THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN R1

The South African FAL or R1 was and is a staple in the South African firearm history. Join me on a deep dive into the development of the R1, its use and history.
Footage/ Videos used:
SADF Border War 1:
• Documentary (1981-1982...
SADF Border War 2:
• The South African Bord...
First FAL Rifle:
• Prime Minister receive...
SAP 1:
• SOUTH AFRICA: VIOLENCE...
SAP 2:
• SA Special Task Force ...
Rhodesia:
• "Operation Repulse": R...
Instagram:
thefalguy308

[@AdminAdmin-gw5dn]

Good afternoon from South Africa. Great video.

[@thefalguy9848]

Thanks!

[@candyman9833]

Brought back a lot of memories, did my national service and camps with the R1. This rifle holds a special place in my heart

[@thefalguy9848]

It holds a special place in ever Boer's heart.

[@scottrobinson3281]

Great presentation! We had the FN FAL, plain barrel, knife bayonet in the SA Navy, until the R5 was adopted. The R3 was also made for the Commandos (like the US National Guard). I recognised some of the pictures from the "Green Book". My semi-auto rifle: vz58v 7,62x39.

[@thefalguy9848]

Yes, the green book did help a lot with info on the R1 rifles. Good catch ;-)

[@johannescordier7923]

Thank you ,from South Africa.

[@ImranSharif-hv6mn]

The intro of yours in Afrikaans is really similar towards Dutch. I am a Dutch Moroccan and I understand 90% of it lol.

[@thefalguy9848]

Afrikaans and dutch share a lot of commonalities. Most people say Afrikaans is a very simple version of dutch.

[@nicodejager8644]

​@@thefalguy9848, as a fully fledged and acknowledged separate language (though it does have majority heritage from Dutch, German, Flemish, and other European languages, as well as Malay dialects), Afrikaans is the youngest of languages, and to boot, in the shortest time, became an academic, scientific and technology capable language, able to describe anything from biology, medicine, physics, nuclear technology to philosophy, theology and even the arts (poetry, music, theatre and more). Truly, my 1st spoken love. Best thing about growing up in RSA, was being bilingual, and becoming multilingual, learning English and German in school, and Portuguese in the military. And a few other ethnic and other languages. Proud to have had my very 1st service weapon, the Belgian FAL, then R1, R4. I won't ever compare the two, each one has a time and place, a role. Both can do each role, but one is always better than the other at it's own major role. Clean weapons are reliable, and good soldiers keep clean weapons. That bit we did. Anyway, I like your channel, and keep up improving your Afrikaans. Great to hear you speak it.

[@danielkemp4860]

💪💪💪

[@cccmmm1234]

Afrikaans is more like Vlaams than Dutch.

[@ToastSoon4808]

Afrikaans is mostly derived from the Dutch with some German, French and English mixed in. Beautiful language. I can read plenty Dutch, but slowly and find Flemish much easier.

[@martinprinsloo5393]

Baie Dankie vir goeie Video en dat jy met Afrikaans dit begin het. I fired the R1 when I was in the skool cadets, at cadet camps. I think the cadet officers (teachers) got a great kick out of letting us shoot the R1 with the gas closed off as much as possible. I will always remember my first night on guard duty with a R1 that was just as tall as I was. Later in 1988, during national service, I was issued with a R4 and on occasions with the R1 for target shooting. My dad was in the commando’s for many years and I always used to join them on Saturday afternoons. I can remember that one occasion there were 14 R4’s and 2 R1’s in my dad’s guns safe.

[@thefalguy9848]

All my videos begin with a bit of Afrikaans. I need to keep that heritage alive. Thank you for sharing your service story.

[@pauldooley9842]

I was in the Rhodesian bush war in 1970s. I was best shot in my company and got my marksman badge. I was issued a infrared night scope that came with it's own slide dust cover and a battery. It was amazing shooting at night training on the range. My Sargent Major said to me .If you loose the night scope or damage it ,don't come back for the bush. He said to me that it cost $75,000 Rhodesian dollars. I don't no if that was true . Amazing rifles. Thanks a lot .😊❤🎉🎉

[@Leec_1972]

I got issued a Starlight night sight in the late Eighties. Was a huge responsibility and I got told somthing similar to you.

[@thefalguy9848]

Thank you for sharing your story!

[@pauldooley9842]

@@Leec_1972 Hi Lee you so right the night scope was called a star light. That was hi-tech in the 1970s. Very accurate shooting at night. $75,000 RHODESIAN DOLLARS WAS A LOT OF MONEY IN THOSE DAYS. YOU KEEP WELL.

[@gerhardbenade5869]

Uitstekende video! Uitstekende wapen! Mooi loop.

[@thefalguy9848]

Dankie!

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Awesome vid bro, lekker!!! Cheers

[@cayminlast]

Super interesting video. During basics in 1976 at TDK/TSC Voortrekkerhoogte, we had R1s with wood stocks. I was later posted to 61 Base wskp at Tek Base in Lyttleton, which had a large research and developement facility, working on weapons, vehicles, electronics and all manner of military equipment, there was also a big Electroplating Shop which manufactured all the military metal badges and insignia.Thanks Boet.

[@thefalguy9848]

Thank you. Appreciate your support and service to our Nation! I bet working in proximity of LEW must have been fascinatinf

[@cayminlast]

@@thefalguy9848 Yes, I learned a lot during those years, on one of the 30 day camps, I was at the Diepkloof Base, in the spraypaint shop doing camo jobs on hundreds of R1s.

[@thefalguy9848]

@@cayminlast ai tog, that is fantastic!

[@glennarnold4108]

Very informative video. Thanks for doing this.

[@thefalguy9848]

Glad it was helpful!

[@guncaine1]

I have the last R3 ever issued as the winning prize during our annual military shooting championships. They are absolutely fantastic rifles to use...a little fussy about dirt compared to the AK and R4...but they sure kick arse otherwise

[@eltenda]

Outstanding video as video...

[@thefalguy9848]

Thank you, appreciate it.

[@georgeazar6879]

Another great video that was very informative and interesting! Thank you for sharing! The FAL has always been one of my favorite rifles!

[@thefalguy9848]

Thank you for your support and I'm glad you enjoyed the video

[@georgeazar6879]

@@thefalguy9848 I think this year at the Shot Show you’re the only one that made a video at DSArms booth. Dave the owner has been a good friend of mine before he started DSA. I’m sure you probably know him. He’s a great guy.

[@thefalguy9848]

@@georgeazar6879 Yes, I was at the DSA's booth at Shot Show and did a video on their products. I know Dave and he's a very nice guy.

[@georgeazar6879]

@@thefalguy9848 yes sir I watched your video and liked it also. I look for DSA videos every year and this year yours was the only one I could find!

[@henningklipp8029]

After my 2 year SADF military service ended in 1989. I joined the citizen force "commandos". We were still issued the R1's then. They were replaced with the R4's in about 1993 if memory serves me right. All the older guys who had been issued the R1's during their conscription service, had to get retrained on the new platform. Most were reluctant to hand in their beloved R1 for the R4. Although never being issued an R1 during my conscription service. I was exposed to it and the H&K G3. I much preferred the R1 over the G3. It is a great firearm, and I loved it in the time that I had it as my commando cf issue rifle. There were also some heavy barrel versions that were used in the service shooting (diens skiet) sport.

[@thefalguy9848]

Both the R1 and R4 have their place in the firearms world. Both are unique in what they do and have their pros/ cons for sure. And thank you for sharing your experience

[@AdriaanduPlessis-yb7ui]

Ai ou maat jy het n mooi film gemaak, baie intresant 👍💪.

[@thefalguy9848]

Baie dankie 🤙🏼

[@galilhub]

Great video!! 🤘💪🤙

[@thefalguy9848]

thanks

[@momleon]

As a SADF veteran. This was very insightful. I was a MP and saw a R1 Sniper that we had in our evidence locker. Dont know what the reason was for it being there. Stunning rifle.

[@thefalguy9848]

Awesome. Would be interesting to know how the R1 sniper turned up in your evidence locker

[@aaronrathbone6693]

Awsum review ! Im south african, have the 17.25 inch para R1 what a awsum rifle ! And thank goodness for DSArms.

[@thefalguy9848]

Awesome, good to hear!

[@gregorypaulbox3035]

Valuable insight. The super short rifle is cool AF (probably feels terrible to shoot). Great video.

[@thefalguy9848]

Working on building a very similar rifle for a review...

[@stuartpalmer3793]

Thank you, great video. I'm in SAPS, to think these weapons are still in use and going strong after all these years of service.

[@thefalguy9848]

Awesome, thank you for your service.

[@TheSilmarallion]

Well done on the Afrikaans intro. Yes you are correct only the Special forces had designated snipers. The rest of us all tried to get the Golden marksman badge called Skiet Balkie. Got my Silver one 1990 we had then moved over to the R4 copy of the Israeli Galil by then. Think the Police had designated snipers using the R1.

[@thefalguy9848]

Dankie tog, I'm trying my best to keep our language and culture alive. Thank you for your insight!

[@gerhardpelser6277]

Hi, buddy, nice hearing my home language. I was quite amazed and surprised when you intro started. I was just like to mention that. We also used the R1 in the commandos, which was a unit that We're known as. the reserves had to complete after their compulsory. Military service thanks for the video well done.

[@thefalguy9848]

Yes, I should have mentioned that. But since the Kommandos got disbanded I figured it was not in "actual" use anymore

[@gerhardpelser6277]

@thefalguy9848 No problem, buddy I was just wondering if you knew . You said you knew but didn't see the reason to mention it which is absolutely fine cause they were dismantled. I reckon it was in 1990 around about.I was in Gatsrand Transvaal Kommando

[@markknivila8383]

Have you done a video about the R2 rifles? That would be interesting! Great video, brother!

[@thefalguy9848]

Maybe one day I'll do an R2 video. There is little to cover on these in terms of info but I'll consider. And they don't really fall into my domain of FAL stuff...

[@janmale7767]

I did my national service basic training at Potch, in 1980 we were issued with R1's with the black plastic butt stock and wooden stocks,i had the 'black gun' some of the wooden stock ones had the FN designation stamped on their frames , so they must have been aquired from Belgium before the international arms embargo came to affect! We went to the shooting range outside Potch on the Ventersdorp road one day,bliksem were those korporale only bedonderd strict about weapons safety, that left a lifelong weapons safety awareness apon me! The big issue was this platform is prone to jamming untill you finetune the gas port, and a rookie, that needed assistance for a jammed FAL had to stricly lay the weapon down before him and draw the Corporals attention by raising a arm, a jammed weapons was not to be touched for fear of some idiot turning around pointing the weapon at the instructor coming up behind him! It apparently had happened before with tragic outcome, therefore the strict safety rules! But i noticed there that the FN was prone to jams until finely tuned at the gasport, i was fortunate not to have experienced the problem, but i read that the HK G-3 did not have that problem because the design was of the blowback type...more reliable? I had the priveledge to run my R- 1 in full auto shooting out the greater part of a full mag oncd and she ran beautifully, not as uncontrolable as i had expected at all, although i was sitting one knee down position (more stable),i would think unless you are a big bodied man you would have to hold onto it in the upright pointing stance, the muzzle lift can be felt, more of a rapid fire battle rifle!,similar to the G- 3!

[@thefalguy9848]

The R1/ FAL can be very picky with ammo if it is not properly tuned to the specific ammo type, whereas the G3 is more forgiving and due to its roller-delayed system can take almost any type of ammo without issue. However, the R1/ FAL, once finetuned, is a very fine weapon and comfortable to shoot. Thank you for sharing your service story!

[@johannescordier7923]

Was ook deur by potch , kom van AKKH af . Na dit was ek Phalaborwa toe . My R1 was so vol kak , kon sweer sy was privaat skool toe ... die HK was beter , maar amper asof die R1 meer akuraat was .

[@janmale7767]

@@johannescordier7923 Ja die afkak dae, as vandag se jeug maar weet hoe ons bloed gepis het!

[@janmale7767]

@@johannescordier7923 Ja die afkak dae, as vandag se jeug maar weet hoe ons byna bloed gepis het!

[@christianbgood2910]

Lekker, lekker! Mooi tal boet! Well done man.

[@thefalguy9848]

dankie tog

[@karldot]

I appreciate your Africaans intro thank you for your awesome vid I shot this rifle in the SA Police Force it was fantastic

[@thefalguy9848]

Glad you enjoyed this rifle (and video)!

[@andrewwarren3566]

Carried one for many years doing anti poaching, great firearm just kak heavy.

[@thefalguy9848]

It is kak heavy but it is accurate and reliable (if maintained properly!).

[@Darryl1963D]

Interesting. I carried the Aussie version through the 1980s. It was reliable and accurate. Unfortunately we now live in a fire-power centric environment requiring medium calibres and full auto capability.

[@davidthompson5963]

We grew up with 2 or 3 FN in our home even went to church with it .

[@thefalguy9848]

Thank you for sharing that! Times have changed but the perception of the FAL as a great weapon and security device has not!

[@Camdouin]

Jus when you started off speaking perfect Afrikaas and then started speaking English with an American accent I was confused 🤣🤣 But good video, nice stuff.

[@thefalguy9848]

Hah. Speaking multiple languages is key to success

[@SusScrofaVulgaris]

Lekker man

[@vanzylbooysen4826]

Great

[@guncaine1]

A very interesting note about the "skietbalkie" or marksmanship award badges. I got the highest score by a long way in my first TABLE 2 shoot which was the qualifying shoot and got issued a silver "balkie". Everyone else got gold. To say that I was offended was an understatement. Only later did I find out that like the Nazi sniper badges. The silver is the top award over the GOLD...I never did wear my balkie anyway

[@thefalguy9848]

Interesting fact. Thank you for sharing that!

[@RenforcSaloon-gk3gu]

You can speak my boer.

[@ca9968]

I was always led to believe, by my cousin who was in the SAP I.S.U in the late 80`s/early 90`s that the R3 was the Para R1 with a shorter barrel...still seen in the hands of the SAPS today...

[@thefalguy9848]

Yes. The R3 came in both the standard and short barrel version

[@cccmmm1234]

Infantry got the R4s first and R1s were used in non combat units for training and guard duty etc right u0 to the late 1980s. In 1984 I was at personnel services school. We were trained on R1. I was issued first with a genuine Belgian made FN with a wooden stock, then later with the all plastic SA made R1. For most of 1984 and 85 I was at ArmyHQ where we used plastic R1s for guard duty. In 1987 I was in a township camp. Again plastic R1.

[@thefalguy9848]

Thank you for sharing your story! Looks like it took a while for all the wooden stock R1s to be modernized.

[@cccmmm1234]

@@thefalguy9848 I don't think they were all modernised. It would not make sense modernising them if they were being generally phased out and replaced with R4s.

[@thefalguy9848]

@@cccmmm1234 modernized in terms of furniture upgrade.

[@cccmmm1234]

@@thefalguy9848 You need to remember that by that time R1s were obsolete and R4/R5 were in general use. There was little point in expending effort upgrading obsolete equipment. SA didn't have a lot of resources to throw around. The plastic furniture was beneficial in the bush, but didn't have any real benefits in the the places R1 continued to be used (eg. guard duty in cities etc). For those, the wooden stock was fine. One upgrade they all got was removing the carrying handle. AFAIK, all FAL/R1s had their carry handles removed (except for swaar loop R1s). On my first Belgian made FN, the carry handle had been cut off and there was still a ring of wire there.

[@pauldooley9842]

I think in 1974 the carrying handle was removed on all the Rhodesian army F.N rifles, due to the ejected cartridge would hit the carrying handles and spring back hitting into the person's eye . 😢🎉🎉❤

[@thefalguy9848]

Yes, I think this to be true. The carry handle also restricted the movement in the bush and would get caught in the soldier's webbing. So there were multiple reasons for its removal

[@mikutrash5050]

Willyou do the video on the suppressed recce fal?

[@thefalguy9848]

yes.

[@silverglove2012]

Where did you grt your FAL quad rail?

[@thefalguy9848]

I purchased the FAL quadrail 2nd hand off FALfiles

[@kalashnikovmonkey9667]

baie goeie afrikaans, maar ons let op dat jy het seker uit suid afrika uit as a laaitie, ons is trots op jou boet, hou ons taal lewendig.

[@thefalguy9848]

Dit is mos so. Ek doen my bes om ons taal en kultuur te bewaar.

[@brianjohnstone3529]

FN, nie FL

[@thefalguy9848]

The official designation of the make is FAL. Slang in South Africa is FN. Since this video is made for the int'l community and trying to be a representative video of the FAL, I called it the FAL and not the FN. Details matter.

[@skuzapo9365]

I suppose u ex recces 😮

[@thefalguy9848]

No. I'm not that cool.

[@stuartpalmer3793]

Thank you, great video. I'm in SAPS, to think these weapons are still in use and going strong after all these years of service.

[@thefalguy9848]

Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for your service