Ah, the ol' "shoot the guy in the chest then fire 19 warning shots for his friends in one triggerpull" tactic

I think despite the fact that there were reports of the Brits picking up and using full auto FALs during the Falklands, I think most quickly discover how poor a FAL handles in full auto.

I don't really think that was the main way that British soldiers used full auto FALs, it was by adapting L1A1s. On a related note though, a lot of full auto Para FALs were adopted into the SAS inventory during the Falklands.

The L1A1 actually has an auto sear, it just lacks the selector position. What you do is that you wedge a match underneath the back of the sear so that it no longer acts as a disconnecter. Assuming yo do it correctly, like this the gun runs exactly the same as a regular FAL. Because this is obviously unofficial people learned how to do it from hearsay so didn't always know where to put the matches, and have heard of people putting them behind the firing causing the gun to slam fire and dump the whole mag.

As for when this was actually done, it was done a lot on blank fire exercises with people acting as the enemy, but it was also done operationally on occasion in more close quarter environments. You had to have damn good trigger control though, as the gun was always full auto and couldn't be switched to semi without breaking it open and removing the matches.

As a further aside, I don't see where a .30 Caliber battle rifle is worth anything in full auto other than as a man portable AA weapon.

However, with some training, you can run an M-4A1 in full auto fairly well. Especially with a grenade launcher and an ACOG hanging on it.

And the burst feature on the M-16A2 is nothing but a modern version of the magazine cut off. Except sometimes you get a single shot, sometimes a three shot burst, and sometimes a run away gun. I'd rather have semi-auto only than hope the burst works when needed.

As a further aside, I got to shot an L1A1 at IBOLC. Most enjoyable. However, I don't think I'd want to lug one all over Rhodesia. Or fire one on full auto.

I've fired a FAL before, but only in semi auto made by DSA and when rapid firing, I think I used a line from a guy on youtube, Colin Noir. The rapid fire on a FAL kinda takes your breath away. It's not the same as when shooting an M1A. It made me want a FAL more than any other 7.62 battle rifle.

Don't buy an FAL unless you absolutely, truly, love them; you'll get more for your money out of an AR10 or G3 pattern gun (M14 belongs in trashcan, just don't). Don't be like me, having to hand fit my $50 mags to my precious, precious baby using a rasp

I'd get a G3 pattern rifle if any of them actually existed with paddle releases in America. CETMEs are all designed before H&K redesigned them with paddle releases and it's always bothered me when I try to reload them.

I wouldn't buy a FAL type rifle for any practical means. Just to collect it and to occasionally shoot it at the range. I've been looking at the S&W M&P 10 for my .308 AR.

I'd like a H&K 91 so I could be like Burt.

I'd like a FN-FAL so I could re-enact the Bush War, to include the short shorts, in my backyard.

No desire for a G-3 type 7.62mm rifle.