[bas]

Brought this back in June, on the spur of the moment:

Close-up of the markings showing the crossed out Hamburg Castle symbolising that it was released from police stores:

Other side:

More images on my site

As you can see a pin has been added before it was released to stop the selector from going to full-auto. I've subsequently spoken to the guy that imported the batch which included this rifle and he said that all the internals were still in the guns when they landed, he took the auto sears out himself.

As for the service history of these rifles, according to one German police officer:

I've received training with the G1 rifle in the fall of 1989, when I entered the "Bereitschaftspolizei" (riot police), after having completed 2 1/2 years of police academy and an introductory phase.

The presence of G1 rifles in the police inventory has been a relict of the cold war. The G1 rifles were former Bundeswehr equipment, given to the police after the Bundeswehr had completed the adoption of G3 rifles manufactured by Heckler & Koch and Rheinmetall in the 60ies.

I've been among the last batches of officers to be actually trained with the G1 in Hamburg. After the fall of the Berlin wall in Nov.1989 and the german reunification in Oct.1990 the G1 rifles in Hamburg were kept in storage for some time and were then given back to the german government.
I always believed that they have been scrapped due to the harsh german export laws for guns, and therefore wouldn't have expected to see one of them again (converted to semiauto, as one can tell by the roll pin blocking the selector lever).

I remember that we had small teargas-grenades that were meant to be propelled with the G1. The grenade was called the RW70/4 (RW = Reizstoffwurfkörper), it was about 6-7 inches long, was red-colored and looked like a rifle grenade (complete with fins contained in a ring). When firing the RW70/4, the G1 rifle's gas valve had to be turned from "A" to "Gr" and the grenade was propelled by shooting a special blank round.

Having served in the Bundeswehr in 1984 and 1985, I knew the G3 rifle as well. I was never sure, which rifle -the G1 or the G3- I would've prefered if the s*** hits the fan. Each rifle had its good points over the other (the G1 was easier to clean, had a better trigger feel, featured an open bolt after the last shot, had a little easier to manipulate controls and had a bipod; the G3 was shorter, could be easily equipped with a retractable stock, had a freefloating barrel and a much sturdier magazine; I liked the sights on both and would've felt well equipped with any of them in combat as I could shoot them both accurately).

 

[caerlonie]

I had a ex German police G3 years ago,as new condition,identical to the military rifle except no bayonet plug.A friend had a G1 like yours,it was about the nicest FAL I have ever handled.

 

[dive1tom]

That is one hard hitting rifle. What a kick. Some may think different but I though it had a good punch.

 

[308nutt]

Thanks for the info.

Thanks for this info Bas. I have a FAL G1 that is only 30 rifles away from this one (#29289), but it has been treated a little more kindly. I'd wondered how to tell the difference between the police & army issued models..but these rifles were actually used by both. To me they're the nicest of the FAL models. Am trying to find a genuine Hensoldt scope for it now.

 

[wyowillys46]

Wow!

 

[lee2]

correct me if i'm wrong, but isnt it once a machinegun, always a machine gun even if the receivers are modified. i seem to remember that an importer of mak90s brought in some guns that had a rivet where the third hole was and got in trouble for this.

 

[wyowillys46]

Police G1

Bas is in New Zealand where they don't have that ridiculous law.

 

[308nutt]

I'm also in NZ.

 

[MG-70]

Beautiful rifle, thanks for the pics! Interestingly, the buttstock ferrule appears to be blued while the rest of the gun seems to be finished in black epoxy paint.

Congrats on a very nice rifle with history and character as well.