Aluminum guns

[Padeye]

The M-16 has forged aluminum upper and lower recievers as does the similar design the AR-10 which is in the same caliber as an FAL rifle. The big difference is that in Stoner’s AR design the rotating bolt locks into the steel barrel extension. The reciever does not have to withstand chamber pressure. In the FAL the upper reciever has the locking lugs for the tilting bolt and this is no doubt why the aluminum reciever failed.

I don’t think there has ever been an aluminum reciever AK type rifle. It uses a rotating bolt but it locks into reciever lugs.

[Valgard]

@Enola Straight

Ah, 1960’s style rocket guns.

I really, really, really wish I’d thought of that first.

[Padeye]

@Dog80

The FAL is a big, heavy mother of a rifle and has tons of recoil. I can see why they are trying to make it lighter.

Making a rifle lighter typically makes felt recoil much worse, remember Newton’s third law. The G3 has lighter recoil because it has a different operating system with a delayed action roller lock bolt. The FAL uses a tilting bolt which doesn’t delay recoil.

I’ve been told that repeated firing with a FAL can serioulsy strain your shoulder. M16 feels like a toy-gun in comparison. :eek:

No comparison between recoil from a 5.56mm rifle pushing a 55-62 grain bullet against a 7.62mm with a 165 grain bullet.