A real inch pattern geek question..

[mrclark303]

Hi all,

A very anorak question I've been mulling over...

Fn made the ABC group pay for every change to the Fal, as the design morphed from metric to to inch pattern and they changed just about everything with the possible exception of the breech block and the pivot pin assembly!

Now Canada and Australia kept the Fal half moon shaped machining around the locking should reinforce, the UK opted for squaring off the reinforce, so did the UK have to pay more for this specifically UK change?

As a follow on, why the machining change by the UK??

I challenge anyone to come up with a more geeky question than that!

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[CINDERS]

Guess your question follows along the same line as this book I have Clarky!

[mrclark303]

It certainly looks like it Ron!!

[nzl1a1collector]

The machining was a national preference, Australia followed the Canadian design that was a basic design for the Rifle Steering Committee. The British continued with their methods of milling, thus you get different styles of cuts, the critical measurements met the specification, looks were secondary and in fact if you compared the Canadian and Australian Rifles you will see differences in the machining.

[browningautorifle]

The machining was a national preference

That makes more sense to me. I'd have a hard time believing that when rifle was made on Long Branch machines that Belgium took offense to machine cut differences.

[mrclark303]

Cheers Kev, that makes sense, as you say, differences in all three. the mag well lightning cut on the CAL rifle, is similar to the Fal, where the UK and Lithgow opted for a simpler narrow scallop.

It does makes you wonder why they would change things like the gas block assembly, where even the angle of the gas bleed channel was altered...

[Daan Kemp]

I venture it has to do with NMH - not made here.

[nzl1a1collector]

It's a complected story. At this stage I haven't come across first hand written evidence that the ABC were paying for changes. The Rifle Steering Committee (made of FN, Canada, UK and America) discussed any and all changes that effected the FAL Rifle. Some porposals where accepted, some rejected others became national preferences. There were thousands of minor manafacturing tolerance changes done. FN did get ****ed off when the ABC rifle went with the larger front lug on the magazine, requiring a deeper slot in the front of the magazine well. FN looked at this and because of the way they were manufacturing their bodies claimed they would be unable to do the deeper slot. The front lug solved the problem of the weaker pressed 'beak' on the FN mags at the time. FN took on changes they saw would enhance their rifle such as the 2 piece firing pin. American designed flash eliminator slots. Etc.

[mrclark303]

It's a complected story. At this stage I haven't come across first hand written evidence that the ABC were paying for changes. The Rifle Steering Committee (made of FN, Canada, UK and America) discussed any and all changes that effected the FAL Rifle. Some porposals where accepted, some rejected others became national preferences. There were thousands of minor manafacturing tolerance changes done. FN did get ****ed off when the ABC rifle went with the larger front lug on the magazine, requiring a deeper slot in the front of the magazine well. FN looked at this and because of the way they were manufacturing their bodies claimed they would be unable to do the deeper slot. The front lug solved the problem of the weaker pressed 'beak' on the FN mags at the time. FN took on changes they saw would enhance their rifle such as the 2 piece firing pin. American designed flash eliminator slots. Etc.

As ever Kev, you are the all things inch pattern fountain of knowledge!

Just when I think I'm finally getting a handle on the subject, you open a new door mate....

[Flying10uk]

A square corner is easier/quicker to machine than a radius corner, especially if carried out on a manual machine or, when FN/SLR rifles were produced, CNC machines were in their infancy.

Sometimes people think that you can "just stick a rad on a corner" or "machine a square hole, with square corners using a round cutter that is revolving", no problem. Sometimes things are not that simple and more complicated machining equates to more time/cost.