After NATO adopted the .30-caliber T65 cartridge as the 7.62 x 51 mm, almost the entire world adopted a version of the Fusil Automatique Legere as designed by Dieudione Saive of Fabrique Nationale. When I say almost, I mean just about everyone besides the United States, which tested the T48 as made by Harrington & Richardson, but choose the M14 over any FAL variant.
While filming for an FN history segment for American Rifleman Television—you can't talk about FN without including the FAL—we had a chance to fire an early full-automatic and semi-automatic version with attributes of the German G1. Watch the video below. There's a reason these rifles were supposed to by fired in semi-automatic except in emergencies. This gun, a selective-fire battle rifle in 7.62, really pushes you around in full auto. American Rifleman contributor Ken Smith-Christmas fired the rifle for the camera. And if you think the FAL is a handful to keep on target in full auto, you should try the M14 some time.
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