ARSENAL Sy Cari il. Srhuster GAS ADJUSTMENT RECEIVER END Agas regulator system A tilting breechblock locking could be adlusted for mechanism dropped down varied environmental into a solid shoulder of metal conditions or closed to in the heavy receiver to lock fire rifle grenades. the bolt for firing,
VARIABLE MAGAZINES FIXED OR FOLDING The 20-round detachable The recoil spring was housed magazine was standard in the stock. Folding-stock for the Self-Loading Rifle, versions used a modified but 5-,10- and 30-round receiver cover, lower receiver, magazines were also used. bolt carrier and recoil spring.
Australia's FN FAL LlAl Rifle
he Australian Army's standard infantry rifle Australia s Special Air Service personnel modified traced its roots to 1942 when the Belgian arms their rifles, cutting the barrel off immediately in front manufacturer Fabrique National de Herstal of the gas block and mounting a U.S.-provided XM- ,I (FN) its prototlpe selfJoading rifle, the FN 148 40mm grenade launcher. They also filed down l completed FAL (Fusil Automatique L6ger). It was initially cham- the selector switches on their SLRs to make them firlly was un- 1 for the German "short" 7 .92x33mmround- automatic. This modified automatic version i bered I called "the Bitch;'because the bolt's twist- il the basis for the round used in the AK-47-but nei- officially and the barrel's light weight made it all it ther the U.S. nor Britain was willing to buy a weapon ing motion I centered on the short round. That led FN to redesign but impossible to hold the gun on target. Finally' I it around what would become the NAIO standard Australia produced a shortened version for jungle I 7.62 x 5tmm round, which entered production in warfare designated the L1A1-F1. The Fl used the 1953. Britain eventually acquired a license to produce shortest stock available and a shortened flash suppres- I the LlAl Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), offering it to the sor, reducing the rifle's overall lengthby 2.7 5 inches. Commonwealth countries. Australia gained a manu- Australian troops preferred their rifle to the M-16, facturing license in 1958; production began in 1959. believing it was more reliable and powerful' The FN's Canada, then pro- heavier round would pass through elephant grass .III Australia, in coordination with riil duced a heavier-barreled automatic rifle designated and shrubberythatwould make the M-16's 5.56mm the L2Al in 1962. Different from the Belgian ver- projectile veer off course. The Australian rifle was ll sions, it had a unique combined bipod/hand guard more robust, although in muddy conditions the gas regulator tended to jam. Operationally, the LlAl was rE and a Canadian-built receiver-dust-cover-mounted tangent rear sight. Intended as a squad automatic more accurate than the American M-14 when fired I since the rifleman could reduce I weapon, the L2Al was not very accurate in full au- semi-automatically lacked a quick-change barrel' limiting recoil by bleeding off excess gas. il tomatic and Arms Factory produced about ll its ability to maintain a better continuous rate of fire. Australia's Small ll Both versions were gas-operated, using a short- 220,0Q0 LlAls and 10,000 L2Als before production tl stroke, spring-loaded piston housed above the barrel. ceased in 1986 and 1982, respectively. New Zealand's ll It remained in Australian ll The L2A1 used a unique straight 3O-round maga- troops also used the rifle. zine that was essentially an extended LlAl magazine. front-line service until 1988. 'f
58 VIETNAM / OCTOBER 2OI]