FAL

The FAL is a semi-automatic assault rifle featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Campaign
The FAL is commonly used by the Brazilian Militia in "Takedown" and the OpFor in "Team Player". The FAL is also used by Russians in the early stages of the invasion, but the AK-47 is more commonplace later in the conflict. It is usually seen with a Red Dot Sight, ACOG Scope, or Shotgun. It can be found in many Spec Ops missions, abundantly in the missions in the Favela, including Bomb Squad and O Cristo Redentor. It is the only semi-automatic assault rifle in game. What it lacks in rate of fire it makes up in power, accuracy, and range.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the FAL is unlocked at Level 28. While this rifle's semi-automatic nature and its lower hip-fire accuracy reduces its effectiveness at close range, an experienced player with a fast trigger finger can easily unload a full magazine on an enemy in close range, like a fully-automatic weapon. This same semi-automatic firing allows the player to control how much ammo is used and increases the FAL's effectiveness at long range, even though the shooter must pause briefly between shots to let the recoil settle. Because of this long-range prowess, the FAL bridges the gap between assault rifles and sniper rifles.

The FAL is the strongest assault rifle in Modern Warfare 2, with a damage range of 55-35, and as such, Stopping Power has a minimal effect, opening up a second tier perk slot. Shots will always kill in two hits at close and medium range, but three are required for a long range kill, regardless of the use of Stopping Power. However, with Stopping Power, the FAL is able to achieve one hit kills with a headshot up close. Moreover, like the UMP45, the FAL is one of the few non-sniper weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that can kill in a maximum of three shots regardless of range, perks, or attachments.

The Red Dot Sight is not properly aligned on the FAL, as shots land below and to the right of the dot. The Holographic Sight can fix this problem; interestingly, it also increases the FAL's minimum damage by 5, for a total of 40, and when using Stopping Power, gives two-hit-kills at all ranges. This includes Bling combinations, in which a Holographic Sight would go well with a Suppressor or Grenade Launcher.

In Hardcore, due to the gun's minimum damage being 5 points higher than a player's normal health, when paired with a Thermal Scope it can become a viable sniper rifle. However, due to the fact that many players in Hardcore use Cold Blooded to hide from air support, the FAL is outperformed by the M14 EBR for easier penetration kills, higher zoom, higher movement speed, lower recoil, and a handy Ghillie suit.

Attachments

 * Grenade Launcher
 * Red Dot Sight
 * Suppressor
 * ACOG Scope
 * FMJ
 * Shotgun
 * Holographic
 * Heartbeat Sensor
 * Thermal Scope
 * Extended Mags

Trivia

 * The FAL's rear sight sways unless equipped with the Shotgun attachment.
 * In the game files the FAL is named "fnfal" which may mean that the FAL was going to be named FN FAL like in Black Ops but was later scrapped.
 * The FAL's hand guard appears to have a discolor or stain on it.
 * On the right side of the gun, it says FN FAL and then some indiscernible text but backwards. This backwards lettering is also present in the letters "R" and "S" on the fire selector.
 * The FAL has a unique way of reloading. The player flicks the magazine release with the new magazine and inserts it. Also, when the player reloads, the magazine appears to go through the trigger-guard to flick the old magazine out.
 * The FAL appears to have scratches and marks on the barrel.
 * The pick-up icon for the FAL with a grenade launcher says "FAL Grenade Laucher" instead of "FAL Grenade Launcher"
 * When equipped with a Heartbeat Sensor, and reloaded with an empty magazine, the player's hand will clip through the monitor.
 * Enemies firing from behind cover, particularly doors, fire the FAL as if it were fully automatic.
 * The FAL's Red Dot Sight is missaligned.
 * The FAL kills in 3 hits, while with the Holographic Sight it kills in 2 hits if Stopping Power is used.
 * An empty reload's magazine still has bullets in it.