Anyone own a FAL rifle? How does it lock?

[HardDrive]

I'm trying to understand how it differs from an AK. It looks like the piston is a separate piece from the bolt carrier. How does it lock? I guess I'm getting dull in my old age, because I've looked at the diagrams, and I don't quite get it.

On an AK, the bolt rotates to lock the breech shut. how does it happen in a FAL?

Sorry for the dumb question.

[fred cook]

If I remember correctly, there is a locking block under the bolt. In the forward position it locks the bolt to the receiver/barrel. When the rifle fires and the action moves rearward a short distance, the locking block is lowered to release the bolt. There should be a strong machined "hook" under the locking block that engages a matching "hook" to pull it out of battery. Hope this helps.

[sc_rufctr]

"We" used to call it the breach block. It rides inside a "Slider" that has internal cams that engage and move the rear of the breach block up and down.
As the slider rides forward and chambers a round the cams lower the rear of the breach block into a locked position.

The round is picked up by the face of the breach block which has a claw that snaps onto the base of the round.
The hammer hits an anvil that is in contact with a spring loaded firing pin. We would normally never dissembled the breach block in the field.
As an added security measure we would carry the breach block with us whenever the rifle was stored or in the barracks. In theory if everyone had their breach block no rifle could be fired.

The breach blocks were unique to each rifle but they could be used in other rifles in a pinch although not 100% reliable.
The amount of gas that goes into the piston cylinder is adjustable.

They work very well and properly maintained they are very reliable. The biggest issues is the weight of the rifle. It's heavy compared to an M16.

[sc_rufctr]

Slider ~ Breach block

[on2wheels52]

I believe it's based on the FN49, designed by Dieudonne Saive. Perhaps tilting bolt is the term?
Jim

[id10t]

Yes, the bolt tilts. Locking shoulder (available in different lengths) sets the headspace, so you can screw the barrel in and have the front sight timed properly (at 12:00 or TDC) without having to shave off the receiver end of the barrel.

Gas piston has gas tube, but it isn't full length, and gas piston is its own separate part. Piston impacts bolt carrier, which unlocks the bolt as it travels backwards.

Double spring in the butt stock pushes back forward on the rat tail (or the spring above the bolt/bolt carrier in the case of the folding stock para models) to strip the next round off the mag and chamber it and lock hte action back up.

Here's a nice short vid of one firing with the top cover removed so you can see the gas piston slam back, the bolt carrier move back, and then the bolt move back.

[futuresoptions]

"The Right Arm of the Free World"

[id10t]

Originally Posted by futuresoptions

"The Right Arm of the Free World"

Indeed. A few years ago there was a "World Tour" shirt for sale by someone on the fal files, he had the list of 90+ countries that issue(d) them, as well as the countries conflicts took place in they were used.

Love my FAL (current one is a G1 kit on a DCI receiver), just hate the cost of feeding it these days. Patiently waiting for my 22 conversion kit

[sc_rufctr]

With regards to a proper rifle. It's never been bettered IMO.
But modern Western Army's want bulk firepower, full auto and light ammunition.

Nothing beats an aimed shot.

[71scgc]

A great combat rifle, that FN FAL.
An M-14 will shoot circles around it.
Carter

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by 71scgc

A great combat rifle, that FN FAL.
An M-14 will shoot circles around it.
Carter

Haha. This should be good

[id10t]

Originally Posted by 71scgc

A great combat rifle, that FN FAL.
An M-14 will shoot circles around it.
Carter

Yes, a M14 is a little more accurate, esp if you get into the National Match stuff. But if you compare what was GI issue with a standard FAL, they are fairly equal.

In the trials the T-48 (FAL, made by H&R) beat the M14 even on tests that were engineered in favor of the M14. But, the FAL wasn't an American design, and so the M14 was selected. FN/Belgium was willing to give a free license to manufacture as a "thank you" for saving them in WW2.

And, the FAL is still being produced - not just teh DSA stuff (which has QC issues) but Imbel and a company in Nigeria are still putting them out.

[sc_rufctr]

Full Auto version.

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by 71scgc

A great combat rifle, that FN FAL.
An M-14 will shoot circles around it.
Carter

Yes and No, The M-14/M1A will be more accurate semi-auto, the Fal will be more accurate, easier to handle in full auto...

[sc_rufctr]

The standard sites in the FAL could have been better but I've also shot one with a scope and that was brilliant.
I've never shot the M-14 but I've been told by guys who have they are harder to master than the FAL.
But absolute accuracy in a combat weapon isn't as important as reliability, ease of maintenance, cleaning and repairs in the field.

The FALs have their quirks but I personally have never had to clear a stoppage and I've shot thousands of rounds through one when I was I the Army.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by futuresoptions

Yes and No, The M-14/M1A will be more accurate semi-auto, the Fal will be more accurate, easier to handle in full auto...

I've had the pleasure of running a mag thru a FA M14, FAL, and G3/HK91 during a range session. The FAL is the most controllable on FA, the other two are sort of a tie. The HK doesn't flip up as much, but it has much harder recoil. The M14 has a lot of muzzle rise, but is easier on the shoulder.


The one sc_rufctr posted is the L2A1 (or C2A1 if Canadian) and is inch pattern. The 30 round mag is actually a Bren mag. Most L1A1s were issued as semi auto only - the selector has a tab on it that would hit the edge of the upper receiver keeping it going from FA. The metric pattern guns were mostly all FA, the ones that were semi only have a hook on the selector that hits a pin on the side of the lower receiver keeping them from going to the FA position. Either one should be sear cut and have the FA ejector block, so making one of them go FA is a simple matter of replacing the selector which takes about 10 seconds.

[sc_rufctr]

All you need is a piece of match stick under the sear to make a semi auto FLA into full auto.
We used to do this when we played the "enemy" with blanks but I've never done it with real ammunition.

The full auto one I posted above is the Aust version. It was not widely used by our Army. The M60 was the standard section machine gun.

[Rednine11]

Whats the difference between an FAL and a CETME Sporter 308 ?

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by Rednine11

Whats the difference between an FAL and a CETME Sporter 308 ?

The Cetme uses a roller locking action instead of the locking block action of the FAL. The Cetme also has flutes cut into the chamber to help slow down the case extraction. The good news it that it seems to work pretty well, the bad news is that it marks up the brass if you reload. The Cetme was designed for the Spanish Army by the same guy that did the STG44 and STG45 for the German army a few years earlier. The HK91 uses the same action as the Cetme but came along a few years later. The Cetme uses the same mags as the HK91 although the original all steel Cetme mags are sturdier than the HK aluminum mags.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by Rednine11

Whats the difference between an FAL and a CETME Sporter 308 ?

Everything. Delayed roller block blowback vs. gas piston, etc. The CETME was licensed to Germany (FN would make and sell the G1 to Germany no prob but would not license them to make their own) and with a little reworking became the G3/HK91