Editing FN FAL (section)

== History ==
[[File:Patrol Kenya.jpg|thumb|A [[British Army]] patrol crossing a stream during the [[Mau Mau rebellion]], the front soldier carrying an X8E1 (Belgian-made 7.62mm FN FAL)]]

In 1946, the first FAL prototype was completed. It was designed to fire the intermediate [[7.92×33mm Kurz]] cartridge developed and used by the forces of [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] during [[World War II]] with the [[Sturmgewehr 44]] [[assault rifle]]. After testing this prototype in 1948, the [[British Army]] urged FN to build additional prototypes, including one in [[bullpup]] configuration, chambered for their new [[.280 British]] (7×43mm) caliber intermediate cartridge.<ref name="FN FAL Belgium">{{cite web|url=http://world.guns.ru/assault/as24f-e.htm|title=FN FAL (Belgium)|access-date=14 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117172148/http://world.guns.ru/assault/as24f-e.htm|archive-date=17 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> After evaluating the single bullpup prototype, FN decided to return instead to their original, conventional design for future production.<ref name="FN FAL Belgium" />{{Why|date=October 2021}}

In 1950, the United Kingdom presented the redesigned FN rifle and the British [[EM-2 rifle|EM-2]], both in .280 British calibre, to the United States for comparison testing against the favoured [[United States Army]] design of the time—Earle Harvey's T25.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.powmadeak47.com/rifle/t25.html|title=Earl Harvey's T-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325165934/http://www.powmadeak47.com/rifle/t25.html |archive-date= 25 March 2012|work=powmadeak47.com}}</ref> It was hoped that a common cartridge and rifle could be [[Standardization|standardized]] for issue to the armies of all NATO member countries. After this testing was completed, U.S. Army officials suggested that FN should redesign their rifle to fire the U.S. prototype ".30 Light Rifle" cartridge. FN decided to hedge their bets with the U.S., and in 1951 even made a deal that the U.S. could produce FALs royalty-free, given that the UK appeared to be favouring their own EM-2. This decision appeared to be correct when the British Army decided to adopt the EM-2 (as Rifle No.9 Mk1) and the .280 British cartridge.<ref name="FN FAL Belgium" />

This decision was later rescinded after the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] lost the 1951 General Election and [[Winston Churchill]] returned as Prime Minister. It is believed{{by whom|date=December 2014}} that there was a [[quid pro quo]] agreement between Churchill and U.S. President [[Harry Truman]] in 1952 that the British accept the .30 Light Rifle cartridge as NATO standard in return for the U.S. acceptance of the FN FAL as NATO standard.<ref>{{cite web|date=5 October 2014|title=The FN FAL Was Almost America's Battle Rifle|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-fn-fal-was-almost-americas-battle-rifle-5186bdbda998|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506202808/https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-fn-fal-was-almost-americas-battle-rifle-5186bdbda998|archive-date=6 May 2018|access-date=28 April 2019|website=War is Boring}}</ref> The .30 Light Rifle cartridge was later standardized as the 7.62&nbsp;mm NATO. However, the U.S. insisted on continued rifle tests. The FAL chambered for the .30 Light Rifle went up against the redesigned T25 (now redesignated as the T47), and an [[M1 Garand]] variant, the T44. Eventually, the T44 won, becoming the [[M14 rifle|M14]]. However, in the meantime, most other NATO countries were evaluating and selecting the FAL.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Formally introduced by its designer [[Dieudonné Saive]] in 1951, and produced two years later, the FAL has been described as the "Right Arm of the Free World".{{sfn|Cashner|2013|p=5}} The FAL battle rifle has its [[Warsaw Pact]] counterpart in the [[AKM]], each being fielded by dozens of countries and produced in many of them. A few, such as Israel and South Africa, manufactured and issued both designs at various times.