USER`s MANUAL LIGHT AUTOMATIC RIFLE CAL. 7.62 m m
Contents
1. The tabulation given below gives on one side the list of parts which can be slightly oiled on the other the list of parts which require no oiling and which in some cases can be adversely affected if oiled Components or ports of components which will be very slightly oiled OILED Inside breech block slide Breech block ot locking shoulders Body at bottom ond olong guide grooves for slide Holding open device Components 7 or parts of components which will not be oiled before firing LEFT DRY Borrel Gos cylinder j Piston chromed Gos Plug ports Outer surface of slide Front face of breech block Mogorine and plotform Magazine catch Sights 41 Il Characteristics ond Technical 111 Functioning Se Sere eee ae a a aly 1 Cocking ON ee 2 Rear movement of the mechanism 3 Forward action of the mechanism 4 Change lever veus 5 Holding open device yra IV Hondling PAIAVE LN 10 INDEX Introduction i Filling Magazine a With magazine filler b Without magazine filler c Note on checking Charging Loading Relooding Unloading Firing single shot Fitting the blonk firing device Gas regulation a Method of gas setting b Operations 5 Zeroing sights a Correction for elevation b Correction for direction Stoppages and immediate action V Grenade Launching 1 2 3 Cartridge2. 2 MAINTENANCE OF THE RIFLE a Maintenance by the soldier The FN Rifle cal 7 62 mm only needs to be partially stripped for this maintenance field stripping maintenance routine is as follows Use the barrel cleaning brush oiled with the special rifle bore oil provided and pass through the barrel several times Follow this by pulling through two or three dry rags Clean the chamber with the cleaning brush provided for this purpose 37 Clean the slide rear of the barrel and inside the body Clean the breech block firing pin and its hous ing Clean underneath the extractor claw without stripping it Remove the gas plug the piston and its spring and carefully clean these parts as they are exposed to gas fouling Clean the gas cylinder and wipe with a slight ly oiled rag this rag should also be passed through the barrel Very slightly oil the moving parts of the me chanism b Inspection and maintenance by the unit ar mower It is essential that the rifle should be examined periodically by the armourer who will check that it is being properly cared for by the user All components of the rifle will then be checked for correct functioning When this examination is made the following special cleaning and inspec tion operations will also be carried out Cleaning the exhaust port in the gas cylinder Stripping and cleaning the extractor Checking the gas setting Checking t
3. 19 nism repeat Operation 3 after closing the gas regulator by one click Operation 5 If necessary repeat Operation 4 until 5 consecutive shots result in the holding open device holding the mechanism to the rear 5 times Operation 6 The gas setting for the rifle is now determined but it is always advisable to allow a small reserve of working gas by reducing the gas escape by two additional clicks Note If the special spanner fig 10 is not available adjustment can be made with the point of a cartridge fig 1 I or even by hand Fig 10 Fig 11 Before leaving the factory every rifle has been adjusted for correct gas setting In principle the soldier should not alter the gas setting this operation ought to be done in the presence of the unit armourer or an instructor In practice the force with which the spent car tridge case is ejected gives on invaluable indi 20 cation of the gas setting An ejection of cases to a distance of 1 50 2 m from the rifle and at 45 in relation to the barrel axis can be considered normal Violent ejection shows that too much gas is being admitted and in this event the gas escape must be increased On the contrary weak ejection shows that insufficient gas is being taken in and in this case the gas escape should be reduced 9 ZEROING The rifle is zeroed i e the sights are correctly adjusted before issue to the user but it may re
4. Use the tip of a cartridge to push the plunger in the gas plug fully down and hold it in this position fig 22 Turn the cartridge and the gas plug 180 so that the letter G appears on top instead of the letter A Let the plunger return to its housing the notch in the plug is towards the bottom Carry out the loading operations see page 14 After firing each shot repeat the loading ope rations 7 FITTING THE BLANK FIRING DEVICE This device is to be screwed on the tapped end of the combined device fig 7 8 GAS REGULATION The purpose of the gas regulator is to ensure correct functioning of the rifle with maximum gas escape or in other words the minimum intake 17 necessary for normal functioning without causing undue wear on the various parts of the mechanism Turning the gas regulator to the right clock wise reduces the opening by which gas escapes thus increasing the quantity or intake gas used to drive the piston to the rear Turning the gas regulator to the left anti clockwise causes the opposite effect gas escape is increased and the balance available to work the piston is decreased By a system of clicks and engagement of the gas regulator spring the regulator has 13 different positions 12 clicks to open fully To make setting in any given position easier figures are engraved on the gas regulator the figure 1 corresponding to the comp
5. filled magazine has been insert ed depress the lever of the holding open device so that the breech block is released and can con tinue its forward movement 11 IV HANDLING 1 FILLING MAGAZINE a With Magazine Filler Each rifle is usually supplied with a magazine filler Fit the magazine filler over the mouth of the magazine with the guides for the load ing clip on the side of the magazine rib Fig 3 12 Insert a loaded clip into the reor guide of the magazine filler fig 3 With the thumb as near as possible to the clip force the rounds down into the maga zine b Without a Mogarine Filler If the rounds are in clips take them out Insert the cartridges one by one into the magazine with the base of the round to the rib of the magazine c Note After filling a magazine particularly when a magazine filler has not been used it is advisable to check the positioning of the cartridges in the magazine by pressing down with the thumb on the last round inserted In the event of one or more cartridges not sliding freely inside the magazine jam ming of the point of a round against the front wall a correct positioning of all the cartridges can be obtained by striking the rear wall or on the bottom of the magazine lightly with the palm of the hand 2 CHARGING Insert a filled magazine front end foremost into the magazine housing fig 4 Swing the
6. D FAL USER s MANUAL LIGHT AUTOMATIC RIFLE CAL 7 62 im FABRIQUE NATIONALE HERSTAL Soci t Anonyme C2 B 4400 HERSTAL BELGIUM t INTRODUCTION The FN Light Automatic Rifle colibre 7 62 mm NATO usually known os the F A L or L A R has resulted from prolonged research and competitive trials made in various countries and under all types of climatic conditions Fig 1 This rifle which has been adopted by many countries both within and outside NATO was designed and made by FN to give the user a rifle which would combine all the essential qua lities needed under modern fighting conditions to a hitherto unequalled degree This booklet is neither for the armourer nor the specialised officer its purpose is to familiarise the user with a weapon which is new to him and to put sufficient knowledge at his disposal to enable him to use it with maximum efficiency 11 CHARACTERISTICS AND TECHNICAL DETAILS The FN Light Automatic Rifle is an automatic weapon calibre 7 62 mm NATO gas operated and with a breech block which is mechanically locked before firing can take place Rifle 1 Weights a Rifle without magazine 4 325 kgs ap prox 9 53 Ibs b Magazine steel empty 250 g 84 ozs c Magazine steel filled 20 rounds Ball Ammn 730 g 1 Ib 92 ozs d Barrel approx 800 g 1 Ib 12 ozs 2 Measurements a Overall length 1 090 mm approx 40 b Barrel length 533 m
7. NG THE FIRING PIN Exert pressure on the rear end of the firing pin and push out its retaining pin If the pin does not fall out easily use the nose of a cartridge to push it out fig 20 31 NS A Fig 20 When the retaining pin has been removed the firing pin will come out of its housing under action of its spring fig 21 32 Fig 21 5 REMOVING THE GAS PLUG Use the nose of a cartridge to press in the plun ger fig 22 then turn the gas plug a quarter turn in a clockwise direction fig 23 Fig 22 Fig 23 33 In this position the plug will be pushed from its housing by the piston spring 6 REMOVING THE PISTON Remove the piston and its spring from the gas cylinder fig 24 Separate the piston spring from the piston rod fig 25 Note There is no need for the soldier to strip the extractor It is necessary to use a cartridge for this or a special tool and it is normally done by the armourer when making o periodic inspection 7 ASSEMBLY AFTER FIELD STRIPPING Replace the piston spring on the piston rod fig 25 Replace the piston and its spring in the gas cylinder fig 24 Insert the gas plug compressing the piston spring with the big end of the plunger turned towards the barrel fig 23 When the gas plug is fully home rotate it one eighth of a turn so that the letter A moves upwards Use the nose of a cartridge to push the plunger and rotate so
8. a Handling Firing positions a Direct fire b Indirect fire Details Om A w VI Vil 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 _ Pwo Field Stripping tat ve n Stripping the mechanism t Removing the cover Separating the slide from the breech block Removing the firing pin es Removing the gas plug Removing the piston Assembly after field stripping Cleoning and Maintenance sue General remarks 4 Maintenance of the tile ia a Maintenance by the soldier b Inspection and Maintenance by the unit armourer Sie Complete cleaning of barrel and gas cylinder Preparation of rifle before firing 29 29 30 31 31 33 34 35 37 37 37 38 39 41
9. e FN Light Automatic Rifle is unlikely to be affected by variations in normal ammunition Obviously this means good quality ammunition because a bad cartridge will give rise to stoppages whatever the weapon that fires it Stoppages are generally of two types 1 Those caused by fouling due to the user s negligence or ignorance of his rifle or lack of lubrication modern powders of good quality cause very little fouling 2 Those caused by some mechanical deficiency less frequent A mechanical stoppage other than that caused by an empty magazine can usually be remedied by taking immediate action without stopping to investigate its cause Procedure for immediate action Remove the magazine Pull the cocking handle fully to the rear and release do this twice Replace the magazine Load recock the rifle by pulling the cocking handle to the rear and releasing so that a new round is fed into the chamber Resume firing If the stoppage recurs consult the armourer or instructor to find out the cause 23 V GRENADE LAUNCHING The F A L is equipped with a combined device serving as both flash hider and grenade launcher with this fitment anti tank and anti personnel gre nades can be launched with great accuracy Fig 12 1 CARTRIDGE A special type of ammunition is used generally known as a propulsive or grenade cartridge This cartridge has no bullet and the mouth of t
10. ement the return springs housed in the butt are compressed by the slide rod hinged to the rear of the slide The piston has returned to its forward position as its spring relaxed 3 FORWARD ACTION OF THE MECHANISM The return springs compressed during the rear movement of the mechanism now relax and drive the breech block assembly forward The breech block pushes the next cartridge towards the cham ber while the hammer is held in the cocked position by the safety sear the front of the breech block contacts the rear portion of the bar rel the cartridge is chambered and the base of its case seized by the extractor claw The slide acts on the upper shoulder of the breech block and forces its rear end downwards causing its lock shoulder to engage in the locking recess in the receiver The mechanism is now lacked The slide continues its forward movement alone towards the end of its course the safety sear is tripped by the shoulder on the rear left underside of the slide which causes the sear to pivot and the hammer to be released the rear end of the firing 8 pin protrudes beyond the rear face of the slide when the front face of the slide is fully home In automatic fire it is the safety sear which releases the hammer and thus causes the shot to be fired because the trigger sear is not in action in this case except for the first shot of each burst of fire In semi automatic fire it is the trigger sear which fi
11. he barrel and inside of front half of the gas cylinder come into direct contact with the combustion gases and are also submitted to friction they consequently require more care and attention Other components are protected against oxidising by phosphating parts of the mechanism and receiver and the piston and gas plug are hard chromed Precaution after firing To be on the safe side particularly in hot cli mates and to make subsequent cleaning of barrel and gas cylinder easier the user is strongly advised to take the following preventive measure Immediately ofter firing before leaving the firing range or scene of manceuvres clean barrel and gas cylinder by wiping with a rag steeped in special oil Rifle bore oil This precaution has the effect of Neutralising the harmful effect of any fouling caused by residue of powder gases Preventing the formation of carbon deposits in the gas cylinder ond gas block Allowing the usual cleaning operations to be postponed for at least 24 hours without causing any damage Within 48 hours of carrying out this precaution the rifle should be completely cleaned as indicated in paragraphs 2 and 3 4 PREPARATION OF RIFLE BEFORE FIRING The L A R functions with very little or prac tically no lubrication Before firing wipe off any oil remaining on bar rel and gas cylinder surfaces if the piston and chromed part of the gas plug have been slightly oiled dry clean these too
12. he case is closed by a star crimping which is waxed to ensure complete tightness fig 12 24 HANDLING Put the rifle at SAFE Unload chop IV 5 Set the rifle for firing single shot see chap ter IV 6 With the left hand cock the rifle With the right hand insert the propulsive car tridge in the chamber fig 13 Let the mechanism go forward it is easier if the muzzle of the gun is held downwards Fig 13 Put the grenade on the launcher and make sure that it is fully home Releose the safety from the rifle and as re quired remove the grenade safety The rifle is then ready to fire 25 3 FIRING POSITIONS o 26 Direct fire fig 14 For the 3 usual positions standing kneeling prone the method of holding the rifle is the some Grasp the middle of the handguard firmly with the left hand Hold the pistol grip firmly with the right hand with the index finger securely in front of the trigger Hold the butt under the right armpit never lean it on the shoulder N B A sling can be used to help take the recoil but this is left to the discretion of the user b Indirect fire fig 15 Fig 15 Dig the heel of the butt into the earth with the pistol grip uppermost i e towards the firer Incline the rifle at the required angle Hold the foot down on the front of the butt to prevent it from moving out of position 27 Note So far as possib
13. he sight and correcting if necessary 38 3 COMPLETE CLEANING OF BARREL AND GAS CYLINDER The barrel and gas cylinder must be cleaned regularly so that they never get into such a state that the use of abrasives is necessary all abra sive material such as emery paper sand etc is always harmful The full cleaning of barrel and gas cylinder should be done unhurriedly when circumstances permit as follows Wash the barrel using barrel brush or sponge steeped in special oil Wash the inside of the front part of the gas cylinder and gas block using the brush for cleaning the chamber and the special oil After the barrel and gas cylinder have been thoroughly cleaned in this way dry carefully using clean rags After drying the rag usually white service flannelette should come out of the barrel and gas cylinder unstained After drying slightly oil the barrel bore and chamber and the gas cylinder Dry the outside of the barrel and polish with a greasy rag The pieces of flannelette for this cleaning will usually be cut to the tollowing measurements length approx 120 mm width approx 60 mm about 5 X22 For possing through the barrel use an unfolded piece for cleaning the gas cylinder double it over to give a60 x60 mm square before inserting in the loop of the cleaning rod or pullthrough Rags or cotton waste can be used for cleaning the remaining parts of the rifle 39 Note The inside of t
14. le it is advisable to avoid positioning the butt against any hard surface such as concrete rock etc This is particularly impor tant for indirect fire from the prone position where the soldier naturally tends to anchor the fore part of the butt to avoid the effects of recoil 28 VI FIELD STRIPPING The soldier should know the field stripping rou tine so well thot it con be carried out in darkness For this stripping he will need to use the nose of a cartridge no other tools are required Remove the magazine Cock the mechanism to ensure that the rifle is clear and there is no round left in the cham ber allow the breech block to go forward and set the change lever at safe leaving the ham mer cocked 1 STRIPPING THE MECHANISM Press the body locking lever on the left side as far as possible upwards at the same time press the butt trigger frame group down wards which will swing the rifle open like a shotgun see fig 16 Remove the slide breech block assembly by taking hold of the slide rod hinged to the slide fig 17 29 Fig 17 2 REMOVING THE COVER Slide the receiver cover to the rear fig 18 30 3 SEPARATING THE SLIDE FROM THE BREECH BLOCK Disengage the fore part of the breech block from the slide and continue to separate with a levering movement against the rear part of the breech block keeping the thumb on the rear end of the firing pin fig 19 4 REMOVI
15. letely closed position and one figure for every 2 clicks open ing Example when the figure 5 is opposite the gas hole the gas regulation corresponds to 8 clicks a Method of gas setting There are several different ways of finding the correct adjustment but we suggest the following method which has we think proved itself the best Insert an empty magazine in the rifle All firing is carried out by inserting the car tridges by hand one by one into the empty magazine through the ejection opening The correct setting isdetermined by the point at which the holding open device engages the mechanism and holds it to the rear or fails to do this 18 Fig 8 Fig 9 b Operations Operation 1 After screwing the gas regulator right down against the gas block fig 8 un screw by one complete turn so that the figure 7 is in line with the axis of the gas escape hole fig 9 This is the fully open position and when a round is fired causes a short recoil identifiable by the holding open device failing to engage the mechanism Operation 2 Close the gas regulator click by click and fire a cartridge after each adjustment until the breech block is held to the rear by the holding open device Operation 3 Now verify by firing several car tridges one after the other in the way described above Operation 4 If any shot results in a failure of the holding open device to engage the mecha
16. m approx 21 c Sight radius 553 mm approx 212 3 System of operation gas with regulator and piston 4 Method of feed 20 round magazine Magazine housing underneath the receiver Ejection opening right side of receiver 7 Cocking handle left side of receiver 8 Chonge lever left side of trigger frame 9 Sights adjustable bocksight graduated from 200 600 metres scaled by 100 m 10 Rifling of barrel 4 grooves direction right pitch 1 in 305 mm lin 12 11 Cyclic rote of fire 650 700 rpm 12 Operational rate of fire semi automatic up to 60 rpm Cartridge 1 Colibre 7 62 mm NATO Fig 2 2 Weight of cartridge for ordinary ball round SS 77 approx 24 g 0 86 oz 3 Length of cartridge 7 mm 2 8 4 Weight of ordinary bullet FN SS 77 9 30 g 0 33 oz 5 Powder charge approx 3 g 0 1 oz 6 Initiol Velocity VO in the F A L 840 m sec 2 754 ft sec 7 Muzzle Energy EO in the F A L 335 kgm 2 422 ft lbs 8 Remaining Kinetic Energy at 600 metres 656 yds 100 kgm 723 ft lbs N B For further technical information and ballistical chorocteristics also firing tables refer 5 to FN booklet for Ammunition calibre 7 62 mm NATO or other handbook on thk subject Fig 2 FN 7 62 mm NATO cartridge with SS 77 bullet HE FUNCTIONING 1 COCKING Before firing the breech block mechanism is forward with the safe
17. magazine into position and push fully home 13 Fig 4 The magazine is then secured at the rear by the magazine catch 3 LOADING Take hold of the pistol grip with the right hand With the left hand pull the cocking handle on the left side of the receiver to the rear and then release it The forward movement of the breech block will have extracted a cartridge from the maga zine chambered it and then locking of the moving parts will hove taken place automat ically The rifle is now ready to fire Note During charging and loading operations the rifle will be kept at safe Change lever set at 1161 14 4 RELOADING After the lost round in the magazine has been fired the holding open device operated by the magazine platform keeps the mechanism to the rear see page 11 Press the magazine catch fig 5 Remove the empty magazine swinging it for words Insert 0 filled magazine Depress the lever of the holding open device fig 6 the breech block will then move for ward 15 Fig 6 The rifle is now ready to fire again 5 UNLOADING Put the rifle at safe change lever set at S Remove the magazine Pull the cocking handle fully back to extract and eject the cartridge in the chamber Release the cocking handle and let the mecha nism go forward 16 6 FIRING SINGLE SHOT Insert a filled magazine
18. nally releases the hammer after it has first been released by the safety sear the me chanism has been so designed that the trigger must be released then pressed again to permit the following shot to be fired see 4 below 4 CHANGE LEVER The lever arm can occupy one of the three fol lowing positions a An uppermost position S when the rifle is at safe in this position if the trigger is pressed it is impossible to fire because the rounded part of the change lever arm is over the trigger platform preventing it from rising to engage the tail of the sear b A front position A which sets the mecha nism at automatic fire before firing the rear tip of the trigger is now so positioned in relation to the deeper bent in the change lever axis that pressing the trigger causes the sear to pivot up words the nose of the sear is consequently disen gaged from the hammer bent and firing takes place In addition the nose of the trigger sear has been swung downwards so that it cannot contact the hammer which is controlled by the safety sear only so long as the trigger is not released as firing depends on the safety sear this frees 9 the hammer each time the mechanism closes after the breech is completely locked firing is auto matic When the firer releases the trigger the nose of the sear rises catches hold of the hammer which then pushes the sear slightly to the rear this positions the tail of the sear
19. over the heel of the trigger and the mechanism is then cocked ready to fire the next burst c A rear position R which sets the mecha nism at semi automatic single shot the rear tip of the trigger is now against a shallower bent in the change lever than in position A pressing the trigger therefore pivots the sear to a lesser degree so that after the first shot has been fired the hammer will be caught by the sear This moves slightly forward under the action of its spring and is thus placed in front of the heel of the trigger i e no longer in contact Firing another cartridge is therefore impossible if pressure on the trigger is maintained To continue firing the trigger must be released when this is done the hammer turns slightly under action of its spring as it is in contact with the sear it pushes the sear towards the rear so that the tail of the sear comes over the heel of the trigger pressure on the trigger will now fire the second shot and so on Note If automatic fire is not required the change lever can be removed and another change lever fitted with indent for semi automatic fire only i e with 2 instead of 3 settings Any sol dier can easily make this substitution 10 5 HOLDING OPEN DEVICE When the magazine is empty its platform pushes the holding open device upwards in the pathway of the breech block which is thus held to the rear and the firer knows that his magazine is empty After a
20. quire some attention to correct for elevation and direc tion to suit individual needs Such correction must be done by a qualified armourer or on instructor who will have the spe cial tools to do this a Correction for Elevation Errors in elevation are corrected by screwing the foresight up or down If it is screwed up the M P I will be moved down and vice versa A spring detent locates and holds the foresight in position which forms a clicking device with the 16 equal divisions serrated under the foresight col lar this assists the armourer when calculating movement of the M P I Moving the foresight 1 division or click is equal to a variation in M P of 1 cm at 100 metres approx 0 39 at 109 yds b Correction for Direction Errors in direction are corrected by moving the backsight to the right or left 21 If the M P I is to the right of the point sight ed the screw on the left of the sight is loosened and the screw on the right is screwed up thus moving the sight laterally along its dovetail from right to left Tighten the screw on the left When the correction has been made and before shooting tighten both screws If the M P I is to the left of the point sighted the sight must be moved from left to right A movement of 1 division or click is equal to a variation in M P J to right or left of cm at 100 metres approx 0 39 at 109 yds 10 STOPPAGES AND IMMEDIATE ACTION Th
21. that the letter A appears uppermost fig 22 Replace the firing pin spring and the firing pin in the breech block fig 21 compress the spring by working the firing pin and replace the pin Replace the breech block in the slide inserting the rear part obliquely in the slide fig 19 Exert pressure on the breech block so that the firing pin spring is slightly compressed and the breech block is swung downwards into its cor rect position in the slide Insert the ribs of the cover in the correspond ing grooves in the receiver fig 18 and slide the cover fully forward Replace the mechanism in the body inserting the ribs of the slide in the corresponding 35 36 grooves in the receiver When this is done the breech block should be in its forward position fig 17 and the muzzle of the rifle pointing downwards the mechanism will then fall into position correctly Close the rifle still holding the muzzle down wards to prevent any possibility of the slide rod protruding VII CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE 1 GENERAL REMARKS It must be emphasized that all automatic weap ons require constant cleaning and maintenance and that most of the stoppages mentioned else where are the result of the soldiers negligence or lack of knowledge of his weapon All weapons whether automatic or repeating rifles should be cleaned at the end of a day s firing and special core must be taken after firing with blank car tridges
22. ty applied change lever set at grj Insert a filled magazine obliquely in the housing under the receiver swing it from front to rear and push fully home the magazine is then secured in the rifle at both front and rear Pull the cocking handle on the left side of the receiver fully to the rear then let it go forward a cartridge is thus introduced into the chamber the rifle is loaded and cocked To fire set the change lever either at R for semi automatic fire or at A for automatic fire 2 REAR MOVEMENT OF THE MECHANISM Pressing the trigger fires the shot When the bullet passes the gas port in the bar rel port of the combustion gases penetrate the regulator and thence into the gas cylinder The piston is projected to the rear strikes the breech block slide which is also driven rearwards After recoiling a few millimetres the ramps of the slide force the rear part of the breech block to rise thus lifting it out of engagement with its locking 7 shoulder in the receiver The mechanism is then unlocked The recoil of slide dnd breech block continues the extractor removes the spent case from the chamber extraction is completed then the hammer pushed by the slide is forced to pivot to the rear As recoil continues the base of the spent case contacts the ejector an integral part of the receiv er the case is then thrown out of the gun to the right through the ejection opening buring this rear mov
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