Cold War Classics: H&K G3 vs FAL
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2020
- MAC Website & PrimaryArms website link: www.militaryarms.org
Join Patreon and support MAC! / militaryarms
MAC Amazon Store: www.amazon.com/shop/militarya...
Support Mac on TH-cam! / @militaryarmschannel
MAC T-Shirt Store: ballisticink.com/collections/...
If you don't care for Patreon, checkout SubscribeStar: www.subscribestar.com/militar...
There are those who love the H&K G3 and those that love the FAL. We take a look at both and I pick which one I believe is the better of the two classic big bore battle rifles.
If you carry a gun for personal defense, you need to be protected from lawsuits or criminal charges should you need to use your firearm defensively. I recommend USCCA: tracking.deltadefense.com/aff...
Challenge Targets Discount Code: MAC556 (www.challengetargets.com/SFNT...)
OpticsPlanet Discount Code: MAC5
Join MAC on Twitch for live gaming: / militaryarms
Please join the Gun Owners of America. This link gives you 1 year for only $15 (we get no kick-backs): gunowners.me/2gAxNyv
IMPORTANT: All shooting is done on a state approved firing range and under the supervision of trained professionals. Our videos are produced in a safe environment by highly trained professionals with decades of experience. We are Federally licensed and are compliant with all Federal and State laws. Do not attempt to replicate the actions featured in our videos without the proper training, licensing and without medical professionals present.
We are not attempting to sell you the items featured in this video. We are not instructing our viewers on how to modify firearms, accessories or otherwise change their basic legal function. All firearms and accessories are legal products commonly available in stores all across the United States. Our videos are for entertainment purposes only. - บันเทิง
Used G3 in the Greek military as a conscript. I have seen a lot of G3s getting nasty beatings from soldiers. Didn't see bent receivers ever. The guns were quite functional with no issues. Cosmetics is another story. The guns would look like trash after 2 or 3 months of daily guard duty from new, but would function ok. Officers, special forces and professional soldiers would always prefer the FAL as it was still available to them. Consensus was that the replacement of the FAL by the G3 was a mistake. Auto was pretty much useless on the G3 for me. In training, after running, jumping over obstacles or crawling under barbwire it was pretty much impossible to control. Sure. Rested in the shooting range I could fire full auto and hit the target with half of the rounds but actual combat is not like that ...
Thanks for the post!
I think you touched on a interesting point here. People often say they can do this or that at shooting range. But forgot that outside that environment, things are no rosy and the abilities demonstrated at the range will deprecate fast on the real world.
Do you believe you would have performed any better with a fal? I think the simplicity of the g3 as far as maintenance and function carry’s weight over the fal. As well as the optic that was made with it.
My issued G3A4 worked flawlessly over 4,5 years. it jumped with me from, went through the mud, worked absolutely fine in Somalia. No issues. Full auto was never an emphasis in training and our units often scored very highly on the KD ranges.
The Spanish themselves never developed the CETME rifle. It was developed under Werner Heynen and Ludwig Vorgrimler who lead the German Development Group with people from from the british and the US occupation zone, which acted as an semi- external development group within CETME, because the Spanish wanted the know how. The initial trial models were based on the Mauser 06H. There were two Models. No.1 and no. 2. The first was a gas loader, the latter was recoil operated. Caliber was the 7,92x33. The 7,62x 51 mm was later requested after the gas loader was inferior to the recoil operated system and NATo wanted to adopt the 7,62x51. FN could´nt deliver the requested amounts of ordered rifles in a reasonable timeframe. Germany ordered 100000 rifles of the FAL. Was issued, but the German industry was to be rebuild, and they formed a RFP for a new rifle. Two Contenders made it in the semi finals, which was the G2 ( the swiss Stgw 57 in 7,62x51) and the G3. The G2 was too heavy and too expensive so the G3 got it. The reason the FAL was so widespread, was as the UK adopted it, all the commonwealth nations adopted it too.
@@Militaryarmschannel Thanks for the great job you are doing with the channel.
My G3 has kept me alive on three continents.. and I will not give it up.
are you a mercenary?
Hes never left his home state
Which ones?
The G3 was our service weapon in the Danish Army. I don't recall having just a single issue with it. Nor any of my buddies. It did not had issues or a bad rep among soldiers, except from the claw on the bolt of course :) Not an issue though. If you don't want to lose your pin for the front guard, just push it back into the guard when released from the weapon.. Ours all had the "AK" mag release and third pin in the trigger assembly. Ventilated front guard with a aluminum heat shield. It's a little wild on full throttle without bipod. I don't remember ever seeing a service G3 with the "folding" stock as you call it. Excellent service rifle. Interesting fact if you read this. The DMR variant has a cut out with checkering on the bolt for the shooters thumb. This was made so the shooter could close the bolt silently without the H&K slap, which is needed for locking the rollers.
Survival Russia isn’t the DMR variant called like the MSG90 or something?
its also the service weapon of Pakistan Army
Mmmm danish.
Aluminum box magazines has the weak point, they were trash
@@killert_7759 A
Norwegian G3 actually had a free floating barrel, the G3-F and the ring for mounting rifle grenades. The MSG90 is not an improved PSG1 however, it’s a cheapened and lightened PSG1 to be more mobile, but was not built to the same accuracy standards. Basically the PSG1 was designed for police and counter terrorism use, while the MSG90 for military and designated marksman
The South African military used both of these guns. The fal was called the R1 which was made under license by fn and the g3 was called the R2 which was also made under license. As a South African, this is a real awesome video for me.
My father told me about both rifles, he served with both on the border in Namibia. He preferred the R1 for his own reasons.
No the R2 has the shorter barrel and folding stock
G3 was not called the r2
Viva Rhodesia! ^v^
No, the FN FAL was produced locally, under licence as the R1. The R2 was a folding stock FN FAL, used by the parabats. The G3 was used in very limited numbers as the R3, that's why the Galil's stated at the R4.
@@taproom113 Rhodesia is gone (rip bozo lmao) and it will never come back. Get over it nerd.
I was in German armed forces serving as a Jäger (rifle infantry). We were trained to diassamble and reassembly a G3 in indeed 45 sec laying blindfolded on our back and placing all parts on or body.
It's just a matter of training.
45 sec... pretty lame ;-) OK. I was able to push down the ejector spring just with my thumb (schraubstockhand).
I remember our Bundeswehr Waffensalat challenges. 3 guns, G3, Uzi, P1 to be assembled blind folded as fast as possible. I liked it.
@@raimarhoeliner1798 this is the first time i've seen one torn down....have yet to go that far with mine....but it just keeps on shootin'....
Ahahaha Portuguese army here. Same, same. The time he took to disassemble and assemble the G3, I Recon I could do it 2-3 times blindfolded. And believe me I’m not exaggerating. We had competitions in pitch black or blindfolded. Even today (some decades later), I’m confident I could still do it faster than he did. Well he would do much better if he wasn’t talking to a camera. Loved this video. G3 was my girlfriend for a long time. 😂 loved this video
Ar15 can be taken down (field stripped, not armorer level) in probably 15 seconds.
I love how the G3 gets it reliability by violently shitting itself with every round. So getting it caked in mud or frozen over isn’t ever too much of a problem, it thrives on lack of maintenance
Delayed blowback has more excessive wear on the parts with higher pressure rounds. This is why it kinda sucks in 5.56 due to less material being there but still being high pressure. Its only good given a low pressure per unit area
I thought the idea of the G3 was if you can't pay for a FAL you can still get a G3 with good enough quality.
Once the G3 beat itself to death, which will take a long time , just get a new one. Stamped steel guns are not meant to be repaired.
G3 reliability is in reality good but a far cry from stellar.
I've never fired a G3, I was debating between a PTR clone and a DS arms FAL at one point and just the way the G3 operates was a turnoff to me, and then watching people fire it, it seemed uncontrollable and disorienting. went with the FAL and I love it, shoots very nice, i think the G3 is inherently more accurate but it's not really meant for sharpshooting
I’m reliable because I too violently shit myself
I served in the German Bundeswehr and carried the G3 before the G36 was issued later during my time of Service. For training we sometimes used (quite terrible) plastic cased blanks which regularly caused malfunctions. To remedy the problem with the front sitting charging handle while shooting prone we were taught a little trick. One would simply clip on the end of the leather sling to a little hole in the charging handle. That way, to clear the chamber, one simply had to pull on the sling. In many ways I actually preferred the G3 over the G36. It felt more like a true rifle. The G36, while cool looking, sort of felt like a toy.
I would like to point out that is not carbon build up, but is in fact an emergency portable black camouflage production facility, after all German efficiency is always at work
Two things to mention that play into eachother. One: Stamping is actually a more modern method of weapon production, it's just that it's cheaper than milling which leads to point two: The G3 was cheaper to produce. For example when the swedish army trialled both guns they actually found the FAL to be slightly superior but they both performed admirably and since the G3 was cheaper that ended up being the adopted rifle. When discussing military firearms one can not forgo to mention the price/ease of production of the guns since that is always a very important factor.
I wonder in what categories it was found to be superior in
@ Joel Martinsson - Re: " When discussing military firearms one can not forgo to mention the price/ease of production of the guns since that is always a very important factor."
You've hit upon what may be the crucial factor in the longevity of the CETME/G3 design, as opposed to its greatest Cold War-era competitor, the FN FAL. The FAL Is an excellent rifle, but it is complex, has a lot of parts (field-stripping is easy, but detail stripping is not and requires tools), and is also costly and time-consuming to manufacture. In particular the forging, heat-treating and machining of billet steel. The G3 on the other hand, can be made in a faorly-spartan factory, requiring the use only of a barrel-making machine, and requires much less work with high-strength steel and replies instead on stamped sheet metal and composites/plastics. These are one reason why many nations today still use the G3 designed, either on a limited basis or in general military use, whereas almost no one still uses the FAL as a front-line military weapon: India, Argentina and Brazil are the only countries of which I am aware. Whereas Iran, Greece, Turkey, the Baltic nations of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and many others still have G3s or CETMEs in their armories.
One other factor is that the G3 design tolerates extremes of heat and cold very well. The FAL, on the other hand, while being extremely robust and reliable, has suffered occasionally from problems in the desert - and perhaps also in the cold. The latter, I would have to research... not sure on that. But the G3 works well in the ice, cold and snow.
Joel, are you a Swede? I am half-Danish, as my mom is a native of Denmark. My late father was an American, but learned Danish, too. Some of our best family friends are Swedes as well as other Danes and Norwegians.
Dont also forget that unlike the G3 in the video , Sweden had always had access to the best steel in the world (its own) Ive seen at least 10 different conscripts drop this thing from much higher then second floors and nothing changed , dropped from trucks/lorries and not a singel one had to be adjusted by a gunsmith , I always thought they took the G3 over the FAL for its robustness and that Sweden had/have conscripts teenager that just dont handle most things with care.
Been trying the german aluminium magazines and they are not as good as the swedish ones (easy to break the lip by a large margin).
I find it funny that the army got rid of it and only the national guard used it up until Afganistan , and now its back in the army for sharpshooters , with minor improvements like adjustable stock and a picatinny rail ontop for mounting aimpoint or larger optics , however the housing remains the same due to the very good accuracy despite being stamped.
Edit: I forgot to mention , swedish built its own under license , and I guess to confuse people they call it AK4.
One more thing to consider , they use the ammo as the KSP58 or GPMG (m240 in the US) , making it easier for logistics.
While the USA was urinating on the FAL Italy was having a BM.
Comedy for gentlemen children only.
Excellent wordplay, Bruce!
Italy: so basically, USA, you're telling me this M14 is just a Garand in 7.62x51mm and Magazine fed?
USA: Exactly! It's also better than a Garand in every way!
Italy:... Really? *snaps fingers* Beretta. Show them.
Beretta: As you wish, my lord. *Burps BM59*
USA: What the hell is this?!
Italy: A Garand that is better than your M14.
@Michael Dinneweth if you ever try to browse and read the stories of most of US weapon acquisition programs it is mostly decided by lobbying and lobbyist politicians/ military officers. So the acquisition weren't exactly driven by the field experience needs.
Hopefully both rifles are still around by the time I move to America :)
Get moving! We need more gun owners to help in our fight to keep our rights!
Looking forward to having you here.
Vote Libertarian, Democrats are wolves and Republicans a wolves in sheeps clothing. I moved from Mexico in 2000. Welcome !
I've honestly got a bad feeling that we may be looking at the last days of the 2nd amendment. If those that support it aren't seen to at least denounce the use of the military against peaceful protesters very quickly then once the smoke clears the left are going to say "Well we had a tyrannical government and the 2nd amendment was completely useless so why should we keep it around?"
I moved here in 2010. You won't regret it!
ETA: like Esteban said, vote Libertarian when you get here.
In 8 years of service, i never saw a broken reciver on a G3.
The only fragile part on the rifle is the plastic stock and handguard.
The more than 30 years old plastic becomes britle in verry cold climate.
In my Servicetime in 1985 i had to use a G3. I was a conscript like the others. We did’nt need to use our gun to save our life. We did’t know anything about weapons, and so we tread our Guns, with no respect or sense for sensibility. We kicked it, threw it, and did other nasty things to it.
But i had never a malfunction, i could get the target up to 400m. It was reliable, precise, and easy to maintance.
I wish i could get one of this old G3 today, with woodhandle and stock. Today i would be proud to have it.
leave your country, it's going south anyway, and you may get one... which essentially means, get out and save your ass, in Germany all is playing against the average Joe.
What really makes the action of the G3 family of weapons sing for me is the combination of brute force and split second timing. The spring-loaded claw that makes the reassembly of the bolt such a trial (especially if you have a little grease on it or your hands) keeps the bolt and carrier locked together while pressure from the rollers on the locking piece builds. When that force exceeds the claw's ability to hold on, everything starts moving at full speed, with virtually no delay from acceleration. The delay is that split second the retaining clip can hold on before it lets go, and the few millimeters of play between the locking piece and the bolt.
Just don't be at about 2:00 o'clock from someone shooting one of these. The cases are definitely a secondary projectile.
Serving in the Greek army thirty years ago, I had the opportunity to have both rifles. For 8 months the G3 and 10 months the FN. So I can have a detailed view of these rifles. G3 is harder and does not get easily clogged. FN has better accuracy. Both rifles are good, but I prefer the FN.
Actually fal has less accuracy because of the tilting bolt lock, but maybe just the g3s of greek were badly made or somthing idk
@@rookie3315 Somerhing a rookie would say to a veteran.
In the past i got the chance to test a old military g3. It was converted to civilian use. The owner used it to hunt. It was one of the best guns I ever shot. I shot on a hunters target at 100m with a sight. On my first five shots I hit 10, 9, and three more 10s. I never shot this rifle and a hunters target before. I liked it very much. Greetings from Germany.
Leider sind funktionstüchtige, original HK G3 in Privathand in Deutschland eine Seltenheit. Den MKE Nachbau würde ich zur Not aber auch nehmen.
@@CalvinL.Stevens Wenn ich es richtig in Erinnerung habe dann war es auch der letzte Einsatz des Gewehrs. Wahrscheinlich wieder so ein Mist mit dem Waffenrecht. 🤷🏻♂️
Der Besitzer wollte noch seine Restmun aufräumen. Weswegen weiß ich aber nicht.
Aber so weit ich weiß war es früher ein Original BW G3.
The fal is an awsome rifle. My grandpa used one during his time in the military. And he owed his life to it.
Calling the FAL's lower receiver "sheet metal" is like calling a B-52 bomber little. Its more like plate steel.
I love my FALs.
is like calling Tim as "little Timmy" hahahah
Actually, when compared to a 747, a B-52 IS little!
Here's the thing about folded steel: it's stronger. A lot of people want their lower receiver to be milled, or a cast or a billet, typically because they're looking for aluminum. Forged steel, has had the absolute sh*t beat out of it, leaving behind a highly refined piece of metal.
@@tobiasreaper3650 I really leave that to the engineers. What has the highest stress/pressures v weight v strength. I've seen all steel firearms to aluminum parts to plastics.
I just see the FAL as being a very strong and rather heavy rifle that as dependable as the sun raising in the East. But that lower is so thick and heavy, its got to weight a couple of pounds alone. That to me was 7 miles past over kill.
@@blackhawkinternationalsecu6962 I was told that by my dad... An engineer.
Hi Tim, thx for a great channel! I was issued the G3(German manufacturer) in the Danish army and in the national guard, used them for about 15 years untill we got the Canadian C7 :(
The thing that stands out to me as the best about the G3 is the precision and the diopter sights, specifically the round hood on the front sight wich makes it real easy to align the sights perfectly every time, I really dont like the bunny ears on other rifles. Maybe its because i started shooting in the local club when I was 10 yo and all the rifles there had round sights and the targets were round too.. I had no problem hitting targets at 600m every time with the G3.
We zeroed them at 300m and left the diopter at 3(called combat viser) except at night, the v-notch were for nighttime shooting.
In all my time in service I have seen only 1 G3 receiver bent, the soldier fell from the back of a truck and landed on the rifle..
The G3 handguards in Denmark and Germany were simpler and way more narrow than the one in this video and they were loose so they would rattle in the field untill we pinched a small piece of wood between barrel and handguard.. the furniture came in 3 variants, real wood, black or green polymer, they were usually mixed up so we had rifles in all kinds of color variants, this made it easy to find your rifle fast between all the others, this is a problem with the all black C7
The only problem about the reliability and cleaning of the G3 were the chamber flutes, we were not issued a chamber brush, only the machinegun helper in each squad had one we could borrow, it was easy though to identify this problem before it got bad, since the spent casings would get black stripes from the gunk in the flutes, the darker stripes the more need for cleaning..
The bump on the stock have never been a problem to me, just hold the rifle firmly against the shoulder and it wont hit your eyewear..
The loading handle was never locked back and slapped in my army, we pulled it back using only the thumb and indexfinger untill it hit the back and slipped thru your fingers, way faster..
After loading it thousands of times, the loading handle will wear the slot it rides in to a knifesharp edge and your fingers will bleed every time you load it untill you dull it with sandpaper..
To assemple the boltcarrier, just put in the locking piece and turn it half a turn, press the bolthead all the way in, push it back out untill the rollers are in and then turn it home, its real easy when you get it right :)
Please keep doing what you are doing, cheers from Denmark
My thoughts exactly. I had a G3 as conscript in the German BW. Not a Problem with Number 1 in basic training. Worn out but accurate and easy going. Number 2 (Number 1 had to go for maintenance and a new paint job, nobody likes a shiny battle rifle) was a run down weapon with too many accidents on the road. The bold carrier need extreme force to charge. I handled it like a musket. 1 Shot, 1 twohanded charging motion. I did the next best thing for my safety and dropped it on the feet of our weapon NCO. This G3 had a bent boltcarrier. Number 3 was fine again.
Never had a problem with the bolt carrier assemple. If you knew the procedure it was straightforward and easy. Tim's way is complicated and really not the normal way.
My only complaint about the G3 is the missing bolt closure device. There's only one way to load a G3, the Klack Klack loud way.
When I was in the Norwegian Army we used 20 seconds on disassemble and 40 seconds on assembling the AG-3 as we called it
That was the minimum time we needed to match I think as well
I love it both of them
I served as a conscript in the Greek Army and I used the G3A3 and the FN FAL Para version the last one at Greek Turkish Border and the Para version was really awesome a Bad Ass rifle my best friend during my Army Time
@ Christos - Respects from an American for the resolute way in which Greece has stood against the Turks. If it was up to me, Ankara would never have been invited into NATO in the first place.
@@GeorgiaBoy1961 Nice hearing your point of view. Those salvaged Mongols sould never existed in our area.. Is our duty to send back home, or for some pilaf..
@@lakisg2289 First of all, the Mongols were genetically more similar to the Koreans and the Japanese, and the Turks were tall and large compared to the Mongols, the Mongols have slanted eyes.
@@GeorgiaBoy1961 Let's get to the main subject, turkey was taken as a buffer zone against nato soviets. nato chooses its members according to its interests, not for Hellenists like you.Well, I'm asking you, do I prefer a country with 80 million population and an army that has experience in all kinds of guerrilla wars and army wars, or a simple half-candidate for NATO.
@@BabaRonaldo - "Hellenist" - what kind of juvenile nonsense is that? I don't give a tinker's damn why Turkey was selected to be in NATO, they had and have no business being in the alliance. For starters, the Turks - who are an Islamic people - are the oldest enemies of European civilization.
Second, their interests do not align with the West and virtually never have. Admitting them to any otherwise western alliance is opening the hen-house to the fox.
Apologists will counter that Ataturk "secularized" Turkey, but that's rubbish. Turkey is reverting to what it has always been throughout its long history, an explicitly Islamic nation, and their current President - Mr. Erdogan - is simply one reflection of that.
In any conflict with Turkey, I would side with Greece, every single time. That clear enough for you??
We had the SLR (FAL) in British army. Brilliant piece of kit. Then it all went horribly wrong and we got the joke.
I cried when they took my SLR away.
@@Dusty9931 I just swore a lot trying to keep the bloody SA80 zeroed.
I tried not to break it.
Difficult with that heap of crap. My regiment was issued it just prior to an NI tour.
Least said soonest mended....
.
Germany: "Give us rights to build the FAL"
FN: "Go pound sand!"
Germany: "Give us a break. We owned your company once. We brothers."
Belgium just needed to cry a river, build a bridge and get over it before they could go back to being drinking buddies again.
The thing is, germany looked for another rifle because FN couldn't deliver enough FALs in time.
Think about this. If FN let Germany legally produce copies of the FAL. The G3 wouldn't of been invented. :(
Both rifles are beautful.
FN Herstal: You want our rifles? Buy them!
West Germany: But you're not producing enough for us, let's licence production over here!
Belgium: Hell no! We're not falling for that trick again! Get wasted!
@@bluecaptainIT g3 entered the chat.
One word to describe the Ergos of the G3: Teutonic
Correct
Robert Patter I don’t know who that is
funny way of spelling "shitty"
Hispanic, actually.
Thank you for making these videos.
It's been over 30 years since I held a G3 and it was very interesting to see it broken down. It's strange that I have a memory of it being a bit tricky to disassemble or assemble at first, but once you learned a few tricks it was very simple and fast. Problem is I have absolutely no memory of what those tricks were. What I do remember is the frustration with the non captive take down pins, and that there were only two storage positions for them. I remember that it seemed like every time you took off the hand guard that third pin made a run for freedom. While watching the video I tried to visualize how I was taught to handle the bolt but got nothing. I do remember that it took some time to learn how to reassemble it in the dark. Like a really long time, especially when the instructors gave you the pieces for your rifle in a plastic bag. There was probably some trick to it making easy to the degree that I didn't really think about it. It's one of those things that probably would come back if I got one in my hands again. Another thing is I didn't remember it as running dirty, but then it was the only automatic rifle I've used so it was just the normal state for me. I do remember that it took a while to understand how the roller delay blow back system worked. First time I had it spread out in front of me I just couldn't wrap my head around the principles but after assembling and disassembling it a few times the coin eventually dropped.
We used to hammer the FALs on the ranges with the British Army at Catterick... The worst I've seen was a 57 pattern flash eliminator explode. They were subject to recall for this! The ergonomics were some of Enfields best work!.. However during Desert Storm the failure rate was exceptionally high... No weapon likes sandy conditions, but the FALs suffer badly!.. Great vid!
...ah! Here's a chance for me to roll out my "G3/HK story". Back when I was a young trooper, in 2nd Phase of SF School (Weapons), one of the instructors told me this gem: an MTT (mobile training team) was sent to Saudi Arabia (I think it was, although it may have been Pakistan, Oman, Antarctica or the Moon...it was almost 40 years ago). They'd just gotten in a load of G3's (the HK demonstrated here, but full auto-capable) as a change of primary firearm. They found that the soldiers had trouble with the cocking cycle of the rifle. The rollers would lock and the troopers didn't have the juice to pull the charging handle back. One day, soon into training, in the way that soldiers all over the world have of mickey-mousing around a problem, the 11BS instructors (now, it'd be 18B's) saw their work-around. The Saudis (Omanis, Pakistanis, Martians, whatever) took a length of parachute cord (550 cord, for those of you who know the drill), attached on one end to the cocking piece, the other tied to the sling fixture in the rear of the rifle. The 550 cord had a bit of slack in it. The troopers would put the rifles down the about knee level, put their foot on the 550 cord, and draw the rifle up to their chests...and that'd be enough beef to break the roller and chamber a round. The 550 cord wouldn't get in the way, and *SHAZZAM* the troopers would have a working, loaded rifle. Personally, I've never liked cocking a G3/HK, and MUCH prefer the function, looks and everything else about the FAL. It's just pretty. Anyway, that's my "G3/HK story"...and I'm sticking to it. Hope that it amuses all the old weapons guys out there....
Yeah, but can they cock a WWII PIAT? The old joke by the late great Ian Hoag - the small-arms and weapons historian - was that when a British trooper knocked out a Tiger tank with his PIAT and got the VC, it should have been just for cocking and firing the darned thing, and not destroying that German tank! The mainspring in the PIAT was a real bast*rd to cock and lock back... just a great big bloody spring.
I’m in California, the ptr 91 variety was the most affordable.308 I can get easily. Or could at the time. I had never used one before and loved learning it’s quirks. With iron sights it shoots very accurately, and it doesn’t kick too bad in my opinion. I still love it because it just feels like a tank when you use it.
I want one of each, but if I had to pick one, I'd pick the G3. I've always liked that rifle. It's just cool looking.
They are great rifles.
I have a HK91 and hands down my favorite 7.62 NATO rifle I own but the FAL when gassed right is nice to
@@Militaryarmschannel They're like children, I love them both!
That is why I bought an HK-91 way back when. Because it is cool looking. Actually using it I learned to hate it and eventually traded it to a landlord for a year's worth of rent. I still have an M1A and AR-10.
@Vince You're just sad that you can't afford one even with a full year of your 'salary.'
Bundeswehr: we need your FAL
FN: NON...take a walk!!!!
Cetme: aguanta mi cerveza!!!
H&K: ich habe Schnaps!!!
Underrated comment lol
@@cadian122 ...completely forgot my comment! hahahah
Germany could have had the FAL built by Steyer in Austria.
@@thehoneybadger8089 ...Germany??? Yes...but because of pride and other stuff...they build their own...
I bet that it had zero to do with Nazi Germany supporting Franco in the Spanish Civil War...
I love them both. Grew up a child of the cold war and these two were my favorites. Today I own two PTR 91s (HK 91 clones) and I'm hoping to add a DSA FAL sometime next year. Thanks for the review! I always appreciate G3/FAL content!
Yay for the FAL! Yay for the G1 (I have a number of FALs built from G1 parts kits). "Right arm of the free world," "Be a man among men," and all that. Gotta love 'em.
@Vince I get twenty bangs out of mine. They all run like a top. \m/
The endless reliability of the G3 will always over rule it over the FAL. I love the FAL. Looks beautiful and shoots smoother, but it can handle debris as good as the G3 can.
Like you said the FN FAL can handle debris as good as the G3 can.
My dad had a Springfield armory G3. Loved that thing. True battle rifle
The G3 series, when you have one from a reputable maker, is nearly bombproof. They are so modular you can do dozens of things with them the FAL cannot do. And I can do a sweet trigger job on them quite easily. Of course the new ones have a dual spring system in the trigger than helps tremendously. Your buttstock is simply too short for you. I usually put a spacer soft rubber pad on mine. Can still see through the sights just fine. A little bit of dayglo paint on the front site post helps. I do wish it was designed to hold open on the last round as a factory install, but we are able to modify our magazines for it and it works just fine.
Have to say, looking only at the video, the FAL appeared to have more and sharper recoil. Maybe the shooting position.
For competition, and lately for all around use, I use 130 grain bullets. The rifle loves them, more accurate (lately), and recoil is hardly felt (comparing), dependability is excellent. I have not tried this with our FAL's yet.
I have probably put 1/2 a million rounds through G3's, in the field. A quarter that many through various FALS. The fact you were able to hit your HK against a tree to get it working again says a lot FoR it. It is also much easier to service the small items on the gun (trigger assembly, put in keeper pins, etc) than an FAL. There are substantial improvements in the newer "G3"'s. Including a welded picatinny rail. Come on your guys, welding it helps the gun, and you are not ruining the Mona Lisa. It is a gun.
The G3 is also a lot cheaper to manufacture than the FAL. I could never completely rely on an FAL in the field for long term use. They are tough but they are touchy in the rough stuff and when truly dirty just make a better club than a gun. I have never seen a G3 stop from dirt or much. I have used my first G3 for over 40 years, and modified it so much it looks like a space gun now. I have attached part of my sling to the forward bolt lever, and use it to retract the bolt when I can't reach up that far. Works perfectly.
You also didn't mention that a G3 can take down two enemy at the same time. The way the shell ejects, banging off the port and bouncing forward can protect your 3 oclock ! Haha ! Even left handers don't mind it. I install a rubber bumper on the rear of the port to keep from denting brass and reload for that gun on a regular basis.
Oh, nice trick for reinstalling the roller bolt, lock and firing pin, good method.
Summary, final opinion of using a 7.62 NATO of full auto for the average soldier. Stop that. It is only for extreme emergencies, and is a well known way to "disarm" your self by running out of ammo, and still not hitting anything.
Here in Portugal we have the g3. It is still in use. At the moment we are equiping many G3’s with the spuhr conversion kit. It is an amazing gun, incredibly soft shooting and the hk slap feels amazing. It is old, but is still on of the best guns ever.
But I prefer the FAL.
I have an HK91 with an HK21 club foot and I really love it
Why though?
Hey ! thanks for your nice videos ! I am a Greek conscript and now National guard volunteer , i've lot's of experience with the G3 and the H&K 11. I have operated but not shot the COLT m4 and have shot a few times the AK 47. I am an athletic guy at 6.4 and 92 kilos and been playing basketball and doing crossfit for a significant amount of time... never been in real combat situation but from simple training manouvers with the army i can tell you a couple of things that for me seem to be the most relevant to a tactical situation. Despite my strength and abilities , if you have to run to a position either charging or fleeing, or even if you need to advance uphill and have to use your rifle at the same time, the much lighter fully loaded AR is a huge advantage. Another thing you gonna need is reliability which i must say i had bad experiences with both the AK and the G3 , with the G3 being somewhat easier to unjam. Forget bullet speed and power if you are out of breath and can't even hold your weapon up because it weights almost double as the AR ... other than that all of them babies look and feel good when they go bang !
I already see the FAL winning but the G3 is still more beautiful to me. The strengthening ribs all around the upper receiver, clean angles on the lower receiver, distinctive diopter sights, no pins sticking out, apparent accuracy/precision advantage. The FAL is still pretty but the G3 is smoother looking.
I absolutely love my G3 favorite rifle in the world. It is hard to describe the feeling you get when you shoot this rifle. It is more than accurate enough. It is extremely reliable and it is very fun to shoot. What more could you want from your rifle.
Oh, a last shot bolt hold-open and a redesigned charging handle location would be nice! And a better trigger, too.
My country used both in the 70's to early 90's. The FAL was used by the military & the G3A4 in conjunction with MP5A5 was used by Law enforcement.
I ended up selling my AR in favor of buying a rifle I would never have to worry about. I bought a G3 and I’ve never looked back. It goes boom every single time and I’ve never had a single issue with it. Sure, it has some quirks like absolutely destroying brass or being pretty heavy, but overall I’m extremely happy with it and intend to start using it for feral hog control this year.
So I just bought the PTR 91 version of the G3. How does it do with cheap steel case surplus ammo since it’s the only thing available right now?
@@alexbrutlag6022 hit and miss. Some people complain that theirs only runs on brass, others say theirs only runs well on steel. With mine, it fired steel fine but is struggling with brass. Mine is brand new. So in time it should work itself in.
@@jeremiahcherry5283 how is it now?
My 1st service rifle was a Garand, and my second was the G-3. The "hump" on the G-3 does not get in the way of glasses in any position IME. More important, the hump can save your life. Its made like that so your head stays as low as possible and the sights are as low as possible. Your head being a inch or less higher or lower is the difference in if it stays on your shoulders or not...
Both great rifles, both will serve very well. G-3 has the edge IMO because its more handy and more reliable. Has better sights too. Good vid, thanks.
The Garand?? You must be really fucking old!!!
@@jackkrinkov9273 the fact he's using TH-cam is impressive
I do love me some HK ring sights.
@@jackkrinkov9273 Good deduction there sherlock, that must have hurt.
@@perseusrex614 my Hk91 has accuracy to match all my sporting rifles...and still hits hard all the way out to hundreds of yds...like most of these guns though, it is practically uncontrollable on full-auto...adding that feature did add considerably to its value though....if you don't have to lug it around all day..[along with the weight of the ammo]...it is definitely preferable to the AR.....
In my Army days (early 90s) the G3 was (and still is) the weapon to use. The Portuguese armed forces uses it to this day, bu it's being replace by the SCAR. They wore made in Portugal under German license. Our version had the flap for the magazine release, the hand guard had one pin on the front and one pin on the back to release the hand guard (just like the picture you showed).This weapon was a beast, heavy as hell but, it could take a beating and keep on working. There was a recurrent joke in the army, if you could break the butt stock while falling to ground to assume an immediate prone shooting positing, you wore awarded a beer! Needless to say, first you had to survive the push ups of the platoon Sergeant to get the beer!
Having been a conscript in the Greek army, i have had the luck to use the most iconic firearms in the western world. First month of duty, basic training with the M1. Then, next ten months or so, my standard rifle was a G3A4 (folding stock version) but i have also fired the G3A3 (the one you show in your video) in several occasions. Last but not least, during the last six months i was transferred to a unit where standard rifle was the FAL. Being a sergeant, i was issued the PARA variant (again with folding stock). I will have to admit i also liked the FAL just a little bit more. The G3 was easier to use "out of the box" whilst the FAL needed some getting used to. Sure, it was longer and a bit heavier but it was a joy to fire.
YES! Ha! totally agree the reasons for the FAL, I have had both several times, and have remained with the FAL. I too, find the G3 type hard if you are wearing glasses as myself. On rapped fire, it jiggles your glasses so much, fells like you are watching a earthquake movie. I do love both, along with the M1A, but the FAL is my choice.
Hi.... I was quite familiar with both the G3 and the FN when I was in Rhodesia - the G3's were generally the Portuguese ones. I had a choice of either when I changed forces and I chose the FN, primarily because I had used it more and I found the Strip/Cleaning of the G3 cumbersome compared to the FN - not to mention took longer if "on the clock"...
But like you stated, the cocking/loading was also awkward on the G3. To be honest, the only thing good about it, is the Round....lol. Sorry. Just cannot beat the 7.62 "Sleeping Tablet"!
Thanks for a great Video - they're always great if it has an FN staring!
But you all LOST to Kalashnikovs in 7,62x39!!!!
@@ldkbudda4176 holy fack thats one ignorant comment...
@Wild Bill: Same experience.
great to know, thank you. Respect for your service.
@LDK Budda You uneducated swine. Neither Rhodesia nor South Africa lost their wars on the military front. Both the Selous Scouts and 32 Battalion said the AK's can only kill a scared terrorist once the weight of the bullets is too much to bear.
A one up for the G3 is that it’s still in service today in some armies where the FAL is not with few exceptions like Brazil
Even in Brazil they are slowly being replaced by the IMBEL IA2. The replacement process might take a few years and I would guess some FALs will remain in storage or eventually be used by conscripts.
That is because FN considers the SCAR - H as the spiritual heir of the FAL, they don't produce FAL components anymore. However FAL is still in use in several armies around the world, where is kept in service through local armories or contracts with companies like DS Arms
@@MiguelGutierrez-vs9zu FN no longer makes Fal for 45 years, it no longer has the machines to make it, digital machines have replaced all conventional machines, there is no more genius like Saive inventor of the FN Fal or FN Mag or Vervier inventor of the FN FNC and M 249 , Today everything is designed by computers .
Doesn’t make the FAL junk....see M1 Garand
I love both guns but FALs just scream third-world country military to me. G3s have an iconic silhouette on par with an M16 or AK-47 that I don't think will ever look out of place in a modern setting. I mean, G3s pretty much look like long MP5s, so...
Another excellent video. A few years ago, I made the decision to pick up one of the two platforms covered in the video. After examining both platforms, I chose the FAL for the reasons you stated. One critical reason I chose the FAL over the G3 platform was the recoil impulse. The G3 wobbles at the end of the recoil cycle due to the massive bolt and bolt assembly slamming itself to the rear. It is clearly visible in your video. The wobble is disruptive and it detrimental to quick follow-up shots because the shooter must pause ever so slightly to allow the rifle to settle and to reacquire the target.
Love them both...kinda like you love all of your children, and each has different strengths. HK design is more modular and I believe a more simple to maintain design, while the FAL is extremely durable and softer shooting. You really need both in the collection!
As a former member of the German Navy I have experience with the G 3 and I can underline your statement/opinion about this rifle.
It is a robust and precise waepon, yes, but .... that thing was always a pain in the ass for cleaning it, even after only one shut it was internaly completely dirty and not easy to clean, having checked the result of the cleaning process by the drilll-sergeants, it was almost unpossible to satisfy them.
That was the one big disadvantage and the other was (at least for myself) the unprecise trigger-point, which was for every shot a little different, nevertheless, I had good shooting results with this weapon.
I can't say something about the FAL, but I trust your expertise and the fact that this weapon was Germany's first choice speaks for itself.
Very good review, thank you.
Tim I enjoy so much when you review "classic/vintage" firearms because of the historical background you present. Very informative and entertaining. Keep it up sir!
Finally a G3! Very nice video :)
I've owned both... The takedown/reassembly of the G3/91 was so much a pain in the butt, that it overshadows the pitfalls of the FN/L1A1 (poor rear sight and having special gauges/locking shoulders to match bolt)...
I bought my FAL, a metric version, in 1992 with an STG58 receiver and I love it. I upgraded to the newer plastic furniture and added the bolt cover scope mount. The sights were fine but my eyes were not at that point. I’ve fired many rds through it with no problems. Glad you chose it because I own one I suppose if for no other reason. Well done video as always!
We had it when I was in the Norwegian Army in 2008. I only used the rear sight on the 200m setting, due to the trajectory of the round. It's basically "flat" at 200m and 30m, so at those two distances, the sight picture is exactly the same, so I didn't really bother fiddling with the rear sight at all. The whole bolt/bolt-carrier disassembly part made me smile, it definitely was a bitch to learn at first, and as you said, it's all about technique!
Stay safe!
Cheers!
My understanding is that PTR makes licensed copies, whereas every other company like centuray arms etc. is making "clones"
Thanks as always MAC!
PTR bought the tooling, and possibly the license, from a country no longer making them. However, their current production methods are nothing like the original production methods. They've modernized by using CNC. When I visited Turkey and MKE they were still making them like it was 1970. The PTR has evolved into a decent rifle. Early examples lacked fluted chambers and stuff, but today's rifles (I have one) are quality made IMHO.
@@Militaryarmschannel I know this is a bit off-topic, but the shirt you wore in this video is a style & pattern I find interesting. Maybe you could hit me up privately & tell me more? Minuteman1969 at protonmail dot com.
Ptr makes an excellent G3 copy
The nice thing about PTR if you don’t like some of the parts you can replace them with HK factory ones
@@Minuteman4Jesus it looks like a Baltic design to me. Norwegian maybe?
I had the opportunity to use both rifles as a conscript in the Greek army signal corps back in 1987-1988. The FAL was very highly regarded by both officers and soldiers. The G-3 not so much. Both were very reliable and very accurate. The FAL had sights which allowed one to aim at 600m as opposed to 400m for the G3. But we never trained beyond 300m. Both were nice rifles but i liked the G3 better. It was very accurate and simpler to operate and maintain for me. Later i was issued the HK-11 which i absolutely loved. The biggest drawback for the G3 was the awkward cocking lever. Other than that, it was a great rifle.
Thanks. I really enjoyed this video. I have always been more interested in pistols. But actually learning about the G3 and HK 91 rifles, instead of just looking at them on gun store racks with awe circa 1985 is a treat and a service. This was my second battle rifle video of yours to see and I felt the need to thank you. I just watched an interesting vid from 2aEdu about WWI milsurp rifles. Thanks to you two guys, now I'm hooked. Heading back to watch your vids on the FAL.
Proud to see a fellow Hoosier is so knowledgable, but humble, and not full of all the "guru hype."
Neat getting a chance to learn the history and design of some of these rifles. Keep up this series!
Most entertaining TH-cam creator thanks Mac for all the great content you produce
Thank you for watching.
The G3`s we`ve had in the German military had different handguards. It was indeed a good rifle
I was taught to not hit the charging handle, but to pick it out of the saftey nodge and then letting it go. Because the security nodge that holds the bolt open gets worn out pretty fast and pretty easy if you just hit the charging handle down. When i was in the Bundeswehr it was prohibited and threatened with disciplinary measures if you hit the charging handle. To be precise the loading procedure i was taught was: Bolt closed, put in the magazine, pull back the charging handle and let it go. Inserting the magazine while the bolt was locked open, was prohibited.
And a simply trick to reassemble the bolt: use the sling that is attached to the rifle, wrap it around the bolt and use this to rotate the bolt back into its propper position. Spares you a lot of effort concerning the power needed in the fingers and is much faster as well.
Ich war auch 8 Jahre bei der Bundeswehr mit G3 + G36 und kann das sehr gut bestätigen! Den Ladehebel einzurasten war nie nötig. Ebenso lässt sich der Verschlusskopf am besten mit dem Lederriemen als Schlinge wieder aufsetzen!
Best weaponry youtube channel. Extremely concise, informative, yet amusingly presented.
Might be interesting to compare a modernized FAL versus a modernized G3. I'm not sure what's out there in terms of modernizing a FAL, but Spuhr is doing a lot of interesting stuff with the G3.
Trouble is the fal was adopted in a battle cartridge instead of an assault cartridge as intended, and between that and the generally superior Stoner system coming out the next decade, it never had a chance or even really a reason to truly be optimized before it began getting ditched by first world nations.
Accuracy, recoil impulse, sand ingress, weight, these are problems you can't fix on them if your goal is modern standards.
As a Swede I´m happy to see you dress accordingly. The military co-operation has always been huge between our country´s. BTW, the Swedish AK4 variant of said G3 (nowadays obsolete, but anyway) is awesome in arctic climates. Very reliable indeed! Great video, keep up the good work!
I thought I was the only one who noticed he's wearing Swedish camo.
Ak4c still in use in Sweden
I'm a huge fan of my PTR-91. I put wood furniture on it to bring out that cold war feeling. Even with a claw mount, it runs just fine. I mostly bought it on a whim, not knowing the slightest thing about its history. I just get so sick of AR platforms in every gun store that it stood out to me. Glad I bought it.
~2004, My dude carried a G3 in Iraq as a contractor. He said he took it apart to clean it and had to phone a two bros to help him reassemble it.
He said he just went down and bought an AK bec he was the only bro not running one!
Every time my dad took us to Mexico, the officers always came and inspected our paper work, they carried a G3. Always loved this gun since I was a lad.
Suprised to see Portugal mentioned!! 🇵🇹🔥💪🏼 Much love from this side of the pond!!
Thanks for watching.
Greetings to Portugal from Germany!
~ a G3-brother
My dad carried a variant of the FAL (R1), he said that it would jam if you loaded it with more than 18 rounds (could be the mags they used) and it didnt like the sandy conditions of the border, hence the R4 (Galil) being adopted. My dad has always said though that due to the accuracy and immense hitting power of the R1 he really liked it. Awesome video, I learnt a lot about both guns.
I used the SLR FAL in the 70-80s and never had cause to curse a failure . It was a friend to me and a death sentence to my enemies. Loved to then and still , do it saved my life more times than I care to mention . It’s like that old saying “ when to going gets tough, the FAL gets going”. .
Where did you serve?
Another awesome video! I thought those stamped HK recievers were pretty robust, really surprised to hear that experience. On the other hand, shooting it literally pounded the problem away.
I'm a big delayed roller lock fan and I've noticed there are variances of hardness/qualities of sheet metal, particularly among the clone manufacturers, Just like mentioned about the claw pinching the receiver, some seem easily bent while others are strong, as though they were milled. I don't think it's out of the question that a batch of sheet not to the same spec getting through and or not hardened properly by Ebo or HK.
@@joesgarage5385 That makes a lot of sense.
"You have chosen wisely". Loving this series your doing Bro, Thumbs up!~John
Thanks brother!
This was very well done, so nice to see a review of the HK91/G3 by a person very familiar with the weapons system.
Thank You
Big gun guy here. Love the rifle. My G3 story goes like this. About 1990 I went surfing in Playa Linda, Mexico. Very remote area. A buddy and I were robbed by Mexican police wielding G3's. Believe me when I tell you, staring down the business end of that rifle isn't my idea of fun.
Two beautiful rifles. I really like the G3A3 though. No.. wait the FAL. Wait, no. I want both.
Two days ago I was at a gun show. On one table was a new DSA (FN clone) FAL for $1600. On another table lay a C308 (G3 clone), $700. I went home with the C308.
Dang that's a deal! Which state was the gun show in?
@@kfitz77555 Miami, FL. Turned out the seller was a pawn shop 1500ft from my house.
To my knowledge the C308s have a reputation of being very poor quality rifles as they're cut up and hacked back together. Better off with a PTR for a G3 (still cheaper than that FAL and DSA has gone down in quality anyway I've heard).
@@buddermonger2000 The old wood-stock C308s had a lot of problems. The polymer-lower ones nowadays are PTR bodied. Only the sights, internals and a few other parts are CETME. Even the stamped receiver is PTR, labeled "Century C308 Sporter."
@@Plata-ori-plumbu Got it. Thank you.
Thanks MAC for all these quality videos! I really appreciate your work and commitment.
I did my Military Service with the German Bundeswehr in the early 90's with the G3 as our Service Weapon. We were trained to disassemble and reassemble the Rifle in a minute, blindfolded! Just a training thing. Highly accurate and never had an issue with the Rifle. The magazine release on the military G3 is the flapper style between trigger guard and magazine, not the button style release like on the Rifle in the video!
Ahh the beloved CETME/G3 type, the cases fly almost as far as the projectiles. The shoulder tenderizer stocks look cool but suck eggs.
I had a PTR-91KF about 7 years ago and the first time shooting it at an outdoor range and being unaware of its crazy ejection, my friend who was standing next to me took a hot brass straight to the face. I still feel bad about it.
Upgrading the locking piece and roller sizes along with a brand new recoil spring on the collapsible stock makes it a pretty soft shooter for a 7.62 rifle from my experience
I wondered when I was going to read a comment regarding the...enthusiastic...ejection of spent casings from the Cetme/G3 rifle...
@@SoadAddict91 I took my cetme out to an outdoor range my first time firing it and a guy with his young son were to my right...I wondered why after every shot I heard a little "Ow" and then after about the 5th shot I turned my eyes to watch the casing and sure enough it pelted the little kid...his dad then took him and they stood about 10 feet behind me until I was done with the magazine...then they moved to my left.
FAL is a great rifle. I’ll stick with an FAL over the HK any day.
Greek army had G3, Greek special forces had FN FAL standard and para
i had FN and i REALLY LOVED IT (1994-1996)
Well done, with excellent points made. Please continue with this series!
Yes the FAL is superior and I've used the R1 ( South African version of the FAL) for many yrs in the military and for me it's the only battle rifle I ever wanna use in any battle 😉👍
I have one word for any who doubt the FAL:
Jadotville.
If I had to take one into battle, it would probably be the G3. Not having to worry about gas settings, great reliability in adverse conditions, a more stable optics mounting platform, and slightly shorter overall length, are the main reasons.
The FAL is still in use with Rangers in Africa, fighting against poachers. They still work in some of the nastiest environments going, long bush hikes, torrential rain and mud. It's a fine rifle.
Used the Norwegian Kongsberg produced AG3 variant as conscripted in the Norwegian Navy.
The buttstock is slightly longer, about an inch and half, and it has the paddle mag release. Great weapon, never jammed. Accuracy on iron sights out to 2-300m was amazing.
We always knew how this would shake out. The king of the 7.62s was always going to win. As is right. It is the way.
When I Served in the Greek army I used g3a3, g3a4 and fn para. I liked all of them but I fell in love with my fn para! So sad they stopped using them.
If I had to say anything, the two greatest upgrades you can do to the G3 pattern rifle is to replace the buttpad with a larger rubberized one (instead of the hard plastic) and the addition of a picitiny rail to the top (much like PTR's GIR models).
The G3 both in A3 and A3 guise was my service rifle. Never had a problem with it, and bear in mind my gun was issued to other conscripts before me. The only complaint I have was the sling mounting in A4.
The G3 or FAL are much more practical than the overpriced SCAR 17S
You are entitled to your opinion, but i am glad you are not in charge of small arms procurement haha. There are modernized G3s which work fine but they aren't as good as a SCAR, Not only is the gun more light weight, but your wallet will be too! Now that's tactical.
Absolutely not. The SCAR is better in every metric. Are those advantages worth the price? That’s up for the buyer to decide.
Yep the scar will never be as widely used and iconic as the g3 and fal. And the price will keep it out of the hands of most civilians.
@@robbywoolums9071 the SCAR is a failure
The SCAR is a damn good rifle but FN has their heads up their asses if they think a gun made with so many polymer parts has any business being anywhere near the price of a mostly stamped steel gun, let alone double the price.
May not be a cold war rifle, but would love to see your thoughts on the FAL vs the SCAR 17.
I own an HK 91 for the simple reason that it was available at a good price. One side is stamped Made in Germany, in English, and Kal. .308 The other side is stamped HK 91. I would love to own a FAL but just not seen one locally. The rifle is accurate and functions perfectly and has gone up in price a good bit. Maybe it will go down but I am keeping it anyway. I prefer the 7.62 caliber to the 5.56 and since I have no intention of carrying the gun for long distances the weight is not important. If I ever need to use the gun for self defense I am satisfied it will be sufficient for my needs. I do appreciate the field stripping tutorial, I learned a few tricks I will put to use.
I've had both and I feel in love with the Atlantic Firearms exclusive PTR-91 K3P with an SB Tactical SBA4 Brace.
Personally I think H&K make some Iconic yet Sound Guns. G36 is still a great yet modern looking Rifle. Thier hand guns are great looking to.
H&K isn't making any original or novel designs anymore it seems. G36 and HK416 are really just American derived designs, especially the HK416, and thusly the HK417. Not to say they're a bad manufacturer, they're high quality, however over priced. There have been many American manufacturers that rival them quality wise compared to the HK416 while being much cheaper for awhile now.
I have owned both the FAL and G3 in rifle and paratrooper versions and for me the G3 is just a more versatile gun. I have a PTR pistol that I SBR'd to make a G3KA4 and until 2020 was my goto gun!
The only reason it is not now is POF came out with the Rogue!
Just picked up a G3 exactly like the one in the video, I love it. Might be my favorite rifle I currently own.
Thankful for all the info you provide us, I'm not sure when you filmed this but I hope you didnt mess up your RC and/or other parts of your back just for us :) Hope you're feeling better!