View source for FN CAL

{{Short description|Belgian assault rifle}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = FN CAL
| image              = FN CAL close1.JPG
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = FN CAL on display at the [[National Firearms Museum]], [[United States]].
| origin             = Belgium
| type               = [[Assault rifle]]
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = Yes
<!-- Service history -->| service            = 
| used_by            = See ''[[#Users|Users]]''
| wars               = [[Vietnam War]]<br>[[Communist insurgency in Thailand]] <br>[[Colombian conflict]]<br />[[Nicaraguan Revolution]]<br />[[Myanmar conflict]]<br />[[The Troubles]]<br />[[Lebanese Civil War]]<br />[[Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995)]]<br>[[2014 Gaza War]]
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = Ernest Vervier
| design_date        = 1963–66
| manufacturer       = [[FN Herstal]]
| production_date    = 1966–1975
| number             = Approx. 30,000
| variants           = <!-- General specifications -->
| weight             = 3.35 kg (7.385 lbs)
| length             = 980 mm (38.58 in)
| part_length        = {{cvt|467|mm|in}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://weaponsystems.net/system/179-FN+CAL |title=FN CAL. |publisher=Weaponsystems.net. |access-date=13 February 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305005225/https://weaponsystems.net/system/179-FN+CAL|archive-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref>
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->| cartridge          = [[5.56×45mm NATO]]
| action             = [[Gas-operated reloading|Gas-operated]], [[rotating bolt]]
| rate               = 850 rounds/min
| velocity           = 
| range              = 
| max_range          = 
| feed               = 20-, 25-, or 30-round detachable [[box magazine]]
| sights             = [[Iron sight]]s
| unit_cost          = (FY2022) $820
}}

The '''CAL''' (''Carabine Automatique Légère'', ''Light Automatic Carbine'') is a [[Belgium|Belgian]] assault rifle that was manufactured by [[Fabrique Nationale]]. It was the first 5.56&nbsp;mm rifle produced by the [[Fabrique Nationale]]. It resembled the company's highly successful [[FN FAL]], but was an original design. Unlike the FAL, it was a market failure, although its development led to the more successful [[FN FNC]].

==Design details==
Prior to the development of the CAL, FN had already constructed a scaled-down FAL prototype before shelving the idea as unmarketable.  Noting the growing sales success of the cheaper and simpler [[HK G3]] rifle, FN decided that for any future rifle to be competitive in the marketplace, it would need to use fewer expensive precision-machined parts. These would be replaced by less expensive castings and stampings where possible. While the construction of the new CAL reflected these design principles, it was still relatively expensive and complex, and met with no significant sales. It was eventually dropped for the even less expensive [[FN FNC]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://remtek.com/arms/fn/fnc/|date=December 1985 |work=Soldier of Fortune Magazine|author=Kokalis, Peter G. |title=FNC; Belgium's Compact Carbine|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214205255/https://remtek.com/arms/fn/fnc/index.html|archive-date=February 14, 2023}}</ref> A small number of FN CALs were sold to the civilian market in the US.

==Operation==
Although the weapon resembled a scaled-down [[FN FAL]], it in fact used a [[rotating bolt]], unlike the FAL, which used a [[tilting bolt]] design. The earlier models of the CAL had a three-round selector system, which allowed the weapon to fire a three-round burst with each trigger pull. The CAL could also fire in fully and semi-automatic modes.

The gun used long stroke gas piston to operate the bolt carrier, and the bolt itself had [[Interrupted screw|interrupted]] [[Bolt (firearms)|lugs]] to lock it into the chamber.<ref>{{Citation| last1 =Hogg| first1 =Ivan V.| last2 =Weeks| first2 =John S.| title =Military Small Arms of the Twentieth Century| publisher =Krause Publications| year =2000| edition =7th| url=https://archive.org/details/militarysmallarm0000hogg| url-access=registration}}</ref>
Locking lugs were cut diagonally at a steep angle. So while the bolt is rotating to unlock, bolt face is slowly moving back, giving primary extraction of the case. Similar feature can be seen on [[MG 30]], [[MG 15]], [[MG 17]] and [[MG 34]].

==Users==
<!-- READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you.-->
* {{Flag|Belgium}}
* {{Flag|Colombia}}<ref name="falfiles.com"/>
* {{Flag|Gabon}}<ref name="jones2009">Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). {{ISBN|978-0-7106-2869-5}}.</ref>
* {{Flag|Ireland}}: [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke, Lism|first=M. Kathryn, Johnston|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wapnAAAAMAAJ&q=FN+CAL+|title=Martin McGuinness: From Guns to Government|date=2001|publisher=Mainstream|isbn=9781840184730|language=en}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Lebanon}}: [[Lebanese Forces (militia)|Lebanese Forces]]<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{Flag|Mali}}: [[People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad]]<ref name ='SAS 2005'>{{cite book|url=http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2005.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109192749/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2005.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 9, 2010|chapter-url= http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2005/en/Small-Arms-Survey-2005-Chapter-06-EN.pdf|chapter=Sourcing the Tools of War: Small Arms Supplies to Conflict Zones|title=Small Arms Survey 2005: Weapons at War|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2005|author=Small Arms Survey|author-link=Small Arms Survey|page=166|isbn=978-0-19-928085-8}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Mexico}}
* {{Flag|Morocco}}: [[Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-02-12 |title=wiw_af_morocco (worldinventory) |url=http://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_af_morocco |access-date=2022-10-22 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212105042/http://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_af_morocco |archive-date=12 February 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Myanmar}}: [[Karen National Liberation Army]];<ref name="falfiles.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395072 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225140/http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395072 |archive-date=2017-10-03 |title=FN CAL around the world - The FAL Files}}</ref> captured by the Myanmar junta <ref> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kTHsLarfYM&t=51s အကြမ်းဖက်လုပ်ရပ်‌တွေကိုမကြိုက်လို့ ကိုယ်တိုင်ပါဝင် စစ်မှုထမ်းလာတဲ့ ပြည်သူ့စစ်မှုထမ်းများ အပိုင်း-၇] PyoMay Vlogs June 12, 2024</ref>
* {{Flag|Nicaragua}}: [[National Guard (Nicaragua)|National Guard]] and [[Sandinista National Liberation Front|Sandinistas]]
* {{Flag|Palestine}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://armamentresearch.com/belgian-fn-herstal-cal-rifle-in-gaza/ |title = Belgian FN Herstal CAL rifle in Gaza |work= [[Armament Research Services]] (ARES)|date = 12 December 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414160815/https://armamentresearch.com/belgian-fn-herstal-cal-rifle-in-gaza/|archive-date=April 14, 2023}}</ref><ref name="falfiles.com"/>
* {{Flag|Thailand}}

===For trials===
* {{Flag|Pahlavi Iran}}: Tested the CAL for consideration to the Imperial Iranian Army, but was never adopted.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://silahreport.com/2021/09/15/iranian-5-56mm-rifles-from-s5-56-to-masaaf/ |title = Iranian 5.56mm Rifles: From S5.56 to Masaaf – Silah Report|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305005228/https://silahreport.com/2021/09/15/iranian-5-56mm-rifles-from-s5-56-to-masaaf/|archive-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref>

* {{Flag|France}}: Tested the CAL in the late 1960s and early 1970s for military adoption. It had a [[MAS-49/56]] style rifle grenade launching system. But was never adopted. <ref> {{cite book |last= Huon |first= Jean |date= 2010|title= Le FAMAS et son histoire |trans-title= The FAMAS and its story|url= https://crepin-leblond.fr/armes-d-epaule/607-le-famas-et-son-histoire-9782703003366.html |language= French |page= 43|publisher= Crépin-Leblond Éditions|isbn= 978-2-70-300336-6}}</ref>


==See also==
* [[FN FAL]], 7.62mm NATO predecessor
* [[FN FNC]], successor
* [[List of assault rifles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{FN Herstal firearms}}

[[Category:5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles]]
[[Category:Assault rifles of Belgium]]
[[Category:FN Herstal firearms|CAL]]
[[Category:Trial and research firearms]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1966]]