Upgrading the Classic Rhodesian FAL Rifle: Is it Worth It? 

Interesting video, James. I served in the Rhodesian bush war from 1975 - 1978, now living in Idaho, thank God not CA, NY, WA, OR. Just FYI, we never referred to the rifle as an FAL. We simply called it the FN Rifle, and the ones we used were actually manufactured in South Africa, where they called it the R1. BTW, I never had any issues with accuracy, even out to 200+ metres. In 3 years of use, I don't recall ever having a stoppage or any other problem. It was a rifle you could rely on completely, but we made sure to keep then clean. The 7.62 x 51 rounds were heavy, so many of the American volunteers who worked with us (many ex- Viet Nam vets) brought their own M16s or CAR-15s and they could carry a lot more rounds. We were also sometimes issued the heavy barrel FN version which was quite a bit heavier overall and also had a bipod. Some guys were able to source the scarce 30-round mags but I never used one. I've seen videos saying guys only loaded 19 rounds per mag due to reliability, but that is BS, because I never had a problem with loading a full 20 rounds. We typically carried a four-mag chest rig, a frag and a white phos grenade, plus smoke. We also had two to four extra mags in the ruc, which was normally 60-70 lbs for a 5-day patrol. I agree it was difficult to mount an optic, but it really wasn't necessary since most contacts happened at under 30-50 metres. Also the correct pronunciation of the Selous Scouts is "sel-oo", not "sel-oos" or "sell-us". Keep up on the excellent videos.

TFB TV was created almost a decade ago on youtube and it took THIS long for James "Mr. Shortest of Shorts" Reeves to cover the weapon of the men who wore short shorts as a military uniform

In Rhodesia we did not have to shoot at much over 250--> 300 yards, so the sights were very good. I got a Hensold optic sight for my rifle and hitting the target at I,200 yards was not a problem. The longer range shooting I did was for food, Kudu, Impala, Warthog, wild pig. My Rifle RA-4950 made me think I was invincible, [ we all thought that ] would go anywhere with it, still would. Wish I still had that rifle today.

I served for 7 years in the Rhodesian forces and used almost all the different weapons used by both sides of the conflict. For hitting power, ease of use and accuracy I far preferred the FN (as we called it). I have noted many of the various advantages of the FN in my book Watch My Tracer in which I cover many aspects of the weapon and its ease of use. I make comparisons in the use of the AK vs FN in our bush war. For me, one of the main advantages was the speed of changing from safe to single-round firing plus the magazine reload was soo much faster. I have known the rifle to hit a running target at 450 meters and I used the FN in competition shooting with high accuracy. Thank you for your valuable video.

That context bomb intro was the best, and most carefully phrased, treatment of the subject of Rhodesian camo larping. Nicely done James.

I replaced the plunger spring behind the trigger with a lighter one and it reduced the pull to about 4lbs. A huge improvement. No other work needed. 3MOA is par for the course with most FALs.

James... in my experience.. the last "s" in Selous, is silent.. we pronounce it "Seloo". where the confusion comes in i think is the contraction of the 2 words, Scouts being the following word. So in normal conversation it sounds like selous to the unfamiliar. Courtney Selous was a famed big game hunter back in the day. BIG RESPECT!! The FAL is a Heavy bugger, not that the R4.. which followed the R1 (or FAL) was much of a weight saver. In the sandy almost desert like conditions of the South West Africa/Angola conflict, we used to run the R1 very dry (up gassed to blow crap out the system). For lube we used chapstick lip balm on the carrier group rails. On patrol, it was SOP to do basic maintenance every day. wipe-down the internals.. and re-apply lip balm. Pop a rope pull-through the barrel with a 2x4 patch. Good to go. Never failed me. Our gun tiffy's, (company level armourers), were well up to any maintenance. Where the R4 (Galil made in South Africa) was a little lighter... we carried more ammo on patrols.. and of course a shit ton of ammo on ops. What most people forget was that for the most part up to the late 1970's.. Rhodesia was actually more of a province of South Africa. We used to go holiday there every year, visiting family. On the shorts.. our PT shorts were very dark almost black navy issue. They were quite thin and had no pockets. Bad choice for extended patrols. One proper fart and you were naked. Remember.. baked beans and dog biscuits were our MRE's. Blowing the arse of your shorts on patrol, was NOT a good look i can assure you. The cammy shorts you see were always made from long battle pants snipped and sowed by Moms, girlfriends and wives. It is bloody hot in Africa.. day temps are normally around 30 degrees. Hot and arid. Very short pants, because you need to get the sweat off your ballz in a hurry!! Walking10 to15 k's a day with a sticky nutsac... not good! No poofter ceramic plates and shit back then. Swapo and the other nut-jobs couldn't hit a bloody barndoor from inside the damned barn anyway. AND we were moving FAST. No helmets. No useless body armour. We walked patrols on foot.. dominating waterholes.... 14 days at a time before heading back to base for rest and re-sup. Unless you hit a contact. Then you got se-supped in the field.. always some extra treats like melted chocolate and cheese tubes. So you carried ammo and water. Lots of dog biscuits.. a sweetened hard tack biscuit. You ate that for breakfast.. tea.. lunch.. supper and when you felt like a snack. LOVED the infantry! Mans job!

As a soldier in the New Zealand Army in the '80's, we had to obtain a grouping of 2 inches by 4 inches before we even zeroed the sights!n This was using an Australian made L1A1 SLR with iron sights. I personally had no trouble hitting a figure 11 target consistently up to 600 metres.

REDDIT AINT GONNA LIKE THIS ONE PAL

If you're looking for a muzzle device for a FAL, Dead Air makes a flash hider in the correct thread pitch. If you do wanna run it suppressed, DSA also makes a different gas plug with inserts so you can tune the gas. Trigger upgrades that are unobtrusive are usually spring upgrades, can recommend a Falcon Arms spring kit, drops in with zero tooling.

Great video. As a veteran owner of several FALs since the glory days of kit building FALs, they are not happy campers going beyond the 160 grain level. I've found that the Hornady 308 WIN TAP155 gr ELD MATCH has been the most accurate for my FALs. I also found, between all of my FALs, from the L1A1 Aussie, L1A1 Brit, Imbel FAL, and the Austrian StG58, that the Stg58 was the most accurate. Steyr really put their time and effort into those quality barrels. If you want to go further down the rabbit hole of chasing accuracy, I've also found that Cryo treating the barrels and target crowns have helped. The gun writer Patrick Sweeney did a lengthy FAL accuracy improvement article and he found the Hornady TAP 150 to 155 grains was the cats meow for his FALs. He reportedly got it down to 1.5 to 2 MOA all day using Hornady TAP. Great video, dude. Good looking rifle.

I loved my R1 and never had any cycling problems with either the rifle or mags. Basic, but functional. Our load out was 120 rounds. One mag on the rifle, four full mags and twenty rounds in a pack. My dream is to one day to find the rifle I carried. Not much chance of that here in the UK, but you never know I might just end up in the US one day.

Those shorts alone put my fitness regimen to shame.

I bought a stack of actual FAL mags when I bought my SA58 15 yrs ago. I also picked up a couple 30 rd mags from DSA. More recently I bought a handful of Moses polymer mags and they are solid performers. I had trigger work done in mine as well and the trigger pull is now 4lbs. Love it.

From the first time I saw a FAL as a kid I fell in love, Learning about its history was amazing. Love the video Gun Daddy. Shorts are on point as always.

The Selous Scouts often used captured ZIPRA and ZANLA arms such as AKs as well. This made sense as infiltration was their primary mission. The FAL was the standard for Rhodesian units, including the R-SAS and the RLI.

You got the LARP down, but you still C-Clamp the thing..... YOU BROKE MY IMMERSION! THANKS JAMES =(

You really are apolitical. I was wondering how this was gonna go. Thanks James.

The FAL was great as is, for it's intended purpose. Aside from getting a good scope mount for it, no upgrades necessary to make it a really great rifle. It already is!

An older post, but I just wanted to throw in on it regardless. I cannot speak to your Rhodesian rifles, but I can speak to the Canadian FN C1a1 I carried in the 1980's. The Canadian Armed Forces was the first country to adopt the rifle in the 1950's, and our modifications and Canadian manufacture led to ours being considered by many as the best made version of the rifle. As a Canadian Army Infantryman I can state the rifle performed flawlessly in every situation I ever used it. And unlike the comments here - it was deadly accurate - Accurate hits at 500 and 600m were the norm in my day using our excellent iron sights...... Yes, I said iron sights. Like our USMC brothers, we focus heavily on marksmanship in our military. The "C1" is not a sloppy "minute of man" gun like the models you are quoting and using here. Sorry, I have to call BS on that. I competed in many shooting competitions with mine where accuracy was scored with X rings on the targets. Again, that is the Canadian Army experience - seems to be different from the modern painted up remake being tested here. The only drawback we found was of course in using the FN C1a1 in a CQB setting - she is heavy and long - not as handy as the M16 style rifles and carbines that replaced it. (C7 and C8) in 1988. Awesome shorts though bro!

I am surprised at the lack of accuracy with iron sights. When I qualified on this rifle - well, the NATO version of it - we had to empty the entire magazine within an 8 inch target. At 300 meters. This was not particularly hard to do.

I did my basic training in the RNZN with the SLR L1A1, we were lucky to have the polymer furniture back in 1990. We were expected to achieve groupings of under 3' at 100m and body shots on a Fig 11 target at 400m, no problem. I think the Navy still uses it today to throw lines between ships for replenishment at sea. I like my women, like the SLR, long legs and hard hitting!

Nice to see a fan of the 7.62mm SLR (British Forces designation). One thing you didn't take into account was the older original weapons with wooden furniture (and some of the early plastic furnitured weapons did too) carried weapon cleaning kits inside them in a special receiver accessed from a flip-plate on the butt heel. This was extremely useful in the field as you didn't have to carry around a kit rattling loose inside a 2-ounce (50g) tobacco tin sized tin box. I also noticed your struggle removing the breech at the start of the video. British forces were always trained to remove the thin metal breech cover before removing the breech slide (and before breaking the weapon open, cock it empty and apply safety to allow the breech slide to be taken out with or without the thin cover in place). When putting the breech slide back, always "flip" the rat-tail up, with your finger tip, to have it settle into correct alignment before closing the weapon - this stops nipping of the rat tail by the recoil spring guard plate as you snap the butt into place. Nipping the rat-tail too often leads to inaccurate recoil routing to the butt-spring. Did you try adjusting the gas outlet to stiffen the recoil when that mag kept causing jams?

Great episode! I bought a Belgian/metric FN-FAL 25 years ago. Match grade barrel, brand new. Still have it. This episode rocked. I just need FireForce / Selous Scouts shorts!

Years ago I got a Rhodesian FN Parts kit in a 3 way trade. After I finish my move to WV in the next couple of months, I’m going to contact DSA, get the Reciever and Scope Mount and have some fun.

Three accuracy problems I corrected with my FAL over 20 years ago. 1. Free float the barrel. Any directional force on the forearm changes pencil barrel harmonics. 2. Chop the barrel to 19”. 3. Drop in a polished trigger kit. Rifle then shoots

I won Young Soldier competition with a L1A1 in 1986. Battalion Competition rifles, off the shelf, were chosen if they managed 2MOA with iron sights and a Bren thin front leaf. We were hitting Fig 11 targets out to 600m all day long, standing, kneeling, and prone. In the prone we used to rest the mag on the ground. Sitting in a trench in Germany for the USSR to roll over us, then at least the 7.62 had some reach. Northern Ireland it wasn't so handy, unless out in the countryside. Used a R1 in SA for farm pests. Best bit was these rifles point so well, and anyhow in the bush you can't see often further than a hundred meters or so. I never felt under gunned then. Today, we are spoilt for choice.. Lastly, I think the FAL has one of the best and fastest safety catches done. In the right place and big. Has anything today as good a one?

Thank you for that thoughtful and reasonable preamble regarding intent

FAL / L1A1 = the best-looking battle rifle ever 👍👍

My grandfather and dad were born in Rhodesia. I find that they talk about it with a certain level of sincerity. Yes it was an apartheid like regime, and at that time it was not unusual in Africa, my mom is black and my grandfather detested her, they only made peace when we moved to Brazil. One could say that ethnic boundaries is still very much a thing in Africa to this day. Rhodesia was a remnent of an old colonial system much like the rest of Africa, this is just a fact for better or worst. People in Rhodesia held their british heritage very close to their culture it was just a thing. Brazil is a very diverse country (even though still very much racist, but in a different way). I think Brazillian culture had a deep impact on my grandparents and I love it. Still I have no shame of my Rhodesian heritage and would very much like to see what it was like. It is always very interesting and rare when countries compleately cease to exist.

Nice vid, thank you. If you were to shoot a Table II like that 40 years ago it would attract some harsh remedial training. The iron sights are fine, as is the trigger. Just practice, man. The rifle is capable of < 1 mrad all day, providing lethal hits under duress out to 300m. It's a battle rifle, no optic required in the right hands. Many a floppie could attest to that if they were not already dead.

Having served in the Rhodesian army, I found the FN as we called it, very reliable. The only time I traded it in was when I had to get flown in and out of a contact ( I was a Medic) I would grab an Israeli Uzi just for simplicity and size in the confined space of the chopper, with my sidearm always. But once returned I grabbed my FN again. I would love to get my hands on one now..... Side note Selous Scouts is actually pronounced by dropping the last 'S' Sounds like Selou but your spelling is correct Selous.

In South Africa, we called it the R1. It was my weapon during my service. Miss that rifle...

FN needs to produce this rifle in their collector’s series.

Ex south african soldier//paratrooper. I carried first old wooden stock FN then later R1 and still later R1 paratrooper version with a fold up stock

I served in the SADF 1974-76 and did two tours of border duty. I grew up in the suburbs and had no exposure to firearms, add to that I was short 5ft5 and only weighed 100 lbs. The FN and later R1 was a big machine for that little 18 year old. What I learnt over my time with the FN is that we could shoot accurately with the iron sights and heavy trigger if you embraced it and let the rifle do the work. If you grabbed it by the scruff and held it too tightly your accuracy went to the toilet. This is usually as a result of being scared of this rifle, its recoil if the gas setting was too aggressive could scare anyone. The other trick was to pull the trigger with the second finger while keeping the first finger pointing straight ahead and supporting the receiver. In this way there is less likelyhood of causing the rifle to tip over in response of pulling that heavy trigger. Yes pulling as squeezing was not an option with the trigger weight. Big, heavy and long but it kicked as in the bushwarfare situation. Even sitting behind a double brick wall was no cover from the FN even with only 150grain NATO spec ammunition. It saved my ass on many occasions and I would use it right now if asked. Great review.

Is it worth it in a tactical sense? Probably not. A good AR 10 is probably better. But is the FAL one of the best vibes out there? Yeah it is and I've always wanted one! I love the FAL! SO to me it's absolutely worth it! Though I'm not gonna lie, besides a rattle can paint job I'd rather have a stock FAL haha! Great video though love tfbtv!

The Canadian FN-C1 rifle had a rotating disk rear sight that improved quite a lot on the original FAL rear sight, which was indeed dog crap. The FN rifle [as we called them] was a heavy, hard-recoiling pig to carry over hill and dale as I did in my army days [long past]. But...when you fired it, you knew you were preserving the Free World with every shot [no comment about the history of Rhodesia]. I have a British LAR that I tricked out with every FN-C1 part I could find back in the day. They are legally prohibited [but grandfathered safe queens for owners] in Canada, have been for many years. They exist mainly for fondling purposes, and this video inspires me to get mine out for some serious fondling right now!

Great video! I love my FALs. I built two from parts kits around 2002ish. I put FSE triggers in them (out of business now). Both have DSA railed top covers (highly recommend) and fixed stocks. Steel milsurp mags were $4 each still in the wrap. I also got some aluminum ones for I think $6 each, maybe $8. Those were the days. Parts kits came with every part except the receiver was torch cut and the auto sear was taken out. Pop all the parts in a new receiver and you were ready to rock.

Glad to see someone with a name finally mentioning the "shortage" of surplus FAL mags, I've resorted to buying them from local gun shows for prices that would make your eyes pop

The name is Selous (pronounced Seloo the "s" is silent) Scouts after the famous big game hunter ,Frederick Courtney Selous

that's where the trouble began. those shorts... those damned shorts.

I carried a wood stocked FN L1A1 for a while. I actually liked the system even thought it had some miles on it, and the one that I was issued also had the handle cut off...in fact I was unaware, at that time, that it even had a carry handle so I didn't miss it. I liked that it was easy to maintain under rather adverse conditions. It was also amazingly reliable considering it's well-used condition. All in all a new one would probably be fantastic.

My 1st issued rifle, FAL C1. LOVED IT. I enjoyed shooting the C7, but the C1 I found to be soldier proof, easy to operate, and super rugged.

I'm a Rhodesian veteran. Unless people were there they don't know anything. None of us care what the world thinks of us. We didn't care then and we don't care now. We know what we fought for and what we fought against and we sleep comfortably at night. A lot of bullshit is said about the whole conflict. A little tip, your FN shouldn't have the carrying handle to be authentic. It should be cut off. I appreciate the video, once us veteran's are gone the truth about that war will be lost forever. Already very little reality is left in the main stream media

Having carried the SLR for nearly 20 years in desert, tundra and European countryside I still think the SLR is outstanding certainly it beat its replacement the SA80 MK1 hands down (and the weight of the SLR was not that much more to give the SA80 an advantage ) The removal of the sling and handle went early on and once the addition of a SUIT sight made it a nice weapon to use - had very very few malfunctions in 20 years One Company RSM summed it up ‘if you use the sling or handle - you get used to it, no sling or handle so get used to it.

This is my new favorite video of all time. Actually, it is THE favorite video of all time.

"The Bush Tracker, aka my nickname in college." I'm friggin dying here. Looks like I have found a new home, haha.

Good rifle. Great modernization. Fantastic quads!

The South African version was called R1. My dad was part of the Komando ( commando or Komando was the citizens force of mostly retired conscript soldiers). Back then they got isued with a full auto gun that went home with them. The thing was most African soldiers grew up hunting with iron sites. So it wasn't uncommon for them to hit the target 200 to 300 meters.

What a beautiful rifle, I used one when I served in the army, will always be my favorite.

If you want to understand how the Rhodies achieved their famous 35:1 kill ratio search for 'Rhodesian Fireforce: history's most lethal counterinsurgency tactic'

The South African version of the FAL (the R1) was used in SA for many years and never had problems with malfunctions. You seem to be using a pup!

If Rhodesian camo is wrong I dont wanna be right.

Brazilian army's manufacturing company (Imbel) still makes the FAL and ParaFALs. They sell it to civilians also. Good luck trying to purchase mags from a state owned company in Brazil, though. Last time I checked it was taking them 3 years to deliver a 1911 that would have edges sharper than a ninja star.

Had a good giggle out of this. Thanks for keeping this stuff alive. That just happens to be the rifle I learned to shoot with. My old man put that in my hands when I was maybe 6. To be honest even at 6 my grouping was better.😁

I carried it years ago in the CAF. Loved it. Better than almost all the crap they have on the market today.

The missus father was born in Rhodesia and fought in the Bush war. Comes to visit from South Africa every year. Got me into the Shot show this year. Cool dude.

The FAL or FN was also used in the SADF. We called it a R1. It was replaced by the R4, which is a version of the Galil chambered in 5.56x45. The R4 was replaced by the R5, in some divisions. This was a shorter barreled version of the R4. All very good weapons. The R1 chambered in 7.62x51 was just a much harder hitter Than the 5.56x45.

Just stopped by for the thumbnail. This video has the greatest use of short shorts since the 81 Celtics.

Had one for a few months in Angola 68/69. Went to the AK after the novelty was over. Also had one in Latin America and again went to the AK after a while. Fought with one a couple of times. Did okay with it. Bought two as a grown up. A long barrel and a para folder. Eventually sold or traded them. Never used the gas adjustment system. Just set it and didn’t move it. Nice 308 rifle… but there’s better, like the AR -10. Same caliber, same weight, you can scope it, less recoil and better triggers.

I own two a Imbel and a Israeli heavy both I purchased back in the early nineties and are my favorite in my collection ,that said to describe the FAL it would be a crescent wrench of rifle,solid heavy but not perfect and will never wear out and it fits most jobs just fine …

That rifle was also used by us in South Africa before we changed to the galil copy having had the pleasure of using both and the AK I love FAL above all even with all its faults

I put a DSA scope mount and a PA ACSS 1-8 on my Imbel build and was ringing a steel gong at 775 yards standing, using my spare tire on the back of my SUV for a platform. Ammo was Indian army surplus from 1972-75. Much fun was had! The only flex I have on James is that I have a box of surplus Austrian mags I got when they were $5/ea, back in the day. After getting skunked on surplus M14 mags (thinking they'd always be cheap), I wasn't going to make that mistake twice. The reason the Israelis had so much trouble with the FAL is not discussed very much, as it was found their weapon's maintenance was poor to non-existent, and the FAL just wanted some lovin' in order to run right.

I love the big ol battle rifles. The FAL, the G3, AR-10’s, even the M14. Something so cool about shooting 308 in semi auto, and the vibes are incredible.

I had a FAL when I did my service in the Belgian Infantry in '81-'82. I loved it. Very accurate and reliable and easy to clean. The FAL and the FALO (the heavy version) make me proud to be Belgian.

@JamesReeves never misses leg day... @JamesReeves embraces it the same way a true Saints fan once again embraces the paper bag now that Sean and Drew are... pause for effect... no more. C'est la vie Fluer de lis

There’s a lot dudes talking about a race war in the comments of any video Rhodesians or the FAL. It’s cool that he actually addressed it

i have a DSA SA-58 Standard from the 1990’s with one of the few remaining (at the time) Steyr barrels. With DSA railed cover and 3.5x ACOG I have steadily achieved 2.5” groups at 100 yards using Hirtenberger ammo (an obvious match for the Steyr barrel). Barrel/ammo combo always makes a difference.🤷🏻‍♂️

One of the better reviews of the FAL and the upgrades you made- I have been struggling to find the proper scope mount due to the drop from the top of the receiver. Also- Love the info on accuracy- I have been fighting with it, assuming it is my poor marksmanship, however, this sets a benchmark and expectations!

Hell yeah, we did the Cerakote work on these! Love those FALs! Legit vid!🤘

I love my FAL, picked it up cheap with 8 mags a box of extra parts and 300 rounds - It was well dialed by the previous owner, accurate and fun - Great video - The para conversion, scope and 18" barrel are all solid upgrades I'd like to do

I used this weapon when I served in the Brazilian army, it is brutally heavy and needs a lot of training to withstand the weapon's punch.

This dude did a great job explaining his position on the nuance of the intentions behind the use of Rhodesian camo

I remember in my SADF days, we were issued the R5 (ja, I was Airforce), and we looked up to the oue manne (spelling) that carried the R1.

That was probably the most reasonable way of explaining the rhodesian larp ive ever seen

I served in the Rhodesian Army 1979/80. The reason for cutting off the carry handles was the same reason slings were not allowed while on patrol in the bush - it was to stop Troopies from carrying their FN's in anything but the "ready" position (although you still kept your issue sling in your combat rig for those times when it was neccessary to sling your rifle ie; carrying a wounded comrade, or humping awkward and heavy loads).

The FAL was originally made by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN) in Liège, Belgium, but it has also been made under license in fifteen countries.

As a fellow Reeves who owns a FAL, I approve of this video.

James, keep rocking those short shorts! I'm a man who also wears short shorts! I love wearing them! Stay strong James!

I was conscripted in 1979, did 2 years military service in a South African infantry battalion. During basic training, I was issued a standard R1 rifle, practically new, still black, with plastic furniture. My mates who used the same type of rifles in the border war in Angola / Caprivi strip, quickly learnt that oil combined with the fine powdery dust created repeated malfunctions. There were many tricks to achieve sufficient lubrication, from talc powder, to finely ground charcoal or carbon powder. I was able to work a bit on my rifle, I reduced the front post diameter at the same time reducing the diameter of the small hole in the rear sight. I also polished the working surfaces of the trigger mechanism, reducing a bit the drag, making the break a bit crisper. This was NOT ALLOWED! We would blacken the rear & front sights with a match/lighter ( soot) reducing possible glare - not in the operational area, but at unit level for shooting exercises. A 3" group at 100 m, standing, was required by the instructors, and I was able to achieve this, with due care and discipline in posture, grip, breathing - the basics of shooting. I nevery had any jams/misfeeds, but my rifle was always very clean, our platoon sarge was an absolute beast when he found a dirty rifle - he checked each of our platoons rifles (30 guys) with a white barrel latch. Today I'm living in the EU, where I can't own a rifle like this. I was later issued a R4 5.56 - I always preferred the R1 on the shooting range. Great video, thanks!

How to improve the accuracy of the FAL (SLR): grip, breathing, sight, trigger squeeze. From back in the day when 'optics' wasn't even a word. :)

It is amazing to me that a $1500 optic can be considered “budget friendly”. I have never bought an optic over $300. I would bet that I can be 90-95% as effective with a $300 5x prism optic, or even a red dot, as I could with a 1-8x LPVO.

One really big issue that very few talk about, is parts. Parts go bad, things break, and stuff wears out. If out and about, hold up, or snoop'n and poop'n, what you use/carry will depend on the parts needed. The FAL, while out on patrol, the most you might need is a spare bolt. Just my opinion, and just like B-holes, everyone's got one.

I have the DSA SA58 with a 16in barrel and fixed stock and I love it. I've got mine fitted with an EOtech 512 and a streamlight protac HLX

I served in the SADF and had the Belgian model and also the fal. And the R4 galil loved them all

rhodesia my not be on a map but it is in our hearts RHODESIANS NEVER DIE !!

If your old beat up vintage FAL style mags are not feeding well then have a look at the spring. Replacing mine helped a LOT.

That intro was extremely relatable, I struggled so hard when I first took apart my FAL to put it back together. Did I read a manual? Watch a video how to do it? Or anything like that? No so it was probably harder because of it, but still probably the hardest disassembly I have done. It also didn't help I had a dust cover with a pic rail, that was pretty jank working with

I appriate you acknowledging the complicated history and not just going "BASED" over and over like other people.

Cut one and a half coils off the trigger return spring and polish the triggers group mating surfaces and you have a much better trigger. Cost is just your labor.

I built my STG58 on an Imbel receiver. Absolutely love the thing. Thanks for this interesting video on the Rhodesian version.

Love and hate this channel for James' general dislike for the AK platform, but I'm glad we see eye to eye on the FAL. Certainly not the most practical gun in 2023, but like the AK, it has a special place in a gun collection.

I was stationed in Belgium in the mid 80’s and bought a FAL from the Liege plant. Took a ton of paperwork and 6 months waiting and stayed in the SP armory till I DEROSED, but worth it. At 150 yard’s pretty much a ice pick to the target. It’s a big target lol.

SHTF in America Me: Completely nude paint job in Rhodesian Camo

The footage at 9:04 is of the selection process for the Selous Scouts. They had to do a long hike in the bush with heavy rocks in their back pack, and you had to show the rocks at the end to prove you'd done it. If you wanted to quit, you simply took the rocks out of your back pack and completed the hike without the weight on your back. So what you are seeing here at 9:04, is a guy quitting the selection to be a Scout because he's had enough.

Picked up a built Rhodesian fal parts kit with a Imbel upper receiver and over 20 surplus Rhodesian magazines with it for a good price, probably the best buy I ever had

Remember be a Man among men RLI - Rhodesian Light Infantry. We know James is all about the short shorts 🩳 Rhodesian style. ♠️🎩🎯🎱🇺🇸🏁🇺🇦🔱🌻🏵️💮🌸🌼🏴‍☠️🏹

I have to skip admins intros a lot, but I'm always here for these

R1/Fal mags are fairly easily available in South Africa if anyone needs. In fact original Rhodie FALs are also available from places like Classic arms etc.