"They build 20 tool room rifles... oh look, I have one right here next to me!" Oh Ian, casually just mentioning you have a 1 of 20 primordial FAL under the table
Funny story; my Grandfather, Art Thomas, helped with the development of this rifle. During testing in arctic conditions, he discovered that the firing mechanism was made of a cheaper, lower quality metal that would freeze easily, causing the mechanism to shatter in cold climates, almost resulting in a weapon explosion during testing. After the change was implemented he helped oversee continued quality of manufacturing for the Canadian military. Love ya grandpa, RIP you glorious bastard.
As a former Canadian Forces, I can tell you that it is not "a weird disc rear sight" but rather the BEST rear sight of all FALs easily facilitating iron sight ranges of 600 meters. While in Toronto, you need to cover the C2 full auto select. The Canadian FNs also included a .22 conversion insert barrel and action for indoor range training with the C1 and C2.
When I was a member of 'C' Squadron 1st Hussars in 1979, we did part of our basic training at Canadian Forces Base London (aka CFB London, or Wolseley Barracks). One of the things we did was range practice with our issue FN C1A1 rifles. Because we had to use the pistol range on base, our rifles were fitted with the .22 conversion kit. Since CFB London existed pretty much in the middle of the city, the .22 conversion kits were likely used to cut down on noise; the pistol range was more like a concrete-walled pit with no roof than a true indoor range. Needless to say, the .22 calibre round doesn't generate enough gas to cycle the action of the FN rifle, so we had to cock our rifles manually after each shot. I remember that day very clearly. It's hard to believe that day took place exactly 40 years ago this month.
@@stevestruthers6180 Steve: We used the .22 sub-cal at Moss Park Armouries and Fort York basement ranges and they worked well semi-auto. Maybe your ammo was not up to it or the devices were dirty. Using this device on a C2 full auto resulted in this cool flame out the side...
rusty nuts Did you ever have anyone break it by getting it snagged somewhere? I seem to recall a few infantiers snagging it while doing ticky tacks and somehow breaking the thing off!!! LOL!!! Still, I do agree with you, I liked that sight a lot. Of all of the iron sights I have ever used, I found that one the most functionally reliable and accurate.
@@stevestruthers6180 not quite a noise issue. The danger template on the 7.62 was considerably larger than the area available, so subcal was the solution. Btw, we used the subcals quite a bit in the ranges at Minto in Winnipeg. Cini-traget (that's the Threat movie with a sound system stopping the movie when you fired, and scrolling paper roll which was backlit so you could see where your shots went) was the best !
I humped one of those beauties many, many miles. Great rifle, very accurate, but to be honest, when we switched to the C7 (M16), I was pretty happy. The weight difference between the two was quite substantial. Then, we just ended up carrying more ammo...so any savings from a lighter rifle was made up with more rounds! Still, ammo in magazines on webbing is easier to carry.
still needed less rds to do the job and could reach out effectively twice as far though effect on armour is better too but for the spay and pray gang yeh ,,ok sure
When I joined we had just changed and I heard tons of complaints. I have fired old beat up fal’s and actually had one come to pieces on me and gave me some nasty tattoos and a buzzing hand for well over a week. (Never found out exactly why it blew up, possibly an over-charge or fired out of battery).
I’m curious, did anyone show you guys how to convert it to full auto using a piece of folded business cars or paper matches? I was lead to believe it could runaway occasionally when this trick was used because the semiauto trip was covered.
to add a silly anecdote, the carrying handle on the old FN could be used to hook your rifle to your web belt while on parade. On a long march it was nice to take that almost 10 lb load off your arm.
As a machinist I can't begin to imagine how much of a pain it was to convert all of those drawings before CAD or even modern computers existed. I'm surprised they got it done in 18 months.
I know this is one year old but can you elaborate on why or link to something explaining this? When I looked up the difference I found its only the order in which the views are depicted which would be an easy conversion of course so I must be missing the point. But in all pictures or videos, the single images look the same. And why does the machinist care what is considered "the front"?
@@Zatarra48 Esentially, the big problem here is that the projection angle was different. 1st angle and 3rd angle projections are drastically different, 3rd projection was the standard for machining in Canada (and still is). To break it down, 1st and 3rd projection show their front, side, and top angles differently. Considering that 3rd was the standard and there wasn't a lot of people or info to help convert from 1st to 3rd. That's why it's astounding that they got it done in only 18 months.
@@CasualEnjoyer701 thank you for your time to answer :) I will consult with people from my workplace to maybe come up with an Example or more hands on experience about the exact difficulties.
@@Zatarra48 I regularly work with design drawings and the difference between 1st and 3rd angle projection is similar to the difference between inch and mm: both communicate the same info, but if you're primarily versed in using one format and given info in the other, you'll typically need to convert it which slows things down and creates opportunity for error. Basically, 1AP moves the object, not the Viewer's reference frame (camera). Moving up the page rolls the part up, so you're now looking at the bottom of it. 3AP moves the camera, so moving up the page moves the camera up over the part so that you're now looking at the top of it. The views themselves don't necessarily change, but their relative alignments on the page are reversed. Since relative view alignments are used to convey info about the relative alignments of features in those views, this can require some mental gymnastics to get yourself reoriented if the drawing uses a projection you're not accustomed to. Working with drawings using a different projection is a bit like scrolling the wheel on your mouse and it having the opposite effect of what you expected in certain applications; it's initially disorienting but you figure it out soon enough.
My dad transitioned from the Lee Enfield to the C1 during his service and I transitioned from the C1 to the C7 during mine. I preferred the C1. I liked the longer range effectiveness of the 7.62 NATO as a rifleman.
The C1 is a fine rifle, but realistically no infantry officer is using its full range. You're going to call in a GPMG, sniper rifle and what not. 5.56 guns are still very accurate at longer ranges and they're accurate in burst and full auto which gives the soldier more firepower and because 5.56 is smaller and lighter, it's easier to carry more ammo and easier to train soldiers to shoot them to an expert/marksman level so in the ranges that soldiers usually fight in(under 300m), they will fire more accurately with a 5.56 weapon than a 7.62 weapon due to the lesser recoil and the C7 is lighter and easier to carry.
Having been in the Canadian infantry in the late '70s, I can tell you the only thing I think you missed was the cleaning kit compartment in the rifle butt. I am always impressed with how well researched your videos are. Great job here.
@@kevinm4022 That was worst part of an exercise - getting back and having to clean the weapon to an NCO's satisfaction, before being allowed to go home.
FN was used in the CF till early 90s. I was PAT platoon in Borden when the airborne came to Borden to trial the C7 in the built up area. I used the FN but got our rumps handled to us by the paras!
FAL that takes stripper clips? I'm in love. Be still my beating heart, for your vessel may never be sufficiently financially stable to own a rifle like this one
@@slaughterround643 We're allowed to own semi-autos... with a maximum of 5 cartridges. Worst, the C1A1 ownership is banned under gun regulations as it is an assault rifle. I wished that I purchased one in the few months were they allowed. Nowadays, they would be only catching dust as they are not allowed to be used. Oh well...
trust me you dont want one, my nieghbour had one, theyre to easy to convert to fulll auto, only reason theyre banned..... but its sooooo heavy, and I mean, its a chore carrying let alone shouldering it is almost impossible for me, and I got no prob shouldering a barret .50cal..... I'd believe the 1a1 weighsa twice that barret.... and his was Navy .308 cal. would not be fun to shoot.. ps the ammo is astill only a dollar or 2 a round but.. it will eventually cease to exist :-\
@@harleyme3163 I don’t think .308/7.62x51 is going anywhere anytime soon lol. Very popular round… Especially here in Canada where we dont have a large number of 5.56 weapons.
We trained with these in the Canadian reserves, in the early 1980s. For a 17 year old kid going into grade 12, the first 'range day' with the FN was pretty darn intense, and fun!
80s summers were awesome in the Cdn Reserves. For a kid from North Van to travel to CFB Nanaimo, Chilliwack, Vernon, and Wainwright it was quite a magical time. My beloved C1 traveled everywhere with me.
Fired these in 1962 shortly after joining a militia regt Had fired the rifle No 4 as an army cadet, which was not a good experience The No 4 had considerable recoil (when you are 16 yrs and 120 lbs wt). In addition, my rifle (serial no. 89L6872) was a S ( small) and was difficult to hold tightly to the shoulder. The FN recoiled straight back and was very pleasant to shoot and very accurate. The old Lee-Enfield was a good rifle in its day but you needed plenty of range practice to get the best out of it. ( 4
That's the same rifle I used when I was in the CDN Army Signals Reserve, back in the early 1970's (I was still in High School). Still pissed that the CDN Gov will allow me to own an SKS (my son has one) but I'm not allowed to own the rifle I'm most familiar with.
Yes it was easy to convert where you had to do is file the shaft on the safety leaver. That was the only difference between the C1 and C 2. As well the C2 had a heavier Barrel.
its for keeping your pet house hippo safe AND keeping the wild house hippo populations from getting too large!!! only the real Canucks know what it fuckin is that I'm talking about! fuck yeah bud! gotta give your house hippo a Molson Canadian bath when its bath day, or else she'll get all flakey and itchy on ya and ya won't be wantin an upset house hippo thanks to some itchiness, trust me, I still have the nightmares from the night I learned that lesson the hard way! & trust me partner, there aint no highway on ramps near in sight once she starts getting squirrely on ya bud!
I carried a 3L series C1A1 rifle. It, and all the others I saw had the ventilated handguards. I also never saw a special winter trigger. The guard folded into the pistol grip. Worked just fine even with heavy mittens but you did have to be careful about snagging the trigger. Beautiful rifle.
Thanks for the vid. This takes me back. I remember my C1A1 freezing absolutely solid at CFB Borden back around 1982. If you made the mistake of taking your rifle into a (relatively) warm tent from minus zero weather, condensation would freeze the bolt and trigger group stiff when you took it back outside. One other "training scar" back in the day was far more literal. I remember seeing more than a couple of troops back in the day with the same crescent-shaped scar under their right eyes. Consequence of the enormous rear sight contacting cheek if the rifle got away from you. As heavy and cumbersome as these were, I wish I had one today. But of course the Canadian government long-ago deemed these far too dangerous for Canadian civilians to own, so they're "prohibited class" firearms. Even if you have one grandfathered, there's nowhere you can legally shoot it. We've never been so safe :/
That's not just an FN issue. During the 'redeployment' from the Chosin Reservoir, the US Marines and the US Army that were executing breakouts (as Chesty Puller put it 'We weren't retreating, we were attacking every day') and when some of the units were trying to help hold open some of the paths to let the Marines get through, they had Browning .30s with the tripod. Problem was you were danged if you do, danged if you don't. If you didn't fire them regularly, they'd freeze up. If you did fire them at night, the Chicoms could pinpoint your fighting position. Cold weather can (if cold enough) can even make lubricants fairly much like taffy.
Ya god forbid enthusiasts, collectors veterans etc are allowed to preserve something of our own history right? Other than being obvious walking probable cause, don’t know how something like that is a threat to Canadians, honestly rather see that at a distance worst case day(and run!), than never see the glocks they legally allow to be sold something is actually likely to be grey area legally owning and packing. Hypotheticals but ya, some serious nonsense when it comes to long barrelled firearms here.
@@BRBMrSoul your first mistake is trying to make any sense of our gun laws. Good luck with that. But don't worry. Since (unelected anti-gun extremist) Heidi Rathjen is apparently the one who decides Canadian firearm policy, they'll all be prohibited by 2025. On the upside, you won't have to waste any more time trying to understand what guns are permissible.
@@simonforget280 If you look closely, top left corner in the background. There is one there... I'd recognize that foldable handguard/bipod anywhere. I have one myself you see.
@@PatGilliland Well, it's not a C2A1, but an Aussie L2A1, which is extremely similar except for a few differences like the trumpet compensator for instance.
@@benedictarnold5376 lol no, empire was used when the British actually had control over the government. Commonwealth is used when we all (Canada, Australia, etc.) established our own distinct government bodies but still wanted to keep close relationship to Britain.
Interesting fact. In the 1770s, the American continental congress originally wanted to have commonwealth status, just like Canada and Australia, but King George the third didn't agree with it. It wasn't until after that rejection that full independence was pursued.
@St. Petersberg that's not accurate. We don't care about Brexit more than the US does. Certainly less than France or Germany do. And because Ireland is not leaving the EU we can keep on drinking Guiness as usual. The UK can certainly keep thair straw-haired PM.
Technically during the 50s Canada still ;couldn't ammend its constitution without the ratification in the UK by the head of state, We didn't get our full status until the 80s. even though the nation stems from 1867. so EMPIRE is kinda incorrect. Commonwealth is most accurate if but slightly imprecise. As of 1982 we have a fully autonimous government.
@@Tango4N yes, by the time Harper was in Government they were so we'll unkept they were worthless to even be surplused if moved back to non restricted so they got melted down.
As a 14 year old Army Cadet in the early 70s we shot Lee Enfield 22s, 303s, and then the FNs and at 14 we were ALL impressed with the FN it lead to my interest in shooting and firearms
@@Im__Andy-f6x Army, Air, and Sea Cadets were created in Canada in WW2 to train 11-17 years olds military stuff. The organization is still around and funded by the military. It's morphed more into a boy scoutish thing but still a large focus on canadian armed forces.
Used the FNC1 as a cadet in the old days. When I went to the CF later in my career, we used the newly adopted C7. I would still to this day take the FN and the 7.62 round over the C7 5.56 The FN was hands down one of the best combat rifles ever made.
Brazilian here. The FAL was my companion at the Brazilian Army, and I am quite surprised how the cousin from the North is different from Its southern relative. Good job as always, Gun Jesus!
@@timewave02012 i wish normal gun owners were able to own them down here in Brazil. To be able to do it we must register as gun owner in a different way, to the army, and it is expensive as hell for normal people. Since we aren't shitting gold yet, owning a surplus FAL remains a distant dream in their country of origin :(
@@NeoNyder Brazilian FALs are capable of full auto, and, to some degree, full auto techniques are passed on to at least every corporal in a platoon. Doctrine of the time, though, said that full auto is for the FAP - The Fusil Automatique Lourd, here known as Fuzil Automático Pesado. It is a heavy barrel, 30-shot, bipod-equipped FAL. Full auto with the FAL is reserved for emergencies and/or lack of support weapons in a squad.
From memory, when the trigger guard was unscrewed as Ian demonstrated, the actual guard rotated backwards so it went into the cavity in the pistol grip, then the plate was screwed back on. This enabled the rifle to be fired with thick gloves at the expense of the trigger guard. We had the L1A1 in Aust and it is very very similar.
🇦🇺 here. I have the trigger guard, rear sight front sight ejector clips charger handle,flash arrestor.pull throughs full cleaning kit with damage casing removal tool. Mag pouches.
I fired this when I was in army cadets in 1985. Really cool as a 14 yr old. I still remember the smell of the gun oil on a hot day. The sound of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. And the sound they make when you are under the targets at the range. Then learning how to take it apart and put it back together blind folded. Fun day...
Thanks for the video. I joined the Canadian army in 1986 . Did my basic training with the C1, then went on to do my trades training ( as a armourer) where we learned about the C1s. By the time I was finished with my training in Borden Ontario and arrived at my first posting . the rifles were already being replaced by the C7 ( basically a M16A2 for our American friends). I loved the C1 as as a service rifle but it always bruised my cheek bone when firing. It’s also worth mentioning that rifle could be fitted with four different butt lengths for individual soldiers these being short, normal , long and extra long. Again thanks for this video.
I joined in 86 as well. Loved the C1. My first posting was on ships in Esquimalt, and I was part of the Naval Landing & Boarding Party and carried the C2...
I did my basic para in 86 as an army cadet, the jump school in Edmonton had old prototype FN C1s they used for jumping, they were pretty beat up but I remember seeing the dates from 1950s on them and thinking 30yrs of use! I joined the reserves(infantry) a year later and we were still using the FN C1A1. The regular forces had already begun switching to the C7s in 1987/88. The main drawback I found with the C1A1 besides the weight of ammo was the great huge open breach area that would easily get sand in it. As every training area from Wainwright, Dundurn and even Borden was very sandy, we had continuous problems with the action jamming due to sand. If it jammed to the rear it was extremely difficult to fix because the charging handle only engages to pull the action to the rear, it does not manually push the action forward. So then you were stuck with the rat tail of the bolt carrier preventing the rifle from opening. Then there was the gas plug, which you had to take out after for cleaning due to the crud build up in the gas piston, and lots of guys in poor light, sweaty fingers, tired, would launch the plug somewhere into the bush, lost forever. 7.62mm has advantages but the C7 was far more reliable.
Thanks, as a former CAF member, I instructed many on the use of this weapon. Sure would have wanted one, however our government made that practically impossible. Some other points, they came with stamps on the butt stock, to identify different lengths, I also seem to recall the winter trigger would fold into the pistol grip. I look forward to a video on the C2. There was also a sub calibre adapter for 22 LR.
You feel old when the gun you used to use is on forgotten weapons :( Best weapon made! you needed those stripper clips in the field. my # was 5L4811 i loved that gun
I remember carrying one of these as a young soldier. They kicked like a mule the dirtier the gas port got and by the time we were phasing them out for the C7, they were pretty well worn out. The C7 seemed like a joke in feel and kick after these brutes, but they served Canada well. Thanks for the trip back 30-40 years for me.
@@Seabass1206 The FAL was made prohibited by name in '95 with bill C-68. Only those who owned one at the time the law passed were grandfathered and authorized to own them, but they can't take them to the range and shoot them so they're essentially safe queens.
@@laurentvilodeau5434 A variant of an AR-15 is a "matel toy BB gun" to you? Should have stuck to maple syrup or moose jokes. You'd look like less of a dimwit.
@@lankey6969 given that the 5.56 is essentially a militarized .22 long, I do consider anything chambered in it to be a BB gun. Yah, if you're accurate as all hell or get lucky, you might hit something vital, but if I am wearing a vest or you miss, I got a small hole through me or a small bruise, and I'm now pumped full of adrenaline and capable of firing back. Adopting the 5.56 in any way was a huge mistake many militaries made
Loved my C1. Accurate, reliable and easy to clean. I can remember how it worked from pulling the trigger to resetting for the next shot. Even remember her number, 6L2781. Wonder where she is? Probably scrap or rusting in store. Who can forget that oily wood smell when you went into the arsenal to draw your rifle? Mmmm. I can own other designed for battle semi-automatic rifles like Russian SKS, Swedish M-42B, American M-1 Garands but even as an ex-soldier, not trusted or allowed to own the rifle I would have defended this country with.
I serves in the Canadian infantry R22eR and what a disapointement when they replace our lovely FNC1A1 by that piece of plastique C7 (AR15) we had to learn how to not damaged the new toy the C1A1 was a pretty tuff rifle
Remember this gun well. I however was assigned the C2 variant, solid piece of kit, bit heavier with the flip down bipod, but well worth it for the sake of accuracy.
As a Canadian firearm enthusiast I thank you for your video. Also makes me sad ill never legally be able to own a semi automatic model of the Right Arm of the Free World as it is prohibited by name.
Out of all the guns banned by name this one is surprising to me. New Canadian government must not like traditional Canada. Sounds like the problem here with the crazy progressives pouring out the wood work
@@laurentvilodeau5434 You need extra parts for a conversion and they're hard to make. And anyone capable of making them is also capable of making an entirely new gun.
This was the first rifle I ever held. Dad was RCEME and we were stationed in Soest (former West Germany) from 1961-64. There was a time when tensions were so high that my dad brought his FN home and propped it in the corner along with his other equipment should they need to bug out quickly. (We had air-raid drills and blackouts regularly). He let me hold it, I was about 3 or 4 and I still remember the folding handle, the size of the magazine, and the weight of the rifle. I have never fired one of these but, to me, it is my holy grail of rifles and I am still pissed at the government for prohibiting these classics. My dad trained on no4 and actually preferred them to the FN....but then he was a farm kid that grew up shooting rabbits and squirrels with a single shot .22.
When I was in the forces in 1978, they were still using these. Although, being a light armoured reconnaissance unit, we only used the FN C1 and C2 for basic training. Our personal sidearms were Sterling 9mm SMG's after that. By the way, if you knew where to stick a match stick, you could make a C1 full auto.
You are looking at a C1A1 8L series (ex OPP, Ontario Provincial Police) as indicated in your video. This should have been called a C1A2 rifle but due to the end of the need for more C1’s it was left the same. Changes to the front sight (removable protectors) and a replaceable ejector. Several minor changes as well. The 0L to 7L series rifles has the same front sights as the L1A1 SLR rifles. The 8L series was unique and most service rifles had the from sight screws buggered up from the sight adjustment/gas tool.
Got a chance to fire this and the C2 (S.A.W) version on my advance small arms instructor course in Gagetown. The most enjoyable shooting experience ive ever had.
First encountered the C1A1 as a 16 year-old Militia Infantryman, back when you could join at 16. I spent more time with the C2, but appreciated the penetrating power of the 7.62x51 in both. I also have a vivid memory of one of those dial sights coming apart while doing advance to contact on a live-fire ex. My shooting was noticeably less precise from there, but it was with a C2 so it didn't matter much.
hello my new friend i just subbed to you . i was in the Canadian forces in the 70s and 80s , the trigger guard we use to take off and turn the guard around and the finger guard would fold down and fit into the pistol grip for winter use . the trigger was exposed then so you could use it with gloves or cold weather mittens . nice review .
Finally a good vid on the C1A1. I carried one in my first 5 years in the army. I always felt our FAL was superior to that of other countries...except...that butt catch to break it open. That could be quite difficult. Typically we'd hold the rifle vertical and bang the butt onto a table while operating the catch. Often this resulted in a sudden break and the breach block and carrier (that's hat we called it - not bolt) sliding out onto the ground. The first unit to replace the C1A1 with the C7 was 3 PPCLI for its deployment to Cyprus in 1988. This was followed by our Germany units in the same year. 30 years of service.
Hold it vertically by the butt with the pistol grip pointed to one's left, grasp the neck of the butt between one's right thumb and forefinger with the forefinger curled around the butt release catch, and let gravity do the work.
I had the opportunity to shoot a C1D. A few remained in a vault after the C1s were retired. Full auto with a light barrel. Totally weird to shoot when you're used to C1A1 and C2A1 but it will give anyone the largest smile he's never had.
My father used to tell me about the weapon during his time in the service when they switched from the Enfield. In 1987 when I was got a job in the reserves and we used the C1A1s then -- the Canadian military was only part way through transitioning to the C7 and started with frontline units. They were heavy (especially during rifle drills), they hit like a truck (at the range when operating the targets if someone missed low it was like a they tossed a bucket of gravel over you), they were annoyingly long (getting in and out of vehicles, trying to handle them at night, etc.), and they were insanely reliable (never had a misfire in the entire unit, easy to clean, nice big parts, etc.). The weapon was in service for so long. I know some military still miss it simply as the range and stopping power of the weapon was so great.
I used the FN when I was in the Forces. It has NEVER been forgotten When you showed close ups, I started mentally stripping the rifle, each action as fresh as it was when I was in basic
During my training for the British military I was trained on the British version of this weapon, commonly referred to as the SLR, part of the training was to load a magazine with 20 rounds in (I think) 20 seconds, no easy feat under test conditions, took a lot of practice and techniques to do it. The SLR being replaced by the SA80 was bitter sweet, the SLR was a great weapon but weighed a ton, whereas the SA80 was a plastic nightmare but weighed so little, if the could have combined the good bits from both that would have been a bonus, but alas no. Thanks for sharing this this look back in time, I reckon I could still field strip it and remember all the drills, even with it being 40 years since I had even seen one. 👍
I beg to differ, the SA80 weighed nearly 1.5 lbs less than the SLR empty, I.e unloaded, and loaded would have been more due to the difference in magazine and rounds weight. The SLR also felt much heavier due to it being a long barrelled weapon and unlike the SA80 the rifle sling could not be used to support it when being carried as you could not hope to bring it into use as the sling didn’t allow you to move it into a firing position, whereas the SA80 with a click of the clasp extended the sling so you could operate it with ease. If you put a SUSAT on the SA80 it added little in weight or handling characteristics, the SLR on the other hand with a night vision scope or even day sight became a behemoth both in weight and handling. Try holding a loaded SLR (made safe, or dummy rounds) by the flash eliminator with your arm extended forwards and see how long you can do it for, then repeat that with the SA80, believe me that you need to be superman to hold the SLR in that way for any length of time, the SA80 was a lot easier due to less weight and short barrel. As a matter of interest is your comment made from an experience or Wikipedia point of view? If from experience then our memories of the two rifles are not on the same plane, if Wikipedia, don’t believe everything you read.
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Dj Phantom you're triggering my Walter Mitty alarms with your defensiveness and storytelling. 1.5 pounds lighter, so practically the same weight (for a shorter weapon in a smaller caliber), just like I said, unlike a FAMAS or Steyr AUG. Does my info come from Wikipedia? No! Was I in the army? No! But plenty of my family members were. In fact, my brother had the honour of being made permanently deaf in one ear thanks to the broken piece of shit that was the SA80A1 (that the MoD knew was faulty) blowing up in his face.
Served in 1 Airborne Field Squadron from 72 to 76. Carried a C2. Dropped into some cold stuff up north, some hot stuff in the Mojave, even took it to Cyprus in 74. Hell of a weapon! Never let us down as a section weapon. Loved that piece of kit. Thanks for the excellent video. Brings back memories, friend.
In the OPP we had those rifles and Marlin 3030s in early 80s. Got replaced by Ruger Mini 14 , which got replaced by Colt Diemaco C8 CQB about 15 years ago. All officers could sign them out for patrol. Nobody wanted the 12 g pump shotguns.
Great video, I was a CAF recruit and went through basic Training with the C1. I believe we were one of the last troops to use these in Basic. When we attached to our regiment the C7 was the standard issue rifle.
I found this interesting because I had 2 L1A1 rifles that were used by the New Zealand Armed Forces. The 2 I had came from the New Zealand Army when they released approximately 2,000 for public sale.They were either $500 or $600 from memory depending on if you had Wooden or Plastic furniture on them.There are some differences between the L1A1 and C1A1 of course but they are very similar. The New Zealand Navy still uses these for firing lines between ships. Unfortunately because of the bastard that killed the people in Christchurch ALL Semi-Auto rifles are now illegal. . I will be moving to VietNam soon for my retirement, I will not have any firearms there but will continue to watch your Channel to which I am subscribed. I still think the FAL based rifles and the 7.62mm round was an awesome combination.
Having taken a few CAD classes, yeah, changing angle projection drawings from one to another is tedious even with a computer to help you out, let alone doing it by hand AND having to work out how to convert properly from Metric units and tolerances to Imperial units and tolerances and make the thing work. I do not envy the guys who put in those hours. It was always such a relief when we'd get to the part of the class where we were allowed to let the 3-D modeling software generate those projection drawings automatically. Of course, me being me, when we were given a chance to make 2-D line drawings of whatever we we wanted, so long as it was a real object, I opted to use an old M16 three-prong flash hider. THAT was fun to do the projection drawings of manually. Realistically, it wasn't that bad, it's just all of the projection lines to line up the features could get a bit confusing.
I recall the plastic furniture UK (L1A1 SLR) version had a similar trigger guard arrangement but having loosened it with the combination tool, the guard itself simply folded into the space behind the strap in the pistol grip leaving the trigger exposed. It looks like this was the same arrangement.
I was in the Canadian reserves during the early 1960's and this was my service rifle at the time. I think it was important to mention the gas adjustment knob above the barrel. I heard that troops that used it extensively in the field screwed it wide open and learned to live with the recoil because it was prone to "carbon up" through use and would cause the action to fail to cycle at the worst possible time.
Yup, Cadets would do that on Vancouver Island, I remember when folks would take these home in their ruck, I was 10 the first time I held one of those rifles. A year later I was learning on a surplus Enfield. Fun times.
All FALs were banned by name in Canada with the introduction of the Firearms Act. Now very few people in this country can own a piece of our history. Sad.
I was in the reserves in the 80s and loved this rifle. Many happy days spent on the range putting holes into paper with decent accuracy. Many unhappy periods trudging around Petawawa in both sweltering, bug infested heat, and bitter, frostbite inducing cold. If I were young, I’d enlist again in a snap.
Glad to hear it, been in the enlistment application process for in an infantry PRes unit for the past 6 months, can't wait for covid to be over so I can get my medical and get in. Cheers to you man, I'll hopefully be going through the same stuff in petawawa soon enough!
@@buckwang5039 Best of luck, I hope that you can get in soon, when it is safe of course. You will get pushed to your limits (at least the ones that you believed you had) and beyond, and then you will realize that there is little holding you back.
Nicolas's Dirtbike I joined in 1984, so I imagine that things have changed considerably. For instance, my unit had no computers while I served. All records were kept on paper and the most advanced machine in HQ was a typewriter. Some things, however, will not have changed like fitness. Start a running program and look up what the starting fitness requirements are for your trade. You will need to be able to complete a 5km run as well as do a shorter distance within a certain time. Push-ups and sit-ups have always been a staple, so get good at those. Other than that, keep asking questions and see if you can get directed to forums for new recruits or those looking into the CF as a career. Good luck to you.
blacksmith67 thank you. I will take what you said too heart. I appreciate the advice and I have always been an excellent runner. But I’ll need too really work on my push ups and sit-ups as well as core strength. How old do I have to be, to be deployed?
I used this rifle in my National Service training in 1968, so this is a trip down memory lane for me. We called ours the SLR - Self Loading Rifle - and they were made, under licence, in Australia. 3:16 The Canadians didn't see full-auto as an effective use of the ammunition. Neither did we - we also had a heavy-barrel version of the SLR, weighing 11 pounds, with a 30-round magazine and full-auto setting. It was mainly issued to drivers and I watched some of them on the range one day. The woodwork under the barrel folded down to make a bipod, but that didn't help on full auto - the heavy recoil of the 7.62 mm round and relative light weight of the rifle made it uncontrollable. We also trained with the Bren Gun and General Purpose Machine Gun. Each weighed 23 pounds, which soaked up the recoil far more effectively. The standard SLR with a full auto setting would have been worse than useless and a waste of ammunition. 14:00 I never heard of the stripper clip for this rifle until now - you learn something new every day.
I knew a guy who used those and he said the carrying handle balance point made it difficult to shoot as it was heavy on the barrel end.The way they had to fling them up and catch the pistol grip to carry them also resulted in injuries if you miscalculated and snagged your underarm on the sight guards.He was fond of saying that if you know an enemy is hiding behind a tree,shoot the tree and you'll get him,unlike the 223 which tended to tumble.
I carried and shot these for many years, beginning as a seventeen-year-old reserve Infantryman while still in high school. The carrying handle had nothing to do with shooting and balance, and the rifle was not barrel-heavy. By "fling them up", I presume you mean the drill movement from Order Arms to Shoulder Arms. At the Order Arms position, the butt would be resting on the ground with the right hand on the foresight and the rifle vertical. On the first movement of Shoulder Arms, the rifle would be smartly snapped upwards and, as the right hand dropped to grasp the pistol grip, the left hand would come across the body to grasp the forestock. On the second movement, after a short standard pause, the left hand would cut back to the position of Attention, and the right hand would pull the pistol grip back slightly so that the right thumb would align with the seam of one's trousers and the rifle would move from a vertical position to one with a slight slope forward. The movement is the same for the C7 rifle today. Yes, some practice was necessary to get it right, but I never saw a single injury from that. It was not a particularly difficult movement and, after a couple of attempts, people far dumber than me could do it with only the right hand.
@@TheLoachman Well he was there I wasn't.I always wondered why Canada bought those when M16/Ar 15 designs were readily available next door.Lighter.full auto,and compatible with US military ammunition seemed like a better option to me.
Actually the size of the round is an interesting thing. As originally designed by FN it should have been smaller than 7.62. Sorry going by memory and somewhere I have the FAL Bible published in the late 80's and been years since I have thought about this. But as I recall after WWII the allies/NATO wanted to standardize. So lots of talking and testing ensued. They came up with whatever and FN designed to that. The Americans, sorry guys, wanted something with more punch to it but smaller than earlier versions and thats where 7.62 came from. And oh, damn it would you know it it happens to be a Winchester size round. How bout that. Anyway FN redesigns the FAL to 7.62 otherwise all that extra weight we humped around in our hands would have been in our packs as ammo.
@@TheLoachman I found some data,and loaded the weapon was ten pounds and balanced at the carry handle.So in comparison to today's gear,could be considered "barrel heavy."
Absolute favorite weapon from my younger days, we just lovingly referred to it as the FN. Was in cadets at Vernon when they introduced us to these. learning how to field strip, care for and shoot the FN at 14, kids today will never understand. Was so sad when they made it restricted here in Canada.
If you ever fired one, you certainly wouldn't forget it! I took my battle school training in Wainwright, Alberta in 1981 after being in the reserves (Canadian Scottish 7 Platoon) for a few years... First couple of weeks was all live fire, including a 10,000 metre advance to contact and the FN (which is what we called it, not the FAL) was the standard issue... Humping that all that distance while being scored on our accuracy was something I'll never forget... We cleared that objective in a time that hadn't been beaten since the late 50's... To say that the reg force guys (3 PPCLI) hated us after that would be an understatement... It was a hell of a weapon
The C-1D was adopted under contract by Argentina from FN and used by British Para's on Falkland Island campaign over their own semi auto FAL's to devastating effect in several engagements
Metric FALs were offered with selective -fire capability. The Argentinians used metric FALs. Few C1Ds were produced, and I'd be surprised if any found their way that far south.
When I was a kid I really wanted to get my hands on one of those . And when I joined the Canadian army I thought finally I'll get to operate one . But I was too late . The FN was replaced with the C7 . I went to buy one but the government had band them making the FN prohibited in Canada . I did get to hold one though ... It felt awesome : )
The C1A1 is all I’ve known. LOL Then in 1978 a platoon of us from 1VP went on exchange to Fort Ord, CA and I was issued an M203 on an M16A1. Pure joy. Easier to clean, more modern design, pack many more 30 round mags on my personal kit. Then we returned and were deployed to Nicosia, Cyprus. I never felt outgunned with my 4L6178!! Cheers, Peace Be The Journey!
8L's were the last off the line as you said and had a few C2 components. If you knew anything it was the C1 you wanted. Handguards either had the slots or didn't. For look cool value you would try and get those. The rear sight was called "flip disk sight of the aperture type". When I had young eyes my maximum effective range was 400m. I thought the sights were alright. That is until the spring would go & they would too easily get folded down. I remember a few years after switching to the C7 & C9 a member of my unit wrote a paper for school. It was comparing the FN's to the new stuff. Everyone surveyed (had experience with both) preferred the C1 to the C7 but they preferred the C9 to the C2. The C1 just gave you confidence in breaking things/people. That being said I was glad I had a C7A2 in Afghan.
I used a varient of this in the early 90's. I think it was an L1A1(or was it 2). We just called it an SLR, self loading rifle, us Aussies like to keep things simple. And while all our rifles were semi automatic only, a matchstick could easily modify this to full automatic. Comms cord worked better as you could leave a short length of the cord out, this meant it was easy to remove if an Officer started to get curious.
I love the FN FAL c1A1 when I was in Army Cadets in the 1980s that was the first rifle I'd ever shot and from the standpoint of somebody who at the time was a total novice to Firearms it was just effortless to learn. I mean to use the weapon practically you never had to take your hand off the pistol grip you could load and charge the weapon with the other hand and maintain your sight picture at the same time. And as much as people go Gaga over the AR or over HKS or over the AK-47 with the FN FAL C1 A1 having that charging handle on the left side so you can up operate the magazine charging lever and be able to get back on target almost seamlessly. And the weapon was a Workhorse unlike other rifles that was jam up under repeated use this thing could take it and the sites we had on them we're beautiful. True it carried some weight to it but given the fact it was a 7.62 and that that extra beef to it it would have kick like a mule. Breaking down and maintaining the weapon was really easy it was it's one of those weapons you can break it down give it a good thorough cleaning field cleaning anyways and reassemble. And being Canadian I can't actually own an AK-47 but it's very similar do the SKS that I do own and that's a pain in the ass to reassemble whereas the FN is a breeze.
I trained on this and the C2 a long time ago before they were phased out. An awesome weapon, accurate but the kick, you had to know your marksmanship principles. The only problem at the end was they rusted fast so you cleaned them asap. This brings back memories.
Ian, the trigger guard folds back and is inserted into the pistol grip and secured with the screw. I did carry this as my. personal weapon for 9 years in the Canadian Army. Love all your shows.
As a kid I was enthralled by the second page of the Sydney I Robinson Co outfitter catalogue. Page 2 had a full illustration of the FN rifle they sold for a few hundred $ Man I wanted that but had to do with the Cooey .22LR my Dad gave me.
Bill Bird I remember looking at the SIR catalogue when I was a whippersnapper. I wasn't sure if I remembered correctly that you could buy surplus FN's back then. I think my dad was toying with the idea of getting one and then opted not to. I was always curious if those who did get them had to turn them in or if they were grandfathered?
@@SgtMjr You could keep them but not take them out of the house and could only sell them to other prohib FN owners so not much fun there. Other than the OPP rifles and the odd rifle that somehow escaped the system C1s were never made available to the public in any quantity. Back in the 1970's Lever Arms in Vancouver brought in a sea can full of L1A1s from Australia and sold then for $200. each. My buddies and I were always hanging around the store and got hired to unload the container and document the rifles. We got pick of the litter. :) I sold mine when they went prohib unfortunately :(
Fabrique Nationale Herstal 3: verse 15: And Gun Jesus said, "If though does not know the difference in projection angles, though shall go unto Google and educate thyself."
Wonderful to see this one, brings back memories. Not sure if it has been commented before but for winter use the trigger guard folded over and was stored in the pistol grip. I miss that beast. I never used one that was younger than me.
The fixed pin failure in early Ex-1and Ex-2 and In American T- series weapons was extremely dangerous not only for slam fire, but it would mag dump the rest of the rounds full- auto ,without stopping, as the disconnector does not have a chance to stop the action... only the trigger.
Miss my old FNC1 (the rifle PT not so much). It was a great rifle with good stopping power. Probably not as practical as the C7 these days but would make a nice hunting rifle. I would dearly love to get my hands on one.
"They build 20 tool room rifles... oh look, I have one right here next to me!"
Oh Ian, casually just mentioning you have a 1 of 20 primordial FAL under the table
"And let me put this back on the floor."
Best job ever
@SyrupCartel oh cool, did your uncle build it and loan it to you?
Ian has ascended to one of the top 5 times a UA-camr has flexed on his own community. XD
The Grey Room!
Funny story; my Grandfather, Art Thomas, helped with the development of this rifle. During testing in arctic conditions, he discovered that the firing mechanism was made of a cheaper, lower quality metal that would freeze easily, causing the mechanism to shatter in cold climates, almost resulting in a weapon explosion during testing. After the change was implemented he helped oversee continued quality of manufacturing for the Canadian military. Love ya grandpa, RIP you glorious bastard.
don't keep your gun in the tent with you or it will freeze
Oh shut up you people, It’s not very respectful to his Grandfather. If this story really is fake then it was a very interesting false story.
Look it up if you dont believe someones personal story, this was a real person. Just a quicl google on the name prooves that
@Dillon Duncan Yeah because nothing ever happens on the internet
Rest in piece mate
We met in Army cadets. We were young and liked to play "strip and assemble" beside the parade square....
Put a lot of rounds down range at Base Borden back in the day
I let you remove my trigger guard so we could perform some winter exploration with our gloves on
Army cadets of India, have strip and assemble of this rifle (called 7.62 SLR) as a part of our curriculum here.
@@aryamanarukh Ummm... I don't think the 3 smartasses above are talking aboot firearms. (Yes, I'm Canadian, ay?)
@@kevinohalloran7164 now that I pay more attention, i realise that's true....
I'll show myself out
The 10-round clip looks easier to use with cold fingers and thick gloves.
That’s exactly what I was thinking
I wonder if a horseshoe stripper clip would load rounds smoother into an sks as opposed to regular sks stripper clips.
Nice to see im not the only one who's had this video randomly recommended to me. Hope you're having a good day Lloyd, im a big fan of your channel.
ehhhhhhh lindybeige !!!!!!
Lindybeige commenting on a forgotten weapons video! My two favorite channels!
As a former Canadian Forces, I can tell you that it is not "a weird disc rear sight" but rather the BEST rear sight of all FALs easily facilitating iron sight ranges of 600 meters. While in Toronto, you need to cover the C2 full auto select. The Canadian FNs also included a .22 conversion insert barrel and action for indoor range training with the C1 and C2.
I liked that sight more than the prototype one myself, it looked nifty.
When I was a member of 'C' Squadron 1st Hussars in 1979, we did part of our basic training at Canadian Forces Base London (aka CFB London, or Wolseley Barracks). One of the things we did was range practice with our issue FN C1A1 rifles. Because we had to use the pistol range on base, our rifles were fitted with the .22 conversion kit.
Since CFB London existed pretty much in the middle of the city, the .22 conversion kits were likely used to cut down on noise; the pistol range was more like a concrete-walled pit with no roof than a true indoor range.
Needless to say, the .22 calibre round doesn't generate enough gas to cycle the action of the FN rifle, so we had to cock our rifles manually after each shot.
I remember that day very clearly. It's hard to believe that day took place exactly 40 years ago this month.
@@stevestruthers6180 Steve: We used the .22 sub-cal at Moss Park Armouries and Fort York basement ranges and they worked well semi-auto. Maybe your ammo was not up to it or the devices were dirty. Using this device on a C2 full auto resulted in this cool flame out the side...
rusty nuts Did you ever have anyone break it by getting it snagged somewhere? I seem to recall a few infantiers snagging it while doing ticky tacks and somehow breaking the thing off!!! LOL!!! Still, I do agree with you, I liked that sight a lot. Of all of the iron sights I have ever used, I found that one the most functionally reliable and accurate.
@@stevestruthers6180 not quite a noise issue. The danger template on the 7.62 was considerably larger than the area available, so subcal was the solution.
Btw, we used the subcals quite a bit in the ranges at Minto in Winnipeg. Cini-traget (that's the Threat movie with a sound system stopping the movie when you fired, and scrolling paper roll which was backlit so you could see where your shots went) was the best !
Who else was sad when Ian didn't use the stripper clip?
I was really close to crying
It was quite the tease. Does anyone know of video of one of those clips being used? Or standard clips for that matter.
@@ludaMerlin69 you will come to your dayly worship of the gun savyour!!!!
He may not have done it cause the rounds may have been live. But yeah, pretty sad
@@BazsiHHH and you too?
:))
I humped one of those beauties many, many miles. Great rifle, very accurate, but to be honest, when we switched to the C7 (M16), I was pretty happy. The weight difference between the two was quite substantial. Then, we just ended up carrying more ammo...so any savings from a lighter rifle was made up with more rounds! Still, ammo in magazines on webbing is easier to carry.
still needed less rds to do the job and could reach out effectively twice as far though effect on armour is better too but for the spay and pray gang yeh ,,ok sure
When I joined we had just changed and I heard tons of complaints. I have fired old beat up fal’s and actually had one come to pieces on me and gave me some nasty tattoos and a buzzing hand for well over a week. (Never found out exactly why it blew up, possibly an over-charge or fired out of battery).
I’m curious, did anyone show you guys how to convert it to full auto using a piece of folded business cars or paper matches? I was lead to believe it could runaway occasionally when this trick was used because the semiauto trip was covered.
@@john-paulsilke893 ATF go away
to add a silly anecdote, the carrying handle on the old FN could be used to hook your rifle to your web belt while on parade. On a long march it was nice to take that almost 10 lb load off your arm.
As a machinist I can't begin to imagine how much of a pain it was to convert all of those drawings before CAD or even modern computers existed. I'm surprised they got it done in 18 months.
I know this is one year old but can you elaborate on why or link to something explaining this? When I looked up the difference I found its only the order in which the views are depicted which would be an easy conversion of course so I must be missing the point. But in all pictures or videos, the single images look the same. And why does the machinist care what is considered "the front"?
@@Zatarra48 Esentially, the big problem here is that the projection angle was different. 1st angle and 3rd angle projections are drastically different, 3rd projection was the standard for machining in Canada (and still is). To break it down, 1st and 3rd projection show their front, side, and top angles differently. Considering that 3rd was the standard and there wasn't a lot of people or info to help convert from 1st to 3rd. That's why it's astounding that they got it done in only 18 months.
@@CasualEnjoyer701 thank you for your time to answer :) I will consult with people from my workplace to maybe come up with an Example or more hands on experience about the exact difficulties.
@@Zatarra48 Yeah! those are just my best guesses but even to this day (the people I know) use imperial still. yeah!
@@Zatarra48 I regularly work with design drawings and the difference between 1st and 3rd angle projection is similar to the difference between inch and mm: both communicate the same info, but if you're primarily versed in using one format and given info in the other, you'll typically need to convert it which slows things down and creates opportunity for error.
Basically, 1AP moves the object, not the Viewer's reference frame (camera). Moving up the page rolls the part up, so you're now looking at the bottom of it. 3AP moves the camera, so moving up the page moves the camera up over the part so that you're now looking at the top of it.
The views themselves don't necessarily change, but their relative alignments on the page are reversed. Since relative view alignments are used to convey info about the relative alignments of features in those views, this can require some mental gymnastics to get yourself reoriented if the drawing uses a projection you're not accustomed to.
Working with drawings using a different projection is a bit like scrolling the wheel on your mouse and it having the opposite effect of what you expected in certain applications; it's initially disorienting but you figure it out soon enough.
My dad transitioned from the Lee Enfield to the C1 during his service and I transitioned from the C1 to the C7 during mine. I preferred the C1. I liked the longer range effectiveness of the 7.62 NATO as a rifleman.
The C1 is a fine rifle, but realistically no infantry officer is using its full range. You're going to call in a GPMG, sniper rifle and what not.
5.56 guns are still very accurate at longer ranges and they're accurate in burst and full auto which gives the soldier more firepower and because 5.56 is smaller and lighter, it's easier to carry more ammo and easier to train soldiers to shoot them to an expert/marksman level so in the ranges that soldiers usually fight in(under 300m), they will fire more accurately with a 5.56 weapon than a 7.62 weapon due to the lesser recoil and the C7 is lighter and easier to carry.
Having been in the Canadian infantry in the late '70s, I can tell you the only thing I think you missed was the cleaning kit compartment in the rifle butt. I am always impressed with how well researched your videos are. Great job here.
I was a reservist in the 80's and loved the cleaning kit in the butt just never liked using it. This beast of a rifle brings back too many memories
@@kevinm4022 That was worst part of an exercise - getting back and having to clean the weapon to an NCO's satisfaction, before being allowed to go home.
Navy didnt get those :-\
@@harleyme3163 do you mean the RCN didn't get the semi only or FN at all?
FN was used in the CF till early 90s. I was PAT platoon in Borden when the airborne came to Borden to trial the C7 in the built up area. I used the FN but got our rumps handled to us by the paras!
FAL that takes stripper clips? I'm in love. Be still my beating heart, for your vessel may never be sufficiently financially stable to own a rifle like this one
Even america has a fal that does that as well..
Indonesians can't even get airsoft guns without a license...
@@hellothere5843 Even England.
@@موسى_7 oh bummer
@@slaughterround643 We're allowed to own semi-autos... with a maximum of 5 cartridges. Worst, the C1A1 ownership is banned under gun regulations as it is an assault rifle. I wished that I purchased one in the few months were they allowed. Nowadays, they would be only catching dust as they are not allowed to be used. Oh well...
There's a typo in the title. It should read: C1Eh1.
...I'll show myself out.
KyleOfCanada And stay ut.
Ba-domph!
Eh bai.
Awesome!
Take off!
It makes me so sad knowing that as a Canadian I am not allowed to own one of these beautiful pieces of our military history...
They come up from time to time but are welded solid and only good as a door stop or boat anchor.
@@BigLisaFan might as well buy an airsoft gun at that point.
trust me you dont want one, my nieghbour had one, theyre to easy to convert to fulll auto, only reason theyre banned..... but its sooooo heavy, and I mean, its a chore carrying let alone shouldering it is almost impossible for me, and I got no prob shouldering a barret .50cal..... I'd believe the 1a1 weighsa twice that barret.... and his was Navy .308 cal. would not be fun to shoot.. ps the ammo is astill only a dollar or 2 a round but.. it will eventually cease to exist :-\
@@harleyme3163 I don’t think .308/7.62x51 is going anywhere anytime soon lol. Very popular round… Especially here in Canada where we dont have a large number of 5.56 weapons.
@@harleyme3163 That's not what the FRT said when Campbell reclassified semi-auto FALs to prohibited in 1992 via OIC.
We trained with these in the Canadian reserves, in the early 1980s. For a 17 year old kid going into grade 12, the first 'range day' with the FN was pretty darn intense, and fun!
I used it in cadets before a joined the reserves. I was 14 think of how intense that was for me
80s summers were awesome in the Cdn Reserves. For a kid from North Van to travel to CFB Nanaimo, Chilliwack, Vernon, and Wainwright it was quite a magical time. My beloved C1 traveled everywhere with me.
Could you imagine a 12 year old cadet up for basic training , coming home with a black eye from the unexpected recoil hahahaha
I did as well!
Fired these in 1962 shortly after joining a militia regt
Had fired the rifle No
4 as an army cadet, which was not a good experience
The No 4 had considerable recoil (when you are 16 yrs and 120 lbs wt). In addition, my rifle (serial no. 89L6872) was a S ( small) and was difficult to hold tightly to the shoulder. The FN recoiled straight back and was very pleasant to shoot and very accurate. The old Lee-Enfield was a good rifle in its day but you needed plenty of range practice to get the best out of it.
(
4
As a Canadian I enjoy Ian's work on Canadian armament simply because he knows a helluva lot more about it than I.
I'm impressed also.....much of this I'd forgotten but it came back listening to him.
That's the same rifle I used when I was in the CDN Army Signals Reserve, back in the early 1970's (I was still in High School).
Still pissed that the CDN Gov will allow me to own an SKS (my son has one) but I'm not allowed to own the rifle I'm most familiar with.
isnt it something to do with the fal being easily converted to full auto ?
Yes it was easy to convert where you had to do is file the shaft on the safety leaver. That was the only difference between the C1 and C 2. As well the C2 had a heavier Barrel.
@@xmm-cf5eg And we can't get the M305A in any form sadly.
7.62 x39mm That was a Clinton Crime Family move. Nothing Chinese.
the government is a silly bugger , I fear alot of C1A1s were sheared in half and destroyed
*"For the FAL in the North!"*
*Gun Jesus remembers... The North Remembers*
Da Norf!
Haha i was going to comment the same exact thing 😂
@@brainfat1 Winter is coming....sorry
@@TheWolfsnack Winter is already here: it's only 27 degrees.
No, wait, that's Celcius. I'm melting!
its for keeping your pet house hippo safe AND keeping the wild house hippo populations from getting too large!!!
only the real Canucks know what it fuckin is that I'm talking about!
fuck yeah bud! gotta give your house hippo a Molson Canadian bath when its bath day, or else she'll get all flakey and itchy on ya and ya won't be wantin an upset house hippo thanks to some itchiness, trust me, I still have the nightmares from the night I learned that lesson the hard way!
& trust me partner, there aint no highway on ramps near in sight once she starts getting squirrely on ya bud!
I carried a 3L series C1A1 rifle. It, and all the others I saw had the ventilated handguards. I also never saw a special winter trigger. The guard folded into the pistol grip. Worked just fine even with heavy mittens but you did have to be careful about snagging the trigger.
Beautiful rifle.
I not only never saw a special winter trigger, but never even heard of such a thing.
Aha, I was wondering about that. Explains why I couldn't find anything in search. So it's just a "stow-away" then? Interesting.
Exactly.
Thanks for the vid. This takes me back. I remember my C1A1 freezing absolutely solid at CFB Borden back around 1982. If you made the mistake of taking your rifle into a (relatively) warm tent from minus zero weather, condensation would freeze the bolt and trigger group stiff when you took it back outside.
One other "training scar" back in the day was far more literal. I remember seeing more than a couple of troops back in the day with the same crescent-shaped scar under their right eyes. Consequence of the enormous rear sight contacting cheek if the rifle got away from you.
As heavy and cumbersome as these were, I wish I had one today. But of course the Canadian government long-ago deemed these far too dangerous for Canadian civilians to own, so they're "prohibited class" firearms. Even if you have one grandfathered, there's nowhere you can legally shoot it. We've never been so safe :/
That's not just an FN issue. During the 'redeployment' from the Chosin Reservoir, the US Marines and the US Army that were executing breakouts (as Chesty Puller put it 'We weren't retreating, we were attacking every day') and when some of the units were trying to help hold open some of the paths to let the Marines get through, they had Browning .30s with the tripod. Problem was you were danged if you do, danged if you don't. If you didn't fire them regularly, they'd freeze up. If you did fire them at night, the Chicoms could pinpoint your fighting position. Cold weather can (if cold enough) can even make lubricants fairly much like taffy.
Ya god forbid enthusiasts, collectors veterans etc are allowed to preserve something of our own history right?
Other than being obvious walking probable cause, don’t know how something like that is a threat to Canadians, honestly rather see that at a distance worst case day(and run!), than never see the glocks they legally allow to be sold something is actually likely to be grey area legally owning and packing.
Hypotheticals but ya, some serious nonsense when it comes to long barrelled firearms here.
@@BRBMrSoul your first mistake is trying to make any sense of our gun laws. Good luck with that.
But don't worry. Since (unelected anti-gun extremist) Heidi Rathjen is apparently the one who decides Canadian firearm policy, they'll all be prohibited by 2025. On the upside, you won't have to waste any more time trying to understand what guns are permissible.
@@BRBMrSoul There's serious nonsense across all aspects of law. Ever been to court? It's an absolute clown show.
That’s why you left a loaded round in the chamber on winter ex. I it froze, you just fired off a round.
The trigger guard actually folds back around the plate it is mounted to and fits inside the pistol grip. The plate is then reattached.
Ah yes, one of my favorite commonwealth FAL variants. Heres hoping to see the L2A1 in the near future as well.
I bet it would be a C2A1. MAG as a few of these in their vaults.
@@simonforget280 If you look closely, top left corner in the background. There is one there...
I'd recognize that foldable handguard/bipod anywhere. I have one myself you see.
@@ardenelenduil2334 You're totally right! I've overlooked that one!
@@ardenelenduil2334 Lucky. Bastard.
@@PatGilliland Well, it's not a C2A1, but an Aussie L2A1, which is extremely similar except for a few differences like the trumpet compensator for instance.
10:30 The word you're looking for is "Commonwealth."
That's the politically correct term ... the actual term is"empire" :)
@@benedictarnold5376 lol no, empire was used when the British actually had control over the government. Commonwealth is used when we all (Canada, Australia, etc.) established our own distinct government bodies but still wanted to keep close relationship to Britain.
Interesting fact. In the 1770s, the American continental congress originally wanted to have commonwealth status, just like Canada and Australia, but King George the third didn't agree with it. It wasn't until after that rejection that full independence was pursued.
@St. Petersberg that's not accurate. We don't care about Brexit more than the US does. Certainly less than France or Germany do. And because Ireland is not leaving the EU we can keep on drinking Guiness as usual. The UK can certainly keep thair straw-haired PM.
Technically during the 50s Canada still ;couldn't ammend its constitution without the ratification in the UK by the head of state, We didn't get our full status until the 80s. even though the nation stems from 1867. so EMPIRE is kinda incorrect. Commonwealth is most accurate if but slightly imprecise. As of 1982 we have a fully autonimous government.
The FAL in the North!
I DO want it.
Ya did a great yeeorb, the chort.
It really sucks they got the saw and were prohibited
Prohibited here. I think those left in inventory were destroyed.
@@Tango4N yeah I think the only ones that were torched were the OPP rifles
@@Tango4N yes, by the time Harper was in Government they were so we'll unkept they were worthless to even be surplused if moved back to non restricted so they got melted down.
As a 14 year old Army Cadet in the early 70s we shot Lee Enfield 22s, 303s, and then the FNs and at 14 we were ALL impressed with the FN it lead to my interest in shooting and firearms
how the hell were you an army cadet at 14
@Andrew T I thought cadets were in military school or something?
@@Im__Andy-f6x Army, Air, and Sea Cadets were created in Canada in WW2 to train 11-17 years olds military stuff. The organization is still around and funded by the military. It's morphed more into a boy scoutish thing but still a large focus on canadian armed forces.
In the UK army cadets start around 12 years old
It makes a man cry to see that I will never own one of these after the name ban.
Used the FNC1 as a cadet in the old days. When I went to the CF later in my career, we used the newly adopted C7. I would still to this day take the FN and the 7.62 round over the C7 5.56 The FN was hands down one of the best combat rifles ever made.
“The AK was a weapon for the masses, the FN was a weapon for the classes”. Col Jeff Cooper
I also used this rifle in cadets ...in 86 87..it was chamber in 308 cal
@@toddnicoll9711 quantity has a quality all it's own as Germany discovered
Brazilian here. The FAL was my companion at the Brazilian Army, and I am quite surprised how the cousin from the North is different from Its southern relative.
Good job as always, Gun Jesus!
@@timewave02012 i wish normal gun owners were able to own them down here in Brazil. To be able to do it we must register as gun owner in a different way, to the army, and it is expensive as hell for normal people. Since we aren't shitting gold yet, owning a surplus FAL remains a distant dream in their country of origin :(
HUE HUE BR BR É nois
I heard all the S.A FAL's were full auto, true in Brazil?
@@NeoNyder Brazilian FALs are capable of full auto, and, to some degree, full auto techniques are passed on to at least every corporal in a platoon.
Doctrine of the time, though, said that full auto is for the FAP - The Fusil Automatique Lourd, here known as Fuzil Automático Pesado. It is a heavy barrel, 30-shot, bipod-equipped FAL.
Full auto with the FAL is reserved for emergencies and/or lack of support weapons in a squad.
@@cleidsonaraujopeixoto163 Do we still use FAPs or have we switched to FN MAGs or Minimis?
From memory, when the trigger guard was unscrewed as Ian demonstrated, the actual guard rotated backwards so it went into the cavity in the pistol grip, then the plate was screwed back on. This enabled the rifle to be fired with thick gloves at the expense of the trigger guard. We had the L1A1 in Aust and it is very very similar.
Yes it was
🇦🇺 here. I have the trigger guard, rear sight front sight ejector clips charger handle,flash arrestor.pull throughs full cleaning kit with damage casing removal tool. Mag pouches.
I was issued a brand new out of the grease 1968 C1 when in the militia in the late 70s. It was great on the range! I wish I still had it today.
I fired this when I was in army cadets in 1985. Really cool as a 14 yr old. I still remember the smell of the gun oil on a hot day. The sound of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. And the sound they make when you are under the targets at the range. Then learning how to take it apart and put it back together blind folded. Fun day...
Been there did that too.
Thanks for the video. I joined the Canadian army in 1986 . Did my basic training with the C1, then went on to do my trades training ( as a armourer) where we learned about the C1s. By the time I was finished with my training in Borden Ontario and arrived at my first posting . the rifles were already being replaced by the C7 ( basically a M16A2 for our American friends). I loved the C1 as as a service rifle but it always bruised my cheek bone when firing. It’s also worth mentioning that rifle could be fitted with four different butt lengths for individual soldiers these being short, normal , long and extra long. Again thanks for this video.
I joined in 86 as well. Loved the C1. My first posting was on ships in Esquimalt, and I was part of the Naval Landing & Boarding Party and carried the C2...
Rick Delve wow my first posting was 3PPCLI in Esquimalt. Small world!
as a young impressionable reservist, I was told of the black eyes this thing would give you
Australia made a version for PNG it had the shorter butt, and a shorter barrel.
I did my basic para in 86 as an army cadet, the jump school in Edmonton had old prototype FN C1s they used for jumping, they were pretty beat up but I remember seeing the dates from 1950s on them and thinking 30yrs of use! I joined the reserves(infantry) a year later and we were still using the FN C1A1. The regular forces had already begun switching to the C7s in 1987/88. The main drawback I found with the C1A1 besides the weight of ammo was the great huge open breach area that would easily get sand in it. As every training area from Wainwright, Dundurn and even Borden was very sandy, we had continuous problems with the action jamming due to sand. If it jammed to the rear it was extremely difficult to fix because the charging handle only engages to pull the action to the rear, it does not manually push the action forward. So then you were stuck with the rat tail of the bolt carrier preventing the rifle from opening. Then there was the gas plug, which you had to take out after for cleaning due to the crud build up in the gas piston, and lots of guys in poor light, sweaty fingers, tired, would launch the plug somewhere into the bush, lost forever. 7.62mm has advantages but the C7 was far more reliable.
OMG, I can't believe a weapon I was issued in the CAF is a "forgotten Weapon".
Not forgotten for me
Ya and all of my kit/vehicles are in the museum at Borden. Old eh?
It's not like Canada is large population country. It's armed forces are quite small.
Thanks, as a former CAF member, I instructed many on the use of this weapon. Sure would have wanted one, however our government made that practically impossible. Some other points, they came with stamps on the butt stock, to identify different lengths, I also seem to recall the winter trigger would fold into the pistol grip. I look forward to a video on the C2. There was also a sub calibre adapter for 22 LR.
You feel old when the gun you used to use is on forgotten weapons :( Best weapon made! you needed those stripper clips in the field. my # was 5L4811 i loved that gun
Interesting avatar icon choice for an old vet...
@@aparzoo agreed
Was my most loved and most reliable. Hated the C7 when that came out, retied a short time later.
we always grabbed a handful.....just in case
6L2781 was mine.
I remember carrying one of these as a young soldier. They kicked like a mule the dirtier the gas port got and by the time we were phasing them out for the C7, they were pretty well worn out. The C7 seemed like a joke in feel and kick after these brutes, but they served Canada well. Thanks for the trip back 30-40 years for me.
I spent 10yrs in the Canadian Infantry. The FN was an extension of my body.
The right arm of freedom. I know of no better weapon
Mine had puppies.
"Your wife" - i remember 😃
To be honest in my opinion the C8 was a LITTLE better but I won't debate about it
@@BatBoy7426 Yeah, but after a while, you had the arm strength of an over hormoned teen age boy.
Nice.....thanks for the Canadian content...sad that here in Canada we cannot own our semi auto FAL.....
Denis O'Brien change the stupid law! Oh, first change the liberal government!
@@Seabass1206 The FAL was made prohibited by name in '95 with bill C-68. Only those who owned one at the time the law passed were grandfathered and authorized to own them, but they can't take them to the range and shoot them so they're essentially safe queens.
Same with the AKs that are hanging on the wall behide
Meanwhile, in Australia... ._.
Your lucky your not in Britain we can't even own most guns period!
Similar, yet so different to the Australian L1A1 that I took for long, meaningful walks around the Australian bush.
I've shot the British L1A1 SLR and it was far better than the 5.56
Can't have that anymore though sadly
M E A N I N G F U L walks.
Heavy bustards.
Oh how I love the FAL. It's a damn shame they're prohibited weapons here in Canada
We have bullshit gun laws because we are runned by commies
It's not prohibited if you don't get caught
I'm a simple man: I see an FAL, I leave a like.
...me too..! :)
same
I see *a FAL. Not *an FAL
It's an acronym, pronounced eF A eL. Therefore "an FAL"
Im a simple man: i see a guy talking nice about the fal, i leave a like
Do the Colt Canada C7.
It's our standard issued rifle now a days.
so how do you like the matel toy BB gun ...lol
I would be very interested in this!
@@laurentvilodeau5434 A variant of an AR-15 is a "matel toy BB gun" to you?
Should have stuck to maple syrup or moose jokes. You'd look like less of a dimwit.
@@tssteelx oh, I'll have to look it up! Thanks brother!
@@lankey6969 given that the 5.56 is essentially a militarized .22 long, I do consider anything chambered in it to be a BB gun. Yah, if you're accurate as all hell or get lucky, you might hit something vital, but if I am wearing a vest or you miss, I got a small hole through me or a small bruise, and I'm now pumped full of adrenaline and capable of firing back. Adopting the 5.56 in any way was a huge mistake many militaries made
Loved my C1. Accurate, reliable and easy to clean. I can remember how it worked from pulling the trigger to resetting for the next shot. Even remember her number, 6L2781. Wonder where she is? Probably scrap or rusting in store.
Who can forget that oily wood smell when you went into the arsenal to draw your rifle? Mmmm.
I can own other designed for battle semi-automatic rifles like Russian SKS, Swedish M-42B, American M-1 Garands but even as an ex-soldier, not trusted or allowed to own the rifle I would have defended this country with.
I thought by brain was weird for remembering... 4L6783
Reddin, is that really you? Dieppe Co., RR of C, (very early '70's)?
8L2263 no too far off the one in the video...
Welcome to Canada, where the government treats citizens like children and the citizens beg for more!
I love how bad Canadian gun laws are
I serves in the Canadian infantry R22eR and what a disapointement when they replace our lovely FNC1A1 by that piece of plastique C7 (AR15) we had to learn how to not damaged the new toy the C1A1 was a pretty tuff rifle
Remember this gun well. I however was assigned the C2 variant, solid piece of kit, bit heavier with the flip down bipod, but well worth it for the sake of accuracy.
The C2? It was heavier, a sort of GPMG. You had it assigned to you as punishment, because you mouthed off or were a smart ass. Ask me how I know this.
@Ian The best compliment I can give is that my late father was a British Army trained armourer and he would have loved your work..
As a Canadian firearm enthusiast I thank you for your video. Also makes me sad ill never legally be able to own a semi automatic model of the Right Arm of the Free World as it is prohibited by name.
Out of all the guns banned by name this one is surprising to me. New Canadian government must not like traditional Canada. Sounds like the problem here with the crazy progressives pouring out the wood work
cuz its a vary efficient rifle out to 800 yrds and can be easily maid full auto ,,,easy like childs play to do
@@laurentvilodeau5434 You need extra parts for a conversion and they're hard to make.
And anyone capable of making them is also capable of making an entirely new gun.
@@reinbeers5322 we used to do it with a peice of tape lol
@@laurentvilodeau5434 Open bolt?
This was the first rifle I ever held. Dad was RCEME and we were stationed in Soest (former West Germany) from 1961-64. There was a time when tensions were so high that my dad brought his FN home and propped it in the corner along with his other equipment should they need to bug out quickly. (We had air-raid drills and blackouts regularly). He let me hold it, I was about 3 or 4 and I still remember the folding handle, the size of the magazine, and the weight of the rifle. I have never fired one of these but, to me, it is my holy grail of rifles and I am still pissed at the government for prohibiting these classics. My dad trained on no4 and actually preferred them to the FN....but then he was a farm kid that grew up shooting rabbits and squirrels with a single shot .22.
I really miss shooting these. They where so much fun
When I was in the forces in 1978, they were still using these. Although, being a light armoured reconnaissance unit, we only used the FN C1 and C2 for basic training. Our personal sidearms were Sterling 9mm SMG's after that. By the way, if you knew where to stick a match stick, you could make a C1 full auto.
Or bubble gum wood pitch etc lol
One of my buddies on an FTX in Vernon did the matchstick trick on his C1 and set the front stock alight. Pissed off the Master Bombardier. Good times.
You are looking at a C1A1 8L
series (ex OPP, Ontario Provincial Police) as indicated in your video. This
should have been called a C1A2 rifle but due to the end of the need for more C1’s
it was left the same. Changes to the front sight (removable protectors) and a replaceable
ejector. Several minor changes as well. The 0L to 7L series rifles has
the same front sights as the L1A1 SLR rifles. The 8L series was unique and most
service rifles had the from sight screws buggered up from the sight adjustment/gas
tool.
it does look like the foresight guards off of a FN-C2A1, leave to the Police to mess with classic...
FAL's are one of my favorite battle rifles! It's really cool to see the different variations of them through history. Keep up the good work
I so wish I could own a DSA SA 58 operations specialist 13” bbl in canada
Got a chance to fire this and the C2 (S.A.W) version on my advance small arms instructor course in Gagetown.
The most enjoyable shooting experience ive ever had.
I took my basic at Gagetown 1967 , R.C.D'S . put lots of rnds down range with both , C1 , C2 , lot of fun , long time ago
First encountered the C1A1 as a 16 year-old Militia Infantryman, back when you could join at 16. I spent more time with the C2, but appreciated the penetrating power of the 7.62x51 in both. I also have a vivid memory of one of those dial sights coming apart while doing advance to contact on a live-fire ex. My shooting was noticeably less precise from there, but it was with a C2 so it didn't matter much.
hello my new friend i just subbed to you . i was in the Canadian forces in the 70s and 80s , the trigger guard we use to take off and turn the guard around and the finger guard would fold down and fit into the pistol grip for winter use . the trigger was exposed then so you could use it with gloves or cold weather mittens . nice review .
We did that for Arctic training drills when gloves were a must have.
Finally a good vid on the C1A1. I carried one in my first 5 years in the army. I always felt our FAL was superior to that of other countries...except...that butt catch to break it open. That could be quite difficult. Typically we'd hold the rifle vertical and bang the butt onto a table while operating the catch. Often this resulted in a sudden break and the breach block and carrier (that's hat we called it - not bolt) sliding out onto the ground. The first unit to replace the C1A1 with the C7 was 3 PPCLI for its deployment to Cyprus in 1988. This was followed by our Germany units in the same year. 30 years of service.
Hold it vertically by the butt with the pistol grip pointed to one's left, grasp the neck of the butt between one's right thumb and forefinger with the forefinger curled around the butt release catch, and let gravity do the work.
@@TheLoachman Good call. That's what I was shown by a WO at Moss Park.
I had the opportunity to shoot a C1D. A few remained in a vault after the C1s were retired. Full auto with a light barrel. Totally weird to shoot when you're used to C1A1 and C2A1 but it will give anyone the largest smile he's never had.
My father used to tell me about the weapon during his time in the service when they switched from the Enfield. In 1987 when I was got a job in the reserves and we used the C1A1s then -- the Canadian military was only part way through transitioning to the C7 and started with frontline units. They were heavy (especially during rifle drills), they hit like a truck (at the range when operating the targets if someone missed low it was like a they tossed a bucket of gravel over you), they were annoyingly long (getting in and out of vehicles, trying to handle them at night, etc.), and they were insanely reliable (never had a misfire in the entire unit, easy to clean, nice big parts, etc.). The weapon was in service for so long. I know some military still miss it simply as the range and stopping power of the weapon was so great.
I used the FN when I was in the Forces. It has NEVER been forgotten
When you showed close ups, I started mentally stripping the rifle, each action as fresh as it was when I was in basic
Wow, brings back good memories.. I miss that rifle.
During my training for the British military I was trained on the British version of this weapon, commonly referred to as the SLR, part of the training was to load a magazine with 20 rounds in (I think) 20 seconds, no easy feat under test conditions, took a lot of practice and techniques to do it. The SLR being replaced by the SA80 was bitter sweet, the SLR was a great weapon but weighed a ton, whereas the SA80 was a plastic nightmare but weighed so little, if the could have combined the good bits from both that would have been a bonus, but alas no.
Thanks for sharing this this look back in time, I reckon I could still field strip it and remember all the drills, even with it being 40 years since I had even seen one. 👍
I beg to differ, the SA80 weighed nearly 1.5 lbs less than the SLR empty, I.e unloaded, and loaded would have been more due to the difference in magazine and rounds weight. The SLR also felt much heavier due to it being a long barrelled weapon and unlike the SA80 the rifle sling could not be used to support it when being carried as you could not hope to bring it into use as the sling didn’t allow you to move it into a firing position, whereas the SA80 with a click of the clasp extended the sling so you could operate it with ease. If you put a SUSAT on the SA80 it added little in weight or handling characteristics, the SLR on the other hand with a night vision scope or even day sight became a behemoth both in weight and handling. Try holding a loaded SLR (made safe, or dummy rounds) by the flash eliminator with your arm extended forwards and see how long you can do it for, then repeat that with the SA80, believe me that you need to be superman to hold the SLR in that way for any length of time, the SA80 was a lot easier due to less weight and short barrel.
As a matter of interest is your comment made from an experience or Wikipedia point of view? If from experience then our memories of the two rifles are not on the same plane, if Wikipedia, don’t believe everything you read.
Dj Phantom you're triggering my Walter Mitty alarms with your defensiveness and storytelling. 1.5 pounds lighter, so practically the same weight (for a shorter weapon in a smaller caliber), just like I said, unlike a FAMAS or Steyr AUG. Does my info come from Wikipedia? No! Was I in the army? No! But plenty of my family members were. In fact, my brother had the honour of being made permanently deaf in one ear thanks to the broken piece of shit that was the SA80A1 (that the MoD knew was faulty) blowing up in his face.
When I was in basic training in 1990 I was issued an FN with a 1958 date stamp. It worked perfectly nuff said.
Served in 1 Airborne Field Squadron from 72 to 76. Carried a C2. Dropped into some cold stuff up north, some hot stuff in the Mojave, even took it to Cyprus in 74. Hell of a weapon! Never let us down as a section weapon. Loved that piece of kit. Thanks for the excellent video. Brings back memories, friend.
In the OPP we had those rifles and Marlin 3030s in early 80s. Got replaced by Ruger Mini 14 , which got replaced by Colt Diemaco C8 CQB about 15 years ago. All officers could sign them out for patrol. Nobody wanted the 12 g pump shotguns.
A beautiful weapon. I carried one for years including the C2....
Ah, the gun I was first trained on in the Army Cadets and then the Militia before going full time. It was big and clunky, but very nicely remembered.
I remember taking it to the range in Army Cadets too.
Great video, I was a CAF recruit and went through basic Training with the C1. I believe we were one of the last troops to use these in Basic. When we attached to our regiment the C7 was the standard issue rifle.
"These destroyed markings say O.P.P., for Ontario Provincial Police..."
This gun was down with OPP.
Army with harmony.
Whoever scratched it out was decidedly not down with OPP.
Sad we can't own them anymore up here :(
I found this interesting because I had 2 L1A1 rifles that were used by the New Zealand Armed Forces. The 2 I had came from the New Zealand Army when they released approximately 2,000 for public sale.They were either $500 or $600 from memory depending on if you had Wooden or Plastic furniture on them.There are some differences between the L1A1 and C1A1 of course but they are very similar. The New Zealand Navy still uses these for firing lines between ships. Unfortunately because of the bastard that killed the people in Christchurch ALL Semi-Auto rifles are now illegal. . I will be moving to VietNam soon for my retirement, I will not have any firearms there but will continue to watch your Channel to which I am subscribed. I still think the FAL based rifles and the 7.62mm round was an awesome combination.
It's always an Australian getting everyones semi's taken away.....
Having taken a few CAD classes, yeah, changing angle projection drawings from one to another is tedious even with a computer to help you out, let alone doing it by hand AND having to work out how to convert properly from Metric units and tolerances to Imperial units and tolerances and make the thing work. I do not envy the guys who put in those hours. It was always such a relief when we'd get to the part of the class where we were allowed to let the 3-D modeling software generate those projection drawings automatically. Of course, me being me, when we were given a chance to make 2-D line drawings of whatever we we wanted, so long as it was a real object, I opted to use an old M16 three-prong flash hider. THAT was fun to do the projection drawings of manually. Realistically, it wasn't that bad, it's just all of the projection lines to line up the features could get a bit confusing.
I recall the plastic furniture UK (L1A1 SLR) version had a similar trigger guard arrangement but having loosened it with the combination tool, the guard itself simply folded into the space behind the strap in the pistol grip leaving the trigger exposed. It looks like this was the same arrangement.
I was in the Canadian reserves during the early 1960's and this was my service rifle at the time. I think it was important to mention the gas adjustment knob above the barrel. I heard that troops that used it extensively in the field screwed it wide open and learned to live with the recoil because it was prone to "carbon up" through use and would cause the action to fail to cycle at the worst possible time.
Yup, Cadets would do that on Vancouver Island, I remember when folks would take these home in their ruck, I was 10 the first time I held one of those rifles. A year later I was learning on a surplus Enfield. Fun times.
All FALs were banned by name in Canada with the introduction of the Firearms Act. Now very few people in this country can own a piece of our history. Sad.
@Tomi Tuominen hold up are you a time traveler?
@@ventroid4473 I have so many questions...
@Tomi Tuominen Trudeau
We can have Communist SKSs but not our right arm.
When my dad was in the Canadian Armed Forces (Lord Stratcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) he said that this was the firearm he had the most fun with.
I was in the reserves in the 80s and loved this rifle.
Many happy days spent on the range putting holes into paper with decent accuracy.
Many unhappy periods trudging around Petawawa in both sweltering, bug infested heat, and bitter, frostbite inducing cold.
If I were young, I’d enlist again in a snap.
Glad to hear it, been in the enlistment application process for in an infantry PRes unit for the past 6 months, can't wait for covid to be over so I can get my medical and get in. Cheers to you man, I'll hopefully be going through the same stuff in petawawa soon enough!
@@buckwang5039 Best of luck, I hope that you can get in soon, when it is safe of course. You will get pushed to your limits (at least the ones that you believed you had) and beyond, and then you will realize that there is little holding you back.
I’m hoping too become a combat engineer in the Canadian forces. I am a proud royal army cadet, and a good shot. Any advice you could give me?
Nicolas's Dirtbike I joined in 1984, so I imagine that things have changed considerably. For instance, my unit had no computers while I served. All records were kept on paper and the most advanced machine in HQ was a typewriter.
Some things, however, will not have changed like fitness. Start a running program and look up what the starting fitness requirements are for your trade. You will need to be able to complete a 5km run as well as do a shorter distance within a certain time. Push-ups and sit-ups have always been a staple, so get good at those.
Other than that, keep asking questions and see if you can get directed to forums for new recruits or those looking into the CF as a career. Good luck to you.
blacksmith67 thank you. I will take what you said too heart. I appreciate the advice and I have always been an excellent runner. But I’ll need too really work on my push ups and sit-ups as well as core strength. How old do I have to be, to be deployed?
I used this rifle in my National Service training in 1968, so this is a trip down memory lane for me. We called ours the SLR - Self Loading Rifle - and they were made, under licence, in Australia.
3:16 The Canadians didn't see full-auto as an effective use of the ammunition. Neither did we - we also had a heavy-barrel version of the SLR, weighing 11 pounds, with a 30-round magazine and full-auto setting. It was mainly issued to drivers and I watched some of them on the range one day. The woodwork under the barrel folded down to make a bipod, but that didn't help on full auto - the heavy recoil of the 7.62 mm round and relative light weight of the rifle made it uncontrollable. We also trained with the Bren Gun and General Purpose Machine Gun. Each weighed 23 pounds, which soaked up the recoil far more effectively. The standard SLR with a full auto setting would have been worse than useless and a waste of ammunition.
14:00 I never heard of the stripper clip for this rifle until now - you learn something new every day.
Long, heavy but wickedly accurate. Loved firing @ 300 yds.
I knew a guy who used those and he said the carrying handle balance point made it difficult to shoot as it was heavy on the barrel end.The way they had to fling them up and catch the pistol grip to carry them also resulted in injuries if you miscalculated and snagged your underarm on the sight guards.He was fond of saying that if you know an enemy is hiding behind a tree,shoot the tree and you'll get him,unlike the 223 which tended to tumble.
Good for clearing your own fire lane.
I carried and shot these for many years, beginning as a seventeen-year-old reserve Infantryman while still in high school. The carrying handle had nothing to do with shooting and balance, and the rifle was not barrel-heavy.
By "fling them up", I presume you mean the drill movement from Order Arms to Shoulder Arms. At the Order Arms position, the butt would be resting on the ground with the right hand on the foresight and the rifle vertical. On the first movement of Shoulder Arms, the rifle would be smartly snapped upwards and, as the right hand dropped to grasp the pistol grip, the left hand would come across the body to grasp the forestock. On the second movement, after a short standard pause, the left hand would cut back to the position of Attention, and the right hand would pull the pistol grip back slightly so that the right thumb would align with the seam of one's trousers and the rifle would move from a vertical position to one with a slight slope forward. The movement is the same for the C7 rifle today. Yes, some practice was necessary to get it right, but I never saw a single injury from that. It was not a particularly difficult movement and, after a couple of attempts, people far dumber than me could do it with only the right hand.
@@TheLoachman Well he was there I wasn't.I always wondered why Canada bought those when M16/Ar 15 designs were readily available next door.Lighter.full auto,and compatible with US military ammunition seemed like a better option to me.
Actually the size of the round is an interesting thing. As originally designed by FN it should have been smaller than 7.62. Sorry going by memory and somewhere I have the FAL Bible published in the late 80's and been years since I have thought about this.
But as I recall after WWII the allies/NATO wanted to standardize. So lots of talking and testing ensued. They came up with whatever and FN designed to that.
The Americans, sorry guys, wanted something with more punch to it but smaller than earlier versions and thats where 7.62 came from. And oh, damn it would you know it it happens to be a Winchester size round. How bout that.
Anyway FN redesigns the FAL to 7.62 otherwise all that extra weight we humped around in our hands would have been in our packs as ammo.
@@TheLoachman I found some data,and loaded the weapon was ten pounds and balanced at the carry handle.So in comparison to today's gear,could be considered "barrel heavy."
Question for Canadians: Are Ontario cops as tired of the "You down with OPP?" jokes as I imagine they are?
In my youth, on the way up to exercises we would sing in the bus “this land is my land, this land is your land, I have an FN this land is my land”
Absolute favorite weapon from my younger days, we just lovingly referred to it as the FN. Was in cadets at Vernon when they introduced us to these. learning how to field strip, care for and shoot the FN at 14, kids today will never understand. Was so sad when they made it restricted here in Canada.
This gun was the reason I joined cadets, dropped out quickly when I found out it was mostly marching up and down the square.
If you ever fired one, you certainly wouldn't forget it! I took my battle school training in Wainwright, Alberta in 1981 after being in the reserves (Canadian Scottish 7 Platoon) for a few years... First couple of weeks was all live fire, including a 10,000 metre advance to contact and the FN (which is what we called it, not the FAL) was the standard issue... Humping that all that distance while being scored on our accuracy was something I'll never forget... We cleared that objective in a time that hadn't been beaten since the late 50's... To say that the reg force guys (3 PPCLI) hated us after that would be an understatement... It was a hell of a weapon
7 Platoon CScotR ? What company?
@@Albert4H C Coy of course
The C-1D was adopted under contract by Argentina from FN and used by British Para's on Falkland Island campaign over their own semi auto FAL's to devastating effect in several engagements
I'd be interested in learning more about that story. How did the Brits commandeer their enemy's rifle?
Metric FALs were offered with selective -fire capability. The Argentinians used metric FALs. Few C1Ds were produced, and I'd be surprised if any found their way that far south.
@@jayzenitram9621 Their original owners had no further use for them.
When I was a kid I really wanted to get my hands on one of those . And when I joined the Canadian army I thought finally I'll get to operate one . But I was too late . The FN was replaced with the C7 . I went to buy one but the government had band them making the FN prohibited in Canada . I did get to hold one though ... It felt awesome : )
The C1A1 is all I’ve known. LOL Then in 1978 a platoon of us from 1VP went on exchange to Fort Ord, CA and I was issued an M203 on an M16A1. Pure joy. Easier to clean, more modern design, pack many more 30 round mags on my personal kit. Then we returned and were deployed to Nicosia, Cyprus. I never felt outgunned with my 4L6178!! Cheers, Peace Be The Journey!
These are definitely not forgotten in Canada. Everybody who owns one keeps reminding other gunnies that they're prohib.
8L's were the last off the line as you said and had a few C2 components. If you knew anything it was the C1 you wanted. Handguards either had the slots or didn't. For look cool value you would try and get those. The rear sight was called "flip disk sight of the aperture type". When I had young eyes my maximum effective range was 400m. I thought the sights were alright. That is until the spring would go & they would too easily get folded down. I remember a few years after switching to the C7 & C9 a member of my unit wrote a paper for school. It was comparing the FN's to the new stuff. Everyone surveyed (had experience with both) preferred the C1 to the C7 but they preferred the C9 to the C2. The C1 just gave you confidence in breaking things/people. That being said I was glad I had a C7A2 in Afghan.
I used a varient of this in the early 90's. I think it was an L1A1(or was it 2). We just called it an SLR, self loading rifle, us Aussies like to keep things simple. And while all our rifles were semi automatic only, a matchstick could easily modify this to full automatic. Comms cord worked better as you could leave a short length of the cord out, this meant it was easy to remove if an Officer started to get curious.
Sights on 2, gas on 4.
Thank you Ian!!!
Your videos are very well made you are a pleasure to watch.
I appreciate your work.
I love the FN FAL c1A1 when I was in Army Cadets in the 1980s that was the first rifle I'd ever shot and from the standpoint of somebody who at the time was a total novice to Firearms it was just effortless to learn. I mean to use the weapon practically you never had to take your hand off the pistol grip you could load and charge the weapon with the other hand and maintain your sight picture at the same time. And as much as people go Gaga over the AR or over HKS or over the AK-47 with the FN FAL C1 A1 having that charging handle on the left side so you can up operate the magazine charging lever and be able to get back on target almost seamlessly. And the weapon was a Workhorse unlike other rifles that was jam up under repeated use this thing could take it and the sites we had on them we're beautiful. True it carried some weight to it but given the fact it was a 7.62 and that that extra beef to it it would have kick like a mule. Breaking down and maintaining the weapon was really easy it was it's one of those weapons you can break it down give it a good thorough cleaning field cleaning anyways and reassemble. And being Canadian I can't actually own an AK-47 but it's very similar do the SKS that I do own and that's a pain in the ass to reassemble whereas the FN is a breeze.
I trained on this and the C2 a long time ago before they were phased out. An awesome weapon, accurate but the kick, you had to know your marksmanship principles. The only problem at the end was they rusted fast so you cleaned them asap. This brings back memories.
Ian, the trigger guard folds back and is inserted into the pistol grip and secured with the screw. I did carry this as my. personal weapon for 9 years in the Canadian Army. Love all your shows.
Hey, Ian! Love your show. It is a nice treat for me to see some Canadian content, eh? 👍
As a kid I was enthralled by the second page of the Sydney I Robinson Co outfitter catalogue. Page 2 had a full illustration of the FN rifle they sold for a few hundred $ Man I wanted that but had to do with the Cooey .22LR my Dad gave me.
Bill Bird I remember looking at the SIR catalogue when I was a whippersnapper. I wasn't sure if I remembered correctly that you could buy surplus FN's back then. I think my dad was toying with the idea of getting one and then opted not to. I was always curious if those who did get them had to turn them in or if they were grandfathered?
@@glenbailey5576 They would have been Grandfathered if the owners chose to keep them.
@@SgtMjr You could keep them but not take them out of the house and could only sell them to other prohib FN owners so not much fun there. Other than the OPP rifles and the odd rifle that somehow escaped the system C1s were never made available to the public in any quantity. Back in the 1970's Lever Arms in Vancouver brought in a sea can full of L1A1s from Australia and sold then for $200. each. My buddies and I were always hanging around the store and got hired to unload the container and document the rifles. We got pick of the litter. :) I sold mine when they went prohib unfortunately :(
Fabrique Nationale Herstal 3: verse 15:
And Gun Jesus said, "If though does not know the difference in projection angles, though shall go unto Google and educate thyself."
My father served with this rifle back in the day. Thanks for the great video!
Wonderful to see this one, brings back memories.
Not sure if it has been commented before but for winter use the trigger guard folded over and was stored in the pistol grip.
I miss that beast. I never used one that was younger than me.
The fixed pin failure in early Ex-1and Ex-2 and In American T- series weapons was extremely dangerous not only for slam fire, but it would mag dump the rest of the rounds full- auto ,without stopping, as the disconnector does not have a chance to stop the action... only the trigger.
What a beauty! So much fun at the range, I'll bet! 👍😃
Miss my old FNC1 (the rifle PT not so much). It was a great rifle with good stopping power. Probably not as practical as the C7 these days but would make a nice hunting rifle. I would dearly love to get my hands on one.