FM FAL Modelo 50-00 (Argentine FMAP)
Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares - Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles · Battle Rifle · Out Of Production · 1960
Also known as: FM FAL, FAL Modelo 50-00, FALM IV, Argentine FAL, F.M.A.P. DM FAL
Overview
The FM FAL Modelo 50-00 is the Argentine state-arsenal license-produced variant of the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle, manufactured by Fábrica Militar de Armas Portátiles 'Domingo Matheu' (FMAP-DM) in Rosario, Argentina, beginning in 1960. Argentina initially imported FN-built FALs in the late 1950s before commencing domestic production under license from Fabrique Nationale. Receivers are marked 'F.M.A.P. "DM" - ROSARIO / INDUSTRIA ARGENTINA'. Unlike most other licensed FAL producers, Argentine rifles retained the original FN selective-fire capability with both semi-automatic and 700 rpm full-automatic modes - a feature deleted from British, Australian, and several other Commonwealth license variants. The FM FAL was the standard service rifle of all branches of the Argentine Armed Forces during the Falklands/Malvinas War in 1982, where its full-auto capability gave Argentine conscripts a volume-of-fire advantage over British semi-auto-only L1A1 SLRs in close-range engagements.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4300 g (151.7 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4960 g (175.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1090 mm (42.91") |
| Barrel Length | 533 mm (20.98") |
| Sight Radius | 553 mm (21.77") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3354 J (2474 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 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 | Wood |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62mm NATO, 7.62x51mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Select Fire Lever
- Features: Metric Pattern Receiver, Tilting Breechblock, Select Fire, Wooden Furniture, Fixed Stock, Substantial Muzzle Brake, FMAP DM Rosario Marking
Variants
- FM FAL Modelo 50-61 — Folding Stock
- FM FAL Modelo 50-63 Paracaidista — Paratrooper Short Barrel
- FM FAP Modelo 50-41 (Heavy Barrel) — Heavy Automatic Squad Support
- FMAP FSL (Civilian Semi-Auto) — Civilian Export
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Argentine Army (Ejército Argentino) · adopted 1960 · as FM FAL
- Argentine Marines (Infantería de Marina) · as FM FAL
- Argentine Air Force · as FM FAL
- Argentine Federal Police
Conflicts
- Falklands War (1982)
- Argentine Dirty War (1976-1983)
- Operation Independence (1975-1977)
Production
Estimated total produced: 250,000 · Production years: 1960-1990
FMAP-DM produced an estimated 250,000+ FAL rifles across all four military variants between 1960 and the early 1990s. Post-1983 production shifted toward FSL semi-auto civilian export rifles after the fall of the junta.
Origin
Country of origin: Argentina
Designer: Dieudonné Saive
Discontinued: 1990
Notes
FMAP produced four primary military variants: Modelo 50-00 (standard fixed-stock), Modelo 50-61 (folding stock), Modelo 50-63 (paratrooper with short 16.3-inch barrel), and Modelo 50-41 (FAP heavy-barrel automatic squad support). After the Falklands War, FMAP converted military rifles to semi-automatic-only FSL configuration for civilian and U.S. export. The full-auto-capable FM FAL is one of the few licensed FALs that retained the original FN selective-fire mechanism intact.
Background
During the Falklands War, captured Argentine FALs were prized trophies among British troops - not just because of the battlefield association, but because the rifles were full-auto capable, a feature their own L1A1 SLRs had been deliberately denied by the Ministry of Defence in the 1950s on grounds of ammunition discipline.