w e i g h e d t h e s a m e b u t d u e t o i ts b u t -
t less c o n f i g u r a t i o n c o u l d m o u n t a b a r r e l of 2 3 " in a
t o t a l l e n g t h o f o n l y 34" . T h e a d v a n t a g e s o f t hese w e r e
g i v e n a s f o l l o w s :
1 . M a n o e u v e r a b i l i t y : t h e r i gh t h a n d s t a y s o n t h e
p i s to l g r i p w h i l e l o a d i n g a n d c o c k i n g a r e d o n e w i t h
t h e left.
2 . Re l i ab i l i t y : t h e a r m s w e r e seen a s p a r t i c u l a r l y
we l l s ea led a g a i n s t i ng re s s o f m u d o r w a t e r .
3 . Ease o f s t r i p p i n g .
4 . L ight w e i g h t : t h e c o m b i n a t i o n of l ight rifle
a n d m o d e r a t e reco i l r o u n d w a s c o n s i d e r e d a p l u s for
t h e c o m f o r t o f t h e s h o o t e r .
I f in i shed b y s a y i n g t h a t t h e s e w e a p o n s , d e m o n
s t r a t e d i n J a n u a r y , h a d n o t y e t b e e n s u b j e c t e d t o
s e r i o u s a c c u r a c y t r i a l s b u t i f t h e y exc i t ed a n y in
teres t , w e w e r e d i s p o s e d t o p e r s e v e r e .
D i r e c t l y I h a d f in i shed s p e a k i n g , t h e d e m o n s t r a
t i o n o f t he a c t u a l f i e ld - s t r ipp ing o f c a r b i n e no 2 , by
s i m p l y b r e a k i n g o p e n t h e r ece ive r a t t h e b u t t , c a u s e d
a s e n s a t i o n .
B a r l o w e v i n c e d sa t i s f ac t ion , w h i c h t h e f o l l o w i n g
p r e s e n t a t i o n s a u g m e n t e d : first o f all c a m e C l a u d e
P e r r y . I r e a d f r o m t h e h a n d o u t s w e h a d r e c e i v e d t h a t
t h e B S A c a r b i n e , w i t h a c o n v e n t i o n a l o n e - p i e c e
s t o c k , w a s t h e l igh tes t d e s i g n p r e s e n t e d . I ts p r i n c i p a l
t o u t e d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c w a s a u n i q u e s l o w d o w n d e v i c e ,
w h i c h w a s a b o u t t h e size o f a b o x o f m a t c h e s a n d
p e r m i t t e d a r a t e of fire of 150 r p m . N e x t t h e first En
field d e s i g n w a s s h o w n , t h e E M - 1 . I t w a s p r e s e n t e d
b y M r K e n t - L e m m o n a n d d e m o n s t r a t e d b y o u r
f r iend M r S t a n l e y T h o r p e , w h o w a s i ts d e s i g n e r . I t
w a s a c a r b i n e of t h e n e w b u t t l e s s t y p e ; a s t a m p e d
steel r e ce ive r c o v e r e d t h e m e c h a n i s m . I t used a
l o c k i n g s y s t e m w h i c h t h e Br i t i sh h a d d i scovered
a m o n g l a t e - w a r t i m e G e r m a n d e v e l o p m e n t s . T h e
t a k e d o w n s y s t e m w a s v e r y l a b o r i o u s . I wil l no t
s p e a k a g a i n o f t h i s a r m excep t t o s a y i t d idn ' t shoo t
w e l l . T h e n t h e s e c o n d Enfield de s ign , t he E M - 2 , w a s
d e m o n s t r a t e d b y i ts d e s i g n e r , C a p t J a n u c s e w s k y , the
o n l y P o l i s h officer still w o r k i n g a t Enfie ld . T w o iden
t ical e x a m p l e s w e r e s h o w n , w i t h different bar re l
w e i g h t s . T h e y f e a t u r e d a fa i r ly s i m p l e t a k e d o w n ,
s imi l a r t o t h e M P 4 4 . T h e b o l t i n c o r p o r a t e d b o t h the
m o v e a b l e l o c k i n g lugs a n d t h e f i r ing p i n . A cri t icism
c o u l d b e m a d e i n t h a t all t h e f u n c t i o n s w e r e concen
t r a t e d i n th i s b o l t . T h e o v e r a l l w e i g h t w a s less t h a n
o u r s .
A l i t t le af ter l u n c h we w e n t to t h e b u t t s for the
a c t u a l f i r ing d e m o n s t r a t i o n s . Fo r t h e func t i on ing a n d
p r e c i s i o n t r i a l s , 5 0 - y a r d s ingle s h o t p r o n e fir ing, six
s h o o t e r s w e r e a l i g n e d s h o u l d e r - t o - s h o u l d e r w i t h the
f o l l o w i n g a r m s s u p p o r t e d b y s a n d b a g s :
• a Lee-Enfield b o l t - a c t i o n .303
• t h e 2 FN c a r b i n e s
• t h e 2 Enfield m o d e l s
• t h e B S A
T h e Lee Enfield s h o t a 2-3 cm g r o u p , the semi
a u t o m a t i c c a r b i n e s d o u b l e t h a t , excep t for the BSA
w h i c h fou l ed i m m e d i a t e l y . W i t h th i s excep t i on , all
w e a p o n s f i red w i t h o u t i n c i d e n t .
T h e nex t e v e n t w a s a s s a u l t f ire, 2 5 y d s full a u t o ,
f r o m t h e "h ip" . A n E M - 2 g a v e o n e misf i re a n d one
m a l eject . FN c a r b i n e no 2 f i red w i t h o u t fa i lure ; the
" sho r t " FN c a r b i n e (no 3) h a d o n e fail to fire, as I
r eca l l . T h e g r o u p s w e r e m a r k e d o n t h e t a rge t s after
e a c h s h o o t i n g w i t h p a s t e - o n w h i t e p a p e r discs a b o u t
4 " i n d i a m e t e r . M o s t s h o o t e r s s u c c e e d e d i n keep ing
n e a r l y all t he i r s h o t s o n t h e t a r g e t , b u t w i t h w ide
dispersion a s m i g h t be e x p e c t e d f r o m th i s t y p e o f
shoot ing.
A m o r e d e t a i l e d e x a m i n a t i o n o f e a c h a r m b e g a n
with a s h o o t o f t h e t w o FN c a r b i n e s , s ingle s h o t a n d
full a u t o , p r o n e , w i t h a n d w i t h o u t b i p o d . W e n o t i c e d
a cer ta in c h a n g e in m e a n p o i n t o f i m p a c t w h e n
shoot ing w i t h t h e b i p o d . A l s o , a s b e f o r e , t h e s ingle
shot g r o u p s w e r e m u c h m o r e a c c e p t a b l e t h a n t h o s e
fired fu l l - au to . C a r b i n e no 2 f i red w i t h o u t i n c i d e n t
but no 3 h a d t w o fa i lu res t o f i re . T h e s e de fau l t s w e r e
wi thou t d o u b t , a s b e f o r e , d u e t o p r e m a t u r e h a m m e r
fall; the h a m m e r f o l l o w i n g t h e b o l t c a r r i e r d o w n i n
its f o r w a r d s t r o k e w i t h o u t suff icient e n e r g y t o a c
tivate the p r i m e r .
A t l u n c h I w a s s e a t e d b e t w e e n B r i g a d i e r B a r l o w
and Gene ra l Fes t ing . I f o u n d t h e l a t t e r m o s t p l e a s a n t
and h e w a s m o s t i n t e r e s t e d i n o u r p a s t a n d p r e s e n t
activities. I no t iced a f r amed p h o t o g r a p h on the d in ing
hall wa l l , o f t h e t r ip l e 2 0 m m O e r l i k o n c a n n o n , a n d
observed t o Br igad i e r B a r l o w t h a t th i s t r ip l e m o u n
ting c o n f i g u r a t i o n h a d b e e n t h e w o r k o f o u r M o n
sieur Sa ive . H e w a s m o s t i m p r e s s e d a n d p o i n t e d o u t
and exp la ined th i s f e a t u r e t o G e n e r a l Fes t ing . Af t e r
lunch Br igad ie r B a r l o w t o o k i t u p o n h imse l f t o i n
terest G e n e r a l W r i s b e r g , t h e M i n i s t r y o f S u p p l y ' s
Direc tor o f W e a p o n s D e v e l o p m e n t , i n o u r a t t e n d a n
c e a t t h e u p c o m i n g U S A w e a p o n s t r i a l s . G e n e r a l
W r i s b e r g a g r e e d t o h a v e t h e r e q u e s t r e l a y e d t o
A m e r i c a n O r d n a n c e b y t h e Br i t i sh a t t a c h é i n
W a s h i n g t o n .
A f t e r l u n c h t h e t h r e e r a n k i n g G e n e r a l s , w h o m I
m e n t i o n e d ea r l i e r , e a c h s h o t i n succes s ion a n E M - 2 ,
t h e t w o F N c a r b i n e s , t h e B S A rifle a n d for c o m
p a r i s o n t h e F N 4 9 .30 c a l i b r e . T h e p r o g r a m m e w a s
five s ingle s h o t s , t h e n a b u r s t a t a l a rge t a r g e t
r e p r e s e n t i n g a s t a n d i n g m a n . T h e s h o o t e r s w e r e
s t a n d i n g , w i t h t h e w e a p o n s s u p p o r t e d o n a res t .
T h o u g h t h e B S A e n t r y c o n t i n u e d t o g ive p r o b l e m s ,
t h e o t h e r w e a p o n s f u n c t i o n e d w i t h o u t i n c i d e n t . I t
s e e m e d t h e p r e f e r e n c e o f t he se officers w a s for o u r
c a r b i n e n o 2 , t h e o n e w i t h t h e b u t t s t o c k . ( G e n e r a l
Fes t ing o b s e r v e d t h a t full a u t o fire w i t h t h e S A F N
w a s h a r d l y a "p i ece o f cake" . ) In a n y e v e n t , t h e q u i c k
r e l o a d i n g o f th i s rifle by m e a n s o f o u r 1 0 - s h o t s t r i p
p e r c l ips c a u s e d a s e n s a t i o n .
B r igad i e r B a r l o w g a v e o u r M . V o g e l s a c o p y o f
a n A D E p a p e r d e s c r i b i n g t h e p r i n c i p l e s de s i r ed i n a
U n i v e r s a l w e a p o n , t o g e t h e r w i t h s u p p o r t i n g p h o t o s
Fig 27 The 1949 SAFN rifle, calibre .30M2, used as a control rifle in the UK Light Auto Rifle trials, Enfield, March 1949. Here the FN 10-shot stripper clip is being demonstrated.
3 2 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
Fig 28 The original UK-designed .280 steel-core 130 gr bullet, as drawn and dimensioned by FN. Drawing date November, 1950. This bullet gave disappointing accuracy results.
Fig 29 The UK .280 case Berdan-primed, as drawn and dimensioned by the FN Ballistic Laboratory. Drawing dated November, 1950.
o f t h e a r m s s o far d e m o n s t r a t e d t o t h e m .
A f inal c o n f e r e n c e w a s h e l d , t o w h i c h n e i t h e r w e
n o r P e r r y w e r e a d m i t t e d . A f t e r w a r d s , i n o p e n
sess ion , t h e t h r e e g e n e r a l s w h o h a d s h o t t h e a r m s
w e r e i n v i t e d t o g i v e the i r i m p r e s s i o n s . T h e r e w e r e n o
c r i t i c i sms offered r e g a r d i n g o u r c a r b i n e no 2 o r t h e
E M - 2 , w h i c h i t s e e m e d w e r e u n a n i m o u s l y a p
p r e c i a t e d . T h e se s s ion w a s t h e n d e c l a r e d a t a n e n d .
P r i v a t e M e e t i n g w i t h Br igad i e r B a r l o w
4 M a r c h 1 9 4 9
— a summation —
I p a s s e d on t h e r e su l t s o f s o m e e x p e r i m e n t a l s h o o t i n g
t r ia l s we h a d c a r r i e d o u t w h e r e i n a lo t o f 100 .303
Br i t i sh c a r t r i d g e s h a d b e e n l o a d e d w i t h t h e 7 .65 m m
Belg ian b u l l e t . I a l s o g a v e h i m t h e m u z z l e v e l o c i t y
test r e su l t s w e h a d o b t a i n e d w i t h o u r n o 2 c a r b i n e fit
t e d w i t h a 19" b a r r e l a s o p p o s e d to t h e l o n g (23")
b a r r e l . T h e d i f fe rence w a s i n t h e r a n g e o f o n l y 2 5
m / s e c . B r igad i e r B a r l o w t h e n v o l u n t e e r e d t h e in fo r
m a t i o n t h a t e v e r y o n e a t t h e s h o o t h a d e x p r e s s e d a d
m i r a t i o n for t h e FN " s h o r t o n e " (serial no 3 ) . I w a s
m o v e d t o o b s e r v e t h a t t he se c a r b i n e s w e r e o u r v e r y
b e s t p r o d u c t , a n d m o r e o v e r e m b o d i e d all t he
m o d i f i c a t i o n s w e h a d s o far f o u n d n e c e s s a r y d u r i n g
o u r t r i a l s a t H e r s t a l . W e a g r e e d t h a t t h e t w o c a r b i n e s
s h o u l d n o w g o b a c k t o B e l g i u m b u t b e r e a d y for a
r e t u r n m a t c h in E n g l a n d , a s a n e w ser ies o f t r i a l s w a s
s l a t ed t o b e g i n a r o u n d t h e 1 0 t h . T h e u p c o m i n g ex
p e d i t i o n t o A m e r i c a w a s s c h e d u l e d f r o m A p r i l 15 th
t o M a y 1 5 t h . B a r l o w w a s c o n f i d e n t t h e Br i t i sh l i a i son
se rv ice i n W a s h i n g t o n w o u l d b e a b l e t o o b t a i n t h e
r e q u i r e d p e r m i s s i o n t o a l l o w u s t o a t t e n d . I r e q u e s t e d
t h a t w e b e i n t r o d u c e d a s " the E u r o p e a n m a n u f a c t u r e r
o f B r o w n i n g f i r e a r m s " . I b e l i e v e w e b o t h n o w u n d e r
s t a n d jus t w h y F N i s s o i n t e r e s t e d i n a t t e n d i n g th i s
d e m o n s t r a t i o n !
F r o m B a r l o w ' s r e m a r k s t h e g e n e r a l i m p r e s s i o n
s e e m e d t o b e exce l len t a n d i n fact h e c o n s i d e r e d t h e
e v e n t t h e " s e c o n d o f h i s i m p o r t e d v i c to r i e s " . Fo r h i s
p a r t h e h a d t w o r e q u e s t s : o n c a r b i n e n o 1 , t h e
original 7 .92 K " U n i v e r s a l C a r b i n e " , he w a n t e d us to
install a m o r e r o b u s t b a r r e l - a n d - h a n d g u a r d con f ig
u ra t ion , e spec i a l ly for a u t o m a t i c f i re . W e w e r e n o t t o
exceed 1 1 lb s , t h u s a l l o w i n g u s t h e a b i l i t y n e a r l y t o
doub le t he p r e s e n t a c t u a l 2 lb b a r r e l w e i g h t . H i s
second r e q u e s t c o n c e r n e d p i s t o l d e v e l o p m e n t . F r o m
his desk d r a w e r he p r o d u c e d a 13 s h o t H i - P o w e r
pistol m a d e b y t h e C a n a d i a n f i rm J o h n Ing l i s . T h i s
very a r m w a s i s s u e d t o c e r t a i n Eng l i sh t r o o p s , h e s a i d
(the C o m m a n d o s ) . T h e r e w a s a p r o g r a m , n o t y e t of
ficial b u t o f w h i c h he h a d k n o w l e d g e , fo r a n e w
pistol spec i f i ca t ion : 9 m m P a r a b e l l u m c a l i b r e , w e i g h t
not o v e r 2 lbs , m a g a z i n e c a p a c i t y , I t h i n k , 10 c a r
tr idges, b u t f i t ted w i t h a d o u b l e - a c t i o n t r igge r , l ike
the w e l l - k n o w n W a l t h e r P - 3 8 . H e a s k e d i f w e w e r e
in teres ted i n s t u d y i n g s u c h a p r o b l e m . T h i s g a v e m e
the occas ion t o reca l l o u r i n t i m a t e i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h
this p i s to l , a n d M o n s i e u r S a i v e p r o m i s e d t o c o n c e r n
himself w i t h t h e d o u b l e - a c t i o n q u e s t i o n .
W e t h e n h a d d i n n e r w i t h C o l o n e l S h e p h e r d a n d
b r o u g h t h i m u p - t o - d a t e o n t h e e v e n t s o f t h e d a y .
S igned , R . L a l o u x
Mm. La loux a n d S a i v e i n d e e d h a d s p e n t s o m e t i m e
in C a n a d a , d u r i n g t h e w a r in 1 9 4 4 , a s s i s t i n g in t h e
s e t u p o f m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o d u c t i o n o f t h e B r o w n
ing H i - P o w e r p i s t o l , a t t h e J o h n Ingl is C o m p a n y ' s
p l an t i n T o r o n t o . W h e n t h e y left t h e p l a n t , t h e y
w e r e b o t h p r e s e n t e d w i t h p l a i n - g o l d w r i s t w a t c h e s .
M. La loux w e a r s his to t h i s d a y . I t i s e n g r a v e d on
t h e b a c k : 'R. La loux , f r o m his f r i e n d s a t J o h n Ingl is
Co Ltd'.
M u c h w a s 'in t h e w i n d ' c o n c e r n i n g t h e t o p - s e c r e t
A m e r i c a n d e v e l o p m e n t s o f l i g h t w e i g h t r if les a n d
shor t c a r t r i d g e s . T h e Bri t ish w e r e a l r e a d y t a l k i n g o f
t h e i m p e n d i n g t r i a l s i n t h e USA. M o n s i e u r L a l o u x
was m o s t p l e a s e d w i t h t h e c o u r s e o f e v e n t s t h u s far
i n E n g l a n d , p a r t i c u l a r l y w i t h t h e f e e d b a c k o f infor
m a t i o n a n d o p i n i o n s his ADE c o n t a c t s b r o u g h t h im .
T h e A m e r i c a n s w e r e a n o t h e r s t o r y e n t i r e l y h o w
e v e r , a n d i t w o r r i e d h i m t o b e a w a r e , o n t h e o n e
h a n d , o f h o w i m p o r t a n t a g o o d s h o w i n g c o u l d b e t o
F N a t t h e u p c o m i n g A m e r i c a n t r i a l s , a s s u m i n g t h e
Bri t ish w e r e a b l e t o a r r a n g e t h e p r o m i s e d inv i t a
t i on ; y e t o n t h e o t h e r h a n d t o b e s o c o m p l e t e l y i n
t h e d a r k a b o u t w h a t t h e A m e r i c a n s w e r e d o i n g o n
t h e i r o w n . I t w a s k n o w n t h a t t h e A m e r i c a n s h a d
b a s e d t h e i r l i g h t w e i g h t rifle c a r t r i d g e d e v e l o p m e n t
o n t h e c o m m e r c i a l .300 S a v a g e c a s e . O t h e r t h a n
t h a t , A m e r i c a n O r d n a n c e Col R e n é S t u d l e r ' s a d a -
m e n t b l a n k e t o f s e c r e c y h a d c o m p l e t e l y d e f e a t e d
M . L a l o u x ' m o s t d e t e r m i n e d e f f o r t s t o f ind o u t j u s t
w h a t F N w a s u p a g a i n s t . M . L a l o u x n e v e r t h e l e s s
d i r e c t e d t h a t h e n c e f o r t h all .280 d e v e l o p m e n t s b e
p a r a l l e l l e d u s i n g t h e .300 S a v a g e c a s e for c o m p a r i
s o n , a n d t h a t F N s h o u l d f a m i l i a r i z e itself a s m u c h
a s p o s s i b l e w i t h t h e .30 c a l i b r e a s we l l a s t h e Bri t ish
.280.
A c o u r s e o f a c t i o n w a s d r a w n u p , b e g i n n i n g
w i t h w h a t l i t t l e w a s k n o w n for s u r e :
Cal ibre .280 UK
Cal ibre .300 S a v a g e
M u z z l e e n e r g y ( k g m ) 2 5 0 3 0 0
B u l l e t w e i g h t (gr) 9 9 .3
B u l l e t j a c k e t gi lding m e t a l t o m b a c
A v e r a g e c a r t r i d g e
l e n g t h ( m m ) 6 4 . 5 6 4 . 8 5
P o w d e r c h a r g e (gr) 2 .20 2 .60
M u z z l e v e l o c i t y ( m / s e c ) 7 3 5 7 9 5
T h e p r o g r a m m e w a s , for " t h e 7 m m " , a s t h e
.280 w a s f i rs t k n o w n a t FN, t o c o n s t r u c t a ' c r u s h e r '
Fig 30 A pressure testing device, known as a bloc manomètre, made up by Monsieur Saive's Groupe 74 for peak pressure copper 'crusher' tests of UK .280 cartridges.
3 4 T h e First F o u r P r o t o t y p e s
m e c h a n i s m for t h e .280 r o u n d .
N O T E : This d e v i c e , f i t t e d t o t h e c h a m b e r o f a
M a n n b a r r e l , a l l o w s m e a s u r e m e n t o f t h e a c t u a l
p e a k p r e s s u r e d u r i n g f i r ing o f a c a r t r i d g e by m e a n s
A UK r e p o r t , s u m m a r i z i n g t h e e v e n t s o f t h e
M a r c h , 1 9 4 9 Enf ie ld s h o o t w a s a s f o l l o w s :
o f a s m a l l c o p p e r p e l l e t o f k n o w n s i z e a n d c o m
p o s i t i o n b e i n g c r u s h e d b y a p i s t o n a r r a n g e d d i r e c
t ly o v e r a h o l e in t h e c h a m b e r , ( an d in t h e t e s t c a r t
r idge) . C r u s h e r s w e r e u s e d e x c l u s i v e l y for t h e s e
m e a s u r e m e n t s for m a n y y e a r s a n d g a v e e x t r e m e l y
a c c u r a t e a n d r e p e a t a b l e r e s u l t s i n u n i t s o f
m e a s u r e m e n t , o f t h e c r u s h e d c o p p e r p e l l e t , k n o w n
as C U P ( c o p p e r u n i t s o f p r e s s u r e ) . (The d e v i c e i s
Data of New Automatic Rifles, shown at RSAF Enfield Demonstration on 3rd March 1949
E M - 1 E M - 2 FN B S A
Heavy Barrel
Light Barrel
Heavy Barrel
Long N ° 2
Short N ° 3
A. Weights
1 . Rifle w / o u t b a y o n e t o r m a g a z i n e 8lbs 1 1 o z s 7lbs 3 1/2ozs 8lbs 6ozs 8lbs 1 4 o z s 8lbs 1 4 o z s 7lbs*
2 . Bar re l 2 lbs 6 ozs 2 lbs 2 lbs 1 5 o z s 2 lb s 2 lbs 1lb 5ozs
3 . M a g a z i n e E m p t y 7 1/2ozs 9ozs 8ozs 8ozs 1 1 3 / 4 o z s
4 . M a g a z i n e Fil led 1lb 4 1/2ozs 1lb 6ozs 1lb 5 1/2ozs 1lb 5 1/2ozs 1lb 9 1/2ozs
5 . B a y o n e t s (Type) 13 1 /4ozs (#7) 13 1 /4ozs (#7) - - 1 0 1 / 4 o z s (#5)
6 . B i p o d ni l ni l 8 1/2ozs 8 1/2ozs nil
B. Lengths
1 . Rifle w / o u t B a y o n e t 36 i n c h e s 3 5 i n c h e s 43 i n c h e s 34 i n c h e s 39 1 /4 i n ches
2 . Rifle w i t h B a y o n e t 4 4 i n c h e s 43 i n c h e s 5 1 1 / 2 i n c h e s 42 i n c h e s 46 3/4 i n ches
3 . Bar re l (bul le t t r a v e l ) 2 3 i n c h e s 2 3 i n c h e s 2 3 i n c h e s 2 3 i n c h e s 16 1 /3 i n c h e s
C. Other Data
1 . M a g a z i n e C a p a c i t y 2 0 20 2 0 2 0
2 . C y c l i c R a t e ( r p m ) 400 ( e s t i m a t e d )
5 0 0 / 5 5 0 550 2 5 0 ( a p p r o x )
3 . S igh t s , t y p e S ight b a s e M a x . r a n g e (yds)
s t eps (yds)
U N I T
800 100
U N I T
800 100
I R O N 19 1/2
1000 m e t r e s 1000 m e t r e s
U N I T
6 0 m i n s 1 m i n c l icks
4 . O p e r a t i o n G a s G a s G a s G a s
5 . M u z z l e B r a k e N o N o O p t i o n a l F lash H i d e r g i v i n g s o m e
recoi l r e d u c t i o n (no b a c k b l a s t )
* I n c l u d e s s l o w i n g d e v i c e 2 . 6 oz a n d F lash H i d e r 5 .3 oz
described more fully in Thos B. Dugelby's EM-2, Concept and Design.)
With the crusher ready, the plan was to begin a study of powder types comparing Bofors powder and ball powder with that removed from UK-loadings of .280 rounds, and begin production of FN .280 cases.
For the .300 Savage, they would construct another crusher, (FN having had no trouble obtaining the actual chamber dimensions for this round), make up some bullets much like the sam
ples they had of 9.3 gr Frankford arsenal 1945 bullet, and make up some cases.
On the 12th of August, 1949, Groupe 74 took time out from making prototypes 'to order', and began work on a very interesting variant of the fledgling Universal Carbine. Not a great deal is known about
Fig 31 FN experimental carbine, unserial led and unmarked. Cal ibre .30 US Carb ine. Left-hand side view. The device above the buttplate is merely part of the d isp lay
mount; when on d isp lay in the FN of f ices, the carbine is presented vert ical ly . A .30 Carb ine dummy cartr idge is also fitted to the base.
Fig 32 The act ion of the .30 Carb ine prototype, broken open for inspection. Note the stamped lower receiver and
the rear- locking rotary bolt housed in the bolt carrier. Th is was the first trial of the cock ing handle on the receiver.
36 The First Four Prototypes
Fig 33 FN .30 Carb ine ca l rotary bolt prototype, right-hand view. The dimensions of this weapon are as fo l lows: length 930 mm height with magaz ine 200 mm length of barrel 455 mm
magaz ine capac i ty 30 cartridges weight with magaz ine 2.960 kg weight of empty magaz ine 90 gr weight of bolt-and-slide mechan ism 350 gr
Fig 34 The FN .30 Carb ine cal prototype, act ion right-hand side.
it: it is recorded only that a single arm was made up
in the Amer ican .30 Carbine cal ibre , and that the
prototype was c o m p l e t e d in March, 1 9 5 1 . Its pur
pose seems to have been to invest igate a l te rna te
methods of c o m p o n e n t manufac ture , and to exper
iment with a different locking system instead of the
regular tilting bolt . Beyond that, nothing appears to
be known or r emembered abou t this en igmat ic
weapon, which is still on display at the FN works.
Upon examinat ion it appears obviously from the
same family as its brothers, but it is never theless
unique in many respects . It features more extens ive
use of stampings, and a tota l ly unique rear-locking
rotary bol t within the familiar bol t carrier. It was
the first to r e l o c a t e the cock ing handle to the side
of the receiver, instead of the earl ier s leeve around
the gas piston, as was the c a s e on carbines 1 to 3.
This arm bears no markings or serial number, and
remains to this day a uniquely fascinat ing weapon.
Monsieur Ernest Vervier, another FN designer of
note, at this t ime Monsieur Saive's chief assistant,
under took to be present with carb ine no 2 at the
Fig 35 Rear- locking, rotary bolt and bolt carrier f rom the .30 Carbine prototype.
extensive UK retrial of arms, held by the British at
Enfield in preparation for their upcoming Amer ican
expedition, on June 8, 1 9 4 9 . His report to Monsieur
Laloux is excerpted herewith:
The trials began at 1 0 : 3 0 a .m. Colonel Wat t s and
several officers of the Arsenal were present. M a j o r
Griffiths was in charge of the event. Mr Kent-
Lemon arrived at 1 1 : 3 0 with Mr Januszewski, who
carried a fitted b o x containing his EM-2 rifle. During
the entire period of the trials he engaged in constant ,
feverish activity, stripping out and replacing certain
components of his rifle, then retiring into the
cleaning room. Brigadier-general Bar low assisted at
the afternoon trials, along with three representatives
of B S A .
Arms presented:
a) FN carbine no 2 with light (485 mm) barrel . In
view of the special trials to be held, I moved the gas
regulator to maximum gas.
b) E M - 2 . This arm is provided with a tiny optical
sight mounted on a long folding arm. (NOTE: This
" l o n g folding arm" was a British prototype idea of
doubtful value, which was soon phased out leaving
prac t ica l ly no t race . This rifle with sight as here
descr ibed is pictured in the Co l l ec to r Grade book
EM-2, Concept and Design by Thos B. Dugelby.)
c) B S A . Did not participate in any trials except the af
ternoon shoots . Did not go through the cold trials.
W h a t struck me most about this arm, (when it could
be persuaded to work) was the slow-down device for
full auto fire.
d) Ml Garand — provided as a control rifle.
Trials Programme
1. Cold Test functioning at — 40 °C
Weapon Method Results
EM-1 1/2 mag shot by shot: rest of mag
full auto
• the weapon was not ready
EM-2 same as above • several failures
to close
• failures to feed
• rubber buttplate fell off
BSA same as above • not ready for this shoot
FN carbine
same as above • no stoppages
Garand 2 clips of 8 cartridges shot by shot
• no stoppages
We again tried the three arms, the E M - 2 , the FN
and the Garand, at ambient temperature and shot the
three without observat ion. T h e B S A failed to feed its
second cartridge. Excessive play of the magazine in
the receiver obliged the shooter to hold it in place in
order to continue shooting. The bolt holdopen failed
to function when the magazine was empty.
The three, the EM-2, the FN and the Garand, again
passed the trials firing 8 0 ° downwards and 8 0 ° up
wards, wi thout observat ion .
The BSA failed again to feed the second car
tridge on its 8 0 ° e leva t ion test . The same c o m m e n t
again applied regarding the loose magaz ine . The
bol t holdopen a lso failed again.
2. Sand Trials
T h e arms, with full magazine at tached and one round
in the chamber , were subjected to a 5 minute artificial
sandstorm within an apparatus. Attempts were then
made to eject the protective cartridge, then feed and
fire off the rounds in the magazine.
38 The First Four Prototypes
Weapon Results
EM-1 • the weapon was not ready
B S A
• insufficient recoil on each shot
• hand operation difficult
• no supplementary magazine
available
EM-2
• safety could not be applied
• one "double" on single shot fire
• one incomplete lockup
• no supplementary magazine avail
able
FN carbine
• 1st magazine: The ejection of the
protective cartridge in the chamber
was improperly executed by the
firer. Ma jo r Griffith mentioned
this incident in his report.
• 2nd magazine: Incomplete lockup
on first few cartridges. A simple
shake of the weapon cleared this
up.
M l Garand
• insufficient recoil on first clip; one
case locked in chamber , ejection
could only be effected by pounding
on the case with a cleaning rod
down from the muzzle.
• same incidents on the second clip
3. Mud Trials Each arm was laid in a mud bath, first with the right
side down for one minute, then again one minute on
the left side. A loaded magazine was also placed in
the mud as above . As was the case for the previous
trials, the firing order was to attempt one-half a
magazine shot by shot and the remainder fully
automatic . If a complete magazine was fired, a
second or supplementary magazine was to be fitted
and firing continued.
Weapon Results
EM-1 • weapon was not ready
B S A • insufficient recoil on first 4 or 5
cartridges
EM-2 • incomplete locking on rounds 7-11
FN carbine
no 2 • 1st magazine: no observation
• 2nd magazine: incomplete locking
on 2nd and 3rd cartridges. In
sufficient recoil on 10th round
M l Garand • 1st clip: incomplete locking each
time. Cleaning rod necessary to
extract fired cases. Did not fire
a second clip.
Brigadier Bar low related to me as I was busy in the
cleaning room that even with a sear replacement the
EM-2 had continued to double. After several trials I
innocently asked the Brigadier if the B S A rifle was
equipped with a bolt holdopen device, as we had not
as yet seen it work . He immediately asked a B S A
technician, who spoke of a problem with the spring
. . . O u r carbine was thoroughly cleaned, just like the
other arms after each test, by Enfield armourers. It
shot in total 160 rounds.
Before I left, I corrected the follower springs in
our two spare magazines. In resume, our arm
emerges a viable entity in these very severe trials,
with a net superiority over the others, especially in
the mud and dust tests, wherein we alone finished the
second magazine. Brigadier Bar low asked me to
communicate his entire satisfaction back to Fabrique
Nationale. He has agreed to lend us a firer for
preliminary training before the next round of trials.
Signed, Vervier
A scan t few days later there was a very important
demonst ra t ion laid on at Bisley Camp by Brigadier
Barlow, the Director of Artillery (Small Arms). Mon
sieur Laloux a t tended on issued pass no 40 , and
brought home his copy of the agenda, which was as
follows:
Demonstration of
New Small Arms Ammunition & Auto. Rifles
at Bisley
Tuesday, 14th June 1949
Time Table
09.45 hrs Short talk by C . S . ( M ) , in A . R . A .
Officers' Club House
10 .00 hrs. Proceed to Short Siberia Range
10.10 hrs. Items 1 to 7, and 8 and 9, con
currently on adjoining ranges.
12.45 hrs. Break for lunch
1 3 . 5 0 hrs. Proceed to Stickledown Range
1 4 . 0 0 hrs. Items 10 to 13
1 5 . 3 0 hrs. Demonstrat ion finishes
approx.
1 5 . 4 0 hrs. Discussion in A . R . A . Officers'
Club House
13.00 hrs. Lunch in North London Rifle Club 16 .45 hrs. Tea in North London Rifle Club
Item/Nature of Demonstra t ion Range and Rds. fired Target Object
1. Accuracy
(a) .280 Ball 130 gr. bullet
M . S . Core
(b) .280 Ball 140 gr. bullet
M . S . Core
2 0 0 x
4 groups of
20 rounds each
with each type
Plain Card To demonstrate the basic ac
curacy of the ammunit ion alone,
using a M a n n barrel to eliminate
any weapon effect.
(c ) .303 M k . 7 174 gr. bullet
NOTE: The figure of merit given by the lead cored 130 gr. and 140 gr. bullet is rather better than that of the
mild steel cored bullets. For information the following figures have recently been obtained for all four types
of bullet.
130 gr: M . S . Core 1.9 " 140 gr: M . S . Core 2 . 0 2 "
130 g: Lead Core 1.64" 140 gr: Lead Core 1.43"
The following results have been obtained from .303 M k . 7 of current manufacture:
Greenwood & Bately 1.56" R . O . F . Radway Green 1.32"
2. Penetration of Mild Steel Plate
(a) .280 Ball 130 gr. bullet
M . S . Core
(b) .280 Ball 140 gr: bullet
M . S . Core
2 0 0 x
2 rounds of
each type
.08 Mild Steel
plates spaced
10" apart
To determine the relative effect of
the various types of ammunit ion
: against a mild steel target.
(continued)
40 The First Four Prototypes
I tem/Nature of Demonstra t ion Range and Rds. fired Target Objec t
(c) .303 M k . 7 174 gr: bullet
3. Penetration of (i) earth (ii) sand
(a) .280 Ball 130 gr. bullet
M . S . Core
(b) .280 Ball 140 gr. bullet
M . S . Core
2 rds of
each type
against each
target
(i) earth
filled boxes
(ii) sand
filled boxes
To determine the relative effect of
the various types of ammunition
against earth and sand defences
4. Penetration of Armour Plate
(a) .280 A . P . I . 100x
5
9 m m of
Homogeneous
Hard Armour
Plate ( I .T .70 )
at normal
angle of impact
To show the maximum thickness
of Homogeneous hard armour
plate which can be defeated by
.280 A P I ammunit ion
5. Functioning of A . P . I , for flash
(a) .280 A . P . I . 100x
5
mild steel
plate at normal
angle of impact
The incendiary affect of all types
of A P I ammunit ion depends
upon the flash functioning of
round after passing through a
protective plate.
6 . Ignition of Petrol by A . P . I .
Ammuni t ion
(a) .280 A . P . I . 100x
as required
filled or partly
filled petrol
cans behind a
burster plate
Ignition of petrol with incendiary
ammunit ion is largely a matter of
chance. Condit ions in respect of
fumes and air mixture must be
favourable for ignition.
7. Rapid Fire
All types of automatic Rifle:
(a) EM-2
(b) FN Long Model
(c) FN Short Model
(d) B . S . A . Model
2 0 0 x
30 rds per rifle single
shot in 1 minute
4 ft. classifi
cation
To demonstrate the ability of the
automatic rifles to give 30 aimed
shots in 1 minute.
8. Classification Course (1949)
This course is being fired with
following weapons:
(i) Rifle N o . 4
(ii) Rifle N o . 4 modified to
take .280
(iii) EM-2 fitted with optical
sight
(iv) EM-2 fitted with iron
sight
a) To compare the accuracy
results which would be given by
firing .303 M k . 7 & .280 ammuni
tion from similar weapons.
b) To compare the accuracy
results given by the two methods
of sighting.
(continued)
Item/Nature of Demonstra t ion Range and Rds. fired Target Objec t
Practice No.11 Applicat ion 2 0 0 x
5 rds.
4 ft. classifi
cation
Practice No . 12 Applicat ion 2 0 0 x
5 rds.
Figure 11
Practice No . 13 Snap 2 0 0 x
5 rds.
5 seconds exposure
Large Snap
Practice No. 14 Applicat ion 3 0 0 x
5 rds.
Round Cover
4 ft. classifi
cation
Practice No. 15 Rapid 3 0 0 x run to 2 0 0 x . Fire
5 shots in 1 minute
4 ft. classifi
cation
Practice No . 16 Snap 3 0 0 x
5 rds.
5 seconds exposure
Figure 11
NOTE: The results, which have been obtained previously by subjecting each type of automatic rifle to the
above classification course are available on the firing point; it will be seen that each rifle has been fired by
several different firers.
9. Functioning of Tracer
Ammunition
(a) .280 Tracer
(b) .303G M k . 7
6 0 0 x
10 rds. single shot
in 20 seconds
Stop Butt To demonstrate general func
tioning & trajectory to 6 0 0 x in
comparison with .303 G M K . 7
10. Automatic Rifle in Machine
Carbine role
(a) Snap Practice (No. 3) 2 0 x
4 rounds per weapon
fired single shot
T ime 10 seconds
4 Fig: 2 spaced
1 width apart To demonstrate the comparat ive
efficiency of the automatic rifles
and the Sten M k . 5 in the machine
carbine role.
(b) Accuracy when fired in bursts 5 0 x
3 bursts from each
weapon
4 ft.
classification
(continued)
42 The First Four Prototypes
I tem/Nature of Demonstration Range and Rds. fired Target Object
1 1 . Rapid fire effect of Light Auto
Rifle type Weapon
(a) 4 Auto Rifle 3 0 0 x
30 rds per rifle,
shot in 1 minute
from shoulder
A series of Fig. 11
targets
To demonstrate the comparative
efficiency of a group armed with
auto rifle and Bren Group in
engaging a C o m m o n target.
(b) Bren L . M . G .
12 . With Bipod
(a) EM-2 rifle with light barrel
and bipod
(b) FN rifle with medium weight
barrel, with bipod
120 rds. in bursts
in 1 minute
3 0 0 x
Rapid fire for 1 min.
from the shoulder
A series of Fig. 11
targets
To demonstrate the capabilities of
light auto rifle, when fitted with a
light bipod, to undertake the role
of an L . A . G . if such a weapon is
fired
N O T E : For discussion later:
(i) Is an L . A . G . or auto weapon such as the Bren really required, if each man is armed with a light auto rifle and
trained to fire rapid single shots. Demonstration 1 1 .
(ii) If the answer to (i) is that an L . A . G . is still required, is the light auto rifle with bipod attachment suitable for
this role. Demonstration 12 . (Note: It can be taken that the light auto rifle with no support and fired in bursts is
useless in the L . A . G . role.)
1 3 . Functioning
Functioning of Light Al loy
Cartridge Cases in the auto
rifles.
3 0 0 x
As required, both
single shot and in
short bursts
Fig. 11 To demonstrate the general func
tioning of the auto rifles when
firing light alloy cartridge cased
ammunit ion.
The final tally of points from this exhaust ive dem
onstrat ion was:
Rif le Points
Enfield No. 4 .303 471
Enfield No. 4 .280 441
FN. 2 8 0 s e r # 2 422
EM-2 w/optical sight 350
EM-2 w/iron sight 329
BSA 1 6 2
Chapter Three
Prototypes 4 to 16
The pace was picking up cons iderab ly as the British
sought a c lear -cu t answer to their ques t for the
ideal Infantry C o m b a t W e a p o n . Both the FN .280
carbines, serial no. 2 and the 'short ' no. 3, were
featured in an endurance trial at W o o l w i c h Ar
senal, August 3, 4 and 5, 1 9 4 9 . Following this there
were trials at the Schoo l of Infantry, Warminster ,
and at the Hythe ranges in Kent. Numerous r ecom
mendations were made during these trials to im
prove certain features of these arms. (Extensive
notes on this period are to be found in V o l u m e
Two.) On the strength of the trials results, the
British Ministry of Supply announced its intention
to place a formal order with FN for an additional
twelve, .280-ca l ibre carbines . These were to em
body all the changes and improvements the rather
exhaustive British trials had shown necessary . The
order was finalised on O c t . 24 , 1 9 4 9 .
The British were by now veterans of two in-
depth visits to the USA, and, al though honour-
bound not to pass on any significant information
regarding American deve lopments , had been ab le
by August 31 , 1 9 4 9 , to bring the rim and ex t rac tor
groove of their own .280 cartr idge into line with the
latest Frankford Arsenal T1E1 cartr idge base
dimensions. (This was the first of three US trials car
tridges, all loosely referred to as the 'T65 ' , which
had rim dimensions c o m p a t i b l e with the issue
.30M2.) The resulting UK round b e c a m e known as
the ' .280/30 ' . The British order for the 12 new FN
carbines , however, specif ied c h a m b e r dimensions
for the original .280 . Meanwhi le , FN was doing
s o m e homework of its own on the UK .280 ammuni
tion supplied under the terms of the Infantry Com
bat W e a p o n prototype deve lopmen t con t rac t . On
Sept. 2, 1 9 4 9 , the FN Central Laboratory reported
on a chemica l analysis of the powder taken from
some of their sample UK-loaded .280 cases . The
p resence of heavy powder fouling had been repor
ted at the W o o l w i c h endurance trials, where UK
ammuni t ion had been used exclusively. The results
of the FN analysis showed that potassium sulphate,
a flash-reducing salt, was present in the powder and
was likely the cause of the heavy fouling. The
report explained: "This salt is fixed, and forms,
along with the residues of powder combus t ion and
metal par t ic les from the cartr idge, an ext remely
adherent deposi t . This deposi t logically augments
itself progressively with the number of rounds
fired." The cases were re-loaded with FN's nor
mally-used Bofors powder, and sent to the UK, via
M. Vogels , for trial, a long with a copy of the results
of the above powder analysis. Major May's reply is
of interest:
Letter from: Ministry of Supply, Branch A . / 3 . , 3 5 / 3 7 , Old Queen S t . , London, S . W . I .
FN (England) Ltd. ,
102 Eaton Place,
London, S . W . I .
Dear Mr . Vogels,
I attach a preliminary report on the firing trials
carried out at Swynner ton on the .280 ammunit ion
loaded with Bofors Propellant .
This propellant is not considered suitable for the
.280 for the following reasons:
(i) The bulking of this powder is inferior to that
of the .280; this feature is critical with the longer
bullets i .e. A P I and 140 grain ball rounds.
(ii) Locat ion of the position of 'All Burnt ' in the
Barrel , (a) .280 at 13 1/2" of shot travel; (b) Bofors at
16 1/2" of shot travel (estimated). Note: (b) is being
44 Prototypes 4 to 16
confirmed by a pressure-space curve; these results
will not be available until about 15 Sept.
(iii) Muzzle flash is pronounced with the Bofors
propellant, giving a 6" glow at the muzzle; no flash
was noted with the .280 propellant. Note: A pressure
barrel with a 23 1/2" shot travel was used for this
shooting.
O u r Research Department is having an indepen
dent analysis carried out on the .280 Propellant; it is
not understood how potassium sulphate was found
in the sample analysed in Liège, since no instructions
were issued to the manufacturers to incorporate that
flash reducing salt into this propellant.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) John S. M a y , Majo r for D. of A. (S .A . )
Att : Preliminary report
Preliminary Report
Ammunit ion: .280 Ball Ammuni t ion (130 grain Bullet); Propellant: Bofors Flake Propellant Lot 201 of 8,500
1. Combined Veloci ty & Pressure Measurement .
Mean of 5 rounds.
Ammunit ion Veloci ty at 90° Pressure in tons
per sq. in:
(Base Copper)
.280 Ball loaded
with Bofors pro
pellant
2277 1 6 . 0
Charge Weight:
30 .35 gr.
.280 Ball Control 2273 16 .1
Charge Weight:
2 9 . 6 gr.
2. Bulking of the propellant.
Weight of Propellant required for filling the Car
tridge to the top: (a) Bofors Propellant - 36 .4 grains;
(b) . 2 8 0 - 4 1 . 1 grains.
3. Position of 'All Burnt ' .
(a) Bofors Propellant at 16 .5" of shot travel (esti
mated); (b) .280 at 1 3 . 5 " of shot travel.
4. Muzzle Flash from pressure barrel .
(a) Bofors propellant - 6" glow at muzzle; (b)
. 2 8 0 - n i l .
The first FN mention of the .280/30, or the .280 'New
Rim' as it was first ca l led , is from a lab analysis
report of the powder removed from a lot of these
new UK cartridges on 9 D e c e m b e r , 1 9 4 9 . The
charge was uniformly 29.5 grains of a new small
tubular-grained graphited powder, and the offen
ding salt had been omit ted .
The British had been successful in pinning the
Americans down to an ac tual schedule of c o m
parative trials of both countr ies ' new designs of
ammunit ion and arms. Extensive t echn ica l trials
were to be held at Aberdeen Proving Ground in
Maryland, fol lowed by a course of t ac t i ca l trials at
Fort Benning, Georgia . (Note: A comprehens ive
reprint of the 1 9 5 0 Aberdeen weapons trials is to be
found in V o l u m e One , North American FALs.) The
British had entered two rifle designs, the first of
which was their own EM-2. For the second they
proposed to t ake one or more of the new lot of
twelve FN Universal Carbines they had ordered.
The first of these, serial no. 4, was proofed and put
into service at FN on Dec . 3, 1 9 4 9 . Barrels of both
1 9 " and 2 3 " were made up for several of these early
carbines as Amer ican preferences were as yet
unknown. The British, in response to M. Laloux'
request at the Enfield d e m o that June, had sent
over a man in the person of British Army Quarter
master-Sergeant Thwaites, for familiarization with
the new carbines . Timing was of the e s sence as the
American trials were now scheduled to begin on
the 16th of February. Q M S Thwaites took the first
new carb ine (serial no. 4) back to England on
January 10th, 1 9 5 0 , for a shakedown trial at En
field. They were joined there by M. Vogels on the
23rd with carbines numbered 5, 6 and 7, in t ime for
the last 'dress rehearsal ' of all the UK entries before
Aberdeen.
An M1 Garand and a No 4 Lee-Enfield were in
cluded by Brigadier Barlow as control rifles. The
Rifle Data Shee t included in the Repor t was pre
pared as extensively as possible and included as
reference all ava i lab le information on several of
the top-secret Amer ican 'T'-series rifles then under
examination: The T25 had been the first rifle
designed for the American T65 cartr idge. It
featured a rear-locked, tilting bolt , and was
designed by Col Studler 's protege at Springfield
Armory, Mr Earle Harvey. The T28 was an adap
tation of the M P 4 4 Assault rifle, again in ca l ibre
.30T65, designed by Mr Cyril A. M o o r e as an in
vest igation of low-cost, s tamped-metal fabr icat ion
techniques . The T31 was an a t tempt by John
Garand to design a low-recoil infantry rifle. The T25
rifle b e c a m e the American entry a t the 1 9 5 0 Aber
deen and Fort Benning trials, while the latter two
designs were deemed unsuccessful and were
discont inued soon afterwards.
Demonstration of New Small Arms Ammunition and Auto Rifles
C.I.A. Ranges, Enfield Lock, Tuesday, 24th January 1950, D. of A. (S.A.)
1. Rifle Data Sheet: EM -1 EM -2 FN BSA Rifle
T 2 5
Rifle
T 2 8
Rifle
T 3 1
Rifle
M l
A. Weights (FN has 19" barrel) lb . oz. lb . oz. lb . oz. lb . oz. lb . oz. lb . oz. lb . oz. lb . oz.
1. Rifle without bayonet ,
magazine
2. Barrel
8 1 1
2 6
7 3 1/2
2 0
8 9
1 1 3
7 1 2
1 10 1/2
7 0
1 1 3
7 0
1 1 3
7 0
n / a
9 8
2 1 0
3. Magazine empty 0 7 1/2 0 9 0 8 0 11 3 / 4
B. Lengths inches inches inches inches inches inches inches inches
1. Rifle without bayonet
and muzzle stabilisers
2. Barrel length (bullet
travel)
36
2 3 . 5
35
2 3 . 5
39 & 42
19 & 22
3 9 . 4
1 8 . 4
4 1 . 3
2 0 . 2
4 3 . 5
2 0 . 2
35
n / a
4 3 . 6
2 1 . 3
C. Other Data
1. Type of operation
2 . Magazine capaci ty
3. Cyclic rate of fire
4. Type of sight
5. Muzzle stabiliser
Recoil reducer
Flash Hider
6. Type of bayonet
gas
2 0 rds
4 0 0 / 4 5 0
Unit
no
no
no
N o . 7
(blade)
gas
2 0 rds
5 0 0 / 5 5 0
Unit
no
no
no
N o . 7
(blade)
gas
2 0 rds
500
Iron
(Folding)
yes
no
yes
N o . 9
(blade)
gas
2 0 rds
250*
Opt ional
Iron or
Unit
yes
yes
yes
N o . 5
(blade)
gas
2 0 rds
600
Iron
(Folding)
yes
yes
yes
n / a
gas
2 0 rds
625
Iron
(Folding)
yes
yes
yes
n / a
gas
2 0 rds
n / a
n / a
n / a
n / a
n / a
n / a
gas
Iron
(Folding)
no
no
no
7. Recoil veloci ty - 7 . 7 f . s . - - 1 0 . 8 5 f.s. - - -
* Explanatory; can be varied after trial.
46 Prototypes 4 to 16
D. Ammunition Data U .K. USA
1. Types Ball (130 grain bullet)
Ball (140 grain bullet)
A . P . / A . P . I .
Tracer
Observing
Rifle Grenade
Ball (150 grain bullet)
Ball (140 grain bullet with M . S . core)
A . P . / A . P . I .
Tracer
Observing
Rifle Grenade
2. Muzzle velocity 2 , 4 0 0 f.s. 2 , 8 0 0 f.s.
3. True pressure M a x . 19 t .s . i . (for 130 grain bullet)
M a x . 22 t .s . i . (for 140 grain bullet)
M a x . 5 0 , 0 0 0 p.s . i . ( = 2 2 t .s . i . )
4. Type of propellant N . C . N . C .
5. Tracer performance (a) Dark ignition 90 yds ± 30
(b) Bright trace at least 800 yds (a) Da rk ignition 50 yds approx
(b) Bright trace 1,000 yds approx
6. Max imum grenade range
(1 1/4lb. U .S . M 9 A 1 ) 2 5 0 yds 2 5 0 yds
Table of Comparat ive Weights of Various Types of S .A .A.
Type of Weight of Bullet Weight per round Weight per 100 rds
Calibre Case in grains in grains in lbs.
.280" Brass 130 3 0 0 4 .3
Light Al loy 130 2 0 1 . 2 5 2 .8
.280" Brass 140 310 4 .44
Light Al loy 140 2 1 1 . 2 5 2 . 9 4
.30" T 6 5 Brass 140 361 5 .16
Light Al loy 140 2 4 5 . 6 3 .46
.30" T 6 5 Brass 150 371 5.3
Light Al loy 150 2 5 5 . 6 3 .6
. 3 0 / 0 6 Brass 150 397 5.9
.303" Brass 174 387 5.5
Light Al loy 174 2 7 5 . 5 3 .9
Limit of Success of Various Types of S . A . A .
Limit indicated by • Target: Steel Helmets
Type of Bullet
Range in yards
Type of Bullet 700 800 9 0 0 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800
.280" Ball (lead core)
130 grains
•
.280" Ball (lead core)
140 grains
•
.280" Ball (mild steel core)
130 grains •
.280" Ball (mild steel core)
140 grains
•
.280" A.P. I . 130 grains •
.30/06 Ball M2 150 grains •
.30/06 A.P . M2 150 grains •
.303" Mk.7 174 grains •
.303" W M k . 1 174 grains •
W.C. 66674S
Programme
Weapons : EM-2 , E M - 1 , FN, B S A
A. Ammunition: One .280" weapon. ( .303" as
control for comparison in Tests 1, 2 and 3.)
1. Penetration of M . S . plates*
2. Penetration of earth*
3. Penetration of wood*
4. Ignition of petrol by A P I round
5. Observing round against 'hard' target.
* Fired at same time as 'B ' be low.
B. Weapons
1. 100 yards grouping — 5 rounds single shot.
2. 100 yards grouping — 1 magazine in bursts from
bipod or sandbags.
3. 25 yards grouping — 1 magazine in bursts of 2 / 3
rounds fired in the machine carbine role (with
sling, e tc . ) .
4. 2 0 0 yards Figure 2 Target — 1 magazine rapid
( f i r ed single shot) .
5. C . I . G . S . to fire all weapons.
FN carbines numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 were quickly sent
back to Herstal for a final tune-up after the Enfield
shoot, then carefully packed , with the necessary
spares, and sent off by d ip lomat ic courier to Aber
deen Proving Ground. The British, who as men
t ioned had already held several meet ings in the
USA, were for the first t ime successful in acquiring
permission for several representat ives of FN to at-
48 Prototypes 4 to 16
tend these important trials at Aberdeen. Monsieur
Laloux took ship to New York while Monsieur Saive,
anxious to be on hand right from the first shots
fired, flew over to wa tch his inventions perform in
the new, pan-Atlantic compet i t ion .
Excerpts from Monsieur Laloux' later confiden
tial report of the trials follow:
Aberdeen — Universal Carbine Second week of the trials
On Wednesday Feb 17, after my departure for New
York , the first shots had already been fired. They be
gan with test no . III, a shoot of 100 rounds to ensure
proper functioning. M. Saive assisted, firing carbines
numbers 6 and 7 in single shot and both short and
long bursts of fully automatic fire, without incident,
although the ammunit ion appeared to have sensitive
primers.
Monday Feb 20 was taken up in photographing
our carbine, (no 4 ) , and in drawing up the official
parts list. (Appended to this report - Ed.)
On Monday Feb 20 , Tuesday Feb 21 and Thurs
day Feb 2 3 , the precision shooting trials were held
with our carbine no . 4 (Test X ) . (Wednesday was
Washington's bir thday and a holiday). M. Saive was
unfortunately not allowed to assist at any of these
trials; Brigadier Bar low himself was also absent.
Q M S Thwaites was the firer, and the results he ob
tained were unfortunately erratic — due, I feel, to his
being an N C O and much more used to performing
the firing exercises themselves without due regard for
the results, which were as follows for our arm:
Accuracy Test
Date: 28 Feb 1950
Rifle: FN serial no 4
Range: 100 yards
Fired from: bench rest
Wind: S S W , 20 to 28 mph
Direction of fire: SW
Rifleman: Thwaites
Sky condit ion: overcast
Targets are of 10 rounds each. Measurements are in inches.
Target
Number M.R. M.V.D. M.H.D. E.V.D. E.H.D. E.S.
Centre of Impact
From Point of Aim Remarks
1 3 .56 3 .18 1.27 12 .12 4 .65 1 2 . 3 0 Right 1.08
Below .25 Normal group (rifle previously
fired 14 rounds)
2 3 .00 2 . 6 6 .91 1 2 . 6 0 4 .82 12 .63 Right .59
A b o v e .81 Normal group
3 2 .55 2 .22 .91 7 .64 4 . 1 1 7 .70 Right 1.00
A b o v e 1.83
Normal group
Average 3 .04 2 . 6 9 1.03 10 .79 4 .53 1 0 . 8 8 Right .89
Above .80
4 2 .42 2 .03 1.08 8 .70 4 . 4 8 8 .70 Right .86
Below 2 .08
Each shot was the first from a fully
loaded magazine.
5 1.58 .73 1.28 3 .39 6 .63 7 .00 Right .05
Below .76
Each shot was the 11th from the
magazine (9 rounds remained in
weapon) .
6 2 .35 1.67 1.39 5 .70 5 .92 8 .15 Left 1.42
Below 1.98
Each shot was the last from the
magazine.
Target
Number M.R. M.V.D. M.H.D. E.V.D. E.H.D. E.S.
Centre of Impact
From Point of Aim Remarks
7 1.57 .97 1.02 3 .51 3 .30 4 . 4 0 Left .50
Below 3 .07 Each round loaded directly into
chamber and bolt closed as gently
as possible. Magazine not at tached
to rifle.
8 2 . 3 9 1.41 1.51 6 .06 7 .90 8 .65 Left 1.50
Below 3 .50
After firing 40 rounds automatic
fire to heat barrel . Each round
loaded directly into chamber as for
target 7.
9 2 . 7 4 1.90 1.70 6 .36 7 .24 8 .30 Left .55
Below .66 First 10 rounds from a fully loaded
magazine. O n e minute cooling
period between shots.
10 1.65 1.19 .73 6 .30 3 .27 6 .35 Right .19
A b o v e 1.55
Last 10 rounds from a fully loaded
magazine. O n e minute cooling
period between shots.
11 1.77 1.57 .63 5 .51 2 .82 5 .80 Right 1.77
A b o v e 3 .47
Fired without grip in normal
manner .
Thursday the 24th I finally received the following
figures from Bar low concerning the accuracy results
of our carbine no 7:
Hor. Vert . Hor. Vert. FN no 7: rifleman Herbert 1. 5 .50 X 1 2 . 5 0 FN no 7: (Herbert) 1. 5 3 . 5 0 X 45
2 . 3 .25 X 14 2 . 60 .25 X 3 5 . 6
3 . 3 .50 X 1 0 . 7 5 3 . 2 4 . 2 5 X 2 9 . 2 5 Average 4 .08 X 1 2 . 4 1 Average 4 6 . 1 6 X 3 7 . 9 5
FN no 7: rifleman Thwai tes 1. 3 .75 X 9 FN no 7: (Gustafson) 1. 3 1 . 6 X 4 5 . 2 5 2 . 5 .25 X 8 2 . 4 0 . 9 0 X 4 6 . 3 5
3. 3 X 8.25 Average 4 0 . 9 1 X 4 3 . 9 5 Average 4 X 8.41
FN no 7: (Thwaites) 1. 4 8 . 3 5 X 2 2 . 6 0 FN no 7: rifleman Gustafson 1. 4 .25 X 1 2 . 5 0 2 . 2 1 . 0 0 X 2 0 . 0 0
2 . 3 X 13 3 . 2 6 . 9 0 X 1 6 . 5 0
3 . 4 . 5 0 X 10 Average 3 2 . 0 8 X 23 .03
Average 3 .90 X 11 .83
EM-2 — Average
EM-2 1. 2 2 . 5 0 X 4 2 . 8 0
(Average) — Thwai tes 1. 4 . 5 8 X 5 .50 2 . 4 1 . 1 1 X 3 1 . 0 0 (Average) — Gustafson 2. 4 . 1 6 X 5 .58 3. 2 1 . 0 0 X 2 0 . 8 3
(Average) — Herbert 3. 3 .25 X 5 .16
Single shot: 100 yards, 10 shots (inches) Auto: 50 yards, 20 shots in bursts of 5
50 Prototypes 4 to 16
serial no 13, marked " X 2 E 1 " . These weapons are now on display at the Q A D ( W ) Pattern Room at Enf ie ld Lock, Middlesex, Eng land.
each 600-round cycle .
( N o t e : c o m p l e t e tes t p r o c e d u r e s a n d resu l t s i n V o l
u m e O n e . )
After these series were completed, I leaped at a chan
ce to fire the E M - 2 . Bar low mentioned that the EM-2
had suffered a broken locking lug during the third
endurance cycle.
We had been forewarned by Herstal of the con
siderable fouling to be expected with the UK 140-gr
pink-tipped loads, and after proving that our carbine
could fire an entire course of 600 rounds without any
adjustment or attention, we were authorized to
enlarge the gas take-off aperture from 2 .75 to 3 mm.
We could see the existing hole was almost completely
closed by fouling, and removed a considerable quan
tity of metallic deposits before actually getting down
to enlarging the hole.
So far we had been shooting with the short (19")
barrel, (guns 6 and 7.) After a discussion with Bar
low, wherein we decided against changing over to the
longer barrel, or shooting any of the 130-gr loads,
even though they had been brought over and were
available, we decided to enlarge the gas passage holes
in the gas regulator, to provide a sort of receptacle
Fig 36 Three of the 12 UK-ordered Carabines Automatiques de Moyenne Puissance (CAMP) cal ibre .280. Above : serial no 6, used at Aberdeen; centre: serial no 11; below:
It is most unfortunate that we were unable to see the
successive shots hit the target, in order to ascertain if
the walk' was progressive, or if the weapon was
shooting one high and the next low.
As the final stage of the precision shooting, Gus
tafson continued with no 7 on Wednesday. The
shooting was a bit better — an American officer ex
hibited a target featuring a nice group with no flyers,
which he had obtained by reloading the magazine af
ter each shot and controlling the closure of the bolt as
gently as possible.
We will of course endeavour to clear up this
problem but it will be difficult if we are not allowed
to assist in the actual shoots . I repeated to Bar low
that the principle of our carbine is identical to that of
the self-loading rifle (SAFN) , wherein it gives ex
cellent results, and which moreover proved its
precision to his satisfaction at Woolwich .
Thursday the 24th saw the beginning of the en
durance trials (Test X I ) . This shoot was composed of
10 series of 600 rounds, with each of the groups of
600 broken into 6 series of 100 rounds, alternately
single shot and full automatic . The weapons were
allowed to cool to ambient temperature between each
series of 100 ; it was permissable to oil the arms after
each series of 100 but not to clean them until after
for the powder fouling (Barlow's idea), and to take 5
or 6 coils off the operating spring. These
modifications were made to carbine no 7, which ap
peared in perfect working order, following which we
ensured it was well cleaned and oiled. T h e trials are
to recomence Monday morning. Monsieur Saive and
I are going to Washington for the weekend. R. Laloux
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Official Parts List for Rifle, Lightweight, Calibre .280 FN
Results of Test I (b)
1. Plug, gas cylinder, assembly, consisting of:
Plug, gas cylinder
Plunger, gas cylinder
Retainer, plunger
Spring, plunger
2. Piston
3. Spring, piston
4. Lock, gas regulator
5. Cover, bolt
6. Slide, bolt, assembly, consisting of:
Pin, connecting rod
Plunger, connecting rod
Rod, connecting
Slide, bolt
Spring, connecting rod
7. Extractor, assembly, consisting of:
Extractor
Spring, extractor
8. Bolt
9. Pin, firing pin retaining
10. Spring, firing pin
11. Pin, firing
12. Swivel, front
13. Screw, front swivel
14. Screw, hand guard
15. Guard, hand, assembly, consisting of:
Bushing, left
Bushing, right
Guard, hand
16. Barrel and receiver, assembly, consisting of:
Barrel
Block, gas
Block, bolt locking
Bushing, gas cylinder
Collar, hand guard
Cylinder, gas
Handle, cocking
Pin, gas b lock
Pin, gas cylinder
Plunger, gas regulator
Plunger, cocking handle
Receiver
Regulator, gas
Rivet, cocking handle stud
Sight, front
Spring, gas regulator
Spring, cocking handle
Stud, cocking handle
17 . Screw, slide retaining
1 8 . Screw, rear sight adjusting
1 9 . Ramp, rear sight
2 0 . same as part 18
2 1 . Spring, rear sight lock
2 2 . Lock, rear sight
2 3 . Slide, rear sight
2 4 . Pin, trigger housing
2 5 . Screw, trigger housing
2 6 . Trigger housing, assembly, consisting of:
Housing, trigger
Screw, grip retaining
Tube, operating spring
27 . S tock , assembly, consisting of:
Screw, sling swivel
Swivel, sling
S tock
2 8 . Plate, butt
2 9 . Screw, butt plate
3 0 . same as part 29
3 1 . Sear , automat ic
3 2 . Spring, automatic sear
3 3 . Spring, magazine catch
3 4 . Catch , magazine
3 5 . S top , bol t , assembly, consisting of:
Lock, screw, bolt stop
Plunger, bol t stop
Screw, bolt stop
Spring, bolt stop
Stop, bol t
Thumbpiece , bol t , stop
3 6 . Screw, magazine catch
37 . Lever, change
3 8 . Cover , trigger housing
52 Prototypes 4 to 16
3 9 . Hammer , assembly, consisting of: 5 1 . Nut, grip retaining screw
Guide, hammer spring 5 2 . Latch
Hammer 5 3 . Plunger, latch
Pin, hammer spring guide 5 4 . Spring, latch
4 0 . Spring, hammer 5 5 . Spring, latch retaining plate
4 1 . Retainer, hammer spring 56 . Plunger, latch retaining plate
4 2 . Sear 57 . Plate, latch retaining
4 3 . Plunger, sear 5 8 . Plunger, operating spring
4 4 . Spring, sear 5 9 . Spring, operating
4 5 . Trigger 6 0 . Washer , operating spring tube
4 6 . Plunger, trigger 6 1 . Screw, operating spring tube
47 . Spring, trigger 62 . Follower, magazine
4 8 . Guard, trigger 6 3 . Tube, magazine
4 9 . Lever, opening 64 . Base, magazine
5 0 . Grip 65 . Spring, magazine
Fig 37 C loseup of the receiver of one of the C A M P carbines. Note the removeable sideplate on the mach ined
lower receiver. Figure 38 shows the ' D ' (demounting) posit ion of the change lever for removal of the sideplate.
Monsieur Vogels was FN's 'man in London', and pre
pared the following resume of recen t events , as he
had heard them, on March 2, 1 9 5 0 . Mm. Laloux and
Saive were still in Amer ica and copies of this docu
ment went to them as well as back to Herstal to M.
Joassar t , the director-general , and Monsieur Saive's
chief assistant. Monsieur Vervier:
FN (England) Ltd.
102 Eaton Place
London S . W . I
Carbine .280 - Trials in U S A
1. I met with (UK) Col Wat t s , March 2, 1 9 5 0 . He
read a long letter just received from Brigadier Bar
low, and concentrated on two extracts which have
been the subject of recent cables:
It appears the comparison weight trials of the
three arms under consideration favour the American
rifle, called the T 2 5 . It is decidedly the lightest.
The actual weights are as follows: (with full
magazine)
T25 8.37 lbs (3 .8 kg)
EM-2 8.57 lbs (3 .89 kg)
FN 9 .18 lbs (4 .17 kg)
Moreover, it is alleged there is an EM-2 model
which will weigh out less than the T - 2 5 .
2. Automatic precision fire: this shoot (Test X) is at
50 yards with a 10 ft x 6 ft target. Twenty rounds are
fired, in bursts of 5 to 10 rounds, The FN carbine and
the EM-2 with the three best shooters put all their
shots in a circle 2 ft in diameter. Even the poorest
shooters can easily keep all their shots on the target.
With the T 2 5 , no one, from the best to the worst, is
capable of keeping all 20 shots on the target." (Note:
these fully au tomat ic firing results are curiously
missing from the official published results of Test X,
reprinted in Vol. One.) The American cartridge is more powerful, but
on the other hand the T 2 5 is very unpleasant to
shoot. All the shooters dislike it. The UK . 2 8 0 / 3 0
cartridges preoccupy many because of their marked
lack of precision on the target. The difficulties with
heavy fouling are also well demonstrated. While I
was in Col Wat ts ' office, a cable arrived informing
him that the EM-2 had twice broken a locking lug
during trial. The cable requested spares be sent on
immediately to avoid the necessity of cannibalizing
the other test EM-2 rifles.
As to the end of the trials, it appears they are
taking much longer than planned to complete and the
estimate is now two and a half months for the tech
nical trials to be finished. It has also been decided to
undertake the tactical trials at Fort Benning
simultaneously. This is why we are being pressed to
send over the rest of the ordered FN carbines — the
tactical trials are due to begin the day all the ap
propriate material arrives. Major de Quincey con
firms that B O A C agrees to transport the material by
air as ordered by the Ministry of Supply, with labels
attached showing weight, dimensions, and a detailed
list of contents. This method of transport is en
visaged for the two latest carbines, now ready, num
bers 8 and 9 as well as the remaining six.
— signed, J. Vogels
With the trials in full swing, the fouling created by the UK .280 cartridges seemed ironically to be one of the few things keeping a more decisive success from Monsieur Laloux' grasp. Although now too late to affect the trials, he directed every effort into
analysis of this weak foreign link in the carefully-prepared FN chain. The Ballistic Laboratory back in Herstal prepared a report on the 9th of March regarding experiments with the various loadings of .280 so far available from the British:
Fouling of the .280 Automatic Carbines
1. Previous Developments
Fouling trials were held on Feb 10 , 1950 , firing
50 rounds of .280 ammunit ion loaded with 140-gr
bullets. M. Vogels asked that we repeat the same test
using cartridges loaded with 130-gr bullets; this was
done on March 3.
2. Equipment Used
We carried out these trials using a special M a n n
barrel, calibre 7 mm, chambered for the .280 , with a
pressure-measurement takeoff point situated in the
same location as is the gas b lock of the FN carbine. A
long, capped cylinder, of 5 mm interior diameter
screws into this takeoff hole. It plays the role of the
gas cylinder.
3. Trials
We fired 100 of the .280 140-grain loads, in five
series of 20 , at a rate of roughly 1 minute and 50
seconds per series. We measured the variation in the
weight of our 'capture' cylinder after each 20 shots
We made the same series of trials with the 130-grain
loads.
(continued)
54 Prototypes 4 to 16
4. Results
UK Cases with 140 grain bullet UK cases with 130 grain bullet
Time Weight of Capture Cumulative Weight of Capture Cumulative Cylinder Gain Cylinder Gain
Before shooting 3 7 . 7 4 6 0 gr 3 7 . 7 1 8 6 gr
After 20 rds 3 7 . 8 4 8 4 gr 0 .1024 gr 3 7 . 7 8 1 0 gr 0 .0624 gr
After 40 rds 3 7 . 8 9 5 2 gr 0 .1492 gr 3 7 . 8 4 9 8 gr 0 .1312 gr
After 60 rds 3 7 . 9 3 1 2 gr 0 .1852 gr 3 7 . 9 2 7 6 gr 0 .2090 gr
After 80 rds 3 7 . 9 5 9 6 gr 0 .2136 gr 3 7 . 9 9 4 6 gr 0 .2760 gr
After 100 rds 3 7 . 9 9 8 8 gr 0 .2528 gr 3 8 . 0 5 9 0 gr 0 .3404 gr
5. Nature of the deposits The residues were extracted from the cyl inders ,
Monsieur Laloux' report from Aberdeen had ended with the seemingly innocent comment that he and Monsieur Saive were going "to New York for the weekend." His weekends were very busy; Monsieur Laloux was a master at sounding people out, and dividing them into two groups - those who could be of assistance to him and therefore to FN, and those who could, or would, not. He was never a man to waste time or just relax in the middle of an event which could appreciably alter the fortunes of Fabrique Nationale.
On the 9th of March, 1950, while the trials were still proceeding, Monsieur Laloux and Monsieur Saive visited the offices and plant of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut. Olin ball powder was used exclusively in Col Studler's vaunted, top-secret .30 calibre con
cept. Needless to say, for M. Laloux, it rankled that the T25 rifle, whatever its idiosyncracies, had been noticeably less bothered at Aberdeen by any serious powder fouling than had the FN entries, which perforce were shooting ammunition designed and manufactured in England; ammunition over which FN had no control. Monsieur Laloux ensured that powder trials in Herstal began comparing samples of Olin ball powder to the more traditional European types very soon after this meeting took place. His report of the Winchester visit shows clearly that even while involved in complex and delicate negotiations about top-secret gunpowder, he missed very little indeed of what was shown him. His remarks were obviously never meant for publication, but ponder nevertheless where Winchester would be today had they been read and taken to heart!
Winchester Repeating Arms Company New Haven, Connecticut
9th March 1950
1. Generalities The visit, delayed by the absence of the Regional
Manager Mr Dawson, was necessarily cut short in
order that we might still catch the train for Toronto .
We were met at the station in New Haven by Mr
Tobler, recently returned from Herstal, who was the
old director-general of Winchester before its absorp
tion into the Ol in group.
In the absence of Mr John Olin, with w h o m I
had exchanged courteous correspondence and who
was vacationing in the Bahamas , we were finally
rescued by Mr Dawson. He immediately took us to a
boardroom where a large table was laid for a later
lunch. Here we met numerous of his fellow Win
chester executives.
I had been advised by the writer Walter H.B.
Smith that very great changes were taking place at
Winchester . Indeed, several days before our visit the
head of the Winchester Research division, and the
Works manager himself had been politely informed
their services were no longer required. According to
W . H . B . Smith, who to us had seemed to have
already chosen sides in the affair, things were not
going at all well at Winchester . The parent company
was giving too little individual freedom yet too much
responsibility to its Winchester executives.
after each trial and were sent to the lab for chemical
analysis.
We had just sat down when Dawson started
asking about Aberdeen. He was very close to the
mark in his appreciation of the situation there regard
ing our carbines, and above all, the British car
tridges. I explained modestly that I was there to serve
the English cause in this endeavour, and had a very
limited amount of freedom to act as an agent of FN.
We spent the rest of the lunch period discussing
generalities.
We decided to devote our first two hours to a
tour of the factory, and the rest of the afternoon to
the research laboratory. (This latter, like the Marl in
facility, had the appearance of an informal club, but
with more test instruments and equipment.) A con
tract was in the works between the Belgian firm
Poudreries Réunies and the Olin group, but US
government regulations were still holding up a final
agreement regarding an exchange of information on
the Olin military ball powders. Mr John Olin him
self, it was indicated, was ready to begin negotiations
directly with FN as soon as a change in the
regulations,-billed as imminent, allowed a settlement
of this gunpowder situation. For my part I did not at
tempt to hide that our financial situation had evolved
very much in the right direction since Mr Olin had
visited Herstal.
2. The Visit to the Arms Factory
Mr Rogers, the new W o r k s manager, was just
back from a three week trip to the Winchester plant
at East Alton, Ill. He directed his assistant Mr Emil
Scheur, (German, as his name would indicate), to
show us around and answer all our questions.
The New Haven factory, with its multitude of
different arms under production, was very large. The
workshop building itself was no small achievement.
Five or six stories high, it surrounds a courtyard at
least a hundred metres square. The workshops are
very well lit and about 50 metres long. On every side
of a central passage, four very cramped and close-
together ranks of machine-tools are arranged by
type. The overall impression created by these cram
ped, ancient facilities is very much less than ours: at
first glance the number of machine tools seems about
the same, if not greater, but at the time of our visit
the degree of utilization of each machine was very
much less. Around each group of machines were only
a few operators, and most of the machines were
unoccupied. Mr Scheur confirmed that the number of
machine operators was only about 2 , 0 0 0 . The most
surprising thing for me, and M. Saive agreed on this
as well when I asked him, was that the whole place
was so old; not only the buildings, but the equip
ment, and most of all the production methods. Belt-
driven machines predominated, although some had
been converted to individual motors . The number of
single-stage machines, permanently set up for repeti
tive operations were grouped together, as was the
practice, and the impression here was quite simply
fantastic. It appeared that no one had done anything
to reduce the number of these repetitive, hand-fed
operations, which are after all the most tedious and
unpleasant in all manufacturing. To sum up the
machinery: apart from the vertical barrel drilling
machines and the new Salstrom stockmaking panto
graph, nothing sensational or unknown to us, at all.
As regards the work methods, we never saw a
single plan or detail sheet anywhere in the factory.
This may have been my fault for not insisting; a
request of mine to examine any one single plan was
not satisfied. It appears operation detail sheets as
such do not exist. T h e work is not done in any form
of assembly line. T h e machines in the workshops are
grouped by type: milling machines of the same type,
copy-mills, drilling machines, and so on. In prin
ciple, the machines don't budge and the work is trans
ported from one group of machines to another in in
numerable coded trays. This was indeed a formidable
process !
Trays were piled up everywhere, in some places
occupying a complete work station — an enormous
volume of material .
All handwork is done by males, except for the
inspections. For the inspections, we noticed
numerous stations, equipped with gauges. Surprising
as it seems, we were assured that the Garand rifle had
been extensively produced here during the war, by
the same production methods we had just seen.
Wi th all the curious features, several points of
interest merit further description:
• an eight-station Sals t rom copy mill, identical to
the one at Marl in , alongside numerous old, single
function machines.
• the vertical barrel-boring machines designed by
Winchester themselves.
• the final function-shooting and inspection, which
are done simultaneously by very competent
operators and consist of a complete examinat ion fol
lowed by a functional shooting trial of each arm.
• the barrel heat-treating facility, wherein the barrels
are automatical ly conveyed through the various
stages of the process. I will consider particular atten
tion to this idea to be time well spent, when we come
to install our own new heat-treating facility.
I did find it hard to believe a time of 7 1/2
minutes, given to me as the time it took to rifle a .30
calibre Mauser-type barrel, as it coincided with the
same time quoted by Marl in to rifle a soft steel .22
56 Prototypes 4 to 16
barrel .
I feel we owe it to ourselves to investigate this
method of barrel rifling, although, like at Marl in,
polishing the insides of the shotgun barrels was
manually guided on horizontal machinery.
T ime did not permit more than a quick visit to
the Research Labora tory , and I can add little to what
M. Vogels has already reported. I must say there was
not much activi ty.
They did tell me they had obtained excellent
results in the lost wax casting process by substituting
a plastic for the wax . T h e manufacturing costs of cer
tain parts I was shown were in the neighbourhood of
2 0 % lower than the usual machinings.
I admired the newly refurbished library and arms
collection. T h e collection is very beautiful and very
well rounded out.
— R. Laloux
As the 1 9 5 0 Fort Benning t ac t i ca l ammuni t ion trials
carried on, the FN factory finished and proofed the
last of the order of twelve UK .280 carbines (num
bers 4 to 15) , on 7 April. An FN trials bulletin dated
the 6th of April detai ls ve loc i ty measurements of
UK .280 ammunit ion, heads tamped RG 48 (130-
grain bullet) and K49 (140-grain bullet), fired in FN
carbine no 14 . The results were as follows: (Figures
expressed in averages for both of two 10-shot
groups.)
The Benning trials were dest ined to drag on
right through the summer, but the Aberdeen trials
were now over, and the r ecommenda t ions of the
testing officers had been unofficially made
avai lab le to FN. Monsieur Saive's 'Groupe 74 ' lost
no t ime in comple t ing another carbine , (number
16). It was identical to the Ministry of Supply's .280
carbines which had figured in the American trials,
but embod ied a cer tain number of the changes
r e c o m m e n d e d in the US report. It was proofed on
April 21 and was the sub j ec t of a trial, under M.
Saive's direct ion, at Zutendaal from 1 0 - 1 2 May,
1 9 5 0 . The FN fac tory had by now al tered the
working name of their 'Universal Carbines ' to Cara
bines automatiques de moyenne puissance
(medium-powered au toma t i c carbines) , which be
c a m e con t r ac t ed to the initials 'CAMP'. Both names
were hencefor th used in te rchangeably in various
co r r e spondence and reports.
Monsieur Saive's own report of this compar i
son trial follow:
C.A.M.P. .280 Zutendaal Trials, 10 M a y 1950
Following up on the American trials and the results,
now available to us, we felt a comparison of the car
bine which did so well in England prior to the US
trials, (number 2 ) , as opposed to an arm embodying
the UK-recommended improvements, such as we
sent over to America , would be most interesting: to
experiment with them, to shoot them, and to record
the conclusions. To this end, we have prepared the
following arms:
1. The original carbine no 2, which was submit
ted to the Woolwich trials in July 1 9 4 9 . This weapon
has fired more than 1 0 , 0 0 0 rounds, It is now fitted
with a new, long (560 mm) barrel and the original
butts tock. T h e rear sight is mounted on the body
cover .
2. The brand-new carbine no 16 , which is with
the following exceptions, identical to numbers 4 to
15 , which were tested in America :
• 500 mm barrel , reinforced at the gas b lock
• gas takeoff point moved back 21 mm
• modified gas piston and gas plug
• stronger return springs, like the original
(101 coils)
Plan of the trials:
a) To examine the influence of the form of the
butts tock and the length of the barrel on accuracy.
(Carbine no 2)
b) To judge the effect of the reinforced 500 mm
barrel on accuracy (carbine no 16 ) .
c) To see what difference is made in mean point
of impact (MPI) with bayonet on and off, both long
and short barrels (both carbines).
d) To assure the new gas cylinder locat ion allows
Average M.V. Group 1 Average M.V. Group 2
130-grain R G 4 8 130-grain RG48
689 m/sec + 1 2 - 1 4 6 8 5 m/sec + 8 - 5
140-grain K49 140-grain K49
667 m/sec + 1 8 - 1 5 672 m/sec + 1 0 - 8
adequate power for cycling the action (carbine 16 ) .
All shots fired seated, with a rest, at 100 yards, in
series of 10 shots. The ammunit ion used was UK .280
headstamped K 4 9 (Kynoch) with 140-gr bullets.
Conclusions: The accuracy results of carbine no 16 with the
reinforced 500 mm barrel seem good. The form of the
stock and the additional barrel length do not appear
to affect the precision.
Shooting with fixed bayonet has the effect of
lowering the M P I about 20 cm for the 500 mm barrel
and 39 cm for the 560 mm barrel .
The modification of the gas takeoff locat ion in
creased the recoil and ejection forces of the arm. A
recoil spring of 98 coils seems sufficient.
— D. Saive
Chapter 4
Prototypes 17 to 22 (1950-1951)
FN was at this t ime (and for some t ime thereafter)
deeply commi t t ed to a series of exhaust ive and
meticulous ammuni t ion trials. The .280 round as
loaded in the UK and supplied to FN under the ter
ms of the cont inuing weapons deve lopmen t con
tracts was simply not performing to anyone 's satis
faction. Trials of the 130-gr versus 140-gr bul let
loads were analysed in numerous, lengthy reports
under such headings as opt imum bullet profile,
ballistic charac ter i s t ics , powder analysis, copper
crusher tests, and Mann barrel a c c u r a c y results.
Even before the full story was in regarding the bes t
the British load could do, as supplied, the FN
technicians had qui te naturally begun cast ing
about on their own to be t te r the pe r fo rmance of
the basic round. New tests were run, d o c u m e n t e d
under headings such as "the search for the u l t imate
powder for the .280 round," wherein various lots of
powder, notably of Bofors manufac ture , were tried
in an effort to improve ball is t ics and a c c u r a c y .
Renewed copper crusher measurements , using the
new powder loads, were recorded. The original UK
cases , loaded with the 7 mm FN S-12 bullet, had
also been the sub j ec t of numerous trials, and now
every possible permutat ion and combina t ion of
primer, powder and bul let were exper imented with
in an a t t empt to ach ieve the required results. Suc
cess in making the .280 shoot cont inued to e lude
the FN engineers however, and the voluminous files
of the period deal ing with ammuni t ion develop
ment bear mute witness to their most de termined
effort to explore every c o n c e i v a b l e avenue, perfor
ce using the British .280 cases .
In the light of the dawning world-wide interest
in the FN carbine , Monsieur Saive, on beha l f of
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, drew up the
necessary documen t s in order to file for a patent
in Belgium, descr ibing his design as it was em
bodied in carbines 4 to 1 6 . With the excep t ion of
the early trigger plunger design and r emovab le
s ideplate , his descript ion of the bas ic theory of
opera t ion of his invention as t ranslated from these
1 9 5 0 documen t s suffices admirably today, and
descr ibes the very latest models :
Notice of Patent Application in Belgium for an Automatic Firearm
(Universal Carbine, cal .280)
This invention concerns an automatic firearm with
fixed barrel, gas operated; the gas mechanism being
located above the barrel . This basic configuration, as
regards the line of sight which is through the rear
sight to the front sight, (this latter placed on top of
the gas cylinder), permits the lowering of the centre
of gravity of the arm to the level of the axis of the
barrel; the buttplate of the a rm being itself located on
a continuation of this axis, assuring stability and ac
curacy during automatic fire. This arm is of the
locked breech type; that is to say it is capable of using
ammunit ion comparable in power to that normally
used in mili tary rifles.
T h e modern tendency is to an intermediate cart
ridge — that is to say a cartridge satisfactory at to
day's more realistic combat ranges, without being
overpowered, as of old. This allows the development
of an arm such as this present invention, a light car
bine at once capable of the role of sub-machine gun
and light machine gun, without sacrificing charac
teristics needed for its main use as a repeating rifle or
a semi-automatic rifle.
60 Prototypes 17 to 22
Fig 38 The original drawings for Monsieur Saive's Belgian patent application are shown in figs 38 to 43.
The present invention aims to furnish the user
with a general-use, selective semi-automatic and
automatic-fire arm in a light, robust and easily-main
tained configuration.
A particularly constructive characteristic, con
stituting an essential feature of the invention, is that
the butt and trigger group are hinged at mid-point to
the receiver and can be pivoted downwards, allowing
extremely easy access to the recoiling parts, which
are made up of a tilting bolt sheathed in a protective
slide. This latter is fitted at its rear end with an articu
lated rod which contacts the captive return spring,
housed and protected inside the but ts tock. This
arrangement permits the easy withdrawal and inspec
tion of the bolt elements. T h e point of articulation of
the butt to the receiver also serves as the axis of
rotation of an important safety feature of the arm,
the secondary or automatic sear, which must be trip
ped by the bolt slide coming completely home before
the trigger sear can function. In automatic fire, this
safety sear is in complete control .
Another practical feature of the invention is the
extractor, wherein the act ion of hooking over the rim
of the chambered cartridge is materially assisted by
the closing bolt slide, riding against the outer side of
the extractor and augmenting the act ion of the ex
tractor spring. T h e extractor head assures a tight grip
on the fired case, transporting it securely backward
until contact is made with the fixed ejector. The
locat ion of the position of the bolt locking face and
the locking shoulder in the receiver, is also as close as
possible to the vertical centre of gravity of the arm,
again contributing to great stability during automatic
fire. Moreover , selecting the positions for safe, single
shot and automatic fire are obtained by manipulation
of a single transverse lever through the trigger
housing. The same lever can be moved up past the
'safe' position and around to the front, (only when
the butt is lowered for field stripping), allowing the
dismounting of the side plate, and exposing the
trigger and sear mechanism for disassembly or in
spection without the use of any special tool what
ever.
Additional characteristics are explained in the
following paragraphs which refer to the drawings of
the invention in figures 38 to 4 3 . The upper part of
figure 38 is an elevation drawing of an arm pursuant
to this invention. Below is an elevation showing the
same arm with the butt lowered and the locking
mechanism withdrawn for inspection from the
receiver. T h e magazine is also withdrawn from its
housing. An enlarged insert shows the removable
sideplate and change lever. Figure 39 is, above, a
cutaway view in longitudinal section, with the
Drawn by the inventor himself, with explanations in the text below.
moving parts forward, the arm unloaded and all
springs at rest. Be low this is another longitudinal sec
tion showing the bol t held open by the bolt stop,
which is actuated by the magazine follower when the
magazine is empty. In this position the hammer is at
its near-maximum depression, held down by the
lower surface of the bol t . Referring to the drawings
thus far described: an arm as embodied by this inven
tion comprises essentially a barrel , (2) , fixed in a
receiver, (5), to which is articulated a butt and trigger
housing, (3), moving about the axis (4) .
In the body, or receiver, (5) , are housed the ele
ments of the locked breech, namely the bolt slide, (6) ,
and the tilting bolt , (7) . This mechanism can be slid
out to the rear by grasping the connecting rod (8) , the
rear end of which is visible at the opening under the
bolt cover (5a) when the arm is broken open. T h e
bolt cover protects the mechanism and can also, if
necessary, be easily removed with the arm broken,
by sliding it to the rear. Unlocking of the breech is ef
fected by a piston (1) being struck on its front face by
some of the gases formed by the ignition of the
powder in a chambered, fired cartridge, which flow
down the barrel behind the bullet and move up
through the gas takeoff hole in the barrel and its en
circling gas b lock , (2a) . This piston moves back and
taps sharply on the upper front face of the bolt slide
(6) , which moves to the rear and effects the unlocking
of the bolt (7) , by lifting it up out of engagement with
the bolt locking b lock (17) , then controlling its fur
ther movement towards the rear by its cam faces (6a)
contacting the corresponding cam faces on the bolt
(7a) . T h e connecting rod (8) compresses the opera
ting spring (11a) by pushing back the operating
spring plunger (11) . T h e operating spring is housed in
a solid tube, projecting from the rear of the trigger
housing, (3) , around which is located the but ts tock.
T h e actual firing of the cartridge is accomplished
by the firing pin, (12) , which is hit by the hammer
(9), released by the sear (13) , following the operator's
finger pressure on the trigger (14) .
T h e arm is first manual ly brought to a state of
readiness by means of the cocking handle, which is
located on the left forward side of the receiver. By its
position it permits arming with the left hand, the
right hand remaining ready on the pistol grip.
T h e ancillaries for the arm include a bipod, a
flash hider, a bayonet and a grenade launcher.
Fig 39 Cutaway sections of the left-hand side of the action of M. Saive's carbine design. Above: moving parts forward, all springs at rest; below: bolt held open by the bolt stop, actuated by the magazine follower.
62 Prototypes 17 to 22
The fire selector mechanism is arranged to give
positions for 'S ' (safety), 'R' (single shot) , and 'A'
(automatic fire). These positions are indicated by the
extremity of the change lever, (15) , situated on the
left side of the trigger housing.
Fig 40 Mechanism with change lever at 'S ' for safety.
Figure 40 shows a view of the mechanism with
the change lever at 'S ' for safety. T h e spindle of the
change lever (15) prevents the trigger (14) from
leaving its posit ion.
Fig 41 Change lever set for single shot fire.
Figure 41 is the same view with the change lever
set for single shot fire. T h e trigger, (14) , under finger
pressure, can now pivot rearwards, up into a slot
cut in the change lever spindle (15) . This raises the
sear tail, which is resting on the upper trigger step
(14a) , lowering and disengaging the sear nose from
the inferior hammer notch (9a) .
In this position, it will be noted that:
1. the slide (6) is completely home and rests on the
front face of the receiver (5);
2. the bolt is completely locked down in front of the
locking b lock (17) and moreover is maintained in this
position by the locking surface of the slide, (6b) , con
tacting and securing the upper surface of the rear of
the bolt (7b) from any upward movement :
3. the safety sear, (10) , is disengaged from the
superior hammer notch (9b) by the lower projecting
lug (6c) of the bol t slide forcing forward, in its final
locking movement , the nose of the safety sear, (10a) ,
thus pivoting the safety sear on its axis (4), and
releasing the hammer (9) .
On ly when the arm is completely locked and
safe to fire will this set of circumstances assure the
hammer a clear strike on the firing pin (12) , as the
posterior end of the firing pin is presented for trans
mission of the hammer b low to the primer of the cart
ridge locked in the chamber only when the slide is
fully forward. Wi th the safety sear depressed,
therefore, and after the hammer (9) is released from
the inferior hammer notch (9a) , the sear (13) is im
mediately returned to the forward position on its
elongated pivot hole, through which passes the tran
sverse trigger pin, by the reassertion of the sear
spring, (13a) . The sear tail abandons its position on
the upper trigger step, (14a) , and falls ready to re
engage with the notch in the trigger. This forward at
titude permits the sear nose, (13b) , to catch the in
ferior hammer notch, (9a) , when it, the hammer not
ch, is once again presented during the action of firing
the round, the hammer then being pivoted rearward
on its axis by the rearward-moving bolt-and-slide.
The superior strength of the hammer spring forces
the sear tail back against its spring to butt the sear
securely against the trigger notch and hold the ham
mer in the cocked position.
To fire another shot it is then necessary first to
release the finger pressure on the trigger. The
lowering trigger tail releases the tail of the sear from
the trigger notch, enabling the sear again to move up
and back and be supported by the trigger contact
point, (14a) . A new pressure on the trigger will
enable the supported sear to trip the hammer, and
recommences the above cycle, which constitutes
single-shot fire, activated each time by the trigger.
Figure 42 represents the arm, actuated for full-
automatic fire. T h e change lever, (15) , moved to its
appropriate 'A' locat ion presents to the trigger tail a
port ion of its spindle cut more deeply than the semi
automatic groove. T h e pressed trigger pivots the
trigger tail into this deeper groove, which pivots the
sear tail up farther than before. T h e sear nose is
withdrawn farther from the inferior hammer notch,
(9a); to such a degree, in fact, that, even when sprung
forward into the trigger notch, the sear can no longer
catch and hold the inferior hammer notch. Firing
continues, without intervention from the sear, under
the sole control of the safety, or 'automatic ' sear (10)
in relation to the superior hammer notch (9b) , and is
initiated each time by the lower lug of the slide (6c)
tripping the forward arm of the safety sear (10a) as
the slide completes its forward stroke.
Releasing the trigger interrupts this cycle, which
will recommence when the trigger is again pressed.
Figure 43 is a view representing the mechanism
at the exact moment where the slide, moving for
ward, is not yet fully returned to its forward
position. It is about to trip the safety sear (10) and
release the hammer . This illustrates the fact that the
hammer fall is retarded until locking is complete,
thus ensuring reliable ignition.
Fig 42 Change lever set for fully-automatic fire. Fig 43 Full-auto fire; trigger pulled but slide not yet fully home. This demonstrates the important safety action of the safety sear.
By the middle of June , 1 9 5 0 , a scan t three months
after M. Laloux' visit to Winches te r , Olin ball
powder was for the first t ime included, a long with
two Bofors types, in trials of .280 rounds topped
with FN S-12 bullets , the casings being ob ta ined by
breaking down loaded UK rounds and dumping out
their ICI powder. The ball powder s eemed well
within the range of the others as to ve loc i ty and
pressure. The only note was that the ball powder
charge of 1.70 gr didn't fill enough of the cartr idge
case to ensure sa t is factory ignition. This led to a
whole new range of 'maximum charge ' trials, with
all avai lable powders, but still the velocity-versus-
pressure figures were not sat isfactory.
Monsieur Laloux journeyed to London for a
protracted meet ing with Brigadier Barlow on the
14th of June, regarding both the FN carbines and
the UK cartr idges. In his report of the visit M.
Laloux first s ta ted that hencefor th any new FN car
bines would be cons t ruc ted with a slightly longer
magazine well in order eventual ly to be ab le to
feed and c h a m b e r the elusive Amer ican .30 light
rifle cartridge. This deve lopmen t would be incor
porated without an overall change in the length of
the arm. He reported to Brigadier Barlow the FN
decision to pursue a doub le (7 mm and .300 Savage)
course as regards ammunition, the 7 mm henceforth
to be loaded with the lead-core , s t ee l - j acke t S-12
bullet in cartr idge cases of both British and FN
manufacture, and the c o m m e r c i a l .300 Savage
cases to be loaded with a regular military hard-
lead-core , coppe r - j acke t ed bullet , recent ly design
ed at FN (see figure 48). FN would then dec ide
which course offered the most promise.
Brigadier Barlow insisted that a s tee l -core
bullet was essent ia l . O n e of the American require
ments the .280 couldn ' t yet m e e t was the abili ty of
the round to p ierce a standard infantry he lmet at
1,100 yards, and he felt a lead-core bullet would
simply not be ab l e to accompl i sh this feat .
Monsieur Laloux counte red by saying FN was
forced to approach the problem from a different
point of view — their reputat ion rested on their
carbines , and these were exper iencing poor ac
curacy with the British s tee l -core bullets, while
tests showed the regular 7 mm S-12 bul let did bet
ter.
No ag reemen t was reached, save to keep e a c h
other current on new deve lopments . The FN lab
cont inued with renewed crusher trials compar ing
various powder loads for pressure, and now also
bullet penetrat ion, using both UK and FN bullets .
Brigadier Barlow was ab le to include the new,
longer receivers FN was planning into the existing
con t r ac t by securing Ministry of Supply approval
for "one carb ine in T65 cal ibre" . It was to be some
t ime yet however, before the ac tua l dimensions of
this ephemera l round, jea lous ly guarded by US Ar
my O r d n a n c e Colonel René Studler, were to find
their way to Belgium.
64 Prototypes 17 to 22
Canada had sent observers to the 1 9 5 0 Aberdeen
trials, and perhaps the most sal ient c o m m e n t re
garding their impressions is that the Governmen t of
Canada promptly ordered two CAMP carb ines for
trials. This order had now been approved, and the
two new carb ines were a l lo t ted FN serial numbers
17 and 1 8 . Whi le superficial ly identical to number
1 6 , these were the first to be c h a m b e r e d for the
.280/30 'New Rim' cartr idge and were thus capab le ,
with a c h a n g e of barrel only, of firing both .280/30
(7 mm) and .300 Savage cartr idges. The Fort Ben-
ning t ac t i ca l trials cont inued on into the fall,
building an ever-increasing mountain of s tat is t ics
but not pointing out a c lea r -cu t winner. Monsieur
Vervier was still in a t t endance . Monsieur Laloux
had requested a short resume of the emergen t ball
istic results thus far on the .280 project , and the FN
Ball is t ic Laboratory submit ted the following
figures on August 3 1 , 1 9 5 0 :
.280 Cartridge: Velocity Pressure
Particulars of Event (kg / cm 2 )
1. Trial, Sept. 1949 , using @ 30 m: 2 5 2 0 the original UK 130-gr ball 690 m / s
bullet loaded with 1.97-gr
of Bofors lot 2 0 1 (Trial con
ducted in England).
2. FN Trial, June 1950 - @ 25 m: 3940
UK original . 2 8 0 / 3 0 cart 688 m / s
ridges — 140-gr bullet.
3. FN Trial, July, 1950 using
FN S-12 140-gr bullet loaded
with:
a) 1.97-gr of Bofors lot 204 @ 25 m:
652 2 0 6 0 b) 2 .10-gr of Bofors lot 2 0 4 @ 25 m:
688 2547 -c) 2 .13-gr of Bofors 227 @ 25 m:
703 2 6 7 1
Fig 44 Canadian-ordered CAMP carbine serial no 17, the first in calibre .280/30, left-hand view. A simple change of barrel allowed conversion to .300 Savage calibre.
— Diemaco Incorporated
Fig 45 Canadian CAMP carbine no 18. This particular weapon was later used by the American H&R team, working at Canadian Arsenals, to design their T48 cocking handle. Note the 'in-the-white' BAR-type cocking handle. Compare with fig 140. — Diemaco Incorporated
Carbine no 1 6 , which M. Saive had c o m p l e t e d
in April, 1 9 5 0 to e m b o d y s o m e Aberdeen Proving
Ground recommenda t ions , figured in a demonst ra
tion and trial laid on by the Schoo l of Infantry at
Warmins ter on the 4th of Sep tember . Shortly there
after Monsieur Laloux a t tended a Ministry of Sup
ply meet ing in London on the 19th , where he met
Major Dunlop, who was slated to t ake over Major
May's duties as liaison off icer be tween the Ministry
of Supply and FN. The a b o v e .280 ammuni t ion
study figures M. Laloux had requested were passed
on to the British. Major May c o m m e n t e d that they
were aware of the pressure dif ferences be tween
firing of the UK and FN bullets , and fel t this dif
ference was due to the FN rifling being different
from the original UK test barrels, which had used a
twist of one turn in 8 1/2" . Major May again spoke of
the popularity of s tee l -cored bullets being due
simply to the shor tage of lead which occur red in
America during wart ime: the British were in this
matter merely trying to p l aca t e the Amer icans .
Monsieur Laloux drew Major May's a t tent ion to the
abominable a c c u r a c y of the furnished lots of UK
.280 cartridges. S o m e recent ly-received bullets had
been so bad, he said, they gave grounds to annul
the cont rac t comple t e ly . Major May admit ted and
apologized for this embarrass ing fact , and in the
process ment ioned s o m e face t s of interest as yet
unknown to FN regarding the Amer ican .30 cal
bullet: the co re was in three sect ions ; a lead tip, a
steel body and a c losing light-metal base disc. Fur
ther, the steel sec t ion was an inner pointed cylin
der, fitted inside the lead tip. It did not c o n t a c t the
outside bullet j a c k e t at any part of the front curve,
or ogive, of the bullet . This was in direct opposi t ion
to the UK round, wherein the one -p iece steel core
filled more of the curved portion of the bul le t as
well, c loser to the tip. A new lot of UK bullets,
made up in imitation of this American concep t , in
itially s eemed to offer much bet te r precision and
had recent ly been sent over to the USA in t ime for
the last few trials at Fort Benning. These trials had
just now been comple t ed , and Brigadier Barlow
was expec ted b a c k by the first of O c t o b e r with the
eager ly-awai ted results.
Meanwhi le , the Canadian carbines , numbers
17 and 1 8 , were being put through their initial
paces at FN, shoot ing both UK-supplied .280/30
(heads tamped K49) and FN reloads of the British
cases . The carbines performed without obser
vation, but the ammuni t ion cont inued to give some
problems. As soon as Brigadier Barlow arrived back
in England he met with FN's London representat ive,
M. Vogels , on O c t o b e r 1, in the p resence of Min
istry of Supply off icers Col Wat t s and Maj Dunlop:
the long-awaited Fort Benning results were of cour
se top priority. Monsieur Voge l s ' report on this
meet ing follows:
Fig 46 CAMP carbine no 17, right-hand view. Note the early flash hider.
Fig 47 CAMP carbine no 18, right-hand view. Note the folding rear sight. In these early carbines, the magazine
pushed straight up to lock into the magazine catch, with no front locking lug or lip.
66 Prototypes 17 to 22
.280 Ammunition
Meeting with Brigadier Barlow 11 Oct , 1950
The Infantry Field Forces Board No 3 at Fort Benning
have concluded in their report that the .280 am
munition was superior to the American .30 calibre.
They have requested from the British an im
provement in the .280 to flatten the mid-range trajec
tory. The mid-point of trajectory of a 600-yard shot
should not exceed 4 feet (and was in fact, according
to Bar low, 4'6" for the . 280) . He felt the American
demand was possible, using the 130-gr bullet with a
muzzle velocity of 2 5 6 0 feet per second (783 m / s e c ) .
Mr Duneclift, (the chief assistant on the British .280
Ideal Calibre Panel — Ed), is already at Swynner ton
working out the problem.
I again brought up the figures submitted by
Monsieur Laloux to the Ministry of Supply, which
give the comparisons found in trials we have made
with various bullets and powders. Brigadier Bar low
stated categorically that they would not accept the
lead-core ball bullet at any price, due to its insuf
ficient penetration. Trials carried out on steel helmets
using 130-gr bullets had revealed that a lead-cored
bullet would only perforate out to 700 yards, while a
steel-cored bullet of the same weight would perforate
Fig 48 The FN-designed .300 Savage full metal jacket military bullet. Drawing date 16 October 1950.
at 1,300 yards. Wi th 140-gr steel-cored bullets, this
latter range was extended to 1,600 yards.
It appears from Brigadier Barlow's quotes that,
in Col Studler's view, there is no need whatever for
ordinary ball (lead-core) bullets in the U S A . Indeed,
he told the Brigadier he foresees exclusive use of ar
mour-piercing, steel-cored bullets by- the American
army.
In order to improve the accuracy precision of the
.280 bullet, we must modify the shape of the soft-
steel core, giving it a sharper point and a slightly
reduced rear diametre, more closely approximating
the core of the US round. The presence of a certain
amount of lead in front of the steel would better
distribute the weight of the core and add to
stabilization of the bullet.
From what I can gather, it is Barlow's wish that
FN should now try to resolve the ammunition
problem on its own, independent of any further UK
development. In the light of what he told me of the
importance of the soft-steel core, it seems we must
sooner or later accept it as the coming standard.
— J. Vogels
Ammunit ion trials at FN hencefor th incorporated
mid-range t ra jec tory measurements into their con
tinuing tes t reports of powder and bullet variations,
both in 7 mm and for the .300 Savage, for which in-
cident ly FN had now designed a bullet, a lbei t one
with a lead core . Carbine no 19 , identical to the
Canadian numbers 17 and 18 excep t with certain
changes to but t s tock and but tplate , was the first to
feature a s tamped lower receiver or trigger
housing. It was in ca l ib re .280/30 and was proofed
on O c t o b e r 24 , 1 9 5 0 . Meanwhi le , the original UK-
con t rac ted carbines automatiques à moyenne puissance were returned by the Americans to W o o l
wich Arsenal in late O c t o b e r . Under the terms of
the con t r ac t with FN, they were Crown property,
and were re-condit ioned and rechambered for the
'new rim' .280/30 at RSAF Enfield and made the sub
j e c t of a compar i son trial, a long with similar
veteran EM-2s, at Pendine, in Wales , in April of
1 9 5 1 . (This report is fully reprinted in Vo lume
Two.) As a result of these trials, which in fac t were
not entirely sat isfactory, a pivotal c o n f e r e n c e was
held on November 6th. Major Dunlop, Major May's
successor at the Ministry of Supply, was present
along with Mr Dunecl i f t of the Ideal Calibre Panel
and his successor , Mr Ansell, and a Mr Cuthbert ,
who was in charge of ball is t ic trials. The FN works
was ably represented by Monsieur Van Vyve and
Monsieur Tomson of the Cartoucherie. The latter
reported to the directors of the FN Soc i e ty as
follows:
.280 Ammunition Conference with the Ministry of Supply, Nov 6, 1950
Major Dunlop first revealed the three finalized,
critical criteria for a satisfactory .280 round:
1. mid-range trajectory at 600 yards of not more
than 4 feet;
2. bullets with 1 0 0 % steel core; lead is viewed as
a strategic metal .
3. Accuracy results to include an average figure
of merit for eight series of 20-shot groups, at 600
yards, of not more than five and one-half inches.
On the basis of these requirements, we are faced
with a double problem. First, we must search out a
propulsive powder which will reduce the M R T but
keep pressures within established limits. (This means,
in principle, using our piezo-electric pressure-test
devices, average pressure must be very close to 2 1 . 5
tons per square inch, with no measurement exceeding
22 tons per square inch, that is to say 3460 k g / c m 2 ) .
(NOTE: Piezo-electr ic devices do much the s ame
work as the old copper crushers, but whereas the
copper pellet remained crushed to give a reading
of peak pressure only, the p iezo-e lec t r ic t ransducer
measures the complete pressure curve over the
period of t ime of the explosion. Moreover , this in
formation is made ava i lab le instantly, in the form
of a pressure/ t ime graph. - Ed.)
Secondly, we must improve the accuracy of the
very familiar composite-core ball bullet. Mr
Duneclift has sent us a copy of the accuracy trail
results with the three lots of cartridges we sent them
last September:
• lot 1 - UK ball 140-gr; powder Bofors 227-figure
of merit 1 3 . 2 "
• lot 2 - FN S-12 bullet, Bofors lot 227 powder -
figure of merit 7 .3"
• lot 3 - FN S-12 bullet, Bofors ' .280 ' powder -
figure of merit 7 . 1 "
Mr Duneclift then told us about the tentative
measures which they had taken to improve the UK
140-gr ball bullet; the results are still not satisfactory
and he asked for our help and advice.
Fig 49 Comparative shooting tables prepared by the FN Ballistic Laboratory comparing the .300 Savage with the .280/30, as loaded by the British, and as loaded by FN (here called the 7 mm). Angle of departure in mils.
Fig 50 Comparative times of flight, in seconds, for .300 Savage, FN .280/30 (7 mm) and UK .280/30. Part of an FN report dated October 24, 1950.
68 Prototypes 17 to 22
Fig 51 Comparative Terminal Velocity graph, .300 Savage, UK .280/30, and FN .280/30 (7 mm).
Monsieur Tomson c losed by proposing that FN
send 5 kilos of the Bofors 'special .280 ' powder to
England for compara t ive trials with the UK regular
ICI powder. As far as the bullet was conce rned , he
felt the improvement to the steel co r e as outl ined
earlier, i.e. a s imple cylinder of soft steel with a
front lead sect ion, was reasonable , but he could
not see the value of the lead 'base plug' proposed
by the British. Mr Dunecl i f t theor ized that this
al lowed the base to 'mushroom' slightly upon
firing, thus forming a more ef fec t ive gas seal and
contr ibuting to accu racy , espec ia l ly in worn
barrels. Monsieur Tomson was skept ical . The FN
.50 ca l ibre steel co re bullet gave exce l l en t ac
curacy results, he said, without the lead plug and in
spite of its boat-tail core .
At this meet ing the British agreed to supply
1,000 bullet j acke t s , 1 ,000 mild steel , f lat-base .280
bullet cores , and 1,000 cases . FN would gauge
these to ensure uniformity, and then try to c o m e up
with a bullet that would satisfy the a c c u r a c y
requirements without regard for length and weight
restrictions. If successful , they would then use their
findings to fabr ica te an entirely new, FN bullet , this
Fig 52 Remaining energy, shown in ft/lbs and kg/m for .300 Savage, .280/30 UK, and FN .280/30 (7 mm).
t ime following all requirements for length and
weight as laid down by the Ministry of Supply. A
breakthrough was promised in the shortest t ime
possible.
Monsieur Laloux reported on new develop
ments on January 3, 1 9 5 1 , for the first t ime coining
the term Fusil Automatique Léger (or Light
Automat ic Rifle). I t would still be some t ime hence ,
however, before the famous initials 'FAL' would be
in general use. Monsieur Laloux' report is titled,
"The Light Automat ic Rifle and Cartridge for
Same , " and begins with a resume of known facts , as
follows:
The presentation at Fort Benning by Col Studler of
the . 3 0 T 6 5 cartridge and the new American carbine,
(T25) proves that the Garand has a very limited fur
ther lifespan. It also shows that the American
position against the 7 mm is irreversible.
This induces us at FN, we who possess the most
popular arm used in the trials, to reconsider the
question of the ammunit ion: we have the weapon;
the calibre doesn't matter .
To sum up the ammunit ion question, we can en-
visage three choices:
1. The .300 Savage case, 4 7 . 5 mm in length, necked
down to accept the standard 7 mm Mauser (S-12) 9-
gr bullet. This results in a total cartridge length of
68.6 mm with a breech pressure of somewhat less
than 3,000 k g / c m 2 .
2. The compromise B' round; that is the T 6 5 case, 49
mm in length, necked to the same 9 gram, 7 mm
bullet. This gives an overall length of 70 .7 mm with a
muzzle velocity of 840 m / s e c (2 ,750 f t / sec) .
3. The T65 (T65-E3) cartridge itself. We do not have
the drawings but the general characteristics are
known to be as follows:
Bullet weight 137 grains (8 .88 grams)
Total cartridge 2 .8 inches (2 .785 inches
length mentioned in US trials
report)
If our future weapons are to fire a cartridge 2 .8"
in length, that is to say, the T 6 5 , we must be pre
pared for this eventuality. To this end I suggest the
following:
1. A programme of manufacture of ammunit ion
using the 7 mm Mauser bullet in the available .300
Savage cases.
2. Monsieur Saive will modify an existing 'Crusher'
or build a new one to test-fire these cartridges. We
will be trying various powder loads to acquire the
maximum obtainable muzzle velocity.
3. As a means to shoot this ammunition, we will use
carbine number 16 , the earlier 'brother' of the two
carbines we have built for Canada (numbers 17 and
18) .
4. Wi th this combinat ion we will be able to study the
questions of recoil, accuracy, and penetration, in
both semi-auto and automatic fire.
5. Monsieur Saive will soon be able to tell exactly the
minimum amount of extra weight necessary to build
into our carbine design to handle the American am
munition.
6. We must at all cost obtain the plans for the
American . 30T65 cartridge, or at least the case
drawings.
7. Finally, M. Saive will undertake the construct a
prototype capable of firing the .30 calibre T 6 5 am
munition.
Fig 53 FN carbine no 19, calibre .280/30 (called the 7 mm Short by FN). Proofed October 24, 1950. The first to feature the stamped lower receiver.
Brasschaat, (in old Flemish, Brasschaet) artillery
range, near Antwerp, is the headquar ters for the
Belgian Army's CEEA sec t ion — Centre d'Etudes et
d'Expériences de l'Armée or Army W e a p o n s Trials
facility. Here a full week of confident ial shooting
trials were held by the CEEA, from January 22 , to
February 2, 1 9 5 1 . Featured was FN carb ine no 19 ,
firing both regular UK .280/30 cartr idges and those
loaded with S-12 bullets, in compara t ive trial with a
regular Belgian army issue FN49 rifle in ca l ib re
.30M2 (.30-06). In the middle of the trials, on Jan
26th, by special invitation, nearly fifty observing
officers from the UK Army Counci l , France,
Holland, the USA and Belgium at tended, al though
the range was c losed to reporters and the public.
Belgian army a c c e p t a n c e of the FN carb ine was ab
solutely essential to any cont inued hope of success
on the world market . The day's trials were
scrupulously run by ded ica ted army personnel ,
without any opportuni ty for FN engineers to assist
in the firing. The main events of the 'observers ' day'
p rogramme were to be as follows:
1. FN to present the au toma t i c carb ine (serial no
19), and .280/30 cartr idges loaded with S-12/2
bullets .
2. The UK Direc tor of Artillery, (Small Arms),
70 Prototypes 17 to 22
Brigadier Barlow, to present the UK ammuni t ion.
3. Captain Moreau , the Belgian Army off icer in
charge of CEEA trials, then to give a resume of the
CEEA trials results thus far with the new carbine .
4. Finally, an abbrev ia ted series of shoot ing trials,
concen t ra t ing first on accu racy , then penetrat ion,
then special-purpose ammunit ion.
Two official reports of this important trial
follow: Monsieur Laloux' report to the FN directors,
submit ted the day after the observers ' day event,
and then the Belgian Army's CEEA sect ion con
fidential report of the c o m p l e t e 10 days of trials,
signed by Capt Moreau , which necessar i ly took
several weeks to compi le .
First, Monsieur Laloux:
Automatic Carbine Meeting at Brasschaat 26 January, 1951
We began with the presentation of the arms and the
ammunit ion.
After an introduction by Capt Moreau ,
Brigadier Bar low took the floor and asked me to
translate the historical resume which he had
prepared, on the birth of the .280 cartridge. This
proved extremely well detailed. The Brigadier con
cluded with sincere praise for the co-operation which
the British had received from FN.
Next, I presented without further ado the FN
carbine, pointing out its simplicity and ease of strip
ping. I also spent some time describing the classic 7
mm S-12 lead-core bullet with which we have loaded
our . 2 8 0 / 3 0 cartridges.
In closing, I expressed in return to Brigadier
Barlow our pleasure in hearing his kind words, and
in our continued association.
After Capt Moreau had read out the list of even
ts to follow, we went on to the accuracy trials. It was
made apparent right at the outset that the firer,
Belgian Sgt-Major Delaet, was an 'ace', and as such
was of considerable assistance to our cause. He first
fired 15 single shots at 2 0 0 metres into a circle a little
bigger than 20 cm {7 1/2"). The Belgian issue FN rifle
(FN49) and the new carbine were shot com
paratively, and the carbine completely outclassed the
rifle, which was not at all bad. Several targets were
shot on full-automatic fire, both at 200 and 400
metres.
In resume, all the observers were most impressed
by the accuracy of our carbine.
Then followed the penetration trials, where it
developed that in spite of our preparations we had no
UK steel-core ammunit ion for comparat ive shooting.
The FN-loaded . 2 8 0 / 3 0 was comparable to the . 30M2
as loaded by FN, both denting 5 mm plate steel and
piercing 3 mm plate. At 450 metres, all projectiles,
including the UK . 2 8 0 / 3 0 tracer, pierced an army
steel helmet.
The morning shoot ended with a trial wherein a
gasoline can behind a thin plate was shot at, with one
single shot of each type in an attempt to set it afire.
After lunch, successive ranges were shot with
tracer bullets wherein the UK tracer showed an ex
cellent dark red trace right out of 1,000 yards. In the
course of these trials, the .303 FN bullets in the Lee
Enfield control rifle and the . 2 8 0 / 3 0 carbine were
shot in parallel, and everyone felt the trajectory was
substantially the same.
Observat ion rounds were shot during the same
trial, the UK observing cartridge giving 5 0 % clearly
visible observation on hard ground, but only at short
distances.
Afterwards, we moved on to a penetration shoot
using wooden boards stacked with spaces between
them. The average penetrations were as follows:
. 2 8 0 / 3 0 FN ball 39 cm
API . 2 8 0 / 3 0 (UK) 30 cm
.30 M 2 FN 39 cm
.303 FN 24 cm
UK Captain M o o r e then proceeded to launch
several UK 560-gram grenades, some from the
shoulder and the rest with the butt supported on the
ground, to demonstrate that our carbine could be put
to this use.
Everyone was satisfied that the . 2 8 0 / 3 0 is a
really viable infantry cartridge, and that the carbine
itself is an ideal instrument of war .
Finally, several officers themselves shot the car
bine, and some also the FN rifle, as well. As we broke
up, Bar low looked absolutely radiant, and we our
selves received numerous compliments on the per
formance of the day.
I had a very interesting conversat ion with some
Belgian general officers of the D G I (Directorat Gen
erate de l'Infanterie) who felt, based on what they
had seen, that a decision should be made the by 15th
of February on the future of Belgian armament .
Probably the greatest accomplishment of the
day was to show Barlow, and hence the A D E , just
what the . 2 8 0 / 3 0 could do stacked up against 'con
ventional ' ammunit ion. He was visibly well pleased
and took his leave for England very proud indeed of
his role in this success.
As a result of this trial, we are advised that the
Second Belgian Chasseurs, at Charleroi , wish to run
some user trials with our carbine, beginning the 5th
of February.
— R. Laloux
Captain Moreau 's CEEA report follows:
Belgian Army Weapons Trials Centre Brasschaat — Polygone
12 February, 1951
To Monsieur The Minister of National Defense
Object: FN Automatic Carbine 7 mm — Report of Trials of 22 Jan to 02 Feb, 1951
II. Purpose of the Trials
The trials were undertaken with a double pur
pose, to study:
a) the behaviour of this arm during firing;
b) any real advantages offered by the new am
munition. To this end we have constantly compared
the .280 cartridge with the regular Belgian army .30
M2 cartridges, fired from an issue FN 49 automatic
rifle.
The programme consisted of the following:
a) Veloci ty trials
b) Accuracy trials
c) Penetrat ion trials (wood plank, sheet steel, steel
helmet)
d) user trials
d) functioning trials
f) gauging of arm before and after the trials.
III. General Characteristics, Comparing the FN .30 and 7 mm Rifles
Characteristics FN .30 calibre
FN 7mm Characterist ics FN .30 calibre
FN 7mm
( . 2 8 0 / 3 0 )
Total length of rifle 1.13 m 1 m Length of cartridge 8 4 . 6 m m 6 4 . 5 5 m m
Total length of barrel 590 m m 500 m m Length of case 63 .3 m m 4 3 . 4 3 m m
Total weight (maga 4 . 4 4 kg 4 .3 (pro Length of bullet 2 8 . 5 m m 2 9 . 5 0 m m
zine empty) totype) Weight of cartridge 2 6 . 2 6 gr 20 gr
Magazine capacity 10 rds 20 rds Weight of primed case 13 gr 9 gr
Total wt-magazine full 4 .7 kg — Weight of bullet 9 .75 gr 9 gr
No of grooves - rifling 4 4 Weight of powder charge 3 .35 gr 2 . 0 8 gr
Rifling - direction right hand right hand Bofors Bofors
Twist - 1 turn in 254 m m 2 2 0 m m Case material brass brass
Rear sight graduation 100-1000 100-600 Bullet type M 2 type S-12
m in 100's yards in pointed
100's ogive
Principle of operation gas im gas im Bullet envelope material brass gilding
pingement pingement metal
Method of locking tilting bolt tilting bolt Bullet core material lead- lead-
Type of fire S S and S S and ant imony ant imony
full auto full auto M a x chamber pressure 2900 2 8 6 0
Theoretical rate of fire 650 rpm 700 rpm k g / c m 2 k g / c m 2
I. Introduction
The purpose of this report is to give an account
of the trials which have taken place at the shooting
ranges at Brasschaat , with a prototype FN Automat ic
rifle, shooting a 7 mm ( .280 calibre) bullet.
I V . Comparison of General Characteristics — .30 and 7 mm Ammunition
72 Prototypes 17 to 22
V. Execution and Results of the Trials
a) The 7 mm FN prototype tested (serial no 19) had
fired roughly 1,000 rounds before its arrival at Brass
chaat.
b) All the firing was done with ammunit ion head-
stamped 'FN50' (for the .30M2) and 'FN51' (for the 7
mm) .
1. Velocity trials
a) An average measurement of velocity was taken for
each shot by two chronographs using four electro-
acoustic screens.
b) Results
2. Measurement of maximum theoretical rate of fire
(using a C E E A disc apparatus turned by a syn
chronous motor)
FN 7 mm: 700 rpm
FN .30 : 640 rpm
3. Accuracy trials
a) All accuracy shooting was done at a vertical 4m x
4m target by a trained regular A r m y sniper N C O .
b) Each comparison shoot with the FN .30 was
executed immediately after the corresponding 7 mm
group was shot, to ensure similar atmospheric and
visibility condit ions.
c) Results
Posit ion and type of fire: single shot from bench
rest.
Distance A r m No of Shots on H L H + L MPI
Shots Target (cm) (cm) (cm) (average)
200 m FN .30 15 15 38 18 56 52 15 15 31 17 48
52
FN 7mm 10x15* 3 1 . 8
400 m FN .30 15 15 108 63 171 155 15 15 55 90 145
155
FN 7mm 15 15 39 2 4 63 73 .5 15 15 61 23 84
73 .5
600 m FN .30 15 15 125 50 175 165 15 15 90 65 155
FN 7mm 15 15 63 40 103 105 .5 15 15 77 31 108
* Remarks: for the 10 groups of 15-7 mm shots at 700
m we have calculated:
i ) most probable M P I values: abscissa — 9 ; ordinate
+ 7. ii) most probable mean deviation: vertical —4.3 cm;
horizontal + 2 . 7 cm.
A r m No Rds Fired Before Trial
Powder
Temperature
No of Shots
Fired
Avg Velocity at 54 M (m/sec)
Avg Deviation (m/sec)
Calculated M.V.
(m/sec)
FN 7mm 1000
(at FN)
1 1 ° C 10
10
707 .3 1 3 . 8 738 .5
FN .30 350
(previous trials)
1 1 ° C 10 775 2 2 . 5 8 1 2 . 5
FN .30 2043 5 ° C 10 702 .7 2 0 . 1 735 .6
7 m m 3054 5 ° C 10 703 .8 30 735 .7
4. Targets fired after Functioning Trials
The FN 7 mm had at this point fired 3 ,064
rounds. Posit ion: bench rest; distance: 2 0 0 m; arm:
FN 7 mm.
Results:
No Type Shots H L H + L MPI of of on (cm) (cm) (cm)
Shots Fire Target
15 SS 15 2 1 12 33 34
15 SS 15 2 4 11 35 34
5. Rapid-fire trial
To evaluate the accuracy of semi-automatic fire,
6. Penetration trials
a) The target butts were constructed of the following
materials:
i) A succession of 20 vertical dry, fir planks 4 cm
thick, spaced 10 cm apart .
b) Execution and Results of Penetrat ion Trials
i) wood planks — results
Distance A r m Number of Corresponding
(m) Planks Per Thickness of
forated W o o d
200 FN .30 13 52 cm
10 4 0 cm
6 24 cm
FN 7 m m 11 44 cm
10 4 0 cm
10 4 0 c m
9 36 cm
8 32 c m
400 FN 7mm 3 12 cm
5 2 0 cm
4 16 cm
4 16 cm
600 FN 7mm 5 2 0 cm
4 16 c m
FN .30 6 24 cm
7. Functioning Trials
a) execution: these trials were carried out with the 7
mm rifle in two series of 5 0 0 rounds each, shot 400
rounds single shot and 100 rounds automatic (short
shooting a given number of bullets in a minimum
time. Posit ion: prone — weapon supported; distan
ce: 2 0 0 m; arm: FN 7 m m .
No Type Shots H L H + L Time
of of on (cm) (cm) (cm)
Shots Fire Target
15 SS 15 45 17 62 7 sec
15 SS 15 4 1 53 94 6 sec
ii) Mi ld steel plates of both 3 mm and 5 mm
thickness.
iii) Steel helmets, fixed on a panel inclined backwards
at a 4 5 ° angle.
ii) steel plate
Dist A r m Plate Perforation
ance Th ick Yes or No of No of
(m) ness no Perfor Shots
ations
2 0 0 FN .30 5 m m yes 3 3
2 0 0 FN 7mm 5 m m yes 3 3
400 FN .30 3 m m yes 3 3 400 FN 7mm 3 m m yes 3 3 400 FN .30 5 m m no 0 3 400 Fn 7mm 5 m m no 0 3
600 FN .30 3 m m yes 1 1
600 FN 7mm 3 m m yes 2 2
iii) steel helmets: distance - 450 m; one shot one .30
and one 7 mm both perforated.
bursts) as follows:
i) For each series of 400 rounds single shot, 20
rounds per minute with the arm allowed to cool to
ambient temperature every 100 rounds.
74 Prototypes 17 to 22
ij) Automat ic fire: 20 shots per minute, with
cooling only after each complete five minute (100-
round) cycle .
A complete and thorough cleaning of the arm
was allowed after each of the 500-round cycles,
b) Observat ions
i) first series of 500 rounds:
• semi-automatic fire 1 case not ejected
1 incomplete closure of the
breech
4 failures to feed
• automatic fire 1 case not ejected
ii) second series of 500 rounds:
• series - automatic fire no incidents
• automatic fire 2 failures to feed
• cartridge case ejection: while shooting from the
kneeling position, the
ejected cases were found
about 3 metres to the right
of the firer.
VI. Gauging and Measuring the Interior of the Barrel
Gauging was done before and after the Brasschaat trials. T h e following results were obtained:
Calibre Muzzle End Chamber End of Plug Before After Before After
Gauge
(mm)
7 .00 ran ran
7 .01 ran 3 m m — 460 m m —
7.02 ran 2 7 0 m m ran
7.03 4 m m 84 m m 160 m m
7.04 50 m m 130 m m
7.05 48 m m 88 m m
7.06 47 m m 48 m m
7.08 47 m m 47 m m
VII. Interpretation of the Results:
1. Veloci ty trials
It will be remembered that a mean muzzle
velocity was recorded at the start of the trials of
738 .5 m / s e c . This characteristic combined with the
power of the projectile justifies, in our view, a change
in the name of the FN prototype to automatic rifle as
opposed to the FN description automatic carbine.
Weapons of the last war period such as the Bren and
the Lee-Enfield have a muzzle velocity much similar
to that of this new FN weapon. We therefore recom
mend the name "Automatic rifle" for adoption by the
Five-Power European Commit tee .
After shooting 2 , 0 0 0 rounds, the muzzle velocity
remained practically the same.
2 . Accuracy trials
A brief recapitulation of the principle results (2 x
15 rounds from bench rest):
Distance A r m H + L
(m) (cm)
2 0 0 FN .30 52
FN 7mm 34
400 FN .30 158
FN 7mm 73 .5
600 FN .30 165
FN 7mm 105 .5
T h e dispersion obtained with the 7 mm rifle was
systematically and overall better than that of the .30
rifle.
T h e remarkable accuracy of the 7 mm rifle
prompts two comments :
a) A barrel shorter by 9 cm than that of the current
issue rifle has no adverse effect on accuracy;
b) the relatively wide dispersion of the issue .30
calibre rifle was due to the higher power of its am
munition. In effect this caused many important
variations shot-to-shot and influenced the resultant
score.
3. Variat ions in accuracy at 2 0 0 metres with change
in shooting position of the arm:
The following results were obtained with the 7
mm rifle, shooting of groups of 15 shots each:
Position H + L (cm) H + L (cm) H + L (cm)
@ 200 m @ 4 0 0 m @ 600 m
bench rest 34 73 .5 105 .5 It can be seen that accuracy from the prone
position differs only marginally from that obtained
shooter prone 4 4 . 5 84 118 from a bench rest. From the standing position,
however, these results are, in effect, multiplied by a shooter factor greater than 3.
standing 156 306 -
4. Full-auto burst fire
A glance at the results obtained will show that it
is extremely impracticable to attempt accurate shoot
ing in bursts of full-automatic fire at distances over
200 metres, even from the prone position.
5. Rapid-fire test
It seems this test points out the most practical
way of using an arm of this type to its best effect. The
resulting group obtained, (H + L = 62 cm) , together
with the theoretical maximum aimed rate of fire of
130 rpm, shows the weapon plainly in its element.
6. Accuracy re-trial at the end of the event.
The accuracy obtained had not varied after
shooting 2 , 0 0 0 rounds.
7. Penetration of Mild Steel Plate
The 7 mm ammunit ion clearly perforated a 3
mm plate at 600 metres. Employed against personnel
protected by a steel helmet or individual armour-
plate, or against soft-skinned vehicles, the am
munition is sufficiently efficacious to render an
enemy hors de combat.
8. Functioning trials
A shoot of 1,000 rounds, 800 semi-automatic
and 2 0 0 full-automatic, gave only 9 incidents of mal
function.
It could well be admitted that the mechanism
functions in a satisfactory manner .
9. Gauging the Barrel before and after the Shoot
T h e gauging done after the 2 ,000-round course
of fire shows the muzzle of the barrel worn (enlarged)
about 0 .02 mm. This is insignificant.
VIII. Conclusions
The FN 7 mm rifle is a simple, solid, easily-
managed and well-balanced arm. The trials we have
conducted prove to our satisfaction that the 7 mm FN
rifle constitutes an excellent individual arm for the in
fantryman.
The energy and trajectory characteristics of the
new ammunition can be favourably compared with
those of the issue Belgian . 3 0 M 2 .
We suggest a new series of trials be considered,
with the arm fitted with a bipod, in order to in
vestigate the possibilities of its use as a light-support
automatic rifle.
— Signed, Officer in Charge of Trials
'Capitaine Moreau '
Brigadier Barlow and Monsieur Laloux later me t in
Herstal for a private meeting, shortly after the suc
cessful Brasschaa t demo. The sub jec t was the lead-
cored FN 7 mm bullet , and the f ac t that it did so
much bet ter on the range than did the s teel -cored
British bullets, loaded in identical cases . Brigadier
Barlow admit ted as much - in fact , he did not at
tempt to hide the f ac t that he was very satisfied
with the results ob ta ined with the FN .280/30 car
tridge. Monsieur Laloux pressed his advantage,
arguing that the terms of the deve lopmen t con t r ac t
would be bes t served by FN's moving ahead
without delay in their ammuni t ion studies, using
their own lead-core bullets instead of trying fruit
lessly to get the British s teel-cored ones to group
sat isfactori ly. Brig Barlow acqu ie sced , and was
76 Prototypes 17 to 22
given 2 0 0 of the FN loads to t ake home for further
study in England.
At the c lo se of the meeting, M. Tomson, of the
FN Cartoucherie, took the Brigadier on a short tour
to point out s o m e of the English bullet j a cke t s and
cores , just received for trials use, and found defec
tive.
Appended to M. Laloux' report of this meet ing
was an expanded list of .280 (FN) cartr idge partic
ulars, expressed in English terms of measurement :
The UK War Of f i ce had analysed the American
compla in ts and recommenda t ions s temming from
the 1 9 5 0 trials, with a part icular degree of care. A
report was issued on March 1 3 , 1 9 5 1 , call ing for
certain improvements in any future FN carbines
delivered for trial. The British, meanwhile , were so
impressed by the Brasschaa t d e m o that FN was
cal led in to assist, a long with a group of officers,
notably Captain Moreau of the Belgian Army
CEEA, in the drawing-up of a new trials package to
be run at Pendine Experimental Establishment.
Veteran carbines no 4 to 15 were refurbished and
refitted, in England, and two new carbines were or
dered, numbers 20 and 2 1 , specif ical ly to embody
the American recommenda t ions . The new carbines
were now to be tested, as soon as they could be
made avai lable , a longside the latest models of Col
Kent-Lemon's EM-2.
The March War Of f i ce report ca l led for FN to
make the following modif icat ions in the new car
bines:
• ex t rac tor and ext rac tor spring to be reinfor
ced
• hammer to be reinforced
Fig 54 UK ADE photo of the 'latest model', FN carbine serial no 20, calibre .280/30, proofed March 20, 1951.
Shown below in comparison is the earlier CAMP carbine no 13, the "X2E1".
Case . 2 8 0 / 3 0 - Bullet . 2 8 0 / 7 mm
length of cartridge 2 .54"
length of case 1.71"
length of bullet 1.16"
weight of cartridge 309 grains
weight of primed case 139 grains
available volume .147 i n 3
weight of bullet 139 grains
weight of powder charge 3 2 . 1 grains Bofors flake
chamber pressure 4 0 , 7 0 0 l b / i n 2
muzzle velocity 2 , 4 0 0 fps
muzzle energy 1,771 f t / lbs
• butt to be lengthened 1"
• return spring tube to be s t rengthened
• rear sight to be modified to al low for more
positive adjus tment and positioning
• change lever to be redesigned and fire sel
ec t ion points reposi t ioned
• magazine c a t c h to be s t rengthened
• direction of e j ec t ion of spent cartr idges to
be al tered
• handguard to be enlarged in cross sec t ion
• barrel to be lengthened 20 mm (.8")
Carbine number 20 , with a number of these
changes incorporated in its design, was proofed at
FN in cal ibre .280/30 , on March 20 , 1 9 5 1 . On this
same day, a letter was received at FN's London of
fices, from Barlow's peop le at the Ministry of Sup
ply:
During a recent examinat ion of rounds ( . 2 8 0 / 7 mm)
supplied by you, we have found that the bullet pull
varies from 87 lbs to 165 lbs.
Though this does not in any way appear to im
pair the performance of the ammunit ion, we feel
that it should be brought to your attention.
Yours faithfully,
DeQuincey, M a j o r
For: D of A (SA)
The Belgians were nonplussed. What were these
English up to? Perfect ly good bullets , by Brigadier
Barlow's own admission "flawless", being pulled
apart instead of being shot - c lear ly this was mad
ness! Resignedly, FN ammuni t ion tes t reports soon
began including bullet-pull figures, a long with the
other points of re ference .
Carbine no 21 was proofed on Mar 29 , and
both these new arms (numbers 20 and 21) were the
sub jec t of initial functioning trials at FN, before
being sent to England along with a substantial
shipment of spares, tools and prototype parts for
the upcoming (April 16 -21) Pendine trials. (Volume
Two). Monsieur Saive's careful memorandum of
goods shipped indicates that ca rb ine no 20 had
fired an initial 8 1 0 rounds; ca rb ine no 2 1 , 8 8 5 .
Monsieur Laloux had meanwhi le prepared
some further notes from the stat ist ics given him by
Brigadier Barlow during their March meeting:
1. Official barrel lengths of arms tried in U S A
EM-2 625 mm (24.6")
T 2 5 5 6 1 . 5 m m (22.1")
FN Carbines nos 4-15 4 8 4 . 4 mm (19.2")
2. Striking Energy at 1 ,000 yards
.303
T 6 5
. 2 8 0 / 3 0
387 f t / lb (53 .5 kg)
2 9 4 f t / lb (40 .6 kg)
293 f t / lb (40 .5 kg)
3. T h e FN . 2 8 0 / 7 mm load was found to have a
higher muzzle velocity than the UK . 2 8 0 / 3 0 . The
following values have been computed in England,
shooting both types of cartridges in an EM-2 :
Muzzle velocity
Recoil energy
. 2 8 0 / 7 m m FN
2 , 4 4 7 fps
(746 m / s )
7 .44 f t / lbs
(1 .03 kg)
.280 RG 140-gr
2 , 3 3 0 fps
710 m / s )
6.5 f t / lbs
( .90 kg)
Fig 55 Another ADE publicity photo, this time of FN carbine no 21, proofed on March 29, 1951. This particular photo was used to augment several handouts prepared by FN, and it was some time before anyone noticed UK
Major Douglas Maber's tongue-in-cheek measuring lines, faintly drawn-in below the carbine and labelled "Actual Length of EM-2". Monsieur Laloux was not amused.
78 Prototypes 17 to 22
On the eve of the Pendine trials, FN carb ine num
ber 22 was proofed. This arm was very similar to
numbers 20 and 2 1 , but was the first to field a new,
increased-diameter handguard, designed to keep
soldiers ' fingers from any c o n t a c t with hot meta l . It
was a lso the first to do away with the d e t a c h a b l e
s ideplate on the left side of the lower receiver .
A new bayone t was introduced: a modified
FN49 type, fitted with a spring-loaded c a t c h cap
ab le of al lowing abou t 10 mm forward m o v e m e n t
of the whole bayone t during recoil . This was to ne
gate the usual e f fec t on normal MPI, when firing
with bayone t fixed.
The 'FN versus the EM-2' trials at Pendine,
April 16 to 2 1 , 1 9 5 1 , are covered in V o l u m e Two,
with a full reprint of the Board of Off icers ' report.
This report ended by concluding that neither rifle
was a c c e p t a b l e for adopt ion in its existing s tate ,
al though the FN was more dependable , performed
bet ter under adverse condi t ions, and was, overall ,
the more accu ra t e . Brigadier Barlow met with an
eager Monsieur Laloux the evening of the last day
of the trials. The Brigadier formally conf i rmed that,
as regards ammunit ion, the UK decis ion had
Fig 57 FN carbine no 21, right-hand view, fitted with a prototype right-hand cocking handle. Tests with this weapon proved M. Saive's original left-handed design was faster. This knob was attached directly to the bolt carrier and reciprocated with it.
Fig 58 FN carbine no 21, after circa-1952 experiments at FN. Compare with fig 55. Note the cutaway magazine well, to test M. Saive's prototype 'front lip' magazines.
Fig 56 An early box label, from the initial year of FN production of .280/30 cartridges. FN used Bofors powder and the S-12 lead-core 7 mm bullet. (Headstamp FN 51 .280/30).
definitely been taken in favour of the .280/7 mm as
pioneered and loaded by FN. Monsieur Laloux was
not one to miss an advantage:
I immediately asked Bar low if this decision had yet
been communicated to the Belgian Ministry of De
fence, which had until now heard nothing but the
vaguest of rumours. Bar low promised to have
General Barber , the Director of Infantry, arrange for
an official letter to the Belgian Defense Ministry, in
forming them of the UK decision in favour of the
.280 /7 mm.
This was good news of the highest order to
everyone at FN, ye t while they had won the bat t le ,
it soon seemed they had lost the war. A scan t four
days later, on April 25 , 1 9 5 1 , the UK Army Council
announced it had dec ided to p roceed unilaterally
with the adopt ion of the .280/7 mm cartr idge and
the EM-2 rifle.
Fig 59 UK special-purpose bullets, studied and drawn at FN. Left: 115-grain tracer; centre: 130-grain armour-piercing incendiary (API); right: 128-grain observing. Drawing date: 7 February, 1951.
Chapter 5
Prototypes 23 to 27 (1951)
This unilateral adopt ion of the EM-2 by England
caused a great deal of cons terna t ion amongs t those
committed to NATO standardizat ion, both in the
UK and abroad. In the f a c e of a c u t e disappoint
ment at the British decis ion, FN cont inued, with as
many governments as would listen, a de termined
programme to interest them in the merits of the FN
automatic carbine . Carbine no 23 , virtually identi
cal to no 22 , was proofed on May 30, 1 9 5 1 . I t was
formally presented to the Belgian par l iament in
early June. The populari ty of the FN design grew;
Monsieur Laloux himself drew up the trials
programme for a three-day June visit from an in
terested French Army mission.
During this demonst ra t ion a scheduled en
durance trial of "be tween five and six thousand
rounds" went off without a hitch. AN FN memoran
dum recording this event c loses :
"We must work quickly in order to use the
results obta ined to benef i t our c ause in England."
In another short internal memorandum, dated 20
June 1 9 5 1 , M. Laloux wrote that "the English are
now calling the .280 cartr idge the 7mm. We at FN
will hencefor th refer to this cartr idge as the 7mm
short."
The French Army delegat ion was most im
pressed with the FN carbine . A c o m p l e t e series of
trials was soon scheduled , to be held in France in
the autumn of 1951 under the direct ion of French
Genera l Lavaud, Direc tor of the Army Technical
Sec t ion , and featuring FN carb ine no 23 .
This s tubborn determinat ion to p romote the
FN product s eemed to be of no avail, at least in
England; the UK Army Council remained adamant ,
even in the f a c e of growing NATO concern , in its
decis ion to adopt the EM-2.
Carbine no 24 , the first with the built-in carry
ing handle, was proofed on August 1. This was the
first FN arm official ly designated as ca l ib re "7mm
short". It featured a new series of modif icat ions,
t o o late i t would seem, under the c i r cums tances , to
have any e f fec t in England, but nonetheless adop
ted as a result of British r ecommenda t ions
following the trials of carbines number 20 and 21 at
Hythe and Pendine. The modif icat ions included:
• a l ightened barrel, with a small , neat bayone t lug
Fig 60 FN carbine no 24, with modifications as recommended by UK trials at Pendine and Hythe. No 24 was the first to feature the folding carrying handle and the first
officially designated as calibre "7 mm Short". FN photo dated 16 August, 1951.
82 Prototypes 23 to 27
Fig 61 FN carbine no 24, complete disassembly view. Photo dated 16 August, 1951.
for the new 'spring-loaded' bayonet .
• a slightly re- located gas t akeof f point, and
correspondingly shorter gas cylinder and piston.
• a screw-threaded front sight, ad jus tab le for e le
vation.
• a lighter, more posit ive rear sight.
• a modified bu t t s tock profile, with a higher butt-
plate.
• a strengthened ext rac tor .
• an altered body cover , which ef fec t ive ly lowered
the path of spent cartr idge e jec t ion .
• a redesigned safe ty /change lever, with the semi
and auto fire posit ions c loser together .
• an insulated f ibre-covered, short, button-l ike
cocking handle.
• a carrying handle, fitted at the point of b a l a n c e
above the c h a m b e r around the gas cylinder.
• a reinforced handguard, the first with longitud
inal grooves.
• a grenade launcher, adapted to mount on the
bayonet lug.
Carbine no 25 , virtually identical to no 24 , was
proofed on Aug 25 . In the f a c e of this cont inued
determination on the part of FN, the NATO defense
ministers met in New York in August. Britain was
persuaded to pos tpone ac tua l quant i ty manufac
ture of the EM-2.
Col Kent-Lemon's EM-2 was, nevertheless , the
subject of a lavish UK publici ty d e m o at Warmin
ster on the 10th of August, at which t ime the new
' 7 m m ' name was first revealed to the English press.
(This event is further descr ibed in both Vols O n e
and Two.)
Comparison firing trials were held against ob
solete British Lee-Enfields and American M1
Garands. The FN carb ine was, if anything, con
spicuous in its a b s e n c e .
Fig 62 The first printed manual for the FN Carbine, showing the revolutionary folding carrying handle of no 24.
FN 'struck back ' on S e p t e m b e r 6th with a well-
planned demonst ra t ion of its own at Brasschaat ,
featuring the new carb ine no 24 , in front of an
a s semblage of over one hundred Allied officers.
Fig 63 FN carbine no 24, after trials in the USA. Note the finalised 'wraparound' handguard, designed by M. Saive at the suggestion of an American friend.
84 Prototypes 23 to 27
Monsieur Laloux had a t ightrope ac t to perform,
and he did it with passing skill. FN had by now a
great f inancial s take in the UK 7mm short cartr idge,
and was supplying it in quanti ty, under con t r ac t to
the British Ministry of Supply, ironically for the EM-
2 trials. This si tuation was not to be upset. On the
other hand, FN knew that Britain was s tubbornly
'out on a limb', with the EM-2 and as such was sub
j e c t to cont inuously mounting pressure from all her
NATO allies, espec ia l ly the powerful and
vociferous Americans . Into all of this Monsieur
Laloux was bound to insert whatever praise he
could for the FN prototype, which he and many
others bel ieved was qui te simply the best c h o i c e
for a s tandardized infantry weapon for all of NATO.
Here are Monsieur Laloux' opening remarks, given
at Brasschaa t in front of British, American, French
and numerous other military de legates , all poten
tial c l ients for the FN carbine:
Introductory Remarks at the Brasschaat Demonstration
September 6, 1951
General and Gentlemen:
First of all, I wish to thank the Belgian Ministry
of National Defence for giving us this opportunity of
demonstrating our new weapon. Fabrique Nationale,
as the name itself suggests, has since its inception
tried to serve the a rmy by bringing technical know
ledge to bear on military problems.
T h e problem concerning which I am going to
speak to you today was introduced to FN by the
British Ministry of Supply. On behalf of the Belgian
factory I represent, I should like to offer my thanks
to them for the confidence placed in us. The co
operation thus established, irrespective of frontiers,
could serve as a model at international level.
W h a t I have just said is in no way changed by
the decision which England has recently taken (a
decision which was not what we could have hoped)
although our col laborat ion will perforce be limited in
future to the ammunit ion.
I should also like to thank the many represen
tatives of N A T O countries present for accepting the
invitation extended by our Mil i tary Technical
Fig 64 Illustrating the handiness of the FN carbine (no 24). Note the early FN 49-type bayonet. From the original FN Fusil Automatique Leger (FAL) manual (fig 62).
Fig 65 FN carbine no 24 at the carry. From the original manual of the FAL in cal 7 x 43 mm (7 mm Short).
Research and Development Service in such numbers.
I will deal first with the new ammunit ion and
then with the weapon designed to fire it. . . It
features a reduction in the size and weight of the car
tridge with sufficient energy at prevailing firing
distances but muzzle energy reduced so as to permit
accurate single shot and full automatic fire from a
lighter weapon than the semi automatics at present in
use.
Up until now, development followed the line of
giving the infantryman the most powerful am
munition he could fire in a rifle. After the first Wor ld
War the Americans developed a 11 .3 gram bullet
(Ml ) for their .30 calibre, but the fact that during the
second Wor ld W a r they decided to use their old
.30 /06 bullet (renamed M 2 ) , weighing only 9 .8
grams, already shows a certain drawing away from
the idea of a maximum powered cartridge.
Fig 66 The low line of sight of the FN carbine allowed the user to present a difficult target to hit.
During the last war, there appeared on both
sides of the firing line ammunit ion between the pistol
cartridge calibre and the existing 7.9 mm, .303 and
.30 infantry cartridges. T h e American .30 Carbine
needs not be stressed; its insufficient power (muzzle
energy only twice that of the Parabellum) and
behaviour at ranges over 2 0 0 metres bear out the well
known fact that it was designed rather as a replace
ment for the pistol than the infantry rifle.
T h e first short infantry ammunit ion seems to
have been achieved by the Germans with their 7.9
short, produced at the end of the war; its muzzle
energy is three times that of the Parabellum and the
Germans designed a weapon for it which could fire
single shot and full automatic . The first prototype of
the weapon we are going to show you was designed
for this cartridge and demonstrated by us to the
Belgian Authorit ies in February 1 9 4 8 .
After the war, the English decided to abandon
the .303 and followed up the same idea; they de
signed a .280 cartridge the muzzle energy of which
was originally about 2 4 0 kgm, i.e. four times that of
the Parabel lum.
This so-called .280 round was really a 7mm,
which you will see had considerable influence on its
final development. Although the idea was good, the
first rounds produced in England were not very
satisfactory; accuracy was poor , pressures too high
and irregular. Successful development was somewhat
hindered by the fact that the English were trying to
use a mild steel core instead of a lead core . In spite of
this, the ammunit ion was recommended for further
development after the trials which took place in the
United States from the Spring to the Autumn of 1950 .
86 Prototypes 23 to 27
Up to this point, FN had used British cartridges
only when making the prototypes of their weapon,
but when the results of these trials started to come
through, they decided to approach the ammunit ion
problem as well.
As stated, the British bullet was in reality a
7mm, weighing 140 grains, i.e. 9 grams. Among the
bullets currently manufactured by FN was the 7mm
Mauser , a bullet which has existed for many years
but agreed perfectly in calibre and weight with the so
called .280 British bullet. The Mauser 7mm is a flat
base type bullet ('S' type) with lead core and plated
steel envelope, well-known in military and sporting
circles for its high degree of accuracy and retention of
velocity; due to its small diameter and excellent
ballistic coefficient. The idea of putting this bullet in
the British case after having filled it with a suitable
powder (in this case a powder of Swedish origin)
seemed too natural not to be tried: as you will see,
the result was excellent.
The external characteristics of this ammunit ion
are the same as those of the English cartridge and the
same case is used:
Total weight: 20 grams as against 2 6 . 2 6 gr for the .30
M 2 , i.e. 2 4 % lighter.
Total length: 6 4 . 5 5 mm as against 8 4 . 6 mm for the
.30 M 2 , i.e. 2 4 % shorter.
The great advantages that general use of such an
ammunit ion would bring are obvious; the load
would be lightened and made less cumbersome and
the cost would be lower.
Ballistical characteristics are as follows:
Muzzle Veloci ty : 2 ,255 fps; i .e. about 33 metres (100
feet) more than that of the original English .280 ,
whereas the original Mauser 7mm ammunition, using
the same bullet, has a velocity of 840 (roughly 2 , 5 5 0
fps) to 890 m / s according to the length of the barrel .
Pressure: the above-mentioned velocity is attained
whilst maintaining the pressure below 3 ,000 k g s / c m 2
(43 ,000 lbs . / sq . in . ) This pressure is due to the
powder used and an adequate primer. We would
mention that the FN cartridge primer is non corro
sive.
Kinetic energy: Muzzle 250 kgm (1 ,800 f t / lbs) ; a t 600
metres 85 kgm (600 f t / lbs ; at 1000 metres 45 kgm
(325 f t / lbs) .
On the diagram before you are shown the
kinetic energy curves in terms of distance for the
. 3 0 / 0 6 , the .303 and the 7 mm. At the muzzle the
kinetic energy of the 7 mm is only 7 /10 ths of the .30 ,
but still more than enough to kill a man. At 1,000
metres, thanks to its intrinsic qualities, the 7 mm
rejoins the .30 with a remaining kinetic energy of ap-
prox. 45 kgm. , which is about the same as the muzzle
energy of the Parabel lum fired from a pistol. As there
is no question of the infantry cartridge being used to
perforate armour-plating, and it is only expected to
be effective against such objectives as helmets and
unarmoured vehicles, this cartridge appears to be
very adequate, even at these distances, while its
reduced muzzle energy allows full automatic fire un
der conditions which may be considered as accep
table.
Accuracy: I should like to close the section on the
new ammunit ion by referring to its accuracy; its ex
cellence in this respect can be vouched for by all who
have tried it. During the trials in the United States,
the mean radius, or figure of merit at 600 yards was
used to measure accuracy. The required M R , or
figure of merit, was 7". It has been proved during
trials that the FN 7 mm can easily achieve an MR of
less than 3 .5" (9 cm) at this distance.
Both as regards power and accuracy, this car
tridge solves the problem. I am pleased to say that
the British have just given it the correct name of 7
mm' but to avoid confusion with the 7 mm Mauser, I
would suggest that it should henceforth be called the
7 mm short'.
Let us now turn to the weapon. To avoid any
misunderstanding, I wish to mention here that the
Belgian Government has adopted the .30 American
cartridge for their small arms, for the time being.
They have acted wisely in this because rearmament
was an immediate need and the .30 American car
tridge is the best mass-produced infantry am
munition now available. FN are producing several
types of weapon firing this ammunit ion, which have
recently been shown to the press here: our self-
loading rifle and automatic rifle, (the SAFN, adopted
in 1951 by the Belgian A r m y — Ed), and the Brown
ing automatic machine rifle with detachable barrel .
T h e weapon I am going to speak about now is a
prototype and has never yet been in production; it
has been developed as an infantry weapon for the
future. Its main outward features are:
• length, 1 metre, with a 50 cm barrel;
• weight, with handle and reinforced hand-guard, is
less than 3 kg 9 0 0 (8 .6 lbs) .
It should be recalled here that the weight of most
single shot infantry rifles is in the neighborhood of 4
kg, the self-loading rifles average more, about 4 kg
300 ; the FN self-loading weighs a little less, the
Garand a little more .
To lighten the soldier's load, General Staff are
asking for a weapon weighing 8 lbs (3 kg 650) or even
less, but the soldier does not only carry his rifle, the
magazines and bayonet have to be taken into account.
Mil i tary and sportsmen know that if a weapon is
to be comfortable to fire its weight must be related to
the power of the ammunit ion it has to use.
This is even more important for a weapon firing
full automatic. There is a very good reason why
existing automatic machine rifles, firing the normal
infantry round, weigh from 8 to 9 kgs.
Muzzle-brakes, which have been tried to absorb
the recoil, have certain disadvantages: if they are ef
ficient they throw back (i .e. towards the firer) an un
pleasant surge.
I draw two conclusions from this:
1. What really counts is the overall weight to be
carried and this total weight should be laid down by
the Chiefs of General Staff;
2. With the total weight limit fixed, it is desirable to
keep the weight of the weapon as high as possible and
reduce the weight of the accessories; this gives better
accuracy and the weapon is more comfortable for the
firer.
The FN prototype has been developed on these
lines: the magazine weighs 2 2 0 grams only, the
bayonet 280 grams, the weapon alone 3 kg 9 0 0 .
At the outset, we thought that the weight should
not be less than 4 kgs, particularly for a weapon
which has to fire full automatic , but following the
trials in England we concluded that a weight of 3 kg
900 was admissible.
As we have just been speaking of transport, I
would mention that the latest model, now before
you, has a collapsible carrying handle, fitted at the
weapons's centre of gravity.
The general data on which the weapon had to be
designed is as follows:
• It had to have a removable magazine, taking 20
cartridges. This was needed to increase fire power,
both single shot and full automatic .
• The weapon had to be of the locking breech type as
the power of the cartridge obviously excluded a
blowback type of design. As you can see, the breech
block is a solid part.
• The bolt had to be closed when firing. This was
necessary for a light weapon, which has to be fired
from the shoulder as a rifle, and is not purely a
machine-gun.
• Naturally, there is a holding-open device to keep
the mechanism open when the magazine is empty;
this serves to warn the firer and makes reloading
easy.
• Finally, gas operation was preferred to recoil for
reasons common to all infantry weapons between the
blow-back type and the machine gun.
On this basis, the chief of our Design Depart
ment, M. Saive, has designed a weapon which is bo th
conventional and simple, as you will now see.
By this I mean that the weapon has a butt and
the conventional type of sight.
Up to the present the butt has seemed as essential
a part of the rifle as the barrel and breech-block. As
the butt is not a working part, the idea of suppressing
it arose, as a means of reducing the weight. W e , our
selves, designed a .280 prototype without a butt, but
we later abandoned it as we considered it had serious
disadvantages:
a) The relative positions of human eye and
shoulder mean that the line of sight has to be raised if
the butt is suppressed. This , to our mind, is a great
drawback; the soldier seeking cover at ground level is
obliged to raise his head to get his line of sight and is
thus exposed to enemy fire. In addition, raised sights
are more liable to get out of order than those at
weapon level.
It has also been said that a straight-line weapon
tends to be steadier, but the essential point is rather
that the centre of gravity of the weapon should be in
line with the barrel axis. This is the case with the
weapon now before you and this alignment ensures a
longitudinal recoil .
b) As Brigadier Bar low once said to me, it is un
fortunately impossible to redesign the human body
— the butt forms a natural liaison between the
human body and the barrel of the weapon, which has
to be trained on the target. Although the butt is not
an active part, it plays its role perfectly, as has been
demonstrated by the natural ease in firing the
weapon moving it from the hip to the shoulder.
c) Finally, suppression of the butt entails a
change in the general design of the weapon: bringing
the ejection opening to the same level as the firer's
face, bringing the trigger forward beyond the
magazine, level with the barrel, which causes the
following drawbacks:
1. Over-heating of the trigger during sustained
fire to the point of burning the firer's forefinger;
2. the weapon cannot be fired by a left-handed
man;
3. danger to the firer's face and eyes in the case
of any explosion occurring.
As for the optical sight, as we have already said,
we should prefer it if it improved accuracy, but trials
have proved that this is not the case. Furthermore, it
seems to us that its serious disadvantages in rain,
snow or mud and its fragility outweigh the advan
tages it has.
Finally, I should like to emphasize the simplicity
of our weapon; our long experience in the domain of
small arms makes us at tach great importance to this.
Simplicity is of the foremost importance to the
soldier, but it should also concern those responsible
for supplying his equipment. Not only does it mean
more rifles in war-t ime, but also saves time in con
verting from one type of armament to another. It
88 Prototypes 23 to 27
Fig 67 FN carbine no 24 being examined at the Brasschaat demonstration, September 6, 1951. The design
was presented here to numerous Allied military delegates, and proved a great success.
also means lower costs, but this point is not to be dis
cussed here.
To find out how simple our weapon is all you
have to do is handle and strip it.
Handling: T h e weapon has been designed (as the
Browning Automat ic Machine Rifle) so that the right
hand remains on the pistol grip and all other
operations are done on the left, i .e. on the firer's side,
whether in the upright or prone position. Tha t is:
• cocking
• removing an empty magazine and reloading
• closing the weapon
• operating the change lever.
Stripping: Stripping is extremely easy because the
rifle opens like a shot gun and the mechanism can be
withdrawn towards the rear.
Here, I have three comments to make:
• Firstly, the soldier never has to touch the return
spring, which is encased in the butt and needs no
maintenance;
• secondly, the weapon never remains open. After
withdrawing the breech-block and slide, the soldier
can close the weapon and put it on the ground while
he examines the parts withdrawn;
• thirdly, the whole mechanism can be seen when
the cover is taken off.
The first two remarks would have little meaning
if stripping could always be done on a table but in
practice the soldier usually has to put springs and
parts he has stripped on dusty or muddy ground.
I should like to mention here that the weapon is
completely weatherproof, without using any special
cover; this is the finest guarantee against getting
foreign bodies in the mechanism; it must be remem
bered that a cover , like a door, can be open or closed.
. . . I could continue to give you further details
but these you will find in the brochure which will be
distributed.
Here is a list of the accesssories which can be
supplied with the weapon:
1. Bayonet: Here is the light bayonet , designed for
this weapon; it has a spring device to prevent the
weight of the bayonet from influencing the mean im
pact point.
2. Grenade launcher: Here is the grenade-launcher
for firing the Energa 640 gram grenade under the
same conditions as the .30 infantry rifle as will be
demonstrated later. To fire this, shut off the gas in
take by turning the plug by 1 8 0 ° .
3. Bipod: Here is the bipod — in certain circum
stances its use makes the weapon more effective in
the machine rifle role.
4. Optional Sight: Finally, here is the optional sight
for the use of snipers. This is very simply mounted on
a cover and the rifle destined for snipers thus needs
very little special preparation.
5. Other: If required, the weapon can also be sup
plied with a flash hider or muzzle brake .
I have come to the end of my talk, which I fear
has been a little lengthy. I hope that the firing which
Captain Moreau is now going to carry out in your
presence will prove that the combinat ion of the 7 mm
short round and the Universal light automatic rifle,
which we have developed, constitute a logical and
well-balanced armament .
The Brasschaa t demonst ra t ion was a great success .
The Americans in part icular were impressed with
the new FN carb ine .
Carbine no 26 , a special order for 7 mm short
trials in Venezue l a , was hurriedly prepared using
the old receiver and trigger housing, (with
sideplate), from carb ine no 20 . It was proofed on
O c t 3. Meanwhi le , Amer ican results were rather
guarded following tests which had been carried out
on the bes t the UK could produce - 'Lot 20 ' of the
UK-loaded .280 /30 cartr idges. These had been sub
j e c t e d to a minute examinat ion in the USA. FN
received a copy of the Amer ican report, dated 16
O c t o b e r 1 9 5 1 :
Evaluation of New UK calibre .280 Cartridge
Fig 68 FN carbine no 26, the 'Venezuelan' prototype. Originally described as follows: weight: 3.65 kg; length: 900 mm; barrel length: 380 mm. Proofed October 3, 1951.
Fig 69 FN carbine no 26, right-hand side. Originally designed with the early magazine, later modified to accept the new 'front lip' magazine.
The UK calibre .280 cartridge has been examined by
Frankford Arsenal , Remington Arms Company , Ol in
Industries, Inc and E. I . du Pont de Nemours and
Company , Inc with a view to reproducability under
mass production condit ions. Frankford Arsenal is the
control centre for the US small arms ammunit ion in-
90 Prototypes 23 to 27
dustry; Remington and Olin were the major
producers of small arms ammunit ion during Wor ld
W a r II under direct Government contract and as
operators of Government-owned Ordnance plants.
The following represents the composite comments of
these facilities:
Bullets: Bullets of the close dimensional tolerances
demonstrated by UK Lot 20 could only be produced
under very careful manufacturing conditions with
excellent tool control and using selected raw
materials. Production of such bullets in volume
would be costly, and the necessary care required in
handling would result in low production rates. The
meplat (bullet point) could not be maintained under
present US manufacturing condit ions.
The bullet is coated with approximately . 0 0 1 " of
cupronickel. On the basis of previous US experience,
it is considered that the coating is too thin and will
result in muzzle sparklers. This had also been in
dicated in the September 1951 tests.
The bullet does not have a machined cannelure.
Apparently the projectiles are press crimped into the
case, resulting in a low bullet pull (average of ap
proximately 90 lbs and very erratic) as compared
with US calibre .30 ammunit ion. This may be expec
ted to result in poor machine gun performance (short
round).
Cartridge: The uniformity of weight and dimensions-
of the complete round will be subject to the same
comments that applied to the bullet and case. At
tainment of the British uniformity would, in mass
production, be considerably more costly than for
present ammunit ion. The characteristics of the
British cartridge are comparable to US 'National
Match ' ammunit ion which is made under very care
fully controlled condit ions. In mass production, it is
anticipated that the accuracy of the British cartridge
would approach that of present calibre .30 Ball M2
ammunit ion. (7 .5" mean radius at 600 yards) . No
determination can be made as to the ability to meet,
in mass production the velocity of UK Lot 20 .
Reliable figures with respect to accuracy and velocity
can only be achieved as a result of mass production
trials, employing production tools and methods.
Even though in total only a handful of prototypes
existed. Monsieur Laloux was most keenly aware
that unmis takeab le signs of approval and interest
in the new FN design were being expressed by an
ever-increasing body of the world's most influential
military men. With courageous foresight, he deter
mined to prepare for eventual success . In a private
direct ive to the FN Soc ie ty on the 2nd of Novem
ber, 1 9 5 1 , Monsieur Laloux ordered that the basic
raw materials necessary for the cons t ruc t ion of
2 0 , 0 0 0 FN universal carbines be purchased and
s tockpi led, against what he firmly bel ieved was to
be an inevi table demand.
On November 13th , a further direct ive was
c i rcula ted among all FN depar tments conce rned
with a rmamen t deve lopment :
"In future official co r respondence , notably
with armies, foreign governments and commis
sions, the appel la t ion of our hitherto-known Uni
versal Carbine will be: Fusil Automatic Leger d'In
fanterie." (English: Infantry Light Automat ic Rifle;
initials 'FALI').
The following day, Nov 14 , 'FALI' number 27
(identical to no 24 with a slightly different hand-
guard shape) was proofed and ready for trial.
A major pol icy s ta tement , reviewing all
deve lopments so far, was prepared for general
distribution by Fabr ique Nat ionale on November
20 . FN, through Monsieur Laloux, was determined
to stand firm on the merits and strengths of the
Saive design, and wished to record the reasoning
behind this decis ion for posterity:
The 7mm Short Ammunition and the Light Automatic Rifle
I. Introduction
1. Since the war, the tendency has been towards
a light, self-loading rifle capable of selective fire,
combined with an 'intermediate' cartridge, of reduced
size and weight, yet with sufficient power at any
realistic combat range.
This new arrangement is to supercede the infan
tryman's current arsenal of machine pistol, rifle and
L M G , and moreover is capable of launching
grenades.
2. The English, desirous of abandoning the old
r immed .303 , are firmly committed to this new path.
They have developed a 7 mm cartridge and have con
tracted for the development of two prototypes to
shoot it — one the UK EM-2 and the other the
Belgian FN.
T h e original UK steel-cored bullet is inherently
inaccurate — FN has solved this problem by
suggesting the extremely accurate 7mm Mauser
bullet, and this solution has now been adopted by the
British.
The two rifle designs have basic distinguishing
differences — the Belgian is conventional, with a butt-
stock and iron sights, while the British is revolution
ary, without a but ts tock and with a unit-power op
tical sight. From the point of view of performance,
both these weapons have been perfected.
3. The Americans , for their part, while busy
researching a solution to the same basic problems as
the British, have so far not without good reasons,
stuck to their existing mili tary cartridge and their
Garand rifle, of which there are literally millions in
existence. Unfortunately the . 3 0 / 0 6 cartridge and the
Ml rifle itself are heavy and overpowered and as
such not well thought of in modern-day Europe. The
British have done well in declining the adoption of
this less than up-to-date rifle and ammunit ion
system.
4. The most sensible solution, to avoid all of the
western powers switching to a new system at once,
seems to be for the British to adopt the 7mm and the
Americans to follow suit in two or three years ' t ime.
Of course, for this plan to work , the British and the
Americans must agree at least on their future short
cartridge, if not on the rifle as well. Unfortunately,
this is not the case — the Americans find the 7mm
lacking, or beneath their standards, in killing power.
As to the UK rifle, its unconventional design and
complexity have met with disfavour in Amer ica . T h e
British would have been on firmer ground if they had
instead favoured the FN design. .
Finally, the French, and other countries of com
paratively lesser import, are impatient that the two
giants cannot agree.
remaining energy figures are as follows:
Distance . 30 M 2 7 mm Short
2 0 0 metres 2 7 7 kgm 180 kgm
4 0 0 metres 140 kgm 118 kgm
600 metres 82 kgm 77 kgm
800 metres 48 kgm 53 kgm
1000 metres 43 kgm 42 kgm
The 7mm ball , as shown above , conserves its
energy at distances over 600 yards. Moreover , 7 mm
dispersion figures are roughly half those acceptable
as standard for the .30 M 2 . In summation as
established by actual shooting trials of many thou
sands of rounds, the 7 mm Short offers the advan
tages sought, without compromising power require
ments, at a dramatic price reduction.
(In the foregoing, we have compared the new
7 mm Short against the .30 M2 ( .30-06) . There is of
course a new American 'short' .30 calibre cartridge,
now undergoing US trials, but we have as yet found
it impossible to ascertain its characteristics, and
therefore a comparison with it cannot be made at this
time There is of course nothing to say regarding the
decisions of others to pursue their stated goals both
in .30 calibre and 7mm; the essential point being a
net reduction in weight.
In any case the final decision will recognize a
bullet of the order of 9 grams. A n y increase in calibre
as compared to the demonstrated 7mm conclusion
will bring with it a corresponding deterioration in the
proven conservat ion of residual, or striking energy.
II. The Ammunition Problem The new ammunit ion must offer the following
advantages:
a) weight and size reduction;
b) a reduction in muzzle energy sufficient to al low
aimed, full-auto fire teamed with adequate killing
power at today's realistic combat ranges;
c) excellent accuracy.
We at FN feel the 7mm short cartridge meets
these conditions:
a) Compared to the Amer ican .30 M 2 , the 7mm short
offers the following percentage reductions:
weight of cartridge 24 % less
length of cartridge 2 3 . 5 % less
powder charge 3 8 . 5 % less
price of manufacture 16 % less
b) Muzzle energy is roughly 225 kgm as compared
with 347 kgm for the .30 M 2 . At other distances, the
III. The Rifle Problem T h e object ive, stated succinctly, is for an arm to
materialize, at once light enough for comfortable ,
single-shot fire and portabil i ty, but at the same time
stable enough to al low effective automatic fire, and
to be popular enough to be adopted by all of us.
Today, there are two arms available, chambered
for the 7mm Short and embodying the above objec
tives: the British EM-2 and the Belgian FN.
Leaving aside for the moment all the fine points,
and admitting voluntari ly that the two arms are to all
intents and purposes identical as regards reliability
and safe operation, and freely admitting an equal
degree of inherent technical competence in their
design, there remain a certain number of criteria
wherein the Belgian arm enjoys an incontestable
superiority. These are:
• Its profound simplicity; it is one of the most un-
92 Prototypes 23 to 27
complicated weapons in existence, immediately ap
pealing to the front-line soldier as well as to those in
the supply system. This means not only more rifles in
time of war but also, and this is extremely important
today — less time elapsed in converting from any
current weapon system to this one.
• Its classical form assures it numerous partisans,
and makes it the prime candidate for standardization
among all the Western powers. T h e British rifle, with
its buttless configuration, is a very peculiar arm,
which moreover requires elevated sights, forcing the
user into a more vulnerable position.
• Its less expensive manufacture price of 20 to 2 5 %
below that of the EM-2 , translates, in a re-armament
situation, into a higher production rate and a
lessened total financial burden.
Finally, the FN weapon has been extensively
trials-proven, and is in a much more advanced state
of readiness for quanti ty production.
Although most of the details concern ing US mili
tary rifle deve lopmen t were at this t ime still secret ,
the influential National Rifle Associa t ion in Wash
ington sought to keep its members informed as
much as possible abou t the ongoing military car
tridge controversy. Retired Amer ican Maj-Gen
Julian Hatcher, head of the NRA techn ica l staff,
approached US O r d n a n c e Col René Studler, the
Assistant Chief of O r d n a n c e and head of the US
Rifle Program. Maj-Gen Hatcher requested s o m e
information and stat is t ics on the UK .280/30 car
tridge, in order to prepare an unbiased, c o m
parative ar t ic le in the Associat ion 's journal , the
authori tat ive American Rifleman. This information
was denied by Col Studler on grounds of national
security. A well-known NRA techn ica l staff writer
and cartr idge expert , Mr Phil Sharpe, one of the
later designers of the 7X61 Sharpe and Hart spor
ting cartridge, c o n t a c t e d an influential friend in
New York: there were those in Amer ica who already
had an int imate knowledge of the .280, and who
were following with interest the deve lopmenta l
s tages of the UK-FN 7 m m concep t . Sample UK .280
and .280/30 rounds were furnished in an unloaded
condi t ion from this 'private co l lec t ion ' , and Mr
Sharpe's in-depth ar t ic le , ent i t led "That .280 British
Cartridge", duly appeared in the November , 1951
American Rifleman. The ar t ic le reported on the
weights and measurements of the round and s o m e
ve loc i ty and pressure figures of various test
loadings, made up using commerc i a l American
IMR-type powders. The ar t ic le sums up:
"The .280 British cartr idge is an interesting lit
t le baby which canno t be loaded to proper veloci ty
without running into the 5 0 , 0 0 0 - 55,000-pound
pressure levels. A hot little baby like the .280 can
produce a lot of grief in a lightweight, mass-
produced shoulder weapon. Nevertheless, the
vague and cont rad ic tory publicity this cartridge
has received is dispelled. This baby is be t ter than
we thought!"
Col Studler, in a furious rage, charged the NRA
with violat ion of US security. He felt the test car
tridges used in the ar t ic le must have been stolen,
and ordered a full-scale securi ty c h e c k and a count
of all the existing sample .280 ammunit ion supplies
stored at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Everything
c h e c k e d out, however. The British, far from o b j e c
ting to the ar t ic le , w e l c o m e d it and its fair and ob
j ec t ive c o m m e n t s , as being c loser to the truth than
any other information coming out of America . (Col
Studler was indeed being most vociferous in his
self-styled .30 ca l ib re publici ty campaign; every
possible advantage was at t r ibuted to the T65 , while
the British .280 efforts were lambas ted merci lessly
as being total ly unworthy of American military
considerat ion.)
Chapter 6
Debut of the FAL Prototypes 28 to 42
Events were now taking p lace thick and fast in
England, Amer ica , Canada and Belgium.
Inexorably, more information was b e c o m i n g avail
able, day by day, regarding both rifle and cartr idge
developments . The s imple odds of happens tance
alone meant that i t was merely at mat ter of t ime
before more of the jealously-guarded details and
specifications b e c a m e public domain.
The British general e l ec t ions late in 1951 over
threw the Labour party, whose d e f e n c e minister
and Prime Minister had championed the EM-2, and
returned to power Sir Winston Churchill 's Conser
vatives. The order to adopt the EM-2 was counter
manded. (Volume Two has a good deal more on this
subject.) The Americans , o n c e again, re jec ted the
.280/7mm c o n c e p t as unsui table to their needs.
The p recoc ious FN carbine universelle had un
dergone name changes as well, as its many modifi
cations. Official FN documen t s began preferring
the name Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Auto Rifle
- or FAL), as early as January, 1 9 5 2 . At FN, Mon
sieur Laloux was more consc ious than ever before
of the one p iece of information he lacked: the
Americans had the cartridge; FN had the rifle. The
two simply had to be brought together . Finally, in
early 1952 , a single T65E3 cartridge, with powder
and primer removed, was air mailed to M. Laloux
by an influential friend in New York. The e f f ec t was
instantaneous: FAL number 28 was proofed on
March 14, 1 9 5 2 , the first-ever FN proto type bored
and carefully c h a m b e r e d by Monsieur Saive to fire
the final, 51 mm case- length version of the Ameri
can trials T65 cartr idge. Monsieur Laloux and Mon
sieur Saive were soon in New York with the proto
type. Arrangements were made for them to travel
to Washington and Aberdeen. Dr Fred Carten, the
Director of Research and Deve lopmen t for the Of
fice, Chief of Ordnance , introduced them to Col
Studler, the Assistant Chief of Ordnance . They were
ushered to an indoor range and handed one e a c h of
both the T44 and T47 rifles. They were not per
mitted to examine these arms; the firing points
were left purposely darkened. Monsieur Saive fired
both Amer ican prototypes, and both malfunc
t ioned badly. FN serial number 28 was brought out,
and it fired a full clip of American ammuni t ion
flawlessly, much to the chagrin of Col Studler.
Monsieur Laloux poli tely thanked the Colonel on
behal f of FN for the opportuni ty of firing " these ex
ce l l en t Amer ican arms". They all returned in silen-
Fig 70 At last! The initial FN drawing of the US .30 T65E3 51 mm case, dated February 19, 1952.
94 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
ce to the privacy of Col Studler 's off ice , where the
Colonel abruptly told Monsieur Laloux that he
would give FN a c o n t r a c t for ten FAL prototypes,
for the upcoming 1 9 5 2 Amer ican trials, at a price of
$10 ,000 US. Monsieur Laloux in all sincerity
protested the price, pointing out that ten thousand
dollars was simply not enough money for ten
tool room-produced weapons . Col Studler replied
that he mean t $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 per weapon. The offer was
a c c e p t e d on the spot, and a most jubi lant FN dele
gation returned to their New York friend's apart
ment filled with news of the vindicat ion of their
years of perseverance . As if to prove the old adage
of either feas t or famine, official drawings of the
hitherto unob ta inab le Amer ican round, plus sam
ples of the ca l ibre .30 T65E3 , in various loadings,
were now supplied to FN by the c a s e lot under the
terms of this deve lopmen t con t rac t . The con t r ac t
itself was in f ac t expanded in scope , on April 17, to
include a maximum of fifteen FN trials rifles.
Thus, after a courageous period of per
severance , in the f a c e of very limited prospects at
best in the US, plus outright d i scouragement in
England, the fortunes of FN all at o n c e took a
heady swing upwards, toward the most opt imist ic
viewpoint possible, as these two largest of
Belgium's allies o n c e again dec la red themse lves
potential c l ients .
The following d o c u m e n t goes far in recreat ing
the problems of the day as seen by the United
Kingdom - at the t ime the Amer ican T65E3 proto
type cartr idge was by no means assured of its later
adoption by all the NATO powers; indeed, many
saw in its physical charac te r i s t ics inherent
problems of an insurmountable nature.
The Americans , in the course of achieving the
ball ist ic goals they had set themselves with the T65
cartridge, began with a 47 mm c a s e length and en
ded with one of 51 mm. In addition, the c a s e walls
were c loser to being straight and parallel to e a c h
other than was the usual military prac t ice . This
c a m e to pass due simply to the beauroc ra t i c
restriction of maximum c a s e length, versus the
ca l cu la t ed internal c a s e vo lume necessary to
propel the bul le t at the required veloci ty .
The .30-06 case , for example , had a c a s e with
. 0 1 6 5 " included taper per inch. The .30 T65E3
proposed an included c a s e taper of only .012", a
measurement recognized by its designers as "less
than ideal". (In compar ison, today's 5.56 mm
military round has an included c a s e taper of
.01746") .
I t was strongly held at the t ime that this c a s e
taper fac tor influenced the primary, and even the
secondary, extract ion properties of a cartr idge
Fig 71 Monsieur Laloux, holding FN FAL no 28, the first in calibre .30 T65. Monsieur Saive is in the background. Picture taken in New York City in March, 1952, as they prepare to present the FAL to Col Studler.
case , in "a dele ter ious fashion". The lack of taper
also mean t a sharp shoulder, plus a greater distan
ce from cent re l ine to the guiding surface of the
outer c a s e wall; the former character is t ic
decreas ing the robustness of the c a s e in military
use. Both charac te r i s t ics very definitely added to
the rifle designer's problems in physically feeding
the cartr idges into the weapon.
Furthermore, as pleased as FN was at last to
have a foot secure ly in the American door, the 7
mm c o n c e p t they themselves had so resolutely
championed had many supporters, all of whom
were s incere and deserved the utmost support and
co-operat ion. So, as a determined 'back-up ' plan to
the powerful Amer ican .30 ca l ibre 's teamroller ' , the
'Small Arms Deve lopmen t Commit tee ' , or as it
b e c a m e known, the ' B B C Commi t t ee ' led off
bravely with its first informal meet ing on June 25,
1 9 5 2 . The following is a reprint of the draft minutes
of this meeting:
Minutes of the Informal Meeting of Technical Representatives of the
Small Arms Development Committee held at 3 5 / 3 7 , Old Queen Street, London, S W 1
on 25th June, 1952
Present:
U K
Brigadier J . A . Bar low
Lt Col B . K . Goode
Mr A. Duneclift
Major J . P . M a y
D of A (SA) Chairman
A D E
A D E M O S
M 3
Belgium
Col F . E . M . Van Loo Belgian A r m y
Monsieur R. Laloux FN
Monsieur E. T o m s o n FN
Col S .E . Morres Canadian A r m y Liaison
Staff
The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming the
Canadian and Belgian representatives on the Devel
opment Commit tee .
1. The Chairman then gave a short summary of the
background history leading up to the Canadian
suggestion of a compromise round in 7 mm calibre;
the main points of the summary were as follows:
1.1 The original low velocity . 2 8 0 / 3 0 am
munition was criticised for lack of stopping power
and poor wound ballistics at short ranges in tests in
1950 in the U S A .
1.2 Criticisms were also based on the poor ac
curacy of the UK mild steel-cored small arms ammu
nition, and the height of trajectory, during the 1950
tests.
1.3 U S A rejected the 7 mm calibre early in 1 9 5 1 ,
although Infantry Board no 3 had recommended it
for development.
1.4 In view of USA's attitude, UK adopted a
solid lead core bullet of FN manufacture with a muz
zle velocity of 2 , 5 5 0 ft per sec; subsequent develop
ment was entirely based on UK requirements which
were for a lead core ball round and tracer.
1.5 In September, 1 9 5 1 , the Working Par ty of
the Standing Group of N A T O retested the lead cored
7 mm small arms ammunit ion ( . 2 8 0 / 7 m m ) .
This ammunit ion was at that time criticised for
lack of stopping power at short ranges and for its
relatively poor penetration of helmets, body armour
and hard targets.
1.6 Canada then suggested a compromise which
consisted of utilising the .30 T 6 5 E 3 (51 mm) case
Fig 72 The complete US T65E3 round, first drawn and dimensioned by FN in February, 1952.
necked down to take a 7 mm bullet; this would give
an added case capaci ty and a possible dividend of
some increase in veloci ty.
1.7 On examination of Canada's proposals, UK
agreed in principle with the proviso that the T 6 5 E 3
case may not function satisfactorily because of:
a) added bullet intrusion
b) insufficient case taper
c) case headstrength.
If these had no adverse effect, the 7 mm bullet in a
necked down T 6 5 E 3 case seemed a good com
promise.
1.8 Since Canada believed that considerable
dividends could be obtained with the 7 mm am
munition and since Belgium had also shown great in
terest in its development, it was decided on a military
level to form a Small Arms Development Commit tee
of Canada, Belgium and the UK; governmental ap
proval was to be obtained later.
2. T h e Chairman explained that prior to the receipt
of information that Belgium would participate in 7
mm development, a favourable opportunity had
presented itself for informal discussions with
Canada
96 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
Canadian representatives on a technical level. In or
der to save time a tentative programme of work to be
undertaken by Canada and UK had been agreed.
He asked the Canadian representative to give his
report.
2 .1 The Canadian representative stated that he
had received no progress report from the Director of
Armament Development, Ot tawa; since Canadian
Governmental approval had not yet been given, he
surmised that O t t awa was reluctant to circulate any
progress that they had made. The Chairman then
summarised for the benefit of the Commit tee the
development work that Canada had provisionally
agreed to do.
2 . 1 . 1 . To concentrate upon the development of a
7 mm round using the U S A Frankford Arsenal T11
construction principle, and the T 6 5 E 3 cartridge case
necked to 7 mm.
2 . 1 . 2 . To develop, as an alternative, a new
design of armour piercing and mild steel core bullet,
utilising the T 6 5 E 3 cartridge case necked to 7 m m .
2 . 1 . 3 . To develop barrels using initially a scaled
down version of the American T 2 5 rifling leed and
twist.
2 . 1 . 4 . To manufacture 10 EM-2 weapons and to
carry out pressure barrel and weapon trials. The
sights for the weapons were to be provided by U K .
2 . 1 . 5 . To investigate the possible use of Western
ball propellant.
2 . 1 . 6 . To conduct Arct ic ballistic and user trials
in winter 1 9 5 2 / 1 9 5 3 .
2 .2 Belgian Review: M. Laloux summarised the
Belgian opinion on this development.
2 . 2 . 1 . He foresaw difficulty in obtaining good
accurate armour piercing ammunit ion; it was essen
tial from the standpoint of American approval to
have this ammunit ion before any further progress
was made with the rifles.
2 . 2 . 2 . From his experience, he did not foresee
any difficulty in the use of the T 6 5 E 3 case, insofar as
case taper and case headstrength were concerned; he
could not comment at this stage on the effect of bullet
intrusion.
2 . 2 . 3 . FN were converting their rifle to take the
T 6 5 ammunition; they were also manufacturing their
own design of the T 6 5 E 3 case and using the .30 Ball
M2 bullet for their own trials.
2 . 2 . 4 . He considered that for 7 mm a velocity of
the order of 8 0 0 / 8 2 5 metres per sec ( 2 , 6 5 0 / 2 , 7 0 0 ft
per sec) should be the maximum velocity.
2 . 2 . 5 . He expected to have within the next fort
night one pressure barrel to fire the T 6 5 / 7 mm am
munition; the length of this barrel was 2 1 " . In ad
dition, he would have available one M a n n barrel and
three Mauser type rifles for ammunit ion testing. He
Fig 73 FN experimental mild-steel 'Monobloc' bullet, prototype 1. Project begun by FN Ballistic Laboratory in 1951.
thought that these rifles would provide a good yard
stick for the comparison of results achieved in the
three countries and he offered to let UK and Canada
have one each of these Mauser rifles for their own
trials. Both countries accepted this offer. The rifles
were being chambered for the US T 6 5 E 3 case as
produced by FN.
2 . 2 . 6 . A little work had been done on the tracer
round and he saw no difficulties in meeting our
requirements; he had had no experience of the
manufacture of an armour piercing/incendiary
round.
2 . 2 . 7 . In answer to a question by the Chairman,
M. Laloux reported that they had done little work on
producing a steel cored bullet.
2 . 3 . UK Review: The Chairman gave the review of
the progress of the British work .
2 . 3 . 1 . All the UK work had been based on a 7
mm H.V . (49mm) case with the same taper as on our
original .280 low velocity round and the standard US
. 3 0 / 0 6 ammunit ion. The overall length of our rounds
agreed with that dimension on the .30 T 6 5 am
munition.
2 . 3 . 2 . The UK were using for their initial trials a
moderated nitrocellulose propellant (tubular) con
taining a flash inhibitor. Trials were planned using a
Western ball powder, which is reputed to give a
Fig 74 FN 'Monobloc' solid-steel bullet, prototype II. Developments to date as included in an FN Ballistic Report dated May 8, 1952.
much better barrel life and which is known to have a
higher density than the normal UK powders.
2 .3 .3 . Evidence had been obtained that our 1950
design of mild steel cored bullet became slightly boat
tailed on firing; this seems to account for the inac
curacy. Trials were to be fired with a similar bullet in
which the lead base plug had been replaced by gilding
metal. The UK were going to manufacture a 'Russian'
copy of the FA-T11 bullet; quantities of this type of
bullet were not expected to be delivered before
August.
N O T E : In passing, the Chairman noted that the
Canadian forecast of steel cored bullets to be
produced by Canada was also sometime in August.
2 .3 .4 . The Research Department was working
on a method of filling for the tracer bullet.
2 .3 .5 . Preliminary trials to determine what effect
bullet intrusion has upon accuracy, have given an in
conclusive answer; further trials are planned. At a
recent meeting with Dr Carten of the Office of the
Chief of Ordnance, US Army, he stated that a steel
core bullet with a gilding metal base plug and hard
clad steel envelope was likely to be unaffected by
bullet intrusion, so far as accuracy was concerned.
2 .3 .6 . Preliminary tests under normal conditions
had shown that the case taper was unlikely to affect
the functioning of the weapon; tests under adverse
conditions would be fired shortly. If these were
satisfactory the UK would abandon the case which it
is using for weapon functioning tests, and would
adopt the T 6 5 E 3 taper as and when a satisfactory
round had been developed. In this connection he
mentioned that if the Canadian development of the
T 6 5 E 3 case and 7 mm stell cored bullet were suc
cessful, that would be the opt imum solution. If bullet
intrusion had an adverse effect on accuracy, then a
slightly shorter T 6 5 E 3 case would be developed by
the UK (maintaining the standard T 6 5 round length)
provided there was no difficulty about taper.
2 . 3 . 7 . The UK were investigating the use of four
groove rifling; barrels had been made using the nor
mal US dimensions and the FN bore dimensions; the
form of rifling in each case was that of the standard
American rifles. First results indicated that the
barrels with the FN bore dimensions would probably
give the better results. It was agreed that each coun-
Fig 75 The next logical step: the US T65E3 case necked down to 7 mm. Drawn and dimensioned by FN in April, 1952. This cartridge was known initially as the 7 mm Medium; later the 7 mm Medium 1.
98 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
try should circulate to the others, copies of the
various barrel designs that were being tested.
2 . 3 . 8 . Investigations have been conducted by
UK ballistic experts to determine the stability and
rate of twist required for the 7 mm bullets. They had
reported that the rate of twist required to give equal
stability to the US using the FA-T11 type bullet
would be one in 9 .75" in 7 mm; the stability factor of
the US ammunit ion was 1.4 a t 6 0 ° F ; a t - 6 0 ° F this
factor dropped to 1.1, a figure which is not expected
to result in good accuracy. Since there is no available
information on bullet stability at these temperatures,
it will be necessary for trials to be fired in the Arct ic .
The rate of twist of the various countries con
cerned in this development, is given below:
U K 1 in 8 .25"
Canada 1 in 10"
Belgium 1 in 8 .5"
U S A 1 in 12"
In order to clarify what the UK means by stability
factor, A D E agreed to send a copy of the formula to
Col Van Loo of the Belgian Army .
2 . 3 . 9 . The UK was developing their EM-2 rifle in
.30T65 and in 7 mm H.V . calibres; the first 30
weapons were manufactured with a barrel with the
Garand form of rifling, chamber and leed; a new
barrel to the latest US design was being fitted.
3. Technical Problems
T h e Chairman summarised the outstanding
problems.
3 .1 Design of general purpose bullet with good
accuracy.
3.2 To determine the correct relationship be
tween bullet and rifling.
3 . 3 . To determine the correct length and rate of
twist in the barrels.
3 .4 T h e design of a suitable cartridge case; the
burden of development on this item is with Canada,
with the UK working on an optimum type (49 mm) of
case for 7 mm as an insurance should the T 6 5 E 3 case
present extraction difficulties in adverse conditions in
weapons.
3 . 5 . T h e design of the remainder of the family of
bullets.
3 . 6 . To finalise the muzzle velocity and muzzle
energy figure on which this development is to be
based. It was considered doubtful that the US would
accept a lower muzzle velocity than 2 , 7 5 0 ft per sec.
3 .7 To find a suitable propellant and cap compo
sition.
4. Development policy and allocation of
Development Effort
4 . 1 . S A A
4 . 1 . 1 . It was agreed that the following rounds
Fig 76 Part of FN's intensive examination of the US 51 mm case. This drawing compares the shoulder dimensions of the 7 x 51 Medium with those of the 7 x 57 Mauser.
should be developed to meet the N A T O military
characteristics and that the following countries
should participate in the development of the bullets,
as given below:
general purpose round Canada and UK
mild steel core round Canada and UK
lead core Belgium
A P I round UK
observing UK
tracer UK and Belgium
rifle grenade UK
blank UK
The necessary ballistic trials on the general purpose
bullet should take place both in UK and Canada; un
til these trials are completed, little design work can
take place on the other types of bullet.
The propellant investigation will be handled
mainly by Canada, although both Belgium and UK
will be firing their own trials.
4 .2 Lightweight rifles
4 . 2 . 1 . UK to finalise designs of EM-2 in both T 6 5
and 7 mm calibres.
4 . 2 . 2 . Belgium to finalise designs of their rifle in
both calibres; this assumes the production of an ac
curate 7 mm general purpose round.
4 . 2 . 3 . The co-ordination of the development of
the 7 mm barrels; information from Canada was
requested on this i tem.
4 . 2 . 4 . The following accessories are required to
be developed for each weapon:
a) bayonets
b) grenade launchers
c) flash suppressors
d) recoil reducers (if necessary)
e) sights for EM-2
f) magazines
g) arctic fitments
h) b lank firing at tachments
4 . 3 . New Supporting Weapons and Converted
Standard Weapons
The Chai rman stated that the UK would try to
produce by mid 1953 a sustained fire machine gun in
7 mm. It was agreed that Belgium should convert to
.30 T 6 5 and 7 mm the Browning Automat ic Rifle and
the Browning M 1 9 1 9 A4 Machine Gun; the UK
would convert the Bren L M G and Vickers M M G to
both calibres.
5. Trials Pol icy
5.1 Interim Trials: Two main types of trials were
required; those concerned with the provision of a
suitable general purpose round and those concerned
with the barrel development. It was agreed that all
results of those trials should be circulated through the
Secretary to the other countries concerned.
5 .2 . Comparat ive Trials: The Chairman stated
that it was necessary at this stage to decide on the
form that the trials which are scheduled to be fired
next year, should take; consequently he had prepared
a suggested programme based on the 1950 and 1951
series of trials as a basis for discussion. He stressed
the fact that the programme was merely a first effort
draft and was merely put forward as a basis for
discussion with a large saving of time for the C o m
mittee. In general it was based on the tests carried
out in U S A in 1950 and 1 9 5 1 . He emphasised that he
hoped that members of the committee would not
think that UK was attempting to call the tune. UK
would be only too happy to add, delete, or alter the
tests in accordance with the agreed views after
discussion. Copies were then issued, and he
requested members to go away and study these
suggested trials and forward to him any comments
and proposed amendments . He asked that this might
be done prior to the next meeting, in order that
another draft could then be prepared and made
available for further discussion. Comments were
requested by the 15th August.
Colonel Van Loo made a tentative suggestion
that consideration might be given to the question of
the trials being held in Belgium rather than in one of
the countries who were represented on the Standing
Group of N A T O . Belgium was prepared to offer the
necessary facilities. It was agreed to record this offer
in order that it could be considered by the Main
Commit tee .
6 . Act ion
The actions required by this meeting are sum
marised:
6 . 1 . Canada and Belgium to forward at least two
copies of their barrel designs showing chamber , leed
and rifling to the Secretary S A D C for circulation.
These designs should be accompanied with relevant
information on performance.
6.2 Canada to forward progress report on the
investigations being carried out by her.
6 .3 . T h e interchange of all data, trials reports
etc. , to be co-ordinated by the Secretary.
signed,
John F . M a y , Ma jo r
Secretary, Small Arms Development Commit tee
The next two years were for FN in direct cont ras t to
the anxious period before Sir Winston 's counter
manding of the EM-2 and FN's finally acquir ing the
dimensions of the US T65E3 case ; this was indeed a
period of de termined and rewarding progress. A
beginning co r r e spondence be tween Monsieur
Laloux and Col Studler heralded the start of
production on the Amer ican-con t rac t FN rifles; the
Colonel had his own ideas abou t what these should
look like, and as a result, FN was kept very busy
modifying their already-improved design.
By July 18 , 1 9 5 2 , FN was ready to consign the
first four proofed and modified FAL rifles to the
tender hands of the Amer ican O r d n a n c e Corps.
The following passages are excerp ted from a
letter of this da te from Monsieur Laloux to Col
Studler:
. . . we are at the point of sending you the first rifles
made expressly for you at FN, and I felt I should send
you the following information about them.
First, rifle no 2 9 . This arm was built at the same
time as no 28 , which you saw during our visit to
Washington. We have since made the following
modifications:
• after 939 fired rounds, we mounted a new 2 1 "
1 0 0 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
Fig 77 FN FAL no 29, the first to feature the new 'front lip' magazine. This close-up view shows the later FN prototype hinged clip-loading body cover.
barrel with the interior chamber and rifling dimen
sions conforming to your plan no S A 2 2 5 7 5 , which
you gave me in Washington.
• shortly after this, after a total of 999 rounds fired,
we changed the method of mounting the magazine
(by adding the front ' l ip ') to assure it a more secure
mounting.
• the only parts replaced during the course of the 999
rounds fired in trials were the extractor and its
spring.
In total to date, this weapon has fired 8 ,700
rounds, and is certainly capable of many thousands
more. The five magazines which accompany it are
new; all the above shooting was done with two
magazines only in order thoroughly to test their new
mounting system.
All of this firing was done in series of 100 round
cycles, each cycle fired without pause, alternating
one cycle full automatic and one semi-automatic. We
have already advised you that the cartridges you sent
(lot 14) are very accurate.
The rear sight on no 2 9 , as well as on the three
other rifles we are sending, is still graduated for the 7
mm bullet. After our rather hasty trials here it seems
that these suffice for short distance shooting but over
400 yards the rifle shoots a little high; in fact, the 500-
yard setting could be used for 600 yard shooting.
All of the trials were done with the rifle 'in the
white'. It has now been parkerised and looks brand
new, but I assure you the complete arm is composed
of original parts; some marks of use do in fact still
show on the butt and handguard.
The rifle is now ready for delivery and its por
tion of the package contains:
• 5 magazines
• one complete spare bolt-and-slide assembly, also
serially numbered 29
• one combinat ion tool
• one experimental muzzle brake, also bearing serial
no 29
Finally, the three rifles, numbered 30 , 3 1 , and
Fig 79 The Browning name was added to the first .30 calibre FAL manual for US distribution.
3 2 . These rifles are identical and completely inter
changeable one with the other. They begin the
originally-contracted series of ten which Monsieur
Saive is preparing for the upcoming Fort Benning
Fig 78 FN FAL no 29, the first of 15 made up to US Ordnance Col René Studler's order. 21" barrel; featured in the August, 1952 Aberdeen trials.
1 0 2 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
Fig 80 FN FAL no 29, with proposed loading-gate body cover and prototype 10-round stripper clip in place for loading.
trials. These arms are again a little different from
numbers 28 and 2 9 , in that the receiver is a little shor
ter and the 'tail' of the slide is also slightly shortened.
These three rifles are, like no 2 9 , fitted with the
American-dimensioned barrel, and are equipped to
take the new 'front lip' magazines. Again, as regards
the rear sight, they are still graduated for the 7 mm
bullet. They have just this week been proofed, sub
jected to initial trials, and then parkerised. Contrary
to no 2 9 , they are still quite new, having to date fired
only the following number of rounds:
rifle no 30 270 rounds
rifle no 31 270 rounds
rifle no 32 350 rounds
Some very few extraction problems were noted
during these trials — we feel a stronger wire in the ex
tractor spring is required, and have included a num
ber of spares for your use. We are frankly still unsat
isfied with the wire we are using and when our
research has found the ideal solution we will send a
new batch of springs over by airmail.
These three new rifles are accompanied by :
• complete spare slide-and-bolt assembly
• spare firing pins with springs
• 7 spare extractors and springs
• one hammer
• one automatic-fire change lever
• one sear
• 5 magazines
• one detachable bipod
• one bayonet , with the new FN spring-loaded
at tachment system
• one combinat ion tool
• one serially-numbered experimental muzzle brake
for each gun
• 2 grenade launchers (for the 645-gram Energa
grenade)
• 3 spare recoil springs
• several spare extractor springs.
After trials here, we feel the detachable bipod
might interest you, especially for prone, full-auto
fire. We find the groups shot with the bipod are as
tight as those shot with rifle supported on sand
bags. The bayonet features the FN-developed system
wherein the mass of the bayonet springs forward
slightly during recoil . We have thus managed to keep
the difference in the M P I of groups fired with and
without the bayonet to 1 or 2" at 100 metres.
This complete package is on its way today to
you in care of Col Blanchard, the US A r m y attaché in
Brussels.
In spite of our annual factory holidays next
week, we will do our utmost to deliver the remaining
7 original rifles to Fort Benning as soon as possible.
Most of the parts are finished now, and the final
assembly and test firing should be completed by the
end of August.
In trials here, we found that our rifles will shoot
interchangeably the cartridges in your lot 14, with
the 140-grain T 9 3 bullet, (instrumental MV 2 ,780
fps), as well as those made by FN and loaded with the
regular 150-grain M2 ball bullet, ( M V 2 ,500 fps).
Wi th relation to the rear sight, your Dr Carten has
promised to send me the proper rear sight gradient
for the .30 calibre.
I hope you will oblige me by keeping me posted
on how the trials are going. You will recall my
suggestions that we be allowed to furnish someone
from FN for assistance at the shoots and to keep our
arms in fit order. Please let me know how you feel
about this. I will send either Mqnsieur Saive himself
or his principal assistant, Monsieur Vervier, who
assisted at Fort Benning during the 1950 trials.
The last thing Col Studler wanted was someone
from FN nosing around the ' impartial ' trials he had
scheduled for Fort Benning. It was irksome enough
having foreign rifles even featured in Amer ican
trials. He instructed Col Kelly, President of US Army
Field Forces Board no 3, to acknowledge Monsieur
Laloux' feeler abou t sending s o m e o n e over with a
polite but vague reply abou t the 7 mm Short trials.
René Laloux, Directeur General
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre
Herstal-les-Liege, Belgium
Dear Sir:
T h a n k you very much for your letter of the 18th
of July. It is gratifying to know of your interest in the
performance and development of weapons and am
munition for the N A T O soldier.
I am happy to report that we have concluded the
firing in connect ion with the test of the 7 mm am
munition furnished by you . The tests conducted by
this Board were of the ammunit ion only and no
evaluation was made of the rifle as such.
Detailed report on the test of the 7 mm am
munition will be dispatched to Office, Chief of A r m y
Field Forces, Fort Monroe , Virginia, in the near
future and it is anticipated that you will be furnished
a copy of the completed report.
A r m y Field Forces
Board No 3
Fort Benning, Georgia
6 August 1952
The initial purpose of the new lightweight rifle
(serial no 24) furnished by you has been satisfied.
However, we would like to retain the rifle for demon
stration firing here at the Board and the Infantry
School pending the arrival of new FN rifles cham
bered for calibre .30 ammunit ion which we are ex
pecting momentar i ly .
Permit me to express my appreciation of your
courtesy in this matter . The cooperat ion received has
been most helpful.
signed,
Henry E. Kelly
Colonel , Infantry
President
The BBC C o m m i t t e e had set itself the problem of
designing an a c c e p t a b l e 7 mm al ternat ive to the US
T65 .30 ca l ibre round. Monsieur Laloux was
dedicated to this p ro jec t and felt i t meri ted the
highest level of endeavour . However, FN was now
concerned with the compara t ive T65 trials them
selves in the USA. M. Laloux pragmat ica l ly took
stock of the situation thusly:
First of all, i t was essential to have s o m e o n e go
over to view the Fort Benning trials. He feared the
Americans would purposely delay, or ignore
al together, his request to be kept informed. W h o to
send? Monsieur Saive was an obvious first c h o i c e ,
well respected as a met icu lous man, an
unassuming but iron-willed artisan who took pride
in pristinely-finished prototype parts and who was
happiest in his own serene workshop, where the
crass prac t ices of mass-manufacture never in
truded. He was sorely needed, right where he was;
new, prototype ideas which worked were Monsieur
Saive's special ty , and, as the popularity of his
design grew, problems requiring his a t tent ion were
cropping up out of the blue with increasing
frequency.
Monsieur Vervier, M. Saive's chief assistant,
however, a lso spoke some English and had put in
several uncomplaining months in Amer ica during
1 9 5 0 . Monsieur Laloux dec ided to send him to the
1 9 5 2 trials.
Other than Col Kelly's not very informative
letter, FN had heard nothing from the Amer icans
s ince the first lot of rifles had been dispatched. This
increased Monsieur Laloux' suspicions that the
headstrong Col Studler was ignoring him. Through
run in early August at Fort Benning (results in
Vo lume Two):
Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
a wel l-placed Amer ican Army friend at Springfield
Armory, Col Chatfield, Monsieur Laloux essayed a
fait accompli:
Colonel R . R . Studler
Ass't Chief of Ordnance
Pentagon Building
Washington, D . C .
Dear Colonel Studler:
12 August, 1952
.30 calibre T 6 5 round. I'm sure you won't mind our
satisfying this demand from our French allies, es
pecially since you suggested to me yourself that we
should ask them to assist in the trials we held for Dr
Carten. I shall show them one of your rifles; this will
necessitate only a short delay before delivery at your
end, as the demonstrat ion is scheduled for here in
Herstal and will be very brief.
Please reply as soon as you can. In the mean
time, please accept by best sentiments.
— R. Laloux
My last letter to you was the one announcing the
arrival of our first four rifles. Some time has passed
since then, so I though I'd write to refresh your
memory on a few points.
1. The sending of our envoy, Monsieur Vervier,
to America:
I will telegraph Col Chatfield tomorrow to con
firm the arrival of M. Vervier in Springfield. He left
today by plane. He knows our rifles inside and out
and I'm sure you will be very happy to have his
assistance. I am most impatient to learn how our rifle
is doing in the Springfield trials — as M. Vervier is
stopping there I'm sure he will send back a detailed
report.
2. Progress report on the next rifles.
The seven rifles we are now working on, serial
numbers 3 3 - 3 9 , along with the three already sent,
will complete the initial contract we negotiated last
spring in Washington. The production of parts for
these rifles is now complete and we are beginning the
assembly phase. They will be finished before the end
of the month.
There remain only four rifles to complete the ex
panded contract for 15 , number 29 serving as the first
of the additional five. We could send one of these ad
ditional four with the seven we are now completing,
if this would serve your purpose and there are no ad
ditional modifications. This would leave only three,
and I recall you wanted these left for the moment so
that any modifications shown necessary by the tests
can be built in. There seems little point in beginning
them until the Fort Benning trials results are in and
we are aware of whichever features you feel are in
need of improvement . Please confirm that this meets
with your approval, and let me know when you feel
delivery should be effected on these final rifles.
Returning to the subject of Monsieur Vervier's
visit, I would very much like to see the programme of
your trials — this would give me an advance estimate
on the length of his stay in your country.
Finally, the French authorities, who as you recall
tried out our rifle in 7 mm calibre last year, have
requested a demonstrat ion of a similar rifle firing the
Monsieur Vervier was several days too late at
Springfield. The firing was pretty well over. The FN
entry had not done nearly as well as expectat ions
might have hoped. M. Vervier reported back im
mediately, giving the results, as he had obtained
them, and his opinions after subsequently
examining rifle no 29 .
M. Laloux immedia te ly c o n t a c t e d Col Studler:
21 August 1952
Dear Colonel Studler:
We have just received M. Vervier's first letter
containing the detailed reports of the trials executed
at Springfield with rifle no 2 9 , between July 30 and
Aug 1 5 . I have no doubt it was on your initiative that
the results were made available to us in such com
pleteness, and I wish to thank you personally for this
much-appreciated mark of confidence.
I very much regret that M. Vervier had not been
present right from the beginning of the trials as I'm
sure many of the reported incidents, particularly the
'fail to fire', which is completely unknown to us here,
and due I am certain to excessive rebound of the bolt
carrier, would never have happened. It seems clear
from the report that your trials people were unaware
of the function of our gas regulator, and that they
used the arm throughout with the regulation set on
maximum gas, thus imparting an extremely violent
action to the rifle and leading directly to the incidents
noted of the weak recoil spring, the rebounding bolt
carrier, the feed problems, the ruptured extractor,
etc.
On the other hand, all the trials here were fired
with no flash hider or compensator on the muzzle.
T h e at tachment we included with rifle no 29 was
hastily produced for your consideration only, and
yet if I am not mistaken, all the Springfield trials
were fired with it installed; this could well have
modified the functional characteristics of the
mechanism.
Be that as it may , in order to give our arm the
chance it deserves, we simply must have a delegate in
attendance at all the trials right from the outset, not
only to instruct the shooters but to keep us informed
of the events as they occur .
In another vein, and before this deluge of 'in
cidents' quite obscured the horizon, I was pleased
with our showings as reported in the Springfield Fun
ction Report and Data Sheet. I am sure our standings
in the wet test, dust test, precision fire, loose hold
and rotation 90° have not escaped your attention, as
well as the remarkable condition of the great
majority of the arm's components after over 1 1 , 0 0 0
shots fired, for the first time with your .30 calibre
cartridges.
Monsieur Vervier seems to have put the weapon
back in service in record time with the following
modifications:
• replacement of the takedown latch spring
• replacement of the ejector assembly
• installation of a new extractor and a stronger
spring
• modification of the front locking lip of the
magazine
• adjustment of the gas regulator to the correct
position.
M. Vervier reports he is now on the way to Fort
Benning while rifle no 29 has been sent to Aberdeen.
I have a few general observations for your con
sideration:
This rifle, no 2 9 , shot 8 ,700 rounds at FN and
3 ,096 at Springfield. In order for the new Aberdeen
trials to be conclusive, it would be more desirable to
fire them with a fresh rifle. Also , for reasons stated
above, it would be appreciated if you could wait un
til M. Vervier arrives from his few days at Fort Ben
ning before commencing.
The final paragraphs of the above letter repeat the
strongly-worded request for c o m p l e t e and deta i led
information on t imes, p laces and the nature of
future US tests . Supplying these dates , notwith
standing that they were qui te rightly regarded as
secret or at least confidential by the Americans ,
was moreover the farthest thing from Colonel
Studler's mind. The Amer ican product was his first
concern , and he was not above pulling whatever
'strings' he could to ensure its vindicat ion, while
maintaining on the surface a cordial if somewha t
vague relat ionship with Monsieur Laloux. His reply
to M. Laloux' let ter of 12 August was as follows:
Dear Mr Laloux:
Your letter of 12 August came in 20 August and
we found it most interesting, as we have your pre
vious letters.
Y o u probably knew by now that Mr Vervier
spent a couple of days at Springfield and is now
down at Fort Benning, along with three of the FN
rifles.
We have had no report on events at Benning,
but I expect to go down there in the next week or so,
and will then give you a brief report on the tests.
We should have sent you information on the test
at Springfield, but since we neglected to do it, I am
enclosing the data. Y o u will note that the functioning
is not as good as you reported. Tha t is not surprising
in view of the large number of rounds on the gun
before we started our firing. We would be interested
in knowing if your firing was done before or after
parkerizing the parts. It has been our experience that
parkerizing may have a poor effect on functioning.
The next seven rifles for Benning and the next
rifle for us should all be sent here to: Colonel René R.
Studler, Office Chief of Ordnance, Washington 2 5 ,
D . C . Attention: O R D T S . We will deliver the seven
Benning rifles to the Board as soon as we get them.
I agree with you that the last three might be held
until we get some data from tests at Benning or
Aberdeen. It may be that the tests will show that
some changes are necessary.
Meanwhile , I invite your best thought on the
following subjects:
Weight reduction: As you know, your rifle
weighs about 8 3/4 pounds, while the T 4 4 and T 4 7
weighs about 8 1/4, with the desired goal as 7 pounds.
Rear sight: Our users require a windage adjust
ment on the rear sight while your sight does not have
that feature.
Heavy barrel: It is probable that our users may
ask for a heavy barrelled version of the FN, as a
possible replacement for our 20 pound B A R . Our
own heavy barrelled T 4 4 and T 4 7 rifles weigh about
11 pounds, with bipod.
Removal of Automatic Feature: O n e of the
requirements for our light rifles is that, by removal of
a piece or assembly, the gun can be made to fire semi
automatic only, and conversely, by simple
replacement of that part or assembly the selective
semi- or full-automatic feature can be restored. I do
not recall whether your rifle has this feature, or not,
but if not you should give it some thought.
Clip loading: If the soldier carries all his
ammunition in magazines (say 160 rounds in 8
magazines), he will have quite a load and he will be
carrying about 4 pounds of magazines alone. One
way we feel that it might be possible to reduce the
magazine load is by providing a means of quickly
1 0 6 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
reloading magazines, such as by providing most of
the soldier s ammunit ion in clips or chargers or other
fast reloading method. I believe your equipment
would be helped by a method of quickly reloading
magazines, either on or off the rifle.
Change in Centre of Impact: As you know, a
change in centre of impact is not uncommon with
heat, with number of rounds in the magazine, with
muzzle accessories, etc, and is definitely not
desirable. Your rifle appears to be good in this
respect with regard to the bayonet , although I do not
believe your spring suspension method is the main
reason. We blocked out the spring action and found
no appreciable change, as you will see from the in
closed figures. The figures also indicate that your
rifle shows relatively little change in centre of impact
between bare muzzle, bayonet and compensator .
However, in looking back at the old tests, I note that
your rifle shifted centre of impact a considerable
amount with the flash hider. You will recall that at
one time, centre of impact changed with the amount
of ammunit ion in the magazine. You may have con
sidered all these things in the design of your latest
rifle, but, if not, you might give them some thought.
I cannot tell you at the moment how fast the
Benning tests are going, nor when they might be
finished. I hope to be able to get some information
for you on this subject, which might help you plan on
M r . Vervier's activities and to plan on completion of
the last three rifles.
In regard to the request from the French for a
demonstration, I have no objection to your showing
them one of our rifles. I am sure they will be in
terested in the T 6 5 F N .
We will try to keep you informed on progress
here.
Sincerely yours,
signed, René R. Studler
Colonel , Ord Corps
encl: test report
Compara t ive Accuracy with Various Muzzle Attachments — 100 yards
Fabrique National
no 29
Mean
Radius
Extreme
Vertical
Extreme
Horiz.
Extreme
Spread
LCI from
Elevation
P O A
Windage Variat ion of LCI
from basic
Elevation Windage
Basic accuracy
w / C o m p o n e n t s 1.73 4 .6 4 .4 5 .1 2 .6U 0 . 5 R
w / B a r e Muzzle 1.7 4 .2 3 .9 5 .1 0 .8U 0 . 8 R 1.8D 0 .3R
w / F N Bayonet 1.6 4 .4 3 .6 4 .7 4 .6U 1.2R 2 .0U 0 .7R
w / F N Bayonet -
spring action b locked 1.43 3 .7 3 .8 4 . 4 4 .3U 0 . 5 R 1.7U 0.0
Note: A b o v e figures based on average of three 10 shot targets. Basic Accuracy : Sights on rifle zeroed at 6 o'clock.
No further sight adjustment made.
Monsieur Saive had also analysed the Springfield
report as sent back by his assistant, the late-arriving
Monsieur Vervier. He wrote back to M. Vervier on
the 21s t of August, the same day Monsieur Laloux
was requesting from Col Studler details, which
would never arrive, of future American trials. Mon
sieur Saive spoke first to his a s soc ia t e of the avidity
with which the results had been examined in Her-
stal, and the regrettabil i ty of M. Vervier 's late
arrival at the trials. By his ca lcu la t ions , of the 21 %
of-all-shots-fired incident rate reported, 4 4 % of
these were due to the magazine , and 3 7 % to the
excess ive rebounding of the bolt carrier, or slide.
The rest were direct ly a t t r ibutable to the im
properly-set gas regulator, a fault Monsieur Vervier
would have instantly cor rec ted .
M. Saive agreed with M. Laloux that the FN
muzzle brake had been hurriedly included, for use
at best in the full-auto trials only, and he added his
d isappointment that it had been left a t tached
throughout the c o m p l e t e trial. He c losed by repor
ting to M. Vervier that the remaining seven (serial
number 33-39) of the original 10 rifles con t r ac t ed -
for in Washington that April were to be proofed on
the following day, Aug 22, and that in their initial
trials special a t tent ion would be given to the
problem areas signalled in M. Vervier 's Springfield
report.
At this point, at FN, the three sal ient misfor
tunes which had befal len them at Springfield were
still at tr ibuted to bad luck: M. Vervier 's la te arrival,
the wrong gas sett ing used, and the exper imental
flash hider adamant ly left a t t ached throughout the
trial. Monsieur Laloux exper ienced an increasingly
uneasy feeling that only the first of these was pure
happenstance . He was further upset, and made
even more keenly impat ient at the d i s tance
separating him from the ' ac t ion ' in America , by a
plaintive c a b l e from Monsieur Vervier, who infor
med his superior that he had been brusquely
denied a c c e s s to the Fort Benning trials, and had
spent his t ime there so far ' cool ing his heels ' in a
barracks room, tantal izingly ab le to hear, but not
see, the shooting.
He had thought it bes t to leave Fort Benning,
and go to Aberdeen. Monsieur Laloux cab l ed
Colonel Studler right away, and received the
following casual ly innocent reply, dated August 26:
Dear M r . Laloux:
Your letter or 21 August and your cable of 22
August arrived yesterday.
M r . Vervier was in the Office Friday and we had
some discussion on the rifle situation. I showed him
some of the things I mentioned to you in my last let
ter, so that he might amplify it if he thought
necessary.
We made arrangements for him to go to Aber
deen on Monday , 25 August, to observe the firing
there. We made arrangements for him to stay at
Aberdeen as long as he thought he could be useful.
Like you, we were surprised to hear that he had
left Benning, and as soon as I learned of it, I called
Benning. Y o u realize of course, that I have no control
over what the people at Benning do. All I can do is to
advise them, and I have already advised them of my
feelings in this matter .
I am sure you appreciate that I am just as
anxious as you are to give the FN rifles a completely
fair test. I feel as strongly as you on the matter of
having M r . Vervier present at Aberdeen and at Ben
ning to teach the test personnel and to learn about the
performance of your rifles. Unfortunately, we have
put security restrictions on certain portions of our
rifle, which means, in general, that M r . Vervier can
not see our rifles in most of the tests. This makes it a
bit awkward for the Benning people.
However , I can assure you that I will do all in
my power to see that M r . Vervier observes as much
testing as possible and that he gets a chance to see
that the rifles are properly adjusted and maintained.
I was somewhat shocked to read M r . Vervier's
account of the firing at Springfield. I don't under
stand why they failed to adjust the gas regulator
properly. I will make an effort to see that the record
on this matter is properly straightened out.
While the functioning at Springfield was not
good, I did not feel badly about it, as I had your
records and knew that the rifle had given good per
formances in your hands. I do feel better about it
now, however, after reading M r . Vervier's report,
although I feel that Springfield did not do a very
good j o b .
I do not think that you can blame Springfield for
using the muzzle brake . As you know, we have used
them to a considerable extent on our rifles. I feel that
Fig 81 FN FAL no 29, featuring a prototype of Monsieur Saive's 'wraparound' handguard as later featured in UK trials at Pendine Experimental Establishment. Photo August, 1953.
1 0 8 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42 Prototypes 28 to 42
your rifle should work properly with the brake . T h e
decision as to whether or not it is desirable is one that
has to be made by the user. I also realize that it might
affect the operation of your rifle if it had not been
thoroughly checked.
In my last letter, I covered some of the points
you inquired about in yours of 21 August. I will en
deavor to obtain information on the extent of the
Benning tests, and will give you that information and
our program at Aberdeen as soon as I can.
I know you must be disturbed at the way things
have been handled here, but you can be assured that I
will do all I can to get and keep the tests on the right
track.
Sincerely yours,
Signed, René R. Studler
Colonel , O r d Corps
Monsieur Laloux quickly realized that despi te the
conci l ia tory tone of Col Studler's letters, an ac t ive
campaign of his devising was in progress, a imed
implacably at giving every possible advantage to
the American trials rifles. In addition, FN had of
ficially heard very little indeed regarding the
results of the earl ier US 7 mm Short trials. On the
advice of the President of the Fort Benning AFF
Board no 3, Col Kelly, M. Laloux addressed himself
directly to the off ice of the Chief of US Army Field
Forces in Fort Monroe , Va. In a letter dated August
27, he briefly reminded the Americans that FN had
delivered 2 ,000 rounds of 7 mm Short FN am
munition, plus FN light au to rifle no 24, to Fort
Benning, and put them at the disposal of Col Kelly's
AFF Board no 3, free of charge. This, he said, plus
the unprecedentedly generous offer which FN had
officially extended to the USA, giving the
Americans free manufactur ing rights to their FAL
rifle, made FN's request for US 7 mm trials infor
mation not unreasonable . He backed up this letter
with one dated the same day to the Belgian military
a t t a ché in Washington, bringing that official up-to-
date and asking for his every possible ass i s tance in
having this most r easonab le request for infor
mation granted. Regarding the .30 T65 trials so far,
at Springfield, Aberdeen, and now at Fort Benning,
and in part icular the refusal to al low M. Vervier to
view these later sessions. Monsieur Laloux could do
little for the m o m e n t but appeal o n c e again to
Colonel Studler. This he did on August 30th, first
reiterating his view that the poor per fo rmance of
number 29 at Springfield was not due to its great
number of rounds fired, nor to its subsequent
parkerising, but to the improperly set gas regulator,
aggravated by the use of the exper imental muzz le
brake. The trials at Aberdeen would prove this out,
he said, as Monsieur Vervier had now adjusted the
rifle to his sat isfact ion, and any further malfunc
tions would therefore point to legi t imate problem
areas.
With regard to Fort Benning, M. Laloux voiced
to Col Studler his "great surprise" at the brevity of
M. Vervier's stay:
. . . I could only conclude that he had been dismissed
by Col Kelly, the 7 mm rifle having done well enough
to be a source of embarrassment to the Board . . . I
understand perfectly that M. Vervier cannot follow
the actual combat trials, but could he not stay in the
same capacity he held two years ago at the 1950 trials
and be of assistance in the evenings after the shoots,
helping to clean the rifles and more importantly to
repair any small defect or fault pointed out during
the day by the testing officers? I hope we feel the
same about this, and that you will be successful in
arranging for our delegate to return to Benning
before the next seven rifles arrive there. To finish
with this subject, that of M. Vervier's presence at the
trials, I am indeed reassured by your last letter, and
now feel confident that we are in good hands . . .
The letter cont inues , assuring Col Studler that the
points raised abou t the weight of the FN rifles, the
adjus table rear sight problem and the desirability
of clip-loading were being studied by Monsieur
Saive. M. Laloux suggested that the next two rifles
in the con t r ac t be made up with heavy barrels. A
few of these barrels had already been constructed,
and weighed in at 3.65 lbs each .
The removal of the au to fire feature had taken
M. Saive no t ime at all; the r ep lacement change
lever he had made up provided for safe and semi
only, and could be quickly installed in p lace of the
original selective-fire lever.
It was the plan to include a sample of this new
lever with the next shipment of arms.
These seven rifles, the last of the original con
t rac t of ten, were now proofed, test fired and
parkerised ready for shipment. They bore serial
numbers 3 3 - 3 9 . This left four rifles to c o m e , of a
pattern not yet finalised, to c o m p l e t e the expanded
con t r ac t total of fifteen.
A general information memorandum was then
issued to the FN Directorship by Monsieur Laloux
on Sep t ember 1st, bringing everyone up-to-date on
how their cause was faring in the United Sta tes . He
had spoken with Monsieur Vervier by t ransat lant ic
t e l ephone and M. Vervier had reported that this
t ime he was staying at Aberdeen Proving Ground's
Off icers ' Club over the Labour Day weekend. M.
Laloux c o m m e n t e d wryly at this that their status
had indeed risen in the last two years !
Fig 82 Monsieur Saive, at work in his atelier, on the FAL receiver modifications made necessary by the introduction of the 'front lip' magazine.
M. Vervier 's t e l ephone report had gone on to
say the a c c u r a c y trials had just been c o m p l e t e d at
Aberdeen, and they were now doing functioning
trials with the rifles held loosely or in various ab
normal positions such as 8 0 ° up, 8 0 ° down, left and
right side up, e t c . Incidents of fail-to-fire, due to the
rebounding slide, and fail-to-fire due to bol t over
ride of the magaz ine were still being reported.
He (M. Vervier) had at M. Saive's direct ion
obl iquely modified the front f a c e of the slide, and
had obta ined, through the intervention of Col
Studler, permission to refire the normal horizontal
shoot. A total of 4 0 0 rounds had been refired in this
position, with only one single s toppage. Rifle no 29
had now fired 1,454 rounds at Aberdeen for a grand
total of 1 3 , 2 5 0 rounds in its l ifetime.
The Fort Benning c o m b a t trials were con
tinuing, but no news at all of them had reached M.
Vervier. Col Studler had promised him a report in a
few days, and in any c a s e he had finally been
promised he could return to Fort Benning when the
seven rifles arrived.
Monsieur Saive reported on his final shake
down trial of FALs number 33 to 39 at Zutendaal ,
1 0 0 rounds single-shot plus 1 0 0 on full-auto had
been fired with e a c h rifle, in addition to an ac
curacy trial, for a total of 1,844 rounds fired in the
day. Eleven ext rac t ion s toppages and 28 bolt-
overrides were exper ienced . M. Saive modified the
magazines slightly, and adjusted the gas
regulation. He was pleased to report no incidents
of slide rebound, and also felt the new, stronger-
wire ex t rac te r springs he had developed were
sat isfactory. NOTE: This was still the early, 'Hair
pin' ex t rac tor spring, copied from that of the FN-
made Browning Automat ic Rifle (BAR).
The shipment was cra ted up, and ready for
solemn send-off on Sept 3. The two cra tes weighed
in at nearly 44 kilos, and their con ten ts was listed as
follows:
Case 1 :
• 4 c o m p l e t e rifles, numbers 33 , 34, 35 , 36
1 1 0 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
• 24 magazines
• 4 bipods
• 4 bayone ts
• 4 grenade launchers
• 2 flash hiders
• 4 combina t ion tools
• 4 muzz le brakes
• 2 spare firing pins with springs
• 2 ext ractors with springs
• 1 hammer
• 1 sear
• 2 recoil springs
• 2 sear springs with plungers
• 1 special wood pistol grip (slanted)
• 1 special change lever marked 'R'
• 1 special sear for s ame
Case 2:
• 3 c o m p l e t e rifles, numbers 37, 38, and 39
• 18 magazines
• 3 bipods
• 3 bayone ts
• 1 grenade launcher
• 1 flash hider
• 3 combina t ion tools
• 3 muzzle brakes
• 1 firing pin with spring
• 2 extractors
• 1 change lever
• 2 recoil springs
• 1 sear spring with plunger
Fig 83 Some publicity photos (figs 83 to 85) of a FAL in the no 33 to 37 serial range, in various configurations: here it features the early forend and pistol grip.
A main reason why M. Laloux had not personally
confronted Col Studler over the fate of the FN rifles
in America , aside from his day-to-day m a n a g e m e n t
activit ies, c o n c e r n e d his involvement with the BBC
Commi t t ee and their proposed 7 mm 'Compromise ' .
He saw, as few did, that there were at this point,
within the ammuni t ion problem itself, two dist inct
variables: the bul let and the case . A brief progress
meet ing was held in London, comprising only him
self along with Brigadier Barlow and UK Col John
son, on S e p t e m b e r 3rd. The reunion of the c o m
plete c o m m i t t e e had been postponed until the end
of the month at the request of the absen t Cana
dians. Monsieur Laloux s tated the problem as, sim
plified, one c o m p o s e d of two main parts: the am
munition, and the arm. He further proposed that
theirs was not merely a problem of simplif ication,
but of redressing a poli t ical mishandling, or at least
miscasting: the impor tance of standardizing the
ammunition was 1 0 0 t imes greater than using the
same rifle. In enlisting the enthusiast ic support of
everyone possible in the Western Al l iance to the
cause of s tandardizat ion, i t was found that the
Americans a lone had serious reservations about a
non-American rifle, and in insisting on the adoption
of both together , rifle and round, there was the
dist inct danger of forfeiting the standardizat ion of
both. Brig Barlow agreed.
With regard to the ammunit ion quest ion, it
was M. Laloux' further suggestion that the new
Commi t t ee adopt the terminology and reporting
methods used by the Americans in their trials:
number of armour plates perforated at a certain
dis tance, as well as the d is tance giving 7 0 %
penetrat ion, and so on.
He reviewed his fruitless efforts to obtain of
ficial T65 results for use in compar ison with the
avai lab le Ministry of Supply 7 mm report of 11 O c t
1 9 5 1 . He spoke of his co r re spondence with Col
Studler, and his determinat ion to s u c c e e d with this
request, in which he said he felt comple t e ly
justified.
Col Johnson spontaneous ly offered the use of
the advanced photo-e lec t r ic equ ipment a t Pendine
Experimental Establ ishment for all remaining ter
minal ve loc i ty trials con templa t ed by the Commit-
tee , and promised to make ava i lab le to all the
de lega tes a detai led descript ion of the ava i lab le
facil i t ies there.
A document , recent ly received, enti t led
Canadian Directorate of Armament Development —
Small Arms — Report no 7 was read by Col John
son, wherein the Canadians reported they had ex
per ienced no difficulty perfect ing their own version
of the 7 x 51 mm cartr idge case , and further repor
ted that its capac i ty had been measured as 9%
more than that of the FN T65 'necked down' 7 mm
cases , al though the external dimensions were c o m
patible. The 10 too l room EM-2 prototypes had been
begun at Canadian Arsenals Limited.
The British ment ioned in closing the
discussion, their plans to p l ace two .30 ca l ibre EM-
2s at the disposal of Amer ican Ordnance , and to
ask Col Studler for his frank opinion of them.
Monsieur Saive wrote a private, low-key letter to
Monsieur Vervier on the 4th of Sep tember . At this
point M. Vervier had been in America , staying here
and there, for a lmos t a month, with no respite in
sight. This letter was as much a friendly a t t empt to
keep up the spirits of M. Saive's absen t c o l l e a g u e as
it was an official exchange of information:
4 September, 1952
Dear Monsieur Vervier ,
It would be useless to try and tell you, amid the
ceaseless criss-crossing of letters and telegrams, the
degree of interest with which we here in Herstal
follow the course of the trials and the peregrinations
wherein you find yourself at the centre.
As well as possible, I am keeping Madame Ver
vier abreast of the developments, as we discussed.
At the factory, we are readying some arms in
expectation of orders from Brussels, which could
come at any hour. We are also keeping ourselves
ready to effect any modifications or improvements
you request. M. Laloux' latest letters will keep you
informed as to the results of trials here where your
suggested changes have been incorporated into the
basic design.
We have reported the trials with 10-round
charger clips, and are studying a new body cover
configuration which permits the charging of the
magazine while mounted on the rifle. I will keep you
posted on this; don't hesitate to assure the Americans
that it is definitely 'in the works ' .
Fig 84 The FAL pictured in fig 83 fitted with the prototype Sniper scope featured at Brasschaat (fig 67), and the new, swept-back pistol grip.
Fig 85 The prototype wraparound forend and the Springfield Armory design 5-prong flash hider, featured on the same basic rifle as above.
Fig 86 The FN Ballistic Laboratory prepared an in-depth report for the full BBC Committee meeting of September 24, 1952. This report included sectioned photographs of the major contending bullets, all as loaded in the FN-
A few words about the test-firing I did with the
seven new carbines: At first, they performed perfect
ly. The gas regulators were closed down a little too
much for my taste, but we counted on the following
shoot to loosen the new weapons up a little.
We were much gratified at the accuracy results,
which were of the same order as you obtained in
similar trials before; at 100 metres, Monsieur V a n
Rutten shot some beautiful groups. Afterwards, we
made US T65E3 case. Above: FN S-12/2 lead core; centre: FN P-70/2 steel core; below: FN SS-77 .30 calibre lead core.
essayed a successful functional trial of 100 rounds
semi- and 100 rounds full-automatic from each rifle,
using a slight modification of your design of the new
magazines, which we have numbered 25 to 66 in
clusive. O u r work , and these trials, have brought us
great satisfaction, as I believe that we have now
solved the problem which caused all the failures-to-
feed at Springfield. We are now busy with extractor
trials — the classic 1-piece design with the wire
1 1 2 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
spring, versus the new proposed two-piece design
with coil spring. We hope to be able to include the
new design in the next rifle (no 4 0 ) .
Fig 87 A continuation of the cartridge examination report prepared by the FN Ballistic Laboratory for the BBC Committee, featuring US-made, Boxer-primed car-
Everything here is, as you can imagine, in a very
disordered state, but rest assured that everyone is
doing his utmost to be of assistance to you during
this feverish period.
And so, again bon courage, and please continue
with your reports, which are very much appreciated
here by all.
— Dieudonné Saive
Col Studler replied on S e p t e m b e r 8 to Monsieur
Laloux' s c a r c e l y - c o n c e a l e d impa t i ence regarding
M. Vervier 's non-a t tendance at Fort Benning,
assuring the FN director general that M. Vervier
was now indeed at Benning and that he, Studler,
had ta lked to the Infantry Board and they had
agreed to use him. His let ter goes on:
. . . I am glad to get a preliminary view of your
thinking on the points I mentioned. Whi le I agree
that a heavier rifle would be more pleasant to shoot , I
tridges. Above: US FA-T21 steel core; below: US T-93 steel core.
am sure you realize that reduced weight is what the
customer wants and we should do our best to give it
to him.
On the heavy barrel guns, I agree that two of the
last guns should have heavy barrels. Our own guns
have barrels of the same weight as on our B A R .
On the elimination of the automatic feature, I do
not agree that removal of one part and replacement
by another is an entirely satisfactory method. It is
much preferable to eliminate automatic fire merely
by removal of a piece.
We are looking forward to receipt of the next
rifles, as we are anxious to get them to Benning. I ex
pect they will come in this week.
The seven new FAL rifles did indeed arrive, and the
Fort Benning trials cont inued, but with the original
rifles; the new arrivals being curiously 'missing
from the ranks'. Meanwhi le , on Sep t ember 24 , the
full ' B B C C o m m i t t e e ' me t in London. Brigadier
Barlow took the chair, and had with him two
1 1 4 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
Fig 88 A chart prepared by Monsieur Van Vyve of the FN Ballistic Laboratory showing the residual kinetic energy of the various loadings of the 51 mm T65E3 case
Ministry of Supply officers; the ADE ammuni t ion
side was represented by two Majors from the test
cen t re at Fort Halstead. The Canadian Army liaison
officer based in London, Col Morres, and Capt
Moreau, the Belgian off icer in charge of the CEEA
(Weapons Study trials) a t tended, a long with M.
Laloux and M. Tomson of the FN Cartoucherie.
It was not an easy meeting; M. Laloux was still
flushed from his encounte r s with the Americans .
The Canadians, through Brig Barlow and Col
Morres, again presented their report number 7.
This, as ment ioned earlier, had already been read
out at the S e p t e m b e r 3rd informal meet ing. The in
tensity of recen t work at Herstal made M. Laloux
impatient with this obvious s lowness of develop
ments in Ot tawa . Col Morres did go on however to
report that a new 140-gr mild s teel -cored 7 mm
bullet had been developed , with the Amer ican-
model co re design, to go along with the previously-
reported Canadian 7 x 51 mm c a s e design, which,
with the same external c a s e measurements , yielded
9% more capac i t y than did the US c a s e 'necked
down'. Drawings of this c a s e were promised to all.
The 10 EM-2 rifles being made up at Canadian Ar
senals Ltd, in the 7 x 51 mm cal ibre , had originally
been target ted for D e c e m b e r , 1 9 5 2 , four months
away, but this da te now appeared a little op
timistic. (A new Canadian deve lopment , the Robin
son tank mach ine gun, was much ment ioned in
private conversa t ion as being sought-after by the
Americans as well as the Canadian Army.) M.
Laloux then e loquent ly presented the Belgian syn
opsis of events to date: after finally obtaining and
studying the Amer ican case , FN had returned to the
earlier UK design, which matched , more c losely ,
the c lass ic Amer ican .30/06 case . Their first conce rn
compared with the .280/30 (7 mm Short). Presented by Monsieur Laloux to the delegates of the BBC Committee, London, September 24, 1952.
however was the maximum ob ta inab l e muzz le
ve loc i ty with the 7 mm S-12 9-gram bullet , as tried
in every ava i lab le ca se . This bul let design of course
had been well studied in its role in the .280/30 car
tridge, (as loaded by FN and ca l led the 7 mm Short).
FN was moreover now perfect ing a new AP bullet ,
the prototype of which was ca l led the P-70. It
featured the standard two-piece cons t ruc t ion of
gilding enve lope and t empered core . The bul let
was slightly lighter than the S-12 and had a boat-tail
base to which was at t r ibuted its exce l l en t terminal
ve loci ty charac te r i s t i cs a t maximum ranges.
The a c c u r a c y was not qui te as good as the
lead-core S-12, but was "rather more on a par with
the US s teel -cored T93E1" bullet , samples of which
had been tes ted by FN under the terms of the con
tract signed with Col Studler. M. Laloux went on to
reveal that "lot 1 4 " of the T65 cartridges, as sup
plied by the Americans , with T93E1 armour-
piercing bullets, would not regularly p ierce a plain
1-inch plank at 2 ,000 metres, while the 7 x 51/P-70
combina t ion was lethal at that range. FN had pre
pared c o m p l e t e tab les of the various bul let
weights, measurements and per formance , and
these were now handed out to the other de lega tes .
M. Laloux ca l led for a series of trials, to be held on
an official level, compar ing their version of the new
7 mm Medium ( 7 x 5 1 m m ) with the T65 .
Brigadier Barlow, speaking for the British, first
c o m m e n t e d that, as usual, FN was well ahead of
everyone e lse in the deve lopmen t of new rounds.
The UK report was then read out: a s c a l e copy had
been made of the Amer ican cartridge, but with a
mild steel co re bul le t of 9 grams. The results were
not yet what the British had hoped; by no means
were they ready to t ake on Col Studler's T93E1 AP
design.
Enfield had c o m p l e t e d four new semi-auto
EM-2 rifles, c apab l e , with a single barrel change
and gas adjus tment only, of firing both ca l ib re
.30T65 and 7 x 51 mm rounds. An endurance trial of
5,000 rounds, plus mud and sand trials, had so far
been successful ly essayed with a total of only 7
stoppages, using Amer ican T65 ammunit ion. Three
of these rifles were already on their way to the USA
for inclusion in the Fort Benning trials. Col Studler
had requested 10 , but Brig Barlow had said the
three were all they were ab le to supply. In addition,
Bren LMGs had been successful ly conver ted to fire
T65 ammunit ion, using EM-2 magazines . The two
existing .280 prototypes of the new UK 'sustained-
fire' LMG were a lso being conver ted to T65 ca l ibre .
The War Of f i ce had requested a schedu le for
the upcoming 1 9 5 2 - 5 3 trials, and Brig Barlow
cal led for advice from the de lega tes . M. Laloux
reiterated his view that the problem was not so
Fig 89 FN armour piercing trials results, presented at the September 24, 1952 BBC Committee meeting. Above: Col Studler's ' l o t 14', the T93E1, as fired from the 51 mm case; second: .30 M2 lot RA42, at 1,160 yards; third: FN P-70/2; below: fired and unfired FN second-prototype Monobloc II solid-steel 7 mm.
much technica l as pol i t ical , and the trials should be
separa te for ammuni t ion and for rifle, as otherwise
the Amer icans could be faced with an insoluble
d i lemma. They were already, he said, in the middle
of user trials, the results of which might not be easy
for them to f ace , should the FN entry prove
superior to the Amer ican T47 and T44 .
A schedule was agreed upon for the Arct ic
1 1 6 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
trials, for the coming 1 9 5 2 - 5 3 winter:
1. penetrat ion in wood
2. a c c u r a c y
3. penetrat ion of mild steel plate
4. penetra t ion of steel he lmets
5. penetra t ion of nylon body armour
6. penetrat ion of mannequins dressed in full
Arct ic gear
7. ball is t ic trials
These would be fol lowed by normal-
tempera ture trials, with such added events as gren
ade firing, plus endurance shooting designed to
highlight the degrees of wear and fouling
produced.
Canada was to host the Arct ic trials, and FN
offered their faci l i t ies for the subsequent normal-
tempera ture firing. Captain Moreau of the Belgian
army weapons test ing sec t ion (CEEA) reported he
was avai lab le for any direct c o n t a c t by the other
c o m m i t t e e members regarding these for thcoming
trials.
FAL no 40 had been comple t ed , following Col
Studler's instructions, early in Sep tember , and with
his permission had been demons t ra ted by FN to the
visiting French army mission at Brasschaa t on Sept
Fig 90 FN drawings, prepared for Col Studler, illustrating the prototype windage-adjustable rear sight and strengthened extractor (above), together with M. Saive's
26. This arm featured for the first t ime the half-
length body cover with built-in magaz ine charging
guides. To reload the magazines off the rifle, a
special magaz ine adapter feature, of a design
suggested by M. Saive, was proposed, as yet in
drawings only, to be if desired built into the left-
hand side of the s tock. The ex t rac tor was for the
first t ime the new exper imental two-piece type,
with a coil spring instead of the old, bent-wire 'hair
pin' spring. The rear sight was a special model also,
with built-in windage adjustment . The arm was
slated for delivery to Col Studler personally, at the
Pentagon, who was to send it on to Aberdeen for
"special engineering" tests.
Monsieur Laloux wrote Col Studler on O c t 8,
unable to repress a whiff of Gal l ic sa rcasm regard
ing Monsieur Vervier 's recept ion at Benning:
M. Vervier keeps me up-to-date with regular reports
on the trials (at Fort Benning). He is able to make
himself useful, in a general way, but not in the
shooting itself, although they seem to be keeping him
informed of events as they occur, and he is frequently
allowed to examine the arms. All of this conforms to
what I had originally proposed to you, and, from the
'off-the-cuff' sketch of his proposed magazine loader, to be built-in to the side of the FAL buttstock.
Fig 91 Initial design of the FN P-70 AP bullet, with lead base. Drawing dated 24 September, 1951.
point of view of col laborat ion, if we are indeed not
allowed to view the actual trials, this has to be the
next best thing. M. Vervier seems well pleased with
the welcome he has been extended at Benning. It ap
pears he will soon be leaving there to attend the
technical tests you are planning at Aberdeen with the
new rifle (no 4 0 ) . This rifle has been sent from
Brussels by commercial airline, addressed directly to
you at the Pentagon. It incorporates the
modifications you requested — the rear sight with
windage adjustment, and the charger guides on the
body cover and receiver.
If the charger guide idea is adopted, we might
consider adding a special closing cover to keep the in
terior of the mechanism free of dirt. A magazine
adapter, which will hold a charger guide directly in
line for charging the magazine, much like the B A R
design, has been proposed for your approval by M.
Saive, as you know; he imagines the adapter built
directly into the but ts tock so it cannot be lost by the
soldier. M. Saive is also well on the way with the
next two rifles, built to your order with heavy barrels
and bipods. They should be ready around the end of
Oc tober . To sum up: we have thus far delivered, in
Fig 92 Second revision of the P-70 boat-tail bullet, with redesigned lead base plug.
Fig 93 Final version of the P-70, the P-70/2. One-piece steel core, total weight 134 gr. This version featured excellent terminal velocity at long ranges.
118 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
three shipments, rifle no 29 and numbers 3 0 - 3 2 ;
numbers 3 3 - 3 9 ; and now no 4 0 . T h e two heavy-
barrel versions will make a total of 14 , leaving only
one rifle to fulfill the contract we signed in Washing
ton.
We have two weeks ago had the visit from the
four French officers, which I mentioned to you; we
ran for them a trial featuring your rifle no 4 0 . From
their point on the fence, the FN rifle, firing the new
ammunit ion, is perfectly acceptable.
As regards the cartridges — when we met in
Washington you admitted to me the only really in
teresting thing about your new T 6 5 cartridge was the
case, and that you were ready to consider a bullet
that could better the results of your T 9 3 E 1 .
As you are aware, we have been working on a
bullet improvement study, in close co-operation with
the British and the Canadians; no doubt you are
receiving regularly the reports of the Commit tee ,
which was set up to this end. This and the infor
mation to follow are freely sent to you in a spirit of
col laborat ion which I am sure you will appreciate:
I showed you the cases we had made in .30
calibre, following your plans for the T 6 5 E 3 . Our first
order of business was to try these cases, necked down
to 7 mm and loaded with our well-known 7 mm S-12
Mauser bullet. We achieved in this a muzzle velocity
of 2 , 7 5 0 fps, with a 2 1 " barrel, and a very comfort
able chamber pressure. In effect, we gained 2 7 0 fps
over the same bullet in the 7 mm Short case, even
when the latter was fired from the EM-2 , with a 24 1/2" barrel . We have been encouraged by these results and
have moreover developed a 133-grain, armour pier
cing, 'boat-tail ' bullet (the P -70) . T h e MV is slightly
inferior to that of the lead-core; 2 , 6 7 0 fps.
Important as muzzle velocity is, the residual
velocity and foot-pounds of energy remaining are
what is really at issue. Frequently, penetration
results at a certain distance, are not in agreement
with remaining energy calculations for the same
range. This appears due to the fact that the variable
quantities of the bullet's coefficient of friction and
energy have not been allowed for. Suffice it to say,
our new bullet, the P-70 , does very well indeed on
penetration trials, thanks perhaps to its streamlined,
'boat-tail ' shape. This , plus the predictably steeper
angle of descent of the .30 calibre bullet, gives our
bullet a decided edge in comparat ive penetration
trials at extended ranges.
All of these results stand ready to be proven at
your convenience; at any rate it seems quite well
established that it is possible to make a satisfactory 7
mm armour-piercing bullet !
Monsieur Laroux conc luded by offering Col Studler
"a sample lot of the new 7x51 cartridges, conta ining
the P-70 AP bullet;" all the Colonel had to do was
ask for them.
Unbeknownst to M. Laloux, an interim report
had already been prepared by the enthusiast ic AFF
Board 3 at Fort Benning, in e f fec t recommending
American acquis i t ion of the FN/FAL and the dis
cont inuat ion of the T 4 4 project . Col Studler's reluc
t a n c e to furnish any reports to Monsieur Laloux can
bet ter be understood in the light of this interim
report.
Meanwhi le , Col Studler replied to M. Laloux
earnes t a t tempts to interest him in the P-70 AP 7
mm bullet as follows:
Dear M r . Laloux:
Wi th reference to your letter of 18 October 1952,
I am pleased to note that M r . Vervier is keeping you
informed of the Fort Benning tests. Rifle no 40 has
arrived and, as you suggested, M r . Vervier is to visit
my office today for the purpose of examining the
weapon. The Aberdeen tests are scheduled to start 28
October , and M r . Vervier will be accompanied to
Aberdeen by one of my engineers. We plan to put
this weapon through our standard engineering tests,
with which you are already familiar.
I have noted with interest the chargers and clips
for loading the magazine of the FN rifle. It is my plan
to forward the special cover and charger to Fort Ben
ning for their consideration in the current test.
Wi th reference to the two heavy barrel rifles that
you expect to complete about the end of the month, I
would suggest that they be shipped directly to me, as
was done in the case of rifle no 4 0 . This will eliminate
the difficulty experienced at Fort Benning in getting
these rifles released by customs officials.
I read with interest your discussion of the new 7
mm cartridge which you have under development.
Your P-70 bullet appears to have favourable long
range performance characteristics. I would like to
assure you, however, that by applying similar design
characteristics to calibre .30 bullets, we obtain a
similar improvement.
Wi th reference to the postscript of your letter
concerning a possible demonstrat ion before represen
tatives of the European Defence . Communi ty , I
believe that this would be unwise in view of the
current trials at Fort Benning and the present status
of the overall project insofar as it affects the U S , UK
and other N A T O countries. I would, therefore,
suggest that a decision on this demonstration be
deferred until after the conclusion of the Fort Benning
tests.
Sincerely yours,
signed, René R. Studler
Colonel , O r d Corps
Fig 94 FN FAL no 38, as photographed by Springfield Armory and featuring the short, charger-loading body cover and the US-designed, 5-prong flash hider.
1 2 0 Debut of the FAL - Prototypes 28 to 42
FN rifles numbers 41 and 42 were c o m p l e t e d and
proofed late in Sep tember . They were both fitted
with heavy barrels and charger-loading body
covers , two-piece, reinforced extractors , and the
Springfield-design five prong muzz le brake. They
both had bipods: no 41 was fitted with a light, 'car
bine ' bipod with pronged or sharpened ends; no 42
featured a heavier, large-footed bipod without the
prongs, similar to that used on the FN Fusil
Mitrailleur Démontable (FMD), the Saive-modified
BAR with qu ick-change barrel. The pistol grips of
both these heavy-barrel rifles were the old 'right-
angle ' pattern of no 24, thought to be more prac
tical for prone shooting.
Monsieur Vervier had persevered at Aberdeen,
faithfully observing the special engineering trials
Col Studler had ordered on FN no 40 . News of the
enthusiast ic Amer ican response to the Fabrique
Nat ionale arms was difficult to keep hidden from
M. Vervier, despi te Col Studler 's efforts to keep FN
in the dark. No t ime was lost in te legraphing the
good news to Monsieur Laloux, who was thereby
forearmed and much gratified.
Monsieur Laloux wrote M. Vervier, still in
America , on Nov 6 to thank him for his a t ten-
t iveness. The bu t t s tock containing the built-in
loading ramp had been c o m p l e t e d and sent out to
Col Studler, he reported, and went on to suggest
that the t ime was right for M. Vervier to request
another private meet ing with the Colonel :
. . . Y o u could then ask him what the future plans
are, what more he expects from you and, following
on, what he expects from FN. If the final results at
Aberdeen with rifle no 40 are good, don't be afraid to
push him a little ! We already know he is a master at
surviving any disaster, but now he is under pressure
from the users, who like our product. This is why he
now needs us; certainly he would not be otherwise
interested in dealing with a private firm, and a
foreign one, at that ! Press him about the possibility
of trials with our new 7 mm Medium (7x51) against
the T 6 5 — it will be impossible to avoid comparisons
unfavourable to the .30 calibre.
As for Fort Benning, since you have such good
connections there now, it would be a pity if you
returned to Belgium without the results of the last
few trials and the latest news of our standings. It ap
pears from here that you were well and truly denied
any access to information on the other candidate
weapons! In spite of everything, you have done ex
ceptionally well, and we all look forward to your
return around the end of November .
Monsieur Laloux was also looking ahead a little
father than the end of November . He recal led that
adopt ion of any new military rifle, the Garand in
1 9 3 6 for example , was heralded by the production
of s izable quant i t ies of the final prototype, on a
rush basis, for issue to regular army units for actual
field trials. Not for nothing had he insisted on or
dering, nearly a year before , the s tockpi le of
materials necessary to manufac ture 20 ,000 FN
fusils automatiques légers. He was firmly convinced
that soon, very soon, an ava l anche of orders for the
perfec ted Saive design would c o m e pouring in
from numerous c l ient governments , all clamouring
to have their rifles delivered quickly, so their
respec t ive t roop trials might begin. New machinery,
and s t reamlined product ion plans designed to cope
with the mass manufac tu re of thousands of FAL
rifles, were very much on the agenda at Fabrique
Nat ionale .
Chapter 7
Prototypes 43 to 49 (November 1952 - July 1953)
The European D e f e n c e Communi ty met on Novem
ber 6th 1 9 5 2 , despi te Col Studler's misgivings,
choosing as their venue, Brasschaa t Artillery
Range. Orders and st ipulat ions for new FN proto
types were for thcoming: the bas ic design was
requested by the as tu te British in one e a c h of three
separa te and dist inct versions (numbers 43 , 4 5 , and
46). Canada and V e n e z u e l a e a c h wanted one more
prototype of the latest design (numbers 44 and 49
respectively). The US c o n t r a c t was still one rifle
short of comple t ion and this b e c a m e number 48 ,
the co inc iden ta l 'T48 ' .
Monsieur Vervier finally returned to FN, the
first week in D e c e m b e r . A week later. Col Studler
'bit the bul let ' and sent a te legram to M. Laloux, or
dering 500 of the proffered 7x51 mm cartr idges
loaded with the new FN P-70 bullet , and 5 0 0 .30
ca l ibre bullets , to be made up on the s a m e prin
ciple. Monsieur Laloux responded on D e c e m b e r
15th by saying, tongue in cheek , that he was "sur
prised at this request , after having received your
(Col Studler's) let ter of O c t o b e r 27 ."
He took the opportuni ty to remind Col Studler
that, despi te FN's repea ted requests, and the inter
vention of the Belgian Military a t t aché , no results
had ever been rece ived of the 7 mm tests fired at
Fort Benning, even though the cartr idges and the
arm that fired them, FN no 24 , had been p laced at
the AFF Board's disposal free of charge . M. Laloux
went on to say that, with new trials being c o n t e m
plated by the Amer ican O r d n a n c e Corps, he him
self was schedul ing a trip to the USA around the
end of January 1 9 5 3 , and as M. Vervier had repor
ted that Col Studler would be "in the O f f i c e "
throughout that period, ". . . my principal reason for
returning to the United Sta tes is to see you."
Monsieur Vervier 's visit had lasted a lmos t four
months, and despi te the sabre-rattl ing from home,
and the de l ibera te obs t ruc t ionism under which he
worked while in Amer ica , this knowledgeab le .
unassuming man had s u c c e e d e d in performing a
very de l i ca t e and demanding j o b exceedingly well,
and along the way made a few friends:
14 January 1953
E. Vervier
Rue Thier des Monts , 159
Herstal-Lez-Liege
Belgium
My Dear Ernest:
I have received your letter of January 9th, your
Christmas card, and the package containing the hand
guard and four piston springs. T h a n k you very much
for all.
T h e heavy barrel rifles have arrived and are
giving a good account of themselves. We had some
trouble with the rebound of the slide or bolt carrier. I
took a file and beveled the face of the carrier. This
seems to have eliminated that trouble. I did it the
same way I saw you do it.
T h e new hand guard is very satisfactory.
Removing the grooves on the bo t tom has made it
much more comfortable .
I have assembled rifle no 36 with all the modifi
cations that you have sent me, that is the new hand
guard, the new pistol grip, the new stock with the
loading device, the special dust cover with the
charging aperture, the light pressure sear, and natur
ally it has a reduced piston. Should the ejector break,
I will have the new ejector installed. Until it breaks,
however , I feel this is unnecessary.
I will give the polish and stain to Sgt W e b b who
is now on leave. In his name and in his absence I ex
press his sincere appreciation.
T h a n k you again for your continued friendship
1 2 2 Prototypes 43 to 49
and assistance. Give my best wishes to your wife and
son.
Very truly yours ,
Rober t H. Clagett, J r .
Majo r , Infantry
This next period, the winter of 1 9 5 2 - 1 9 5 3 , was per
haps Monsieur Laloux' finest hour. He had travelled
abroad qui te often during his career , preferring
wherever possible s teamship to aeroplane. In his
own affairs he was ar is tocra t ica l ly parsimonious;
he made his own notes, in longhand, on yellow,
legal-size pads of paper, and he always submitted
his own reports:
Fusil Automatique Léger (FAL) Trip to America, February 1953
I took the night train from Washington to Fort Ben-
ning, and coincidentally met Col Crossman, Col
Studler's assistant, on the station platform. We
travelled together and struck up quite a conver
sation, although he is an officer through and through
and very closed-mouthed about any topics of any
sensitivity at all.
We arrived at Fort Benning first thing in the
morning and immediately I was able to meet the of
ficers under Col Kelly, comprising the Infantry Field
Forces Board No 3: Lt-Col Wiley , the representative
from the Ordnance Corps; Lt-Col Minion, Small
Arms Section; Maj Clagett, who had been the Ameri
can in charge of the trials with our FN weapons;
Lt-Col Christiansen, in charge of pistol trials, and
Capt Hill, a paratrooper, assigned to Maj Clagett.
Everyone spoke warmly of M. Vervier, and.
asked after his health.
Throughout my stay I had three visits with Col
Kelly himself, who struck me as a solid serving of
ficer, courageous and a good leader of men, but not
at all a research person. I first thanked him for the
hospitality he had shown our M. Vervier . He in turn
politely thanked us for supplying such a capable
fellow; I replied that this was in keeping with our
promise to Col Studler to do our utmost for him in
return for a fair chance for our rifles.
I ascertained that the report (of the AFF Board
no 3) was nearly ready and would soon be sent on to
the Office, Chief of Ordnance, for the drafting of a
Fig 95 The short-lived UK Optimum 1 cartridge, wherein the bullet was to be seated as high as possible in the 43 mm .280/30 case, to increase case capacity. Shown in an
FN study, loaded with the P-70 and S-12/2 bullets. Monsieur Saive had misgivings about this design.
statement on the situation.
Col Kelly asked the purpose of my visit. I said it
was threefold: to bring over several replacement FAL
parts of an approved design; to learn the results of
the trials fired since M. Vervier's departure, and to be
better acquainted with the officers actually putting
our weapons through the trials — if this was also
their wish. I said that I felt that our mission included
co-operation between us.
T h e second time we met, Maj Clagett alone was
with us. I asked them if they were aware that FN had
formally offered the rights to produce the FAL, free
of charge, to the United States. They replied that
there had been some word about it but that they were
happier now to be hearing it 'from the horse's mouth' .
I spoke of our newest developments, and was
rewarded to hear that, if Col Studler was contem
plating further extended trials, there would be by the
end of the year a need for several thousand rifles of
both types, the FAL and the T 4 4 .
I found Majo r Clagett to be genuinely interested
in the FAL as a rifle, and I left for him a large-scale
plan drawing, showing the arm and all its parts in a
cutaway' view.
As regards the nagging question of the seven
millimetre results . . . I didn't speak with Kelly about
this but I did mention to Lt-Col Minion that the rifle
(no 24) was ours, and that it was still here, and that
furthermore we had heard nothing at all of the trials
results. He was visibly shocked and volunteered to
go and get the rifle, right away, for me to take home.
I suggested that it should be kept a while yet against
the moment of the final decision on the question of
choice of calibre. . . .
Monsieur Laloux included with this segment of his
report an organisat ional chart , as he had c o m e to
understand it, of the Amer ican army weapons
testing facil i ty, and its channels of reporting:
1 2 4 Prototypes 43 to 49
With Major Claget t along, M. Laloux frequently
met with some of the American testing officers to
discuss, informally, their feelings abou t the FAL
and to demons t ra te to them s o m e of the latest FN
proposals .
First, he illustrated three possible configura
tions of the FAL rifle: (1) with the opening top
loading ga te (as shown in fig 77), accep t ing the 1 0 -
round stripper clips; (2) with the built-in charger
guides of the 'short ' body cover , as in the later US
Fort Benning prototypes, (number 36-41) ; and (3) for
guard or parade duty with a 10-shot magaz ine and,
for sniper use, the c lose ly- to leranced, full-length
body cover, sui table for rigid t e l e s c o p e mounting.
On these o c c a s i o n s the Amer icans freely gave
their views on a number of topics , among them the
usefulness of the full range of accessor i e s which FN
had supplied; they had, for example , no t ac t i ca l use
for a bipod on a normal, light-barreled rifle.
Of the two heavy-barreled versions of the FAL,
which FN had supplied, the American junior of
ficers preferred the heavy FMD-type bipod over the
light ' carb ine ' type. They thought the FN bayonet ,
as modified by M. Vervier, was sat isfactory, but the
muzzle brake was universally and heartily disliked.
There was a discussion but no conc lus ive opinion
regarding the newly-avai lable semi-auto-only
change lever. As regarded the pistol grip, everyone
preferred M. Saive's second design, the ' inclined' , or
swept-back, grip over the earl ier ' r ight-angled'
style. M. Laloux dec ided then and there that this
would be the grip design incorporated in future
models . The sling featured also as a traditional ad
junc t to precision shoot ing in America , he noted,
and should be firmly mounted on any future US
FALs.
As the visit progressed, M. Laloux noted
several Amer ican partisans of the 7 mm ca l ibre in
his audience , among them Maj Clagett , and his
aide, Capt Hill. M. Laloux told them in all serious
ness of the posit ive results they had obta ined at FN
with the 7x51 mm cartridge, al though, he said, the
ammunit ion quest ion had unfortunately b e c o m e a
personal issue with Col Studler, who would hear of
no ' compara t ive ' trials. The en igmat ic reply from
several of the officers at Fort Benning was that Col
Studler would, God willing, soon retire.
During M. Laloux' visit, a t ab le of results was
finally made ava i lab le to him, concern ing the 7 mm
trials fired at Fort Benning.
He was naturally interested in reading of these
compara t ive ammuni t ion trials, which had taken
p lace early in 1 9 5 2 . As ment ioned, these had
featured the freely-supplied carb ine no 24 , with
2 ,000 rounds of the FN-developed 7 mm Short am
munition, (the .280/30 case ; with the S-12 bullet)
Fig 96 The Canadian-made 7 x 51 mm case had 9% more case capacity; this FN comparative study of wall thicknesses, dated December 1952, shows why. Left: FN Berdan-primed case; right: Canadian Boxer-primed case.
shooting against American T44 and T47 rifles in
ca l ibre .30 T65 . Garand control rifles had also been
shot, and their results a lso recorded. Monsieur
Laloux was wryly amused to see that the figures
given him were in compar i son only of the "FN 7
mm" and the 'old ' (UK .280/30) 7 mm; all references
to the T65 and .30-06 had been carefully deleted.
(Note: This c o m p l e t e t ab le appears, in part of the
1 9 5 2 US Trials results, on page 72 of V o l u m e Two of
this series).
At the final dinner, held to wish Monsieur
Laloux bon voyage back to Belgium, Maj Clagett
suggested he show Ordnance Col Crossman some
samples of the latest FN 7x51 mm cartridges. This
Monsieur Laloux did, and Col Crossman said, after
examining them for a few moments , that he could
well see two ca l ibres as standard; one for rifle and
one for LMG. (Col Crossman's greates t personal
conce rn in the matter, however, conce rned the
arrival on the field of ba t t le of the ammunit ion in a
useable state; that is, pre-loaded into clips or ban
doliers c a p a b l e of direct attachment to the
weapons.)
Monsieur Laloux returned to Europe in t ime to par
t ic ipa te in a preparatory BBC C o m m i t t e e meeting,
in London, on March 27.
The sub jec t was ammunit ion. Trials had recen
tly been carried out in the Canadian Arct ic at Wat
son Lake, in the Yukon, where the .280/30 , or the 7
mm MK 1z as the British now ca l led it, scored sur
prisingly well. In addition, the EM-2 had been sue-
Fig 97 Residual energy table prepared by the FN Ballistic Laboratory for the BBC Committee meeting of April 23, 1953.
cessful in o ther trials held at the Canadian Army
base at Fort Churchill , in northern Mani toba .
Monsieur Laloux was impatient: the Amer icans
had made no sec re t of their re ject ion, on several
occas ions , of both this cartr idge and rifle; surely
any hope for standardizing arms or ammuni t ion
among the western powers lay in other, more up-to-
date answers. A trials p rogramme was discussed for
the coming summer of 1 9 5 3 . Brigadier Barlow
chalked up on the b l ackboard the list of rounds of
ammunit ion they must assess:
• .30 cal ibre , s tee l -core; the latest US bul le t design
being the boa t ta i led Frankford Arsenal FA T21 E4
• .30 cal ibre , lead-core, as a lready studied at FN
• 7 mm steel -core , f lat-base, ei ther UK or Canadian
manufac ture
• 7 mm steel -core , boat ta i l ; the FN P-70 improved
• 7 mm lead-core; the tried and true FN S-12.
All the a b o v e loadings were to be in the 51 mm
case , the 7 mm loadings merely a necked-down
copy of the Amer ican T65E3 , whose lack of c a s e
taper had already been noted. The necking to 7 mm
crea ted an even sharper shoulder.
The British had had misgivings abou t this c a s e
design ever s ince the initial BBC C o m m i t t e e
meet ing in June of 1 9 5 2 . They had now deve loped a
new 7 mm round, of the same overall length as the
loaded 7x51 or T65 , ye t with a more c lass ica l ly
shaped, 49 .15 mm case . It was ca l led the 7 mm Op
t imum 2, (to distinguish it from an earlier, short
lived British idea which, as the Opt imum 1, had
featured the regular old, 43 mm .280/30 c a s e with
the bul let sea ted higher into the c a s e neck in an at
t empt to provide more c a s e capac i ty) .
In spite of the promising results the 7 mm
Short ammuni t ion had turned in at Wa t son Lake,
the British re luctant ly agreed at this preliminary
meet ing to abandon the 'short ' c o n c e p t , and to
1 2 6 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 98 Recapitulation of results, as prepared by FN, using both FN and US published results up to March 20, 1953.
Fig 98 (continued from previous page)
1 2 8 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 99 A further FN compendium of results for the various cartridges tested, showing BBC Committee and Arctic trials results.
swing all their energies into developing the new,
longer c a s e designs. These , firing the new 7 mm
bullets deve loped by Canada and FN, would be
c a p a b l e of matching or bet ter ing the US .30 ca l ib re
requirements . I t was the only hope; the only other
c h o i c e was simply to adopt the US T65E3 without a
whimper.
The main c o m m i t t e e meet ing was held at the
British War Off ice , on the 23rd of April 1 9 5 3 , with
General Mathews, the Director of Infantry,
presiding. The British delegat ion, which included
Brig Barlow and Col E.N. Kent-Lemon, was ten
strong; the Canadians and Belgians e a c h presented
only two de lega tes . The minutes of the previous in
terim meet ings being read and a c c e p t e d . Genera l
Mathews asked affably that the Canadians and
Belgians not be a larmed at the overwhelming
British majority.
The ques t ions of which ammuni t ion to test,
the laboratory methods of testing which would give
the most rel iable results, and the nature and venue
of future compara t ive trials, domina ted the
discussion. The British were apparent ly there in
fo rce to ' request ' a final stay of execu t ion for their
long-nurtured 7 mm Short (7x43) round, and the EM-
2 rifle. As it turned out, the planned protest didn't
get off the ground, as it needed little convincing to
show them that the world had indeed moved on.
Brig Barlow produced the plans for the latest US
Frankford Arsenal design, the FA T 2 1 E 4 boattai l
bullet . The unit-power opt ic sight, developed in
England as an integral part of the EM-2 'bullpup'
concep t , had been successful ly adapted to the FAL.
Indeed, one of the latest prototypes ordered by the
British was to fea ture this sight system (no 46). The
sight, on its prototype FN top cover , was exhibited
by Monsieur Laloux.
The c o m m i t t e e agreed that tests would be per
formed on a total of nine types of bullets:
• 7 mm S-12 f lat-base
• 7 mm P-70 boat ta i l
• 7 mm Canadian f lat-base
• . 3 0 T 9 3 E 1 US f lat-base
• .30 FA T 2 1 E 4 boat ta i l
• 7 mm French exper imenta l lead-core
• .30 French exper imenta l lead-core
• .30 French exper imental s tee l -core
• .30 FN lead-core boat ta i l
In the middle of a long, final discussion regar
ding loca t ion of the proposed trials, s o m e o n e
Fig 100 Composite FN drawing of both (49 and 51 mm) cartridge cases under consideration by the BBC Committee. Drawing dated 22 January 1953.
mused abou t whether the .30-06 M2 bullet , and the
.303 British, might not as well be included as con
trols. Monsieur Laloux, who had that day already
successful ly avoided the planned British coup to
restore the old 7 mm Short and the EM-2, now rose,
and, recall ing the 1 9 5 0 trials in Amer ica , the 1951
trials at Pendine and the 1 9 5 2 trials again in
America, said it was his fervent hope that he would
not die of old age before the trials were c o m p l e t e d !
The final report of the test ing off icers at Fort
Benning was at last re leased, under the t i t le "Army
Field Forces Board No 3 Repor t of P ro jec t 2 4 9 5 ,
Lightweight Rifles and Ammunit ion, Fort Benning,
Georgia, April 30 , 1 9 5 3 " . The report showed a
decided p re fe rence for the FN Light Auto Rifle,
over ei ther the modif ied T25 , known as the T47, or
the Springfield Armory T44. The report went on to
say that the FN design has ou tper formed the
American entries in every "adverse condi t ion" tes t
excep t ex t r eme cold; that is, in the mud, dust, rain,
endurance, cook-o f f and abnormal hold trials, the
FAL was superior. (The EM-2 rifle was o n c e and for
all e l iminated from Amer ican compe t i t i on by this
report.)
Monsieur Laloux issued an order on the 11 th of
May, 1 9 5 3 , to begin FN vo lume product ion of
10 ,000 fusils légers automatiques d'infanterie. The
barrel (and sights) a lone would distinguish the .30
ca l ibre from the 7x51 mm versions, as all were to be
made up with the s ame receiver, d imensioned for
rounds of a total length of 2.8". This first series of
FAL rifles was further defined as being fitted with a
20-shot magazine , c a p a b l e of se lec t ive fire and
featuring the ' incl ined ' pistol grip, long body cover,
and bayone t lug. The muzz le was to be left plain,
with no flash hider or muzzle brake, and no bipod
was fitted.
The Amer ican-con t rac t FN rifles, including the
heavy-barrel versions no 41 and 42 , had been retur
ned to Belgium for modif icat ion. Monsieur Saive
had overseen the changes , which included the
following:
• new, stronger e j e c t o r b lock
• new magaz ine charger-cl ip design, made
necessary by the new e j e c t o r b lock
• reinforced but t a t t a c h m e n t to trigger housing
• reinforced return spring tube
• new rear sight cursor with windage adjus tment
• new handguard, without finger-grooves
• front sight c a p a b l e of e leva t ion adjus tment
• ' incl ined' pistol grip
• reinforced ex t rac tor
• 10-round magaz ines
• semi-auto change lever only
• permanent pin installed on trigger housing to pre
vent change lever rotat ion to full au to posit ion.
1 3 0 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 101 FN-manufactured 'medium-powered' cartridges, 1951-1953. Compare with Volume Two, fig 216. The only UK rounds FN did not manufacture were the short-lived .270 and the British 7 x 49 mm 'High Velocity'.
(The two heavy-barreled rifles were sub j ec t ed to
the first nine modif ica t ions only.)
O n e light rifle was fitted with a newly-
designed Arct ic folding triggerguard-and-grip
arrangement . The arms were returned to Fort Ben-
ning and arrived there on June 30th, in t ime for the
c o m m e n c e m e n t of what was billed as the final trial
to dec ide on the next US Army rifle. The c h o i c e had
narrowed to only two; the FAL or the T44 . Monsieur
Vervier was again ca l led upon to journey to
America , but unlike the de l ibera te obs t ruc t ionism
he encoun te red in 1 9 5 2 , this was a 'whole new ball-
game' . With the FN rifle a 'smart money ' c h o i c e for
American adoption, there were now no restrictions
p laced on M. Vervier 's movements ; he found no
difficulty in observing all trials of both arms and
was freely shown the light and heavy versions of
the T44 . Indeed, in his first report back to Monsieur
Saive he was ab le to e n c l o s e a copy of the trials in
dex and schedu le which he had promptly been
given by Col Kelly:
Army Field Forces Board No 3 Fort Benning, Georgia — Project 2 4 9 5 A
Rifle Test 1953
1. Index to Tests
Test no 1 Physical characteristics
Test no 2 Relative weights
Test no 3 Base of assembly
Test no 4 Ease of care and cleaning
Test no 5A Bench rest accuracy
Test no 5B Prone accuracy
Test no 5C Change in centre of impact
Test no 6 Automat ic accuracy with bipod (HB)
Test no 7A Short range automatic accuracy
(moving target)
Test no 7B Automat ic accuracy
Test no 7C Automat ic fire distribution
Test no 8 Rapid fire effectiveness
Test no 9 Durabil i ty
Test no 10 Reliabili ty
Test no 11 Smoke and flash
Test no 12 Bayonet
Test no 13 Grenade launching
Test no 14 Magazines and clips
Test no 15 Indirect fire performance (HB)
Test no 16 Sustained fire capabili ty (HB)
Test no 17 Squad firing
Test no 18 Sights
Test no 19 Aerial delivery
Test no 20 Compar ison against M G ' s
Arctic Phase
Test no 1 Ease of handling
Test no 2 Durabil i ty and reliability
Test no 3 Accuracy and functioning
Test no 4 Winter trigger
Test no 5 Ammuni t ion
Test no 6 General
Fig 102 The 'medium power' concept, 1943 to 1953: 1. .30 US Carbine 2. 7.92 Kurz (7.92x33 mm) 3. UK .270 (7x47.5 mm) 4. 7 mm Short (7 x 43 mm) 5. 7 mm Optimum 2 (7x49.15 mm) 6. .30 T65E3 (7.62x51 mm)
1 3 2 Prototypes 43 to 49
2. Schedule of Tests
1st day — 1 July
Test Officer
Inspection and weighing of weapons and accessories.
Study, check test ease of handling, simplicity and
ease of care and cleaning. Tests 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Asst Test Officer:
Firing for adjustment of weapons and familiarization
of firers.
2nd day — 2 July
Function firing of all test weapons. 300 rds per gun.
Making final adjustments before start of test. Zeroing
fire.
Tests 9 and 14 .
3rd day — 3 July
Test Officer:
Check test of bench rest accuracy, sight setting.
300 yards only. Test 5 A .
Asst Test Officer:
Sustained fire capabil i ty HB and M G . Test 1 6 .
4th day — 6 July
Test Officer:
Check test of prone accuracy, loading practice,
slings, sight settings. 300 yards only. Test 5 B .
Asst Test Officer:
Bipod indirect fire capabil i ty. Test 15
5th day - 7 July
Test Officer:
Check test of change of centre of impact due to
muzzle at tachments . Test 5 C .
Asst Test Officer:
Continuat ion of bipod indirect fire capabil i ty.
Test 1 5 .
6th day - 8 July
Squad field firing tests. Test 17.
7th day - 9 July
Squad field firing tests. Test 17 .
8th day - 10 July
Squad field firing tests. Test 17.
9th day - 11 July
Auto fire distribution. Test 7C
10th day - 13 July
HB and L M G field firing accuracy. Test 6.
11th day - 14 July
Test Officer:
Moving target accuracy. Test 7A .
Asst Test Officer:
Transition range firing.
12th day - 15 July
Test Officer:
Durabil i ty test. Infiltration course phase. Test 9.
Asst Test Officer:
Transition range firing.
13th day - 16 July
Test Officer:
HB and L M G auto fire accuracy bipod and stan
ding. 200 and 50 yards. Test 7 B .
Asst Test Officer:
Rapid fire effectiveness. Test 8.
14th day - 17 July
Test Officer:
Reliability Test — a) place three rifles in cold
soak; b) muddy water and rain test.
Asst Test Officer:
Durabil i ty test — underbrush and sand bank
phases. Test 9.
15th day - 18 July
Reliabili ty test. Natural and artificial dust phase.
Test 1 0 .
16th day - 20 July
Reliability test. Fire cold soaked rifles. Check
test of smoke and flash. Check flash during darkness.
Test 10 and 1 1 .
17th day - 21 July
Test Officer:
Check of LB automatic fire capabil i ty. Test 7A
and 7 B .
Asst Test Officer:
Bayonet course. Durabil i ty and ruggedness test.
Function firing. Test 12 .
18th day - 22 July
Same as 15th day.
19th day - 23 July
Test Officer: Rate of fire LB rifles. Test 8.
Asst Test Officer:
Rate of fire HB rifles and M G ' s . Test 8.
20th day - 24 July
Test Officer:
Grenade launching test. Test 1 3 .
Asst Test Officer:
Loading time test. Test 1 4 .
21st day — 25 July
HB and L M G auto fire at moving targets. Test
7A .
Note: 21st day to end of six week period daily check
firing for reliability, adjustments, and any necessary
re-tests or additional tests.
There were those amid the Amer ican c a m p who
remembered that FN, being a private company , was
more free with its handouts - pamphlets , small
accessor ies , sample cartr idges, e tc ; the very first
day of the trials, M. Vervier was taken aside by an
American off icer and blandly asked if 'San ta Claus '
had brought anything with him this t ime!
Observers to the trials included off icers from
both Canada and the UK, as well as three represen
tat ives from Springfield Armory who were M. Ver-
vier's oppos i te number and keenly pulling for their
T44.
During the first three days of the 1 9 5 3 Fort
Benning trials a total of 4 ,258 rounds was fired.
Meanwhi le , Brigadier Barlow, the UK Director
of Artillery (Small Arms), had arranged a new series
of trials, at RSAF Enfield and Pendine Experimental
Establ ishment , to tes t FN FAL number 4 3 . This rifle
had been ordered by the UK at the Wes te rn Allian
ce m e e t at Brasschaa t , and was the proto type of a
series the British were considering for quant i ty
t roop trials.
Consequent ly , they were most conce rned that
no 43 should perform sat isfactori ly. A full report
was prepared, listing the trials performed and the
results, and a copy was submit ted to Monsieur
Laloux at FN by Lt-Col Johnson, Brig Barlow's
assistant:
Fig 103 Monsieur Ernest Vervier, after successfully completing a very muddy 'durability' trial at Fort Benning, Ga. July, 1953.
.30 Calibre FN Rifle no 43
Summary of the results of trials carried out with the above rifle at Enfield and Pendine
between 9th and 25th June 1953
1. Information
T h e FN rifle, which in the 7 mm calibre did ex
tensive trials in this country in 1951 has been
developed to fire the Amer ican .30 cal T 6 5 E 3 type
cartridge.
2 . Objec t
To determine whether the rifle will stand up to
the more powerful round and in particular to :
2 .1 Carry out an endurance test for freedom from
stoppages, and breakages under normal condit ions.
2 .2 Test rifle under adverse conditions of mud, sand,
sea water , extreme hot and cold.
2 .3 To note effect of fitting a bayonet on position of
M P I .
2 . 4 To determine whether the body cover makes a
1 3 4 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 104 FN prototype no 43, ordered by the British and the subject of extensive trials at Enfield and Pendine, 9-25
June, 1953. Forerunner of the UK X8E1 rifle, studied in Volume Two.
suitable mount for an optical sight.
2 .5 To determine if the rifle retains its accuracy when
hot and after firing 600 rounds.
3. Programme of Firing at Enfield
3.1 Weigh a n d measure rifle and accessories. M e a
sure free length of springs, cartridge head space and
trigger pull before and after firing 6000 rounds.
3.2 Short preliminary functioning test.
3.3 Measure gun speed at start, middle and end of
trial.
3 .4 Standard mud test. (This was repeated.)
3.5 Standard sand test.
3 .6 Effect of Bayonet on position of M P I at 2 0 0 and
300 yards.
3 .7 Measure veloci ty at ambient temperature at 90
feet at start of trial, middle of endurance test and at
end of trial.
3 .8 Compare the position of M P I at 2 0 0 yards before
and after the endurance test using both the optical
sight and bore sighting.
3 .9 Endurance Test. Cycles as follows:
10 rds cold diagram at 2 0 0 x single shot
100 rds single shot. 7 minutes
Cool in still air for five minutes
100 rds 10 bursts of 10 rounds. 1 minute
Cool in still air for 30 minutes or air line for
10 minutes
100 rds single shot. 7 minutes
Cool in still air for five minutes
100 rds 10 bursts of 10 rds. 1 minute
Cool in still air for 30 minutes or air line for
for 10 minutes.
100 rds single shot. 7 minutes
Cool in still air for five minutes
12 . 100 rds 10 bursts of 10 rounds. 1 minute
1 3 . 10 rds hot diagram at 2 0 0 x . Single shot
1.
2 .
3 .
4 .
5 .
6.
7.
8.
9 .
1 0 .
1 1 .
14 . Strip, clean, examine, measure free length
of springs and cartridge head space.
Note: T h e rifle m a y be oiled after series 4, 8, if
this is considered necessary. The necessity to oil
and the degree of oil will be recorded. The test
will be repeated 10 times.
3 .10 Fire at horizontal with rifle loosely held.
Start Finish
Trigger pull 14 1/2 lbs 12 lbs
Cartridge head space 1 .636 in 1 .636 in Spring, firing pin, free
length 1 .765 in 1.65 in Spring, piston return
free length 10.45 in 10.25 in Springs, return, free
length 19 .8 in 19.4 in Spring, hammer, free
length 3 .25 in 3 .25 in
4 .2 Preliminary Functions
Horizontal 100 rds, ss, correct
Depression 10 rds, ss, 3 trapped case, 80 rds auto,
1 trapped case
Elevation 80 rds, ss, correct; 80 rds auto, correct
4. Results of Tests at Enfield
4.1 Weight and Measurements
Rifle, length 41 3 / 8 inches
with bayonet fixed 49 inches
Barrel length 20 7 / 8 inches
Weight , rifle 9 lbs 1 oz
empty magazine 8 to 8 1/4 ozs
full magazine 1 lb 9 ozs to 1 lb 9 1/4ozs
Bayonet 9 3/4 ozs
Scabbard 4 1/2 ozs
4 . 9 . 3 . Cold and Hot Diagram — results
Cold Diagram Hot Diagram
Cycle MPI Group MPI Group
1 8.5 L 3 .5 up 7 . 5 x 5 2 4 . 5 L 2 4 D 25 x 10*
2 1 R 17 up 5 . 5 x 6 . 5 1 R 15 .5 up 9 x 1 2 . 5 3 .5 L 2 0 up 4 x 6 1.5 L 17 up 9 x 6 4 2 .5 L 23 up 4 x 8 . 5 5 L 2 3 . 5 up 7 x 9
5 2 .5 R 2 0 . 5 up 5 . 5 x 8 . 5 1 R 2 1 . 5 up 1 2 . 5 x 1 1
6 3 R 22 up 7 . 5 x 1 1 . 5 1.5 R 13 .5 up 9 . 5 x 5 . 5 7 2 R 22 up 5 . 5 x 7 . 5 1 R 17 .5 up 8 x 7 8 2 R 22 up 5.5x7.5 1 R 22 up 8 x 7 9 4 R 2 0 up 5 x 8 2 .5 R 19 .5 up 5 x 8 . 5
10 3 .5 R 2 0 . 5 up 6 . 5 x 6 . 5 2 .5 R 2 7 up 5 x 1 1 . 5
Mean 1.7 R 2 1 up 5 . 4 x 7 . 8 . 5 R 1 9 . 7 up 8 x 8 . 7
The results of the first cycle were disregarded. See remarks on Sight Bracket paragraph 7.4.
4 .10 Rifle loosely held at horizontal
30 rounds single shot and 30 rounds in short
bursts were fired with the rifle in the normal position,
on its left side and on its right side. Functioning was
correct.
Note: T h e rifle was fitted with the following new
design components :
• ejector — improved heat treatment
• extractor — strengthened
• magazine spring — heavier gauge wire
Range Change in position of MPI
2 0 0 x . 5 " left 3 .7" down
3 0 0 x 3 .5" left 9 .5" down
Start of trial 652 rpm, regulator
unsecured 3 6 0 °
Start of 6th cycle 714 rpm, regulator
unsecured 180°
End of endurance 723 rpm, regulator
unsecured 1 8 0 °
1st Test 2nd Test
1st Magazine correct correct
dirty magazine failed failed
clean magazine failed failed
Optical Sight Bore Sight
MPI Group MPI Group
Start of endurance 10L, 2 1/2 up, 6L, 25 1/2 down
8 x 6 6 x 5 1/2 End of endurance 3 .75L, 22 .75 up 9 . 7 5 R , 2 6 . 2 5
4 x 7 down; 4x4 .25
(See remarks re Sight Bracket para. 7.4)
4 . 9 . 1 . Stoppages Missfire, de 5th cycle
fective cap
Light strike 9th cycle
4 . 9 . 2 . Breakages Hammer Spring
rod 10th cycle
4 .3 Gun Speed
Start of trial 2 7 2 0 f.s.
6th cycle 2714 f.s.
End of endurance 2685 f.s.
4 .7 Velocities
4.8 Comparison of bore sighting and optical sight
4 .4 Mud Test
T h e failure was due to friction of the mud in the
working parts and to mud drying in the hot chamber;
it resulted in failure of the breech to close, in a few
cases the hammer did not rise even when the breech
closed and in the 2nd test there were failures to ex
tract.
4 . 9 Endurance test
Except for the following the rifle fired correct ly.
4 .5 Sand Test
Correct on all three magazines.
4 .6 Effect of Bayonet on position of MPI Note: Found on examinat ion did not cause a stop
page.
Light strike was possibly caused by a piece of
brass in the trigger mechanism. The hammer did not
come right up and was freed by hand.
1 3 6 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 105 The UK-designed 'prong' or 'trident' bayonet. In the days of the Lee-Enfield, British standing orders were to "fix bayonets" after dark. It was reasoned that a bayonet - flash hider combination would aid night
• fore-end, with top enclosed — This was too hot to
hold during the endurance test and the wood was
charred.
5. Programme of Firing Tests at Pendine
5.1 Rifle chemically dry at normal temperature.
5.2 Chemical ly dry and kept at — 6 5 ° F for 12 hours.
5.3 Oiled with 'oil low cold test no 2 ' and 5 0 % water
less kerosine and kept at —65°F for 12 hours.
5 .4 Loosely held and fired at 80° elevation and
depression.
5.5 Tropical Test. Heated to 1 2 5 ° F for 12 hours.
5 .6 Salt water test
6. Results of Tests at Pendine
6.1 Chemically dry at normal temperature
One magazine only. Failed to feed, and had to
be hand operated on 2nd and 12th rounds. Otherwise
correct .
6.2 Chemically dry and kept at -65°F for 12 hours
An extra magazine was also put into cold cham
ber. First four rounds had to be hand operated,
remainder correct until the last two rounds of the 2nd
magazine which did not feed. The magazine spring
had ridden up on the left side of the platform which
was jammed and would not move up or down.
Magazine no 86 — it was not used again in these
trials.
6.3 Cold oiled
Oil low cold test no 2 and 5 0 % waterless
kerosine at - 6 5 ° F for 12 hours. An extra magazine
was included in this test. Both magazines — no
failures.
6 .4 Elevation and Depression
At normal temperature, loosely held:
+ 80° 60 rds s.s. correct
— 80° 60 rds s.s. correct
— 80 ° 60 rds short bursts correct
It was not considered safe to fire short bursts at
elevation.
6.5 Tropical
12 hours at 125 °F; an extra magazine was in
cluded. Both magazines: no failures.
6 .6 Salt water
Salt water plus 1 0 % marine sand by volume
agitated by compressed air. Rifle and magazine with
round in chamber and extra magazine were suspen
ded for total of two minutes.
Fig 106 The UK 'Optimum 2' case, 49.15 mm in length. Dimensioned and drawn by FN, 28 April 1953. Later termed the 'Medium 2'.
shooting accuracy. The handle embodies the FN 'elastique' concept, designed to reduce the usual change in MPI when shooting with bayonet fixed.
The rifle was now functioned by hand without magazine three times. It then functioned correctly except that the 9th and 11th rounds and the 5th, 15th and 17th rounds of 2nd magazine had to be operated by hand.
Notes on Tests at Pendine 1. Unless otherwise stated all firing was single shot. 2. In all these trials the rifle was subjected to the cold, hot, etc. conditions with a magazine fitted and except in the case of 6.1 an extra magazine was included and fired.
7. Remarks on Trials at Enfield and Pendine 7.1 During all firing under normal conditions at ambient temperature including the endurance test, a total of about 7,100 rounds was fired:
one stoppage (a lightly struck cap; the hammer had failed to come right up.)
One breakage (broken hammer spring rod,
Fig 107 The US boat-tail Frankford Arsenal T21E4 (described by FN in fig 98 as the 'T65E4').
found on examination at the end of the endurance test.) This did not cause a stoppage.
7.2 Functioning under adverse conditions 7.2.1. The rifle passed the Sand, Tropical and — 65°F correctly oiled. Tests without any stoppages. 7.2.2. In the mud test on both occasions it fired the original magazine subjected to the mud test on the rifle without any stoppages but failed with subsequent magazines in both tests. 7.2.3. Chemically dry. Normal temperature — 2 stoppages. Chemically dry —65°F stoppages on the first four rounds. Sea water test — 11 stoppages.
(There was also a failure to fire the last two rounds in the chemically dry at — 65°F. This was due to a jammed magazine platform.)
The Chemically dry tests are not representative of service conditions but they are a method of comparing the reserve of power in weapons under adverse conditions that can be more closely controlled than mixtures of mud, sand, etc. The conditions of the sea water test are no more severe than those of a beach landing.
In every case the stoppages in these three tests which can be called 'failed to fire' or 'breech failed to close' were due to the failure of the working parts to come fully forward due to friction.
In the majority of cases the rifle stopped with the cocking handle half way forward when the extra load of removing the round from the magazine occurs or with the cocking handle almost fully forward when the bolt is being forced down into the locked position.
Stoppages also occurred with the cocking handle in intermediate positions.
If it were possible to close the bolt by hand, most if not all of these stoppages could have been cured by pushing the cocking handle forward.
In this trial the immediate action used was to pull the cocking handle back a controlled distance and release. The energy was generally sufficient to close the bolt.
The failures to fire after operation by hand were because the firer pulled the cocking handle back too far and the bolt engaged, and tried to find the top round in the magazine.
It is not considered that a man could be expected to apply the I.A. of "pull back exactly x inches" in action.
The only I.A. that can be taught to clear this stoppage, which appears to be the most common
Round in chamber fired 2nd round failed to feed operated by hand 3rd round failed to feed Did not operate by hand.
Magazine was removed to clear.
4th round failed to feed operated by hand 5th round failed to feed operated by hand 6th round failed to feed operated by hand 7th round failed to feed Would not operate by
hand. Magazine was removed.
138 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 108 FN Ballistic Laboratory report dated 30 July 1953, showing remaining velocity for two loadings of the
7 x 49.15 mm Optimum 2 (Medium 2) versus two loadings of the US T65E3.
caused by a malfunction, is that which is recommended by the makers:
Remove magazine 'Pull back' and release Replace magazine. If there is still a round in the chamber the rifle
would fire, if the round had been ejected or had fallen out, it would be necessary to 'pull back' again to load. The complete cycle might then have to start again as the energy applied to the next round would be the same as that applied to the round which had caused the stoppage.
The first seven rounds of the sea water test would have entailed removing and replacing the magazine seven times.
This illustrates the importance of being able to apply extra energy to close the breech of a self loading rifle in adverse conditions.
7.3 The fitting of a bayonet altered the position of the MPI by:
.5 inches left. 3.7 inches down at 200 yards. 3.3 inches left. 9.5 inches down at 300 yards. This is acceptable but the results may vary when
the bayonet is fitted with a pronged flash hider.
7.4 There is no indication that the body cover does not make a suitable mount for the optical sight. (See Appendix 'A')
The attachment of the sight to the bracket and the bracket to the rifle was not satisfactory. The retaining screws continually worked loose.
At the end of the first cycle of the endurance test they were firmly staked by FN representative. From then on there was no movement but it is impossible to compare the position of groups fired before with those fired after the screws were secured in this way.
7.5 The mean of the 10 shot accuracy diagrams during the endurance test at 200 yards are:
Cold 5.4" x 7.8" 1.7" right 21" up Hot 8" x 8.7" .5" right 19.7" up
Fig 109 A comparison chart to fig 108, plotting residual kinetic energy for the same cartridge types.
The mean size of the diagrams fired before the endurance test was 7" x 5.75"; after the test the mean was 4" x 5.65" at 200 yards.
These results, in particular the improved small rectangles at the end of the endurance test, are satisfactory.
7.6 Total rounds fired: at Enfield 7,156 rounds of .30 cal T104E1 At Pendine 360 rounds of .30 ball LR; i.e. T65E3
case, M.E. bullet.
Appendix A To test the rigidity of the slide carrying the Optical Sight during its removal, and replacement 500 times.
1. Programme 1.1 Fire one 20 round accuracy group at 200 yards from the Enfield Rest. Record position of MPI and size of group. 1.2 Break rifle, remove slide, replace slide and close butt. Repeat 100 times, clean barrel. 1.3 Repeat 1.1 and 1.2 four times
1.4 Repeat 1.1.
2. Results
Ammunition used: 120 rounds .30 T104E1
Position of MPI Group Size 1st group 2 R, 22 up 5 x 5 1/2
140 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 110 FN prototype no 45, originally ordered by the British in cal 7 x 49.15 mm (Optimum 2), with an eclectic mixture of British and American features: UK muzzle brake, 'double-effect' cocking handle and unit-power op-
Maximum variation from mean: 9" R. 1.4" up
3. Remarks
There was no variation in the position of MPI
during the test.
The size of the 20 shot rectangles was satisfac
tory throughout the trial.
Fig 111 Closeup of the action of FN prototype no 45. The British-style 'double-effect' cocking handle was
tic sight; distinctive American bulbous trigger and folding 'Arctic' trigger guard. Later rebarreled to 7.62 mm NATO.
- QAD(W) Pattern Room
Position of MPI Group Size
2nd group 1 R, 20 1/2 up 5 x 7
3rd group 2 R, 20 1/2 up 3 1/2 x 7 1/2
4th group 2 R, 20 up 5 x 4 1/2
5th group 3 R , 20 1/2up 5x5 1/2
6th group 2 1/2R 20 up 7x8 1/2
Mean of 6
groups 2.1" R 20.6 up 5.1" x 6.4"
called for in the June 1953 Enfield and Pendine trials held to test FN prototype no 43.
Fig 112 Closeup of the folding front iron sight on FN no 45. The rear projection on the sight base was a prototype idea only - it provided a fulcrum when adjusting the gas regulator with the point of a cartridge.
In Amer ica , it was by now an open secret that the
FAL would be the next US mil i tary rifle. Press
releases were carefu l ly fed f rom Co l Studler's of
f ice to prepare the Amer i can publ ic for the fact
that a ' foreign' rifle cou ld be better than a native
US product. An early sample is the fo l lowing ex
tract f rom Army Times of Ju ly 4, 1953:
of a new light machine gun , and of the fact that both
the FN and the T-44 must be further modif ied before
either can be standardized.
T h e new machine gun wi l l weigh only about 20
pounds, yet wi l l replace guns weighing 32 to 40
pounds wi th no loss in firepower.
A r m y Field Forces is now testing both the T-44
and the FN at Fort Benning, G a . Results of these tests
are expected by this fal l at wh ich time one or the
other gun wi l l be p icked.
T h e new rifle wi l l replace four weapons — the
.45 submachine gun — the carbine, the M-1 rifle and
the B A R . T h e machine gun using the T 6 5 cartridge
wou ld replace both the light and heavy cal .30 guns
now used.
T h e new rifle still has the automatic fire
capabi l i ty. Wi th a b ipod mount, it wi l l be satisfac
tory as a substitute for the B A R , according to testi
mony.
T h e new light machine gun is similar in most
respects to the rifle, being modif ied to accept a belt
feed, instead of a magazine feed.
Monsieur Vervier was freely a l lowed to assist in the
Fort Benning trials this t ime, and reported that they
were up and on the range early every morning at 7
a.m. The troop trials were much more di f f icul t to
fo l low and record than the more methodical
technical tests, he said. In the 'squad f ield firing
test', for example, a group of ten soldiers, armed
with eight l ight F A L rifles plus the two heavy-
barrels, s imply "spread out into the bushes and
started f ir ing in all direct ions at once"
When they returned, they casua l ly reported to
an off icer with a c l ipboard the number of rounds
they had f ired, and any di f f icul t ies they had ex
per ienced.
Fig 113 FN prototype no 45 posing in a different guise, with 'standard' pistol grip and trigger mechanism; experimental flash hider removed.
Belgian Light Rifle Tested Against T-44
WASHINGTON — A new entry — the Belgian-made FN
— has come out to challenge A r m y Ordnance's T-44
for a place as the A r m y ' s new light rifle.
Hear ings before the A r m y sub-committee of the
House Appropr iat ions committee tell of the new F N ,
142 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 114 Closeup of FN prototype no 45 after modification - optic sight mount now features offset emergency iron peep sight. Compare with fig 111.
M. Vervier descr ibed a trial to demonstrate to
visiting Engl ish off icers the superiority of the
cocking handle on the left side of the arm: two
soldiers, one armed with a loaded F A L and the
other with a loaded T44, wa lked slowly out onto
the range with their rifles at the carry. At the c o m
mand "fire", they ejected the chambered cartr idge
and fired the next round as qu ick ly as possible. The
FN system, wherein the firer kept his right f inger on
the trigger at all t imes, was demonstrably faster. M.
Vervier's report of 11 Ju ly 1953 ended with the
statement that the trials were cont inuing at a de
terminedly fast pace, and would soon be com
pleted. To that date, FN rifles numbers 30 to 39, and
the two heavy-barreled versions, numbers 41 and
42, had fired in total 10,004 rounds at Fort Benning,
and had exper ienced only 13 stoppages. The only
ominous note was that the result of test 1, weights
Fig 115 FN prototype no 46, ordered by the British as the forerunner of their X8E2 series of test FAL rifles, studied in Volume Two.
Fig 116 FN prototype no 47, (pictured with its inventor Monsieur Saive in the frontispiece). This rifle featured in important trials in France in 1953.
Fig 117 FN prototype no 49, ordered by the Venezuelan government in 7 mm Optimum 2, (7 x 49.15 mm), which later became a popular cartridge in Venezuela. No 49 is
the last single FAL prototype made before quantity production began.
144 Prototypes 43 to 49
Fig 118 FN prototype no 48, the rifle which became the American 'T48' Calibre .30 T65E3. Initial American test
results very much favoured this design over the native Springfield Armory T44.
Fig 119 Closeup of the 10-round 'horseshoe' stripper clip, gripped back and front in the receiver of FAL no 48.
and dimensions, listed the average weight of the 10
FN light rifles as 8.84 lb, as opposed to 8.18 lb for
the T44. (The FN heavy barrel did better, weighing
10.85 lb, as opposed to the T44E5 heavy barrel at
11.36.)
British trials results have already been given
for the first of the f inal UK prototypes, no 43.
C a n a d a had ordered no 44, in a 's tandard' con
f igurat ion, in .30 T65 ca l . This arm was proofed and
ready in Ju ly 1953, and with it Monsieur Laloux
journeyed to O t tawa at the request of the Canad ian
government. He returned jubi lant ly to Herstal on
Ju ly 16th with the first-ever quanti ty order for the
F A L rifle. C a n a d a was first in the world to place
such an order, wh ich was for "2,000 rifles, of the
same basic type as prototype no 44, and two
mi l l ion rounds of ammuni t ion, of a type to be
dec ided on by September 30, 1953."
Monsieur Vervier himself returned to a warm
we lcome in Herstal on August 8th: the Board of In
fantry Of f icers at Fort Benning had submitted a
conc lus ive report on their Project 2495A, which in
very few words recommended the adopt ion of the
FN light auto rifle as " l imited procurement", (a
definit ive step towards fu l l -scale US adoption), and
the "suspension of further deve lopment" on the
T44. The future of the FAL rifle, in the United States
and elsewhere, looked bright indeed.
146 The Go lden Age
Fig 120 A chart prepared for this book by M. Van Rutten showing FAL sales to 1980. New, FN-made weapons only; no spare parts or client-licensed production.
Book 2
The Golden Age Introduction
The success of the F A L design in Amer ican , Brit ish,
Canad ian and Belg ian trials proved it worthy of
adopt ion by many countr ies of the free wor ld; in
deed, nearly every country in that wor ld without a
design of its own to adopt p lumped eventual ly for
the FAL . As had been the case with the numerous
FN Mauser models, c l ient country preferences were
often built into the F A L design. Some of these
variat ions came to be accepted as part of the
gradual evolut ion and refinement of the basic rifle,
whi le many others now serve only to identify the
'quirks' of the part icular adopt ing country.
Please note: The fo l lowing sect ion of countr ies
using the F A L rifle is in date order of adoption. The
list spans some twenty-eight years, dur ing which
t ime many changes have taken p lace. Some coun
tries adopted the F A L but now no longer use it,
usual ly due to the later development of a domest ic
design; for example Germany. Others adopted the
FN-made product and later progressed through the
var ious FN-recommended stages of (1) in-house
assembly, fo l lowed by (2) l imited component
product ion, and f inal ly (3) complete manufacture
of the F A L in their own arsenals. This process may
have taken ten or more years, but for the sake of
clarity, once a country is ment ioned, the complete
story of F A L development to date within that coun
try wil l be given under the one heading.
Many countr ies were quite content to adopt
the basic F A L as FN then offered it, wi thout any
unique features or identi fying marks or crest.
The dist inct ive crests on FN-contract FALs pic
tured in the fo l lowing sect ions were as a rule roll-
s tamped on to the receivers by a die, wh ich was
made in FN's own engraving shop to the design
speci f ied by the adopt ing country.
At F N , f i l l ing quant i ty orders for governments
who had adopted the FAL was the largest but by no
means the only job at hand. Numerous other coun
tries were performing their own mil i tary research
and weapons trials. The FAL became extremely
popular as a test rifle all over the wor ld, both as a
sample, to be studied from the standpoint of its
design and method of manufacture, and as an arm
of proven rel iabil i ty to be inc luded as a benchmark
in actual comparat ive f ir ing trials. Moreover, there
was the responsibi l i ty entrusted to Groupe 74, who
were not concerned with vo lume product ion at a l l ,
but buil t only prototypes, and constant ly modif ied
and improved the exist ing design.
Fol lowing is a listing spanning some fourteen
years from the fi les of Groupe 74, of trials rifles and
accessories made up to order for trials in other lands
and at F N . The list begins scant months before
Monsieur Sa ive retired from F N , on November 30,
1954.
His p lace was very ably taken by his chief
assistant. Monsieur Ernest Vervier, who later
designed the M A G 5 8 Mitrailleuse a gaz, or gas-
operated machine gun.
148 The Go lden A g e
Trials Rifles & Accessories Made to Order
Date Country
1954
Qty Descript ion Date
1955
Country
(conti
Qty
nued)
Description
Apri l V e n e z u e l a 1 F A L 7mm short Mar Church i l l 1 Special-order FAL
(.280) presentation
May U K & C a n 1300 F A L opt ical sight May Egypt 2 FAL Canada
bases & hoods May New 1 FAL UK-2 covers,
May U K 3 FA HB shoulder Zea land long & short
pieces l ike US (con May C o l o m b i a 1 F A L Standard
tract 31 Mar 54) May Peru 1 F A L Standard
Ju ly Israel 15 F A L May Germany 3 F A L with optic
Ju ly Brazi l 2 F A L type C a n a d a sight ser no G57,
ser no BRE1 & 2 G58, G67
A u g Denmark 5 F A L June Belg C o n g o 2 F A L Belgian M1
Sept Sweden spares to convert June Mex ico 5 F A L Standard 10 FN49 rifles to O c t Ho l land 3 1 FAL Canada ; 1
6.5x55 FAL U S A ; 1 F A L O
Aug Norway 10 FAL O c t Aust r ia 1 FAL C a n a d a
O c t Israel 2 FAL H B Ser no E4 O c t Germany 1 F A L C a n a d a
and E5 Dec Jordan 2 F A L Standard
O c t V e n e z u e l a 1 F A L 7mm medium Dec Luxem
(prototype no 49) bourg 1 F A L S t a n d a r d s
O c t India 13 FAL F A L Belgian
O c t Israel 2 F A L c l ip loading
O c t Be lg ium 1 F A L heavy barrel
Nov Israel 1 F A L C a n a d a 1956
D e c Argent ina 2 F A L
Dec Argent ina 1 F A L heavy barrel Date Country Qty Description type U S A
Dec Brazi l 1 F A L C a n a d a w/ Jan Switzer
f lash hider ser no 01 land 2 FAL Ca l 7.5 Swiss
Dec Mex ico 1 F A L C a n a d a Feb U S A 6 Amer ican trials
Dec U S A 7 F A L 7.62 for US arc FALs
t ic trials Feb U K 1 F A L for sand and
D e c U S A 4 F A L heavy barrel mud tests
del 11.1.55 June France 1 F A L Standard
Dec German- 2 F A L C a n a d a Aug Israel 2 F A L with sand cuts;
demo 1 F A L U S A (T48) F A L type U K - a l u m
1 F A L O inum lower receiver
Dec N ica ragua 1 F A L C a n a d a Aug Germany 1 F A L 2 covers for
scope sight
Sept Yugos lav ia 1 F A L Standard
1955 O c t U S A 1 1 FAL to
C O N A R C - F t Benning
Date Country Qty Descript ion O c t Germany 10 F A L metal h g &
bipod
Mar Sir Winston Nov Kuwai t 1 F A L Standard
Church i l l 1 grenade launcher D e c V e n e z u e l a 1 F A L 7mm D189;
May Spain 1 F A L C a n a d a 7.62mm 1 F A L O 7mm D190
Mar Spa in 1 F A L O
Date Country Qty Descript ion
Feb Aust r ia 1 F A L German
Feb Tha i land 1 F A L Standard D191 1 F A L O DL192
Feb Saudi
A rab ia 1 F A L Standard D193 1 F A L O DL194
Feb Indonesia 1 F A L Standard D195 1 F A L O DL196
Apr Turkey 1 F A L German G1
no 199 1 F A L Standard 200 1 FALO 198
June Indonesia 1 F A L ' type 100,000'
(German G1) ser 217 Aug Belg ium 1 Support for infra
red (Phil ips) sniper-
scope Sept Italy 1 F A L German D235
1 F A L light D236 1 F A L O LD237
Sept I taly 1 F A L D258 'Arsenal
Exerci to ' O c t Iran 1 F A L German G1
1 FAL 'H idu ' (H idu-
minium lower re
ceiver construc
tion)
1 F A L O
1958
Date Country Qty Descript ion
Jan Braz i l 2 F A L Standard D284
D285
1 F A L D286
F A L extra l ight D287
Jan Braz i l 1 F A L German G1
D288
Feb Germany 1 cover for Hensold t
scope mounted on side; 1 cover for
Hensold t direct ly
over line of sight
May V e n e z u e l a 1 FAL 7 mm medium
May Braz i l 1 F A L 7.62 no E13
May Germany 1 mount for E N O S A
Scope
Sept Gua tema la 1 F A L German G1
Sept U K 2 F A L 7.62 Standard
Ministry of Supp ly
1958 (continued)
Date Country Qty Descript ion
O c t France 2 F A L Austr ian -
S T R I M grenade
launcher O c t U S A 6 F A L cal 7.62 Stand
ard (US Army Ord ,
Phi ladelphia) O c t C u b a 1 F A L German
Dec Ho l land 1 Scope mount
' O I P'
1959
Date Country Qty Descript ion
Jan Ch i le 1 F A L O DL420
Jan Germany 2 F A L w/open sights
1 F A L
1 F A L
Feb C u b a 2 F A L Standard
Mar St Domin
ique 2 F A L Belg ique M1
Mar Be lg ium 1 F A L O DL1148
Apr Greece 1 F A L type Peru
Apr Ecuador /
C o l o m b i a 1 F A L Standard D464
Apr Ireland 1 F A L Standard D469
May V e n e z u e l a 1 F A L type German
May V e n e z u e l a 1 F A L 7.62 type Vene
zue la May Be lg ium Prototype support
O I P (scope mount
and cover)
May 2 F A L 7mm medium
type Venezue la
G475
June G h a n a 2 F A L G481, G482
A u g Israel 4 F A L G496, 497, 498
G499
Aug Sweden 1 F A L type Austr ia
no 502
1 F A L Standard 504
1 F A L Standard 503
Sept FN 1 F A L Standard to
study proto .22
Sept Greece 1 F A L type Peru G514
Sept Niger ia 1 F A L Standard G515
1957
150 The Go lden A g e
1959 (continued) 1960 (continued)
Date Country Qty Descript ion Date Country Qty Description
O c t Portugal 3 F A L G517 Dec Ecuador 1 FAL , b lued, with
G 5 1 9 - 5 2 0 O I P scope
Nov Sudan 1 F A L type Peru
blued f inish G521
Nov Sudan 1 F A L Standard 1961 Nov Belg ium 1 F A L O (shor thand-
guard) Date Country Qty Description Dec 2 F A L G534-535 type
Peru Jan Tha i land 1 F A L G706
Feb Be lg ium 2 F A L folding butt
0001/2 (proto)
1 F A L G674 1960 Feb Germany
2 F A L folding butt
0001/2 (proto)
1 F A L G674
Feb Tha i land 1 F A L
Date Country Qty Descript ion Feb Ecuador 1 F A L modif ied Mar France 6 F A L l ightweight
Jan Italy 35 F A L G827-832
Mar Sweden 30 F A L Mar Ireland 1 F A L type S. Af r ica
Mar Ho l land 240 F A L leger N1-N240 Mar Sweden Convers ion parts
Mar U K 1 F A L for 3 FALs in 6.5x
Mar 10 G598-G607 51 mm
Apr Pakistan 1 F A L type Peru G593 Apr Argent ina 1 F A L Para
Apr Ho l land 10 F A L Standard, light 1 F A L Standard weight Apr Peru 1 F A L Para P7
May South Apr Tha i land 1 F A L Standard G1019
A f r i ca 1 F A L Standard G620 Apr V e n e z u e l a 1 F A L Para P8
1 F A L metal guard Apr Denmark 3 scope covers - In f ra-G622 red, 1 O I P , 1 Hen-
1 F A L O G625 soldt
May Portugal 1 F A L G621 Apr Turkey 1 F A L type S Af r i ca
May C o l o m b i a 1 F A L D626 no 1099
May Ho l land 5 sniper scope May Peru Phil ips IR mount. covers (Phil ips) base & scope
May Norway 2 F A L G623 G624 June Sweden 124 F A L 7.62
May Ireland 1 F A L D628 Ju ly Ho l land 2 F A L type Hol land
June C o l o m b i a 1 F A L D629 G1298-1299
June Sweden 3 F A L ca l 6.5x55mm June France 1 F A L D831 B
ser 1, 2 & 3 A u g Pakistan 1 F A L
Ju ly Turkey 2 F A L 38T-39T Aug Rhod & Ny
Aug India 3 F A L O GL635-636- assaland 1 F A L
637 Sept Ho l land 8 22 kits
Sept S A f r i ca 1 F A L Standard Sept Ho l land 2 22 kits
Sept Braz i l 1 F A L Standard O c t Aust r ia 1 F A L Standard G1412
Sept Argent ina 1 F A L G647 O c t 1 F A L l ightweight
Sept Rhodes ia & G1413
Nyassa land 1 F A L G648 O c t France 1 F A L Peru P10
Sept C o l o m b i a 1 scope base O c t Argent ina 1 F A L Peru P9
Nov Ch i le 1 F A L D964 O c t C o l o m b i a 1 F A L Peru P11
Nov Morocco 1 F A L G675 Nov Formosa 5 F A L
1 F A L GL675 5 F A L O
Nov Denmark 6 F A L Nov Ho l land 2 F A L no 022 & 060
Nov 1 G530
Dec France 2 G702-G703
1962
Date Country Qty Descript ion
Feb France 3 F A L l ightweight
2 F A L O
Apr India 1 F A L Para P12 Date
5 F A L Standard G1996
-G2000 O c t
Apr Braz i l 1 F A L Para P13
1 F A L Standard G2004
May Liège 1 F A L Para P14 Nov
May Sweden 1 F A L
Ju ly Be lg ium 1 F A L Para 0003
1 F A L Para P15
Aug C o l o m b i a 2 F A L
Aug Sweden 10 F A L Para Date
A u g Braz i l 4 F A L G2997-G3000
Sept France 25 F A L Jan
25 F A L l ightweight Jan
A u g Sweden 100 F A L Jan
Sept C o l o m b i a 1 F A L Para P18
O c t L iber ia 4 F A L G3009-3012 Mar
O c t Braz i l 1 F A L Mar
1 F A L O
Nov L iber ia 2 F A L
Nov Germany 1 F A L Para P19 Apr
Dec Nepal 2 F A L Standard Apr
D3152-3153 May
Aug
1963 Aug
Date Country Qty Descript ion Aug
Feb C o l o m b i a 1 F A L Para Mar Be lg ium 1 F A L
Apr Saudi
A rab ia 1 F A L G3912 Date May Equador 2 F A L Para
June Sweden 10 F A L Para Jan
10 F A L
June Ho l land 2 F A L Para G3942-
G3943 Feb Ju ly Uganda 1 F A L Feb Ju ly U K 1 F A L G3944 (plast ic
butt) Mar Aug Israel 2 F A L Para Mar Aug Argent ina 2 F A L Para PG3948- Apr
3949
Sept France 2 F A L Apr O c t 5 F A L
Sept U S A 6 F A L Apr O c t Germany 10 mechanisms for May
German blanks June O c t Morocco 1 F A L Para P17
1963 (continued)
1964
1965
Country Qty Description
Hol land 1 F A L .280 modif ied
for trials in 7.62 x
39 (AK47)
U K 1 F A L 4001
Country Qty Descript ion
Austr ia 1 F A L Para
Braz i l 1 F A L
FN 1 develop prototype
F A L in .223 ca l
U S A 55 F A L
C o l o m b i a 1 F A L D4024
1 F A L O DL4022
1 F A L PO4026
Peru 2 F A L
Ecuador 1 F A L
L ibya 2 F A L Special ( l ike
L1A1)
Braz i l 2 F A L Para PG4097-
4098
Braz i l 1 F A L no 1
Greece 3 F A L 4100, 4101, 4102
Country Qty Descript ion
FN 1 .223-rifle of 2nd generation with
proto 3 shot burst
Braz i l 1 F A L no 4186
St Kitts 1 F A L
Nevis
U K 1 F A L
Argent ina 1 F A L
FN 1 .223 2nd generat ion
in stamped steel
FN 1 .223 grenade
launcher
U S A 60 F A L
Ecuador 1 F A L
FN 1 .223 2nd generat ion
152 The Go lden Age
1965 (continued)
Date Country Qty Descript ion
June Turkey 3 FAL 'maxi ' *E4313,
4314, 4315
June Turkey 2 F A L 001, 002
Aug Eth iopia 2 F A L
Aug Mex ico 3 F A L D4340, 41, 42
Aug France 1 F A L
Sept Paraguay 1 F A L Para PG4348
O c t Mex ico 1 F A L 4351
O c t Denmark 2 F A L
O c t Denmark 3 F A L 'max i '
Nov U S A 3 F A L 'max i '
Nov France 12 F A L 'max i '
Dec Mex ico 1 F A L
1 F A L Para
Dec FN 1 FALO-pro to type
open breech (full
auto f rom open
bolt)
Dec U S A 140 F A L 'max i '
1966
Date Country Qty Descript ion
Feb U K 2 F A L 'max i ' G5044-45
Jan Swi tz (Sig) 1 F A L S046
Mar Tanzan ia 1 F A L G5048
May Turkey 1 F A L Para
Sept C a n a d a 2 F A L 'max i '
O c t FN 1 Proto C A L no 3
5.56mm
Nov Turkey 1 F A L Standard
* Note: the FAL 'max i ' was a test weapon made up
to order for ammuni t ion control tests, featuring
max imum (oversize) headspace and min imum firing
pin protrusion. These were used to test expansion
of cartr idge cases. The FAL 'mini' was the reverse,
featuring a tight chamber and max imum firing pin
protrusion. These were test weapons only and
never produced in quanti ty. — Ed.
1967
Date Country Qty Description
Jan FN begin construction
of 5 proto C A L in
5.56mm Jan Z a m b i a 1 FAL Standard
May Argent ina 1 F A L Para Belgian
M3 (short barrel)
1 FAL June FN 2 40mm Grenade
launchers for C A L
5.56mm
Ju ly Sweden 1 C A L proto 5.56 mm
Aug Eth iopia 1 FAL
Aug U S A 75 FAL 'maxi '
Aug Argent ina 1 FAL short barrel
1 F A L Para M3
Dec Greece 3 F A L G559-E9651-
PG6324
Dec El S a l v a
dor 1 F A L Standard
1968
Date Country Qty Description
Jan Be lg ium 1 C A L Prototype
Feb Tha i land 1 F A L Feb K e n y a 1 F A L Apr C o l o m b i a 1 F A L
1 F A L Para 1 F A L O
May Norway 2 F A L 'maxi '
Part One
The FAL 'Canada'
Canada 1953
The 1953 Canad ian order was expanded sl ight ly
and conf i rmed on Ju ly 20th, 1953, by the Minister
of Defence Product ion, as being for:
• 2,000 rifles, 1,000 fitted with iron sights and
1,000 fitted with the UK-des ign unit-power opti
ca l sight
• 6,000 magaz ines
• 2,000 bayonets
• 50 Energa-type grenade launchers
• 2,000,000 cartr idges of a design to be f ina l ized
by Sept 30, 1953.
This order was amended a short t ime later, a
fac t wh ich the author was not aware of until quite
recently, and f ina l ized, stil l for a total quant i ty of
2,000 rif les, but for 1,700 of the ' E X 1 ' or iron sight
model , and only 300 of the unit-optic ' E X 2 ' type.
(This wou ld certainly help account for the relative
rarity of the latter Canad ian model.) The Canad ian
Fig 121 FN-manufactured CDN EX1 rifle, the FAL 'Canada'. 1700 produced in 1954 for Canadian troop trials. Studied in Volume One. — Bruce Douglas collection
Fig 122 FN-manufactured CDN EX2 rifle. Only 300 were made; cal 7.62 mm NATO. Studied in Volume One.
— author's collection
Fig 123 The Canadian EX2 rifle. Note receiver markings and offset front iron sight. - Photo: Wm. J.S. Smith, Toronto.
154 The FAL ' C a n a d a '
EX1 and EX2 rifles were serial ly numbered O . B .
0001, to O .B . 2000.
As was ment ioned earlier, C a n a d a was the first
country in the wor ld to adopt the F A L rifle. This
precedent quite natural ly gave a point of reference
to future orders for several years thereafter. Many
other countr ies adopted the F A L 'Canada ' , with or
without modi f icat ions, as their own design.
The Amer i can T65E3 .30 cal ibre cartr idge was
adopted as standard by al l the members of N A T O
in late 1953. Its designat ion was f ina l ized as
7.62mm N A T O in 1954. At F N , the streamlined
mass-product ion techniques and machinery
layouts of Monsieur La loux design were al ready
beginning the 7.62mm Canad ian order. Records in
d icate the EX1 ser O . B . 0002 was del ivered and had
successfu l ly f ired 6,000 rounds at Canad ian Ar
senals ' test range by October , 1954.
Vo lume O n e contains detai led information on
the fo l lowing topics: Canad ian trials with these
metr ic-measurement weapons; the format ion of the
UK-Canada-Aus t ra l ia Ri f le Steering Commit tee,
with C a n a d a as its Design Authori ty; the sub
sequent convers ion of the FN F A L drawings to Im
perial inch measurement and the product ion of the
agreed-upon, modi f ied design at Canad ian Arsenals
Limited, near Toronto.
The Canad ian design is currently issued to the
Canad ian Armed Forces in three versions as
fo l lows:
1. Semi-automat ic rifle C1A1
2. Select ive-f ire rifle C 1 A 1 D , for troops of the Mari
t ime C o m m a n d (Navy);
3. Select ive fire, heavy-barrel l ight support weapon
C 2 A 1 .
Fig 124 The supernumerary rifle in the Canadian-ordered EX series, serial no O.B. 2001. Prototype change lever button and US T48-type pistol grip and trigger guard.
— Diemaco Incorporated
Fig 125 FN-produced T48E1 heavy-barrel automatic rifle, modified in Canadian trials and fitted with a Bren Mk II bipod and rear tripod bracket. Handguard removed. Compare with page 165. — Diemaco Incorporated
156 The FAL ' C a n a d a '
Fig 126 The first C1 rifle, made in 1955 by Canadian Arsenals Limited. Serial no 0L0000. Inch measurement; studied in Volume One. — Canadian War Museum
Fig 127 Current-issue Canadian C1A1D (selective fire, light barrel). Issued to troops of Canadian Forces Mari
Fig 128 'Rifle, C1 Instructional', cutaway to show working parts. — Diemaco Incorporated
time Command (Navy). Fitted with the Canadian-issue UK L1A2 grenade launcher.
The United States, 1954 - 1957
Let it be said at the outset of this section that the United States is the only country included here which did not actually adopt the FAL rifle. Sizeable quantities of several models were purchased, for extensive trials, but long after Canada, Britain, Belgium and numerous other countries had 'signed up' with FN, and even in the face of a tacit agreement to adopt the FAL in the American .30 calibre, which had been reached in 1952 between Prime Minister Churchill and American President Truman, the US-version of the FAL (known as the T48) was ultimately passed over in favour of the native US T44 design.
The FN arctic triggerguard as designed by M. Saive and pioneered on prototype no 38 for Col Studler's approval, was taken to heart and became the most distinguishing feature of the American T48 design, which was basically the FAL 'Canada' with this unique triggerguard added. In November, 1953,
just two months after Col Studler's retirement on August 31 as Assistant Chief of Ordnance, 100 FAL rifles were ordered from FN, 70 of the light T48 type and the remaining 30, fitted with heavy barrel and bipod, known as the T48E1. That same month, the arctic trials which had been scheduled to follow the summer 1953 Fort Benning test series began, and Monsieur Vervier once again journeyed across the Atlantic.
The news from Fort Benning of the summer Board's preference for the FN over the T44 had not come as a surprise to many in the US military; indeed, the T44 was sent along to Big Delta, Alaska merely as a bench-mark — a place from which the FAL's performance could further be measured. A complete English-language manual was prepared by FN for the T48 model, further indicating the universal degree of assurance which prevailed at the time regarding its ultimate American adoption.
Fig 129 Excerpt f rom the cover of the original FN Engl ish- language T48 manua l , prepared for trials of FN T48 and T48E1 rifles purchased by the United States in 1953.
158 The United States 1954 - 1957
Fig 131 (overleaf) The T48E1 heavy-barrel automat ic rifle.
Fig 130 The T48 (light barrel) rifle, ca l .30 T65E3. Figs 131 to 138 are also from this first FN Engl ish- language T48 manual .
160 The United States 1954 - 1957
Fig 135 Charg ing the T48 with the 10-round 'horseshoe' cl ip. Compare the product ion front receiver guides with fig 119.
Fig 136 The 'Arct ic ' tr iggerguard hinged down. Note the FN T48 receiver markings.
Fig 137 Remov ing the 1 -p iece extractor with the aid of a cartridge.
Fig 138 Remov ing the 'hairpin' extractor spring. This design was later superceded, as it d id not stand up.
Overleaf; Above : Fig 132 Remov ing the T48 gas piston Centre: Fig 133 Remov ing the bolt and bolt carrier Below: Fig 134 Remov ing the charger- loading body cover.
162 The United States 1954 - 1957
Interest continued in spite of the 1953 Arctic trials result, which was a devastating reversal of opinion by the testing officers in Alaska. Notwithstanding M. Vervier's best efforts, they found the T48 not at all well prepared for the rigorous arctic cold. They much preferred the limited-budget T44s.
Further American orders, for advanced, FAL-equipped troop trials were nevertheless forthcoming the following summer, totalling over three thousand rifles. The true breakdown of this order is interesting, and is hitherto unreported: of the total 1954 US order of 3,303 rifles, (Volume One), fully 2,270 were the FAL 'Canada' light rifle type. Only 833 were made in the bona fide T48 configuration; the final 200 were heavy-barrel T48E1 s.
The success story of the underdog T44, which
went on (under the able direction of Col Roy Rayle at Springfield Armory to become adopted on May 1, 1957 as the US rifle, M14, is further told elsewhere. Nevertheless, if any further proof is needed of just how close the FAL came to US adoption, the following excerpts are presented from a rare US Army provisional manual, 1,500 copies of which were issued from Fort Benning on 8 December 1954. No expense was spared in ensuring that these instructions were accurate, thorough and could support an in-service weapon: the complete manual is 140 pages in length. Aside from the American 'mid point' front sling swivel, and despite the 'T48' terminology, the weapon described throughout is the FAL 'Canada'.
1. P U R P O S E AND SCOPE
This special text tells you how to fire the T48 rifle and how to take care of it in the field and in garr ison. It tells you f irst about the rifle itself—how it works, how to take care of it, and what it can do. Then it tells how to fire at a fixed t a rge t on the range and how to fire under battlefield conditions. The text also includes information on the bayonet and how to do the manual of a rms with the T48 rifle.
This text does not include all the details on pit operations, safety precautions, conduct of range firing, and technique of rifle fire. Additional information on these mat te rs can be found in FM 23-5 for the T48 rifle and in FM 23-15 for the T48E1. Where there is conflict between the information contained in this text and in the field manuals , the special text applies.
Instructors and coaches should also study the fundamentals of marksmanship contained in TIS Special Text 23-5-1, "Hi ts Count."
2 . IMPORTANCE OF R I F L E TRAINING When your unit goes into battle, it will be
supported by other weapons, most of them of
larger caliber than your rifle and capable of f ir ing at longer ranges. The main purpose of those weapons is to destroy or pin down as many of the enemy as possible before you and your rifle close with him on the objective. But the final success of your squad or platoon will depend on how well you and the men next to you can shoot your rifles. The T48 and T48E1 rifles can deliver a large volume of fire when necessary, but recent wars have proved tha t one well-aimed shot is more valuable than a full magazine sprayed in the general direction of the enemy.
A poorly-trained rifleman lacks confidence and is of no help to the rest of his squad. In combat he does one of two th ings : he either doesn't fire at all or he fires wildly in the general direction of the enemy. The well-trained rifleman, on the other hand, has confidence in himself and his weapon. He is the one who gets hits and earns the respect of the rest of his unit.
The marskmanship t ra in ing you get is battle-tested and thorough. If you learn and practice the r ight shooting habits, you will become a good shot. Begin your t ra in ing by remember-
164 The Fort Benning T48 manual
Figure 1a. The T48 Rifle
Figure lb . The T48E1 Rifle
166 The Fort Benning T48 manual
ing tha t no pa r t of shooting is about right. You either HIT or you MISS, and in combat that may spell the difference between life and death for you and the other men of your unit.
3 . DESCRIPTION OF T H E T48 R I F L E
There a re two models of the T48 rifle. One, having a light barrel is called the T48 (fig. 1 a ) . The second, the T48E1, has a heavy barrel, a bipod, a hinged but t plate, and an automatic change lever (fig. 1 b ) . Both are caliber .30, magazine fed, gas-operated, air-cooled weapons. The T48 is a semiautomatic shoulder weapon and the T48E1 is a semiautomatic or automatic weapon. The hinged but t plate makes it possible for the T48E1 to be fired from the bipod or from the shoulder. The T48 can be fired automatically when fitted with
a change lever of the same design as the lever that is s tandard equipment with the T48E1. Remember these differences in the T48E1 : it has a heavy barrel , bipod, hinged butt plate, and an automatic change lever.
Both models have a front sight tha t can be adjusted when you are zeroing your rifle (par. 78) . It is mounted at the forward end of the gas cylinder. The rear sight, which is an aperture r amp type, is the same on both models. It is mounted on the stock group. The rear sight is marked off in 100-yard measurements from 100 to 600 yards. You can change the strike of the bullet to the r ight or left by loosening the deflection screws and moving the rear sight in the desired direction (par. 78) .
Here are some facts you will want to know about both models:
T48 TA8E1 Weights (approximate) :
Rifle without magazine 9 lbs 11 1/2 lbs Empty magazine 1/2 lb 1/2 lb Full magazine (20 rounds) 1 1/2 lbs 11/2 lbs Bipod 11/2 lbs F i r ing weight with flash suppressor and sling 11 lbs 14 1/2 lbs
Lengths (approximate) :
Rifle, overall, with flash suppressor 44 1/2" 45" Barrel 2 1 " 2 1 "
Method of operation—gas.
Method of feeding—magazine, 20 round capacity.
Cyclic ra te of fire (automatic)—650 to 700 rounds per minute.
Muzzle velocity—2,800 to 2,850 feet per second.
Maximum range—3,500 yards (ball ammuni t ion) .
Maximum effective range—500 yards .
Ammunition : Ball (M59)—for use in marksmanship t ra in ing.
Armor piercing (M61)—for use against lightly armored vehicles, protective shelters, and personnel.
Tracer (M62)—for observation of fire, incendiary and signaling purposes. Grenade Launcher (M64)—for use in launching grenades.
4. F I R E P O W E R When you squeeze the t r igger the round is
fired, the empty case is ejected, the hammer is cocked, a new round is inserted into the chamber, and the rifle is ready to fire again—
all in about one eight-hundredth of a minute. This rapid mechanical action allows each rifleman to deliver a large number of aimed shots in a short t ime.
5. G E N E R A L Although the T48 rifle is a rugged weapon,
it can be damaged if it is not handled properly. Worn or damaged par t s can cause your rifle to malfunction and, although you may be given an "alibi" on the range when your rifle fails to fire, the enemy will not give you an "alibi."
To help keep your rifle in firing condition, follow these rules when taking it apa r t or putt ing i t together :
Do not use force.
Do not hurry. Has te can lead to damaged par ts .
As you take the rifle apar t , lay the parts out in the order of disassembly. This will help you put your rifle back together.
You are permitted to disassemble only certain parts because constant dissassembly causes extra wear and some par t s require special tools for disassembly. The disassembly char t on the following page shows which groups and par ts you may disassemble alone, under supervision, or not at all. You may disassemble those par t s indicated by " s " only when supervised by an NCO or an officer.
Learn the names of the groups and pa r t s as you disassemble and assemble your rifle, and
also learn their functions. The names of the important visible pa r t s of the rifles are shown in figures la and l b .
6 . DISASSEMBLY OF T H E BARREL AND R E C E I V E R GROUP
To remove the magazine, hold the pistol grip with your r ight hand and place the but t of the rifle on your r ight hip or thigh, with the sights pointing to the r ight . Loosen the sling. Grasp the magazine with your left hand so tha t your thumb is against the magazine catch and your fingers are extended around the front of the magazine. With the thumb of your left hand, push in on the magazine catch, rotate the magazine forward and out, and remove it from the receiver (fig. 2 ) .
Before disassembly, be sure your rifle is cocked, the safety is on, and the rear sight is at its lowest (100-yard) setting. Cock the rifle by pulling the a rming handle all the way to the rear with your left hand and releasing it. Do not squeeze the tr igger, because the hammer must be cocked to remove the bolt and bolt carrier. Place the change lever on " S " (safe) setting. Depress the rea r sight lock with your thumb and forefinger and slide the sight all the way to the rea r (fig. 3 ) .
168 The Fort Benning T48 manual
DISASSEMBLY CHART
GROUPS AND P A R T S Disassembly by
When supervised by A F F
Board # 3 Only
GROUPS AND P A R T S Individual
Soldier Armore r NCO Officer
A F F Board # 3 Only
1. Barrel and receiver group X
Except:
Fron t sight X
Driving rod from bolt car r ier X
Handguard S X
Carrying handle X
Arming handle X
Bolt stop s X
Magazine catch S X
2. Stock and t r igger housing groups from barrel and receiver group X
3. Stock and t r igger groups including rear sight s X
Except:
Automatic sear spring from automatic sear X
Tr igger spring and plunger X
Pistol gr ip X
Hammer spring guide from hammer X
Holding plate X
Locking lever, spr ing and plunger X
Figure 2. Removing the magazine.
With your left hand, palm up, grasp the handguard below the upper sling swivel. Grasp the small of the stock with your r ight hand. Lower the muzzle of the rifle below the horizontal to prevent the bolt and bolt carr ier from falling out of the receiver when the receiver is opened. Press the locking lever toward the rea r with the thumb of your r ight hand and open the receiver by applying pressure downward on the top of the stock with your r ight forearm (fig. 4 ) . This breaking action will cause the rifle to open like a shotgun.
Pull the driving rod up and to the rear, sliding the bolt and bolt carr ier from the receiver.
To remove the bolt from the bolt carrier , hold them in the palm of your left hand so the driving rod is toward your body and the open face of the bolt is up. The head of the firing
pin should protrude through its hole in the bolt carr ier . Grasp the bolt with your r ight hand so tha t your thumb is against the head of the f ir ing pin and your second finger is against the face of the bolt (fig. 5 ) . Squeeze in on the head of the fir ing pin, compressing the firing pin spring, and rotate the face of the bolt upward and toward your body.
To remove the f ir ing pin from the bolt group, grasp the bolt in your left hand with your left thumb over the head of the firing pin. Depress the f ir ing pin with your left thumb. Remove the firing pin retainer by drift ing it out with the point of a dummy round (fig. 6 ) . Release the pressure on the firing pin slowly with your left thumb, allowing the fir ing pin spring to expand. Lift out the fir ing pin and the fir ing pin spring. Separate these two par ts .
170 The Fort Benning T48 manual
To remove the extractor and extractor spring, hold the bolt firmly in your left hand with the face of the bolt up and the extractor to the left. Place the point of a dummy cartridge under the claw of the extractor and press outward. P r y up, unseating the undercut shoulders of the extractor (fig. 7 ) , and remove the extractor and extractor spr ing from the bolt. Separate these two par t s . (The ext rac tor and extractor spr ing a re not removed from the bolt for normal care and cleaning.)
Grasp the end of the receiver cover with your r ight hand, thumb inserted under the top of the receiver cover, and pull toward the rear , sliding it from the receiver. Grasp the small of the stock with your r ight hand and the hand-guard with your left hand. Close the receiver with a snapping motion.
To disassemble the gas system, place the rifle on a table, muzzle to the left and sights up. Hold the rifle in position with your r ight hand. With the thumb of your left hand, fully depress the gas cylinder plug lock, rotate the gas cylinder plug away from you approximately 90°, and allow the gas piston spring to expand slowly. Remove the gas piston and gas piston spring from the gas cylinder by sliding them toward the muzzle. To complete the disassembly of the barre l and receiver group, separate these two par t s .
The disassembled par t s of the rifle, laid out from r ight to left in the order in which they were disassembled, are shown in figure 8.
7 . ASSEMBLY OF T H E BARREL AND RECEIVER GROUP
Place the rifle on a table with the muzzle to the left and the sights toward your body. Replace the gas piston spr ing on the gas piston. Be sure to place the smallest end of the gas piston spring on the gas piston because reverse assembly will cause the rifle to function improperly. Slide these two par t s into the gas cylinder, spring end first .
With your r ight hand, hold the rifle muzzle to the left with the sights up. To replace the gas cylinder plug, grasp it with your left thumb and fingers so tha t the " A " is toward the muzzle. In this position, place the gas cylinder plug in contact with the face of the gas piston (fig. 9 ) .
Figure 3. Setting the rear sight.
Holding the rifle in place with the right hand, press the gas cylinder plug into the gas cylinder, fully depress the gas cylinder plug lock, and rotate the plug toward you until the plug lock reseats itself in the locked position. In this position, the " A " is upside down (fig. 10) .
Break open the rifle and replace the receiver cover, r ea r clip guide first, by engaging its guide ribs with the guide grooves in the receiver and sliding it forward into position.
Place the extractor spring into the extractor with the short end of the extractor spring in the hole of the extractor. The long end fits along the groove on the outside of the extractor. Replace the extractor and extractor spr ing in the bolt with the claw of the extractor facing the center of the bolt. Grasp the bolt in your
Figure 4. Opening the receiver.
left hand with the extractor to the left; place your r ight thumb on top of the extractor ; press out and down on the extractor and seat it into the bolt (fig. 11) .
Replace the firing pin spring on the firing pin. Hold the bolt with your left hand. Insert the fir ing pin and fir ing pin spring into the bolt so tha t the guide lug of the f ir ing pin fits into i ts recess in the bolt. Depress the fir ing pin with the thumb of your left hand, compressing the f ir ing pin spring. Replace the fir ing pin retainer (fig. 12) .
To seat the bolt into the bolt carrier , place the bolt carr ier in the palm of your left hand with the open face up and the driving rod toward your body. Holding the bolt in your r ight hand, with the bottom up, seat the head of the f ir ing pin into its hole in the bolt carr ier . Regrasp the bolt with your r ight hand, placing your r ight thumb on the head of the f ir ing pin, and your middle finger on the face of the bolt.
Squeeze with these fingers, and at the same time, rota te the bolt downward, allowing it to drop into position in the bolt carr ier .
To replace the bolt and bolt carrier , set the rea r sight on its lowest sett ing (100 y a r d s ) . Hold the rifle at the balance in the palm of your left hand and depress the muzzle 45° or more below the horizontal. With your r ight hand, grasp the end of the driving rod, pick up the bolt and bolt carr ier and allow them to hang down. Engage the guide ribs of the bolt carr ier with the guide grooves in the rea r of the receiver. Release the driving rod and depress the muzzle sufficiently to allow the bolt and bolt carr ier to slide forward independently into the receiver.
With a snapping motion, close the receiver. To check the assembly, pull the a rming handle all the way to the rea r and release it. If the bolt goes forward, the rifle is correctly assembled.
172 T h e For t B e n n i n g T48 m a n u a l
174 The Fort Benning T48 manual
Figure 9. Replacing the gas cylinder plug.
8. DISASSEMBLY OF T H E BOLT STOP AND T H E MAGAZINE CATCH
You may disassemble the bolt stop and magazine catch only when supervised by a noncommissioned officer. Place the rifle on a table, muzzle to the left and sights away from you. With a screwdriver, remove the bolt stop and magazine catch re ta ining pin, which is located above the bolt stop, by tu rn ing counterclockwise. The bolt stop may then be removed by sliding it toward you.
To remove the magazine catch and the magazine catch spring, grasp the magazine catch with the thumb and forefinger of your r ight hand. Place your left thumb against the forward surface of the magazine catch. With your r ight hand, pull the catch out and toward the bu t t of the rifle. At the same t ime keep the spring seated in its well in the catch. To complete the disassembly, separate the magazine catch spr ing from the magazine catch.
9. ASSEMBLY OF T H E BOLT STOP AND MAGAZINE CATCH
Place the rifle on a table with the muzzle to the left and the sights away from you. Seat the magazine catch spr ing into its well in the magazine catch. Hold the magazine catch between your r ight thumb and forefinger, so that the spr ing is to the left and the nose is forward. Part ial ly insert the magazine catch into its recess so tha t it forms an angle of 45° with the rifle. Push the end of the spring forward into the rifle with your left thumb, and push the magazine catch into the rifle until the spring is seated in the recess in the t r igger housing.
Slide the bolt stop assembly forward into its recess and then insert the retaining pin. Maintain a moderate pressure on the retaining pin and aline the bolt stop by alternately pushing it all the way into i ts recess and pulling it out a short distance. Aline the magazine catch and fully seat the retaining pin, screwing it in until it is moderately t ight .
Figure 10. Position of "A."
Figure 11. Replacing the extractor. Figure 12. Replacing the firing pin retainer.
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10. DISASSEMBLY OF T H E TRIGGER HOUSING GROUP
Remove the bolt and bolt carr ier as described in pa ragraph 6.
To separate the barrel and receiver group from the stock and t r igger housing groups, place the rifle on a table with the carrying handle down, receiver open, muzzle to the left and sights away from your body. Remove the sling from the lower sling swivel. With the thumb of either hand, or the r im of a dummy cartr idge, unscrew and remove the t r igger housing spindle by ro ta t ing it counterclockwise. Using the point of a dummy round, push down on the t r igger housing pivot and partially drift i t out. Turn the rifle over and with your r ight thumb and forefinger, remove the t r igger housing pivot from the r ight side of the rifle. Separate the barrel and receiver group from the stock and t r igger housing groups. With the muzzle to the left and the sight away from you, remove the automatic sear and spring assembly with your r ight thumb and forefinger by sliding it to the r ight and rotat ing it counterclockwise. Do not a t tempt to separa te the spring from the automatic sear.
Grasp the pistol gr ip with your r ight hand and place the but t against your r ight hip. With your left hand move the change lever to the "R" setting. Place the palm of your left hand firmly against the hammer, squeeze the t r igger , and allow the hammer spr ing to expand slowly. With your left hand, rotate the change lever up to the vertical and remove it by pulling it out from the t r igger housing.
Reposition the stock and t r igger housing groups so tha t the sight is up and the but t is away from you. Grasp the pistol grip in your left hand, with your fingers around the back of the pistol grip, and your thumb over the t ip of the hammer spr ing housing. Place the point of a dummy round, held in your r ight hand, under the hammer spring housing and against the bridge of the t r igger housing. P r y up on the t ip of the hammer spr ing housing, unseating it from its notch (fig. 13) . Continue to pry up until the tip clears the bridge of the t r igger housing, allowing the hammer spr ing to expand. Remove the hammer spr ing housing and the hammer spring.
Holding the groups in the same position, place the point of a dummy round through the large change lever hole and pry up on the r ing of the holding plate. With your fingers, pull up on the end of the holding plate until it extends from the housing. With a dummy round in your r ight hand, drift the hammer pin out and remove the hammer pin and hammer (fig. 14) .
Regrasp the t r igger housing with your left hand, palm down, so tha t your thumb is against one side of the t r igger housing, and your fingers against the other side; the stock is toward your front.
Push the front of the sear down with your left forefinger, and with your r ight hand drift the sear pin out, maintaining pressure on the sear. Remove the sear, sear spr ing and sear spring plunger from the housing. Do not remove the sear spring from the sear spring plunger (fig. 15) .
Figure 13. Removing the hammer spring housing.
Figure 14. Trigger housing group (exploded view).
With your right forefinger against the back of the trigger, pull up on the trigger, disengaging the trigger spring plunger from its recess in the trigger. Remove the trigger from the trigger housing.
The disassembled parts are shown in figure 16.
11. ASSEMBLY OF THE TRIGGER HOUSING GROUP Grasp the pistol grip with your right hand.
Place the butt against your right hip with the rear sight to the left. Replace the trigger into the trigger housing so that the trigger spring plunger is engaged in its recess in the trigger and the base of the trigger is lined up with the base of the trigger housing.
Turn the stock so that the rear sight is up. With the spring end first, reseat the sear spring and sear spring plunger fully into its well in
the trigger. Squeeze the trigger lightly with the second finger of your right hand.
With your left thumb and forefinger, hold the forward nose of the sear so that the sear spring plunger recess is down and facing the plunger. With the second finger of your right hand, hold the trigger in place by squeezing slightly to the rear. Lower the sear between the wings of the trigger and engage the sear spring plunger into its recess in the sear.
With your left hand, place the sear pin through its hole in the right side of the trigger housing and through the right wing of the trigger, until it comes into contact with the sear. Hold the pin in place with your right forefinger, while continuing to grasp the pistol grip with your right hand. Grasp the forward nose of the sear with your left thumb and forefinger. Lift the sear up slightly and push it to the rear (compressing the sear spring), un-
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til the sear moves into alinement with the sear pin. Seat the sear pin through its hole in the sear by pressing in with your right forefinger. Aline the sear pin with its holes on both sides of the trigger housing and drift the sear pin fully into position.
With the group in the same position, hold the hammer in your left hand with the polished surface up and the hammer spring guide to the rear and replace it into the housing so that it alines approximately with its holes in the trigger housing. Be sure that the holding plate is still up and extending from the housing. Hold the stock in position with the last fingers of your left hand. With your right hand, place the hammer pin into its hole in the right side of the trigger housing. Aline the hammer by pushing downward on the sear and seat the hammer pin fully into the trigger housing.
Push the end of the holding plate downward into the trigger housing until its hole alines with the change lever hole in the right side of the trigger housing. Insert the point of a dummy round through the small change lever hole to assist in alining the holding plate.
Rotate the hammer forward and replace the hammer spring on the hammer spring guide. Replace the hammer spring housing over the hammer spring. Rotate these parts to the rear and downward until they come in contact with the bridge of the trigger housing.
To seat the hammer spring housing, hold the group on a table with the sight up and the rifle butt against your hip. Extend the fingers of your left hand around the forward surface of the pistol grip, and place your left thumb on top of the hammer spring housing. Place your right thumb over the tip of the hammer
Figure 15. Trigger assembly (exploded view).
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spring housing (fig. 17) and push forward until the housing is just forward of the bridge. At this point, press downward with both thumbs, seating the tip of the hammer spring housing into its recess in the bridge of the trigger housing.
Replace the change lever through its hole in the left side of the trigger housing by re-alining its stud with the dismount notch in the change lever hole. Press the change lever bar firmly into the receiver and at the same time, rotate the change lever to the rear and downward.
Place the change lever on the "S" setting, and cock the hammer.
Place the barrel and receiver group on the table with the muzzle to the left and the the sight away from you. With your right thumb and forefinger, hold the automatic sear and spring so that the sear spring is up and the toe is to the left. With a sliding and clockwise rotary motion, replace the automatic sear so that its hole is alined with the pivot hole in the base of the receiver. At this time, inspect the automatic sear to make certain that the spring is lying flush with the side of the sear.
To join the two groups, hold the barrel and receiver group in the same position with your left hand, and grasp the stock and trigger housing groups at the small of the stock with your right hand. Aline the pivot holes in the forward wings of the trigger housing with the pivot hole in the base of the receiver. With your right hand, reach under the rifle and place the trigger housing pivot into the pivot hole. Insert the point of a dummy round into the left side of the pivot hole and realine the automatic sear. Push the trigger housing pivot until it is fully seated. Replace the trigger housing spindle and rotate it clockwise until thumb tight.
The remaining assembly is performed as described in paragraph 7.
12. DISASSEMBLY OF THE STOCK GROUP AND REAR SIGHT You may disassemble the stock group and
rear sight only when supervised by an officer and when the proper tools are available. Place the muzzle of the rifle on the floor with the butt vertical. Remove the butt plate screw by
turning counterclockwise with a screwdriver. Remove the butt plate by pulling it upward. Engage the screwdriver blade of the stock group tool with the slot in the stock retaining nut, which is now exposed. Hold the tool stationary and pivot the rifle clockwise around it, loosening the stock retaining nut. Maintain a firm pressure downward on top of the tool because the driving springs are compressed and they will come out with considerable force if released too quickly. Completely unscrew the stock retaining nut and allow the driving springs to expand slowly. Remove the stock retaining nut, its washer, the driving springs, and the driving spring plunger. Separate the inner spring from the outer spring but do not remove the driving spring plunger from the outer driving spring.
Figure 17. Replacing the hammer spring and hammer spring housing.
Remove the stock retaining screw, located immediately behind the pistol grip, by turning it counterclockwise. Remove the stock by pulling it to the rear.
The rear sight may now be removed from the rear sight base. Depress the rear sight lock (fig. 3) and move the rear sight to the rear. Remove the rear sight lock by sliding it from the side of the rear sight. Next, remove the rear sight lock spring from its well in the side of the rear sight. To disassemble the rear sight without disassemblying the stock group see paragraph 14.
13. ASSEMBLY OF THE REAR SIGHT AND STOCK GROUP Reseat the rear sight lock spring into its
well in the side of the rear sight. Insert the rear sight lock into the rear sight so that the serrated end appears on the outside. Aline the rear sight lock with the rear sight so that the locking lug is vertical. Depress the rear sight lock with your thumb and forefinger and replace the rear sight on the rear sight base so that the serrated end of the rear sight lock is to the left.
To assemble the stock group, place the muzzle of the rifle on the floor as in disassembly and slide the stock back into position over the driving spring tube. Replace the stock retaining screw and tighten it with a screwdriver. Place the small driving spring inside the large driving spring. Insert the driving springs into the driving spring tube so that the plunger enters first. Replace the washer over the outer driving spring and allow it to fall fully into the stock. Make sure that the washer
is not seated at an angle but lies flat in the stock. Slip the stock retaining nut over the long guide of the stock group tool, so that the screwdriver blade of the tool fits into its slot in the nut. Hold the nut in place and insert the guide of the tool down through the driving springs. Press down on the tool, compressing the driving springs, and tighten the stock retaining nut by rotating the rifle counterclockwise around the tool.
Replace the butt plate and insert the butt plate screw, tightening it with a screwdriver.
14. REMOVAL OF THE REAR SIGHT BASE The rear sight base may be removed from
the rifle independently of the stock group, however, you must be supervised by an officer. It will be removed only when the rifle has been used excessively or it has been immersed in salt water. Remove one deflection screw by turning it counterclockwise with a screwdriver. Remove the rear sight and the rear sight base from the rifle by drifting the rear sight base in the direction from which the screw was removed. This can best be accomplished by gentle taps on the rear sight base with the wooden end of the screwdriver. Do not remove the other deflection screw from the rear sight base because this may ruin your zero. The rear sight may now be removed from the rear sight base as described in paragraph 12.
15. REPLACE THE REAR SIGHT BASE Assemble the rear sight and rear sight
base as described in paragraph 13. Reseat the dove tail into its slot and replace the deflection screw. Tighten the screw with a screwdriver.
Section II. FUNCTIONING
16. GENERAL By taking your rifle apart and putting it
together, you become familiar with its parts. Now you will learn how these parts function. If you understand how your rifle works, you will be able to clear any stoppages that may occur, with a minimum loss of time. This knowledge will also assist you in keeping your rifle in good working order.
Each time a cartridge is fired, many parts inside the rifle work in a given order. When the rifle is ready to be fired again, a cycle of
operation, or functioning, has occurred. This cycle is almost the same in all small arms.
To help you understand the cycle of functioning, it is broken down into eight basic steps. Keep in mind that more than one step may happen at the same time. The steps of functioning are defined and listed below:
1. Feeding—moving the cartridge into the path of the bolt.
2. Chambering—moving the cartridge into the chamber.
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3. Locking—locking the bolt in the receiver. 4. Firing—driving the firing pin forward to
strike the primer cap, which sets off the cartridge.
5. Unlocking—unlocking the bolt from the receiver.
6. Extraction—pulling the empty cartridge case from the chamber.
7. Ejection—throwing the empty cartridge from the rifle.
8. Cocking—pushing the hammer into the cocked position.
17. PHASES OF FUNCTIONING The functioning cycle is divided into four
phases, with certain steps taking place in each phase. Assume that one round is in the chamber and that the powder in the cartridge is being ignited. The four phases of functioning and the steps taking place in each phase are listed below.
The first phase is the REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE BOLT CARRIER.
Action of the gas. Action of the bolt carrier. Unlocking. Extraction. Ejection. Cocking. Feeding. Termination of the rearward movement.
The second phase is the FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE BOLT CARRIER.
Chambering. Locking. Termination of the forward movement.
The third phase is the ACTION OF THE TRIGGER GROUP.
Semiautomatic fire. Automatic fire.
The fourth phase is the ACTION AFTER F I R I N G THE LAST ROUND.
Action of the bolt stop.
18. REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE BOLT CARRIER Action of the gas. When a round is fired,
pressure of approximately 50,000 pounds per square inch is generated in the chamber and the bullet is propelled forward through the bore. As the bullet passes the gas port, a small portion of the gas, seeking the easiest means to escape, passes through the gas port into the gas cylinder where it strikes the gas piston, driving it to the rear. As the gas piston moves to the rear it compresses the gas piston spring, and a portion of the remaining gas, not required to operate the mechanism, passes through the gas escape port (fig. 18 and 19a). After the gas piston spring has been compressed, it expands and repositions the gas piston in the gas cylinder.
Action of the bolt carrier. The rearward movement of the gas piston drives the bolt carrier and driving rod to the rear. The driving rod compresses the driving springs, located in the stock of the rifle (fig 19b). The bolt carrier moves to the rear approximately five-sixteenths of an inch before the bolt group begins to unlock. During this initial movement of the bolt carrier, enough energy is built up to allow the bolt carrier to overcome the inertia of the locked bolt. Sufficient time elapses to allow the bullet and remaining gasses to escape from the muzzle before unlocking begins. This action is a safety feature which prevents a blowback of hot gases into the firer's face. As the bolt carrier moves to the rear, it causes the hammer to rotate to the rear and downward. As the hammer moves away from the head of the firing pin, the firing pin spring expands and moves the firing pin to the rear, withdrawing the striker from the face of the bolt. At the same time, the bolt carrier moves behind the head of the firing pin, protecting it from any forward movement of the hammer.
Unlocking. As the bolt carrier continues to the rear, the camming lugs of the bolt carrier contact the cams of the bolt and lift it up and out of its locking recess. This unlocks the bolt (fig. 19c).
Extraction. The pressure created during firing causes the cartridge case to expand in the chamber. Before the cartridge case can be
19
extracted, it must be loosened. This is done during the unlocking action of the bolt. Sufficient time elapses before the bolt is completely unlocked to allow the cartridge case to contract slightly. The extractor claw is gripping the rim of the cartridge, and when the bolt is lifted out of its locking recess, it exerts a strong lever action on the cartridge case, loosening it in the chamber. This is called slow initial extraction. After the bolt is unlocked and starts to the rear, the extractor pulls the empty cartridge case from the chamber (fig. 19d).
Ejection. After the front of the empty cartridge case clears the chamber, the base of the cartridge case strikes the ejector. This causes the cartridge case to pivot about the extractor, strike the receiver cover and rebound to the right front (fig. 19d).
Figure 18. Action of the gas.
Cocking. As the bolt carrier moves to the rear it causes the hammer to rotate to the rear and downward, cocking the hammer.
Feeding. As the bolt clears the top round in the magazine, the magazine follower, through the action of the compressed magazine spring, pushes the top round up into the path of the bolt.
Termination of the rearward movement. The rearward movement ends when the base of the bolt carrier contacts the forward part of the stock group. In this position the driving rod has compressed the driving springs, storing up energy for the forward movement.
19. FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE BOLT CARRIER Chambering. The driving springs expand,
moving the bolt carrier and bolt forward. The
184 The Fort Benning T48 manual
bolt strips the top round from the magazine and pushes it into the chamber (fig. 20a).
Locking. When the bolt is all the way forward, the rearmost (top) camming surface of the bolt carrier comes in contact with the camming surface of the bolt. This causes the bolt to be cammed down into engagement with the locking recess, locking it in the receiver (fig. 20b). As locking begins, the rim of the cartridge is gripped by the claw of the extractor and the base of the cartridge is pressed firmly against the face of the bolt.
Termination of the forward movement. After the bolt is fully locked in the receiver, the bolt carrier continues to move forward a short distance. As the bolt carrier moves the last five-sixteenths of an inch, the head of the firing pin protrudes through its hole in the bolt carrier (fig. 20c). During this last movement the built-up portion of the bolt carrier strikes the toe of the automatic sear, causing it to rotate and disengage the automatic sear from its notch in the hammer. When the bolt carrier is completely forward, the head of the firing pin is exposed so that it may be struck by the hammer. The forward movement terminates
when the forward end of the bolt carrier strikes the forward end of the receiver.
20. ACTION OF THE TRIGGER GROUP Trigger action—T48 (semiautomatic). The
change lever provides a mechanical safe position ("S"), and a position for semiautomatic firing ("R"). It also has a position ("A") for automatic firing when the rifle is equipped with a special change lever. The change lever for the T48 rifle has two cut-away portions of equal depth.
When the hammer is cocked, the sear nose, engaging the lower sear notch on the hammer, holds the hammer in position against the action of the compressed hammer spring. The hammer forces the sear back until the tail of the sear is over the shoulder of the trigger. The sear spring is compressed (fig. 21a).
When the change lever is placed on the "R" setting, a cut-away portion of the change lever is exposed to the shoulder of the trigger.
When the trigger is squeezed, the shoulder of the trigger moves upward and contacts the tail of the sear. This causes the sear to rotate about the sear pin, disengaging the nose of the sear from the lower sear notch on the hammer. The hammer then moves forward, under
Figure 19. (Functioning.) Rearward movement.
Figure 21. (Functioning.) Trigger ac t ion .
Figure 20. (Functioning.) Forward movement.
186 The Fort Benning T48 manual
pressure of the hammer spring, and strikes the firing pin (fig. 21c).
As the hammer goes forward, the sear spring expands and forces the sear forward slightly, allowing the tail of the sear to drop in front of the shoulder of the trigger. As the tail of the sear drops down, the sear nose moves upward and presses against the underside of the hammer.
Pressure is still being maintained on the trigger. As the hammer is again cocked, by the rearward movement of the bolt carrier, the automatic sear engages its notch on the hammer while the sear engages the sear notch. (The bolt carrier, in its last one-sixteenth of an inch forward movement, will force the automatic sear to pivot, thereby releasing the hammer and allowing only the sear to hold the hammer in the cocked position.)
When the trigger is released, the shoulder of the trigger drops and allows the hammer to rotate forward slightly. This forward rotation of the hammer forces the sear rearward and repositions it above the shoulder of the trigger. As the sear is repositioned, the sear spring is compressed. The parts of the trigger group are now in the same position as they were before the trigger was squeezed.
Trigger action—T48E1 (automatic). When the T48E1 rifle is fired semiautomatically, the trigger group functions the same as that of the T48 rifle. The change lever for the T48E1 also has two cutaway portions. One is of the same size as on the T48 and is used for semiautomatic fire. The other cutaway portion is deeper and is used for automatic fire. When the change lever is placed on the "A" setting, the deeper cutaway portion of the change lever is exposed to the shoulder of the trigger.
When the trigger is squeezed, the shoulder of the trigger rises into the deep notch on the change lever (fig. 21b and 22). As long as pressure is maintained on the trigger in this position, the nose of the sear is held down where it cannot become engaged with the lower sear notch on the hammer.
When the bolt carrier forces the hammer
back to the cocked position, the automatic sear engages its notch in the hammer and holds the hammer in position until the bolt is locked. This is just like semiautomatic fire. As the bolt carrier moves forward its last one-sixteenth of an inch, it strikes the toe on the automatic sear, causing it to rotate and release the hammer (fig. 21d). The hammer is then forced forward by the compressed hammer spring.
As long as pressure is maintained on the trigger, the rifle will continue to fire automatically. When pressure is released from the trigger, the rifle will cease firing.
Safety features. When the change lever is on the "S," or safe setting, the solid portion of the change lever bar is exposed to the shoulder of the trigger, blocking its upward movement. The sear nose cannot be disengaged from the lower sear notch of the hammer and the rifle will not fire (fig. 21a). The automatic sear also acts as a safety by preventing premature firing. The bolt group must be fully locked in the receiver before the automatic sear will release the hammer. If the toe of the automatic sear is broken, the rifle will not fire because the automatic sear cannot become disengaged from its notch in the hammer.
21. ACTION AFTER FIRING THE LAST ROUND When the last round in the magazine has
been chambered, the projection on the follower strikes the bolt stop and forces the bolt stop against the bottom of the bolt. When the round is fired and the bolt moves to the rear, clearing the bolt stop, the follower rises moving the bolt stop into the receiver under pressure of the bolt stop spring. The face of the bolt contacts the bolt stop and the forward movement of the bolt and bolt carrier is stopped. The bolt will remain open, against the tension of the driving springs, until the bolt stop is disengaged (fig. 22). To hold the bolt open when there is no magazine in the receiver, pull the bolt all the way to the rear, press upward on the bolt stop, and allow the bolt to move forward against the bolt stop.
Figure 22. Automatic features.
Section III. OPERATION
22. GENERAL This section contains instructions for
loading the magazine; loading and unloading the rifle ; clearing the rifle ; setting the change lever; safety precautions; and adjustment of the gas.
23. LOADING THE MAGAZINE Examine each round before loading it into
the magazine to make sure it is not dirty, oily, or gritty, because a dirty round may cause a stoppage during firing. Place the front of the magazine against the palm of your left hand with your fingers gripping the side of the magazine, the follower up and your left thumb over the follower. With your right hand, place the cartridge under your left thumb, cartridge pointing to the left. Grip the right side of the magazine in your right palm, with the thumb of your right hand also on top of the cartridge. Squeeze down with both thumbs, seating the cartridge in the magazine. Follow the same procedure until 20 rounds are in the magazine. If your rifle is equipped with a cutaway receiver cover, the magazine can be loaded while
in the rifle (paragraph 70). To load the magazine while it is in the rifle, the bolt must be to the rear and engaged by the bolt stop.
24. LOADING THE RIFLE When walking, or in the assault, the T48
rifle is loaded and unloaded with the left hand, while the right hand grips the pistol grip. To load the magazine into the rifle, hold the base of the magazine in the palm of your left hand and rotate the bottom of the magazine forward so that it makes an angle of approximately 45° with the rifle. Retaining this angle, insert the magazine into the magazine-well so that the projection on the leading edge of the magazine engages the notch in the face of the magazine-well. Rotate the bottom of the magazine toward the butt of the rifle until the magazine catch snaps into place. Tap upward on the bottom of the magazine with your left hand. If the bolt is to the rear, release it by pressing down on the bolt stop. If the bolt is not to the rear, pull the arming handle all the way back and release it. The bolt will chamber the top round as it goes forward.
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25. UNLOADING THE RIFLE To unload the rifle, place the change lever
on the "S" setting and grasp the magazine in your left hand with your fingers around the front of the magazine and your thumb on the magazine catch. Press the magazine catch and rotate the magazine down and forward, removing the magazine. Pull the arming handle all the way to the rear. If a round is in the chamber, place your right hand over the cover opening and catch the round as it comes out. While the bolt is in its rearmost position, press upward on the bolt stop, locking the bolt to the rear.
26. SETTING THE CHANGE LEVER To set the rifle on the safe position, en
gage the change lever with its notch at the letter "S".
To fire the T48 semiautomatically, engage the change lever at either the "R" or "A" notch. To fire the T48E1 semiautomatically, rotate the change lever until it engages the "R" notch.
To fire the T48E1 automatically, engage the change lever at the "A" notch.
27. TO CLEAR THE RIFLE To clear the rifle, place the change lever
on "S" and remove the magazine. Pull the arming handle fully to the rear, extracting and ejecting the cartridge from the chamber. Press upward on the bolt stop, locking the bolt to the rear, and inspect the receiver and chamber to be sure they are empty.
28. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS You cannot practice safety too much when
handling weapons. Your own safety and that of others around you will depend on how well you observe all safety regulations. The following list covers some of the safety precautions for you to observe. You should also understand and practice the precautions contained in FM 23-5.
Never consider a rifle with its bolt closed as safe until it has been properly inspected. Do not playfully or carelessly point your rifle at anyone. Always consider the rifle loaded. Be sure the barrel is free of any obstruction. Consider your rifle cleared only when
the safety is on; the magazine is out; the bolt is to the rear; and the chamber has been inspected.
29. GAS ADJUSTMENT The gas regulating sleeve (fig. 23) must
be correctly adjusted before the rifle will function properly. To prevent stoppages, it is particularly important that the correct adjustment is made on each rifle before firing on the range. The following steps tell you how to obtain the correct adjustment for your rifle, and how to remember it.
First, you must find out the absolute minimum amount of gas required to operate your rifle. It is the amount necessary to drive the bolt to the rear just far enough for the empty cartridge case to be ejected and the bolt stop to hold the bolt to the rear. To determine this, close the gas regulating sleeve by turning it from left to right with your combination tool
Figure 23. Gas Regulating Sleeve.
or the rim of an empty cartridge. Then open the gas regulating sleeve 20 clicks by rotating it from right to left. With the rifle pointing down range, load an empty magazine into the rifle, and one round into the chamber. Hold the rifle loosely on the palm of your left hand and hold the pistol grip between the thumb and fingers of your right hand. Do not grip the rifle with either hand. The rifle should be approximately horizontal with the butt out and away from your body. Squeeze off the round. The rifle will recoil, swinging your arms. At this time the bolt should not stay open; however if it does remain to the rear, open the gas regulating sleeve five additional clicks, fire another round in the same way, and repeat the process until the bolt does not remain to the rear. Next, close the gas regulating sleeve until the bolt remains to the rear. Do this by closing the gas regulating sleeve several clicks, test-firing a round, and repeating the procedure until the bolt barely stays open and the empty cartridge case is ejected from the rifle. If your rifle is greatly in need of gas (underpowered), close the gas regulating sleeve four clicks after each test. As the rifle approaches the point where the bolt nearly remains open, close the gas regulating sleeve only two clicks with each test, until the bolt just remains to the rear.
To be sure that your rifle will function if it should get dirty while you are on the range or on a field problem, close the gas regulating sleeve four additional clicks. This is the proper gas adjustment for your rifle.
To remember the gas adjustment so that it can be reset after cleaning, or if it should ever become disturbed, count the clicks that it takes to close the gas regulating sleeve. Then by opening the gas regulating sleeve the same number of clicks, you will have the proper gas adjustment.
After you have fired 500 or 600 rounds with a new rifle, the working parts become smooth and the rifle "loosens" up. You may then find the rifle using too much gas with your original adjustment. Simply readjust the gas regulating sleeve in the same way as just described.
If you should be in a cold climate where the weather causes the oil to become thick and
your rifle operates sluggishly, close the gas regulating sleeve a few clicks. If, during a patrol action or river crossing, your rifle should get dirty and you do not have time to clean it, close the gas regulating sleeve a few clicks to keep the rifle functioning properly. In either case, clean your rifle at the first opportunity.
30. GUN BOOK When your rifle is issued, you will also
receive a gun book. It is important that you fill out this book properly and keep it up to date at all times.
As you open your book you will see certain abbreviations. Use them to save time and space when placing information in the book. Your gun book will then be a record of the number of rounds fired by your rifle, the stoppages encountered, the action you took to clear the stoppages, and other pertinent information. At the completion of the troop test, this information will be carefully studied to assist in evaluating the T48 rifle.
31. GRENADE LAUNCHER The rifle grenade launcher for the T48
rifle is used essentially the same as the M7A3 launcher for the Ml rifle. It will fire the same grenades that the M7A3 launcher will fire, but with greater accuracy and increased range when using the M64 grenade launcher cartridge. The barrel and sight leaf are identical to that on the M7A3. The maximum range is from 260 to 270 yards with the M28 (Ener-ga) rifle grenade. There is no indirect fire sight for the T48 rifle.
The grenade launcher fits over the end of the flash suppressor and is held in place by a spring latch that engages the bayonet stud on the flash suppressor (fig. 24). A clip-type grenade retainer spring on the muzzle end of the launcher holds a grenade at any desired position. The nine annular grooves on the launcher are used to vary the range while maintaining the same angle of elevation on the rifle. All low-angle, direct fire is performed with the grenade fully seated on the launcher.
Prior to firing a grenade from the launcher, rotate the gas cylinder plug 180° until the "A" is next to the barrel. This closes
190 The Fort Benning T48 manual
the gas port in the barrel, preventing the rifle from completing a full cycle of operation. If you fail to turn the gas cylinder plug 180°, your rifle will still fire a grenade from the launcher, but some unburned powder may blow back into your face and temporarily blind you.
Your rifle will fire ball ammunition while the grenade launcher is attached, but the zero of your rifle will differ from its normal zero.
This difference is the result of "barrel whip" which is caused by the added weight of the launcher on the muzzle. For this reason, zero your rifle, firing ball ammunition, both with and without the launcher attached.
Marksmanship training, including sighting and aiming, positions, and firing courses is about the same as for the M7A3 launcher with the sight leaf. Detailed instructions are contained in FM 23-30.
Figure 24. Grenade Launcher
Section IV. STOPPAGES AND IMMEDIATE ACTION
32. GENERAL When, through no fault of your own the
rifle fails to fire, you have a stoppage. It may be caused by faulty ammunition, a faulty magazine or by improper functioning of the rifle (a malfunction). When a stoppage occurs, you immediately take certain steps to reduce it, without even considering what caused the stoppage. This is known as immediate action.
33. STOPPAGES Most stoppages occur because of dirty,
worn, broken, or maladjusted parts. You must watch for these defects and correct them before they cause a stoppage. It is particularly important that the gas regulating sleeve be properly adjusted at all times and that you handle the magazine carefully because they are the two main causes of stoppages. The T48
rifle will function when properly cared for. Some of the common stoppages, their usual causes, and remedies are shown on page 28.
34. APPLYING IMMEDIATE ACTION Many stoppages can be prevented before
they occur if your rifle, magazine, and ammunition are cared for properly. However, some stoppages may still occur. Immediate action is taught so that you will be able to take the necessary steps to reduce those stoppages. Immediate action is performed in two phases.
The first phase of immediate action is taught as a drill. It must be applied quickly and without thought as to the cause of the stoppage. Most stoppages can be eliminated by applying the first phase of immediate action. The key words used to help you learn and remember the first phase of immediate action are TAP, PULL, RELEASE AIM, and FIRE.
Tap up firmly on the bottom of the magazine. If the magazine is not fully seated, this should seat it, provided the magazine notch or the magazine catch are not worn or broken.
Pull the arming handle all the way to the rear with the left hand, palm up. This action should eject any empty cartridges remaining in the chamber, provided the extractor, extractor spring, or the ejector are not worn or broken.
Release the arming handle, allowing the operating parts to move forward and lock.
Aim at your target. Attempt to fire.
35. SECOND PHASE OF IMMEDIATE ACTION If the first phase of immediate action does
not reduce the stoppage, make a more detailed examination of the rifle. The five key words used to help you remember the second phase of immediate action are TAKE, LOOK, PULL, LOCATE, AND REDUCE.
Take the rifle from your shoulder. Look into the cover opening. Pull the arming handle all the way to the
rear. Locate the stoppage by observation. As
the arming handle is pulled to the rear, observe
what is in the ejection opening, what is in the chamber, or what is ejected.
Reduce the stoppage and attempt to fire the rifle.
36. SECOND PHASE STOPPAGES While applying the second phase of imme
diate action, you will observe certain stoppages. Some of the more common stoppages, their causes and remedies are listed below.
PARTIAL FEEDING Description: The rifle stops firing with a
live cartridge fed part way into the chamber, the bolt is riding over the cartridge, and the base of the cartridge is still in the magazine. This stoppage is known as partial feeding and is caused by a faulty magazine. The magazine may have a weak spring, it may be dented or dirty, or the magazine notch may be worn. The magazine catch on the rifle may be damaged or worn. In any case, the magazine is not all the way up in the magazine-well or the cartridges are not all the way up in the magazine. The bolt cannot contact the base of the top cartridge in the magazine; instead, the bolt slides over the base of the top cartridge and catches on its top, pushing it part way into the chamber. Remedy: Replace or clean the magazine, or replace the magazine catch on the rifle.
DOUBLE FEEDING Description : The rifle stops firing when
the bolt attempts to feed two cartridges into the chamber at the same time. Double feeding occurs when the first phase of immediate action is applied to a stoppage caused by partial feeding. This stoppage is due to magazine trouble. Remedy: Replace or clean the magazine, or replace the magazine catch.
SPIN BACK Description: The rifle stops firing as an
ejected cartridge case rebounds from the receiver cover back into the receiver, and prevents the bolt from chambering the next round. The empty cartridge case is usually found in a reversed position. Remedy: Replace the receiver cover, if worn lips result in frequent "spin backs."
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STOPPAGE
Failure to feed.
CAUSE
Dented magazine. Weak or broken magazine
spring. Worn magazine notches.
Broken or worn magazine catch.
Broken or worn magazine catch spring.
Magazine not fully inserted.
Insufficient gas to drive bolt far enough to rear to allow follower of magazine to feed next round.
REMEDY
Replace magazine.
Replace parts.
Tap up on magazine.
* Close gas regulating sleeve until stoppage is relieved.
Failure to chamber. Snubbed round in magazine.
Corroded or bent ammunition.
Dirty chamber.
Change magazine.
Replace ammunition.
Clean chamber.
Failure to fire. Defective hammer spring. Worn or broken firing pin. Broken automatic sear. Bent hammer or hammer spring guide.
Bolt not fully forward.
Defective ammunition.
Replace defective part.
Clean parts or *close gas regulating sleeve if parts are dirty.
Replace ammunition.
Failure to extract. Insufficient gas.
Dirty chamber.
Broken or worn extractor. Broken or weak extractor
spring.
* Close gas regulating sleeve until stoppage is relieved.
Clean chamber, examine the ammunition, or *close gas regulating sleeve until stoppage is relieved.
Replace defective parts.
Failure to eject. Insufficient gas.
Broken or bent ejector.
Dirty chamber or operating parts.
Spin back.
* Close gas regulating sleeve until stoppage is relieved.
Replace defective part.
Clean chamber or parts or *close gas regulating sleeve until stoppage is relieved.
Check cover for worn lips.
*As soon as possible, you should clean the parts because excess friction from dirt may be the primary cause of the stoppage.
BROKEN EXTRACTOR Description: The rifle stops firing when
an empty cartridge case that was not extracted blocks the entry of a live cartridge into the chamber. This stoppage is caused by a worn or broken extractor or extractor spring. If the rim of the empty cartridge case is ripped off, the. stoppage is caused by a dirty chamber. Remedy: Replace either the extractor or extractor spring. If the stoppage is caused by a dirty chamber, remove the empty cartridge case and clean the chamber.
BOLT NOT FULLY FORWARD Description: The rifle fails to fire because
the bolt or bolt carrier is not fully forward. Usually this stoppage is caused by the rifle being underpowered (insufficient gas) which, in turn, is frequently the result of excess friction developed by dirty operating parts, or a dirty chamber. Remedy: The immediate remedy is to close the gas regulating sleeve until the rifle cycles again, however the operating parts should be cleaned as soon as the situation permits.
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Section I. GENERAL
44. Good shooting is the result of master ing the five impor tant elements of marksmanship . They a re—
AIMING.
POSITION.
TRIGGER SQUEEZE.
SUSTAINED F I R E .
SIGHT SETTING.
These five elements are tied together by the word COORDINATION. The first four steps each depend on the material covered in the steps preceding it, and each one is essential to good shooting.
To develop correct shooting habits before you go on the range, your marksmanship t ra ining is divided into two phases—preparatory marksmanship t ra in ing and range firing. The purpose of prepara tory marksmanship t ra in ing is to teach you the essentials of good shooting. It is divided into six s teps—
1. Sighting and aiming exercises.
2. Position exercises.
3. Trigger squeeze or t r igger manipulation exercises.
4. Sustained fire or automatic fire exercises.
5. Zeroing, sight changes, and use of the f ir ing data card.
6. Examination before range firing.
The first four steps are listed in the order of instruction. They must be taught in that order. As the fifth step is not based on all the material covered in the first four steps, it may be taught any time after the first step and before the examination, either indoors or outdoors. It is an excellent subject to be conducted indoors during bad weather.
45. COACHING
Throughout all of your prepara tory work, one of your important duties will be to act as a coach. You and the other members of your unit will be organized into instructional groups. You will rotate within your group performing the duties of f irer and coach. As a coach you are expected and required to supervise your firer closely. You will check to see tha t he—
Blackens his sights.
Adjusts the sling properly.
Takes the correct position.
Holds his breath properly while aiming.
Aims carefully.
Takes up the slack promptly.
Squeezes the t r igger properly.
Calls each shot.
Fills out the firing data card for each shot.
Observes the safety precautions.
How well your firer learns to shoot will
depend to a great extent on how well you do your job as a coach. Don't let him down.
46. PROGRESS CHART Normally each platoon keeps a progress
chart similar to the one discussed in FM 23-5. The platoon leader can tell by a glance at this chart how far you have progressed in your rifle marksmanship t raining.
Section II
PREPARATORY MARKSMANSHIP
TRAINING
47. SIGHTING AND AIMING
In aiming the rifle you will be concerned with sight alinement and the sight picture. Sight alinement is the relationship between the front sight post and the rear aperture, while the sight picture includes sight alinement and the bull's-eye, or any other aiming point. To obtain the correct sight alinement, the front and rear sights should be alined as shown in figure 27a. If you were to draw an imaginary horizontal line through the center of the rear aperture , the top of the front sight post would touch this imaginary line. If you were to draw an imaginary vertical line through the center of the rear aperture, this line would cut the front sight post in half. After you have obtained the correct sight alinement, you complete the sight picture by adding the bull's-eye. The bottom of the bull's-eye appears to be jus t touching the front sight post (fig. 27b) . If you were to draw an imaginary vertical line through the rear aperture, you would cut the bull's-eye and the front sight post in half.
The relationship between the f r o n t sight post and the rear sight, or sight alinement, is more important, to good shooting than the relationship between sight alinement and the bull's-eye. An error in sight alinement will cause the distance by which the bullet misses the target to increase as the range increases, while with correct sight alinement, an error in the placement of the bull's-eye will be the same at all ranges.
When aiming the rifle, there are three objects that your eye can see—the rear aperture, the front sight, and the bull's-eye. Dur
ing aiming your eye should alternately focus on the front sight post and on the bull's-eye. However, the last focus of the eye prior to firing the weapon must be on the front sight. The front sight post should appear clear, distinct, and correctly centered in the rear aperture . As you squeeze the trigger, this insures tha t your sight alinement is correct. When your eye is focused on the front sight post, the bull's-eye will appear to be "fuzzy" or hazy (fig. 27c).
The three sighting and aiming exercises with the T48 rifle are taught the same as with the Ml rifle, with one exception. During the second and third sighting and aiming exercises, when using the T48 rifle, the rear sight is placed on the 200-yard setting. All exercises are then carried out the same as described in FM 23-5.
48. POSITIONS You will learn to fire the T48 rifle with
the aid of a sling. In order to obtain confidence in your rifle, you should learn what the rifle can and will do under the best conditions. Using a sling helps present those ideal conditions. A good sling, properly adjusted, will aid even the best marksman. You will use the sling throughout your 1000-inch and known-distance range firing. When you reach the transit ion stage of marksmanship, you will learn tha t use of the sling in combat will depend upon the situation. For this reason, you are taught two methods for assuming the prone position, with and without the sling.
There are two types of sling adjustments when using the T48. The loop sling is used
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for all firing positions except standing, and the hasty sling is used with the standing position.
49. ADJUSTMENT OF THE LOOP SLING The sling is very simple in design and is
constructed from a web material very much like the belt you are now wearing around your waist. It has a hook, a buckle, and a metal clamp or keeper which holds the sling at the desired adjustment.
To adjust the loop sling, place the butt of the rifle on your right hip and cradle the rifle in the crook of your right arm. Both hands are now free to work. Release the hook from
the lower sling swivel. While using the loop sling, the hook is never attached to the butt of the rifle. Now you are ready to form the loop, which is formed from the top of the buckle. Hold the buckle with your right hand and pull the loop through the top of the buckle with your left hand. Make the loop large enough to fit your left arm (fig. 28) .
When the loop is large enough to accommodate your left arm, straighten out the sling. With your left hand, twist the loop a half turn to the left and hold it in position with your right hand. Insert your left arm through the loop and pull the loop well up on your upper arm above the bicep and then tighten it. With
Figure 28. Loop sling.
Figure 29. Loop sling.
your right hand, loosen the clamp and pull the feed end of the sling toward the but t of the rifle until the proper adjustment is obtained. (This adjustment will depend upon the conformation of your body and must be determined through experimentation.) Hold the sling in position with your left hand and slide the clamp toward your body with your right hand; refasten the clamp (fig. 29 ) . Place your left hand over the sling and under the rifle, positioning the "V" formed by your left thumb and forefinger against the upper sling swivel.
The manner of adjusting the sling for the kneeling and sitt ing positions is the same as for the prone position, except tha t the sling will be adjusted somewhat shorter. Experience will determine just how much the sling must be shortened for each of the positions. For each position, the sling must be adjusted so that the rifle has to be forced into your
shoulder. This gives maximum support to the rifle.
50. PRONE POSITION—T48
The prone position is most frequently used. This position presents a small silhouette and enables most of your body to be placed behind the rifle. The prone position is the most natural to assume, the steadiest and the most comfortable. In each position strive for bone support and muscular relaxation. The bones of your body must support the weight of the rifle, allowing your muscles to be relaxed.
To assume the prone position when using the sling, stand facing your target . The "V" of your left hand is well forward against the upper sling swivel. Your r ight hand grasps the heel of the stock. Spread your feet a comfortable distance apar t and then shift the weight of your body slightly to the rear and drop to your knees. Draw an imaginary line
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from the ta rge t to your r ight knee. Place the toe of the butt well out in front of your right knee and on the imaginary line; roll onto your left side and place your left elbow on the same line. With your r ight hand on the butt, force the rifle forward in front of your r ight shoulder. Remove your r ight hand, allowing the sling to pull the rifle into the hollow of your shoulder. Grasp the pistol grip with your r ight hand and lower your r ight elbow to the ground so tha t your shoulders are about level. Position your r ight forefinger on the tr igger, relax forward into the sling and aim at the target (fig. 30) .
Check your position to make sure it is a natural one by closing your eyes for a few seconds and then opening them. The rifle should lie on line with the t a rge t ; if not, shift your body and repeat this procedure until the rifle remains naturally on the target .
To assume the prone position without the use of a sling, grasp the pistol gr ip with your r ight hand and hold the r ight side of the stock against the lower par t of your r ight forearm. Face the target and spread your feet a comfortable distance apar t . Shift your weight slightly to the rear and drop to your knees. Place your left hand well out to the front and on line with your r ight knee. Continue to move downward and at the same time place the butt of the rifle into your r ight shoulder. Position your r ight elbow on the ground and place your left elbow as far under the receiver as the magazine will allow. Grasp the hand guard with your left hand and pull the rifle back into your r ight shoulder. Aim at the target .
The important features of the prone position apply equally whether the sling is used or not, except for those characteristics which pertain to the sling only.
The important features of the prone position are listed below. These features will be checked by the coach.
The rifle rests in the "V" formed by the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. The fingers of the left hand are relaxed.
The wrist is as s traight as possible. The left hand is forward against the upper
sling swivel. The left elbow is placed as far under the
rifle as the magazine will permit.
Daylight is visible between the sling and the crook of the elbow.
The loop of the sling is high on the left arm, above the bicep.
The left shoulder is relaxed forward.
The angle made by the firer 's spine and the rifle should be 30° or less. This will enable the firer to recover his position rapidly after each shot.
The spine is s t ra igh t ; the legs are spread a comfortable distance apar t .
The toes are pointing outward; the heels, if possible without discomfort, should touch the ground.
The right elbow is positioned so tha t the shoulders are level.
The pistol grip is held firmly with the r ight hand.
The t r igger finger contacts the tr igger so tha t there is daylight between the finger and pistol grip when viewed from above. The middle finger contacts the bottom of the tr igger guard, insuring a firm grip and straight squeeze toward the rear
The neck is relaxed, the eyes are level. The cheek rests firmly against the stock forming a "spot weld." However, the eye is far enough to the rear so that the rear sight will not strike the eye as the rifle recoils. The "spot weld" is the solid contact made by the firer 's cheek and the stock of the rifle. As the rifle recoils to the rear, the firer 's head and eye will move at the same time and will be repositioned at the same time. It is important for the cheek to be positioned on the stock in the same place each time the rifle is fired. This will put the eye the same distance from the rear sight each time and will insure a duplication of the sight picture.
The weight of the upper body is relaxed forward against the tension of the sling.
51. PRONE POSITION—T48E1
When firing in short bursts with the rifle on the automatic setting, you must depend upon your gr ip and position. They are the most important factors in this type of rifle marksmanship and must be correct to get all the rounds of a burst into the target .
Figure 30. Prone position.
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Place the rifle on the ground with the sights up and the muzzle pointing to the front. Pr ior to assuming the prone position, check to be sure—
The sling is loose and out of the way of the magazine feedway. (The sling is not used.)
The gas plug is positioned properly with the " A " on the gas plug upward.
The bipod legs are in the locked position.
To assume the prone position, stand facing down range and aline your body directly to the rear of the rifle. Take two steps to the rear, drop to your knees and into the prone position. Raise the hinged butt plate and place the butt of the rifle to your shoulder. Spread your legs a comfortable distance apa r t and, if possible, place your heels on the ground.
Grasp the pistol gr ip with your r ight hand. Your left hand grasps the small of the stock, with the thumb under the stock and your fingers curled over the top (fig. 31 ) . Pull the rifle down and to the left with your left hand. This forces the hinged butt plate to the left and down into your shoulder, counteracting the pressure of your cheek against the stock. A firm grip must be applied to the rifle. Position your t r igger finger on the t r igger so that , when viewed from above the rifle, there is daylight between the pistol grip and forefinger. Curl your remaining fingers around the pistol grip and pull the rifle back and down into your shoulder.
The coach takes his position five paces to the rear of the firer. F rom this position he tells the firer which way to move his body in order to be directly behind the rifle. The coach moves forward and checks the firer 's feet and legs. His toes are out and, when possible, the heels should contact the ground. His legs are spread a comfortable distance apar t .
He checks the shoulders, which should be level. The most common error is a low right shoulder. To correct this error the firer moves his r ight elbow inward, or his left elbow forward and out.
The coach checks the firer 's gr ip on the rifle after making sure tha t the firer 's chest is up and off the ground.
The coach checks to see tha t the sling is loose and out of the way of the magazine feed-
way and tha t the gas plug is positioned properly. He adjusts the bipod legs by grasping the hand guard with one hand and adjusting the bipod legs to the height desired by the firer with the other hand.
He moves to the rear and rechecks the firer 's position. He then assumes the proper coaching position. In this position, he is on the firer 's left side and is far enough forward so he can see the firer 's eye. The coach rests on his left hip and left elbow (fig. 41) .
52. SITTING POSITION—T48 and T48E1
For steadiness, this position is second only to the prone position. The sitt ing position may be used when you do not have time or space to assume the prone position, or when your view of the ta rge t would be obscured in the prone position—such as firing in an area with high grass . It is also suitable for firing down hill.
Before assuming the sit t ing position, stand facing the target , holding the rifle with the "V" of your left hand against the upper sling swivel. Execute approximately a half r ight face and spread your feet far apart . Sit down, breaking the fall with your r ight hand, far enough to the rear so the undersides of your knees are about a hand span off the ground. Your feet should be farther apart than your knees. Relax your ankles so that your toes point forward and slightly inward. Bend your body well forward at the waist and place your left upper a rm on the flat part of your left shinbone so the tip of your elbow is crossed over the shinbone. There should be several inches of contact between your left upper a rm and left shin. With your right hand at the heel of the butt, force the rifle into your r ight shoulder and take the correct grip on the pistol grip. Block your r ight elbow on the inside of your r ight knee. Relax into the sling (fig. 32) .
These are the important features of the si t t ing position:
The rifle rests in the "V" formed by the thumb and forefinger and on the heel of the left hand.
The left elbow is as nearly under the rifle as the magazine will permi t ; the left wrist is s t raight .
Figure 31. Prone position (T48E1).
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-
Daylight is visible between the sling and the crook of the left elbow.
The left upper a rm is forward and down over the left knee, having several inches of contact with the inside (flat par t ) of the left shin; the tip of the elbow is crossed over the shinbone.
The weight of the body is relaxed forward at the waist.
The feet are far ther apar t than the knees, with the feet relaxed forward at the ankles. The toes are turned in.
The weight of the upper par t of the body is forward on the legs.
The butt of the rifle is held in the pocket of the r ight shoulder by the tension of the sling.
The right a rm is blocked on the inside of the r ight knee.
The grip on the pistol grip, the position of the t r igger finger, and the spot weld between the cheek and the stock are the same as in the prone position.
When taking the si t t ing position with the T48E1, lock the bipod legs back along the barrel and use the hinged but t plate. You may use the hasty sling instead of the loop sling. All other features of the sit t ing position are the same.
53. ALTERNATE SITTING POSITIONS
The al ternate positions are not so stable as the open-legged sit t ing position and should be used only if the conformation of your body
Figure 32. Open-legged sitting position.
Figure 33. Cross-legged si t t ing position.
prevents you from using the open-legged position.
In the cross-legged position (fig. 33) , sit with your left leg crossed over your r ight leg. Draw your feet up close to your body so the outer par t of the calf of each leg rests on the inside of the opposite foot. The backs of your upper a rms are supported against your shin-bones and are very nearly at r ight angles to them. The rest of the position is the same as for the normal si t t ing position.
In the cross-ankled sit t ing position (fig. 34) , cross your left ankle over your r ight ankle, and extend your legs well away from your body. Be sure tha t your knees are not held up by sheer muscular effort. Here, as in the cross-legged position, your upper a rms are supported by your shins. The rest of this position is the same as for the normal si t t ing position.
The cross-ankled position provides only a two-point base of support and is less stable than the cross-legged position, which has a three-
point base. If you weigh less than 170 pounds you should avoid the cross-ankled position because you will rock while firing.
54. KNEELING POSITION
This position is frequently used on level ground or ground that slopes upward. It is a steady position and can be used to great advantage when you don't have enough time to assume the prone position, or when the target would be obscured if you were in the sitting position. It can be used when you do not have enough space to assume the prone position.
To assume the kneeling position, face the target . Hold the rifle with the "V" of your left hand against the upper sling swivel and your r ight hand at the heel of the butt. Execute a r ight face and then place your left foot about 18 inches to the front with your toe pointing in the general direction of the target . Kneel down onto your r ight knee and sit with your r ight buttock on your r ight heel. Place your
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Figure 34. Cross-ankled sitting position.
left elbow several inches forward of your left knee. Cam the bu t t of the rifle into your r ight shoulder and position your r ight hand at the pistol gr ip. Hold your r ight elbow jus t below the horizontal, forming a pocket in your shoulder to hold the rifle in place. To complete the position, shift your weight forward, placing approximately 60 percent of your weight on your left leg. Relax into the sling (fig. 35) . Check your position by aiming at the ta rge t and closing your eyes as you did in the prone position.
These are the important features of the kneeling position:
The rifle rests in the " V " formed by the thumb and forefinger and on the heel of the left hand.
The left wr is t is s t raight . The left elbow is as nearly under the rifle
as the magazine will permit . The left elbow is several inches forward
of the left knee. The weight of the body is forward and point-to-point contact between the left elbow and knee is avoided.
Daylight can be seen between the sling and the crook of the left elbow.
The left lower leg is vertical, as viewed from the front.
The toe of the left foot points generally at the target .
The left foot is drawn back, and the body weight is relaxed forward so tha t solid contact is made between the calf of the left leg and the left thigh.
The grip by the r ight hand, the position of the cheek against the stock of the rifle, and the finger on the t r igger are the same as for the prone position. The r ight elbow is slightly below the horizontal.
The r ight knee is positioned so tha t the r ight thigh forms an angle of 90° with the line of aim. The entire surface of the lower leg,
from knee to toe, is in contact with the ground. With the body weight shifted forward, most of the weight is off the right leg and on the left leg. The right leg now completes a solid three-point base. If the right leg forms an angle of less than 90°, the three-point base is reduced in size. If the angle is greater, the firer is straining his thigh muscles.
The firer sits firmly on his right heel. If at first this puts too much strain on the instep, he may dig a small hole for his toe. Practice in this position will eliminate the need for this hole.
When assuming the kneeling position with the T48E1, lock the bipod legs back along the barrel and use the hinged butt plate. The hasty sling may be used instead of the loop sling. All other features of the kneeling position remain the same.
55. ADJUSTMENT OF THE HASTY SLING —WEB To adjust the hasty sling, place the rifle on
your right hip and cradle it in the crook of your right arm so that both hands are free to make the adjustment. The hook is fastened to the lower sling swivel at all times when the hasty sling is used. Unfasten the keeper and loosen the sling until the proper adjustment is obtained. This adjustment varies with the conformation of each man's body and will have to be determined through experimentation. Move the keeper toward the feed end of the sling and lock the keeper. Give the sling a half turn to the left and pass your left arm through the sling so that the sling is high on your upper arm. Move your left hand over the sling and grasp the rifle slightly to the rear of the upper sling swivel. The sling should lie flat along
Figure 35. Kneeling position.
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Figure 36. Hasty sling.
the back of your left hand and wrist . Grasp the butt of the rifle with your r ight hand (fig. 36) .
56. STANDING POSITION
The standing, or off-hand position is normally used in the assault for ranges of 100 yards or less. During the assault, the rifleman quickly assumes the position, fires, and then moves forward.
To assume the standing position, stand facing the target . Do a half r ight face and spread your feet a comfortable distance apar t . Raise the rifle butt upward with your r ight hand until the sights are approximately level with your eyes. Put the toe of the but t against your r ight shoulder so tha t one-fourth of the butt is visible from the rear. Grasp the pistol grip with your r ight hand. Pull the rifle s t raight to the rear and hold it against your shoulder by the force of your right hand. Raise
your r ight elbow jus t high enough to form a pocket in the r ight shoulder, and to enable you to apply force s t ra ight to the rear. Your cheek forms a spot weld with the stock of the rifle. Relax your weight s t ra ight down onto your waist, keeping your weight equally distributed on both feet (fig. 37) . If you are not aiming at the target , move your feet until the rifle rests naturally on the target .
These are the important features of the standing position :
The firer is aiming naturally on his target .
The feet are spread a comfortable distance apar t .
The weight of the body rests equally on both feet.
The left hand is positioned slightly to the rear of the upper sling swivel, with the rifle rest ing in the "V" and on the heel of the left hand.
The left elbow is as nearly under the rifle as the magazine permits .
The but t of the rifle is high on the r ight shoulder.
The r ight elbow is nearly horizontal. The spot weld is the same as for the other
positions. The t r igger finger is contacting the t r igger
so there is daylight between the finger and pistol grip, when viewed from above.
The f i rer is relaxed, allowing his weight to be evenly distributed on both hips.
The s tanding position is not t augh t with the T48E1.
57. H I P F IRING POSITION—T48
The hip f ir ing position with the T48 rifle is used to place well-directed fire on suspected enemy positions at extremely short ranges (up to 30 or 35 y a r d s ) . It is effective during the final stages of an assault, in jungle and street fighting, or in any situation where the enemy can be located only by flash, sound, or vague outline.
To assume the hip f ir ing position (fig. 38) , place your feet far enough apa r t to provide balance, with one foot slightly forward as in a boxer's stance. Point your feet in the general
Figure 37. Standing position.
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Figure 38. Hip firing position.
direction of the target, just as if you had suddenly stopped walking. Bend your knees slightly with your body leaning forward from the hips, to provide a comfortable firing position.
Hold the rifle with your right hand grasping the pistol grip and your right forearm along the right side of the stock. Hold the butt of the rifle tightly against the side of your right hip. Your left hand grasps the rifle near the upper sling swivel with the thumb over the top of the rifle. Bend your left arm slightly. The sling should swing loosely and not interfere with your grip.
In aiming, point the rifle in the direction of the target with the barrel horizontal or slightly depressed. It is much better to get a ricochet shot on the target than a high miss that gives no indication of its strike. You should be able to keep both the muzzle of the rifle and the target within your field of vision. Your eyes, however, should be focused on the target. By doing this you increase your ability to aim the rifle properly, and a target in a new direction can be readily engaged by pivoting your entire body.
When practicing or firing from this position the coach must insure that:
The position has stability. The position is natural and well balanced
to eliminate awkwardness. The butt of the rifle is pressed against the
right hip. The barrel is pointing at the proper angle. The firer keeps his eyes on the target.
58. CROUCH FIRING POSITION—T48E1 The crouch firing position is used to fire
the T48E1 accurately when on the automatic (A) setting (fig. 39) . This position is designed for use in close-in fighting or in the assault,
when the rifleman is within 35 yards of his objective. A special sling adjustment is used. Since one standard sling is not long enough to assume the correct position, two web slings can be joined together. The bipod legs are locked in the firing position so that the firer may immediately drop into the prone position to engage a target of opportunity at greater ranges.
To adjust the sling to the proper length, loosen it and refasten the keeper. Pick up the rifle by grasping the sling so that the sights are down, muzzle pointing to your front. Place
Figure 39. Crouch position.
214 The Fort Benning T48 manual
the sling over your head on your left shoulder and allow the rifle to hang freely at your r ight side. Loosen the sling until the rifle hangs from 8 to 10 inches below your waist. Grasp the hand guard with your left hand and tu rn the rifle so the sights are up. The sling will tend to cant the rifle away from your body. To offset this, place the other end of the sling around the but t of the rifle. This tends to cant the weapon toward your body and keeps it in a stable position.
These are the important features of the crouch fir ing position:
The feet are spread a comfortable distance apar t , with one foot leading, as if the f i rer had suddenly stopped walking.
Both legs are bent slightly.
The f irer is in a crouch position with his head up.
The rifle is grasped firmly at the pistol gr ip with the r igh t hand.
The r ight forearm is along the r ight side of the stock, forcing the stock in front of the r ight hip.
The left a rm is s t ra ight and holds the barrel of the rifle horizontal or lower. The left a rm is used to adjust fire by raising or lowering the muzzle. The weight of the body is evenly balanced on both feet, allowing the firer to pivot on the ball of the leading foot in order to engage a ta rge t in any direction.
Both eyes a re kept on the target .
59. T H E IMPORTANCE O F T R I G G E R SQUEEZE
You have learned how to hold and aim the rifle. The next step in rifle marksmanship is the most impor tant single act in shooting—the t r igger squeeze. Unless you learn and practice the proper t r igger squeeze, you might as well forget the other steps, because you'll place more lead in the but ts than in the target .
Tr igger squeeze begins the moment your forefinger takes up the slack on the t r igger . F rom tha t point you move the t r igger s t ra ight to the rear with an evenly increasing pressure of your forefinger until, suddenly, the rifle fires. You should squeeze so tha t you never know what ins tant the rifle will fire.
60. APPLYING TRIGGER SQUEEZE
Grasp the pistol grip comfortably and firmly in your r ight hand with your forefinger touching the t r igger in a natura l position. For the average rifleman, the t r igger will contact the forefinger between the f irst and second joints.
You will notice tha t when you apply pressure and squeeze the t r igger to the rear, it moves easily for a short distance until you feel a s tronger resistance. This movement is called the "slack." It is the movement of the tr igger to the rear until the shoulder of the trigger contacts the tail of the sear. The remainder of the movement required to overcome this s t ronger resistance is known as the squeeze. A heavier pressure must be applied during the "squeeze" to move the t r igger until the nose of the sear disengages its notch in the hammer. To properly squeeze the tr igger, take up the slack and p a r t of the squeeze with a firm initial pressure. Continue the steady movement of your t r igger finger s t ra ight to the rear until the rifle fires. To obtain surprise shots, vary the heavy initial pressure so the rifle does not always fire at the same time.
61. COMBINING TRIGGER S Q U E E Z E WITH OTHER S T E P S
Although t r igger squeeze is the most impor tan t single factor in marksmanship, it must be combined with your aim and position to produce the best results. Since the prone position is the most stable, it should be used when beginning t r igger squeeze exercises. Follow this sequence:
Assume your position. Be sure tha t you have bone support and your muscles are relaxed.
Inhale a deep breath of air, expel half of it, and hold the remainder by closing your throat . Keep your muscles relaxed.
Aline your sights and get the correct sight picture.
As you continue to concentrate on your sight picture, take up the slack and p a r t of the squeeze with a heavy initial pressure. Continue to squeeze the t r igger with a smooth, steadily increasing pressure until the hammer falls.
After the hammer falls, follow through.
Native American Production of the T48
In a programme designed to test the 'produceability' of the FAL, using American drawings and manufacturing practices, the FAL rifle was produced in limited quantities at two American arms factories: High Standard Arms Corp of Hamden, Conn, and Harrington & Richardson Inc (H&R) of Worcester, Mass. This story is told in more detail in Volume One.
Fig 139 The H igh S tandard T48 - o n l y 13 we re p r o d u c e d . — courtesy the late Edward J. Hoffschmidt
216 The United Kingdom 1954
Fig 140 Ha r r i ng ton and R ichardson Inc m a d e 500 T48 r i f les, f r o m m o d i f i e d , i nch -measu remen t Canad ian Arsenals d rawings , to test the FAL's p r o d u c e a b i l i t y in the U n i t e d States. S tud ied in V o l u m e O n e .
Fig 141 Receiver mark ings , r igh t side; H&R US-made T48
The United Kingdom, 1954
In January, 1954, the United Kingdom adopted the FAL rifle in two basic configurations, the X8E1 (prototype 43) and the unit-optic sight version, the X8E2 (prototype 46). Volume Two tells the complete story of the trials, modifications and measurement changes which led from this initial order to the final issue L1A1 rifle design, adopted and used today by Britain, Australia and several other Commonwealth countries.
The magnitude of British orders for FN-made weapons has not previously been reported: total UK orders before production began in England ran to some 14,530 rifles of the various metric 'X8' models. It will be remembered that Monsieur Laloux, on behalf of FN, in gratitude for British assistance in the crucial early days of the development of the FAL rifle, gave free of charge to the British Crown the rights to manufacture as many
Fig 142 The FN-made UK X8E2 rifle, a quantity order based on prototype 46 (fig 115). UK-designed 'double effect ' cocking handle and British-made unit optic sight. Studied in Vo lume Two. — Canadian War Museum
218 T h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m 1954
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rifles of the FN design as the British chose. In recognition of this and other services, M. Laloux was awarded the title of Commander of the Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II.
Another champion of "the Belgian rifle" was the Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill, and, on the occasion of the great statesman's stepping down as leader of Her Majesty's government in 1955, Monsieur Laloux did not forget the debt. The following is an extract from FN Revue No MS, of February, 1965. The magazine reported that M. René Laloux, director general of Fabrique Nationale, had in 1955 presented a specially-made and inscribed FAL rifle to then-Prime Minister of Great Britain Sir Winston Churchill. For the FN Revue article, M. Laloux recalled and recorded the interview, granted by the Prime Minister, at which time the presentation had been made:
Fig 145 The popularity of the FAL in Britain is here attested to by this plastic model, made and sold by the UK model firm 'Airfix'.
Fig 146 Prototype telescope sight M K 2 no 2 by the UK firm A V I M O , Ltd of London and Taunton. Adjustments in the 'tip-off mount'. — FN Test and Control Laboratory
220 T h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m 1954
Adoption of the FAL Rifle by Great Britain
I will begin with as brief as possible a recap of the history of the adoption of the FAL by Great Britain.
In August, 1941, several FN employees, working as collaborators with the Nazis, decided to leave occupied Belgium in order to rejoin the British cause. The enterprise succeeded perfectly and, as soon as M. Joassart, the FN director general of that era, entered into the Belgian Government in London as Secretary of State, his companions, that is to say Monsieurs Dufrasne, Vogels, Saive and myself, desirous of placing their knowledge at the disposition of the British Government, were engaged by the UK Ministry of Supply in the study and prototype manufacture of Small Arms.
Three years later, upon the liberation of Belgium, this team returned to Herstal, but the established contacts with the British lived on, so that later when Britain, in liaison with Canada and the United States, decided to study new Infantry weapons and ammunition systems, FN was invited to participate in this development. It was a proposition we accepted with enthusiasm._
All this is to show that an event of seeming secondary importance, that is the leaving of occupied Belgium at a particularly critical stage of the war, had in fact extremely important consequences. In effect, if Britain had not been interested in our preliminary design work, the FAL would never have been born, and I would not dare to hazard a guess as to what differences this would have made in the success of our enterprise.
The basis of the new British Infantry Armament system was a cartridge smaller than the multiple military rounds then in general use, plus a detachable box magazine of 20-round capacity — a departure from the norm of repeating rifles of the day, most of which carried only 5 rounds (with the exception of the Lee Enfield, which held 10), in addition to the concept of selectively available semi- and full-automatic fire.
Thus Monsieur Dieudonné Saive created a carbine, from his original idea of a military arm, but opening for takedown like a sporting shotgun.
From the beginning, the Saive design met with great success. Trials were held in England in 1949, and then in America during the whole of 1950, wherein our Belgian design was in competition with an English design and the American T25. The conclusions of these 1950 American trials were in favour of the FN entry, which was at that time unfortunately chambered for a 7mm cartridge of British design,
much weaker than the proposed US 7.62-calibre T65 round. The Americans were fiercely loyal to their own cartridge design and rejected the findings of the test commission which had recommended the FN rifle in 7mm. Finally, in 1951 after further trials in Britain, the UK government announced their unilateral adoption of the native British rifle, dubbed the EM-2, and the little English 7mm (.280) cartridge. This severely compromised the desired ideal of Standardization of the military rifle and round among the western powers. The British decision engendered a great storm of conflict, and provoked a defence ministers' conference; all countries concerned met in Washington, and determined to persevere in the search for a common cartridge no matter what.
The UK government subsequently held the EM-2 adoption in abeyance. At FN, M. Saive's rifle was quickly redimensioned to fire the American 7.62 mm cartridge, and the English did the same with their EM-2. Trials resumed in the U S A in 1952, this time in competition with a new American rifle, the T44.
Our M. Vervier attended all the Fort Benning trials and the arctic tests at Big Delta in Alaska. He recollects that the results were again in favour of the FN design. Subsequently, the UK War Office recommended to the new Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, the adoption without delay of the FN rifle firing the American T65 round.
A Stormy Session of the Commons
Newspapers of the day recount how, in response to this request, Mr Churchill, then near 80 years of age, personally fired the FN rifle at a nearby Home Guard range. He was enchanted with the rifle and decided then and there to follow the War Office's advice he had been given. This decision was received very badly indeed by the Opposition in the British House of Commons, and a lively debate there took place on Feb 1, 1954.
I was in London on that day, and thanks to the Belgian Military Attaché I was able to add my piece to the public inquiry.
The English sense of humour lent an air very much more amusing and interesting to these proceedings than that found in our European parliaments. The English House of Commons meets in a relatively small rectangular room, with the government and opposition deputies seated face to face, separated by a long table on which those of the front
Fig 147 The cased, presentation FAL rifle, made by the workers of Fabrique Nat ionale and presented by M. Laloux to retiring British Prime Minister Sir Wins ton Churchil l , as a token of gratitude.
rank are allowed to put their feet, if they so desire. The deputies speak from their places and it is very bad manners indeed to interrupt an orator save on a "point of order". The deputies are not addressed by their names but rather by the district or riding they represent. I remember the debate was opened that day by Mr Wyatt, the "Right-Honourable Member for Aston", who proposed the following motion: "That this House deplores the decision of Her Majesty's Government to adopt the Belgian FN rifle for use by the British Army, in place of the new English EM-2 rifle."
Mr Wyatt's argument was that standardization of ammunition alone was important and not standardization of the rifle itself, and that Mr Churchill had reversed the decision of the previous government simply because the EM-2 was unorthodox in appearance. As it happened, as I understood it, the inventor of the EM-2, had, to gain a slight advantage, done away with the butt on his design. Events have proved this to be not without pitfalls and the result was an inconvenient design.
Prime Minister Churchill then took the floor and for more than half an hour courageously defended the "Belgian rifle", explaining that he made his decision to adopt it first of all because generally it was the most highly regarded design, and the most likely to be adopted by other western powers. Further, he went on, the FN had been recommended to him by the highest British military authorities, in par
ticular by his noble friend Lord Alexander, Minister of Defence. He added that he himself had been impressed by the ways in which the FN rifle corresponded to his own views of what a military rifle should look like. Fiercely harassed by the Opposition, Mr Churchill ended in a telling fashion by remarking that Mr Wyatt's predeliction had not prevented his turning in a very remarkable score with the FN the previous morning, during a shoot organised for Members of Parliament !
A number of other orators then successively took the floor, alternately for and against the motion. The penultimate speaker was the former Defence Minister, Mr Shinwell, whose decision it had been to adopt the EM-2. He was attentively listened to by Mr Churchill, who, being hard of hearing, made use of his ear-trumpet. Mr Shinwell proposed that Mr Churchill's words of favour for the FN were due simply to his dislike for the previous government.
Finally, Mr Anthony Head, Secretary of State for War, rose for the last speech. He created a furor amongst the Opposition members by revealing that a message had already been sent to Washington stating that Her Majesty's government was ready to adopt the Belgian rifle firing the American T65 cartridge.
The Opposition motion was defeated in the subsequent vote, 266 to 232. The confrontation had been long and arduous: begun at 3:45 p.m. , the new rifle issue was not abandoned until 7 p . m . that evening.
222 T h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m 1954
Fig 148 The Churchil l presentation FAL rifle, in its high-gloss factory blue finish. Described in detail in adjacent text.
One hundred and fifty times, the words, "the Belgian rifle" had been intoned in the venerable chamber of the English parliament.
The next day, the British army confirmed their order to us for 5,000 rifles for troop trials.
At that moment, conscious of the faith placed in our design by the English decision, it was impossible to manifest the joy that was mine, but a year later, hearing that Mr Churchill, who had now reached 80 years of age, was about to step down as Prime Minister, I made formal inquiries at the War Office to see if we could not be authorised to offer him an FN FAL rifle as a token of our gratitude for his having defended it so well. The reply came that Sir Winston would not only accept the gift but wished the presentation to be made by FN !
Never was a more beautiful rifle made in Her-stal. Volunteers were solicited among the machinists to turn out the most beautiful parts possible, using cutters honed to perfection. M. Demey, then chief of the Arms Division, suggested the rifle be gloss blued instead of the usual phosphate-and-paint. Finally, the talents of engravers, used to working on high-class shotguns and not on military rifles, were called to
our aid. It was decided to inscribe and then inlay with gold on the right side of the receiver first a legend outlining the purpose of the gift, and then a phrase that Mr Churchill had used in the House of Commons in description of the Belgian rifle. The inscription read: "This rifle was made by the workers of Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre and presented to the Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill, K .G . , O.M. , C H . , P .C . , M.P. , Prime Minister of Great Britain, in token of our respect and admiration — Liège, Belgium 25 March 1955." Below this, Mr Churchill's phrase was placed in quotation marks: "I was pleased to discover that the arm was in harmony with certain important practical and tactical conceptions that my long experience suggested."
(Sir Winston had been a serving Officer before entering Parliament and had participated in numerous combat missions.) Finally finished, the rifle was placed in a fitted case with its lid ornamented by an escutcheon portraying the coat-of-arms of this celebrated statesman, the design of which Miss Rowbotham, the excellent secretary of our London office, had been successful in obtaining.
On Thursday, 31 March, 1955, at the appointed
Fig 149 The Churchil l family coat-of-arms, engraved and set into the lid of the case of Sir Winston's presentation FAL rifle.
hour, that is a little before 4 p.m., fraught with emotion, I presented myself at No 10 Downing Street carrying the presentation case and accompanied by Major General Crawford, (retired), Administrator of FN England, and Major Tothill, Acting Officer of Ordnance for the Director of Infantry.
Mr Churchill's private secretary announced that Sir Winston was just returning from Parliament and would be a few minutes late. We were ushered into a salon. As you know, 10 Downing Street is the Prime Minister's residence. It dates from the Victorian era, and I admired the furnishings with great pleasure.
Twenty minutes later, the same secretary returned with the message that Mr Churchill was very sorry but he was in the middle of his farewell speech to the House and he would be with us as soon as possible.
The secretary soon returned again to direct us into the 'Cabinet Room', where many crucial decisions had been made during the war. A large table, ringed with chairs, filled the room. The Prime Minister himself was waiting for us and, smiling, shook our hands. His dress was that of an English
gentleman. His celebrated polka-dot bow tie framed his rosy face, and, content, he smoked a cigar. In brief, he was absolutely as he was depicted in photographs of the time.
I placed the gun case carefully on the polished table, and opened the lid. I explained to the Prime Minister that we had been so satisfied with the statement he had made in Parliament regarding our rifle that we had allowed ourselves the pleasure of reproducing it on the side of this special rifle we had made for him. Mr Churchill traced with his finger each engraved word, reading first his name and titles, then the engraved statement in quotes. Arriving at the end of this, he turned to me and said: "Did I really say that?"
I assured him that the phrase had been extracted directly from Hansard. "Oh!" said Mr Churchill, "if Hansard says I said it, it must be so." Then Mr Churchill expressed the desire to handle the rifle, When he had it in his hands, he brandished it and said: "This, gentlemen, will save the lives of many men."
He proceeded to try the action of the rifle appreciatively, and as I assisted him a bit of his cigar ash fell on my shirtsleeve. Before me, Mr Churchill saw the little drama. Quickly he introduced two fingers within my sleeve and stretched the material, then brushed the ashes away delicately with the palm of his other hand. I admired the precision of his movements. The ashes were gone, alas; the memory remains with me to this day.
This episode over, I broke the rifle open to show him how easily the soldier could gain access to the mechanism — this seemed to please him very much.
With these introductions, he began a discussion with Major Tothill on the logistical use of the arm in peacetime and asked if it would be different from that of the Lee-Enfield, which the British Army had used for more than 50 years. We were by now gravitating towards the windows. Leaning on a table and surrounded by us, Sir Winston began reminiscing about the war. His delivery of words had always impressed me, but to hear him now, in this small room, speaking slowly and emphasizing each phrase, in English, which is more concise than French, was to be really under his spell.
With his lengthy experience of some sixty-odd years with repeating rifles, Mr Churchill wondered aloud about allowing the soldier selective automatic and semi-automatic fire. He felt it would be necessary to control this feature, as it would inevitably lead to a sharp increase in ammunition consumption. The increased firepower now available
224 T h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m 1954
would result in fewer men in the front line, he said; fewer than when he was in Flanders, and consequently fewer casualties. But, he added with a smile, this of course would mean more men back with the mules! (This was an allusion to the 1914-18 war, where, as I personally witnessed in the Ypres sector, the British Army made use of large Spanish mules for transporting munitions and food to the front lines.)
For my part, after discreetly reminding the Prime Minister of the gift which FN had given to England — that is the free use of the rights to manufacture the FAL Rifle without payment of royalties, a gift which England made very good use of, I now revealed that, in order to remove as many obstacles as possible from a clear path to standardization of rifles within the N A T O alliance, we had made the same offer to the United States. Mr Churchill assured me that he very much appreciated our attitude.
But the hour to depart had arrived. In walking past the rifle, resting in its fitted case on the large boardroom table, Mr Churchill inquired if in an emergency it could be used as a club. I assured him that this could be done, and we retired, but not before Mr Churchill thanked us for having offered him this "very nice rifle". I will always remember the illustrious Prime Minister, standing on the boardroom threshold, inclined towards us, arms wide apart in a gesture of profound gratitude.
The following Monday, he was received by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and his role as head of the government of Britain was over.
It is therefore possible that our visit was the last he received in the capacity of Prime Minister. Be that as it may, Fabrique Nationale can be proud to have had so staunch a defender.
The British did not pursue the use of the heavy-barrel FAL, confining their interest to the recorded purchase of only three prototypes on May 18, 1954. The Australians found this configuration more to their liking however, and later produced a most effective series of light support weapons based on their inch-version L1A1 semi-automatic infantry rifle, in calibre 7.62 NATO (Volume Two).
The L1A1 is itself current issue in the UK, Australia and several other Commonwealth nations.
Belgium 1954
Fig 150 The Belgian army issue M1 FAL rifle, adopted in 1954.
Fig 151 Belgian M1 FAL fitted with special cocking handle and mount for Philips-Usfa infra-red night sight. The
With the adoption of the 7.62 mm NATO Belgian model 'M1' FAL in 1954, the .30M2 calibre SAFN rifle was gradually superceded. Both these weapons are marked 'ABL'; not to designate a model, but to indicate that the weapon is Belgian army property. The acronym ABL is an ingenious combination of the initials 'A B' for the French Armée Belge, and 'B L' for the Flemish Belgisch Leger, both of which mean 'Belgian Army'.
Belgian orders in 1954 and 1955 totalled 14,100 M1 FAL rifles.
Later, in 1960, a new order was approved, for an additional quantity of an up-to-date 'M2' model. The features which constitute this update of the basic FAL 'Canada ' were initially proposed and ordered by the German Bundeswehr and are described in the section on Germany.
Certain units of the Belgian armed forces are
'ABL' Belgian army property mark can be seen on the receiver.
226 B e l g i u m 1954
Fig 153 Sixties-issue Belgian M2, fitted with the German ELTRO model B 8-V infra-red night sight, made by Eltro
GMBH of Heidelberg. Issued to Belgian army Infantry, Paras, Commandos and Military Police.
Fig 152 Belgian M1 FAL fitted with the infra-red night sight made by Philips Usfa, NV, of Eindhoven, Holland.
Front grip energises the I/R source when squeezed. Battery pack and cables not shown.
today equipped with the model 'M3', which is a late-model FAL 'paratrooper' or 'Para' folding-stock carbine with a distinguishing short barrel.
Fig 154 Prototype telescope and mount for Belgian army trials. (Note vertical takedown lever on M1 rifle, found to have too high a centre of gravity when firing grenades.)
This type of offset 'side' mount found favour only in the Belgian forces.
Fig 155 Telescope of 3.6x made by Société Belge d'Optiques et d'Instruments de Précision (OIP), in flexible-ringed side mount, as adopted by the Belgian Army. Note new horizontal takedown lever on this Belgian M2 FAL.
228 B e l g i u m 1954
Fig 156 Belgian army issue M2 FAL rifle, adopted in 1960.
T h e Belgian M3 is slightly shorter than other carbine versions of the FAL Para, due to the requirement for paratroops to be able to enter (and leave!) their helicopter transports with their weapons gripped securely against their chest packs, in traditional fashion, horizontally in front of them. This version had subsequently been adopted by several other countries.
The metalwork on Belgian army issue FAL rifles is finished in a distinctive matte grey colour. (The normal FN factory practice is for the rifle parts to be phosphated, painted with a strong, synthetic black lacquer, and then oven-baked. The same process is followed for the Belgian military rifles except the lacquer is a special-order grey colour.)
Fig 157 Belgian Paratrooper on guard before the Palais Royal in Brussels. The rifle is the folding-stock Belgian M3 'Para ' FAL.
Fig 158 FN FAL 'super-short' barrel Para M 3 , in Paratrooper combat trials at the Belgian army's Bever lo training camp.
Fig 159 Prototype of the latest model M3 Para (FN designation 50-63). Note folding cocking handle, fixed rear sight. No carrying handle fitted.
Fig 160 M3 Para prototype, stock folded. Receiver still cut for carrying handle, but none fitted. Compare with fig 189.
230 V e n e z u e l a 1954
Venezuela, 1954
V e n e z u e l a w a s the only country initially to adopt the FAL rifle in a calibre other than 7.62 NATO, choosing as they did the 7x49.15 mm Optimum 2 round. The designation FAL, or light auto rifle, was translated into Spanish as Fusil Automatico Liviano on the FN manuals, and this led to the rounds later being dubbed the "7 mm Liviano"
It will be remembered that Venezuela had
earlier purchased prototypes No 26 and 49. Their quantity order, for 5,000 rifles, was placed with FN on November 30, 1954. Both regular light rifles and heavy-barrel, bipod-equipped versions were included in this order. The light rifles were ordered with a unique, three-pronged flash suppressor, and a specially adjustable dial-type rear sight, both of Venezuelan design.
Fig 161 Venezuelan type FAL, presented to Gen Marcos Perez J iminez, September, 1955.
Fig 162 Cover of the Spanish-language manual for the later, NATO-cal ibre Venezuelan FAL.
Fig 163 FN cartridge label, calibre 7 x 49.15 mm (Opt imum 2), adopted initially by the Venezuelan army.
— A.O. Edwards
Fig 164 The original, 1954-type Venezuelan army Fusil Automatico Liviano. Note the distinctive Venezuelan-design flash hider and rear sight. Cal ibre 7 mm 'Liviano'.
232 V e n e z u e l a 1954
Later, additional FAL rifles (of the type basically described under Germany) were ordered, in 7.62 NATO calibre. A sufficient quantity of new 7.62 barrels was also ordered, and the Venezuelans themselves converted their entire arsenal to the NATO calibre, thus ending the Military use of the FAL in any other calibre than the 7.62 mm NATO.
Fig 165 The unique, three-pronged Venezue lan flash hider.
Fig 166 FN-produced heavy-barrel FALO; in Spanish Fusil Automatico Pesado, or 'FAP ' . Cal ibre 7 x 49.15 mm.
Fig 167 Later Venezuelan FAL rifle, cal ibre 7.62 NATO.
Fig 169 Later Venezuelan markings, cal 7.62 NATO.
Fig 168 Early Venezuelan receiver markings: "Venezuelan Armed Forces". Cal 7 mm Liviano.
234 V e n e z u e l a 1954
Fig 170 Plain-muzzle version, ordered by the Venezuelan Navy. Cal 7.62 mm NATO.
The Venezuelan National Guard purchased 10,000 of the 'super-short' FN model 50-63 (the 436 mm barrel-length Para FAL), without bolt holdopen or carrying handle, in 1974. (These rifles are further described under Argentina, on page 243.)
Fig 171 Venezuelan Navy FAL-receiver markings.
Israel, 1955
The first Israeli orders were for both light and heavy FAL 'Canada ' models, featuring the earlier rounded 'ribbed' handguard of the American 1952 trials rifles.
Many parts for the Israeli FAL rifle were subsequently manufactured by Israel Military Industries of Tel-Aviv, and assembled there. Throughout, the change levers and takedown hinge pins are unique; the change lever positions being (clockwise) 'A.S.R' as opposed to the standard 'SRA'. A special key was provided to remove the takedown hinge pin.
Fig 172 First Israeli model FAL. British trials type change lever.
Fig 173 Early markings, featuring Israel Mil i tary,Industries' crest, on Israeli light-barreled FAL.
236 Israe l 1955
Fig 174 Early Israeli model FALO (heavy barrel) automatic rifle.
Fig 175 Markings on the Israeli FALO receiver.
Fig 176 Late-model Israeli light-barrel FAL. Note the distinctive change lever, hinge pin and cocking handle.
Fig 179 Late issue Israeli FAL receiver markings. Note the slotted hinge pin.
Fig 178 Flash hider on the Israeli FALO. Bipods of a special pattern were made in Israel.
Fig 177 Israeli-made forend, wood-and-stamped-metal construction. Distinctive, solid front sight guards.
238 Argent ina 1955
Argentina, 1955
The NATO-ca l i b re FAL was selected in 1955 to
supercede the Argent ine army's 7.65 mm Mauser
1909 rifles. FALs of FN manufacture were ordered
and negotiat ions were undertaken to grant Argen
t ina l icense to produce the FAL within its own
Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares
(DGFM) , the state-owned 'General Directorate of
Mil i tary Industries'. The initial lot of FN-made FALs,
and the l icense to produce them in Argent ina, were
not secured until late 1958, due to the overthrow of
General Peron and the unsett led condi t ions which
prevai led in Argent ina at that t ime. The Belg ian
rifles were first issued to elite armoured cava l ry
units, and the D G F M arms factory, Fabrica de Ar
mas Portables Domingo F. Matheu, located at
Rosar io in the province of Santa Fe, subsequently
began product ion of the Argent ine- l icensed FAL.
(Changes in the FAL design, pioneered on the Ger
man G1 , had by this t ime become universal ly ac
cepted, but Argent in ian product ion cont inued the
original design.)
By 1964, most of the Army had been issued the
FAL, as had the Border pol ice (Gendarmeria
Nacional), the Federal Pol ice, the Nava l Prefectura,
(Coast Guard) , the Argent ine Navy, Marine Corps,
Air Force and all provincia l pol ice corps.
Fig 180 FN production, first Argentine model FAL rifle.
Fig 181 Crest on the FN-produced, first-model Argentine army FAL.
Fig 182 First Argentine production model; serial 24501.
Argent ine product ion inc luded the standard
f ixed-stock FN model , (FN designat ion 50-00) the
folding stock Para models (FN 50-61 and 50-63) for
paratroop units, and the FN 50-41 squad automat ic ,
known in Argent ina as the ' FAP ' . This heavy-barrel
automat ic rifle is also used as a f ixed spott ing rifle,
mounted on the D G F M 105 mm 1968 model
recoil less rifle.
Argent ina has also equipped some Ranger bat
tal ions of the Bol iv ian army with DGFM-made FAL
rifles. Argent ine armed forces have an est imated
150,000 units in service today, 1 5 % of wh ich are
still made at FN in Herstal .
In 1961 the F A L Para model 50-61 (fig 189) was
adopted as standard, and later in 1969 the Para 50-
63 with 'super-short' barrel was added for para
troop, specia l forces, navy and air force issue.
Fig 183 Receiver markings on early DGFM-produced FAL. Manufactured in Argentina.
240 Argent ina 1955
Fig 184 Later 1960s model, 100% Argentine production. Serial 63607.
Fig 185 Right side receiver markings on the Argentine-made FAL rifle shown in fig 184. Receiver 'type 2' (see fig 292 for receiver type explanations.
Fig 186 Argentine airforce markings on the DGFM-produced FAL rifle.
Fig 187 Argentine-produced heavy-barrel 'FAP' mounted sideways, left side up, as a spotting rifle on top of the DGFM 105 mm recoilless rifle. — Col G. von Rauch
Fig 188 100% Argentine-produced FAP, from a DGFM catalogue.
Fig 189 Above: FAL Para model 50-61, 533 mm (standard) barrel. Below: Current 'super-short' Para 50-63. Made in Belgium for units of the Argentine army.
Fig 190 Argentine-produced FN 'FAL-II '. 100% made in Argentina.
244 Belgian C o n g o 1955
Belgian Congo, 1955
Fig 191 Belgian Congo 1955 issue FAL 'Canada'.
Fig 192 Coat-of-arms on the Belgian Congo FAL - F.P. means "Force Publique". Note the second year of issue, 1956.
Fig 193 A 1959 photograph of Belgian troops enjoying the 'uneasy peace' in what was then Leopoldville, Belgian Congo. — Photo credit: LIFE magazine
Fig 194 After independence, the new government of the Congo ordered more FAL rifles from FN. These are marked on the left side "A.N.C. 1964" (Armée Nationale Congolese). They feature the South African design gas
plug/grenade sight and the FN flash hider/grenade launcher. Receiver type 2 (see fig 292 for explanation of receiver types.)
246 Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 1956
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, 1956
Fig 195 Luxembourg army FAL. 1,500 ordered in 1956. US-type folding triggerguard, UK X8-type change lever.
Fig 196 Crest on the Luxembourg FAL - "Armée Luxembourgeoise".
Paraguay, 1956
Fig 197 FN-produced Paraguayan FAL. Venezuelan-type rear sight.
The government of Paraguay, in addit ion to con- governments of both Brazi l and Argent ina. They
tracting with FN for F A L rifles, has received quan- also ordered 5,000 of the standard FN-made 'Fusi l
tities of South Amer ican-made FALs from the Automat ico Pesado' - the F A P .
Fig 198 Coat-of-arms of the Republic of Paraguay.
governments of both Brazi l and Argent ina. They
also ordered 5,000 of the standard FN-made 'Fusi l
Au tomat ico Pesado' - the F A P .
The German Gewehr 1 1956 - 1959
The German-contract F A L rifle marks a watershed in the history of the FAL design. (Actual ly , there were two German orders; the first, for the Border guard, specif ied a regular FAL 'Canada ' with suitable German markings). The second order was to rearm the Bundeswehr and was for 100,000 rifles. German speci f icat ions for this order changed the appearance of the F A L for evermore.
The German story began in December , 1954, when a demo was held featuring three spec ia l ly ordered and ser ial ly-numbered FAL rifles: D E U 1, a standard heavy-barrel ' F A L O ' (the FN designat ion
for the heavy-barrel FAL , combin ing the acronym ' F A L ' with the first two letters of the French word lourd, meaning 'heavy'); D E U 2 was a standard F A L 'Canada ' and D E U 3 was a standard FN ' F A L U S A ' (or T48) with the US-designed, 5-prong f lash hider.
The Germans were impressed with these rifles and invited FN to part ic ipate in further trials, to be held in January, 1955 at the German Wahn test range, 15 km from Co logne. Mm. Laloux, Vervier, V a n V y v e and V a n Rutten attended this important event:
FN Ballistic Laboratory, 24 January, 1955
Demonstration in Germany
Object: This report lists succinctly the results from the
course of fire supervised by Monsieur Van Rutten, on
January 17 and 18 and by Monsieur Van Vyve on
January 20. The firer was Sgt-Maj Delaet.
Before journeying to the Wahn test facility, the
three test rifles were first subjected to an identical
course of fire at FN. The prone position was there
adopted for all the trials.
Course of Fire: 1. Function-firing (FAL no DEU 2): 1 magazine single
shot; 1 magazine in short bursts.
(FAL no DEU 3): 1 magazine single shot; 1
magazine short bursts.
2. Accuracy — 200 metres (results in cm) FAL no DEU 2: two series of 10 shots without bayonet; two series of 10 shots with bayonet.
Results: without bayonet — group 1: 17.5 +
14.5 = 32 cm. Group 2: 26 + 9.5 = 36.5 cm. Group
Average: 33.8 cm
With bayonet, group 1: 15 + 18 = 33 cm. Group 2:18.6 + 10 = 28.6 cm.
Average: 30.8 cm
3. Rapid fire, 20 single shots at 200 m, with FAL no
DEU 3: H + 1 = 55.5 + 44.5 = 100
4. Rapid fire, 60 single shots at 200 m, with FAL no
DEU 2: H + 1 = 50.5 + 49.5 = 100
5. Burst fire at 50 metres. Bursts of 3 or 4 rounds,
total 20 rounds: H + 1 = 17.5 + 105 = 122.5
(The trials thus far were repeated using the
FALO no D E U 1 . )
6. Accuracy at 200 metres (no bayonet provision).
Group 1: 30.2 + 14.3 = 44.5. Group 2: 36.5 + 14.8
= 51.3. Average: 49.7
7. Burst fire at 200 metres, using the bipod — the
majority of the bullets hit the target.
Part Two
250 The German Gewehr 1
Fig 199 The ubiquitous prototype no 47, (as featured in the frontispiece and fig 116), doing double-duty as 'the
specimen' in this early German Border Guard instructional sheet.
The Browning machine rifle, converted to calibre 7.62 NATO, was then demonstrated and fired to show the universality of this cartridge.
On Tuesday Jan 18, a demonstration grenade shoot was held, using MECAR grenade projectors fitted to both a Mauser rifle and a FAL rifle. The course of fire was as follows:
1. 50-metre precision grenade shooting using inert ENERGA grenades;
2. 100-metre prone precision grenade shooting, supporting the rifle on sandbags;
3. 100-metre armour plate penetration grenade trial; 4. 250-metre armour plate penetration grenade trial;
5. demonstration of accuracy firing the ENERGA
grenade from a FAL rifle held at a 45° angle. The
precision was excellent.
Following this, some live grenades were fired, as
follows:
1. ENERGA grenade on 25 cm armour plate fired
from 90° at 50 metres.
2. AP grenade on 25 cm armour, fired from 63° angle
of incidence, thus increasing the armour thickness to
an actual 28 cm.
3. ENERGA grenade on 12 cm armour, angle of in
cidence 30° , at 50 metres.
A clean and complete penetration was achieved
in each case.
Trials carried out Thursday Jan 20:
1. A one-minute, timed single-shot event, fired at 100
metres with the firer seated with elbows supported on
a table. Number of shots fired: 61; dispersion: 39 +
35 = 72 cm.
2. A one-minute timed shoot, same range and con
ditions, firing short bursts. Number of shots fired:
100; number of shots on the 1.5-metre square target:
77; dispersion 96 + 66 = 162 cm.
3. Same as no 2 above. Number of shots fired: 110;
no of shots on target: 83; dispersion 120 + 120 =
240 cm.
4. 20 single shots, standing, 100 metres: 90 + 42 =
133 cm.
5. A repeat of no 4 above, after a short rest for the
firer: 20 + 36 = 56.
6. 20 shots in bursts of 2 at 100 metres, standing: 10 shots on target.
7. Nine special small targets, representing the head
and shoulders of a prone enemy, were placed at
various distances from 70 to 100 metres. The firer
was to fire a short burst at each target as rapidly as
possible. Results: 9 bursts, 18 shots; 8 silhouettes
pierced, some by more than one bullet. Total
duration 20 seconds.
Fig 200 German receiver markings on the first Bundes-grenzschutz FAL rifles. Note change lever positions 'DF ' and 'EF' (single shot and auto fire).
8. A 300-metre event, shot f rom the seated posit ion:
44 + 27 = 71 cm.
The 1955 FN German test report ended proudly
with the fo l lowing short statement: "We fired in
total about 2,500 rounds, without the occur rence
of a single s toppage or incident."
On the strength of the Wahn test results, the
German Bundesgrenzschutz or 'Border safety police'
p laced an order with FN for several thousand FAL
'Canada ' rifles, fitted with the US type, 5-prong
f lash hider. The act ions on the rifles were to be
part icular ly 'f ine tuned' with the hammer notch and
sear chrome plated for a crisp, sharp let-off.
The major German order was p laced on Nov
ember 13, 1956. Under the terms of the post-
W W I I N A T O mutual aid a l l iance, the West German
Army, the Bundeswehr, was a l lowed to reform and
re-arm. A brief ten years had passed since the
defeat of Naz i Germany, and the order to rearm the
Fig 201 Prototype of the Bundeswehr ' low line of sight' Gewehr 1. German-designed stamped handguard and bipod.
252 The German Gewehr 1
German mil i tary giant was received in Herstal with
mixed feel ings.
A request f rom the German purchasing com
mission ca l led for several innovat ive modif icat ions
to the basic F A L ' C a n a d a ' design.
A l ready, in some models being built for ex
port, a new improved fir ing pin with a purely
con ica l rear sect ion had replaced the earlier type,
and some cl ients had requested the opt ional two-
piece extractor design wh ich M. Sa ive had perfec
ted, at Co l Studler's request, in 1953. The German
model , the G (for Gewehr, or rifle) 1, buil t in these
two features as standard for the first t ime. The fore-
end was not to be of wood, as in previous models,
but a new German design of two-piece pressed-
metal with an ingenious built-in b ipod. The Ger
mans intended no bayonets to be used in the Bun-
deswehr. The plain muzzle-and-bayonet- lug of the
F A L ' C a n a d a ' were kept, however, and several ac
cessories were designed to fit over it.
The f inal alteration came in a request from the
off icer in charge of the German mission; he wanted
the complete line of sight of the rifle to be lowered
by three mil l imetres. The nonplussed Belgian
designers protested that this would be a fairly
cost ly procedure, and they felt the advantage
gained wou ld not be worth the effort. The German
off icer looked at them and said:
" In the case of a head wound, three
mil l imetres is the di f ference between a wounded
enemy and a dead one."
O n e hundred thousand G1 rifles were ordered
with the new low line of sight, making an instantly
recognisable break in the f low of events, as, after
this order, wh ich was produced at FN from Apri l
1957 to May 1958, the feature was made standard
on all FN models. The German stamped metal hand-
guard and bipod was henceforth offered as an option.
The Germans used their FALs for a short t ime
only, later adopt ing their native G3 design, as
manufactured by Heck ler and K o c h of Oberndorf/
Neckar , in 1959.
Fig 202 The German Bundeswehr Gewehr 1, serial no 1. The total order was for 100,000 rifles. No bayonets were ordered or used with the G1.
Fig 203 The G1 with accessories: grenade launcher; flash hider; BFA.
Fig 205 A closeup of the German Hensoldt 4x Sniper scope, mounted in flexible rings on its special FAL top cover. Rubber lens caps closed.
Fig 204 G1 in a Sniper role with 4x Hensoldt scope attached over-the-bore.
Fig 207 Instructional, FN-made G1 rifle, right side.
f i g 206 Instructional cutaway, G1. Note Bundeswehr selector switch markings.
254 The German Gewehr 1
Fig 209 West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer reviewing units of the Bundeswehr armed with FN G1 rifles.
Fig 208 German Bundeswehr troops on Manoeuvres with their G1 rifles, 1960.
256 The German Gewehr 1
Fig 210 German G1, serial no 100,000. Note special markings.
Fig 211 German G1 no 100,000. The special inscription reads as follows: "Last example of the order of over 100,000 FN Automatic rifles model FAL for the German Bundeswehr. Order placed November 13, 1956, and produced in the FN plant in Herstal between April, 1957 and May 1958."
Part Three
The World Takes Over
Qatar, 1956
Fig 212 The Sheikh of Qatar was presented with this 'premium-grade' cased FAL rifle, in 1959.
Fig 213 The FAL as purchased by Qatar for its security forces, many of whom were trained by the Special Air Service and other elite British units.
258 Kuwait 1957
Fig 214 The famous 'Perron', the trademark of Liège, used (in its original form) from 1672 to 1810, and from 1853 to the present, to indicate proof of the breeching system of a shoulder arm. Here it has been redesigned by FN, and includes the word "Liège" in Arabic. This mark served as a promotional FN logo in the Arab world, first for the now-discontinued 'Liège' shotgun and subsequently for all FN products.
Kuwait, 1957
Fig 215 The FAL as adopted by the armed forces of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait. Inset: the Kuwaiti crest.
The Sheikh of Kuwait approached FN in 1958 with a personal request for an ultra-grade FAL rifle, where quality and beauty were to be of prime importance and price no object.
The FN engraving shop, famous around the world for transforming plain steel weapons into exquisite works of art, was founded by a highly talented and original man. Monsieur Felix Funken. His personal creations were high art indeed; masterful, conceptual themes worked flawlessly into priceless display pieces, usually intended to
represent FN at world's fairs, expositions and as presentation pieces to heads of state. Monsieur Funken accepted the 'ultra-FAL' challenge and created for the Sheikh the engraved, gold-encrusted masterpiece shown below and overleaf, whose theme is much more traditional than that of some of M. Funken's other eclectic work.
Fig 216 'Ultra-grade' FAL, engraved and gold encrusted, prepared in 1958 by Monsieur Felix Funken, the founder of the FN engraving shop, for the Sheikh of Kuwait. (See also figs 217 and 218, overleaf.)
260 Kuwait1956
Fig 217 The Sheikh of Kuwait FAL, 1968, by Monsieur Felix Funken. Left hand side.
Fig 218 Sheikh of Kuwait engraved and gold-encrusted FAL, right side.
262 Austria 1958
Austria, 1958
An original quantity of 20,000 FAL rifles of a model known as the Sturmgewehr 58 (StG58) were made by FN to Austrian specifications in 1958. The Austrian firm of Steyr-Daimler-Puch then manufactured the complete StG58 in their own Steyr plant under license. The head of the original Austrian purchasing commission was a Major Stoll, who presented his unique concept for a built-in combination flash suppressor, grenade launcher and
barbed-wire cutter. This invention was adopted into both FN-made and domestic Austrian models. It is threaded internally for a short length and is designed to fit over the wire, whereupon the rifle is turned slightly to catch the wire in the internal threads, and the trigger pulled to fire a shot and burst the wire. The FAL StG58 is no longer the first-line Austrian military rifle.
Fig 219 StG 58, serial no 56267, for the Austrian army. Unique flash-hider/wire cutter combination; German G1 handguard and bipod.
Fig 220 A later Steyr-made StG 58, shown with bipod removed. — F. Neilsen collection
Fig 221 StG 58, 100% Austrian production.
Fig 223 Steyr-produced StG 58, receiver markings, right side. Note the special Austrian-designed gas plug, showing the marking "Gr" (for grenade) and the L-shaped tang affixed to the dismounting button.
Fig 222 Receiver markings on the Steyr-produced StG 58, serial no 32910.
264 Austria1958
Fig 224 FN assembly drawing of the Austrian StG 58, which was initially made at FN in 1958.
Fig 225 Austrian Major Stoll's StG combination flash hider/wirecutter, also capable of firing standard (22 mm tube) STRIM and MECAR grenades. As with the G1, no bayonet was supplied with the StG 58.
Fig 226 Austrian-issue pebble-leather magazine pouch for StG 58 20-round magazines. — F. Neilsen collection
266 Peru 1958
Peru, 1958
Peruvian contract FAL rifles have been made up in the standard model (FN designation 50-00); the lightweight' Para (model 50-64, which features the standard 533 mm ' long' barrel of the 50-61, pictured
in fig 189, with a special 'hiduminium' alloy lower receiver and magazine); the short Para 50-63 (fig 189) and the FAP. Peruvian armed forces contracts have totalled roughly 100,000 units.
Fig 227 Peruvian 'standard' FAL rifle, the FN model 50-00. Serial number 4331.
Fig 228 Peruvian coat-of-arms, as roll-stamped at FN onto this Peruvian army heavy-barrel 'FAP'. Serial number L4331.
Fig 229 Early Peruvian 'FAP', bipod extended and shoulder rest raised.
Fig 232 Peruvian-contract FN FALO (Spanish designation 'FAP'). Bipod and shoulder rest folded.
Fig 230 Flash hider of the early FAP, (fig 229). Fig 231 Flash hider of the later Peruvian FAP (fig 232).
268 Indonesia 1958
Indonesia, 1958
The Republic of Indonesia adopted the FAL rifle in 1958 for three branches of its armed forces. The Indonesian army version bears a crest on the right hand side of the receiver, depicting the Indonesian spread eagle over the letters 'A.B.R.I ' These stand for Angakan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia,
meaning, literally, 'Forces Armed Republic Indonesia'. The Naval version (figs 233 and 234) bears the same crest with an anchor, and the initial 'B ' changed to an V, standing for laut or naval. The air force version logo is A.U.R.I., the 'U' standing for udara or air.
Fig 234 Crest on the Indonesian Naval FAL. "A .L .R. I . " explained in text.
Fig 233 Indonesian Armed Forces version of the FAL, 1958.
Cuba, 1958
The Castro regime in Cuba is on favourable terms with many foreign governments. The Cuban FAL 'standard' and 'FAP' heavy-barrel models were ordered from FN in 1958, and are marked with the Cuban coat-of-arms. The standard rifles are fitted with the US-type flash hider.
Fig 235 Cuban FALs were fitted with the US-style flash hider and bayonet.
Fig 236 Cuban-contract FN/FAL, 1959.
Fig 237 Cuban-contract 'FAP' heavy barrel automatic rifle.
Fig 238 Coat-of-arms on the Cuban army FAL.
270 South Africa
South Africa, 1960
While still enjoying the freedom of world trade associated with its membership in the Commonwealth, South Africa originally acquired quantities of the FAL from FN in 1960, adopting both the light-barreled, wooden-stocked 'standard' model, with plain muzzle, and the then-current heavy-barreled FALO into the South African armed forces. With the standard rifle, the army also purchased the UK-designed 'prong' bayonet. These rifles were marked on the left side of the receiver with an updated
South African 'U -and-broad-arrow' acceptance mark, featuring the letter 'M' within the capital 'U'. (fig 240) The right side of the receiver bore the coat-of-arms of South Africa (fig 241 ).
A manual issued by Army Headquarters in Pretoria, in 1965, depicts in addition to these early FALs a later 1962 model FN-made rifle, with the FN 22 mm grenade launcher and a special grenade sight mounted on the gas plug (fig 239). The Republic of South Africa, formed in 1961, obtained
Fig 239 FN-made FAL 'standard' as supplied to South Africa in 1960. South African-designed folding grenade sight on gas plug.
Fig 240 South African-contract FAL, marked "M" (Military/Militere) within "U" .
Fig 241 South African coat-of-arms on FN-made contract FAL.
license from FN to manufacture a similar rifle, marked and called the R1, at its state-owned arms facility ARMSCOR (fig 242).
A later model, the R3, also 100% South African-made, features a plastic buttstock and the horizontal takedown button; otherwise it resembles the R1. It accepts the current FN round-handled blade bayonet.
The South Africa Defence Forces are currently rearming with a licensed version of the 5.56 mm Galil rifle, known as the R4.
Fig 242 South African-made R1 rifle. 100% South African production.
Fig 243 Ceremonial opening of the 1960 South African parliament. Honour guard armed with early FAL rifles of FN manufacture.
272 Chile
Chile, 1960
Fig 244 Chilean contract FN/FAL rifle, 1960.
Fig 245 Coat-of-arms, as roll-stamped on the Chilean army FALs.
Saudi Arabia, 1960
The Saudis adopted the FN-made FAL rifle in 1960. The crest of Saudi Arabia is depicted below in fig 246.
A Saudi request for a spare-no-expense FAL rifle was handled in rather a different way than was the similar request from the Sheikh of Kuwait (see fig 217-218). For the Saudi rifle, French designer
Yves Sainte-Blais was commissioned directly and an off-the-line FAL Para rifle was delivered to him for embellishment. The finished rifle is shown overleaf, in fig 247. The pistol grip is made from a block of solid gold, as is the engraved plate affixed to the side of the receiver. The receiver, rear sight base and folding stock tubes are gold plated.
Fig 246 The coat-of-arms of the Arab Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia.
274 Ecuador
Fig 247 The special 'ultra' Saudi FAL Para, designed by Yves Sainte Biais. The pistol grip is formed from a block
of solid gold.
Ecuador, 1960
The Armed Forces of Ecuador have purchased over 50,000 FAL rifles since the inception of contracts with FN in 1960. Models in use include the 'standard' 50-00, the FAL Para 'lightweight' long barrel model, the 50-64, and the current short Para 50-63.
Fig 248 Ecuadorian army FAL 'standard' serial no E4321.
Fig 249 Coat-of-arms of Ecuador on the model 50-00 pictured above.
276 Holland
Holland, 1961
The Dutch government tested the FAL as early as 1954. The version finally adopted by the Dutch in 1961 features several interesting innovations: in addition to adopting the German stamped forend-and-bipod combination, the Dutch requested their own version of the 22 mm grenade launching-flash-hider, and a unique 'tunnel' front sight. They were the first to adopt a non-adjustable rear battle sight (now standard on the latest version FAL Para 50-63). A fixed, wire sling swivel was added to the left side of the buttplate, and the female takedown hinge pin features a unique screw slot, (fig 252) Fig 250 Unique Dutch-contract flash hider/grenade
launcher.
Fig 251 Dutch FAL rifle: note the 'tunnel' front sight, fixed rear sight and the rear sling swivel on buttplate. Internally, the breech blocks of all Dutch contract FALs are unique. They feature a built-in firing pin retractor in the
form of a small rod, activated by the unlocking cams on the bolt carrier. This rod is pushed rearward as the bolt is unlocked, positively retracting the firing pin. This feature was adopted only by the Dutch.
Fig 252 Dutch coat-of-arms on receiver, right side. Note offset screw slot on hinge pin.
Portugal, 1961
Fig 253 Portuguese-contract FAL 'standard' rifle.
First line Portuguese armed forces units no longer use their FAL rifles, having phased them out in favour of domestically-produced G3's. They are currently running trials on two FN weapons in 5.56 mm calibre -the Minimi and the FNC.
Fig 254 Coat-of-arms of Portugal on receiver, right side.
278 Tha i land
Thailand, 1961
Fig 255 Thailand-contract FAL 'standard', serial number E1795.
Fig 256 Thai crest on receiver, right side.
Brazil, 1964
Beginning with enthusiast ic accep tance of a sam
ple order in 1954, Brazi l has exhibited a no-
nonsense approach to the FAL . Indeed, the phrase
' i t works for them' can be interpreted today in two
dist inct ly different ways. Troop trials featuring F N -
made FALs were again suppl ied from Belg ium in
1958 and 1962. The rifle was adopted in 1964.
Today , the updated model M964 is in vo lume
product ion at the Braz i l ian government's Fabrica
de Armas de Itajuba, a part of the giant state-owned
I M B E L arms complex, situated in Minas Gerais.
A l though perhaps qual i ty has suffered, Brazi l now
in fact competes with FN in sales of its 1 0 0 % Bra
z i l ian-made M964 rifles in Latin Amer ica . Produc
tion, in Braz i l , is est imated at over 200,000 rifles to
date.
Fig 257 FN-made FAL rifle for Brazil, 1964.
Fig 258 Markings on the right side of the FN-made Brazilian-contract FAL.
280 Brazi l 1964
Fig 259 Brazilian-made M964 rifle. 100% Brazilian made.
Fig 260 Logo of Fabrica de Itajuba, and Brazilian coat-of-arms, on Brazilian M964 FAL rifle. Receiver type 3.
Greece, 1965
Fig 261 A presentation FAL rifle given to King Paul of Greece in 1959.
Fig 262 Greek-contract FAL. Plastic stock and pistol grip, G1-type metal handguard and bipod. Greek FALs are stamped with the first and last letters of a word denoting Greek government property.
282 Bol iv ia 1978
Bolivia, 1978
Fig 263 Bolivian government issue current FAL 'standard'. Note plastic handguard, grooved to house folded bipod legs. No carrying handle fitted. Fixed rear sight, plastic handguard and pistol grip. Receiver type 3. (See fig 292 for explanation of receiver types.)
Bol iv ia has adopted the current-issue F A L standard,
model 50-00, and the short Para 50-63. Note the
new plast ic forend, grooved longi tudinal ly to ac
cept the fo lded light b ipod, wh ich is still offered as
an accessory. The Bol iv ian standard model is not
fitted with a carry ing handle, (fig 263) and the
cock ing handle is the new FN 50-63 fo ld ing type (a
direct copy of the Canad ian Arsenals C1 design of
1955). The rear sight shown is also standard on the
short Para 50-63 and is a sol id machin ing not ad
justable for e levat ion. Bol iv ian of f ic ia ls have thus
successfu l ly kept their two FAL models as inter
changeable as possible, with an absolute min imum
of var iable spare parts.
Fig 264 Bolivian FAL manual. The Bolivian crest (lower left) is stamped on the rifles as well.
Part Four
Prototype and Experimental FALs
The FAL 'Para' (Paratroop Folding-Stock Version)
There are three current-issue F A L Para models: the
regular 533 mm barrel models 50-61, (steel lower
receiver) and 50-64 (light a l loy lower receiver); and
two versions of the 'short' model 50-63, with barrel
lengths of 458 and 436 mm respectively. (The 50-61
and 'super-short ' 50-63 are depicted in f ig 189.) The
Belgian army originated this 'super-short' 436 mm
barrel version as its model M3 (fig 159).
Prototype developments of a fo ld ing stock
carbine, using at first the regular 533 mm barrel,
began in 1960. The stock and recoil mechanism
were ingeniously redesigned so that a new, three-
part recoil spring assembly was housed within the
body cover itself; the bolt carrier being bored out
from the rear to a lmost its ful l length, to accept the
front portion of this spring assembly. The first
prototype, f ig 265 and 266, was completed in Sep
tember, 1960 and featured a fo ld ing stock
mechanism rotating about the hinge pin.
The second prototype was tested in March,
1961, featuring a padded cheek rest and a shorter,
f ixed rear sight.
Fig 265 First prototype FAL Para, September, 1960.
Fig 266 First Para prototype, stock folded under the rifle.
284 The FAL Para
By November of that year, the third prototype
was ready; the fold-under stock had been aban
doned and the now-famil iar rigid side-folding
design adopted.
The Para model FAL , especia l ly the most
recently- introduced 'super-short' model 50-63, is en
joying increasing popular i ty among mil i tary and
law enforcement agencies around the wor ld.
Fig 267 FAL Para prototype no 2, with padded cheek rest. Introduced in March, 1961.
Fig 268 Para prototype no 2, stock folded. Non-adjustable rear sight.
Fig 271 Current FAL Para model 50-64. 'Standard' (533 mm) barrel.
Fig 270 FAL Para prototype no 3, stock folded. First trial of the intermediate barrel length.
Fig 269 Para, prototype no 3, November, 1961. First trial of the now-familiar side-folding stock, as first made
without the plastic spacer between the arms. Receiver type 2.
286 FAL Compet i t ion Model
The FAL Competition Model
The prototype of a compet i t ion model , shown in f ig
272, was completed on December 12, 1967. I t
featured a Lyman micrometer rear sight, securely
at tached to the receiver itself, and a specia l tunnel
foresight, mounted out on the US-sty le f lash hider
for max imum sight radius. The act ion was made of
standard F A L parts. Later, a trial was made of a
compet i t ion model featuring a spec ia l , one-off
prototype act ion wh ich was copied from the FN 49
and earlier Browning designs. It was felt that this
Browning "hook hammer" arrangement gave the
advantage of more precise let-off, and would
therefore contr ibute to greater accuracy . The
proposal was not adopted however, due to the in
crease in cost. In both these prototypes, and in the
current Compet i t ion models, the act ion is semi-
auto only. Today, FN offers two models for sporting
use: the FAL 'Compet i t ion ' and the FAL 'USA ' . These
are d iscussed in part six of this book.
Fig 272 Prototype FAL Competition model, with recoil pad and micrometer receiver sight. Semi-auto only.
Fig 273 Lyman micrometer receiver sight featured on the 1967 Competition prototype FAL.
Fig 274 High tunnel foresight, fitted to the flash hider of the Competition prototype to extend sight radius.
Fig 275 Later prototype Browning-type hammer and sear mechanism, proposed for the FAL Competition model. Not adopted due to high manufacture cost. Note square-backed trigger guard and long trigger, designed to enhance trigger pull.
Fig 276 Prototype military-style click-adjustable rear sight with built-in windage and elevation for the Competition model. Not adopted.
288 Swedish Experimental FAL, 1960
The Swedish Experimental FAL, 1960 in 6.5 x 55 mm
Over the years, Sweden ordered a number of F A L
rifles for var ious trials. On 23 June 1960, Groupe 74
was made aware than an order had been received
from the Swedish army for four F A L rifles, to be
made up in cal ibre 6.5 x 55 mm. The N A T O case is
only 51 mm long; these Swedish prototypes had to
be made up from scratch with new, longer
receivers; longer in the runout area as wel l in the
magaz ine wel l area, plus longer bolts and bolt
carriers. Serial numbers 1, 2 and 3 of this design
went to Sweden; an unmarked fourth rifle, stil l in
the white, is in the co l lect ion of the FN Test and
Control Department, Defence and Secur i ty
Div is ion, wh ich is under the control of Monsieur
Jean E. V a n Rutten, the co-author of this book.
The rifle is d imensioned as fo l lows:
length 1,120 mm
weight 4.47 kg
barrel standard length
(533 mm)
The length of the sl ide (bolt carrier) was in
creased from 107 mm for the 7.62 N A T O to 115 mm
for the longer cartr idge.
The 6.5 x 55 mm cartr idge, with a bul let of 9.08
grams and a m u z z l e ve loc i ty of 790m/sec, was test-
fired in this weapon at 700 rpm on ful l -automatic
fire.
Fig 277 FN/FAL prototype in calibre 6.5 x 55 mm Swedish. Only four made for Swedish army trials in 1960. Note elongated receiver and curved, 20-shot magazine.
Fig 278 Swedish 6.5 x 55 mm prototype, right hand side. Note the larger, 'arctic' trigger and trigger guard, favoured by the Swedish. Receiver and barrel left in-the-white on this unmarked example.
— FN Test and Control Laboratory
Fig 279 The longer 6.5 x 55 mm parts, above, compared with standard 7.62 x 51 NATO parts. Only four examples made in this calibre.
290 The B lowback FAL, 1964
The Blowback FAL, 1964
Figure 280 shows the prototype of a mechanism
specia l ly made to fire the novel , reduced-load
plast ic-bul leted cartr idges, made in Germany by
Dynami t Nobel A G , (headstamp D A G ) . The design
for the b lowback F A L was f inal ised in 1964.
The bolt is without a lock ing face and func
tions as a s imple b lowback. A spring is instal led in
the left front side of the bolt to keep it is posit ion in
the sl ide. A rubber buffer pad is fitted at the rear of
the receiver well to cushion the b lowback act ion.
The plast ic short range cartr idges have a
special reduced diameter brass base, smal ler than
the standard ful l - load N A T O base. The diameter of
the cartr idge seating in the breech b lock face is
correspondingly reduced, thus preventing the entry
of a l ive, ful l - load round. These rifles are in l imited
use with the Belgian and German armies for indoor
target pract ice and training.
Fig 280 Action of the FN Blowback FAL, which shoots reduced-range, plastic-bulleted cartridges made for indoor range training in the German and Belgian armies by Dynamit Nobel (DAG).
The FN FAL .22 Conversion Unit
Fabrique Nat ionale designed and produced a kit,
which when inserted into the barrel and receiver of
a FAL rifle, a l lows the use of inexpensive .22 LR car
tridges for training or reduced-range target
shooting. The kit was quite expensive to produce
and, having found few buyers, has been made in
very l imited quantit ies only.
Fig 282 Close-up view of the FN .22 conversion kit as it is fitted into the receiver of a late-model FAL. Note the .22 insert in the magazine.
Fig 281 FN-produced FAL .22 LR conversion unit. Not in production.
292 The 3-shot Burst Dev ice
The FAL and the Future: no 1 The 3-shot Burst Device
Fig 283 Monsieur Ernest Vervier's prototype 3-shot burst device, built into the receiver of an old X8 British FAL. One of two designs tried; later refined and currently available as a super-compact, drop-in unit on the FNC 5.56 mm auto rifle.
Monsieur Ernest Vervier, Monsieur Saive's able
successor as Chef de Service of FN's important
Research and Deve lopment department, designed
two successfu l prototypes of a dev ice to limit the
number of rounds capab le of being fired with one
press of the trigger. In the example pictured, he
used an early Brit ish-contract F A L receiver, and in
deed the idea came to him in the first p lace as the
best compromise possible for any useful fu l l -
automat ic fire capabi l i ty , in a light weapon
shooting the powerful Amer ican 7.62 mm cartr idge.
The FAL and the Future: no 2 The 'Mini FAL' in calibre .223 (5.56 mm)
Project begun January 24, 1964
FN was qu ick to not ice the Amer ican mil i tary .22
cal ibre experiments, begun in 1950, featuring
beefed-up commerc ia l 'varmint ' cartr idges. These
experiments led to the late-fifties accep tance of
the first Armal i te AR-15 rifles in V ie tnam, where
the AR-15 won instant preference over the com
parat ively cumbersome NATO-ca l ib re M-14.
FN began a number of experiments of its own
with ultra-small cal ibre ammuni t ion. In addit ion,
they undertook to construct a prototype rifle in the
Amer ican Remington '.222 Spec ia l ' cal ibre, dubbed
the .223 in 1959, and of f ic ia l ly named the 5.56 mm
in 1963. The basis for the design of this rifle was to
be the FAL . The lines and the ti l t ing-bolt act ion of
the F A L were to be sca led down but retained; in
deed, the project was to be completed using as
many standard F A L parts as possible.
Monsieur Vervier submit ted a report of Groupe 74's
progress on this project on February 5, 1965:
FAL cal .223
Purpose of the Study
To construct a lighter weapon, capable of firing
the calibre .223 ammunition, utilising a number of
the standard parts of the 7.62 mm FAL.
This proved a great opportunity to try out some
of the simplifications and improvements suggested
by our experience.
The Base of the Study
The length of the cartridge. The 7.62 is 71.12
mm in total length, the .223 is 57.40 mm, leaving a
difference of 13.72 mm.
Realisation
The length of the slide was reduced 13.7 mm.
The body, or receiver, was reduced by 25 mm. In
theory, we should have been able to gain a full 27.4
mm, (2 x 13.7 mm), but this wasn't possible, as we
Fig 284 The 'Mini-FAL', cal .223 (5.56 mm). One of the two made for trials. Exact, scaled-down FAL tilting-bolt action, with many actual FAL parts utilized.
Fig 285 'Mini-FAL', right hand side. Calibre .223 (5.56 x 45 mm). Weight: 3.5 kg; theoretical rate of fire 700 rpm.
294 The Mini FAL in cal ibre .223
Fig 286 'Mini-FAL' receiver no 2 fitted with FN prototype 40 mm grenade launcher. Note raised grenade sight.
Fig 287 The 40 mm FN grenade launcher propelled the grenade by means of the gases from a regular fired bullet
wanted to keep the existing trigger and hammer
system, and yet ensure the bolt's position relative to
the base of the cartridge before its return to the
locked position by the mechanism.
The following parts are interchangeable with the
regular 7.62 mm FAL:
• complete gas block and front sight
• gas plug, gas piston and gas cylinder
• trigger-sear-hammer mechanism, and change lever
• pistol grip and screw
• hinge pin
• plastic buttstock, (with the assembly designed at
Swedish request which allows interchangeability
with the folding stock).
• sling swivels
• cocking handle (slide shortened 13.7 mm)
• magazine catch
The plastic FAL forend, which had at first been
used for economy, has been replaced by a more effec
tive model, for aesthetic reasons.
The arm fires 700 rpm on full automatic fire,
with a muzzle velocity of 900 m/sec .
Simplifications and Improvements
The bolt is suspended in the slide, thus ending
the fastidious operation of forming the bolt ways in
the receiver, and allowing a simple broaching operation of the magazine well through the middle of the receiver.
Tempering the rear portion of the receiver bolt way can be omitted as the bolt does not strike this area. Feeding is also more direct.
The system of locking the lower receiver onto the upper one is simplified considerably, as is the rear sight.
The telescoping recoil spring connecting rod locks into the body cover, if the action should happen to be opened with the bolt to the rear.
Test Results .223 7.62 weight, complete, less
magazine 3.5 kg + 4 kg weight of hiduminium maga
zine, empty 86 gr 115 gr weight of twenty cartridges 230 gr 480 gr weight of the slide 225 gr 290 gr weight of the bolt 125 gr 175 gr overall length 1005mm 1095mm length of barrel 475mm 533mm overall length of the Para
model 765mm 848mm
entering behind the grenade through a hole in the .223 barrel. Not in production.
The reduction in weight of equipment to the infantry soldier can be reduced as follows:
rifle .500 kg 6 magazines .17 kg
120 cartridges 1.500 kg Total 2.174 kg or 28% reduction
Conclusion As we have said, we have striven to create a
weapon using a great number of standard FAL parts, and existing tooling, in its construction.
In this arm, we could again lower the line of sight, and reduce the overall height of the trigger group, but this would be costly. We feel the arm is entirely satisfactory as it is.
If we are to fully capitalize on the possible future of marketing such a rifle, we must first begin the study and construction of a FAL rifle made from
stamped metal, with a front-locking, turning bolt. — E. Vervier
Only two 'Mini-FAL' receivers were made up. The second one was fitted with a prototype FN 40 mm grenade launcher (fig 286 - 287). This device propelled the grenade with the gases from a regular cartridge, through a hole in the barrel.
The step-by-step logic of the FN approach to the future can best be seen in the combination of this 'Mini-FAL' project with the project which follows: the FAL in s tamped metal. A 3-shot burst device, redesigned as a small, light unit, also figured in the scheme.
The FAL and the Future: no 3 The Stamped FAL Prototype
(7.62 mm Rotary Bolt)
Fig 288 The rotary-bolt, stamped FAL prototype in 7.62 mm NATO. Many standard FAL parts were used, including the regular 533 mm barrel.
A rifle, as Monsieur Vervier had earlier suggested, with a receiver made of stamped steel and a front-
locking, rotary bolt, was constructed and was reported on in his March 31, 1965 brief:
Fig 289 Stamped FAL, right side. Weight: 4.32 kg; length: 1115 mm.
296 The Stamped FAL Prototype
Here we have created a weapon capable of direct comparison wi th the G 3 . I t is in calibre 7.62 mm
N A T O .
T h e receiver is composed of two stamped shells,
held at one end by the front b lock, and in the middle
by the mounting b lock for the lower receiver.
T h e mechanism consists of a bolt wi th a rotating
head, which locks into the front b lock, wh ich con
stitutes the barrel extension. In this manner, the
receiver wal ls function s imply as guides for the
mechanism, and not as structural members capable
of withstanding the pressures produced in f ir ing the
N A T O cartridge.
In this version, the folding stock is used and the
recoil spring is inside the receiver.
One could easily fit the arm for the plastic butt-
stock with the recoil spring enclosed in it. T h e weight
of the stamped F A L , without magazine: 4.335 k g ,
or practical ly the same as the standard rifle.
A programme is in effect to combine these two
current projects, and we are now doing a price-
comparison study of the application of this new con
struction to the .223 cartridge.
— E. Vervier
From the knowledge gained in these three projects,
based on the fundamental correctness of the FAL
system as or iginal ly designed by Monsieur Saive,
came FN's first entry in the .22 cal ibre f ie ld, the
Carabine Automat ique Leger, or C A L . Today a
second generation design, the F N C , still shows its
F A L l ineage. Both feature a removeable, compact ,
3-shot burst limiter.
Part Five
The FAL and the BATF (US Treasury Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms)
The actual "turning point" in the US Government's hitherto
casual attitude towards civilian ownership of automatic weapons
came in the early 1950s when the Treasury Department's Fire
arms Unit, still basically a one-man office, charged a man with
illegal possession of an unregistered war-souvenir German
submachine gun. The case was thrown out of court because
the gun was missing its magazine, and the judge ruled that in
order for a firearm to be classified as a "machine gun" it had
to be complete in every respect.
It was as a direct result of such cases that the counsel for the
A T F U , Thurmond Shaw, devised the controversial "once-always"
dictum, which states that, barring factory redesign and new
manufacture, a firearm designed to fire full automatic is full
automatic regardless of any subsequent modification.
In 1957, as we have seen, in spite of its many successes else
where, the F A L lost out to the US-designed M14 as the new
American service rifle. However, the F A L had established a
reputation as a strong, accurate and reliable arm, and had many
civilian admirers in the USA. Consequently, FN was approached
with a request to "redesign" the F A L as a semi-auto rifle to
comply with the A T F U ' s "once-always" requirement. FN
complied by removing the safety sear and installing a semi-
auto ' R ' change lever (fig 363) in an otherwise unaltered
military F A L .
As an illustration of the comparative innocence of that
bygone era the US Treasury Department approved this "semi-
auto" version and, from 1959 to early 1963, approximately
2,000 brand-new FN F A L s of the general German G1 pattern
(metal forend, wood butt and pistol grip, fig 204) but with
standard FN markings and semi-auto ' R ' change levers were
imported into North America from FN and sold to the public
at large as semi-auto rifles by the then-independent Browning
Arms Co of St Louis, Missouri and Montreal, Quebec.
It wasn't long before the A T F U was collecting evidence that
the relatively complex mechanism of the F A L rifle was em
phatically not rendered irreversibly semi-auto-only by the
simple installation of a different change lever. A potentially
embarrassing situation all round was defused with as much
aplomb as possible on January 10, 1963, when the A F T U
issued an Order reclassifying the F A L as a machine gun, but
specifically exempting those rifles which had been legally
imported during the four-year period of sanction.
In 1974 this Order was amended with a "final revised" F A L
rifle serial number list which included a further 12 specific
F A L rifles legally imported due to "administrative error". The
official wording of the amended Order and its full serial number
list of legal F A L rifles is as follows:
Department of the Treasury Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
ORDER ATF 0 7540.1 9/11/74
Subject: CLASSIFICATION OF BELGIAN FN LIGHT SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE (FAL) CALIBER 7.62mm
1. P U R P O S E . This order identifies certain FN FAL
7.62mm rifles which are not classified as machine guns and
thereby are excluded from the provisions of the National
Firearms Act.
2. C L A S S I F I C A T I O N . This directive cancels a l l pre
vious instructions concerning the classification of FAL
rifles.
3. B A C K G R O U N D . From September 5, 1959 to Janu
ary 10, 1963, the Browning Arms Company, St Louis,
Missouri, imported 1,836 FAL rifles in caliber 7.62mm
from Fabrique Nationale, Herstal, Belgium. Subsequent
to January 10, 1963, the Bureau classified this rifle as
a machine gun. However it was determined that the 1,863
rifles imported by Browning..would be exempt from the
provisions of the National Firearms Act. Additionally,
twelve FN F A L rifles were imported through an adminis
trative error in 1974. These 12 rifles are also exempt from
the provisions of the National Firearms Act.
4 . E X E M P T E D F A L R I F L E S . Following is the f ina l
revised listing of F A L rifles, calibre 7.62mm, which are
exempt from the provisions of the National Firearms Act:
298 The FAL and the BATF
a. G SERIES Serial Numbers Units Serial Numbers Units
G492 through G494 3 G1035 1 G537 through G540 4 G1041 through G1042 2 G649 through G657 9 G1174 through G1293 120 G662 through G673 12 G1415 through G1524 110 G677 through G693 17 G1570 through G1784 215 G709 through G748 40 G1800 through G1979 180 G752 through G816 65 G1981 through G1995 15 G848 through G1017 170 G3035 through G3134 100
G1021 1 G2247 through G2996 750 G1033 1 1,815
b. GL SERIES STANDARD FAL -Serial Numbers Units Serial Numbers Units
GL749 1 889768 1 GL835 1 889772 through 889777 6
GL1095 through GL1098 4 7 GL1163 through GL1165 3 GL2004 through GL2009 6 GL3135 through GL3140 6
c. PARATROOP MODEL 21
Serial Numbers Units 889800 through 889801 2 889803 1 889805 1 889809 1
5 TOTAL EXEMPTED FAL RIFLES 1,848
5. DESCRIPTION OF MARKINGS. All G Series and GL Series FAL rifles will be marked F.A.L. cal. 7.62 on the left side of the receiver and Fabrique Nationale D Armes De Guerre-Herstal Belgique on the right side of the receiver. The selector positions will be marked "S" for safe, "R" for semiautomatic, and "A" for automatic. The selector lever is designed so that it cannot be rotated to the automatic position.
The Standard and Paratroop Models will have the same markings as above plus "Browning Arms Co. Arnold Mo.
and Montreal P.Q." on the right side of the magazine well. The selector lever can be rotated to the automatic position but the rifle will fire only semiautomatically. 6. ACTION. If a rifle bearing one of the above serial numbers has been converted to fire full automatic, it is classified as a machine gun and is subject to all the provisions of the National Firearms Act.
[signed] REX D. DAVIS Director
The further adventures of the FAL and the BATF are discussed in Part Six, beginning on page 307.
Part Six
The FAL Today Countries Adopting the FAL Rifle
Note: * indicates an expanded reference to this Year Country
country. ** indicates manufacture of the F A L un- 1961 H o l l a n d *
der l icense. Por tuga l *
Ireland (Eire)
Year Country Rhodes ia
1953 C a n a d a * * Tha i l and *
1954
1954 U S A (test on l y ) * * 1962 India
U K * * L iber ia
Be lg ium*
V e n e z u e l a * * 1963 Morocco
Burundi
1955 Argen t ina* * Ruwanda
Lyb ia St Luc ia
1956 Luxembourg* 1964 B r a z i l * *
Ge rmany* Niger
Belg ian C o n g o *
Syr ia 1965 G r e e c e *
Lebanon A b u Dhab i
Paraguay*
Qa ta r * 1966 Tanzan ia Madagascar
1957 Kuwa i t * K e n y a
1958 Peru* 1967 Niger ia
Aus t r i a * * Tunis ia
Indones ia* 1968 Mex ico
1959 C u b a * Cameroon
Mozamb ique St V incen t
Sto Domingo Sul tanate de Raas
Sierre Leone
1960 South A f r i c a * *
C h i l e * 1968 Bahrein
Saudi A r a b i a *
Muscat and O m a n 1969 Duba i
C a m b o d i a St Kitts
Ecuado r * Panama
Honduras
300 The FAL Today
Year Country
1971 Lesotho
1974 Malawi
1975 Upper Vo l t a
Shar jah
U m m a l Q iwa in
Year Country 1977 Pakistan
1978 Botswana
Bo l i v ia *
1980 Hait i
Maur i tania
FAL Contract Serial Numbers and Factory Model Designations
F A L contract rifles were serial ly numbered at the
factory fo l lowing the instructions of the cl ient
country. F A L s for internal use at FN general ly had a
number in front of the serial number; E for essai or
trial, D for demonstrat ion, and G for a gift or
presentation. If the arm was made up in heavy-
barrel conf igurat ion the letter L (for lourd, or
heavy), wou ld fo l low the first letter: EL , D L , G L .
Around 1972, the Belg ian authorit ies became
aware that most countr ies, when ordering a series
of rifles, wou ld speci fy the serial numbers to begin
at 1, and consequent ly there were a great many
FALs made up over the years, bearing the same
numbers. The pract ice now is to a l low any series of
numbers, as speci f ied by the ordering cl ient, but to
include on each rifle a separate, consecut ive num
ber corresponding to the actual number of rifles
made in total.
At Fabr ique Nat ionale, factory designations are ap
pl ied to each mil i tary model of the FAL as fol lows:
• FAL 'standard'; f ixed stock, 533 mm barrel;
model 50-00
• F A L 'Para ' 533 mm barrel; model 50-61
• F A L 'Para ' 533 mm barrel, 'h idumin ium' al loy
lower receiver and magaz ine; model 50-64
• F A L 'Para ' 458 mm (to accept bipod) or
436 mm ('super-short') barrel, steel lower
receiver. No carrying handle. Folding
cock ing handle; model 50-63
• F A L O heavy-barrel, with nylon (plastic) butt
model 50-41
• F A L O heavy-barrel, with wooden butt;
model 50-42
Fig 290 An FN chamber pressure test apparatus, circa 1960. Note that while it bears no sights and is strictly for laboratory use, the weapon is fully finished. The piezoelectric transducer coupled to the large receiver ring transmits pressure-curve information, through the amplifier (right) to the oscilloscope, where the entire curve is momentarily displayed. A synchronised Polaroid camera
(far left) can be swung into place to photograph a permanent record of the curve.
Fig 291 Current FN Para model 50-63 blow-apart drawing, showing the 458 mm barrel. Folding cocking handle, no carrying handle. Receiver type 3.
302 The FAL Today
The Three Basic FAL Receivers
The first product ion-model FAL receiver (fig 292,
bottom) was used, with a cont inuing programme of
minor internal machin ing modi f icat ions, right from
the start of the F A L ' C a n a d a ' models in 1954. Tests
in Sweden in the early sixties, of endurance fire in
F A L O heavy-barreled automat ic rifles, indicated an
area of possible weakness, in extreme situations, in
the rear area of the receiver. FN dec ided to
strengthen this area, as shown in the upper
i l lustration of f ig 292. This conf igurat ion, receiver
type 2, has been in general use since 1962, and is
still used today in the F A L O automat ic rifle.
A new design, receiver type 3, (centre, f ig 292)
was settled upon in 1973. It was the result of the
need to reduce product ion costs, in this case the
number of machin ing operations, in the manufac
ture of the FAL receiver. The result combines a
reduct ion in machin ing time with a pleasing,
modern appearance, by choosing single, mean-
width planes to replace the earlier stepped f lats.
Fig 293 Enlargement of the Mexican naval crest shown on the centre rifle, opposite. The FAL was adopted by Mexico in 1968.
Fig 292 The three basic FAL receivers. Above: receiver type 2 (introduced 1961-62) strengthened at the rear for sustained full-auto fire.
Centre: receiver type 3, current, introduced in 1973. Produced with and without carrying handle slot.
Below: receiver type 1, the 'original' FAL receiver, 1953-62.
Fig 294 FN blow-apart drawing of a current FAL 'standard' 50-00. Receiver type 3. Note this model was made up with the optional 'sand cuts' on the bolt carrier.
Current Production FAL Models a) Military
Fig 295 The FALO model 50-42 with wood stock and folding shoulder rest.
Fig 296 FALO model 50-41, plastic stock. Receiver type 2. Current production.
The current ly-avai lable F A L models are listed on
page 300. Bas ica l ly , there are three: the standard
rifle, the Para, and the heavy-barrel. Fabr ique
Nat ionale is of course a private company , and if
there is suff ic ient interest in any certain model , FN
wil l make it. The list of special-order factory op
tions ava i lab le today can theoret ical ly make any
one rifle unique. Var iables include type of f lash
hider and/or grenade launcher, barrel length and
contour, forend material and shape, receiver type,
semi- or fu l l -automat ic fire select ion, type of sights
and/or opt ics, with graduat ions in yards or metres.
cock ing handle type, magaz ine capac i ty and butt-
stock type and material . A d d to this list the cho ice
of presence or absence of bore and/or chamber
chrome plating, 'sand cuts ' in the sl ide, carrying
handle and bolt holdopen ca tch , plus the
avai labi l i ty of some parts in h iduminium al loy, and
it can easi ly be seen that, within the three basic
types, the variety of form the FAL can take today is
v ir tual ly l imit less.
FN currently descr ibes the speci f icat ions of
the mil i tary F A L as fo l lows:
306 Current Product ion FAL Models
Specif icat ion F A L Standard
50.00 F A L Para
50.61-50.64 F A L Para
50.63 F A L O
50.41-50.42
total length (without bayonet)
-wi th stock open
-wi th stock fo lded
weight (w/o magaz ine)
1,090 mm
4.25 kg
1,095 mm
845 mm
3.90 kg
1020mm(458mm bbl)
998mm(436mm bbl)
770mm(458mm bbl)
748mm(436mm bbl)
3.75 kg
1,150 mm
6 kg
magaz ine capac i ty 20 ctg 20 ctg 20 ctg 20 ctg
barrel length 533 mm 533 mm 458 or 436 mm 533 mm
length of sight 553 mm 549 mm 436 mm 550 mm
Rear sight: min imum elevat ion
max imum elevat ion
intermediate graduat ions
200 m
600 m
300,400,500m
150 m
250 m
f ixed at 300 m 260 m
600 m
Type of fire: auto/semi-auto
semi auto only
yes
opt ional
yes
opt ional
yes
opt ional
yes
opt ional
Rate of fire: theoret ical
pract ica l , automat ic
pract ica l , shot by shot
650-700 rpm
120 rpm
60
650-700 rpm
120 rpm
60
650-700 rpm
120 rpm
60
650-700 rpm
120 rpm
60
M u z z l e ve loc i ty
Kinet ic m u z z l e energy
840 m/sec
335 kgm
840 m/sec
335 kgm
810 m/sec
310 kgm
840 m/sec
335 kgm
Carry ing handle
Bolt holdopen ca tch
Cock ing handle
Bipod
Buttstock
yes
yes
f ixed
opt ional
nylon
yes
yes
f ixed
opt ional
fo ld ing metal
no
opt ional
fo ld ing
opt ional
fo ld ing metal
yes
yes
f ixed
standard
nylon (50.41)
wood (50.42)
Current mil i tary standard and Para FALs with
N A T O - b a s e opt ics are pictured in f igs 355 - 358.
Current Production FAL Models b) Competition and Sport
Fig 297 The FAL 'Competition' model circa 1960. US-style flash hider; semi-automatic only. Receiver marked ".308 Match."
Dur ing the comparat ive innocence of the sixties,
the FAL 'Compet i t ion ' model as descr ibed below
was for sale in the United States as wel l as in other
countries. However, the US Treasury Bureau of
A lcoho l , Tobacco and Firearms dec ided in 1968
that the Compet i t ion model , as FN was then of
fering it, was not suff ic ient ly proof against conver
sion by the unscrupulous to fu l l -automat ic fire.
Further basic operat ions were to be 'undone' -
that is, not performed on the rifle during its
manufacture in order to comp ly with Amer ican
requirements. (See the next sect ion for details.) The
FAL 'Compet i t ion ' model cont inued to be offered
to sportsmen and mil i tary target shooters in other
countries.
The FAL 'Compet i t ion ' model is pictured in f ig
297 and is descr ibed as a standard FAL type 50-00
rifle, with the fo l lowing four modi f icat ions:
1. the lower portion of the hammer is ground
on a sl ight ly different contour. The hammer
does not possess a superior hammer notch.
(This means the hammer cou ld not be
caught or released by a safety sear.)
The trigger plunger is redesigned and fea
tures a second col lar towards its bal l end.
This b locks the trigger f rom moving rear
ward suff ic ient ly to hold the sear below its
point of contact with the inferior hammer
notch.
. The ejector b lock is spec ia l ly manufactured;
the machin ing operations omitting the slot
wh ich accepts the safety sear tail in the left
side of the b lock. This is then more-or-less
permanent ly rivetted into the receiver body.
A safety sear is consequent ly not furnished
with this rifle.
. The selector switch is a specia l type, marked
' R ' , and capab le of rotation only between
the posit ions of 'safe ' and 'semi' . The deep,
'automat ic ' notch in its spindle is moreover
left uncut.
308 Current Product ion FAL Models
Fig 298 A mid-sixties manual produced for the semi-auto only 'sporting' FAL, marketed through the Browning Arms Company in the USA and Canada.
Fig 299 This page of terse prose constituted the only difference between the sporting and military manuals.
Current Production FAL Models c) the Redesigned 'FAL USA'
As mentioned above, the A T F dec ided in 1968-69
that the F A L 'Compet i t ion ' model was not in c o m
pl iance with Amer ican law, and cou ld be too easi ly
converted to automat ic fire. In addit ion to the 'un
done operations 7 a l ready descr ibed above, the A T F
now required the fo l lowing:
Inside the receiver of all models of the F A L
rifle thus far, inc luding the 'Compet i t ion ' type, at its
central core which is bored through hor izontal ly to
accept the hinge pin, there existed a circular,
mi l led recess cut, wh ich permitted the fitting-in of
a safety sear. (Assuming the rivetted ejector b lock
immediately in front of this area was correspon
dingly slotted to accep t the front tail of the safety
sear. See f ig 334.) The ejector block alone, there
fore, determined the legali ty or i l legali ty of the re
ceiver in the U S A . The A T F argued that it was a
comparat ive ly s imple operation to drive out the
rivets securing an unslotted ejector b lock and mod
ify or replace it, thus creating an i l legal machine
gun. They therefore demanded that at the t ime of
manufacture, the c i rcular safety sear-body recess
be omitted f rom the receivers of ' U S A ' type FALs.
In addit ion, the rear left-hand lug on the sl ide
was to be ground back to the point where contact
would not be possible even if a safety sear was
present.
FN compl ied with these requirements,
bui ld ing this new receiver manufactur ing process
into their ' type 2' receiver. The resulting ' C o m -
Fig 300 Prototype of the redesigned FAL 'USA', 1974. Most of these rifles were made up on receiver type 2, (fig 292). A later quantity of some 2,000 featured receiver type 3.
petit ion model F A L U S A ' qual i f ied dec ided ly for
the term ' redesigned' thus satisfying the letter of
the US Legal Statute in quest ion. The ' F A L U S A ' was
awarded a c lean bill of health by the A T F in 1970.
A l l was wel l until 1974, when there was a
major reorganizat ion at F N . Hencefor th each of
two divis ions. De fence and Secur i ty (BDS) , and the
FN Sport ing arms div is ion, wou ld take an autony-
mous hand in the business of both f irearms and
ammuni t ion sales. The sport ing arms div is ion went
on to acquire the 'Browning' t rademark outright
from the Amer ican Browning Arms C o m p a n y in
1977. At that t ime they offered the FAL ' U S A ' with
its redesigned (type 2) receiver, as a standard rifle
(50-00), and also as the long-barreled Para 50-61
and plast ic-stocked F A L O 50-41. Through a market
ing arrangement with Steyr -Daimler -Puch of
Amer ica , a sister company of the Austr ian f i rm,
these rifles were sel l ing wel l on the Amer ican
market.
At the t ime of the 1974 reorganizat ion of F N ,
however, the responsibi l i ty for engineering, that is
for actual on-going product re-design and manufac
ture, was left with the B D S (Defence and Secur i ty
Division). In 1973, as we have seen, (fig 292), in res
ponse to the need to economise in FAL receiver
manufacture, receiver type 3 was successfu l ly in
t roduced. There was only one problem. No 'specia l
run' was authorised to omit the central safety sear
recess on new receivers destined to become the
FAL ' U S A ' , as had been the case before. Conse
quently, all FAL 'USA' type rifles made up on the
type 3 receiver are basically the same as the ones the
ATF refused to accept in 1968-69. Steyr of Amer i ca
estimates that a total of 2,000 rifles of this type
have been sold on the open market. The A T F at this
writ ing (August, 1981) has agreed that these rifles
wil l be judged on an individual basis, and that as
long as no tampering is evident in the ejector b lock
area, the rifles wil l be c lassed as semi-auto only.
Steyr of Amer i ca meanwhi le awaits word from FN
that the type 3 receiver has been redesigned to
conform with Amer ican requirements, before
resuming importat ion of F A L ' U S A ' rifles.
End of Book Two
310 Current FAL Product ion Models
Fig 301 A rather elegant FN drawing of the wood-stocked model 50-00 of the late fifties.
Book 3
The FAL Gazetteer
Part 1 - Illustrated FAL Parts List and Official FN Nomenclature
The arm has been div ided into six basic groups, as
fo l lows:
Barrel Group page 312
Receiver Group (basic) page 314
Mechanism Group page 316
Lower Receiver Group page 318
Butt Group page 320
Magaz ine Group page 321
312 The FAL Gazet teer
Fig 302 Barrel group
Barrel Group
Part no Name Part no Name
1 A B C barrel assembly 14 plate f ix ing foresight 1A barrel body 950 handguard, right and left assembly 1B gas b lock 95 handguard, right 1C pin retaining gas b lock 96 handguard, left 1 D gas cyl inder 96M nut, handguard screw 1E pin retaining gas cyl inder 96P stop, gas regulator 1F gas regulator s leeve 96Q rivet, stop gas regulator 1G bush, gas cyl inder 97 screw, handguard 1 H grenade launcher - f lash hider 98 socket , rear, handguard 4 spring, gas regulator s leeve 102 washer for handguard screw 5 foresight 109 ring securing, screw handguard 6 band, front sl ing swivel 602 spring, retaining, grenade 7 front sl ing swivel 23008 gas plug with sight, grenade launcher 8 gas plug assembly for S T R I M grenades 8A gas plug 8E sight, S T R I M grenade 8B plunger, gas plug 8F pin, grenade sight 8C spring, plunger gas plug 8G spring, pin grenade sight 8D washer, plunger gas plug 8H washer retaining, pin grenade sight 9 screw, front sl ing swivel 8I ca tch , sight axis 10 spring, foresight 8K spring, ca tch 12 piston 8L pin retaining, ca tch 13 spring, piston 2008A gas plug
Fig 303 Special gas plug with folding grenade sight for STRIM grenades.
314 The FAL Gazet teer
Fig 304 Receiver group (basic)
Receiver Group
Part no Name
26015 receiver
21015 A receiver body 15B lock ing shoulder
15C ejector b lock, receiver body
15E pin retaining ejector b lock
1015F ejector
15G pin retaining ejector
16 cock ing handle assembly
16A cock ing handle sl ide
16B lug, sl ide cock ing
16D detent, cock ing handle
16E spring, detent cock ing handle 16F pin retaining lug and detent cock ing
16G knob, cock ing handle 16H stud, cock ing handle
17 holding open dev ice assembly
17A holding open dev ice (with leg) 17D plunger, spring holding open dev ice
17E spring, holding open dev ice
17F thumbpiece, holding open dev ice
17G pin retaining thumbpiece
18 magaz ine ca tch
19 spring, magaz ine ca tch
20 axis pin, magaz ine ca tch and holding
open dev ice 71 safety sear, assembly
71A safety sear
71B spring, safety sear
100 carrying handle assembly
100A axis, carrying handle
100B carrying handle
100C washer, carrying handle
S T A 74 spring, washer
316 The FAL Gazet teer
Fig 305 Mechanism group
Mechanism Group
Part no Name
21 breech b lock
22 extractor
23 spring, extractor, complete
23A spring, extractor
23B buffer, extractor spring
24 fir ing pin
25 spring, f ir ing pin
26 spring, retaining fir ing pin
27 sl ide assembly
27A sl ide
27B sl ide rod
27C spring, sl ide rod
27D plunger, spring sl ide rod
27E axis pin, sl ide rod
28 plunger, extractor
65 cover
318 The FAL Gazet teer
Fig 306 Lower receiver group
Lower Receiver Group
Part no Name 30 trigger housing assembly
30D plate, lock ing, hammer and trigger
axis pin 30L tube, return spring
31 hammer
32 pin, axis, hammer
33 rod, hammer spring
34 spring, hammer
35 housing, hammer spring
36 trigger
37 spring, trigger
38 plunger, trigger
39 sear
40 plunger, sear spring
41 spring sear 42 pin, axis trigger and sear
46 change lever assembly
axis and arm assembly
16A axis, change lever
46D arm, change lever
46E spring, change lever
46F plunger, change lever
46G pin, change lever
51 ca tch , lock ing body
52 spring, lock ing ca tch
53 stay, lock ing ca tch spring
54 pin, retaining lock ing ca tch
55 lever, lock ing ca tch assembly
56 screw, retaining lock ing ca tch lever
57 guard, trigger
58 pistol grip
59 nut, screw, pistol grip
67 return spring, assembly
67A return spring, outer
67B return spring, inner
68 plunger, return spring
73 pin, pivot butt
74 pin, retaining pivot butt
7075 support, backs ight
76 screw, adjust ing backs ight
77 backs ight
78 ca tch , backs ight
79 spring, ca tch backs ight
80 pin retaining backs ight
81 spring retaining screw backs ight
10046 change lever assembly, semi auto
only
320 The FAL Gazet teer
Butt Group
Part no Name
6300 buttstock, complete
85 buttstock, plast ic assembly
rear socket , butt
86 screw, butt (retaining return S P R I N G )
87 washer, screw butt
88 buttplate
107 insert, butt plate
STA881 screw, wood, rear sl ing swivel
STA16 screw butt support
89 screw, butt plate
STA520 rear sl ing swivel assembly
STA082 bracket, rear sl ing swivel
STA295 rear sl ing swivel
STA1084 pin, rear sl ing swivel
Fig 307 Butt group (plastic)
Fig 308 Magazine group, 20-round
Magazine Group
Part no Name
60 magaz ine casing
61 plat form, magaz ine
62 spring, magaz ine plat form
63 bottom plate, magaz ine
322 The FAL Gazet teer
Part 2 - Official Canadian and British Nomenclature
(a) Canadian
Item no Name Item no Name
148 body, backs ight 331 pin, operat ing
191 detent, zero ing screw 362 plug, ca tch
192 d isc, backs ight aperture 364 plunger, ca tch
279 leaf, backs ight 436 spring, ca tch plunger
311 pin, axis, backs ight leaf
396 screw, zero ing
435 spring, backs ight leaf Reference: Plate 'D ' (Volume One page 154)
448 spring, retaining, disc Item no Name
Reference: Plate 'B ' (Volume One , page 152) 202 blade, foresight
222 guard assembly, hand, left
Item no Name 229 guard assembly, hand, right
240 guard, hand, left
21 band, smal l arms, sl ing swivel 241 guard, hand, right
22 barrel 275 insulator, left liner
23, 24 barrel, chrome plated 276 insulator, right liner
135 b lock, gas 301 liner, left hand guard
190 cyl inder, gas 305 liner, right hand guard
194 el iminator, f lash 310 nut, hand guard screw
277 key, retaining, f lash el iminator 325 pin, hinge
323 pin, f ix ing, gas b lock 377 rivet, tubular
324 pin, f ix ing, gas cyl inder 381 screw, locking, hinge pin
332 pin, restricting, gas regulator 390 screw, securing, foresight
333 pin, retaining 423 sleeve, hand guard
372 regulator, gas
373 ring, retaining, gas regulator
447 spring, posit ioning, gas regulator Reference: Plate 'E ' (Volume One page 155)
566 washer, posit ioning Item no Name
Reference: Plate 'C (Volume One , page 153) 174 ca tch , cock ing handle
199 ferrule, front
Item no Name 200 ferrule, rear
258 handle, carrying
149 body, rifle 259 handle, carrying, plast ic
175 ca tch , holding open breechblock 317 pin, cock ing handle
176 ca tch , holding open breechblock 318 pin, cock ing handle stud
179 ca tch , magaz ine 365 plunger, cock ing handle
193 ejector, smal l arms cartr idge 398 sear, safety
215 grip, ca tch 402 shoulder, lock ing
316 pin, ca tch grip 426 sl ide, cock ing handle
319 pin, ejector, lower 443 spring, he l ica l , compression
320 pin, ejector, upper 452 spring, safety sear
Reference: Plate 'A' (Volume One , page 152) Reference: Plate 'C' continued
Reference: Plate 'E ' continued
Item no Name
456 stem, carry ing handle Reference: Plate ' H ' continued 549 stud, cock ing handle
Item no Name
Reference: Plate 'F' (Volume One page 156) 150 bracket, smal l arms sl ing swivel , rear
151 bushing, cover screw Item no Name 153 bushing, pistol grip screw
154 bushing, trigger spring plunger
337 piston, gas 177 ca tch , lock ing, body
363 plug, gas cyl inder 185 cover assembly, pistol grip
367 plunger, plug 216 grip, pistol
374 ring, retaining, hand guards 242 guard, trigger
379 screw, axis, magaz ine ca tch 244 hammer
380 screw, hand guard 269 housing, hammer spring
387 screw, retaining, carry ing handle 270 housing, trigger mechanism
392 screw, smal l arms sl ing swivel 290 lever, change 442 spring, hel ica l , compression 296 lever, lock ing ca tch 445 spring, piston 313 pin, axis, hammer 446 spring, plug plunger 315 pin, axis, trigger and sear
551 swivel , smal l arms sl ing 329 pin, hinge, trigger guard
330 pin, housing b lock
335 pin, retaining, lock ing ca tch
Reference: Plate ' G ' (Volume One , page 157) 336 pin, trap
346 plate, butt, shoulder gun stock
Item no Name 351 plate, f i l ler
352 plate, locking, hammer and trigger axis
133 b lock, breech 354 plate, pistol grip
134 b lock, breech (current issue) 357 plate, smal l arms sl ing swivel bracket
162 carrier, breechblock 368 plunger, return spring
182 cover assembly, body 370 plunger, trigger spring
195 extension, f ir ing pin 375 rivet, axis, lock ing plate
196 extractor, smal l arms cartr idge 385 screw, pistol grip
197 extractor, smal l arms cartr idge 386 screw, pistol grip cover
198 extractor, smal l arms cartr idge 388 screw, retaining, lock ing ca tch lever
314 pin, axis, rod 389 screw, return spring tube
321 pin, f ir ing, 1 pc 391 screw, shoulder gun stock butt plate
322 pin, f ir ing 393 screw, wood 334 pin, retaining, f ir ing pin 394 screw, wood
366 plunger, extractor 395 screw, wood
369 plunger, rod 397 sear
378 rod, compressing, return spring 424 sleeve, pistol grip
438 spring, extractor 425 sleeve, trigger axis pin
440 spring, f ir ing pin 427 spring assembly, hammer
451 spring, rod plunger 437 spring, change lever bal l
441 spring, hammer
443 spring hel ica l , compression
Reference: Plate ' H ' (Volume One page 158) 444 spring, lock ing ca tch
449 spring, return, inner
Item no Name 450 spring, return, outer
453 spring, trap
20 bal l , detent 454 stay, hammer
136 b lock, housing 455 stay, lock ing ca tch spring
324 The FAL Gazet teer
Reference: Plate ' H ' continued
Item no Name Item no Name
541/540 stock, gun, shoulder 713 tool , combinat ion
554 swivel , smal l arms sl ing, rear 716 scraper, carbon, rigid
557 trap, shoulder gun stock butt plate 721 tool , combinat ion
558 trigger 724 arm assembly, screwdriver
564 tube, return spring
565 washer, lock
589 washer, return spring tube screw Reference: Plate 'L ' (Volume One page 161)
Item no Name
Reference: Plate 'J ' (Volume One page 159) 620 bottle, appl icator
Item no Name 621 body, bottle
623 spoon
443 spring, he l ica l , compression 624 stopper
590 adapter, magaz ine charging 625 washer
591 assembly, bayonet 626 bottle, appl icator
597 blade, bayonet 627 bottle
598 blade, bayonet 629 cap
599 crosspiece, bayonet 630 stem
600 pin, retaining 631 washer
601 pommel , bayonet 632 brush, c leaning, smal l arms
602 rivet, pommel 633 brush, right angle
603 ca tch , bayonet 634 brush, straight
604 eyelet, metal l ic 635 brush, c leaning, smal l arms
605 grip, bayonet 636 brush, c leaning, smal l arms
605 grip, bayonet 639 carrier, bayonet, webbing
606 plug, bayonet ca tch 641 carrier, c leaning kit
607 screw, retaining, bayonet ca tch 652 cover, front sight, rifle
609 b lank fir ing at tachment (obsolete) 653 cover, muzz le , rifle
614 blank fir ing at tachment (current) 655 jag
700 scabbard
701 body, scabbard
708 mouthpiece Reference: Plate 'M' (Volume One page 162)
709 screw, machine
710 spring, retaining, bayonet Item no Name
668 case, magaz ine
Reference: Plate 'K ' (Volume One page 160) 672 plate, bottom
674 plate, d is tance
Item no Name 675 plat form, magaz ine
676 spring, platform
656 launcher, grenade L2A1 678 case, magaz ine
691 bal l , bearing 682 plate, bottom
692 hand, rod c leaning 684 plate, d istance
695 nut 685 plate, d istance
696 rod, handle 686 plat form, magaz ine
697 spacer, s leeve 687 spring, platform
698 rod, extension 688 pul l through
699 rod, extension 711 sl ing
712 sl ing, rifle
Reference: Plate 'K ' continued
(b) British
Reference: Plate 'A' (Volume Two page 245) Reference: Plate 'B ' continued
Item no Name Item no Name
2 barrel and gas cyl inder assembly 20 screw, handguard 3 barrel assembly 21 guard, assembly, hand, left 4 barrel, f itted 22 guard, hand, left 5 b lock, gas 23 insulator, guard, left 6 pin, retaining, f lash el iminator 24 liner, guard, left 7 stop, gas regulator 25 rivet, tubular
8 regulator, gas 26 nut, handguard screw 9 ring, retaining, gas regulator 27 guard, assembly, hand, right 10 spring, posit ioning, gas regulator 28 guard, hand, right 11 cyl inder, gas 29 insulator, guard, right 12 pin, f ix ing, gas cyl inder 30 liner, guard, right 13 el iminator, f lash 31 rivet, tubular 14-36 washer, posit ioning 32 nut, handguard screw 37 key, retaining, f lash, el iminator 33 screw, handguard 38 pin, retaining, f lash el iminator key 34 guard, assembly, hand, left 39 spring, piston 35 guard, assembly, hand right 40 piston 36 screw, handguard 41 plug assembly, gas cyl inder 42 plug, gas cyl inder
43 spring, plug plunger Reference: Plate 'C' (Volume Two page 247) 44 plunger, plug 45 band, front sl ing loop Item no Name 46, 47 loop, sl ing, front
48 screw, front sl ing loop 1 body assembly 49 foresight 2 body 50 screw, secur ing, foresight 3 ejector
4 pin, retaining, ejector b lock, lower
5 pin, retaining, ejector b lock, upper Reference: Plate 'B ' (Volume Two page 246) 6 lock ing handle assembly
7 ca tch , cock ing handle Item no Name 8 spring
9 plunger, cock ing handle 1 ring, retaining, hand guards 10 sl ide, cock ing handle 2 - 9 washer, breeching 11 pin, cock ing handle 10 handle, carrying, assembly 12 stud, cock ing handle 11 handle, carry ing (obsolete) 13 pin, cock ing handle stud 12 dowel , wood 14 ca tch , assembly, holding open. 13 ferrule, front breech b lock 14 ferrule, rear 15 body, holding open ca tch 15 stem, carry ing handle 16 plunger 16 handle, carry ing 17 spring, ca tch , plunger 17 screw, retaining, carry ing handle 18 plug, ca tch 18 guard, assembly, hand, left 19, 20 ca tch , magaz ine 19 guard, assembly, hand, right 21 spring, magaz ine ca tch
326 The FAL Gazet teer
Reference: Plate 'C' continued
Item no Name Item no Name
22 screw, axis magaz ine ca tch 9 ca tch , locking, body 23 b lock assembly, breech 10 spring, lock ing ca tch 24 b lock, breech 11 stay, lock ing ca tch spring
25 spring, extractor 12 pin, retaining, lock ing ca tch 26 plunger, extractor 13 ,14 lever, lock ing ca tch 27 extractor 15 screw, retaining, lock ing ca tch lever 28 spring, fir ing pin 16 assembly, return spring 29 pin, f ir ing 17 piston, return
30 extension, f ir ing pin 18 spring, return inner 31 pin, retaining, f ir ing pin 19 spring, return outer 32 carrier, assembly, breech b lock 20 washer, return spring tube screw 33 carrier, breech b lock 21 screw, return spring 34 spring, rod plunger 22 cover, body 35 plunger, rod
36 rod, compressing, return spring
37 pin, axis, rod Reference: Plate 'F ' (Volume Two page 250)
Item no Name Reference: Plate 'D ' (Volume Two page 248)
1 hammer
Item no Name 2 pin, axis, hammer
3 spring, assembly, hammer
1 - 32 shoulder, lock ing 4 housing, hammer spring
33 sear, safety 5 spring, hammer
34 sear, safety, body 6 plunger, hammer spring
35 spring, safety sear 7 trigger
36 pin, hinge 8 spring, sear 37 screw, lock ing, hinge pin 9 sear
38 detent, zeroing 10 sleeve, trigger axis pin
39 backsight , assembly 11 pin, axis, trigger/sear
40 ramp, backs ight 12 lever assembly, change
41 sl ide 13 lever, change 42 spring, leaf 14 spring, detent, change lever
43 bal l , bearing, steel 15 bal l , bearing, steel
44 leaf, backs ight 16 pin, cotter (obsolete)
45 pin, leaf 1 7 - 1 9 , 2 7 grip, pistol
46 pin, stop 20 bush, plunger, trigger
47 screw, zeroing, backs ight 21 bush, grip, pistol
22 bush, guard, trigger
23 spring, plunger, trigger
Reference: Plate 'E ' (Volume Two page 249) 24 plunger, trigger
25 plate, pistol grip
Item no Name 26 screw, wood, slotted, raised csk.hd. .
phosphated
1 assembly, trigger mechanism 28 spring, plunger, trigger
2 housing assembly, trigger mechanism 29 plunger, trigger
3 plate, lock ing 30 plate, pistol grip
4 rivet, axis, lock ing plate 31 screw, wood, slotted, raised csk.hd. .
5 s leeve, pistol grip phosphated
6 b lock, housing 32 washer, pistol grip screw
7 pin, b lock housing upper and lower 33 screw, pistol grip
8 tube, return spring 34 guard, trigger assembly
Reference: Plate 'E ' continued
Reference: Plate 'F ' continued
Item no Name
35 cover, pistol grip
36 guard, trigger
37 pin, hinge, guard, trigger
38 screw, pistol grip lever
39 guard, trigger, assembly
40 cover, pistol grip
41 guard, trigger
42 pin, hinge, guard, trigger
43 screw, pistol grip lever
Reference: Plate ' G ' (Volume Two page 251)
Item no
1
Name
butt, wood, extra long
1, 17, 32, 47 plate, butt assembly
3, 18, 33, 48 screw, wood, slotted, raised csk.hd
phosphated
4,19,34,49 loop, sl ing, rear (obsolete)
5,20,35,50 screw, butt plate
6, 21, 36, 51 screw, wood, slotted, raised csk.hd
phosphated
7,22,37,52 butt, plast ic
8 plate, butt, plast ic, extra long
9,10,24,25,
39,40,54,55 washer, butt cap
11, 26, 41, 56 cap , butt
12, 27, 42, 57 screw, plate, butt
13,28,43,58 loop, sl ing rear
14,29,44,59 screw, f ix ing
15, 30, 45, 60 screw, machine
16 butt, wood, long
23 plate, butt, plast ic, long
31 butt, wood, normal
38 plate, butt, plast ic, normal
46 butt, wood, short
53 plate, butt, plast ic, short
Reference: Plate ' H ' (Volume Two page 252)
Item no Name
1 adapter, magaz ine charging 2, 3 b lade, bayonet 4, 5 bayonet 6 grip, bayonet
7, 8 rivet 9 ca tch , bayonet
10 spring, bayonet ca tch
11 plug, bayonet
Reference: Plate ' H ' continued
Item no Name
12 screw, retaining, bayonet ca tch
13 c leaning tool, f ir ing attachment no 1
14 c leaning tool, f ir ing attachment no 2
15 convers ion kit, sight tri lux
16 foresight, assembly, tri lux
17 blade, foresight
18 lamp, trilux
19, 20 leaf
21, 22 leaf, backs ight rear
23 base, foresight spring
24 spring, posit ioning, foresight
25 launcher, grenade
26 body, launcher 27 sight, grenade
28 spring, posit ioning 29 ca tch , grenade sight
30 washer
31 ca tch , launcher
32 spring, ca tch
33 plug, launcher
34 screw, retaining, launcher ca tch
35 ring, grenade, posit ioning
36 assembly, magaz ine 37 body, magaz ine
38 fol lower assembly, magaz ine
39 plat form
40 spring, platform
41 retainer, bottom plate 42 plate, bottom 43 mount, weapon sight, infra red
Reference: Plate ' J ' (Volume Two page 253)
Item no Name
1 bottle, oil
2 washer
3 can , oil
4 washer, seal ing
5 brush, c leaning, chamber/gas cyl inder
6 brush, c leaning, rifle
7 tool , combinat ion, rifle
8 container, c leaning kit, rifle
9 b lock, housing
10 lanyard
11 grease, tube
12 pul l through
328 The FAL Gazet teer
Reference: Plate continued
Item no Name Item no Name
13 cord 2 breech mechanism assembly
14 weight 3 retaining b lock
15 scabbard , bayonet 4 b lock assembly, breech
16, 20 scabbard , bayonet 5 b lock , breech
17 scabbard , bayonet 6 spring, f ir ing pin
18 cap , scabbard 7 f ir ing pin
19 boss, scabbard 8 col lar, f ir ing assembly
21 scabbard , bayonet 9 f ir ing pin, retaining
22 boss, scabbard 10 rod, return spring
23 spring, mouthpiece 11 spring, return, rod
24, 25 mouthpiece 12,14,16 c i rc l ips
26 screw, mouthpiece 13 bracket, support ing
27 scabbard , bayonet, plast ic 15 spring, b lock retaining
28, 29 sl ing, rifle web 17 extractor
30 sl ing assembly, arct ic 18 barrel assembly
19 magaz ine
20 cartr idge, magaz ine
Reference: Plate 'K ' (Volume Two page 254) 21 spring, cartr idge
22 washer
Item no Name 23 screw, machine
24 case, convers ion kit
1 b lank fir ing at tachment
2 housing, blank fir ing at tachment Note: Plates 'M'and 'N': nomenclature restricted
3 tube, inner
4 ring
5 spring 6 f luted sleeve assembly
7 main spring, f luted sleeve assembly
8 col lar
9 c i rc l ip
Reference: Plate 'L ' (Volume Two page 255)
c) Official UK/Canadian Parts Interchangeability/ List
330 The FAL Gazet teer
Part 3
The FAL Check list
I. Barrel Group
Muzz le type The three basic F A L light rifle m u z z l e types are:
1. the plain m u z z l e F A L ' C a n a d a ' (shown below
in f ig 310);
2. the T48-type Amer ican design 5-prong f lash
hider, (fig 130, shown with bayonet f ixed in f ig 235);
3. the current 22 mm diameter f lash hider and
grenade launcher combination (fig 263). Several off
shoots of this third model have also appeared on
contract-ordered F A L s , c f . Austr ia and Ho l land .
The heavy-barrel F A L O has the same basic
three m u z z l e types, except the two f lash hiders are
of sl ight ly different conf igurat ion and as a rule do
not accep t a bayonet, (fig 309)
Throughout the fo l lowing check list, c o m
ponents are listed in the same assembly order as in
the i l lustrated FAL nomenclature sect ion (pp 312-
321). Part numbers a l located are the same as in f igs
302-308.
Gas Block, Front Sight and Gas System There are f ive models of F A L gas b lock which over
the years have been product ion items:
A1 - high, short; with holes in the front sight guards,
as used on the F A L 'Canada ' ; obsolete.
A2 - high, short; holes as shown above but takes a
different gas plug. (This 'only-one-way-in' de
sign was very soon adopted to ensure proper
assembly.)
B1 - low, short; takes same gas plug as A1 above;
introduced to refurbish earlier rifles to new
low line of sight.
B2 - low, short; takes gas plug of A2 above; Gewehr
1 type.
C - low, long; takes longer gas plug. Current FAL .
The fo l lowing chart is prepared f rom the of
f ic ia l FN O R E A (Outil de Reparation et d'Entretien)
Factory Repair Manua l .
It should be consul ted to determine the
degree of interchangeabi l i ty possible among the
var ious F A L gas b locks , front sights, gas plugs, gas
cyl inders, gas cyl inder bushes and gas pistons.
Gas Block
Front Sight
Gas Plug
Gas Cyl in
der
Gas Cyl in
der Bush Piston
A1 A-B A A B C A B C A
A2 A B A B C A B C A
B1 C1-2-3 A A B C A B C A
B2 C1-2-3 B A B C A B C A
C1 C1-2-3 C -D C -D C B
Fig 309 FALO flash hiders. Above: old model, one piece. Centre: old model; front section unscrews for
replacement with BFA. Below: current model.
332 The FAL C h e c k List
Fig 310 Classic plain muzzle; experimental muzzle brake/grenade launcher circa 1960.
Gas Regulator (Sleeve) No 1F (fig 320)
There are three models of gas regulator:
A - capab le of several comple te turns. Used on the
F A L ' C a n a d a ' but now obsolete;
B - complete range of gas regulat ion in one turn;
c - as B but with lug on rear wh ich butts on a pro
ject ion in the handguard.
A, B, and C are interchangeable except on
rifles fitted with a built-in stop in the metal hand-
guard end. These stops only permit one turn of the
Fig 311 Gas block types Fig 312 Front sights, models A and B (square post), and C
Fig 313 Gas plugs
gas regulator and should be removed if using gas
regulator A.
Fig 315 Variants of front sights model B and C (fig 312)
Handguard (fig 319)
There are several types of handguards, the var iat ions
being in their form, material or in the type of moun
ting screw and nut used. The three pr incipal types
are:
A - wood; obsolete (type 'Canada' ) ;
B - glass-f ibre reinforced plast ic, with or without
grooves to accep t fo lded bipod legs;
Fig 314 Gas cylinders. Early models can be reclaimed by cutting back to length C. Use with gas cylinder bush C. Removal of gas cylinders model A and B requires un-
breeching of the barrel at least 1/4 turn. Bushes A and B are not interchangeable.
334 The FAL Check List
Fig 319 Handguard, models A, B and C
Fig 316 Gas pistons. Refer to chart on page 331.
C - stamped metal with bipod leg grooves (Gewehr
1). Handguards are all interchangeable, as long as
they are an assembly, complete with the original
mount ing screw.
II. The Upper Receiver
Carrying Handle - light rifle (fig 321) Model A - wood on short rod; rivetted end. FAL
'Canada ' ; obsolete.
Fig 318 Gas piston and spring, model B
Fig 320 Gas regulator, models A, B and C Fig 321 Carrying handles for standard FAL rifles. Models A - D
Fig 317 Gas piston and spring, model A
Fig 322 Body covers. See text below.
Model B - wood on short rod with c i rc l ip at tach
ment; obsolete.
Model C - plast ic on short rod.
Model D - plast ic on long rod.
A l l are interchangeable.
Body Cover (fig 322) A - standard
B - short 'charger loading'
C - standard - Para
D - special cover to shoot FN 'b lank star' b lanks.
The cr imped end of the 'b lank star' case can be
quite sharp when blown open by fir ing, and
this cover def lects the path of eject ion of the
spent cases downward.
Bolt Carrier (Slide) - (fig 323 and 325) Vo lume Two contains the complete reprint of UK
Co l Kent-Lemon's 'sand cut ' trials and resultant
L1A1 modi f icat ion speci f icat ions. Monsieur V a n
Rutten was in Fayid with the British on this 1955
expedit ion. FN did market the UK-type sand cuts in
the bolt carrier, but did not modify the bolt, or the
receiver, as did the Brit ish.
Austra l ian L1A1 trials, with the ful l U K -
recommended sand cuts in the body of the rifle.
Fig 323 Bolt carrier internal variations. Model A: single locking cam; obsolete.
Model B: double locking cam; current. Model C: Para with double locking cam; current. In
terchangeable, with proper breech block (see fig 326).
Fig 324 FN 'artificial sandstorm' machine, circa 1955. Sand, poured in hopper at right, was blown across rifle action during firing.
336 The FAL C h e c k List
reported stretching of the receiver. FN modi f ied a
FAL receiver themselves but left out the centre pair
of cuts in the receiver, and found the arrangement
sat isfactory. The body cuts were subsequent ly of
fered as an opt ion but not accepted by any or
dering country.
A specia l 'sand cut ' bolt carrier was developed
by FN and adopted by several countr ies inc luding
Israel.
Bolt (Breech block) - (figs 326 - 327)
There are several models of bolt. Var iat ions occur
in f ir ing pin type, extractor, and sl ide, or bolt
carrier.
Comple te bolt assembl ies (bolt-and-slide) are
interchangeable.
Firing Pin (fig 328)
There are four types of f ir ing pin:
A - eccentr ic head (obsolete) F A L 'Canada ' ;
B - head without lug;
C - head without lug, new tip;
D - head without lug, con ica l tip. Used after 1958 as
standard.
Fig 325 Bolt carrier, external variations. Top right: standard carrier; may be 'internal' model A or B (fig 323). All other carriers are 'internal' model B only.
Centre right: FN-developed sand cuts. Lower right: UK-type sand cuts, used in numerous FN
FAL models. Top left: Para standard. Lower left: Para with UK-type sand cuts.
Fig 326 Breech blocks. Left: single locking cam. Assembles with carrier model A (fig 323) and firing pin type A. obsolete.
Right: double locking cam. Used with carrier model B and C (fig 323).
Model A is not interchangeable. Models B, C
and D are interchangeable one for another.
Extractor (fig 329)
There are three models of extractor:
A - single piece design with s imple wire spring (ob
solete) used on F A L 'Canada ' , T48 and the UK
X8 series. Not interchangeable.
B - two-piece with coi l spring. C a n replace type C.
Fig 327 Breech block types. Above: obsolete single cam/ firing pin type A. One-piece extractor.
Centre: obsolete early double locking cam, one-piece extractor.
Below: current double locking cam type, two-piece extractor.
C - current two-piece with coi l spring. Extractor
c law reinforced. Not interchangeable.
Ejector (figs 330-331)
Model A is f ixed (rivetted) into the upper receiver.
It is obsolete.
Model B can be replaced, by removing its pin.
The two are not interchangeable. B lock A is
removed during FN factory overhaul only and
Fig 329 Extractor types
Fig 330 One-piece ejector block, model A. Rivetted into receiver, obsolete.
Fig 328 Firing pin, types A (top) through D. See text on facing page.
338 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 331 Ejector model B, rep laceable by s imply drift ing out pin. The pin is v is ib le in the side of the receiver, below and sl ight ly ahead of the lock ing shoulder. In f ig 292 al l examples are fitted with rep laceable ejector model B. See f ig 168 for an example of a receiver fitted with the obsolete, permanent ejector.
Fig 332 Safety sear, models A and B
r e p l a c e d w i t h a n e w b l o c k w h i c h a c c e p t s e j e c t o r
m o d e l B .
S a f e t y S e a r ( f igs 332 - 335)
T h e r e a re t w o m o d e l s :
M o d e l A - w i t h s p r i n g on t he le f t s i d e ( o b s o l e t e ) .
M o d e l B - w i t h s p r i n g on the r igh t s i d e . T h e t w o
t y p e s a re i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e .
Fig 333 Inserting safety sear model A in FN T48.
Fig 334 Safety sear model A inserted correct ly
fig 335 Safety sear model A inserted incorrectly. Its spring wil l bind when the lower receiver is replaced. From the FN 1953 T48 manua l .
Fig 336 Bolt holdopen, model A (left) and model B.
B o l t H o l d o p e n ( f ig 336)
M o d e l A , w i t h t h e s m a l l t h u m b p i e c e , i s o b s o l e t e .
T h e t w o t y p e s a r e i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e .
III. Sights and Optics
Rear I r o n S i g h t s ( f igs 337 - 343)
T h e in te rchangeab i l i t y o f a l l F A L rear s ights d e p e n d s
en t i re l y on the l i ne o f s i gh t . E a r l y , h i g h - s i g h t
m o d e l s ( the F A L C a n a d a , T 4 8 , X 8 se r i es , B e l g i a n
M 1 , e tc ) , w i l l no t s h o o t o n t a r g e t w i t h la ter , l o w
rear s i gh t s . C a n a d i a n , B r i t i sh a n d A u s t r a l i a n
p r o d u c t i o n c o n t i n u e d the h i g h s i g h t l i ne , a n d t h e s e
s igh ts a re a l l i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e o n p r e - G e r m a n -
c o n t r a c t F A L s .
Fig 340 Two-posit ion Para rear sight.
Fig 337 FAL 'Canada ' high rear iron sight.
Fig 341 Para battle sight stripped
Fig 338 Low rear iron sight. G1 and later models.
Fig 339 Current adjustable low rear sight, str ipped.
Fig 342 One-p iece non-adjustable ' type Hol land ' . Current on 50-63 Para.
340 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 343 Rear sights. Left: one-piece 'type Hol land ' . Centre: two-posit ion Para battle sight. Right: Venezue lan-des ign disc (see f ig 161 ).
A u s t r i a n 9 0 ° 'T ra iner ' r e a r s i g h t ( f igs 3 4 4 - 3 4 5 )
Fig 344 Austr ian 9 0 ° 'trainer' rearsight with ang led two-way mirror, c l ipped onto standard backsight .
Fig 345 As the student al igns the sights, the instructor sees this view. An original Austr ian army training aid, made and marketed by F N .
T e l e s c o p i c S i g h t s a n d M o u n t s ( f igs 3 4 6 - 358)
T h e F A L r i f le i s a r g u a b l y t he m o s t r e a d i l y - m o d i f i e d
o f a n y r i f le i n e x i s t e n c e fo r t e l e s c o p e u s e . Its b o d y
c o v e r i s r e l a t i v e l y s t u r d y a n d w e l l - m o u n t e d a n d
l e n d s i tse l f t o a g r e a t v a r i e t y o f s c o p e a t t a c h m e n t s .
N u m e r o u s F A L t e l e s c o p e t y p e s a re d e a l t w i t h
i n t he b o d y o f t he th ree v o l u m e s o f th is se r i es .
S o m e o the r p r o t o t y p e s c o p e s , a n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n
F N r ings a n d b a s e s , a re p r e s e n t e d he re .
Fig 346 Standard over-bore model FAL scope base. Hen-soldt and other scopes, f lexible rings.
Fig 347 Belg ian army side mount. Flexible rings.
Fig 348 Experimental over-bore and Belg ian army side mounts. Rig id rings.
Fig 349 Top: second product ion version of the 3.6x O I P scope in over-bore mount.
Second and third: over-bore mounts of vary ing eye relief.
Bottom: the Belg ian army was the only user of the side mount.
Fig 351 Early prototype dot-projector-type opt ic sight submitted to FN for trial. Manufacturer unknown.
Fig 352 UK Singlepoint Comba t Guns ight mounted on FN FAL body cover. An interesting UK trial compar ing this sight with the 'Hythe ' sights and the A v i m o S U I T sight is reprinted in Vo lume Two.
Fig 350 Two ways of mount ing the FN base, made to fit the built-in lugs now standard on al l N A T O mil i tary scopes.
Fig 353 FN test spec imen of the latest Amer ican automat ic ranging ' A R T I I ' scope, mode by Leatherwood Enterprises. Th is 3-9x var iable scope fits the FAL in a unique 'wraparound' receiver mount. Weight , as pictured, 36 oz .
342 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 355 Current 50-00 mil i tary FAL fitted with the E U R O -A T L A S passive night-vision sight, made by Euroat las G M
BH of Bremen, West Germany. FN N A T O standard scope base.
Fig 354 Correct method of at taching the FN f lexible scope rings. This concept originated with the Wor ld War I I German Z F 4 scope, mounted on the K43 rifle.
Fig 356 Current issue mil i tary FAL fitted with German-made FN 4x scope in standard N A T O mount.
Fig 357 FAL Para (458 mm barrel), FN 4x scope in N A T O -standard mount, reversed for min imum eye relief.
Fig 358 Euroat las passive night-vision sight, left side.
344 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
IV. The Lower Receiver
H a m m e r a n d S p r i n g G u i d e ( f igs 359 - 361)
T y p e A s p r i n g g u i d e i s o b s o l e t e a n d inter
c h a n g e a b l e o n l y as a h a m m e r - a n d - s p r i n g - g u i d e
a s s e m b l y .
T y p e B is c u r r e n t . T y p e A h a m m e r s c a n r e c e i v e
t y p e B s p r i n g g u i d e s by r e m o v i n g the a x i s p in
s h o w n .
C h a n g e L e v e r ( f igs 362 - 364)
T h e r e a re t w o b a s i c m o d e l s o f a u t o m a t i c - f i r e
c h a n g e l e v e r s :
A - w i t h r i g h t - a n g l e d a u t o m a t i c - f i r e s lo t ;
B - w i t h o b l i q u e a u t o m a t i c - f i r e s lo t .
V a r i a t i o n s
C I a n d 2 , p e r m i t t i n g s e m i - a u t o m a t i c f i re o n l y . C 1
w i t h r i g h t - a n g l e d s lo t , C 2 w i t h o b l i q u e s lo t .
Fig 359 Hammer , models A and B, explained above.
Fig 360 Obso le te hammer spring guide
Fig 361 Current hammer spring guide
Fig 362 Left: change lever model B. Right: model A.
T y p e D (ea r l y U K a n d I s rae l i m o d e l s o n l y ; o b
so le te ) :
D1 - s e m i - a u t o m a t i c o n l y ;
D 2 - s e l e c t i v e f i re ( m a r k e d ' A ' o n bu t ton ) .
T r i g g e r ( f ig 365)
T h e r e a re t w o m o d e l s o f t r i gger :
A - r i g h t - a n g l e d ta i l ( o b s o l e t e ) ;
B - o b l i q u e ta i l .
T h e y a re i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e , a s l o n g a s t h e y g o a s
a se t w i t h the i r r e s p e c t i v e c h a n g e leve r .
T r i g g e r P l u n g e r ( f ig 366)
T h e t w o t y p e s a re c o m p l e t e l y i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e , a s
a re the i r s p r i n g s . T y p e A ( b a l l e n d ) i s o b s o l e t e .
T r i g g e r P l u n g e r B r a c k e t ( f ig 367)
T h e r e a re t w o t y p e s :
A - s t e e l , a f f i x e d to s tee l l o w e r r e c e i v e r s by
w e l d i n g ;
B - a l u m i n u m , f i x e d w i t h t w o r i ve ts , a t t a c h e d to
a l u m i n u m ( ' h i d u m i n i u m ' ) l o w e r r e c e i v e r s .
Fig 363 Semi-auto only change levers, model CI (left) and C 2 .
Fig 364 Change levers type D
Fig 365 Trigger, models A and B
P i s t o l G r i p ( f igs 368 - 370 , a n d 374 - 375)
T h e r e a re t w o b a s i c m o d e l s o f p i s to l g r i p :
A - w o o d ( o b s o l e t e ) ;
B - ( va r i an t ) T 4 8 - t y p e (as a l s o a d o p t e d by L u x e m
b o u r g ) f o r f o l d i n g a r c t i c t r i g g e r g u a r d ;
C - p l a s t i c ( e a r l y m o d e l w i t h o u t c l e a n i n g k i t a t
t a c h m e n t n o t c h ) ;
C - p l a s t i c ( c u r r e n t m o d e l ; a c c e p t s c l i p - i n p l a s t i c
c l e a n i n g k i t . )
M o d e l s A a n d C a re c o m p l e t e l y i n t e r c h a n g e
a b l e .
Fig 368 Pistol grip model A (wood)
Pis to l G r i p S c r e w ( f igs 371 - 373)
T h e r e a re f o u r m o d e l s o f p i s to l g r i p s c r e w :
M o d e l A - s tee l s c r e w r i ve t t ed in to s tee l l o w e r re
c e i v e r ;
M o d e l B - a l u m i n u m s c r e w r i ve t ted in to a l u m i n u m
l o w e r r e c e i v e r ( o b s o l e t e ) .
Fig 366 Trigger plungers: type A above.
M o d e l C - a l u m i n u m s c r e w a t t a c h e s f r o m b e l o w
in to b l o c k r i ve t ted in to ' h i d u m i n i u m ' l o w e r
r e c e i v e r ( o b s o l e t e ) ;
M o d e l D - a l u m i n u m s c r e w a t t a c h e s f r o m b e l o w in
t o l o w e r r e c e i v e r o f c u r r e n t l i g h t w e i g h t a n d
P a r a m o d e l s .
Fig 367 Trigger plunger brackets Fig 369 Pistol grip model B (wood, T48-type)
346 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 371 Pistol grip screw, models A and B Fig 373 Pistol grip screw model D
Fig 370 Plast ic pistol grip, model C. Ear ly model with no notch for c lean ing kit spring retaining loop.
Fig 372 Pistol grip screw model C
Fig 374 Late model type C plast ic pistol grip. Prototype spirit- level mounted in spec ia l p last ic c lean ing kit body. For exact 4 5 ° grenade project ion. Not adopted. Note notch inside bottom side of grip to accep t c lean ing kit spring retaining loop.
348 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 375 Current model C plast ic pistol grip, (left), shown with prototype G3- type grip.
B u t t p l a t e ( f i g s 3 7 6 - 3 7 9 )
T h e r e a re s e v e r a l m o d e l s o f b u t t p l a t e f o r t he s t a n
d a r d F A L :
M o d e l A - s t a m p e d s tee l w i t h f l a t s tee l t r ap c o v e r
f o r c l e a n i n g e q u i p m e n t ( o b s o l e t e ) . Fo r bu t t -
s t o c k m o d e l A .
M o d e l B - as a b o v e w i t h m o r e r e i n f o r c i n g g r o o v e s
i n m e t a l . N o t i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e w i t h m o d e l s C
a n d D , d u e t o bu t t t r a p c o v e r s p r i n g . Fo r bu t t -
s t o c k m o d e l B .
M o d e l C - as a b o v e ; no bu t t t rap . M a y r e p l a c e
m o d e l B . F o r b u t t s t o c k m o d e l C .
M o d e l D - r u b b e r ; no t i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e . Fo r p l a s t i c
b u t t s t o c k ( m o d e l D ) o n l y .
Fig 376 Buttplate model A. See text above.
Fig 377 Buttplate model B
Fig 378 Buttplate model C
Fig 379 Rubber buttplate model D. For plast ic stock.
B u t t p l a t e F A L O ( f ig 380)
M o d e l A is as p i c t u r e d ; m o d e l B is s i m i l a r w i t h o u t
t he bu t t t r ap c o v e r .
Fig 380 F A L O buttplate model A. For wood ( F A L O 42) buttstock.
Fig 382 W o o d buttstock model B.
50- Fig 383 W o o d buttstock model C
B u t t s t o c k ( f igs 381 - 384)
T h e r e a re m a n y b u t t s t o c k d e s i g n s ; t he b a s i c f o u r
m o d e l s a re a s f o l l o w s :
M o d e l A - w o o d , w i t h f o r w a r d w o o d e n p r o j e c t i o n s ,
w h i c h e n c l o s e t he s t e p p e d rear p o r t i o n o f t he
F A L ' C a n a d a ' l o w e r r e c e i v e r ( o b s o l e t e ) . N o t
i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e .
M o d e l B - w o o d , w i t h o u t w r i s t p r o j e c t i o n s ( o b s o
lete) . W i l l r e p l a c e m o d e l s C o r D .
M o d e l C - w o o d , w i t h r e b a t e d w r i s t a n d p r o t e c t i v e
m e t a l f e r r u l e . W i l l r e p l a c e B o r C .
M o d e l D - p l a s t i c . W i l l r e p l a c e B or C.
M o d e l s A , B a n d C a re i n t e r d e p e n d e n t on t y p e
o f b u t t p l a t e . M o d e l s B, C or D w i l l r e p l a c e m o d e l
A , b u t a g a p i s le f t a t t he rear o f the l o w e r r e c e i v e r .
F A L O ( h e a v y b a r r e l ) r i f l es m o d e l 50 -42 a r e e q u i p
p e d w i t h b u t t s t o c k s A o r B ( o b s o l e t e ) , o r C . F A L O
m o d e l 50-41 - b u t t s t o c k D.
Fig 381 W o o d buttstock model A. Refer to text above. Fig 384 Ny lon (plastic) buttstock model D
350 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
V. Accessories and Ancillaries
B a y o n e t ( f igs 385 - 387 a n d 389)
T h e r e a re t h ree t y p e s o f b a y o n e t s :
M o d e l A - w i t h bu i l t - i n f l a s h h ide r ' p r o n g s ' f o r r i f les
w i t h p l a i n m u z z l e . T h e h a n d l e s a re s e e n i n
b o t h s m o o t h w o o d a n d g r o o v e d p l a s t i c .
M o d e l B - f o r r i f les w i t h U S - t y p e f l a s h h ider .
S t a m p e d m e t a l g r i p s .
M o d e l C - f o r r i f les w i t h c u r r e n t 22 mm f l a s h h ider /
g r e n a d e l a u n c h e r , ( s t a n d a r d f o r N A T O
g r e n a d e s ) . V a r i o u s a r r a n g e m e n t s o f g a s re l ie f
h o l e s a n d s l o t s h a v e b e e n m a r k e t e d i n t he
m o d e l C b a y o n e t t u b u l a r h a n d l e .
T h e b a y o n e t t y p e s a r e no t i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e .
Fig 385 Early prototype FN 49-type 'elast ique' FAL bayonets. For prototype FALs no 28 and later.
Fig 386 Skeleton drawing of the UK-des igned FN 'prong' or 'trident' bayonet. The spring act ion al lows the bayonet to move forward above 10 mm when a shot is f i red, thus reducing the ef fect on normal MPI .
Fig 387 FAL bayonets. From the left: model A with smooth wood grips, (FAL ' C a n a d a ' type); model A with grooved plast ic grips; model B (T48 type); current model C 'tubular'.
S c a b b a r d ( f igs 3 8 7 - 388)
T h e t h ree o b v i o u s d i s t i n c t i o n s a re t o f i t b a y o n e t s A ,
B a n d C . T h e y a re no t i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e . V a r i o u s
m e t h o d s o f m o u n t i n g o f t he s c a b b a r d a re a l s o
a v a i l a b l e :
T y p e A - w i t h k e e p e r t h r o u g h w e b o r l ea the r b e l t
f r o g ;
T y p e B - w i t h w i r e t h r o u g h e y e l e t s o f U S - s t y l e w e b
be l t ;
T y p e C - w i t h b u t t o n t h r o u g h w e b o r l ea the r f r o g ;
T y p e D - w e b e x t e n s i o n l o o p s o v e r b a y o n e t a n d
be l t .
Fig 388 FN FAL bayonet scabbards for current tubular model C Bayonets. Top: plast ic, to fit US-s ty le web belt. Second : steel, for web belt frog. Thi rd: plast ic, for web belt frog. Bottom: plast ic, with f ixed web frog at tached.
352 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 389 Evolut ion of the tubular type (model C) FAL bayonet. Top: sheathless prototype - reverses and fits over f lash hider with b lade towards firer when not in use. Double-ended lock ing system.
Centre and below: first issue model , and current issue model , with plast ic scabbard . Several dif ferent types of gas relief slots or holes have been used s ince the incept ion of this design.
B l a n k F i r i n g A d a p t e r s ( f igs 390 - 391)
Fig 390 FAL Blank Firing Adaptors (BFA) . Top: for FAL 'Canada ' type plain m u z z l e . Second : for US T48-type f lash hider. Thi rd: for early 22 mm grenade- launcher/ f lash hider. Bottom: current type.
Fig 391 Above : B F A for first German-ordered Bundes-grenzschutz FAL. Below: FN experimental B F A to shoot wooden-bul let b lanks. Made to a Swedish order.
F A L O B i p o d ( f ig 392)
Fig 392 Heavy-barre l (FALO) bipods. Above : current type with forged legs.
Centre: early issue with s tamped legs. Bottom: first experimental model .
Fig 393 FAL grenade launchers. First type, with integral, stamped-metal range sighting sca le . For E N E R G A grenades. Top: early T48 type. Second : Gewehr 1. Th i rd : later T48 type. Fourth: for p la in -muzz le FAL 'Canada ' .
G r e n a d e L a u n c h e r s ( f igs 3 9 3 , 3 9 5 , 396)
N u m e r o u s t y p e s o f g r e n a d e l a u n c h e r s w e r e
d e v e l o p e d fo r t he p l a i n m u z z l e a n d the U S - t y p e
f l a s h h ider . T h e c u r r e n t F A L i s f i t t ed w i t h a bu i l t - in
g r e n a d e l a u n c h e r - c u m - f l a s h h ider , w h i c h i s 2 2 m m
i n d i a m e t e r , e x a c t l y r igh t fo r N A T O - s t a n d a r d g r e n
a d e s .
Fig 394 (left) Firing a type 28R S T R I M grenade.
354 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
Fig 395 FAL grenade launchers with sighting sca le engraved on an inset plast ic window. (Note sample window to right of centre launcher sight bracket.) For S T R I M grenades.
Fig 396 Stamped-metal grenade launcher sights for current FAL, built into gas plug. Left: for E N E R G A grenades. Right: for S T R I M grenade type 65AC (anti-tank). See f ig 397.
G r e n a d e s ( f igs 394 , 397)
NUMERICAL DATA
65 mm Anti-tank Grenade Type 28 R.
. Ca l ibre: 65 mm (2.56").
Overal l length: 40 cm (15.74").
Weight of e x p l o s i v e : 0.28 kg (.617 lbs) .
Total weight: 0.68 kg (1.49 lbs).
Penetration of armour plate:
A n g l e of impact 0° in relation to the normal: 280 mm (11.02").
A n g l e of impact 55° in relation to the normal: 80-100 mm (3.1-3.9").
Limit: ang les of impact of over 65°.
Initial ve loc i ty (with the L. A. R.): A p p r o x . 65 metres/sec . (213 f t / sec) .
Effective range :
- Direct fire: up to 150 metres (164 yds ) .
- C u r v e d fire under 45°: A p p r o x . 300 metres (328 yds ) .
A c c u r a c y :
- Direct fire: g r o u p i n g (H + L) of 5 g r e n a d e s is equa l to or less than 1/100th of the firing distance.
- C u r v e d fire: ex treme lateral s p r e a d is equa l to or less than 1/100th of the range,- extreme r a n g e s p r e a d is equa l to or less than l/10th of the range .
Fig 397 (opposite) Current S T R I M grenade types. (Société Technique de Recherches Industrielles et Mécaniques) made under l icense by F N . AP grenades are antipersonnel, AC types are anti-char (anti-tank).
Anti-personnel and armour-piercing Grenade Type 32 Z
Cal ibre: 40 mm (1.57").
Overal l length: 30 cm (11.8").
Total weight: 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs).
Weight of e x p l o s i v e : 80 g r a m m e s (2.8 ozs).
Initial ve loc i ty (with the L. A. R.): 70 metres /sec (230 ft/sec).
Penetration of armour plate:
A n g l e of impact 0° in relation to the normal: up to 150 mm (5.9").
A n g l e of impact 60° in relation to the normal: 40 mm (1.5").
Effective range :
- Direct fire: up to 200 metres (218 yds) .
- C u r v e d fire: under 45°, approx . 400 metres (437 yds) .
A c c u r a c y :
- Direct fire: g r o u p i n g (H + L) of 5 g r e n a d e s is equal to or less than 1/200th of the firing distance up to about 150 metres = 164 yds ) .
- C u r v e d fire: ex treme lateral s p r e a d is equa l to or less than 1/200th of the r a n g e ; extreme range spread is equa l to or less than 1/50th of the range .
Efficacity or w o u n d i n g power:
- fatal splinters up to 100 metres (109 yds ) of the point of impact .
- more than 100 effective fragments per g r e n a d e .
356 T h e F A L C h e c k L i s t
(*) Co = ball istical coefficient a b o v e the speed of sound, calculated by the Bingen-Van V y v e method b a s e d on Dupuis' law of air resistance.
(**) M.V. = fired from 21" barrel (F.N. automatic rifle).
F N 7 .62 m m N A T O A m m u n i t i o n ( f ig 398)
358 The FAL Check List
NUMERICAL FIRING TABLE : AMMUNITION cal . 7.62 mm NATO BULLET : BALL - SS 77 and A-P BULLET P 80
Temperature : 59° F Weight of bullet SS 77 : 144 grains Barometric pressure : 1,000 millibars Weight of bullet P 80 : 150 grains
Range yds
Angle of elevation
mil
Angle of fall mil
Remaining veloci ty
ft/sec
Remaining kinetic
energy of bullet SS 77
ft. lb
Maximum
Height ft
ordinate
Horiz. dist. yds
Time of flight
sec
0 2,755 2,425 100 0.70 0 75 2,545 2,060 0 06 51 0.11 200 1.40 1.60 2,345 1,740 0 20 103 0 23
300 2.28 2 6 6 2,145 1,460 0.55 157 0.36 400 3.29 4.07 1,950 1,215 1.10 213 0 51 500 4 38 5.80 1,765 1,000 2.00 269 0 67
600 5.60 8.12 1,590 810 3 10 328 0.85 700 7.03 11.03 1,430 650 4 56 389 1 05 800 8.65 14.30 1,280 520 6 60 450 1.28
900 10.65 18.78 1,160 420 9.55 516 1.53 1,000 13 07 24.00 1,070 360 13.45 580 1.80 1,100 15.78 30 24 1,005 320 18.35 643 2 0 9
1,200 18.89 37 50 955 285 25.20 706 2.40 1,300 22.18 45.55 910 260 32.60 770 2.72 1,400 25.85 54 45 870 240 41.30 830 3.05
1,500 30.05 63.98 830 220 51.40 891 3.40 1,600 34 58 73.62 790 200 63.10 941 3.76 1,700 39.40 84.10 760 185 77.00 1,008 4.14
1,800 44.56 96.40 730 170 93.40 1,065 4.55 1,900 50 25 109 70 700 155 112.00 1,123 5.00 2,000 57.22 122.60 670 145 133.30 1,180 5.50
Notes : 1) T h e ba l l i s t i c a l coe f f i c i en t s a n d Vo of the SS 77 a n d P 80 bu l l e t s are p r a c t i c a l l y the same. 2) T h e r e m a i n i n g k i n e t i c e n e r g i e s for the P 80 b u l l e t a re v e r y c l o s e to those of the SS 77 bu l l e t , e.g.
2,530 ft. lbs at 0 y a r d a n d 150 ft. lbs at 2,000 ya rds .
Dust Cover (figs 399 - 400)
FN has developed a seal for the FAL's muzzle and
breech opening which has proved very popular in
countries whose lands include desert, where sand
and dust storms can quickly clog almost any mech
anism.
The stamped breech cover fits over the ejec
tion port and locks on by a turn of the round screw.
The muzzle cover turns onto the plain FAL muzzle
in a manner reminiscent of the socket bayonet at
tachment of old. A 'flip-up' muzzle cap is provided,
like some earlier Mauser muzzle dust covers. Fig 3 9 9 FAL two-piece dust cover. Above: breech cover; below: muzzle cover. For FAL 'Canada' type plain muzzle.
Fig 400 The FAL breech dust cover installed. A very popular FN accessory in dusty or desert areas.
Fig 401 Monsieur Ernest Vervier, on the day of his retirement from FN, 31 August, 1973, after 48 years of service. His book is yet to be written.
FAL Tools (figs 402-406)
OREA 9 drift 1.7mm OREA 10 drift2.8mm OREA 57 drift 3.2 mm OREA 81 cleaning rod handle OREA 82 cleaning rod sections (3) OREA 83 slotted tip OREA 87 bore brush (bristle) OREA 90 bore brush (bronze) OREA 92 gas cylinder brush OREA 96 broken shell extractor tool OREA 115 extractor removal tool OREA 1104 gas block cleaning tool
OREA 28 screwdriver 7 x 0.8 mm OREA 107 gas regulator and carrying handle
screw removal tool OREA 117 screwdriver 5 x 0.8 mm OREA 131 recoil spring removal tool OREA 150 front sight adjustment tool OREA 165 telescope mounting tool OREA 2094 oil can
360 The FAL Check List
Fig 402 (above) and Fig 403 (right) FN issue FAL tools. Nomenclature on page 359.
362 Metric/Imperial Measurement Converter
Fig 406 Early-issue complete Armourer's tool roll - 25 tools.
Fig 405 An interesting trio of magazines: Cyrenacia (Libya) insisted that their FAL should resemble as much as possible the British L1A1. FN obliged. The top magazine is identical to the L1A1, with large bottom plate and front ' l ip'. Below the standard 20-round magazine is the FN 10-round drill or guard duty magazine.
Fig 404 Basic FAL tool roll - 11 tools
Part 4
Metric/Imperial Measurement Converter
Pressure To convert chamber pressure from Kg/cm 2 to psi, multiply by 14.22340. Example:
7.62 NATO chamber pressure 3600 kg/cm 2
3600 x 14.22340 = 51,204 psi
Pressure To convert chamber pressure from psi to Kg/cm 2 , multiply by 0.07031. Example:
7.62 NATO chamber pressure 51204 psi 51204 x 0.07031 = 3600 kg/cm 2
Weight To convert bullet weight (in grains) to bullet weight (grams) multiply by 0.06480. Example:
138.9 (139 gr) x 0.06480 = 9 grams Bullet weight (in grams) to bullet weight (grains) multiply by 15.4324. Example:
9 grams x 15.4324 = 138.9 (139 grains)
Velocity To convert m/sec to ft/sec multiply by 3.2808. Example:
735 m/sec x 3.2808 = 2411 ft/sec ft/sec to m/sec, multiply by 0.3048. Example:
2411 ft/sec x 0.3048 = 735 m/sec
Energy To convert kinetic energy (muzzle and recoil) from ft/lbs to Kgm multiply by 0.13825. Example:
(9mm cal, V°1225 ft/sec, bullet wt: 115 grains) muzzle energy is 383.3 ft/lbs x 0.13825 = 53 Kgm
Kinetic energy (muzzle and recoil) from Kgm to ft/lbs multiply by 7.23327. Example:
(9mm cal, V°373 m/sec, bullet wt: 7.45 grams) muzzle energy is 53 Kgm x 7.23327 = 383.3 ft/lbs
• Kgm = kilogram/meter • in order to get the value in 'joules' multiply Kgm x
9.80665 • in the above example, 53 Kgm is equal to 520
Joules (53 Kgm x 9.80665 = 519.75)