So, FN Found 400 FALs in a Warehouse

The true-blue 7.62 NATO FN FAL battle rifle was in production in Belgium from 1953 (when it was born) until 1988 when it was replaced by the smaller and easier-to-handle 5.56 caliber FNC. While it was (and is still) made under license around the world, just something like one out of every seven FALs produced was made by FN, and most of those were scrapped following the end of the Cold War.

That’s why it is big news that FN recently found 400 1980s-vintage late-production FAL M1 and M2 models in their warehouses in historic Liege that were turned in 30 years ago by the Belgian Gendarmerie as part of a deal for new weapons. Looking at the bottom line– the military market for FALs is slim these days– FN Herstal decided the best thing to do was call up its FN USA subsidiary and send the 400 guns over there in kit form. Stripped of their barrel, receiver, and muzzle break, they look nice, and legit FN-made FAL kits are always rare in any form.

The sad news is that FN plans to sell them for $899 a pop and, with demand likely to be bananas, is drawing that process out via a lottery with 100 guns put up for sale a month.

Ian from Forgotten Weapons was lucky enough to get one, so maybe there are just 399 left. 

By Michael Crites

Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18. During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications. His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual. As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY. He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).

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