Editing FN FAL (section)

{{Short description|Battle rifle}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = FAL
| image              = File:FN-FAL belgian.jpeg
| caption            = A standard FAL (50.00 model) produced by FN
| type               = [[Battle rifle]]
<!-- Type selection -->| service            = 1953–present
| wars               = See ''[[#Conflicts|Conflicts]]''
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = [[Dieudonné Saive]]
| number             = 7,000,000<ref name=":4" />
| spec_label         = FAL 50
| length             = {{cvt|1090|mm|in}}
| width              = 
| height             = <!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| action             = [[Gas-operated reloading|Short-stroke gas piston]],  [[Closed bolt|closed]] [[Tilting bolt|tilting breechblock]]<ref name="bishop1998" />
| image_size         = 330
| origin             = Belgium
| is_ranged          = yes
<!-- Service history -->| used_by            = 90+ countries (See ''[[#Users|Users]]'')
| design_date        = 1947–53
| manufacturer       = * [[FN Herstal]]
* [[IMBEL]]
* [[Fabricaciones Militares]]
* [[Rifle Factory Ishapore]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=McCollum |first1=Ian |title=India's FAL: The 1A1 Inch/Metric Hybrid |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/indias-fal-the-1a1-inch-metric-hybrid/ |website=forgottenweapons.com |date=5 February 2025 |publisher=Forgotten Weapons |access-date=10 February 2025}}</ref>
| production_date    = 1953–1988 (FN Herstal)<br />
1953–present (licensed manufacturers)
| variants           = See ''[[#Variants|Variants]]''
<!-- General specifications -->| weight             = {{cvt|4.25|kg|lb|}}
| part_length        = {{cvt|533|mm|1}}
| cartridge          = [[7.62×51mm NATO]]<br />[[.280 British]]<ref name="bishop1998">Bishop, Chris. ''Guns in Combat''. Chartwell Books, Inc (1998). {{ISBN|0-7858-0844-2}}. {{page needed|date=January 2019}}</ref>
| rate               = 650–700 rounds/min
| velocity           = {{cvt|840|m/s|1}}
| range              = 
| max_range          = 1000 meters
| feed               = 20- or 30-round detachable [[Magazine (firearms)#Box|box magazine]]. 50-round [[drum magazine]]s are also available.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail-page-2.asp?smallarms_id=41|title=Fabrique Nationale FN FAL Battle Rifle (1953)|publisher=MilitaryFactory|access-date=23 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802085041/http://militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail-page-2.asp?smallarms_id=41|archive-date=2 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>
| sights             = {{plainlist}}
* ramped aperture rear sight (adjustable from 200 to 600&nbsp;m/yd in 100&nbsp;m/yd increments)
* post front sight
{{endplainlist}}
}}

The '''FAL''' ({{langx|fr|Fusil Automatique Léger}}, English: Light Automatic Rifle) is a [[battle rifle]] designed in Belgium by [[Dieudonné Saive]] and manufactured by [[FN Herstal]] and others since 1953.

During the [[Cold War]] the FAL was adopted by many countries of the [[NATO|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.<ref name="hogg2002">{{cite book |author-last1=Hogg |author-first1=Ian |editor1-link=Ian V. Hogg |year=2002 |title=Jane's Guns Recognition Guide |edition=1st |location=Glasgow |publisher=HarperCollins |pages=290 |url=https://archive.org/details/janesgunsrecogni00unse |isbn=000712760X}}</ref> It received the title "the right arm of the free world" from its adoption by many countries that identified as part of [[free world]].<ref name="arifman">{{cite web|url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-fn-fal-right-arm-of-the-free-world/|title=The FN FAL: Right Arm Of The Free World|publisher=American Rifleman|access-date=7 September 2023}}</ref> It is chambered in [[7.62×51mm NATO]], although originally designed for the [[Intermediate cartridge|intermediate]] [[.280 British]].

A license-built version of the FAL was produced and adopted by the [[United Kingdom]] and throughout the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] as the [[L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle]].