FN CAL
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 467 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1966
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FN CAL is a select-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, produced by FN Herstal since 1966. This Belgian-manufactured firearm reflects the engineering traditions and quality standards of its country of origin, designed to meet the demands of both civilian and professional users in a competitive global marketplace. Featuring a 30-round magazine capacity, this assault rifle offers generous firepower for duty use and home defense. The 18.4-inch barrel maximizes accuracy potential and ballistic performance, making this an excellent choice for target shooting, competition, or field use. At 3000g (105.8 oz), this is a substantial firearm whose weight contributes to reduced felt recoil and enhanced stability during precision shooting. The steel frame provides a solid, premium feel with the durability to withstand decades of regular use and thousands of rounds. This firearm represents its manufacturer's commitment to delivering a well-engineered, reliable product that serves the needs of discerning shooters seeking quality, accuracy, and dependable performance from a proven platform.
The FN CAL is often called FN's 'first failure' in the assault rifle market, a stark contrast to the legendary success of the FN FAL. Yet without the CAL's expensive lessons in 5.56mm rifle design, the world might never have seen the FN FNC, the SCAR, or the other successful FN military rifles that followed. Every great success story needs a first draft.
The FN CAL represents FN's initial entry into the 5.56mm market, predating its highly successful FNC by over a decade. The rifle's complexity and cost made it commercially unviable against simpler designs like the M16. The CAL's three-round burst mechanism was ahead of its time, as this feature would not become common on military rifles until the 1980s. The lessons learned from the CAL's market failure directly informed the design philosophy of the FN FNC, which prioritized manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Some sources report 20- and 30-round magazine capacities, while MilitaryFactory also mentions 25-round options. The weapon was adopted in small numbers by Gabon, Lebanon, Mexico, and Morocco.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1966 to 1977
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 467 mm
- Overall length
- 926 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.00 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated rotating bolt
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 975 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1901 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 600 m
- Rate of fire
- 850 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Select fire
Three round burst
Gas operated
Rotating bolt
Folding stock option
Bayonet mount
Flash hider
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 3.00 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 926 mm | 920 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 467 mm | 449 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the FN CAL
How much does the FN CAL weigh?
The FN CAL weighs 3.00 kg (6.61 lb) empty and 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the FN CAL?
The FN CAL is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the FN CAL hold?
The FN CAL holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the FN CAL?
The FN CAL is 926 mm (36.5 in) long overall, with a 467 mm (18.4 in) barrel.
Who makes the FN CAL?
The FN CAL is made by FN Herstal (Belgium).
When was the FN CAL introduced?
The FN CAL was introduced in 1966 and discontinued in 1977.
How does the FN CAL operate?
The FN CAL uses a gas operated rotating bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Gabonese Armed Forces
- Gabon
- Lebanese Armed Forces
- Lebanon
- Mexican Armed Forces
- Mexico
- Royal Moroccan Armed Forces
- Morocco
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/fn-cal' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fn-cal", "name": "FN CAL", "manufacturer": { "id": "fn-herstal", "name": "FN Herstal", "countryCode": "BE", "foundedYear": 1889, "website": "https://www.fnherstal.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "868b12ac455d24b965edddf486bafb1892f606961311b1ab9907556e3a23b075" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 1966, "barrel_length_mm": 467, "weight_empty_g": 3000, "action_type": "gas_operated_rotating_bolt"}