IMBEL FAL 7.62 (M964)
Industria de Material Belico do Brasil (IMBEL) · Battle Rifle · Out Of Production · 1964
Also known as: Fz 7,62 M964, M964 FAL, IMBEL FAL, Brazilian FAL
Overview
The IMBEL FAL 7.62 (officially Fuzil 7,62 M964) is the Brazilian-licensed production variant of the FN FAL battle rifle, manufactured by Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil at the Itajubá plant in Minas Gerais. Adopted by the Brazilian Army in 1964 and named for that year, the M964 served as Brazil's standard service rifle for nearly five decades until it was supplanted by the IMBEL IA2 in 5.56x45mm beginning in 2011. Brazilian-made FALs are most easily distinguished by their slab-sided late-type receivers, which omit the external lightening cuts of earlier FN-built rifles to simplify production and reduce cost. By the early 1990s IMBEL had produced approximately 200,000 M964 rifles for Brazilian armed forces and export customers.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4300 g (151.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1090 mm (42.91") |
| Folded Length | 850 mm (33.46") |
| 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 | 823 m/s (2700 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3200 J (2360 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 | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Fire Selector
- Features: Tilting Breechblock, Adjustable Gas Regulator, Slab Sided Receiver, Rifle Grenade Capable, Carrying Handle, Diopter Rear Sight, Fixed Or Folding Stock
Variants
- IMBEL M964A1 (folding stock) — Stock
- IMBEL ParaFAL (paratrooper carbine) — Barrel
- IMBEL L1A1 (semi-auto export) — Fire Control
Service history
Operators
- Brazilian Army · adopted 1964 · as Fz 7,62 M964
- Brazilian Marine Corps · adopted 1964 · as Fz 7,62 M964
- Brazilian Air Force · adopted 1964 · as Fz 7,62 M964
- Brazilian Federal Police
Conflicts
- United Nations peacekeeping operations (1965-present)
- MINUSTAH (Haiti) (2004-2017)
- Brazilian internal security operations (1964-2011)
Production
Estimated total produced: 200,000 · Production years: 1964-2011
By the early 1990s IMBEL had manufactured roughly 200,000 M964 rifles; production tapered as IA2 replaced it
Origin
Country of origin: Brazil
Designer: Dieudonné Saive (FN, original FAL); IMBEL licensed production
Discontinued: 2011
Notes
Often grouped under the colloquial 'IMBEL AGLC' label by Brazilian military slang though officially designated Fz 7,62 M964. The folding-stock paratrooper variant is the M964A1; a shorter ParaFAL was introduced in 2009 as a stopgap before full IA2 deployment. Some Brazilian FALs were exported semi-automatic to the United States as the IMBEL L1A1 Sporter.
Background
When Brazil adopted the FAL in 1964, the country was hours into a military coup that would last until 1985 - making the M964 the rifle that armed the Brazilian military through nearly its entire authoritarian period. The slab-sided receiver, often mistaken for a manufacturing defect, was a deliberate cost-cutting measure that became a recognizable Brazilian signature.