Name a conflict during the Cold War that involved the the United Kingdom, Western European nations or their allies and you found the Fabrique Nationale FAL in the hands of the soldiers fighting the battles.
The FAL, or Fusil Automatique Léger ("Light Automatic Rifle"), is a semi-automatic/selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN). During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, except the United States. It is one of the most widely used rifles in history, having been used by more than 90 countries.
In many ways, it was the Free World's answer to the Russian AK-47, although firing the heavier 7.62 x 51-millimeter NATO round instead of the AK-47’s 7.62 x 39-millimeter intermediate round.
Despite its weight and size, the FAL is one of the longest battle rifles of the 20th century. It was easy to maintain and clean on the field. It reassembled without special tools and it was a select-fire weapon.
It was great for jungle warfare. The rifle could punch through the thick jungle foliage. It was also a far more reliable weapon than the early version of the M-16 rifle. The FAL rarely jammed or misfired—problems that bothered the M-16 for years.
"The Right Arm of the Free World", as it’s been fondly called, may rightfully claim its place as being the greatest rifle that answered the call during the uncertain days of the Cold War. While not a true assault rifle, it made its mark as the last of the great battle rifles.
Source: http://www.mtv2day.info/znamefrez-fal-assault-rifle.html
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-fn-fal-was-almost-americas-battle-rifle-5186bdbda998
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