MAS Type 62: France Does the FAL, With a Twist

[@Chiller01]

The single time in the twentieth century that the timing of French small arms development was not adversely interrupted by an inconvenient war.

[@MrMaselko]

Instead it was interupted by the lack of one

[@zuken4696]

Yeah, but now our traitor last 3 presidents shut down the factories to buy german ar 15...

[@joemorris2357]

There was that little thing in Algeria.

[@LUR1FAX]

Or interrupted by several revolutions.

[@l33tnobody1337]

@@joemorris2357 and Vietnam

[@aceofheartsch7887]

Looks like someone started to dieselpunk a FAL but gave up. I kinda dig it.

[@NinjaDeathSlap]

Stick a bafflingly offset scope on there somewhere and it could basically be a Star Wars prop.

[@anttitheinternetguy3213]

It looks like something straight out of fallout

[@JanusVesta]

@@anttitheinternetguy3213 It looks like the guns you can cobble together in Metal Gear Solid V.

[@anttitheinternetguy3213]

@@JanusVesta hah that also

[@DevCosmos]

looks like something from wolfenstein

[@RayTX1337]

Even if the French copy something, they do their own thing anyway.

[@xXJamesPatagueuleXx]

exemple ?

[@egomania2792]

The Fremch copy no one, and no one copies the French.

[@Sapoman2211]

France literally has a government bureau that does nothing but come up with french-sounding words for foreign inventions

[@Le_Church]

@@Sapoman2211 Imagine trying to preserve your own language and culture. How weird huh?

[@alexeysaphonov232]

Everybody does. 1. Compare Bundeswehr P8 and a General issue HK USP. It is all to keep p38/p1 safety pattern. Rifeling style is more complex story. 2. Compare british Union FALs with continental (e.g. austrian) FAL. 3. Look at German new rifle trials (attempts to set G3 like cocking handle on ar-like rifles). 4. What happens with AK when a user country want to comply with Nato ammo and namely with rifle Grandes. 5. What happens with some known designs when the Nato rifle Grandes become not required and so this distinctive long protruding barrel. 6. Look what happens with TT or even HP when an adopting country used to have Walther style safety. Nothing to say that p38 has so eyecatching design because it was required to look familiar to Luger users. 7. How Russian military trying to keep firing mode switch as akish as possible, despite the fact that it is quite unerganimic and allows a huge holl to let dirt inside.

[@thierrythejovial8721]

I did not knew that France was ever developing such a rifle before our Famas. Thanks for this very interesting review !

[@dummgelauft]

US was importing machine guns from France before WW1

[@justinlance4174]

@@dummgelauft yes and frace is importing the hk416 today. A piston operated ar15 developed by the USA.

[@dummgelauft]

@Justin Lance which came about because the Delta Force contracted H&K to build them a CQC weapon..which is based on the G36..and uses a proprietary gas system 🤔

[@justinlance4174]

@@dummgelauft no its gas system isnt proprietary. The g36 bolt and gas system was based on the ar180 and is a picture perfectcopy of the ar18. Also the colt 6940 gas system is pretty similar built in the 1970s.

[@thepny_chasseur_de_tricera5361]

@@justinlance4174 hk416 is german

[@chartreux1532]

What a Beauty! Never even heard of this one and i'm glad our lovely French Neighbours let you do a Video with this. I'm sure when you come to Germany our 2 great Weaponry Archives/Museums (The official one of the Bundeswehr & the Waffenmuseum Suhl) will also let you do some Videos on their Treasures including a lot of odd Prototypes. I'm 100% sure the lovely People from these 2 definitely know and watch your Channel Prost & Cheers from the Bavarian Alps

[@bhess1212]

Is that the one in Koblenz? There were a ton of prototype weapons there.

[@bhess1212]

Nope. this is it. Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung Koblenz. Great place! I hope to get back to Germany soon.

[@Phozz4]

+1

[@schmechel6888]

These are on my absolute must see list! I have never been to Germany, i would have to visit for like 50 years just to see everything on the list now! Lol

[@dickgenitalia1506]

I agree with you 100%. There’s something about the cross between the FAL & the MAS 38/56 that makes this rifle really slick.

[@stoneylonesome4062]

I would kill to see Ian review and test drive a Citroën SM, given his appreciation for French weirdness.

[@khaelamensha3624]

SM was an excellent car (sometimes with a temper) like the DS. When De Gaulle was shoot at (including LMG), his DS finished the journey on 3 wheels saving all occupants. So strange but effective

[@stoneylonesome4062]

@@khaelamensha3624 Yes, they can easily be driven around on 3 wheels. My father owns one, and I kind of own it as well as I have sunk money into maintaining it given that I also drive it sometimes and know it’ll be mine someday. I’d offer it up to him to review, but this isn’t Regular Car Reviews, Doug de Muro or The Smoking Tire.

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@damienleverge1417 who knows it may have happened 🤣

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

I'd suggest a 2CV or Renault 4. When it comes to gear shifts in cars, US, Automatics or column gear shifts because we love bench seats, Rest of the world, 4 on the floor, France, Knob in the dashboard please...!

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Next Olympics, Paris 2024.😏🇫🇷

[@ridezosmon2306]

So a striker-fired FAL with a funky handguard and top cover, nice!

[@aidanfarnan4683]

Ah well the FAL and the MAS49/56 are such pretty guns, I wonder what their child would look like and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHOHGODMYEYES!

[@mrkeogh]

What is it with mid-century French guns looking like they were crafted with the biggest, gnarliest hydraulic press in France? 🤔 _Le chunky bloc avec funky ergonomiques_ is still kinda awesome but you can see why nobody else wanted their stuff...

[@parodyclip36]

The Vietcong did like the MAT 49

[@boristhebarbarian]

@@parodyclip36 The Vietnamese even rebuild and made new ones in 7,62x25mm Tokarev due to the lack of production facilities for 7,65mm longue in Vietnam.

[@parodyclip36]

@@boristhebarbarian The MAT 49 was very good and practical for guerrilla warfare or for paratroopers, no wonder the Vietcong wanted to use them

[@88porpoise]

This is a prototype, if it ever went into production it would look a lot better.

[@boristhebarbarian]

@VoltigeurFR my bad, i was thinking about MAS 38

[@hugocadilhon4942]

Thanks Ian for providing us with these prototypes. I guess every french small arms development interested person here, is already really looking forward for you to dig up more of these and bring them on camera, especially since you come up with the juicy back stories ! greetings from France !

[@PearlJam2k6]

I like how it took 10 years for the French to make something that basically looks like a cannibalized FAL in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, it looks like it was made in a week using broken pipes and bicycle parts.

[@oldesertguy9616]

It really looks bad. Also, what is with the French and those white plastic charging handles?

[@troyjardine5850]

I was about to say that this looks like the US Assault Rifle from the Fallout series

[@user-lv8dn8gw9z]

You should see some of the shit that comes out of the factory I work in before it goes to galvanisers. Average engineering shit tbh, especially for a prototype

[@lucasandrea2144]

New fallout mod

[@axelrodnaga2509]

I think the reason it looks bad is because FAL is a well designed beautiful gun might not be the finest gun but just by looks itself it's a cool looking gun so the point is if FAL didn't exist i think this wouldn't looks that bad

[@GCho733]

Therapist: French FAL doesn’t exist, it can’t hurt you. French FAL: *B O N J O U R*

[@enigma5714]

@Vince its from FN which is technically in the French speaking part of Belgium

[@peabase]

@Vince Sure, and to us Americans and Canadians are indistinguishable.

[@peabase]

@Vince Flemish, bud.

[@oliverattwell8013]

I love how Ian has access to his favourite firearms! Vive la France!

[@oliverattwell8013]

@@levergatRapha huh?

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@oliverattwell8013 a little joke about the state of our country... A sad joke but still a joke. Good one Raphaël ! Bonne fin de j !

[@paul-yu8kl]

il était Allemand bouffon lignard

[@biggerbehindthetrigger2814]

That is interesting. I think I know why it was never made. I bought a MAS back in the late 90's at the gunshop/range I worked at. I got a cost because it sat there for 3 years. Oddly enough no one reloaded there and we didn't stock ammunition for it. I did reload so I bought all the components and reloaded 100 rounds to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it shot. I had it until a few years ago. Unfortunately I needed the money for an emergency. I didn't sell the reload components because I want to get another one some day. It just looked so nice with my other milsurp rifles. It fit in like kibbles and bits with the rest of them. I would trade out rifles on my 4 space rifle rack in my reloading room to keep different. I love historical firearms especially shooting them. I love to feel and shoot history at the range. My wife now understands why I love the old rifles now that she shoots and has her own mini collection of milsurp handguns. We just bought her a Walther P-38 and she will just hold it and smile. When ever she see's one of her other firearms in a movie she says hey look there's my handgun. It's so fun to see. If anyone gets a chance to but a MAS I suggested you buy it. Thanks Ian for sharing your wonderful knowledge about historical firearms. I have been shooting since I was 8 years old or so. I am 53 now have a fairly large collection of firearms and I lean something every time I watch one 9f your videos. Sorry I wrote a book on your video. I do that when I am passionate about something. Happy Safe Shooting 🇺🇸💪.

[@con6lex]

I agree! I bought a MAS36 and I like it so much. I love the simple bolt, built in bayonet. It is hard to get ammo. I have some French milsurp ammo but it may be corrosive. I got a bulk order of PPU ammo, and I save the brass to reload once I can do that. I also have a 6.5 Swede which brass can convert.

[@kekula69]

The french knew what they wanted

[@srupp1538]

@@con6lex French surplus ammo is hellishly corrosive. Clean ASAP. It does shoot well, though.

[@jansenart0]

Reminds me of the M16 I used in BCT. An A1 milled out to A2. Basically all the bluing on the upper receiver was actually carbon fouling that hadn't been scraped away.

[@jansenart0]

@Shop Rat #92 It was definitely not paint after I started scraping the top layers off.

[@alanocarlossur9440]

I deployed with an M4 that had a lower receiver that had once been part of an M16A2 (I believe). It still said Colt, but the serial number and model number had both been milled out and restamped. Only one like it in the entire unit. It looked rough but shot well. The upper was in much better shape.

[@pkt1213]

For OIF1 we had a weird mix of M16A2. Some FN A2s, some Colt A1s that were converted, and some Colt AR15s that had been converted. I believe it was the AR15s that were picky and had an odd recoil in 3 burst.

[@oldesertguy9616]

@@alanocarlossur9440 my M-16A1 in what we called ITS (1977) was made by the General Motors Hydramatic division. I don't remember if it had the old three prong flash suppressor or not.

[@jarink1]

My rifle in Basic (1985) was marked as an XM16A1. It was actually a decent gun and not all shot out. I figured it had been recently refurbished.

[@marcusott2973]

I went through basic with the FAL, before we converted to the Steyr in service. This warms my heart ❤️.

[@五十嵐真一-h6v]

are U austrian?

[@owen1079]

​@@五十嵐真一-h6vAustralian (not Austrian) Army, late 80's into the early 90's is when we swapped from SLR (inch FAL) & M16 to the F88 Austeyr (our version of the Steyr AUG). There were still always a few SLRs and the occasional M16 in the various armouries I used when I went into the Infantry in 2002 though.

[@lohikarhu734]

A series on the French development in that 50's and 60's period would be quite interesting, methinks!

[@bfgivmfith]

I purchased a MAS 49/56 because of you and love it! :) The simplicity and History are fascinating! Thank you. I am trying really hard not to get more involved in buying more French guns and the history behind them, but you are making it difficult! LOL!

[@RedStar439]

Ah, I see, the first french war crime against Belgium...

[@johnegan7622]

The Maginot Line?

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@johnegan7622 well that s the point, it was not large enough to cover the French Belgium border 🤣

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Payback for Belgium stabbing France in the back by declaring neutrality in 1936, thus sabotaging the Maginot line.

[@silverpleb2128]

@@khaelamensha3624 The belgian gov at the time pretty much refused years back any intend to extend the maginot line on the belgian border.

[@brabhamfreaman166]

@@silverpleb2128 Yep, neutrality. They couldn’t risk favouring either side for fear of encountering the wrath of the other.

[@aaronwalker1347]

I think that is an extremely interesting rifle. It is such a simple design and I believe could have been a very effective weapon. I thank you for bringing things like this to people like me who would never get to see or hear about it.

[@HappyColdCut]

I hope Ian can take a look at the mentioned intermediate cartridge rifles they were looking at before. The CEAM 1950 was the french roller delayed blowback assault rifle in a number of different cartridges, designed by the mentioned mauser engineers working for France before they went to Spain to design the cetme and before they returned to Germany to do the G3 at HK. However I don't think any of the rifles have survived, online you pretty much see the same 3 black and white photographs and nothing else

[@hosseinshahni]

I’m a gun enthusiast and all but I swear to god I follow FW mostly to listen to Ian speak. His voice is super relaxing for me for some reason and I usually play one of his videos and go about doing my own thing. Love you gun Jesus from Iran ❤️🇮🇷

[@uncleTedK]

Ghey.

[@dynguskhan]

Cool looking gun. Looks like it would fit well in the fallout universe

[@789french5]

As a Frenchman, I'm allowed to say this ;P The "look at everyone else's work, say it all sucks then do it the "French" way and ending up with essentially the same thing they declined in the first place from other nations is the FRENCHEST THING EVER. Almost offensively French lmao!! Proud nation to a fault..

[@RedXlV]

Sadly this time around France is doing the boring thing and just buying off the shelf HK416s for their next rifle, instead of Frenching it up first. I would've loved to see them come up with something that looks like a FAMAS and an HK416 had a kid.

[@RA-ov5cw]

@@RedXlV MAS is now a museum but some french companies submitted their own AR15 pattern rifle but didn't have the necessary turnover to qualify.

[@ScorieDivine]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine I heartily concur.

[@RedXlV]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine It's a pity the VHS2 didn't win (because it didn't have H&K money behind it). Even though it's Croatian, it *looks* so French.

[@brettalexander220]

not so proud enough to not let the likes of Macrohns rule over em

[@ScottKenny1978]

That striker/recoil spring is rather cool. After all, according to Anvil Gunsmithing a good gun designer used both ends of the spring!

[@S7eveThePira7e]

Well, someone was excited lol. Love it when you get excited about a particular topic lol

[@edokdicht]

damn, a french rifle I've never heard about?

[@swaaws]

Isn’t that the whole point of this channel? French guns no ones heard about?

[@justaguy1253]

You could say its a Forgotten Weapon.

[@edokdicht]

@Vince a surprise, "is that a rifle that actually exists ?"

[@craigsavarese4554]

Love that lone bullet hole sticker/magnet on the wall.

[@morganahoff2242]

3:48 "Don't pick at it, you'll only make it worse!!"

[@CarterG4Y]

This looks like when a country that doesn't have access to the FAL needs one for a movie, so they have to make a prop that looks like one or modify a pre-existing gun to look like one

[@sabian8700]

I'd never thought you'd do this one

[@KaDaJxClonE]

I want the story behind the bullet hole in the wall to Ian's left.

[@jmjedi923]

Someone lost their job. Either beforehand in a fit of rage, or afterwards because it was an accident.

[@theangriestbaguetteonthein4779]

Ah, mon ami, it iz an old story from even older times... _[takes a puff of cigarette]_ It all started when Jean-François stole Jean-Pierre's sandwich. _[the story continues for hours to no end]_

[@khaelamensha3624]

@@theangriestbaguetteonthein4779 thanks for the laugh (OK the whole open space is looking at me but who cares 😉) Regards from France! 🇫🇷😉🤣

[@afeuer78]

Came here for this comment.

[@MrPossumeyes]

🙂 🙂🙂I like the Angry Baguette's explanation but .... thats a plasterboard screw fitting for a shelf. God I'm boring...

[@widgren87]

Remove the magazine and put some extra bits on it and it would look right at home in Star Wars or really as a prop in a old school scifi show/movie... I like it :-)

[@alexdemoya2119]

to me it screams "Fallout", like a "European Assault Rifle" or something

[@widgren87]

@@alexdemoya2119 I can see that... Especially in that condition.

[@BillMurray137]

The bullet hole to your left really hammers the point home that this is a firearm storage area.

[@etienneguyot9069]

Many thanks for this nice video and well documented discover of a weapon I didn't know the existence (I was in the French army, using a MAS-49/56)

[@karlgerat2731]

Name a more iconic duo than Ian and the french IRCGN. I’ll wait.

[@jubuttib]

... Huey and Fortunate Son? =)

[@litteulponny]

Day after day you improve your French language!!! BTW it's the first time i heard of this weapon. Day after day i improve my knoledge of weapons in my country!!!! thanks a lot!

[@RussellBond-b3z]

They might not have adopted this weapon but that old girl looks like somebody definitely put her thru the paces.

[@chrisd8866]

I guess all that's left for Ian is to get access to an AA-52 and a forever-unobtainable Ribeyrolles.

[@brettalexander220]

aa52 sucked. Lever delay is just a bad system

[@chrisd8866]

@@brettalexander220 Don't care if it's arguably good or bad, I just want Ian to finally get his hands on one so he can make a video about it. If I remember well, he already said in a Q&A he'd like that.

[@billcarew1650]

Love the bullet hole in the wall

[@johnd0e25]

Thank you for documenting pieces of our firearm history!

[@gordondelacroix253]

I just realized... You're in a gendarmerie facility, which means... probably a video on the ellusive aa52!

[@camillephilippon9594]

I served in the 2nd regiment of Hussards from 2001 to 2006 and at some point we felt the need for a battle rifle in 7.62 to use in our 6 men team. We eventually chose a FAL para, but it's very difficult for a french soldier not to be able to throw rifle grenades. A 7.62 FAL with the french adjustment system for windage and elevation and grenade launching capability would be the ideal battle rifle. The basic Hussard role in the army is a G.V., a "grenadier voltigeur" (a quick-moving soldier using rifle and grenades to assault the ennemy). Everyone in the army knows the phrase "Dédé est un bon G.V." used to remember that you need to "unscrew to correct to the right" (Dédé= DD = Dévisser Droite) and to "screw to correct to the left" (G.V. = GV = Gauche Visser).

[@theangriestbaguetteonthein4779]

Very nice. Next up MAS54B? And what about this Famas sniper I've heard from some people in the know you had the chance to take a look at? 😉

[@UXB1000]

Monsieur, you had me at FAMAS sniper.

[@bretonfou7046]

Looks like the Hunting rifle from Fallout 1/2

[@JacobTheGunNut]

Reminds me more of the hunting rifle from fallout 7/16

[@phyo1716]

@@JacobTheGunNut Nah, it looks more like the hunting rifle from Fallout 69/420.

[@brettalexander220]

the rangemaster? Nah not really

[@BrianRRenfro]

As soon as you got the camera a little closer to this I was like, "Are we sure this isn't an Elbonian episode?"

[@StonrMoose69]

Good to see you out n about

[@cedhome7945]

That was so ugly the enemy's going to die laughing (probably against the Geniva convention)!

[@_M_a_r_t_i_n_M]

French innovation can be incredibly unique, clever and groundbreaking at times. And at others, absurdly ridiculous and utterly impractically complicated and delicate.

[@latinojackson9694]

That's the most non-Fallout Fallout-looking rifle I've ever seen.

[@davidgreen5099]

I have never even heard of this rifle. Thanks for the video.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian . 🐺

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@janwitts2688]

From what I remember the funds were used to improve adaptations of air and ground launched wire guided missiles for close air support and anti tank capacity... these were then exported for a load of money allowing development of further weapons of those types ....

[@prdubi]

I would love it someday if Ian could just do an entire segment totally in French. I understand the Francophile world would worship at his alter and the rest will froth in their mouths at a funny sounding language but I for one would be curious if Ian does speak French in some manner. :)

[@ktgiffin8147]

He actually does.

[@astridvallati4762]

And for us multi-language gun guys, would give us a chance to critique his pronunciation! LOL. DocAV

[@mariegamer2146]

I like the way it works. Simple easy and clever.

[@SyndicateBrink]

GOOOOD I’ve wanted to see this one for sooooo long! 🤩🤩

[@boristhebarbarian]

Great video. I have a question: I see no firing pin spring. The MAS-49/56 has a reputation for slam fires when if comes to Non French Army standard ammo due to primer spec differences, the lack of a firing pin spring and a heavy firing pin. Could this have been a extra factor in rejecting this Type 62 for service? Or was the financial factor the only factor? 7,62x51mm NATO has different specs for the primers then the French Military had for the 7,5x54mm (and the 8mm Lebel before)

[@Zfickoff]

Tin can as a dust cover, broken stick for the pistol grip, bottle cap as a charge handle and an old boot as a stock. Voila, the French FAL

[@vicarus2728]

NATO: So we are standartizing in our ammunition. It's a perfect opportunity for you to finally adopt a new service rifle, after almost 50 years. So, what is your call, France? You can adopt FAL like Britain, stick with old and tested like US or as usual you can waste time and money to bui- Fr: I chose nothing. NATO: France, no. Fr: *FRANCE YES!*

[@onpsxmember]

*standard

[@Vollce]

The small cutout for out of battery safety is briliant.

[@iamcondescending]

I think this would qualify as a "Linear Hammer" fired system, like the VZ-58.

[@jubuttib]

Yup, was thinking the same. Then again, the terminology never seems to be followed 100%, otherwise I think we'd call old revolvers where the firing pin is a part of the hammer "rotating striker" fired or something... =)

[@tonyneo6100]

Very informative. As usual ! Thank you.

[@michaelblanco2668]

Isn't it a linear hammer because of the seperate firing pin?

[@brentwalters8921]

A bit more of a linear hammer than a striker, reminds me of the VZ58.

[@methodeetrigueur1164]

The first FA-MAS made in 1962. At 7:00, « D » means « droite » (right) and « G » means « gauche » (left) of course.

[@alexgrenlie862]

Nothing is ever simple with these baguette eaters.

[@Jurflip2]

How weird for the French to have gone to all this trouble to develop a rifle so FAL-like! FN is situated in Liege, in the French-speaking part of Belgium. It would have been utterly logical and simple for the French to have adopted the FAL. But "logical" and "French" are two words that do not often feature in the same sentence! Although, the decision not to adopt a new rifle but to stay with the 49/56 was absolutely the correct one, imo.

[@jean-pascalesparceil9008]

And FN was giving (really, for free) the licence to produce FALs to WW2 allied countries.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

And then after all that trouble... They leave NATO in 1966.

[@SVsX-bm7ci]

@@WALTERBROADDUS No, France did not leave NATO in 1966. France only left the standing military forces and integrated military commands. France remained part of the Alliance, and followed all standardization agreements (STANAG).

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@SVsX-bm7ci On further review.... A more accurate explanation. 😎👍

[@jean-pascalesparceil9008]

@@WALTERBROADDUS No, they never leaved NATO, the political alliance, but only the integrated military strucure, read "The beginnings of NATO's military structure 1. Birth of the Alliance to the fall of the Berlin Wall" in NATO on-line library.

[@didi059x7]

Nº = french abbreviation for "Numero" , "number" in english

[@J069FIX]

I am surprisingly early today, a nice treat alongside my late lunch!

[@earlyriser8998]

loved the in depth look on another type of modern rifle. I always wonder if they caught the guy that thought full auto on a .308 was a good idea.

[@Wooper160atThePond]

What a beautiful piece!

[@pkt1213]

Probably the best choice in the long run even though it wasn't intentional. I doubt there would have been money for the FAMAS is these had been adopted.

[@PAFronteri]

In contrast of other weapon yoy have looked at. Wouldnt this system be considered a linear hammer? And not striker since the firing pin are seperate? Like the Vz 58?

[@alanhelgeson690]

Have you ever done a review of the Singapore SAR-80 rifle?

[@0ktk]

Ian needs to be on one of those GQ videos. “Firearms Expert Breaks Down Unusual Firearms In Movies”

[@roosterj2599]

I had the mass semi auto rifles they were putting out in 1998 or so converted to .308 and hated it. It had nothing but problems. I traded it for one in 7.5mm and loved it. Had issues getting ammo at first. I also own the bolt action. Would love to try one of these out.

[@crabmansteve6844]

Instead of adopting the FAL, they spent a decade developing the FAL, but with a different haircut.

[@jamestarbet9608]

Priority #1: Get that French Sturmgewehr Priority #2: Talk to DS Arms about a semi auto French FAL

[@inconel7185]

Step 1.: Convince the gendarmerie that you are documenting obscure firearms. Step 2.: Sit in a french backroom fondling rare and wonky guns. Step 3.: ? Step 4.: Profit.

[@scipio10000]

A few shades of Stg57 too, with that complex rear sight.

[@davidcolter]

I was waiting for the French weirdness to appear and then the double springs and linear hammer system was revealed.

[@nickrowe7451]

Been looking for this!!!

[@RatelLaw]

Thank you for sharing

[@anthonyburke5656]

Funny thing, those who took the FAL to war covertly “reinstalled” the full auto function and used it.

[@seibertsmiths]

They needed just the full auto sear, right? or was there more to it?

[@anthonyburke5656]

@@seibertsmiths on our part there was more, not for the full auto, but to make it work better. Get a A2 barrel and cut it down, put a brake on the barrel to control a bit of the sideways movement, get 30 round mags, get a pistol grip on the front, get an (optional) bipod. Get a spot scope (if not get a Lee Enfield rear sight, change the break open lever from vertical to horizontal, sometimes manufacture a fap over the ejection slot.

[@seibertsmiths]

@@anthonyburke5656 very cool, I would love to see pictures of those retrofits

[@anthonyburke5656]

@@seibertsmiths unfortunately I didn’t keep pics, I threw all that stuff away years ago (which in some respects I now regret). I’ve seen one that Seal Team 2 have, that is genuine, in their museum. I think it may be the only remaining original example. There may be some copies laying around. I tend to think there may be a couple of originals in New Zealand, discreetly kept in the shed or attic.

[@anthonyburke5656]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine the main reason for full auto capability is the first 10 to 20 seconds of an engagement. The roar of a full auto FN tended to provoke an unscripted, even panicked response from the opposition, second or subsequent magazines (if required) tended to be semi auto. We tended to carry not less than 300 rounds each, some carried more, I did, I also carried 100 rounds not in magazines (tighter and easier to pack, but there to reload empty mags if required, never used it though, just like I never used my knife on a person).

[@loomers4232]

I love this gun because if you just add a scope it becomes a starwars blaster

[@thundercatt5265]

interesting M1A1 and fal are 2 of my favorites , he like a gun historian ,you can see that signature clip

[@spondulixtanstaafl7887]

Thanks for the content, interesting design.

[@jwseibert1059]

I like it's looks and am looking forward to the prototypes.

[@alijankhan3330]

I think I recall reading that the French required a modification of some inner spring for the MP5.

[@My-Name-Isnt-Important]

I've always liked this rifle design. A lot of it makes sense, and is a fairly small carbine sized rifle. If only it wasn't in 7.62, would have been better to be in an actual intermediate cartridge, instead of a full powered rifle round that wasn't too different from 30-06.

[@brettalexander220]

this is a treat. True unicorn in every way

[@practicalshooter6517]

When visited the "Commando Marine" in Lorient, France in 1980, they had Thompson and FNFal in their Rifled Weapon racks. I believe they latter on traded those for the Sig550.

[@francoisthailande2440]

Commando Marines are not regular troops, so they have access to a various range of weapons, but in the 80s up to the mid 90s they sure used a lot of Sig 540s and Uzi smgs (open bolt designs were appreciated for naval operations). Then those were replaced by Famas G2 and Sig 550 series.

[@williamsohlstrom1530]

Looks to me like a cartoon FAL. Super funky looking.

[@Howjadoo22]

I do declare, that is just about the funkiest FAL I ever did see.

[@MrCptnawsm]

That striker system reminds me of the Vz58.

[@lavrentivs9891]

Do you have a video on the AA-52 machine gun that you mention in the video? It seems like one of those weapons that were used a lot, but is fairly unknown outside of France.

[@brettalexander220]

Haha lever delay go ker chunk *jamming noises*

[@davidgoodnow269]

That FA-MAS 62 is pretty cool!

[@anthonyburke5656]

Thanks, I hadn’t seen this before, I tend to think the French were trying to improve the FAL accuracy. The bolt and slide design were interesting.

[@christianworkman8108]

Great video, keep doing ones like this