The FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger – Light Automatic Rifle) was designed in Belgium in 1953 by Diedonne Saive and produced by FN Herstal. The rifle is known all around the world and is often nicknamed “The Right Arm of the Freeworld” This was one of the first successful NATO standardized variants. The FAL was used throughout the Cold War and was NATOs answer to the AK-47. The English and Commonwealth countries adopted a licensed version of the FAL known as the L1A1 however commonwealth rifles used “inch pattern” measurements instead of metric.