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175-511: The L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle ( SLR ), also known by the initial Canadian designation C1 , or in the U.S. as the "inch pattern" FAL , is a British version of the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle . The L1A1 was produced under licence and adopted by the armed forces of the United Kingdom , Australia , Canada , India , Jamaica , Malaysia , New Zealand , Rhodesia and Singapore . The L1A1

350-500: A STANAG magazine , usually with a 30-round capacity. Initially issued magazines were aluminium Colt magazines which were not particularly robust, leading to a steel replacement being produced by ROF Radway Green . These magazines were then replaced during the A2 upgrade programme with two new steel magazines by Heckler & Koch ; the main variant is for live ammunition, and the other is exclusively used for blank ammunition. The blank variant

525-454: A Stoner 63 at Enfield due to the fact they could be used with stocks folded/without stocks which allowed the bullpup conversion and were later chambered in the experimental 4.85x49mm round. A bullpup conversion of the AR-15 was previously considered but the buffer tube in stock prevented the idea from reaching fruition. Technically, in the mid-1970s, the 4.85×49mm round was seen as superior to

700-463: A light machine gun in a support role, is also capable of fully automatic fire. Differences from the L1A1/C1 include a heavy barrel, squared front sight (versus the "V" on the semi-automatic models), a handguard that doubles as a foldable bipod , and a larger 30-round magazine although it could also use the normal 20-round magazines. Only Canada and Australia used this variant. Australia, New Zealand, and

875-469: A 5-round model due to problems with them becoming damaged when packed in pouches or bandoliers . The 5-round horseshoe charger had similar problems and was replaced with an conventional straight 5-round charger. The L1A1 subsequently served as the UK's first-line battle rifle up to the 1980s before being replaced by the 5.56mm L85A1 . The L1A1 and variants have seen use in several conflicts, including as part of

1050-434: A Commonwealth standard), the main differences being a rotating disc rear sight graduated from 200–600 yd (180–550 m) and a two-piece firing pin. Users could fold the trigger guard into the pistol grip, which allowed them to wear mitts when firing the weapon. The Canadian rifle also had a shorter receiver cover than other Commonwealth variants to allow for refilling the magazine by charging it with stripper clips . It

1225-539: A copy of the Energa rifle grenade , that would be surpassed by more recent designs still in production. Of particular note is the BT/AT 52 , an IMI version of the BT rifle grenade derived from the earlier MA/AT 52 model. It can be fired both from 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons, which share the same-diameter muzzle device, with a maximum range of 300 m (328yd) from 7.62mm guns. The BT/AT 52

1400-658: A fact picked up by the UK media, entertainment industry, and members of the House of Lords. Special Air Service sergeant Chris Ryan regarded the SA80s as being "poor-quality, unreliable weapons at the best of times, prone to stoppages, and it seemed pretty tough to have to rely on them". Immediately after the Gulf War , the Ministry of Defence (MOD) commissioned the LANDSET Report, into

1575-522: A forward post vertical blade foresight, installed on a bracket above the gas block. The rear sight can be adjusted for windage, and the foresight—elevation. In place of the SUSAT, a passive night vision CWS scope can be used. More recently, weapons used by some Royal Marines, Infantry, RAF Regiment, Ministry of Defence Police and soldiers with a dismounted close combat role in operations in Afghanistan have had

1750-538: A heavy-barrel version of the L1A1 as a fully automatic rifle variant, designated L2A1. The Australian heavy-barrel L2A1 was also known as the "automatic rifle" (AR). The L2A1 was similar to the FN FAL 50.41/42, but with a unique combined bipod-handguard and a receiver dust-cover mounted tangent rear sight from Canada. The L2A1 was intended to serve a role as a light fully automatic rifle or quasi-squad automatic weapon (SAW). The role of

1925-774: A large number of L1A1 rifles to many countries in the region. Among the users were New Zealand, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. During the Vietnam War , the SLR was the standard weapon issued to Australian infantrymen. Most Australian soldiers preferred the larger calibre weapon over the American M16 , because the SLR was substantially more reliable and its more powerful NATO 7.62 round could be trusted to kill an enemy soldier outright. The Australians' jungle warfare tactics used in Vietnam were refined by their experience in earlier jungle conflicts, e.g.,

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2100-576: A mixture of the two. The carrying handles were frequently cut off. The British SUIT (Sight Unit Infantry Trilux) optical sight was issued to some users in infantry units. The L2A1 heavy barrel variant was also issued as a limited standard, but was not popular due to the problems also encountered by other users of heavy barrel FAL variants. The L4A1 7.62mm conversion of the Bren was much-preferred in New Zealand service. The New Zealand Defence Force began replacing

2275-449: A period of time due to radioactive decay . The first rear sight leaf had a 7 mm (0.28 in) aperture which could be used alone for night shooting or the second leaf could be raised in front of it, superimposing a 2 mm (0.079 in) aperture for day shooting. The second sight was the L2A2 "Sight Unit, Infantry, Trilux" (SUIT), a 4× optical sight which mounted on a rail welded to

2450-544: A person's ribs without embedding into bone, and a ribbed section for rope cutting. The bayonet handle is shaped so as to allow the bayonet to be used as a fighting knife in its own right. The issued scabbard features a saw blade for use on wood, a sharpening stone to hone the bayonet, and a bottle opener. When combined with the bayonet, it also forms a wire cutter. When soldiers from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment went into battle with fixed bayonets on their SA80s during

2625-649: A plastic safety plunger. The E4's had 21 modified parts, no modification to the pistol grip, and an aluminium safety plunger, unlike the E3 variants. Lastly, the E5 variants had 9 modified parts in addition to those from the E3/E4 variants. SA80 development was complicated from the start. One complication was at least three project staffing changes at the Royal Small Arms Factory, which resulted in repetitive testing. One problem with

2800-401: A point which could be illuminated by a tritium element for use in low light conditions. The inverted sight post allowed rapid target re-acquisition of the target after the recoil of the firearm raised the muzzle. The sight was somewhat heavy, but due to its solid construction was durable and robust. The SLR was officially replaced in 1985 by the bullpup design L85A1 service rifle, firing

2975-470: A redesigned cocking handle, modified bolt, extractor and a redesigned hammer assembly that produces a slight delay in the hammer's operation in continuous fire mode, improving reliability and stability. The rifle and the LSW underwent modifications, and the programme also saw the introduction of a carbine variant. The Ministry of Defence describes the A2 revision as "producing the most reliable weapons of their type in

3150-399: A stoppage in the first magazine fired. Some platoon commanders considered that casualties would have occurred due to weapon stoppages if the enemy had put up any resistance in the trench and bunker clearing operations. Even discounting the familiarisation period of desert conditions, when some may have still been using the incorrect lubrication drill, stoppages continued to occur." The report

3325-526: A suboptimal iron sight line as the rear sight element is mounted on the lower receiver and the front sight element of the sight line is mounted on the upper receiver/barrel and hence are fixed to two different movable subassemblies. The sight radius for the FAL 50.00 and FAL 50.41 models is 553 mm (21.8 in) and for the 50.61 and FAL 50.63 models 549 mm (21.6 in). FAL rifles have also been manufactured in both light and heavy-barrel configurations, with

3500-498: A tool to clear. The Individual Weapon fired 165 battlefield missions, each comprising 150 rounds over 8 mins 40 secs. A total of 24,750 rounds were fired and suffered only 51 stoppages. Out of 165 battlefield missions, the A2 passed 156; the nine failures stoppages were easily cleared and not mission critical. The L85A2 achieved a 95% success rate, above the operational requirement of 90%, and its nearest rival of popular choice achieved only 47%. Originally slated for introduction in 2002,

3675-511: A top cover. Issued to the British Infantry, Royal Marines and RAF Regiment , the SUIT featured a prismatic offset design, which reduced the length of the sight and improved clearance around the action . Also, the prismatic offset design helped to reduce parallax errors and heat mirage from the barrel as it heated up during firing. The aiming mark was an inverted, tapered perspex pillar ending in

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3850-415: Is 10,000 rounds, meaning they might never suffer stoppages during their lifetimes. Mean rounds between failures was the measure of the average number of rounds that are fired between failures of a battlefield mission test. A battlefield mission was counted as a failure when there was more than one stoppage that the soldier could clear immediately on their own or there was a stoppage that required an armourer or

4025-409: Is a magazine-fed squad automatic weapon originally intended to provide fire support at a fireteam level. The weapon has a heavier, longer 646 millimetres (25.4 in) barrel than the rifle and features a shorter handguard with an integrated bipod protruding from the front. The stock has a shoulder strap to take the weapon's weight in the prone position and a rear vertical grip for better control of

4200-622: Is also known as Ishapore 1A1 ), is the semi-automatic version based on the L1A1. They can be equipped with the 1A and 1A Long Blade bayonet, based on the L1A4 bayonet. Production started in 1960 after the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) evaluated several Australian, Belgian and British FAL rifles and each one was disassembled and examined. ARDE researchers began to make plans to make their own rifle after negotiations with FN were unsuccessful because of royalty requirements and

4375-408: Is also the standard sighting arrangement for the LSW variant. Mounted on the SUSAT's one-piece, pressure die-cast aluminium body are a set of back-up iron sights that consist of a front blade and small rear aperture. Rifles used with other branches of the armed forces when not on operations are configured with fixed iron sights, consisting of a flip rear aperture housed inside the carrying handle and

4550-689: Is capable of firing in full auto with cyclic rate of fire of around 650–750 rounds per minute. The SA58 FAL can use any metric-measurement FAL magazines, which come in 5, 10-, 20-, or 30-round capacities. Early versions of the DSA FAL included a 4140 billet upper receiver, machined from a 19-pound block of 4140 steel, and a lower receiver milled from a block of 7075 T6 aircraft grade aluminum. The barrels were provided by Badger and were double stress relieved, cryogenically treated, and had an 11 degree target crown. These barrels featured broach cut rifling, were lapped by hand, and made from 4140 carbon steel. Barrel twist

4725-565: Is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO , although originally designed for the intermediate .280 British . A license-built version of the FAL was produced and adopted by the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth as the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle . In 1946, the first FAL prototype was completed. It was designed to fire the intermediate 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridge developed and used by the forces of Germany during World War II with

4900-481: Is driven by a short-stroke, spring-loaded piston housed above the barrel , and the locking mechanism is what is known as a tilting breechblock . To lock, it drops down into a solid shoulder of metal in the heavy receiver much like the bolts of the Soviet SKS carbine and French MAS-49 series of semi-automatic rifles. The gas system is fitted with a gas regulator behind the front sight base, allowing adjustment of

5075-404: Is for use in difficult environmental conditions, while the third setting ("Off") prevents any gas from reaching the piston and is used to launch rifle grenades . The weapon uses a rotating cylindrical bolt that contains seven radially mounted locking splines, an extractor and casing ejector. The bolt's rotation is controlled by a cam stud that slides inside a helical camming guide machined into

5250-415: Is housed in the receiver cover, necessitating a slightly different receiver cover, recoil spring, and bolt carrier, and a modified lower receiver for the stock. For field stripping, the FAL can be opened. During opening the rifle rotates around a two-piece pivot lock and pin assembly located between the trigger guard and magazine well to give access to the action and piston system. This opening method causes

5425-408: Is identified by yellow stripes on the magazine, and is designed to prevent the unintentional loading of live rounds. This magazine has less internal length so that live rounds will not fit, while still fitting blank rounds, which are shorter. Blank rounds will fit into the live-round magazine, but the difference in length increases the chance of a stoppage. The Magpul Industries polymer EMAG magazine

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5600-493: Is issued on a scale of one per fireteam, and is used with fragmentation, high-explosive dual-purpose (HEDP), red phosphorus, white illuminating parachute, infra-red illuminating parachute, practice, and drill ammunition, with buckshot ammunition also being intended for adoption. The addition of the UGL adds another 1.12 kg to the L85A2's weight. The L86 Light Support Weapon (LSW)

5775-407: Is located at the left side of the receiver, just aft of the magazine). A cross bolt type safety prevents accidental firing and is located above the trigger; the "safe" setting blocks the movement of the trigger. The magazine release button is placed above the magazine housing, on the left side of the receiver. When the last cartridge is fired from the magazine, the bolt and bolt carrier assembly lock to

5950-439: Is manufactured to a slightly modified design using British imperial units compared to the metric units of the original Belgian FAL. Many sub-assemblies are interchangeable between the two types, while components of those sub-assemblies may not be compatible. Notable incompatibilities include the magazine and the stock . Most Commonwealth pattern FALs are semi-automatic only. A variant named L2A1 /C2A1 (C2), meant to serve as

6125-662: Is often seen in photographs with the FAL. The Israeli FAL first saw action in relatively small quantities during the Suez Crisis of 1956, being the standard-issue rifle in the Six-Day War in June 1967, the War of Attrition of 1967–1970. During the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, the FAL was still in front-line service as the standard Israeli rifle, though increasing criticism eventually led to

6300-522: Is still in use by Central Armed Police Forces , some law enforcement bodies and also used during parades by the National Cadet Corps . In 2012, around 6,000 rifles were made annually in India. As of September 2019, around a million rifles had been made. The New Zealand Army used the L1A1 as its standard service rifle for just under 30 years. The Labour government of Walter Nash approved the purchase of

6475-577: Is supplied with a sling, blank-firing adaptor , and cleaning kit. The rifle can be adapted to use .22 Long Rifle training ammunition with a special conversion kit. The Small Arms Weapons Effects Simulator can be used on the L85 when in training with blank ammunition . On operations with ground close combat units (Infantry, Royal Marines, RAF Regiment), the rifle is often fitted with an LLM01 Laser Light Module and deployable bipod mounted within an optional front grip. There are four main variants that make up

6650-455: Is the fact that the G1 was the first FAL variant with the 3 mm lower sights specifically requested by Germany, previous versions having the taller Commonwealth-type sights also seen on Israeli models. The German FAL had access to high quality Hensoldt Optische Werk F-series scopes with Zeiss-equivalent optics; having 4x magnification, with a 24 mm (0.94 in) objective lens. The majority of

6825-566: The 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The armed forces were re-equipped by 1994 and during this period the L1A1 rifles were gradually phased out. Most were either destroyed or sold, with some going to Sierra Leone. Several thousand were sent to the US and sold as parts kits, and others were refurbished by LuxDefTec in Luxembourg and are still on sale to the European market. The L1A1 self-loading rifle has been used in

7000-539: The 7.62mm rifle cartridge as the standard calibre for its service rifles , further development of these rifles was discontinued and the British Army adopted the 7.62 mm L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle semi-automatic rifle , a licence-built version of the Belgian FN FAL . In 1969, the Enfield factory began work on a brand new family of weapons, chambered in a newly designed British 4.85×49mm intermediate cartridge. While

7175-676: The Battle of Al Amara in Iraq on 14 May 2004, it was the first time fixed bayonets had been used by British troops since the Falklands War . On several occasions, fixed bayonets were used during the Afghanistan conflict. The bayonet cannot be fitted to the L22 Carbine or L86 Light Support Weapon. As a result, soldiers equipped with the latter sometimes swapped their weapons for vehicle crewmen's L85s when clearing trenches during Operation Granby . The SA80

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7350-805: The Cold War . L1A1s have been used by the British Armed Forces in Malaysia , Northern Ireland , and in the Falklands War (in opposition to FN FAL-armed Argentine forces), the First Gulf War (where it was still on issue to some second line British Army units and RAF personnel not yet issued with the L85A1 ), and by the State of Kuwait Army during the First Gulf War . It was used by Australia and New Zealand in Vietnam , by

7525-702: The EM-2 rifle . American company DSA (David Selvaggio Arms) manufactures a copy of the FAL called the FAL DSA SA58 FAL that is made with the same Steyr-Daimler-Puch production line equipment as the StG-58. It comes with a 406 mm (16 in), 457 mm (18 in) or 533 mm (21 in) barrel, an aluminum-alloy lower receiver, and improved Glass-filled Nylon furniture. Civilian clients are limited only to semi-automatic configuration, but military and law enforcement clients can procure select-fire configuration that

7700-851: The F88 Austeyr , a licence-built version of the Steyr AUG , in 1988. Some remained in service with Reserve and training units until late 1990. Some Australian Army units deployed overseas on UN peacekeeping operations in Namibia, the Western Sahara, and Cambodia still used the L1A1 SLR and the M16A1 rifle throughout the early 1990s. The British and Australian L1A1s, and Canadian C1A1 SLRs were semi-automatic only, unless battlefield conditions mandated that modifications be made. Australia, in co-ordination with Canada, developed

7875-666: The Indian Army by the INSAS 5.56mm assault rifle. It's also known as the Ishapore Rifle since it was also made at Rifle Factory Ishapore . A fully automatic version of the rifle (known as the 1C or Ishapore 1C ) is also available, meant for use in BMP-2s via firing ports. The 1A (which is also known as Ishapore 1A ), is the full automatic version based on the FN FAL while the 1A1 (which

8050-462: The L85A1 from 1985 onwards. The SLR was designed using Imperial measurements and included several changes from the standard FN FAL. A significant change from the original FAL was that the L1A1 operates in semi-automatic mode only. Other changes include: the introduction of a folding cocking handle ; an enclosed slotted flash suppressor ; folding rear sight ; 'sand-cuts' modifications that provided space for limited sand or other dirt ingress into

8225-517: The Labour Party lost the 1951 General Election and Winston Churchill returned as Prime Minister. It is believed that there was a quid pro quo agreement between Churchill and U.S. President Harry Truman in 1952 that the British accept the .30 Light Rifle cartridge as NATO standard in return for the U.S. acceptance of the FN FAL as NATO standard. The .30 Light Rifle cartridge was later standardized as

8400-662: The Malayan Emergency and the Konfrontasi campaign in Borneo , and were considered far more threatening by their Viet Cong opponents than those employed by U.S. forces. The Australians considered the strengths and limitations of the SLR and its heavy ammunition load to be better suited to actual combat. Another product of Australian participation in the conflict in South-East Asia was the field modification of L1A1 and L2A1 rifles by

8575-777: The Rifle No. 9 Mk 1 chambered for a 7mm intermediate cartridge . To meet this plan and strengthen ties with the United States, the United Kingdom soon dropped the No.9 rifle in favor of the Belgian FAL chambered for the newly proposed American 7.62×51mm cartridge. Based on Canada's experiments with the FAL that led to the C1A1, the United Kingdom and Australia adopted the L1A1 (or Self-Loading Rifle ) as their new service rifle in 1954. NATO standardized on

8750-620: The Ruger Mini-14 in 1983, although small stocks of the L85 were also acquired for the purpose of familiarisation training as many of its personnel attend courses or attachments in Britain. The Regiment later acquired an additional 400 L85A2 rifles in 2015 to replace the Mini-14 as the standard-issue rifle. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment , which is more closely integrated with the British Army, adopted

8925-574: The Special Air Service Regiment for better handling. Nicknamed "the Bitch", these rifles were field modified, often from heavy barrel L2A1 automatic rifles, with their barrels cut off right in front of the gas blocks, and often with the L2A1 bipods removed to install XM148 40 mm grenade launchers mounted below the barrels. The XM148 40 mm grenade launchers were obtained from U.S. forces. For

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9100-410: The Steyr AUG as a replacement in the form of the F88 Austeyr, with New Zealand following suit shortly after. Canada replaced its C1 rifle with AR-15 variants, such as the C7 service rifle and C8 carbine . Australia replaced its L2A1 heavy barrel support weapons with M60s and later with an FN Minimi variant: the F89. Canada replaced its C2 heavy barrel support weapons with an FN Minimi variant:

9275-409: The Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle . After testing this prototype in 1948, the British Army urged FN to build additional prototypes, including one in bullpup configuration, chambered for their new .280 British (7×43mm) caliber intermediate cartridge. After evaluating the single bullpup prototype, FN decided to return instead to their original, conventional design for future production. In 1950,

9450-503: The "HK A2" marking on the top of the weapon just forward of the buttplate and the distinctive comma-shaped cocking handle (shaped to aid the ejection of the empty round casing and prevent stoppages). Continued testing of the L85A2 in adverse conditions demonstrates its reliability over contemporary rifles, including the M16. Although it is heavier than most conventional and more modern bullpup rifles, its full-length barrel gives higher muzzle velocities and better terminal performance than both

9625-658: The 1960s. However it was generally disliked and replaced by the F89 Minimi in the late 1980s. The L2A1 or 'heavy barrel' FAL was used by several Commonwealth nations and was found to frequently experience a failure to feed after firing two rounds from a full magazine when in automatic mode. The 50.41 is fitted with a synthetic buttstock, while the 50.42's buttstock is made from wood. Folding-stock, standard 533 mm (21.0 in) barrel length. Folding-stock, shorter 457 mm (18 inch) barrel, paratrooper version. Folding-stock, shorter 440 mm (17.35 inch) barrel, paratrooper version, folding charging handle. This shorter version

9800-419: The 4.85mm configuration. For the 4.85mm round, both propellant and projectile were at the beginning of their respective development curves. Weight for weight, more rounds of ammunition could be carried by an individual soldier – a considerable advantage on the battlefield. It was regarded as probable at the time that the argument for the 5.56mm standard within NATO had more to do with the economics involved. Over

9975-419: The 50.61, which was heavier than 50.00. The Sturmgewehr 58 ( StG 58) is a selective fire battle rifle. The first 20,000 were manufactured by FN Herstal Belgium, but later the StG 58 was manufactured under licence by Steyr-Daimler-Puch (now Steyr Mannlicher ), and was formerly the standard rifle of the Österreichisches Bundesheer (Austrian Federal Army). It is essentially a user-customized version of

10150-452: The 7.62 mm NATO. However, the U.S. insisted on continued rifle tests. The FAL chambered for the .30 Light Rifle went up against the redesigned T25 (now redesignated as the T47), and an M1 Garand variant, the T44. Eventually, the T44 won, becoming the M14 . However, in the meantime, most other NATO countries were evaluating and selecting the FAL. Formally introduced by its designer Dieudonné Saive in 1951, and produced two years later,

10325-478: The 7.62mm NATO cartridge in 1954, but did not adopt a standard rifle. Most adopted a native design chambered for 7.62mm NATO, with Germany eventually adopting the G3 and the United States adopting the M14 . Even the C1A1 and L1A1 used inch measurements and were not interchangeable with the FAL's metric parts. France's participation was to adopt a natively-designed service rifle that used their national 7.5mm MAS rifle cartridge. The British experimental version of

10500-414: The 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, and a slightly modified version of the CETME went on to be manufactured in West Germany by Heckler & Koch (H&K) as the G3 rifle, beginning production in 1959. The G3 would become the second most popular battle rifle in the Free World, "used by some 50 nations and license-manufactured in a dozen". Without the G3, the FAL may have completely dominated the militaries of

10675-410: The Allied Rifle Committee, designating it the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle (SLR). The weapons were manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, Birmingham Small Arms , Royal Ordnance Factory and ROF Fazakerley . After the production run ceased, replacement components were made by Parker Hale Limited. The SLR served the British Armed Forces from 1954 until approximately 1994, being replaced by

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10850-468: The American M4 carbine and M16 assault rifle . Rounds from an M4 will only reliably fragment out to 50–100 metres, while the L85A2 and M16 allowed fragmentation out to 150–200 metres and the L86A2 has an even longer fragmentation range. Despite these modifications, the L86A2 was supplemented with a belt-fed machine gun. British troops were issued with FN Minimi machine guns to add suppressive fire out to 300 metres. The weapon drills were changed with

11025-428: The Australian L2A1. It was similar to the FN FAL 50.41/42, but with wooden attachments to the bipod legs that served as a handguard when the legs are folded. The C2A1 used a tangent rear sight attached to the receiver cover with ranges from 200–1,000 m (660–3,280 ft). The C1 was equipped with a 20-round magazine and the C2 with a 30-round magazine, although the two were interchangeable. The selective-fire C2A1

11200-490: The British Armed Forces in 1985 as the SA80. The SA80 family originally consisted of the L85A1 Rifle, the L86A1 Light Support Weapon (LSW), and L98A1 Cadet GP Rifle. The first weapons were issued in October 1985. The SA80 family was designed and produced by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock . In 1988, production of the rifle was transferred to the Nottingham Small Arms Facility owned by Royal Ordnance (later British Aerospace , Royal Ordnance; now BAE Systems ),

11375-402: The British L1A1 version of FAL. The Australian L1A1 differs from its British counterpart in the design of the upper receiver lightening cuts. The lightening cuts of the Australian L1A1 most closely resembles the later Canadian C1 pattern, rather than the simplified and markedly unique British L1A1 cuts. The Australian L1A1 FAL rifle was in service with Australian forces until it was superseded by

11550-443: The C9, respectively. The Australian Army , as a late member of the Allied Rifle Committee along with the United Kingdom and Canada adopted the committee's improved version of the FAL rifle, designated the L1A1 rifle by Australia and Great Britain, and C1 by Canada. The Australian L1A1 is also known as the "self-loading rifle" (SLR), and in fully automatic form, the "automatic rifle". The Australian L1A1 features are almost identical to

11725-440: The Canadian Armed Forces, ending its military service. The Rifle 7.62 mm 1A1 , or the Ishapore 1A1 , is a copy of the L1A1 self-loading rifle. It is produced at Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli of the Ordnance Factories Board . It differs from the UK SLR in that the wooden butt-stock uses the butt-plate from the Lee–Enfield with trap for oil bottle and cleaning pull-through. The 1A1 rifle has been replaced in service with

11900-421: The Commonwealth L1A1/C1A1 design), malfunction rates did not significantly improve. The Israeli FAL was eventually replaced from 1972 onwards by the M16 and in 1974 by the Galil . The FAL remained in production in Israel into the 1980s. L85A1 The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army . The L85 Rifle variant has been

12075-412: The Commonwealth SLR, but SLR magazines will not fit the metric FAL. Despite the British, Australian and Canadian versions of the FAL being manufactured using machine tools which utilised the Imperial measurement system, they are all of the same basic dimensions. Parts incompatibilities between the original FAL and the L1A1 are due to pattern differences, not due to the different dimensions. Confusions over

12250-620: The Defence and Security Equipment International event and official adoption taking place in 2018. The changes from the SA80A2 design include a modification to the upper receiver and a full-length rail system for optional add-ons such as a vertical foregrip, laser pointer and torch. It also includes a weight saving of 100 g and a new Flat Dark Earth coating offering improved durability and better camouflage across various environments. The Mid Life Improvement (MLI) project received an initial investment of £5.4 million to have 5,000 weapons upgraded initially, with plans for more weapons to be upgraded in

12425-519: The Enfield site's total of 230, with the rest being outsourced to subcontractors. Since the plant kept low stocks of pre-produced components, significant delays were incurred if subcontracted components were late in arriving at the Nottingham site or did not meet required tolerances. When the L85A1 and L86A1 were first sent into major combat during the Gulf War , individual performance was far from adequate. The L85A1 proved unreliable in semi-automatic mode, and slightly better in fully automatic mode, while

12600-453: The FAL (designated the X-1) initially used an 8-round "horseshoe charger" (a U-shaped clip that held the bullets) that was based on an experimental 10-round Belgian design. The operator would open the bolt and place the charger into guide rails over the chamber. The rounds would then be slid down into the detachable box magazine through the bolt. The 8-round horseshoe charger was replaced in trials with

12775-594: The FAL and is still in use, mainly as a drill weapon, or for ceremonial purposes in the Gardebataillon (Guard Battalion) of the Austrian forces. It was selected in a 1958 competition, beating the Spanish CETME and American Armalite AR-10 . Most StG 58s featured a folding bipod, and differ from the FAL by using a plastic stock rather than wood in order to reduce weight in the later production rifles (although some of

12950-584: The FAL and wished to produce it under license. The Belgians, however, refused. Being subject to two German occupations in the space of two generations ( 1914–1918 and 1940–1945 ), the Belgians insisted on the Germans purchasing only FN-made FALs. Under the German occupation during World War II, FN was taken over by the major German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM), its directors arrested, and

13125-572: The FAL has been described as the "Right Arm of the Free World". The FAL battle rifle has its Warsaw Pact counterpart in the AKM , each being fielded by dozens of countries and produced in many of them. A few, such as Israel and South Africa, manufactured and issued both designs at various times. The FAL operates by means of a gas-operated action very similar to that of the Soviet SVT-40 . The gas system

13300-521: The FAL in 9 versions: The first German FALs were from an order placed in late 1955 or early 1956, for several thousand FN FAL so-called "Canada" models with wood furniture and the prong flash hider. These weapons were intended for the Bundesgrenzschutz (border guard) and not the newly formed Bundeswehr (army), which at the time used M1 Garands and M1/M2 carbines. In November 1956, however, West Germany ordered 100,000 additional FALs, designated

13475-740: The French Fusil Automatique Lourd , it had a heavy barrel for sustained fire with a 30-round magazine as a squad automatic weapon ; Known in Canada as the C2A1, it was their primary squad automatic weapon until it was phased out during the 1980s in favor of the C9 , which has better accuracy and higher ammunition capacity than the C2. In the Australian Army, as the L2A1, it was their primary squad automatic weapon in

13650-449: The G1, for the army. FN made the rifles between April 1957 and May 1958. The G1 user modifications included light metal handguards and an integral folding bipod, similarly to the Austrian version. Neither Germany nor Austria adopted the heavy-barreled FAL, instead using the MG3 (the modernized MG42 in 7.62×51mm NATO) as its general purpose machine gun (GPMG). The Germans were satisfied with

13825-652: The German G1 rifles were sold as surplus to the Turkish Army in the mid-1960's, and some G1s found their way to Rhodesia and Portugal . After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had to overcome several logistics problems which were a result of the wide variety of old firearms that were in service, such as the German Mauser Kar 98k and some British Lee–Enfield rifles. In 1955

14000-622: The Germans tried to destroy the FN factory with V1 flying bombs , achieving two direct hits. The memories of the Nazi occupation were still far too fresh in 1956. Based on political and economical considerations, but also national pride, the Germans aimed at a weapon they could produce domestically and turned their sights to the Spanish CETME Modelo 58 rifle. Working with the Germans, the Spanish adopted

14175-637: The IA2, MD-2 and MD-3 assault rifles, Brazil produces the M964A1/Pelopes (Special Operations Platoon), with a 16.5" barrel, 3-point sling and a Picatinny rail with a tactical flashlight and sight. Brazilian Army officially used the FAP ( Fuzil Automático Pesado , or heavy automatic rifle) as its squad automatic weapon until 2013/2014, when the FN Minimi was adopted to replace it. The Marine Corps and Air Force also adopted

14350-532: The IDF adopted the IMI -produced Uzi submachine gun and the FN FAL in order to standardize their infantry armament; with the FAL being designated Rov've Mitta'enn or Romat (רומ"ט), abbreviation of "Self-Loading Rifle". The FAL version ordered by the IDF came in two basic variants, both regular and heavy-barrel (squad automatic rifle/ light machine gun), and were chambered in 7.62mm NATO. The Israeli heavy barrel FAL (or FALO)

14525-550: The Indian Army in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars and by various paramilitary and state police forces in counter insurgency operations up to the early 1990s, by Nigerian and Biafran forces during Nigerian Civil War and by Rhodesia in the Rhodesian Bush War . Starting in the mid-1980s, the United Kingdom started replacing its 30-year-old L1A1 rifle with the 5.56 NATO bullpup design L85A1 assault rifle. Australia chose

14700-530: The L1A1 SAS, a carbine variant of the L1A1 with a barrel length of 290 mm (11.4 inches). Argentine FALs saw action during the Falklands War , and in different peacekeeping operations such as in Cyprus and the former Yugoslavia. Argentine FALs are known to have been exported to Bolivia (in 1971), Colombia, Croatia (during the wars in former Yugoslavia during the 1990s), Honduras, Peru, and Uruguay. Along with

14875-620: The L1A1 as a replacement for the No. 4 Mk 1 Lee–Enfield bolt-action rifle in 1959. An order for 15,000 L1A1 rifles was placed with the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in Australia which had been granted a license to produce the L1A1. The first batch of 500 rifles were delivered to the New Zealand Army in 1960. Deliveries continued at an increasing pace until the order for all 15,000 rifles was completed in 1965. As with Australian soldiers,

15050-798: The L1A1 was the preferred rifle of New Zealand Army and NZSAS troops during the Vietnam War, over the American M16 during the Vietnam War, as they used the same combat tactics as their Australian counterparts. After its adoption by the Army, the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Navy eventually acquired it. Unlike L1A1s in Australian service, New Zealand L1A1s later used British black plastic furniture, and some rifles even had

15225-542: The L1A1 with the Steyr AUG assault rifle in 1988 and were disposed through the Government Disposal Bureau in 1990. The Steyr AUG was phased out across all three services of the New Zealand Defence Force in 2016. The Royal New Zealand Navy still uses the L1A1 for line throwing between ships. The United Kingdom produced its own variant of the FN FAL incorporating the modifications developed by

15400-489: The L1A1, the lack of fully automatic fire resulted in the unofficial conversion of the L1A1 to full-auto capability by using lower receivers from the L2A1, which works by restricting trigger movement. Australia produced a shortened version of the L1A1 designated the L1A1-F1. It was intended for easier use by soldiers of smaller stature in jungle combat, as the standard L1A1 is a relatively long, heavy weapon. The reduction in length

15575-577: The L2A1 SUIT was fitted. The flash suppressor is fitted with a lug which allows the fitting of an L1-series bayonet , an L1A1/A2 or L6A1 blank firing attachment or an L1A1/A2 Energa rifle grenade launcher. Initial production rifles were fitted with walnut furniture, consisting of the pistol grip, forward handguard, carrying handle and butt. The wood was treated with oil to protect against moisture, but not varnished or polished. Later production weapons were produced with synthetic furniture. The material used

15750-536: The L2A1 and other heavy barrel FAL variants is essentially the same in concept as the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) or Bren , but the Bren was better suited to the role of a fire support base for a section, being designed for the role from the start. In practice many considered the L2A1 inferior to the Bren, as the Bren had a barrel that could be changed, and so could deliver a better continuous rate of fire, and

15925-468: The L2A1 rifles. These 30-round magazines were essentially lengthened versions of the standard 20-round L1A1 magazines, perfectly straight in design. Curved 30-round magazines from the L4A1 7.62 NATO conversion of the Bren are interchangeable with the 30-round L2A1 magazines, however they reputedly gave feeding difficulties due to the additional friction from the curved design as they must be inserted "upside down" in

16100-581: The L2A1. The L4A1 Bren magazines were developed as a top-mounted gravity-assisted feed magazine, the opposite of what is required for the L2A1 FAL. This was sometimes rectified by stretching magazine springs. The Australian L1A1/L2A1 rifles were produced by the Lithgow Small Arms Factory , with approximately 220,000 L1A1 rifles produced between 1959 and 1986. L2A1 production was approximately 10,000 rifles produced between 1962 and 1982. Lithgow exported

16275-468: The L85 rifle (with optional Grip Pod downgrip), and a new vortex style flash eliminator was introduced as an Urgent Operational Requirement ; initially introduced for use by selected units in 2007, the upgrade package was subsequently rolled out on a more general basis from 2009 onwards. The SA80A3 was first unveiled in prototype form in September 2016 with working models on display in September 2017 at

16450-473: The LSW's bipod lock often failed to hold the bipod legs in closed position, the plastic furniture was melted by insect repellent, metal parts were quick to rust in jungle environments, and the weapon's mechanism was highly susceptible to dusty and arctic environments. These problems were not helped by the production process. The SA80 series was produced from metal stampings. While RSAF Enfield had previous experience in manufacturing stamped-metal firearms, this

16625-604: The Luchaire grenade; when these experienced problems with premature detonation, the L85A1 HE grenade was adopted in their place. Various underbarrel grenade launcher models were trialled, including the M203 and a proprietary "Enfield Close Assault Weapon" developed by Royal Ordnance. It was eventually decided that the L17A2/L123 40mm Underslung Grenade Launcher (UGL) should be adopted; this

16800-465: The Makleon: By Israeli training practice, when the light machine guns are used as fire base to cover the forward movement of the rest of the section, they should not operate at more than two hundred yards' [183m] maximum range from the target. To cut that distance by half is considered better. In the attack, LMGs are rated as highly expendable items and are shoved far front. When the section rushes

16975-506: The Maranyl furniture, as extra supplies became available it was retrofitted to older rifles as they underwent scheduled maintenance. This resulted in a mixture of wooden and Maranyl furniture within units and often on the same rifle. Wooden furniture was still in use in some Territorial Army units and in limited numbers with the RAF until at least 1989. The SLR selector has two settings (rather than

17150-642: The Minimi to replace the FAP. IMBEL also produced a semi-automatic version of the FAL for Springfield Armory, Inc. (not to be confused with the US military Springfield Armory ), which was marketed in the US as the SAR-48 (standard model) and SAR-4800 (made after 1989 with some military features removed to comply with new legislation), starting in the mid-1980s. IMBEL-made receivers have been much in demand among American gunsmiths building FALs from "parts kits". IMBEL in 2014 offered

17325-597: The Nottingham site. As responsibility for the funding and supply of the home defence regiments of the British Overseas Territories has been handed to the local governments of the territories, despite the regiments themselves coming under command of the national (British) government and being loosely integrated with the British Army, the SA80 was not automatically supplied to these units. The Bermuda Regiment adopted

17500-659: The Royal Navy by 1993. In 1994, production was officially completed. More than 350,000 L85 rifles and L86 LSWs had been manufactured for the British Armed Forces, with the former variant comprising 95% of the total run, with over 21,700 L98A1 rifles were produced for cadet use. The production line was broken up shortly afterwards, with the Nottingham facility closing in 2001. Upgrade programmes and requirements for spare and replacement parts have since been fulfilled by then British-owned Heckler & Koch , which later reopened

17675-640: The SA80 family comprises the L86 Light Support Weapon, the short-barrelled L22 Carbine and the L98 Cadet rifle. The SA80 was the last in a long line of British weapons (including the Lee–Enfield family) to come from the Royal Small Arms Factory , the national arms development and production facility at Enfield Lock , before its weapons factory was closed down in 1988. The idea dates back to

17850-786: The SA80 family: the L85 Rifle , the L86 Light Support Weapon , the L22 Carbine and the L98 Cadet rifle . The L85 Rifle , referred to on occasion as the L85 Individual Weapon (IW) , is the standard rifle for the British Armed Forces. When initially adopted for service, the L85's grenade-launching ability was fulfilled by then-conventional rifle grenades, namely the L74A1 high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) and L75A1 HEAT-APERS versions of

18025-739: The SA80 from the outset. The Falkland Islands Defence Force adopted the Steyr AUG (another 5.56×45mm bullpup rifle) which served until 2019 when the Defence Force adopted the L85A2 as part of a wider effort to align its weapons, training and procedures with those of the British Armed Forces. The L85 is in use with the Jamaica Defence Force . Various African and South American countries received SA80s as part of wider military aid packages. Soon after being adopted for service, problems began to surface during troop trials held between 1986 and 1987. Components were found to be insufficiently robust,

18200-594: The SUSAT replaced with the Trijicon Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG). In 2011, the Ministry of Defence began issuing ELCAN SpecterOS 4× Lightweight Day Sights (LDS) in an effort to replace ageing SUSAT units across the British Armed Forces, forming the first stage of the FIST infantry enhancement project. In order to mount the new sight, the weapon has been provided with an adapter to convert

18375-455: The U.S. prototype ".30 Light Rifle" cartridge. FN decided to hedge their bets with the U.S., and in 1951 even made a deal that the U.S. could produce FALs royalty-free, given that the UK appeared to be favouring their own EM-2. This decision appeared to be correct when the British Army decided to adopt the EM-2 (as Rifle No.9 Mk1) and the .280 British cartridge. This decision was later rescinded after

18550-520: The United Kingdom presented the redesigned FN rifle and the British EM-2 , both in .280 British calibre, to the United States for comparison testing against the favoured United States Army design of the time—Earle Harvey's T25. It was hoped that a common cartridge and rifle could be standardized for issue to the armies of all NATO member countries. After this testing was completed, U.S. Army officials suggested that FN should redesign their rifle to fire

18725-565: The United Kingdom used the Bren light machine guns converted to fire the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge for use in the support role. Canadian C1s issued to naval vessels for boarding party usage were also capable of fully automatic fire. The L1A1 and other inch-pattern derivatives trace their lineage back to the Allied Rifle Commission of the 1950s, whose intention was to introduce a single rifle and cartridge that would serve as standard issue for all NATO countries. They originally adopted

18900-614: The West during the Cold War. The G1 featured a pressed metal handguard identical to the ones used on the Austrian Stg. 58, as well as the Dutch and Greek FALs, this being slightly slimmer than the standard wood or plastic handguards, and featuring horizontal lines running almost their entire length. G1s were also fitted with a unique removable prong flash hider, adding another external distinction. Of note

19075-410: The air with clouds of dust filled with fine grit, soldiers would jump from the half-tracks to hit the sand, finding the rifles filthy at the moment of contact. In such lightning-fast mobile warfare, the men would hardly have time to eat, sleep or clean their rifles. Though the IDF evaluated a few modified FAL rifles with 'sand clearance' slots in the bolt carrier and receiver (which were already part of

19250-463: The assault with a volley of grenades onto the enemy positions intended to stun and suppress the defenders, while being immediately followed by the infantry assault while the enemy was shaken. Israel's infantry prefers the rifle-fired antitank grenade to the bazooka for shock effect on a group or bunker. At night, if the section should run into an ambush, the grenadier fires, and all the others rush straight in, not firing. Initially, Israel manufactured

19425-602: The assembly lines run by slave labour after only 10% of the Belgian factory workers showed up when ordered to do so. After the Normandy landings , the Germans stripped the FN factories of everything useful and sent it back to augment German industries, destroying what they couldn't carry. FN tried to recoup its losses immediately after liberation near the end of 1944 by refurbishing Allied weapons and producing cheap, easily produced spare parts such as tank tracks. To make matters worse,

19600-462: The bolt carrier. The family is built in a bullpup layout (the action is behind the trigger group), with a forward-mounted pistol grip . The main advantage of this type of arrangement is the overall compactness of the weapon, which can be achieved without compromising the barrel length, hence the overall length of the L85 rifle is shorter than a carbine, but the barrel length is that of an assault rifle. While left-handed conversion kits were trialled,

19775-514: The clause that Belgian technicians help manage the production lines. 750 rifles were made per week. FN threatened a lawsuit when they learnt of the unlicensed variant. Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was not made aware of it and after he had heard it, offered to settle FN's complaints by agreeing to purchase additional Belgian-made FALs, FALOs and MAG 60.20 GPMGs. In 1998 onward, Ishapore 1A1, 1A and 1C were gradually withdrawn from service and replaced by INSAS rifle. The Ishapore 1A1, A and 1C

19950-596: The design of the bolt, bolt carrier, guide rods and the weapon's disassembly showed strong similarities to the Armalite AR-18 which was manufactured under licence from 1975 to 1983 by the Sterling Armaments Company of Dagenham , Essex , and which had been tested by the British Ministry of Defence in 1966 and 1969. During the development of the SA80, a bullpup conversion was made of an AR-18 and

20125-437: The design of the gun itself was that the cases would be ejected at constantly varying angles as it heated up and the rate of fire changed, resulting in a large ejection port. The conversion from 4.85mm to 5.56mm also caused a complication, as the rate of fire dropped but the pressure and time curve of the rounds were different. The 4.85mm round was based on the 5.56mm case in anticipation of the need to convert calibres. The barrel

20300-577: The differences has given rise to the terminology of "metric" and "inch" FAL rifles, which originated as a reference to the machine tools which produced them. Despite this, virtually all FAL rifles are of the same basic dimensions, true to the original Belgian FN FAL. In the US, the term "metric FAL" refers to guns of the Belgian FAL pattern, whereas "inch FAL" refers to ones produced to the Commonwealth L1A1/C1 pattern. SLRs could be modified at unit level to take two additional sighting systems. The first

20475-415: The early FN-built production rifles did come with wooden stocks). The rifle can be distinguished from its Belgian and Argentine counterparts by its combination flash suppressor and grenade launcher . The foregrip was a two-part steel pressing. Steyr-built StG 58s had a hammer forged barrel. Some StG 58s had modifications made to the fire mode selector so that the fully automatic option was removed, leaving

20650-456: The effectiveness of the L85A1 and L86A1. This report criticised the acceptance of the weapon into service. Neither weapon had managed to pass the sand trials and both frequently jammed. The mechanism of both weapons needed to be well-lubricated as the weapon became prone to seizure if fired "dry", yet in a sandy environment the lubricated weapon became unreliable due to the lubricant attracting sand into

20825-541: The enemy position under cover of the LMG fire, one rifleman stays behind to protect the gunners. Marshall also notes the advantage of both rifle and LMG ammunition being interchangeable, with the squad carrying sixty 20-round magazines, with 1,200 rounds in total. The Israeli FALs were originally produced as selective-fire rifles, though later light-barrel rifle versions were altered to semi-automatic fire only. The first rifles were Belgian-made, with Israel later licence-producing

21000-404: The exception of the L98A2, the SA80 system is a selective fire gas-operated design that uses ignited powder gases bled through a port in the barrel to provide the weapon's automation. The rifle uses a short-stroke gas piston system located above the barrel, which is fed gas through a three-position adjustable gas regulator. The first gas setting is used for normal operation, the second ("Excess")

21175-482: The existing sight rail to the Picatinny standard, in keeping with the updated handguard. The FIST project has also seen upgrades to the existing Qioptiq CWS (4×) and Maxi-Kite (6×) night vision scopes, and the introduction of the FIST Thermal Sight, following operational experience with the VIPIR-2+ thermal weapon sight in Afghanistan. All of the new FIST weapon sights have the capacity to accept Shield's Close Quarter Battlesight reflex sight. SA80 weapons are fed from

21350-438: The experimental weapon family was very different from the EM-2 in internal design and construction methods, its bullpup configuration with an optical sight was a clear influence on the design of what was to become the SA80. The system was to be composed of two weapons: the XL64E5 rifle (also called the "Enfield Individual Weapon") and a light support weapon known as the XL65E4 light machine gun . The sheet metal construction and

21525-506: The first A2-style SA80 weapons were rushed into action in Afghanistan in December 2001, and all 200,000 were converted by February 2006. Three to four thousand weapons were converted per month. Despite the modifications, reports emerged that the L85A2 was still jamming; in reality, there were few jams and problems were much less serious than they were made out to be, since they stemmed from isolated cases of soldiers not cleaning their weapons correctly. The modified A2 variants are distinguished by

21700-428: The following conflicts: FN FAL During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the notable exception of the United States. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries. It received the title "the right arm of the free world" from its adoption by many self-proclaimed free world countries. It

21875-484: The furniture and the safety plunger. Initially, rifles used by the Royal Marines , British Army infantry soldiers (and other soldiers with a dismounted close combat role) and the RAF Regiment are equipped with a SUSAT (Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux) optical sight, with a fixed 4× magnification and an illuminated aiming pointer powered by a variable tritium light source (as of 2006 almost all British Army personnel deployed on operations have been issued SUSATs); this

22050-458: The future. The MLI project should see the weapon in service with the British military beyond 2025. Only the L85 rifle was announced as being upgraded; the L86 LSW would be withdrawn from use. The A3 received further upgrades in late 2020 following feedback from soldiers. These upgrades mainly included improvements to the ergonomics of the handguard and a switch from Heckler & Koch's HKey accessory attachment system to Magpul 's M-LOK . With

22225-405: The gas system in response to environmental conditions. The piston system can be bypassed completely, using the gas plug, to allow for the firing of rifle grenades and manual operation. The FAL's magazine capacity ranges from five to 30 rounds, with most magazines holding 20 rounds. In fixed stock versions of the FAL, the recoil spring is housed in the stock, while in folding-stock versions it

22400-402: The heavy barrel intended for automatic fire as a section or squad light support weapon. Most heavy barrel FALs are equipped with bipods , although some light barrel models were equipped with bipods, such as the Austrian StG 58 and the German G1, and a bipod was later made available as an accessory. Among other 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifles at the time, the FAL had relatively light recoil, due to

22575-413: The hell should we care if [the SA80] worked or not. All we wanted to do was see the last of the bloody things and leave." While production at the Nottingham facility was supposed to result in better-quality weapons owing to the use of newer manufacturing methods, few of the staff working there had any experience of firearms manufacture. Only 15 to 20 components were actually produced in-house, compared to

22750-420: The initial C1 and the improved C1A1 version were made for the Royal Canadian Navy , under the designations C1D and C1A1D. These weapons are identifiable by an A for "automatic", carved or stamped into the butt stock. Boarding parties for domestic and international searches used the C1D. The Canadians also operated a fully automatic variant - the C2A1 - as a section support weapon, which was almost identical to

22925-539: The initial so-called "Phase A" pre-production series led to the XL85 and XL86. While the XL85E1 and XL86E1 were ultimately adopted as the L85 and L86 respectively, a number of additional test models were produced. The XL85E2 and XL86E2 were designed to an alternate build standard with 12 components different from E1 variants, including parts of the gas system, bolt, and magazine catch. Three series of variants were created for "Environmental User Trials". XL85E3 and XL86E3 variants were developed with 24 modified parts, most notably

23100-587: The integral muzzle brakes. A Peruvian derivative of the FAL designed by the Diseños Casanave Corporation in 2010. Like the FAL, it uses standard 20-round box magazines with the same 7.62×51mm caliber ammo. The FAL has been used by over 90 countries, and some seven million have been produced. The FAL was originally made by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN) in Liège, Belgium, but it has also been made under license in fifteen countries. As of August 2006, new examples were still being produced by at least four different manufacturers worldwide. A distinct sub-family

23275-403: The late 1940s, when an ambitious programme to develop a new cartridge and new class of rifle was launched in the United Kingdom based on combat experience drawn from World War II. Two 7mm (.280 in) prototypes were built in a bullpup configuration, designated the EM-1 and EM-2 . The latter was brought into service briefly as "Rifle, Automatic, Calibre .280, Number 9". When NATO standardised on

23450-471: The lifetime of a small-arms weapon type, far more money is spent on the munitions than the weapons themselves. If the 5.56mm supporters had lost the argument in favour of a British 4.85mm round, the economic impact would have been very large, and political pressure undoubtedly played a part in the final decision. In 1976, the prototypes were ready to undergo trials. After NATO's decision to standardise ammunition among its members, Enfield engineers re-chambered

23625-469: The location and stiffness of the fire selector switch. During Operation Palliser and other intervention operations in Sierra Leone, it was discovered that the version of the safety plunger used for production weapons was made from cheap injection-moulded plastic that swelled when wet, potentially rendering weapons inoperative if they had been left on 'safe'. The SA80 initially gained a poor reputation amongst British soldiers as being unreliable and fragile,

23800-400: The magazine when loaded with British-issue ammunition meant that it was not adopted. In British Armed Forces use, the L85 Rifle is issued with the socket-type L3A1 Bayonet, which has a hollow handle that fits onto the muzzle. The blade is offset to the side of the handle to allow the rifle to be fired while the bayonet is fitted. It is shaped to produce good penetration when thrust and to part

23975-501: The moving parts. The LANDSET report identified in excess of 50 faults, most notably the magazine release catch, which could easily be caught on clothing and accidentally release the magazine; the plastic safety plunger which became brittle in cold climates; and firing pins that were not up to repeated use, and prone to fracture if used in automatic fire mode. The report concluded that "It is, however, quite clear that infantrymen did not have CONFIDENCE in their personal weapon. Most expected

24150-403: The opposite was true of the L86A1. Specific complaints included: the poor quality plastic furniture fell apart and the gun was damaged easily; the magazine release catch was easily knocked accidentally and dropped the magazine; the catch on the top cover over the gas mechanism was too weak and constantly popped open, so it had to be taped down; only 26–28 rounds could be loaded in a magazine because

24325-465: The phasing-out of the weapon. Israeli forces were primarily mechanized in nature; the long, heavy FAL slowed deployment drills, and proved exceedingly difficult to maneuver within the confines of a vehicle. Additionally, Israeli forces experienced occasional jamming of the FAL due to heavy sand and dust ingress endemic to Middle Eastern desert warfare. With the soldiers traveling in open-topped halftracks in fast-paced operations, with tank tracks filling

24500-517: The rear. To release the bolt, the user has to press a black button on the left side of the rifle, near the fire selector. The SA80 barrel features a flash eliminator which serves as a mounting base for attaching a blank firing attachment ; it also allows for the use of rifle grenades or a bayonet with the rifle variant. The weapon's receiver is made from stamped sheet steel , reinforced with welded and riveted machined steel inserts. Synthetic materials such as nylon were used to fabricate

24675-432: The rifle was also built in 1973. Canada adopted the FAL in 1954, the first country in the world to actually ante up and order enough rifles for meaningful troop trials. Up to this point, FN had been making these rifles in small test lots of ones and twos, each embodying changes and improvements over its predecessor. The Canadian order for 2,000 rifles "cast the FAL in concrete" for the first time, and at FN, from 1954 to 1958

24850-426: The rifles to the American 5.56×45mm NATO M193 cartridge. The newly redesigned 5.56mm version of the XL64E5 became known as the XL70E3. The left-handed XL68 was also re-chambered in 5.56×45mm as the XL78. The 5.56mm light support weapon variant, the XL73E3, developed from the XL65E4, was noted for the full-length receiver extension with the bipod under the muzzle now indicative of the type. Further development out of

25025-414: The right hand side of the rifle downwards, reducing the impediments of the cocking handle and the ejection port; the MOD also maintains that left-handed soldiers are capable of accurately firing the weapon from the right shoulder. The SA80 family is hammer-fired and has a trigger mechanism with a fire-control selector that enables semi-automatic/repetition and fully automatic fire (the fire selector lever

25200-399: The selector with only safe and single-shot positions. The StG 58 was replaced by the Steyr AUG (designated StG 77) in 1977, although the StG 58 served with many units as the primary service rifle through the mid-1980s. A semi-automatic, twin-barrel variant chambered in the 5.56mm "Duplex" round during Project SALVO . This weapon was designed by Stefan Kenneth Janson who previously designed

25375-502: The shooter receives considerable abuse from recoil, and the weapon climbs off-target quickly, making automatic fire only of marginal effectiveness. Many military forces using the FAL eventually eliminated full-automatic firearms training in the light-barrel FAL. Depending on the variant and the country of adoption, the FAL was issued as either semi-automatic only or select-fire (capable of both semi-automatic and fully automatic firing modes). Also known as FALO as an abbreviation from

25550-470: The site was previously known as ROF Nottingham . It was envisaged that the family would replace the L1A1 SLR, the L2A3 (Sterling) submachine gun , the L4 Light Machine Gun (a modernised Bren ), and the L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun as used at section level. Regular infantry, Royal Marine units, and the RAF Regiment were to change over by 1987, remaining regular army units by 1990, remaining RAF units by 1991, Territorial Army units by 1991–1993, and

25725-459: The springs were weak, something that was also mentioned in training manuals, at least with regard to earlier Colt -produced magazines, and it had to be kept very clean and the lips checked for dents. The magazine was made from aluminium and would deform if grasped too tightly. During firing, this could choke the flow of rounds and result in a jam; the LSW had a small magazine capacity for its role and overheated after 120–150 rounds fired in bursts;

25900-458: The standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle . The prototypes were created in 1976, with production of the A1 variant starting in 1985 and ending in 1994. The A2 variant came to be as the result of a significant upgrade in the early 2000s by Heckler & Koch and remains in service as of 2024. The A3 variant was first issued in 2018 with several new improvements. The remainder of

26075-405: The standard model of the FAL rifle was called the FAL 'Canada'...These excellent Canadian-built rifles were the standard arms of the Canadian military from first production in 1955 until 1984. The Canadian Armed Forces , the Ontario Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police operated several versions, the most common being the C1A1, similar to the British L1A1 (which became more or less

26250-432: The then existing version of 5.56mm M193 round in use by the US (for the M16/M16A1 ) and by other forces. This was the expressed view of trials team members whilst demonstrating the XL64E5 prototype at the British Army School of Infantry at Warminster . Development of small-arms munitions have a long and continuous life and it was estimated by the trials specialists from Enfield that this weapon would ultimately be superior in

26425-428: The three that most metric FALs have), safety and semi-automatic , which are marked 'S' (safe) and 'R' (repetition.) The magazine from the 7.62mm L4 light machine gun will fit the SLR. Commonwealth magazines were produced with a lug brazed onto the front to engage the recess in the receiver, in place of a smaller pressed dimple on the metric FAL magazine. As a consequence of this, metric FAL magazines can be used with

26600-456: The upgrade to A2, including a requirement to forward assist with the left hand to ensure the bolt is properly closed and locked; without this there is increased risk of a jam. A new cleaning kit was issued with major enhancements designed for simpler and more effective use while on operations. A further upgrade including the provision of Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights (ACOGs), a Daniel Defense -designed Picatinny rail (RIS) handguard for

26775-423: The upper receiver, bolt and bolt carrier; folding trigger guard to allow use with Arctic mitts; strengthened buttstock ; enlarged change lever and magazine release catch ; vertical stripping catch to prevent unintended activation; deletion of the automatic hold-open device and the addition of retaining tabs at the rear of the top cover to prevent forward movement of the top cover (and resulting loss of zero) when

26950-406: The user-adjustable gas system being able to be tuned via a regulator in fore-end of the rifle, which allowed for excess gas which would simply increase recoil to bleed off. The regulator is an adjustable gas port opening that adjusts the rifle to function reliably with various propellant and projectile specific pressure behavior, making the FAL not ammunition specific. In fully automatic mode, however,

27125-444: The weapon as finally issued must be used exclusively right-handed since the ejection port and cocking handle (which reciprocates during firing) are on the right side of the receiver, making aimed fire from the left shoulder difficult. This can also give rise to a tactical disadvantage when firing around the left side of cover, where the shooter must expose the majority of their body. However left shoulder firing can be achieved by tilting

27300-449: The weapon when firing bursts. The weapon is otherwise identical to the L85 version on which it is based, and the same magazines and sighting systems are used. In addition to British Armed Forces use, the LSW was adopted by MOD-sponsored cadet organisations. The increased barrel length, bipod and the optical performance of the SUSAT give the weapon excellent accuracy, increased muzzle velocity and greater effective range. From its inception,

27475-506: The weapons and its magazines. The Israeli models are recognizable by a distinctive handguard with a forward perforated sheet metal section. Israeli-made magazines were made in the same FN standard of steel, finished with durable black enamel paint, and bearing two Hebrew characters stamped into the metal on one side. The IDF always emphasized the used of rifle grenades, integrating its usage into their doctrine of night assaults. Approaching enemy positions within rifle-grenade range, initiating

27650-408: The weapons were difficult to strip and reassemble, with the gas plug easily jamming in place and requiring an armorer to remove; the firing pin was too narrow and would snap; the back of the trigger surface was flat which with snow or dirt accumulating behind it would prevent the trigger from pulling back all the way and firing the gun; and ergonomic issues related to the safety catch, cocking lever, and

27825-541: The world". Armed Forces trials indicated extremely good reliability over a range of climates for various operational scenarios, though with a decline in reliability in hot, and especially hot and dry conditions. The L85A2 achieved an average reliability rate of 25,200 mean rounds between failure , and the L86A2 achieved 12,897 mean rounds between failures. Both weapons have higher reliability rates in cold/dry, temperate, and hot/wet conditions, but lower rates in hot/dry environments. The minimum expected life of A2 components

28000-477: Was 1:11. Rifles produced during the Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 to 2004 included integrally machined muzzle brakes that served to reduce muzzle rise and recoil. Further more, these muzzle brakes added additional length to barrels to achieve the 16.5 inches that would otherwise have been considered short-barreled rifles under the National Firearms Act . As such, DSA FAL barrels that were effectively ~14 inches, could be legally considered 16.5 inches due to

28175-409: Was Maranyl, a nylon 6-6 and fibreglass composite. The Maranyl parts have a "pebbled" anti-slip texture along with a butt has a separate butt-pad, available in four lengths to allow the rifle to be fitted to individual users. There was a special short butt designed for use with Arctic clothing or body armour, which incorporated fixing points for an Arctic chest sling system. After the introduction of

28350-441: Was achieved by installing the shortest butt length (there were three available, short, standard and long), and a flash suppressor that resembled the standard version except it projected a much smaller distance beyond the end of the rifling, and had correspondingly shorter flash eliminator slots. The effect was to reduce the length of the weapon by 2 1/4 inches. Trials revealed that, despite no reduction in barrel length, accuracy

28525-402: Was changed easily, but the gas ports were much larger. Pressure problems had less of an effect on the LSW due to its longer barrel. After receiving feedback from users and incorporating the various design changes requested, including adapting the rifle for use with the heavier Belgian SS109 version of the 5.56×45mm round and improving reliability, the weapon system was accepted into service with

28700-413: Was considered too expensive. As a result, a more extensive modification programme was executed. In 2000, a team from Heckler & Koch, led by Ernst Mauch, was contracted to upgrade the SA80 family of weapons. At that time Heckler & Koch were owned by BAE Systems. 200,000 SA80s were re-manufactured for £400 each, producing the A2 variant. Changes focused primarily on improving reliability and include

28875-422: Was designated the Makle'a Kal , or Makleon , having a standard handguard improved with a perforated metal sleeve around the heavy barrel, and a wooden handguard with a heat shield. The folding bipod being directly attached to the barrel. The Israeli Makleon was fed by a 20-round magazine. Analysing the Israeli campaign of 1956 in the Sinai, during the Suez Crisis , Brigadier General SLA Marshall noted of

29050-416: Was introduced from 2011, featuring a lower weight of 130 grams (4.6 oz) compared to the steel magazine's 249 grams (8.8 oz), a detachable dust cover, and a clear window in the magazine body that allows easy monitoring of how much ammunition remains in the magazine. The Beta C-Mag was trialled in an attempt to improve the L86's limited ability to lay down sustained fire, but reliability problems with

29225-465: Was leaked to the press, at which point the Ministry of Defence claimed that it was fake; while it was later admitted that the report was a genuine document, the MOD continued to downplay its significance, and only seven of the 50 faults identified were addressed by subsequent modifications, meaning that complaints over reliability in service continued. The MOD finally began to take the SA80 family's issues seriously in 1992, but procuring entirely new weapons

29400-426: Was manufactured under license by the Canadian Arsenals Limited company. Canada was the first country to use the FAL. It served as Canada's standard battle rifle from the early 1950s to 1984. It was eventually phased out in favor of the lighter Diemaco C7 , a licence-built copy of the M16 , with a number of features borrowed from the A1, A2, and A3 variations of the AR platform assault rifle. Selective-fire variants of

29575-472: Was more accurate and controllable in the role due to its greater weight and better stock configuration. For this reason, Australia and Britain used the 7.62mm-converted L4 series Bren. Most countries that adopted the FAL rejected the heavy barrel FAL, presumably because it did not perform well in the machine gun role. Countries that embraced the heavy barrel FAL included Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Israel. Unique 30-round magazines were developed for

29750-483: Was only in relation to weapons such as the Sten submachine gun that had relatively loose tolerances. The tighter tolerances required by the SA80 soon led to production delays and high wastage levels. There were also issues with regard to working practices and employee attitudes at the Enfield site which were exacerbated by its closure in 1988 and resulting redundancies. One worker was recorded as saying that "Having been shafted by BAE and our own management, we thought why

29925-405: Was produced to replace the Bren Gun for the Canadian Army. While a reliable and accurate weapon, the C2A1 was unpopular among Canadian soldiers due to its very limited sustained fire capability: the C2A1 lacked an interchangeable barrel, and its bottom-loading magazines were time-consuming to reload. Roughly 2,700 examples were produced. In the late 1980's the C2A1 was replaced by the FN Minimi in

30100-441: Was requested by Belgian paratroopers. The upper receiver was not cut for a carry handle, the charging handle on the 50.63 was a folding model similar to the L1A1 rifles, which allowed the folded-stock rifle to fit through the doorway of their C-119 Flying Boxcar when worn horizontally across the chest. Folding-stock, standard 533 mm (21.0 in) barrel length, ' Hiduminium ' aluminium alloy lower receiver made it lighter than

30275-419: Was slightly reduced. The L1A1-F1 was provided to Papua New Guinea, and a number were sold to the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1984. They were issued to female staff cadets at the Royal Military College Duntroon and some other Australian personnel. In 1970, a bullpup rifle known as the KAL1 general purpose infantry rifle was built at the Small Arms Factory Lithgow using parts from the L1A1 rifle. Another version of

30450-400: Was the " Hythe sight", formally known as the "Conversion Kit, 7.62mm Rifle Sight, Trilux, L5A1" (L5A2 and L5A3 variants with different foresight inserts also existed) and intended for use in close range and in poor lighting conditions. The sight incorporated two rear sight aperture leaves and a tritium illuminated foresight insert for improved night visibility, which had to be replaced after

30625-415: Was the Commonwealth inch-dimensioned versions that were manufactured in the United Kingdom and Australia (as the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle or SLR), and in Canada as the C1. The standard metric-dimensioned FAL was manufactured in South Africa (where it was known as the R1 ), Brazil, Israel, Austria and Argentina. Both the SLR and FAL were also produced without license by India. The Dutch company Armtech built

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