hmm.. just now i thought.. wonder why "bling" hasn't hit rifles.
I mean there's all manner of presentation grade nickel-plated gov't models, fancy engraved stainless revolvers, le/satin knives.. etc.
but i've never seen a Bling'ed up shiny rifle! ok.. i've seen polished up 10-22 plinkers.. but i'm talkin real rifle.
maybe cause riflemen are more serious ?

serious being like..
"beware the man with only one rifle.. because he knows how to use it".

FN has made some FAL's with real bling.

Most of them wound up in the Middle East.

Churchill received a very nice engraved FAL when he retired.

Winchester has a very long history of finely engraved lever action rifles like the one of one hundred and one of one thousand.

Some big game hunters use highly engraved bolt action rifles.

Sporting shotguns often have engravings, gold trim and finely crafted wood.

Then there is Mall Ninja bling, an AR with everything "tactical insert part name here".

very good points.
which reminds me.. in the movie League of Extraordinary Gentleman.. when that whipper snapper opened up with his chromed winchester lever action.. i was just.. Wow.. that is shiny.

I have been thinking about NP3 plating a FAL. It's very corrosion resistant and self lubricating but it might be too much bling for me.

I guess I can try it out. If I don't like it, I'll paint it. I hope paint can stick to NP3.

if it's functional.. it's not bling.
it's not like anyone would Say anything to you while you were holding it anyways! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
tidbit i learned last month..
Clyde (of Bonnie & ) was very fond of Browning BAR's.. a Serious piece of ordnance even today. He carried a cut-down one under his trenchcoat, and another in the vehicle.. which prolly explains why they were able to shoot their way out of (thru?) road blocks so effectively!

A cut down BAR must weigh at least 14-15 lbs. I wouldn't want to carry it very far.

The FAL packs about the same power in about half the weight. It's fine for single shots but almost uncontrolable full auto. There are some heavy barrel FALs that split the weight difference. I hear they work pretty well on a bipod.

If you need more fire power than that, you have to step up to something like a M-60, MG-42 or 1919A4 belt fed beast.

The canadian forces have C7's and C8's which are nice AR series rifles and well regarded by the troops especially the C8.

Bling was invented by and for guns. Nickel plating and ivory grips. For the best or worst of bling guns check out what the US army confiscated from Saddams kids.
Gold krinkov(custom cut down)AK's with nike symbols and even worse.

If you could go into a gunshop and get a rougher but just as reliable and accurate
norinco M14 for 300$ or a FAL what would it be?

As much as I like the 7.62 I agree with the armys reasoning for going to 5.56.
You can carry so much more ammo and if you have to engage targets out past 300meteres all units have something way better than a FAL like rifle grenades or sniper rifles ,heavier weapons or even airstrikes and artilery. The soviets had units where everyone had a AK74 except the best shot had a SVD so a basic infantry unit could have more range. A FAL would have been exelent in this role as well.

oh that's a can 'o worms right there! can talk all night and into the next night about that one!
"What If" scenarios out the ying yang on that topic!

myself.. i'm goin the other way.. thinkin of buying/building my own version of "scout rifle", lightweight bolt-action, iron sights, prolly .308

Well if the U.S. hadn't forced NATO to adopt the 7.62*51 they would have used an FN designed 7mm round with superior long range ballistics, lighter weight and a smaller, lighter version of the FAL to go with it.

That sounds a whole lot like the 6.5mm Grendel which might just replace the 5.56 in the AR.

And for the reliability of a Norinco, Ha!

The FAL is famous for reliability. It has a better record than the real M14. And Norinco's are known for heat treat problems (in the bolts I think).

When a FAL does break, everything is easy to fix. A lot easier than my Garand and the M14 is ~based on the Garand.

Accuracy is a point that I can't speak about since I don't own a Norinco. I just know that my FAL is more accurate than I am. I can't ask for more than that.

fascinating.. haven't heard about the Grendel till now.. will have to check it out in depth.

>> http://www.65grendel.com/
6.5 Grendel. it’s a relatively new 6.5x39 cartridge based roughly on the Russian 7.62x39. It was designed to give AR10 ballistics in an AR15 package. Originally designed around a 123gr Lapua Scenar (.547 BC) launched at 2610 fps in a 24" barrel, the 6.5 Grendel can shoot flatter and drift less in wind at 800 yards than the .30-06’s heir: 7.62 NATO M80, M852, and M118LR.
<<

The real truth is that it is very very rare for a soldier to take a shot at more than 600 yards.

Every 7mm round that FN developed for the FAL project had more than enough energy at 600 yards.

Then The U.S. complained that the tragectory wasn't flat enough so FN streched the case and suddenly they were zipping through steel helmets at 1,100+ yards.

Then the U.S. complained that they didn't have enough muzzle energy...

The AR was just a toy that the Air Force bought for their MP's guarding air bases. That might be the reason mall security guards like them so much.