Where were we? Oh, right: World War II was over and it was time for the world’s armies to adopt some self-loading rifles already. The Soviets had whole-heartedly subscribed to the theory of the assault rifle with the AK-47. For some reason, they were also churning out the SKS, an odd weapon that seemingly was meant to combine the disadvantages of assault rifles and full-power battle rifles in one ugly package. The SKS isn’t terribly relevant to our story, although forty-five years later the rifle would become available for $79 in the United States and cause all sorts of havoc, both real and perceived . . .
The newly-formed NATO knew it would need a rifle for the next European shooting war, which was sure to happen any time now. The western allies had been no less assiduous in their study of the Stg44 than the Russians had been. To make things more interesting, there were two separate groups of former Mauser employees looking to make a splash in the post-war firearms business. So the stage was set for NATO to choose a forward-thinking infantry weapon for the Cold War and the hot wars to follow…
Perhaps the most interesting rifle to come from the development frenzy of the late forties was the British EM2. It fired a brand-new .276-caliber high-medium-power cartridge (174 grains at 2400fps) and was configured as a so-called “bullpup” with the magazine behind the pistol grip. The folks over at FN had their own bullpup rifle, first chambered for an experimental cartridge but later on re-barreled for the British .276. A non-bullpup version was also built. Remember the non-bullpup FN .276, we’ll see it again shortly.
A small group of ex-Mauser employees landed at the Spanish national arms factory, CETME, after the war. They built a roller-locking recoil motion rifle that fired a unique lightweight (105 grain) 8mm cartridge with a muzzle velocity in the 2600fps range. In the mid-fifties, CETME would ask another group of ex-Mauser folks, the newly formed firm of Heckler & Koch, to undergo a manufacturing feasibility study of the CETME rifle. Remember that, too. We’ll come back to it.
The United States took a conservative approach to post-war rifle design. Although various factions within the country’s armed services had been arguing for a lower-power rifle round since World War I, their voices had been effectively silenced by John Garand’s ability to create a .30-06 semi-automatic rifle. When it came time to plan the M1’s replacement, two factions arose.
There was the “individual marksmanship” faction, which continued to believe that conscripts would effectively deliver aimed fire out to six hundred yards. Then there was the “people who had actually paid attention during World War II” faction, which recognized the vastly superior role things like artillery and combined tactics had over aimed rifle fire.
For a while, it seemed like the realists had the upper hand. Everybody agreed that there would be a new rifle round with a much smaller logistical footprint than the old thirty-ought-six. Then, in a series of maneuvers well beyond the scope of this article, the marksmanship folks rose from the grave and managed to mandate that the new lower-power round meet all the ballistic standards of the old high-power one. Improvements in metallurgy and powder composition made it easy as pie for the new 7.62 “NATO” round to match the .30-’06 as the latter round was commonly supplied in that era. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
And new boss it was. The United States unilaterally adopted the 7.62×51 without bothering to consult any of their NATO allies, promptly converting a bunch of Garands to fire the new round by means of a highly suspect barrel insert and new clip. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but everybody followed suit in a big hurry.
Britain discarded their new rifle design and strangled the “.280 British” in its crib. FN stretched their new non-bullpup rifle to create the FAL. HK advised CETME on how to adopt its design to the new, larger round, and used the roller-lock design as the basis for its “G3” rifle. (I don’t know what the “G2” was, but the “G1” was the FAL, which was ready for production years before the CETME/HK effort was.)
The FN FAL had a lot of political momentum in Europe. It also appeared to be an exceptional design, relying heavily on modern manufacturing techniques and promising a relatively low production cost. The United States was interested in the FAL, too, and entered it into a test where it promptly whipped the ass of the second-place contender. By rights, the US armed forces should have been carrying FALs by 1955. Instead, a decision was made to develop that distant second-place rifle, the Springfield Armory T44.
The T44 was a scaled-up version of Bill Ruger’s existing Mini-14 rifle. I’m kidding. I just wanted to see if I could get TTAG readers to spit out their lunch. Looks like it worked, too. It was actually a product-improved M1 Garand with a box magazine. Like the M1, it had a mechanically complex action open to the elements and requiring some amount of precision in the manufacture. Very much an old-style rifle compared to the FN FAL.
A simple examination of the two side-by-side reveals that one of them lags the other by an entire generation of design experience. Still, the T44 was Invented In America, in an era where that actually mattered to people, so it was declared the retroactive winner of the tests it had just lost. Thus, the M14 became the battle rifle of the United States of America.
While the M14, the FAL, and the G3 weren’t the only battle rifles to enter series production in the fifties, they wound up becoming the enduring trio of Western 7.62 NATO-chambered weapons. The FAL in particular is the only rifle that could even conceivably challenge the AKM for the title of “universal rifle”. In the thousand little brushfire wars that swept the world during the Pax Americana, the FAL and AKM were shouldered side by side and exchanged fire in the hands of revolutionaries, government troops and mercenaries from Cambodia to Sierra Leone.
As American gun enthusiasts, we tend to gravitate to odd stuff like the reanimated Armalite AR-10 or the immensely satistfying don’t-call-it-an-M14 Springfield M1A. But in places where guns are delivered in crates and used by soldiers who are often functionally illiterate at best, the FAL is the battle rifle of the global conflict.
In the shadowy proxy wars of the sixties and seventies, a plane or boat full of FALs with no end-user certificate was tantamount to a statement of Western support for the side shouldering them. The Rhodesian Independents carried the FAL. Bob Denard’s African white mercenaries carried the FAL when they could get them. Closer to home, the FAL was the “boom boom” wielded by Tom Sizemore in the movie Heat while his compatriots operated the “bang bang” AR-15.
Had the United States selected the FAL as the official battle rifle of the armed forces, there’s no telling how long it might have stayed in service. The rifle they did select, the M14, proved to be particularly unwieldy in the jungle backdrop of the next war. My father arrived in Vietnam carrying an M14, provided by the United States Marine Corps for his use. After the first few times he saw the proverbial elephant, he ditched the M14 for a Remington 870 shotgun. The M14 may have been an excellent choice for the open fields of France or Korea, but in Vietnam it was a massive liability with its long barrel and a wooden stock that split in the tropical humidity.
We all know what happened next: the United States unilaterally adopted a low-power assault rifle, causing the British, Spanish and French to spit out their lunch and say “But… but… but…” while the armories loaded ball powder instead of IMR “stick” into the 5.56 ammo and inadvertently turned the M-16 into a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of troops. The fait accompli of the .223 Remington meant that everybody in NATO had to rechamber their designs for that cartridge. And then when that cartridge turned out to not satisfy the Marksmanship Geeks we got the SS109/M855, and so on, and so forth.
The verdict of history is in on the 7.62 NATO battle rifle in all its forms. It was a mistake. Any other choice would have been better, from the .276 British cartridge to the low-power Spanish round. The vast majority of 7.62 NATO ammunition expended in battle has been at ranges and in conditions where a 7.62×39 Soviet round would have sufficed — and often did, to the fatal consternation of the men holding the Western rifles.
Once again, the theorists out-maneuvered the realists on the battlefields away from the battlefields, and soliders went into combat loaded down with weight they didn’t need to carry and a tool that was far from suited for their actual experience. M14, FAL, G3, BM59, all the rest — a deadly waste of money and time.
For the civilian shooter, however, it’s not that simple. The virtues of marksmanship and patience that conscripts rarely possess are taken for granted. The long ranges and individual targeting that made no sense in the Vietnamese jungle are important parts of many shooters’ survival plans. Finally, the care and feeding of a finicky machine like a Springfield M1A may be well beyond the capabilities of an illiterate African child soldier, but they’re no problem for an educated and dedicated American enthusiast.
In the articles to follow, we’ll look at 7.62 NATO rifles available to those enthusiasts and consider their merits. In the meantime, you might want to stock up on your .308 Winchester ammunition — but aren’t you stocking up on everything in the current legislative climate?
So a hypocrite politician and a cop dressed like a soldier. Very scary.
The SKS fills a definate role. In my state, California, it’s one of the few proven military semi auto designs you can own without worrying about going to jail. 99 bucks for the rifle and then get a stash of what was once cheap and plentiful ammo with a bag full of stripper clips and you have a viable SHTF rifle.
In Canada it is a Non-Restricted weapon, so you can carry and use it in more places, and need a less rigorous license. It also does not have to be individually registered.
Stores sell the Norinco clones by the case load – there are a huge number our in private hands, and the ChiCom ammo is cheap too.
Look like the USG hand at play here.
Mean while My stocks are worthless.
The most damning piece of her response is, “This legislation exempts some 2,100 weapons…isn’t that enough?” By her response she did answer Cruz’s question…clearly she said that yes – she thinks that constitutional rights may be limited and restricted by additional laws. Spot on Mr. Cruz…spot on.
I loved the FN FAL, I also love my M1A(M14). I own(ed) both at one point in my life and wish I had never gotten rid of the FAL.
I would’ve stopped DiFi right after she started mentioning “I’ve seen dead bodies, I’ve seen bullets implode”, etc. and replied with this.
“Well, Senator, I’m not a 6th grader either, so why do you insist on re-stating what the effects of bullets can do to bodies? You do realize that children, as young as 7 year-olds can be trained to safely and responsibly operate firearms. They’re not complicated. So please stop stating the obvious. Besides, what relevance do bullet ballistics have on the discussion of God-given rights and the 2nd Amendment? Absolutely nothing. Law abiding citizens have been using the same ammunition for hundreds of years.
Anyone with any knowledge of ballistics and firearms knows what bullets can do to a wide variety of materials. As I stated earlier, children can grasp the concept readily. The fact of the matter is responsible law abiding citizens don’t shoot children, murderers and the criminally insane do. What I find fascinating is none of the legislation in your bill specifically targets either murderers or the criminally insane. Your bill aims to disarm the law abiding citizen, which we’ve already established isn’t the root of the mass-shooting issue.”
The end.
A real masshole if there ever was one.
Following the Senate committee hearings with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate, many observers have arrived at the conclusion that the U.S. Commander in Chief, Barack Obama, was off duty and unavailable to make military decisions within the Chain of Command to rescue Americans under attack, according to Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely (U.S. Army- Ret.).
Regarding my “finicky” comment on the M1a: I’m not saying it’s a Desert Eagle or anything like that. The M14 is a well-resolved design and it functions as designed.
With that said, I think being able to operate one in the field, long-term, requires a higher level of training, understanding, and basic armory skills than you’d need with an AKM.
“Finicky” is only meant to be seen in context here. I love the M1A and if I could own a royal-blued one with a zebrawood stock I would carry it everywhere including the grocery store 🙂
The United States unilaterally adopted the 7.62×51 without bothering to consult any of their NATO allies, promptly converting a bunch of Garands to fire the new round by means of a highly suspect barrel insert and new clip.
A new clip? Don’t you mean magazine? I was wonder the impression .30-06 and .308 rounds can use the same clip.
Pretty articulate writing for a woman who had a bullet rampage through her left hemisphere – you know, the one where language centers are located (See: any video of her trying to talk or even READ out loud).
I’m gonna be a dick here and offer my clinically-based skepticism that Giffords may not remember, know how she feels or be able to clearly articulate opinions on ANYTHING.
I hope no one is missing the roll plaid by Dirty Dick Turban in this hearing. Another B/S artist of the Fifth order.
Once a social parasite, always a social parasite. The only difference is that Bloomberg and the Joyce Foundation are now paying the bills. Tell us, Gaby — how does Bloomie’s @ss taste?
what does the guy in the turret have for a heater?
I’ll take a non-sarcastic swing at this one. What’s wrong with the picture is that if they really thought it could be a real gun, they should not be bunched up like they are. There’s what, nine people in a little clump right next to the vehicle? Bullet magnet.
This tells me it’s not SWAT guys with the armored car, it’s regular patrol officers who likely don’t have much experience with the thing. Know your equipment before you use it, don’t try to figure it out as you go.
Shows her family are all hypocrites.
Great picture — it looks a lot like my first divorce. I’d pay big bucks to see a competition like that.
The article says that the gun-shaped-object wielding fellow had prior history of burglary, illegal possession of weapons, and drugs.
It is very likely they were rolling in heavy because they knew who they were dealing with.
More RF BS sensationalizing certain details and failing to mention this guy has a history of violent crime, and they were responding to call for a violent turd pointing a rifle at homes. But sure, lets b!tch about the armored car.
This issue may be a mute point.
” What many Americans don’t realize is that there is one more UN Small arms meeting coming to America’s shores this coming March 18th through the 28th. Could this be the end of private gun ownership in America as we know it?”
Retrieved from http://beforeitsnews.com/politics/2013/03/read-un-small-arms-treaty-march-18-28-2013-if-ratified-the-2nd-amendment-will-be-gone-video-2498844.html
Hate to break everyones bubble…but the traditional cop “blues” that you’re all jumping up and down about…guess where those came from? THE UNION ARMY for the most part. During the formation of the first real, full time, “professional” law enforcement agencies in the United States…much of thier equipment and uniforms came from UNION ARMY SURPLUS in major cities like New York, Chicago, Philly, etc. You think they chose blue because it was a pretty color?
As for the paramilitary stuff, it’s been happening slowly since the 1974 shootout between the LAPD and the Symbionese Liberation Army. SWAT was born from that, and has steadily grown and matured…thanks to such things as the FBI Miami shootout, the North Hollywood bank robbery, et al.
We are an armed society…and I think it’s hilarious that you folks are using the same democrat gun grabber arguements against cops that the gun grabbers are using against YOU.
Why do you NEED an assault rifle? Why do you NEED high capacity magazines? Why do you NEED armor piercing bullets?
The same reason we all do, because everyone else has them…cops, military, and citizens alike.
Close…but not quite. I think there will be more incidents of violence, and that is exactly what the gun grabbers want to fuel thier cause with. I think they also want to divide and conquer the people of the gun from within, to make thier end goals easier.
Gunnies are rugged individualists. For every two gun guys there are three opinions. Some of them even voted for Obama, and the rest can’t even agree on a caliber. So while millions of gun guys think that their government absolutely sucks — and they’re right — the odds on them getting together to do something violent is ludicrous.
What bothers me the most is the inequality that exists between our elected scumb@gs and the people. When our representatives threaten us with midnight SWAT raids and felony prosecutions for exercising our Constitutional rights and the murder of our household pets, that’s supposed to be good. When we shake our fists under the noses of the little tin gods who are trying to destroy our rights and our lives, that’s supposed to be bad.
Patrick Henry was right.
Unlike Feinstein in legislative heat, we like debate, yes? I disagree completely with the recommended no-dry-fire advice. I agree with Walter Bell (African rifles) and almost everyone (defensive pistols) that there is no substitute for dry-fire snap shooting to groove the entire sequence. It’s an even better practice with a laser grip so that you can determine whether you got to, and stayed on, target. A friend looking over your shoulder now and then can keep you honest. If a person can’t set up to dry-fire safely how on earth can they carry safely. I’m nonplussed on that one. With a heavy rifle it is even more important. Speed counts equally as with a pistol, but no one can take the pounding of range firing a .375 or .416 much.
More anti-gun propaganda…Oh and it is aimed at kids and teens…wow.
bo needs to be real carefull who he gets in bed with or he could go the way of sadam, traitors aren’t treated kindly. I think his only hope would be NATO & I believe those piss ants would get more than they bargained for, Randy
Nice work, Devil Dog. I guess Feinstein was wrong about this Marine being unfit for concealed carry due to PTSD. I love hearing about Marines doing good things – I’ll see if my 0311 buddies in WI know Blackmore, and if he has an affinity for 18 year old scotch.
Nice snapshot of the culture that the movie industry is aiming for. We’re pretty much there already. Disgusting film.
Meanwhile in China…
It is good that gun owners are angry. And it is time that this anger is channeled in a non violent way to hammer away at the anti gun locales and politicians in our country. Whatever the number of gun owners is – 80 million or 130 million depending upon whom you ask – even half the smaller of this number boycotting products and services offered by anti gun states would make a big dent in the finances of the states in question. Illinois, California, New York and New Jersey are not in the pink of financial health. Their most anti gun politicians don’t know thrift either. Let’s just help them with a non-violent punch to the wallet. There are many businesses that are still in these states. Give them an incentive to move out through reduced sales. I’ll bet many of these businesses are considering moving to low tax locales anyway, and these will invariably be pro gun locales as well. There’s no need for violence. This is a war that can definitely be won through peaceful means.
If Gabby Giffords really wants to get a kick out of shooting perhaps she should
try firing an old 10 gauge Parker, Remington, or L.C. Smith double-barrel
shotgun. That indeed is a blast from America’s late 19th century Western
frontier and rural past. I have nothing against her personally. Again, I’m sorry
for what happened via a depraved evil immoral gunman hellbent on destruction
and mass murder! The perp, not the gun, is to blame!
Headline: China’s Next Olympic Relay Team Younger; Still Has Competitive Edge
Hey nick I am in San Antonio like you. If you got a afternoon to kill one day for shooting let me know. Always looking to learn and practice with other shooters!
Y’know, methinks it ain’t O.K. to shoot at private property in a place where its owner has a right to use or leave it – especially a public place.
Or should the nice folks with PETA feel free to toss a Molotov koktail in the bed of any pickup sporting a rifle rack so long as it’s not parked on the owners’ property?
I’ll likely get flamed, but I don’t really give a flying flip.
The OP makes us all look like kooks, and plays into the hands of the anti-2ers. Double plus ungood.
Still wondering about shooting a mechanics foot through the bottom of the plane. Video would be priceless!
FN FAL (FAL)- Putting pro’s and con’s aside, how can you NOT appreciate such a fine Battle Rifle. Yes, I’m just down right- highly impressed by it!