Of all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German 'assault rifle', the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.

Of all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German 'assault rifle', the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.

ARES Field Guide No.1 focuses on identifying and tracing Belgian FN Herstal FAL rifles, and provides key information on factory markings and physical characteristics. The guide further describes the primary variants produced by FN Herstal in Belgium, discusses FAL rifles documented in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, and looks at some of the factors involved in their illicit diversion, using the ongoing conflict in Syria as a case study. Field Guide No. 1 is supported by Research Note No. 9 – Estimating Year of Production for FAL Rifles, and the accompanying FAL Year of Production Estimator online tool, which calculates the likely year of production for a given FN Herstal FAL serial number.

First introduced in 1946 by Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale, the Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Automatic Rifle), or FAL, has been used by military or police forces in more than 90 countries. In various versions, it has served from the Arctic conditions of northern Canada and Norway to the world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier in the Himalayas, at nearly 20,000 feet above sea level. It fought in the jungles of Malaya and Vietnam, the bush of Rhodesia and South Africa, the deserts of the Middle East, and the treeless desolation of the Falklands Islands. Nicknamed the "right arm of the Free World" during the Cold War, the FAL is considered the quintessential postwar battle rifle. From this basic infantry rifle, the FAL also found form in a wide variety of select-fire and semiautomatic fixed and folding-stock carbines of various lengths and weights for military and police weaponry. Powerful, reliable, easy to maintain, and reasonably accurate, the FAL has served well in many guises and can be found in a model to fit any taste. All this adds up to a viable and readily available rifle that remains popular among shooters, tactical and otherwise, as well collectors and just plain gun nuts. Author Robert Cashner took his collection of commonly encountered and readily available FAL models the American gun owner and shooter is most likely to encounter out to the range and the field and the mountains in all kinds of weather to see what they are really made of. This book is for the FAL/SLR owner, especially the shooter, as well as the potential FAL buyer, to provide a detailed look at the venerable weapon: how it functions, how to care for it, how to modify it for individual needs, and the vast array of accessories available for it.