FN FAL

Fusil Automatique Leger - this handgun was widely used by NATO forces during the Cold War. Later, some - self-loading - versions were used by more and more civilians, and it became a respected hunting and sport shooting gun. Its popularity was also due to the fact that, besides the original manufacturer, many other countries, neither part of NATO nor communists, produced it continuously. This assault rifle became a standard-issue firearm in the armed forces of nearly 26 countries. Because of this, it earned the well-known nickname "The Right Arm of the Free World". The direct predecessor of this firearm was designed by Dieudonne J. Saive and Ernest Vervier in 1947, with direct-impingement gas and gas-piston systems. The prototype was introduced in 1948. It was chambered for the German 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridge. However, after World War II, the American tactical doctrine had the biggest influence (they didn't support cartridges smaller than the .30–06 Springfield), as a result, NATO standardized the 7.62×51mm cartridge, which had similar ballistic characteristics. This forced a major redesign of the firearm. Following the successful tests - even though in the USA the M14 won the tender - most NATO countries adopted the rifle as standard issue along with the new, standardized cartridge. West Germany rejected the standardization and instead adopted the main market concurent with similar appereance but with roller delayed blowback system, its own developed Heckler & Koch G3. Its main role was the same as of the AK-47, which was standard issue in Warsaw Pact countries, however, it significantly overperformed the AK-47's performance because of the cartridge type it fired.