T48
FN Herstal · Battle Rifle · Prototype · 1951
Also known as: FN FAL (US trials), Rifle Caliber .30 T48, H&R T48
Overview
The T48 is a select-fire battle rifle, the United States trials designation for the license-produced Belgian FN FAL. Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and built on a gas-operated, tilting-breechblock action, it was evaluated by the U.S. Army in the mid-1950s as a candidate to replace the M1 Garand. Roughly 500 examples were produced under contract by Harrington & Richardson, with additional rifles supplied by FN Herstal and the High Standard Company. The T48 ultimately lost the trials to the T44, which became the M14, owing to the T44's lighter weight, simpler design, and self-compensating gas system.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4310 g (152.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 533 mm (20.98") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3361 J (2479 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 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 · 7.62mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62x51mm, .308 Win
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Fire Selector
- Features: Tilting Breechblock, Adjustable Gas System, Pistol Grip, Select Fire, Iron Sights
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · as Rifle, Caliber .30, T48
Production
Estimated total produced: 3,200 · Production years: 1951-1957
Approximately 500 produced by Harrington & Richardson for the U.S. trials, with additional rifles from FN Herstal and roughly a dozen from High Standard; aggregate trials production estimated around 3,200.
Origin
Country of origin: Belgium
Designer: Dieudonné Saive
Discontinued: 1957
Notes
Marked 'Rifle, Caliber .30, T48' in U.S. service. During December 1953 arctic trials the T48's gas system suffered cold-weather stoppages, contributing to the decision to adopt the T44/M14 instead.
Background
The T48 trials pitted the Belgian FN FAL against the American T44 in the search for the M1 Garand's successor. Though many NATO allies adopted the FAL, the U.S. chose the T44/M14, a decision shaped as much by the desire to field a domestically designed rifle on existing Garand machinery as by the marginal weight and reliability differences.