Fw c1a1
- Thread starter cyclone
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I had the opportunity to fire an FN before the CFO pulled the owner's SAP and he couldn't take it to the range anymore
Also got to fire an Israeli M14 the same day
Of course I thought the FN was better
I'd love to own an FN but cannot owing to the date I got my PAL
C7 With old school fixed irons was what I learned to shoot on, still love the FN though
Maybe one day things'll change.....
Also got to fire an Israeli M14 the same day
Of course I thought the FN was better
I'd love to own an FN but cannot owing to the date I got my PAL
C7 With old school fixed irons was what I learned to shoot on, still love the FN though
Maybe one day things'll change.....
8L-series FNC1A1 was the final Canadian variant, specifically featuring removable (and replaceable) Foresight Protective Ears and Ejector Block. This meant that an entire Gas Block did not have to be replaced for a bent Foresight Ear, thus saving considerable 2nd-line maintenance labour and material wastage. The same applied to the removable Ejector Block, which permitted just the Ejector to be replaced instead of trashing an entire Upper Receiver with the associated 3rd-line labour of a Barrel-swap.
So far as I know, all of the former Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Emergency Response Team FNC1A1s that were returned to Canada for civilian sale by SIDEM (UK), were 8L series. This suggests that the OPP's ERT was one of Canadian Arsenals Limited's last customers before manufacture of the 8L-series rifles ceased around 1968. Mine is below - you can just make out the "###" on the lower receiver below the serial number, where the "OPP" stamp was crossed-out by SIDEM (UK).
SIDEM was a British company specializing in the recovery and resale of surplus firearms all around the world. They would buy up foreign surplus of interest to 1970s and 80s firearms collectors, stamp the guns with British Proof-Marks (eliminating previous government ownership), convert the automatic firearms to semi-automatic, then resell them throughout the commonwealth (mostly England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). This is where all of the 8L-series FN C1A1s and Artillerie Inrichtingen AR10s in Canada came from back in the day, along with former Singapore Police Force (SPF)-marked Australian FN SLRs and various converted-auto sub-machineguns. They were all purchased from SIDEM by Ontario Gun & Tackle out of Kenogami, ON, imported into Canada, and resold to eager non-restricted firearms buyers.
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Man, I miss those beauties. Wish (us normal plebes) could own these pieces of history in Canada.
I fondly recall the highlight of our trips to Ipperwash during my Cadets days being the range time. We were each given a single 20 round mag. to fire (sometimes, being an NCO, we could sneak two or more mags).
Working the butts was also fun, running targets up and down and indicating shots with the pointers. You would always get the odd Cadet that would try to shoot the pointer when you had them up, although they were given hell when caught.
Besides range time, we were also instructed on fieldstripping and cleaning of the C1 (FAL) as well as the C1 sub-gun (Sterling) back in the old barracks/classrooms. Unfortunately, we were never given an opportunity to fire the Sterling.
Ian does a great job on his video, although I believe he messed up a bit in speaking about the Foresight Protective Ears. I'm no expert on the C1, but I believe standard issue were the straight V shaped ears, with the removeable dog-legged ones not used until the 8L series (as mentioned by Bartok5 above). I believe they were also used on the C2's?
The poor Cadets these days are barely allowed to handle pellet rifles. We had the pleasure of shooting the Lee Enfield No. 7's and Anschutz .22's on a regular basis. Hundreds of rounds every weekend with the Rifle Team. That greatly supplemented my 'trigger time' as a youngster when I use to scrounge and save for a few boxes of .22 and .410/12ga. to go plinking and critter hunting. Ah, to be a kid again...
I fondly recall the highlight of our trips to Ipperwash during my Cadets days being the range time. We were each given a single 20 round mag. to fire (sometimes, being an NCO, we could sneak two or more mags).
Working the butts was also fun, running targets up and down and indicating shots with the pointers. You would always get the odd Cadet that would try to shoot the pointer when you had them up, although they were given hell when caught.
Besides range time, we were also instructed on fieldstripping and cleaning of the C1 (FAL) as well as the C1 sub-gun (Sterling) back in the old barracks/classrooms. Unfortunately, we were never given an opportunity to fire the Sterling.
Ian does a great job on his video, although I believe he messed up a bit in speaking about the Foresight Protective Ears. I'm no expert on the C1, but I believe standard issue were the straight V shaped ears, with the removeable dog-legged ones not used until the 8L series (as mentioned by Bartok5 above). I believe they were also used on the C2's?
The poor Cadets these days are barely allowed to handle pellet rifles. We had the pleasure of shooting the Lee Enfield No. 7's and Anschutz .22's on a regular basis. Hundreds of rounds every weekend with the Rifle Team. That greatly supplemented my 'trigger time' as a youngster when I use to scrounge and save for a few boxes of .22 and .410/12ga. to go plinking and critter hunting. Ah, to be a kid again...
One of the great things about the former OPP rifles is: most of them were barely used before being surplus'd.
The Tactics and Rescue Unit had them regularly for training, but other than that, most were stored in lockers at District Headquarters throughout the province to be used in times of emergencies (which hardly ever happened).
It's too bad most firearms owners will never have to opportunity to fire/own one.....
The Tactics and Rescue Unit had them regularly for training, but other than that, most were stored in lockers at District Headquarters throughout the province to be used in times of emergencies (which hardly ever happened).
It's too bad most firearms owners will never have to opportunity to fire/own one.....
Dad was an RCAF armourer, bored with his NDHQ job, and often brought home service weapons to... tinker with, I guess.
So as a young teenager I got to handle the Browning High Power (got to shoot it too, and couldn't hit a pop can at about 15 feet), the Sterling (Dad thought it was as ugly as sin, and that mag was definitely awkward), and the FN.
One day I came home and he'd put ten of them, in cardboard boxes, in the furnace room. Can't remember why, and they didn't stay long, but I did get to learn how to field strip them.
What I most remember is how bloody difficult it was to move the lever that broke the rifle open.
I had an interesting childhood.
So as a young teenager I got to handle the Browning High Power (got to shoot it too, and couldn't hit a pop can at about 15 feet), the Sterling (Dad thought it was as ugly as sin, and that mag was definitely awkward), and the FN.
One day I came home and he'd put ten of them, in cardboard boxes, in the furnace room. Can't remember why, and they didn't stay long, but I did get to learn how to field strip them.
What I most remember is how bloody difficult it was to move the lever that broke the rifle open.
I had an interesting childhood.
The inch pattern FNs were normally issued as semi-automatics except the C2 and L2.
The majority of metric versions were full auto capable.
The only metric FN FAL that I have had that wasn't FA capable was a G Series.
I think they were sold through Browning and some of the SIR catalogues had them listed.
The majority of metric versions were full auto capable.
The only metric FN FAL that I have had that wasn't FA capable was a G Series.
I think they were sold through Browning and some of the SIR catalogues had them listed.
7.92X33Kurz
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Oh, I miss shooting the FN. Just a really great rifle.
That's insane. I have heard a lot about CF infantry training and not much of it was positive. The pistol training they get is next to non existent from what I have gathered.
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This makes me wish we could get somebody to tool up inch-pattern FAL's for new production... everything lately is the Metrics, with the hot fads seeming to be Israeli and Rhodesian.
Would love to build a C1A1 clone if I could get a parts supplier, something for the GF's dad to shoot with... then again, I'd suspect that in his day whatever quals RCAF had with small-arms (he mustered out after having been a near-lifer in 1970-71, "didn't want his little girl to grow up a military brat") were later members of the SMLE family. (Hmmm... need a No. 4 Mk. 1 for the "teaching collection" someday, so that'd probably be a two-fer if I find one.)
Would love to build a C1A1 clone if I could get a parts supplier, something for the GF's dad to shoot with... then again, I'd suspect that in his day whatever quals RCAF had with small-arms (he mustered out after having been a near-lifer in 1970-71, "didn't want his little girl to grow up a military brat") were later members of the SMLE family. (Hmmm... need a No. 4 Mk. 1 for the "teaching collection" someday, so that'd probably be a two-fer if I find one.)
