FN FAL 50.63 Para
FN Herstal · Battle Rifle · Discontinued · 1958
Also known as: FAL Para, FAL 50.63, Paratrooper FAL
Overview
The FN FAL 50.63 'Para' is the paratrooper carbine variant of the FN FAL battle rifle, developed for airborne and mechanized troops who needed a more compact weapon. It pairs a shortened 436mm barrel with a side-folding tubular steel stock, allowing the rifle to be carried in a much smaller package during parachute jumps and vehicle operations. Because the folding stock could not accommodate the standard FAL's reciprocating top-cover-mounted charging arrangement, the Para series received a redesigned upper receiver, a folding charging handle, and a fixed single-aperture rear sight. Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and fed from standard 20-round magazines, the 50.63 retains the FAL's gas-operated short-stroke piston action and tilting breechblock while trading a degree of long-range accuracy for portability. Para FALs saw widespread service with airborne and special forces units across the FAL's many operator nations.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 998 mm (39.29") |
| Folded Length | 748 mm (29.45") |
| Barrel Length | 436 mm (17.17") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 810 m/s (2657 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3127 J (2306 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3800 m (4156 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Parkerized |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO, .308 Win
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Firing Pin Safety
- Features: Tilting Breechblock, Side Folding Stock, Folding Charging Handle, Adjustable Gas Regulator, Select Fire, Shortened Barrel, Muzzle Brake
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Belgian Armed Forces · adopted 1958 · as FAL Para
- Argentine Armed Forces · as FAL Para
- Israeli Defense Forces · as FAL Para
Conflicts
- Falklands War (1982)
- South African Border War (1966-1990)
Production
Production years: 1958-1988
Produced as part of FN's metric-pattern FAL family; exact Para-specific totals not separately published.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Dieudonne Saive
Discontinued: 1988
Notes
The 50.63 Para differs from the full-length 50.64 chiefly in its shortened ~436mm (roughly 17.4 in) barrel; the 50.64 retains the standard 533mm barrel with the same folding stock. Para-pattern lower receivers, top covers, springs and bolt carriers are not interchangeable with standard fixed-stock FAL components. The rear sight was simplified to a single 250m aperture on many Para rifles.
Background
Argentine paratroopers carried folding-stock Para FALs into the Falklands in 1982, where British forces armed with the inch-pattern L1A1 fought their Argentine counterparts wielding the very same FN-designed rifle.