FAL Year of Production Estimator

To use this tool, simply enter a serial number from a Belgian FN Herstal FAL rifle.

The primary serial number will be located on the right-hand side of the receiver, if present (see photo below). The tool will calculate the rifle’s year of production, as well as providing an estimate month of production interpolated from the data in the table below. An approximate earliest month and approximate latest month of manufacture will also be given (error bounds). For further details on how the tool functions, including the relevant mathematical formulae, please see ARES Research Note No. 9: Estimating Year of Production for FN Herstal FAL Rifles.

FAL Year of Production Estimator:

Remember, all arms and munitions are dangerous. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded, and all munitions as if they are live, until you have personally confirmed otherwise. If you do not have specialist knowledge, never assume that arms or munitions are safe to handle until they have been inspected by a subject matter specialist. You should not approach, handle, move, operate, or modify arms and munitions unless explicitly trained to do so. If you encounter any unexploded ordnance (UXO) or explosive remnants of war (ERW), always remember the ‘ARMS’ acronym:

AVOID the area
RECORD all relevant information
MARK the area to warn others
SEEK assistance from the relevant authorities