Quoted:
i also heard that the fal can struggle in the cold (i am aware that norway used the fal amongst other cold weather countries). true?
thanks!
Norway used a version of the HK G3, not the FAL, although the Brits had their L1A1's up in Norway quite a bit for training and exercises... not to mention the Argentines and Brits both had versions of the FAL in the Falklands.
The State of Alaska Dept. of Public Safety did a cold weather test that appeared in S.W.A.T. Magazine April 1986. The only rifles that had zero malfunctions where the Valmet and Galil - both without an adjustable gas system. The FNC, which is used by the Swedes as the AK5, had a stovepipe but then ran without malfunction when adjusted to the "adverse" setting. The FAL, M1A, HK93, AR-15, M-16, and Mini-14 all failed.