New chambering for the FAL ?

[Pippie]

I was curious if anyone else out there ever had this thought, could an FAL be converted to the 5.7x28mm? It's a seemingly logical progression FN rifle, FN ammo, why not? Perhaps a para-carbine.
If anyone else has thought of this or heard of anyone trying this please let me know. I would be very interested in what it would take to do this.

[Deer Hunter]

Because an 8 to 11 pound rifle chambered in .22 mag is pointless?

[mdlmkr 7.62]

Lessee...

You'll need a .22 cal barrel that is turned to the correct diameter for the FSB. A chamber reamer, a special recoil spring for the lower impulse of the 5.7.

You'll need a custom made bolt with the correct bolt face for the 5.7 and don't forget custom magazines for the shorter cartridge!

When you get it all assembled you'll have to work out the "bugs"

After it's up and running you'll have a 8lb gun that's pretty much a .22 hornet but MUCH more expensive to shoot. Red Rock Arms sells a .223 FAL - maybe check into one of those?

7.62

[IanMor]

I think an FAL in .243 or 7mm 08 would be pretty fine.

I think DSA used to offer one in .243.

It would be simple as anything to make a barrel in either caliber, minimum mods to the rest of the rifle.

[Pippie]

While I appreciate opposing points of view, I've never heard of 22 mag tearing through armour. Where as the 5.7x28mm, well you get the idea.

What I was actually thinking about was a rifle/pistol combo.
The FN five seven and a rifle that would use the same round and ideally the same mags.

[USMC 0341]

If anybody decide to try this you would probably be best advised to set it up as a straight blow-back - like the P-90 sub-gun is. I doubt this round has enough pressure and gas volume to cycle the action.

You would also have to re-machine the bolt face for the smaller cartridge base.

[Deer Hunter]

You've never seen a spitzer AP 17 grain round for the .22 mag, either. :)

[JohnLewis]

lol I deal with NFA stuff...and I too have never seen a 17gr ap .22mag( not concocted by a recognized mgf anyway)...sumth'in you homebrewed from a drill bit and a lathe? I know somebody that did that with a .22 LR...will make you a smoothbore rifle really quick however, and make for really high chamber pressure.

the SS190 5.7 "AP" isnt really AP as defined by BATFE...its SERVICE BALL (just think of it as a aluminum core instead of lead, SS109/M855 projectile) its got the two things going for it that will defeat PISTOL rated kevlar vests...speed and small diameter(and will stay point forward without mushrooming while going through 48 layers of kevlar) THEN yaw....not special construction or uber alloys, on a lathe.

For that matter its why 7.62x25mm chi com pistol ammo from a CZ52 or TT33 and .30M1 carbine from a Ruger Blackhawk will also punch pistol rated vests with regular service ammo.

The bigger the diameter the pistol round has and more it mushrooms, the easier time kevlar has intrapping/slowing it to a stop before it pushes through.
The treshhold velocity on a lot of these vest are about 1600fps as well.

intrestingly the U.S. Navy now owns a quantity of P90 subguns.
Also intrestingly , FN doesnt load its ammo to its full potential.....the SS190 service ball comes out of a P90 10.3 inch barrel at 2350fps, it can be loaded to 2600+fps with no ill effect from that same 10.3 inch barrel. If you want ammo
loaded full strenth, buy it from Elite Ammunition(sorry no .22mag performance anywhere to be found there)

http://eliteammunition.com/

The guy in charge is formerly from BATFE Ballistics lab

[dieudonne]

FAL , .308, 7.62 NATO...

if it aint broke dont go a fixin it

thats how we lost the m14 to the m16

[Deer Hunter]

Not saying I've ever done it, John, just speaking from energy/fps tables. The 5.7 isn't some holy grail round. It can punch through kevlar better than larger caliber rounds, that's about it. But I've never really been interested in the round, since .223 can be had in a carbine form that does the same thing and in a pistol, well the 7.62x25 has been doing that for years now.

But if you were to hand me a PS90 and 1000 rounds of ammo, I'd take it. :) I enjoy the P90's design, just wish it was availible in other commercial rounds.

[mdlmkr 7.62]

Originally posted by dieudonne
FAL , .308, 7.62 NATO...

if it aint broke dont go a fixin it

thats how we lost the m14 to the m16

+1 on that

7.62

[Stoney]

I like my 762x39 FAL, but since I built it.....

[dieudonne]

thatd be a cool caliber..... and considering the fal was originally designed for the 7.92x33 intermediate--which spawned the ak47---quite fascinating

please elaborate...pictures? go ahead make my day! hijack this thread:wink:

[JohnLewis]

Deer Hunter, I fully agree on both points....a full size FAL in .22mag/5.7 would be a shining example of waste of time. too much gun around too small of a cartridge to be practical. Exception being in the UK, you cant own a centerfire FAL that is still capable of shooting...those Imbel made .22LR FAL's are popular.

FN's 5.7 and HK's 4.6 were never made to be the do all end all of small arms cartridges...they were built to fulfill a NATO request/specification(and NATO got two cartridges that did everything they ask for)

Nothing more, nothing less. These caliber guns was only ment to arm a soldier that would normally only have a 9mm pistol/smg...same job the M1 carbine was envisioned for in 1941, for exactly the same folks-support troops and vehicle crews.

And like the M1 carbine, its out of its leaque if you try to use it as a rifle.

[lew]

Normally, I'd say don't fix what ain't broke, but since we haven't seen a cool project around here lately, and you'll be doing the work or having it done, go for it. Just keep us on the sidelines updated. :D