“The history of the FN FAL is replete with stories of hard men who chose the 7.62x51mm NATO-chambered rifle, officially Fabrique Nationale’s Fusil Automatique Léger or ‘Light Automatic Rifle,’ when lives depended on their successes.” tactical-life.com‘s intro to their review of the DS ARMS SA58 PARA isn’t the most elegant piece of writing I’ve ever read. One wonders, for example, where exactly these hard men were hard. Thankfully, writer D.K. Pridgen erases any doubt about whether these hard men had a hard choice. Apparently, they opted for the FN FAL “Not because it was all they had, but because it was considered by experts—those same hard men—to be the best available.” A hard man is good to find. And what hard work are these hard men doing with the hard-hitting DS ARMS SA58 PARA? Police work! You have to buy the dead tree version for Tactical Life’s verdict but the strap-line says it all: “Heavy-hitting carbine CQB carbine that is ready to defeat barricades!” Wait. What barricades? Ours or theirs?
I miss my FAL…damn me for getting rid of it….
I always think of Top Shot George’s assesment of the FAL- “the first this you notice about it when you pick it up….is….it sucks.”
I picture him every single time I pick one up, classic.
I just missed the FAL in Canadian service, joining right after the C-7 (M-16A1.5) was adopted. Would love to get one, but CT, assault rifles, etc.
Well, a .308 configured for use in and around cars does seem to have some utility in an anti-vehicle role, but it’s at odds for handling, capacity, over penetration, weight and just about every other category Vs. its main competition the AR-15/M4.
I suppose when you need to take a shot through cover or at greatly extended ranges this could well come in handy, but that’s sounding a lot like warfare and little like patrol work. I’m not one to deny the police the tools they need to do their jobs and if a department has a guy who prefers one of these so be it, but I don’t think there is much of a market for it.
I read a magazine called Tactical Weapons (for police and le) and I kind of found myself disgusted reading it. How the heck can you justify a sniper rifle good out past 1,000 meters for cops. Maybe the cops should probably get closer and actually see the situation? Probably a closer guy on the rooftop across the scene should take the shot instead? It talked about swat teams in New Jersey with their full auto Colt Commandos and armored caterpillar forklift/ insertion vehicle that can rip roofs off. It talked about handling an active shooter situation at a school and what they should do with no mention whatsoever of arming the teachers. IT CELEBRATED BOSTON GOING INTO LOCKDOWN. I guess the rag knows its target audience of soldier cops.
Have a FAL. Carried it in my cruiser for years, and was VERY happy with it. Loaded with Hornady 110gr TAP, it was very effective. 100 yards across a field? No problem. It was the best thing around for guys who worked out in the country. Funny how people whine about “militarization of the police”, and cheer for militarization of criminals.
“Truthmonger”…people w/truth in their moniker rarely know whAt it is. I dont hear anyone, anywhere cheering for the “militarization of criminals”, especially as this does not exist in America, while the former certainly does. Perhaps you are one of those not fit for the job.
Ok, willard, you like the idea of cops with revolvers while criminals carry Glock 17s? Force continuum for police pushes a 1+1 response. The idea is to bring a situation under control as quickly as possible. Perfectly aacceptable to use intimidation if it will help avoid use of actual force. I’d rather have an MRAP to use against a guy barricaded in a house with an AR over my only cover being a Caprice or Impala. There’s a place in law enforcement for military-style equipment and tactics. Believe it or not, most criminals are neither completely reasonable or rational.
Truthmonger you are blowing smoke up peoples asses and you know it. Look up the posse comitatus act and tell me if you in your mrap is anything different than our boys overseas. Your purpose as a police officer should be to defend our people and our laws not put fear into the hearts of citizens you communist totalitarian pos.
As a matter of fact, it is QUITE different. The purpose of police is to serve the common good, not the interests or desires of individuals. This sometimes requires more than a smile and a handshake.
What is your issue with police having the same equipment as members of the public? The idea isn’t to give criminals an even fight -it is to bring situations that are out of control back under control as quickly as possible. Does it mean you might get your feelings hurt? Yep.
We don’t have to look past Ferguson this week. Riot broke out, police responded. Everyone whined about “militarized” police overreacting. Cop were pulled out, it gets even worse and the property owners and residents start calling for cops to go back in. How would YOU have handled it, Casey? Hugs?
Want examples of militarized police? In the ’20s and ’30s, cops carried Thompsons regularly. Far more militarization than now.
Have you even read the Constitution?
The State wouldn’t exist without the individual. If the individual is not represented properly then the individual has the right to reform the state as the Declaration of Independence says. If you had been around in the 1760s I think you would have been a red coat with your mentality.
If every citizen had a rifle on them- that would keep everyone honest.
in my opinion a cop should always be superior to whom he is facing. and if criminals use ak’s must have something to respond and FAL is a very good option so I can not agree more with truthmonger.
live in a real world with real threats and I prefer to be able to defend my family, my community and my country and to this must be prepared
Oh ya pigs had mraps back in the day. If you can have an mrap, full auto firearms, gas, so should I without bull crap regulation. A police force is exactly that, a police force and shouldn’t be decked out like the military period. Per the 2nd amendment the militias (civilians) should have that even more since police have it. Just like the Koreans during the LA riots, the armed civilians pulling together could have quited down the riots. During hurricane Rita in SW Louisiana, looter were shot by armed civilians who didn’t evacuate and guess what. … the low lifes quit looting.
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