Cpl.Canuck said:
I used the FN C1 and for its time, it was a nice piece of work. I would give my eye teeth (and a chunk of change) to buy one now (even converted to a semi-auto).
To stop any misconceptions before they start the C1 was always semi-auto with the exception of the C1D for naval boarding party purposes (as Mark says in the above post). This was fitted with a C2 change lever, and C2 trigger plunger (thats all you needed), and the rifle was identified with a large A on the side of the butt near the rear sight. The A was painted either red or white. I had seen both. Near the end of service many C1D's were placed into regular service at Army units through Canada. The Regina Rifles had a few of them.
Commercial sale of the C1A1 and L1A1 rifles back in the early to late 1980s was a common thing. I had paid $750 for my 8L CAL C1A1(former OPP rifle exported to the UK and resold back into Canada) in 1987, and $450 for my Australian L1A1 in 1977 (both since sold to friends before I left Canada). Both rifles had intact safety sears, and unaltered breech block carriers.
If you are looking to buy either types today, you still can as long as you had one previous to the grandfather clause back in the mid 1990s. I had recently (this month at MARSTAR) seen an 8L CAL C1A1 for $1,200 advertised in Canada, adn $750 for an L1A1.
As for the C1/L1 weapons system, for its day it was fine, but it was severly critisised in the Falklands (I had the chance to read in detail the AAR on its performance and critique from the British Army back in 1983) War by the English.
As for the LAR, the C2A1, well that was a beast which was mag fed, fired from a closed bolt, and had no barrel change capabilities, which all are not good characteristics for an LAR/LMG. The British stayed away from the idea staying with the L4 BREN (yet later adpoted the L86A2 which is the same method as the C2, but the Poms have since seen the light, using the Minimi in Iraq).
Australia was the only other country to use the C2 type of weapon were it was known as the L2A1 or 'AR' for Automatic Rifle. This was primarily used by unitsother than infantry, as the US M60 GPMG and L4 A4 BRENS were also used.
Australia purchased from Canada C2 bipod assemblies, early type rear C2 1000 metre sights, and carrying handles in qty for their ARs. None of these were made by SAF-L, but all other components were. Also the Aussie version did not have a removable ejector block as did the C2A1 and 8L C1A1.
Production of the Aussie rifles began in 1959 and went well into the late 1980s, where Canada had produced the C1 from late 1956 to only 1968. BTW Canada was the first country to adopt and mass produce the FN rifle.
Such limitations noted in the British report were its weight, lack of amount of rds that could be carried, magazine size, lack of qty of mags that could be carried, and effectiveness in CQB situations.
The good advantage was its range, punch and it's robustness.
I carried the C1A1 from Jan 1976 until it was replaced by the C7 at our Unit in Oct 1990.
EDIT: Oddly enough, some private security firms are using 'upgunned' 7.62mm FN FAL rifles (upgunned meaning modernized, altered, customised, shortend bbls, picatinny rails etc) in Iraq.
Throughout the third world now, along with 'Mr Kalashnikov', one can find heaps of variants of the FAL rifle in the hands of many so called 'soldiers'.
Cheers,
Wes
:sniper:
