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FN FAL identification help please

fireguyty

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 24, 2010
840
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46
Las Vegas
Guys, I am trying to help a friend identify and appraise a large collection of guns from an estate. They have an FAL and I am not so knowledgable about those. I attempted to get on the FALFILES.com page, but after a week I still can't post there.

So here it goes:
Marked 308 Match on left side. Marked Fabrique Nationale Herstal, made in Belgium, with serial #2503xxx on right side. Marked with matching last 5 numbers of the serial number on the bolt. No other markings are present on any exposed surface including importer. Rear sight slides from 200-600 meters. 21" barrel, 5.5" flash hider.

I have done a LOT of searching around and there are so many variants I am just having hell. Also, no import markings makes me nervous as I don't know squat about the import laws on these, and all that I see on the net have been imported by someone. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Ty
 

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It looks like you have a genuine Belgium-made, FN Herstal (Belgium) FAL. That's a rare and valuable item. If you post on the FAL Files forum you will probably get detailed information fairly quickly, maybe even a value estimate.

Mundane info: it is in very ordinary metric infantry setup, and has a Type III receiver. That would all be a negative if this was some clone, but as a genuine FN Belgium rifle the value will probably be fairly high (at least $3000, probably a couple times that).
 
It looks like you have a genuine Belgium-made, FN Herstal (Belgium) FAL. That's a rare and valuable item. If you post on the FAL Files forum you will probably get detailed information fairly quickly, maybe even a value estimate.

Mundane info: it is in very ordinary metric infantry setup, and has a Type III receiver. That would all be a negative if this was some clone, but as a genuine FN Belgium rifle the value will probably be fairly high (at least $3000, probably a couple times that).

This. You have pretty much the holy grail of FAL's.
 
Awesome! I pretty much had that figured out, but can't find any like it on the net. Especially with out import stampings.

I had signed up for the FALfiles.com but at over two weeks with out them approving me to post anything, I figured I'd bring it back to what I know....the good old hide! You guys never let me down.

Really appreciate you guys looking this over for me,

Ty
 
I somehow missed that you were trying to register at FAL Files and getting a delay. I think this is common there.

The High Road and The Firing Line each have some number of people who seem to be knowledgeable about FALs, if you are already registered at one of those. But the most expertise in one spot is definitely at FAL Files.
 
I am not a FAL expert, but have friends who either have them now or owned in the past and from what I can tell in your pictures, you have an excellent rifle there, original FN, and are highly sought these days...especially looking at the left side view of the rifle.

What ever you do, take your time and get an evaluation of the rifle and make sure you get what it is worth...based on today's madness, I would say $3000 is on the real low end...

77
 
One other option you have is to call DS Arms, they are the largest FAL manufacturer these days and may be able to tell you what you have based on serial number.

77
 
*smacks forehead*

I would call FNH-USA with your serial number and information. While they won't help with FAL clones, and I don't think they will service an FAL (even their own), since this appears to be a genuine FN-made rifle they may be able to confirm its authenticity and tell you the year made and imported, etc. They won't tell you a value (I don't think) but it would be helpful info.
 
I had the same rifle....my importer was Gun South, Trussville. That rifle should have an importer on it..I think there was 2 or 3 of them that imported them..Also they came with 2 types of flash hiders...short, fat one & the long slender fluted type. (the latter being more valuable..)
 
Shit, you all had me going until I took a closer look. ".308 match". Were it made by FN in Belgium, it would likely say 7.62 or 7,62 (like my Steyr) as the whole damn rifle was metric. Even US ammo is called 7.62. And "match" would be in Flemish or French (not sure what language they used).

On the other hand, it has some interesting features I've never seen on another FAL. Worth getting it looked at, but I think having English measurements and English monikers are a dead giveaway it wasn't made in Belgium. At least not for the Belgian military. It may be a contract rifle though. Remember, they made these by the millions all over the world and each factory was fully licensed by FN, so a Brazilian FAL isn't a copy --it's a real Brazilian FN rifle.

Sorry to deflate the bubble, but you had me going to.
 
Shit, you all had me going until I took a closer look. ".308 match". Were it made by FN in Belgium, it would likely say 7.62 or 7,62 (like my Steyr) as the whole damn rifle was metric. Even US ammo is called 7.62. And "match" would be in Flemish or French (not sure what language they used).

On the other hand, it has some interesting features I've never seen on another FAL. Worth getting it looked at, but I think having English measurements and English monikers are a dead giveaway it wasn't made in Belgium. At least not for the Belgian military. It may be a contract rifle though. Remember, they made these by the millions all over the world and each factory was fully licensed by FN, so a Brazilian FAL isn't a copy --it's a real Brazilian FN rifle.

Sorry to deflate the bubble, but you had me going to.

My understanding is that in Belgium citizens are not allowed to own guns in NATO chamberings, so they mark it 308 instead of 7.62. I could be wrong about this. As previously stated, I don't know a lot about these.

Ty
 
Cool! It's a real deal FN-FAL by Fabrique National imported by Steyr, these guns had ".308 Match" stamped on them. Very nice rifle, and highly prized by FAL guys like myself. They easily go for about $3000. But have seen them for as much as $5000 on GB (though it did not sell).

Guns like these will only go up in value with time.
 
Check out your FAL based on the following listed below - if it's on the Amnesty List is worth a lot more than your asking price of 3k...take note of the last paragraph in bold below "308 Match" such as yours. If someone wants to jump on it immediately - I personally would conduct more research to make sure of what you have before selling.

my $0.02:cool:

Keep us posted...the FAL is one of my all time favorite battle rifles!

"Department of the Treasury
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

ORDER ATF 0 7540.1A

10/29/79

Subject: CLASSIFICATION OF BELGIAN FN LIGHT SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE
(FAL) CALIBER 7.62mm

1. PURPOSE. This order identifies certain FN FAL 7.62mm rifles
which are not classified as machine guns and thereby are
excluded from the provisions of the National Firearms Act.

2. CANCELLATION. ATF O 7540.1, Classification of Belgian FN
Light Semi-Automatic Rifle (FAL) Caliber 7.62mm, dated
9/11/74, is canceled.

3. BACKGROUND. From September 5, 1959 to January 10, 1963, the
Browning Arms Company, St. Louis, Missouri, imported 1,836 FAL
rifles in caliber 7.62mm from Fabrique Nationale, Herstal,
Belgium. Subsequent to January 10, 1963, the Bureau
classified this rifle as a machine gun. However it was
determined that the 1,863 rifles imported by the Browning Arms
Company would be exempt from the provisions of the NFA.
Additionally, 12 FN FAL rifles were imported through an
administrative error in 1974. These 12 rifles are also exempt
from the provisions of the NFA.

4. EXEMPTED FAL RIFLES. Following is the final revised listing
of FAL rifles, caliber 7.62mm, which are exempt from the
provisions of the National Firearms Act.

a. G SERIES

Serial Numbers Units
G492 through G494 3
G537 through G540 4
G649 through G657 9
G662 through G673 12
G677 through G693 17
G709 through G748 40
G752 through G816 65
G848 through G1017 170
G1021 1
G1033 1
G1035 1
G1041 through G1042 2
G1174 through G1293 120
G1415 through G1524 110
G1570 through G1784 215
G1800 through G1979 180
G1981 through G1995 15
G3035 through G3134 100
G2247 through G2996 750
----
1,815


b. GL SERIES

Serial Numbers Units
GL749 1
GL835 1
GL1095 through GL1098 4
GL1163 through GL1165 3
GL2004 through GL2009 6
GL3135 through GL3140 6
--
21

STANDARD FAL -

Serial Numbers Units
889768 1
889772 through 889777 6
---
7

c. PARATROOP MODEL

Serial Numbers Units
889800 through 889801 2
889803 1
889805 1
889809 1
--
5

TOTAL EXEMPTED FAL RIFLES 1,848


5. DESCRIPTION OF MARKINGS.

a. All G Series and GL Series FAL rifles will be marked FAL.
cal. 7.62 on the left side of the receiver and Fabrique
Nationale D'Armes De Guerre-Herstal Belgique on the right
side of the receiver. The selector positions will be
marked "S" for safe, "R" for semiautomatic, and "A" for
automatic. The selector lever is designed so that it
cannot be rotated to the automatic position.

b. The Standard and Paratroop Models will have the same
markings as above plus "Browning Arms Co. Arnold Mo. &
Montreal P.Q." on the right side of the magazine well.
The selector lever can be rotated to the automatic
position but the rifle will fire only semiautomatically.

* NOTE: A limited quantity of rifles which are externally
identical to the FAL rifle are also currently available
in the Untied States. These weapons, which were also
produced by FN, are designed solely as semi-automatic
rifles and are classified as title I firearms. These
rifles are generally referred to as the FN Competition
model. These rifles will NOT be marked FAL. The
markings on the left side of the receiver will be F.N.
.308, F.N. .308 Match, or F.N. .308, Competition.


6. ACTION. If a rifle bearing one of the above serial numbers has
been converted to fire full automatic, it is classified as a
machine gun and is subject to all the provisions of the NFA.

[signed]

G.R. Dickerson
Director"

IMG_4165.jpg


cs3-328-sear-cut-1.jpg
 
Check out your FAL based on the following listed below - if it's on the Amnesty List is worth a lot more than your asking price of 3k...take note of the last paragraph in bold below "308 Match" such as yours. If someone wants to jump on it immediately - I personally would conduct more research to make sure of what you have before selling.

The OPENING bid is 3k, not asking price. With the number of people watching it, I'm pretty sure it will go for a touch more than the opening bid.

About the exempt list, are you saying it is a NFA weapon?

Ty
 
The OPENING bid is 3k, not asking price. With the number of people watching it, I'm pretty sure it will go for a touch more than the opening bid.

About the exempt list, are you saying it is a NFA weapon?

Ty

No, if it is indeed sear cut (see pic's) and on the Amnesty Serial Number list - it is exempt from NFA. However, if it is sear cut and NOT on the list above...it would behoove you to seek additional clarification prior to transferring to CYA.
 
There is no sear cut. I had my buddy Byron from Delta P designs walk me through it just before I put it up on auction.

I appreciate your help,
Ty