FN FAL G1

[CLASSIC12]

The reason that the G1 was shortly replaced by the G3 was bad blood.

The Belgians would license countries to manufacture the FAL. West Germany was interested. Something happened between the FN people and the Bundeswehr officials. Don't forget, this was only a little over a decade since the end of WWII.

Long story short, FN didn't give the license to West Germany to manufacture the FAL.

In the meantime, some ex-pat Germans were in Spain working on something called the CETME.

And the rest is history. Heckler and Koch and the G3/HK91.

LGS also has a full auto HK G3. I might convince him to sell it

 

[CLASSIC12]

That rifle seems more expensive than some of the pistols/rifles that you buy.

I don’t know, the Sig AMT was more

So was the Dutch ArmaLite AR10 (1958, Ethiopia model)

 

[CLASSIC12]

The other thing a little unusual is the 30rd mag. I know that the British Army modified Bren gun mags to fir the L1A1 (their version of the FAL). But they were inch pattern, and the G1 (and the vast majority of the FAL variants) were metric pattern.

You can out a metric mag in an inch pattern receiver, but not the other way around.

Interesting.

LGS mentioned it was a very rare 30 rds mag..

 

[LVSteve]

Aha, the Stupid Long Rifle (SLR) as it was known in the UK. It was despised by many in the British armed forces who had previous experience with the Enfield No.4 Mk1 and Mk2. They considered it unbalanced, fitted with substandard sights, and fundamentally inaccurate in standard British military trim. I tend to agree. I'll be interested to see how this model/variant does for the OP.

Then there are the strange foibles like not fitting the handguards tight or you risk a wandering zero. If your FAL doesn't eject very well it is tempting up the gas, but it might be your ammo has powder that is too slow. Slow ejection with tweaked case rims is the clue there. Oh, and 4 inch groups at 100 yards using German surplus M80 equivalent are not uncommon. FWIW, the same ammo shoots groups half that size or smaller from a converted Chilean 1912 long rifle. You may guess how I know these things.

 

[CLASSIC12]

Took it to the 50 m range for starters

It shot well, and no stoppage of any kind

Some beauty shots

The 30 rds mag

 

[jag312]

There are a lot of NFA collectors here in the US that are crying knowing what you paid for that fine specimen, me included.

 

[67tempest]

Very nice rifle and at a steal of a price!

 

[Absalom]

LGS mentioned it was a very rare 30 rds mag..

Have you been able to identify the origin of the 30-rd. magazine?

The stampings don’t appear to be German, with MAGAZINE spelled with an E at the end. And which language abbreviates millimeter with a period after each M?

 

[CLASSIC12]

Have you been able to identify the origin of the 30-rd. magazine?

The stampings don’t appear to be German, with MAGAZINE spelled with an E at the end. And which language abbreviates millimeter with a period after each M?

I have no idea, that’s why I posted detailed pictures of it in case someone has more knowledge than me.

 

[bulletslap]

I assembled my FAL, an early Austrian STG58 with Belgian proof marks on a DSA/LMT receiver. It is my favorite 7.62 NATO self loading battle rifle. I prefer it to the M14/M1A, G3/HK91, and AR10 rifles. With old eyes and the stock sights I can ring the half sized IPSC steel silhouettes at 400 with boring consistency and often at 500.

 

[zeke]

The only thing better than CLASSIC12's pics, are what he is taking pics of. Have several FAL's and found the accuracy improved considerable if the gas is adjusted so the bolt goes fully rearward each time. Definitely appreciate the FAL for what it is, but the accuracy doesn't come close to an M1A owned.

Am always appreciating CLASSIC12's pics!

 

[Valmet]

Browning imported a number of G1 FALs, IIRC, back in the late 60's with the selector pinned to only rotate to semi. The FAL, in all its variations, was terrific. I got to check off a bucket list item from 2017-2019 when I was gifted a Belgian FAL by the national SWAT commander of the African country I was serving in at the time. Carried it in place of my Mk18 as I had ready access to a healthy supply of M80 ball and M118LR. My Marines got a kick out of it, literally, when I gave them fam classes on how to run it, none of them ever having fired a real battle rifle before. Wish I could have sorted bringing it home. It'll be there when/if I go back, though, thank God.

Those weren’t G1s, but “G” Series guns (SN has G prefix). Some look like the G1s though as a handful had the metal handguards to accommodate a bipod, but most had wood. Insanely collectible provided they’re on ATFs exemption list.

 

[Flattop5]

Great rifle, but heavy. I'm 5 foot 8, so that's a big one.





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[smoothshooter]

A grandson has one of these, and I have "hefted" it but not shot it. It is a heavy beast, classic for sure, being a vintage military weapon. But if one is going to lug one around, over hill and dale, might as well do it with a BAR. Modern military weapons try to combine firepower with less weight. These are "old school" rifles.

By the way, my now deceased father in law was one of the few survivors of the battle to take Buna back form the Japanese, he was with the 32nd Infantry Div. He started out as a BAR gunner, but found it was impossible to keep functioning in the swamps, so gave his BAR up for a Garand. .

He actually had a small camera, and took a lot of photo's off his training and deployment and the battle. My wife a few years before he died researched that Battle, and made up a photo book for him. When she sat with him to review the book, he could only look at a few pictures before he had to turn away. The first one to die was the company bugler, and they all got malaria. He had PTSD for awhile when he came back to the family farm.

Sorry for the off topic post, but Gerhard was a great father in law, and I immensely respect his memory. I have the Garand he gave me about 15 years ago. Oh, he did buy a Browning BAR, the sporting one, as a sort of memory, in 243, and I proudly load and shoot it now.

Interestingly, if the moderators will let me continue, like in the Pacific tv series, he fell in love with an Australian girl on his R&R after his combat. Many years later, his wife encouraged him to contact her, but he refused. He too was "Old School"

I got carried away here. SF VET

Would love to see those old photos with any info that goes with them. Maybe you could post them sometime.

 

[quikdraw67]

Those weren’t G1s, but “G” Series guns (SN has G prefix). Some look like the G1s though as a handful had the metal handguards to accommodate a bipod, but most had wood. Insanely collectible provided they’re on ATFs exemption list.

I know someone who has one of the Browning G series imports within the known ATF serial number series.

I have shot this rifle, It has the metal handguard and the bipod. It also has plastic pistol grip.

Quite a weapon.

 

[03hemi]

I foolishly passed on this FN FAL made for use in the Zimbabwe war as per the markings on the gun according to a military firearms collector. It was only $1,400 bucks on consignment and I had the cash on me, but was leaving for a week's cruise the following week so I passed. Stupid decision. I guess it's actually worth twice that, maybe? Certainly a novice when it comes to these.
EDIT: Zooming in on the sale tag I see it was only $1,250! OMG

 

[PALADIN85020]

I have the Argentine FN-authorized version. It's been very satisfactory. I've fired it at 600 yards at the Fort Bliss Range in El Paso, and the sights were dead on with U.S. GI ammo.

John

 

[Valmet]

I foolishly passed on this FN FAL made for use in the Zimbabwe war as per the markings on the gun according to a military firearms collector. It was only $1,400 bucks on consignment and I had the cash on me, but was leaving for a week's cruise the following week so I passed. Stupid decision. I guess it's actually worth twice that, maybe? Certainly a novice when it comes to these.
EDIT: Zooming in on the sale tag I see it was only $1,250! OMG

Likely a G1 kit that MAY HAVE seen some use in SA or Rhodesia built on a commercial Type 3 rec with a funky muzzle brake. $1250 was a decent price but not what I’d call a steal even these days. Most Bush war kits had some baby-poop paint left on them. Dealer may have been trying to sell you a story as folks lose their minds for Bush war FN stuff these days.

 

[quikdraw67]

Likely a G1 kit that MAY HAVE seen some use in SA or Rhodesia built on a commercial Type 3 rec with a funky muzzle brake. $1250 was a decent price but not what I’d call a steal even these days. Most Bush war kits had some baby-poop paint left on them. Dealer may have been trying to sell you a story as folks lose their minds for Bush war FN stuff these days.

Correct. Any "real" FN Rhodesian FAL would have been considered a Class 3 weapon, and no machine guns can be legally imported and transferred since GCA 68.

BTW I had a "G1" kit gun built on a DSA receiver. Cool looking rifle, but I prefer the M1A system.

 

[ericherte]

Is your G1 full auto? I know the selector is semi only but that can be replaced.