Anyone ever build a FAL?
 

I'm thinking about building a couple G1 FAL's from kits... seems like they might be a bit of a challenge. Looking for feedback on what to expect.

You'll need a variety of locking shoulders, since that is what controls headspace. You'll need a special tool for putting the barrel on and torqueing it down. Other than that, simple. Don't forget your 922r parts - but you already know that.

All you want to know about FALs including building - www.falfiles.com/forums

Good weapon. The company I work for is now doing some work for FN and we are glad they are!

Great old rifle. I carried one when I was in the Army... Heavy SOB compared to an M16.

But during my basic training I was at the target end of the range raising and lowering targets behind the butt stops.
The first time I heard a 7.62mm hit the mound of dirt behind the targets I couldn't believe the sound.

It sounds like a REALLY BIG sledge hammer hitting the dirt. Scariest sound I'd ever heard.

This is an ex Aust army one. Except for the rear site this is what we carried. (note the folding and locking cocking handle)
The standard rear site was a simple foldable peep site.

There was also a full automatic version in service with a heavier barrel and folding bipod that took 30 round magazines!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1303746111.jpg

Had my new to me Imbel/DCI FAL out this weekend. Started by shooting 22 rifle with my son. A few stages down on the range, there were some tacticool guys wtih ARs with pounds of crap hanging off 'em. They start doing double taps on zombie targets at an amazing 15 yards... I tell my boy to finish the 22 rifle for a few minutes, and to keep an eye on the tacticool guys. Pull out the FAL, put the gas all the way closed (hadn't adjusted it yet, wanted to make sure it ran), and cranked thru a 20 round mag as quick as I can re-aquire the sights. Fist sized group at 50 yards.

:D:D:D:D:D

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/smilies/fal.gif http://www.falfiles.com/forums/smilies/fal.gif http://www.falfiles.com/forums/smilies/fal.gif http://www.falfiles.com/forums/smilies/fal.gif

i had posted about a guy by me selling a fn fal canadian L1A1. he never called never e-mailed pics as he said he would(flake). poof.............i am back in tha market again.

kind of steering towards a DSA STG-58. what the hell $1200 for a battle rifle. dont want a shorty. want the real mccoy long barrel.


i also want the option of a possible folding stock down the road. after that........dont wanna scope or nothing. a sling, a bipod, and maybe the folding stock for stowing in a truck will be perfect.


dont wanna dick with it, just shoot the hell out of it, come home crack a 6 pak and clean it, and step away from it.


my buddies pretty savvy with his, and when i find one i like , he said he would go with me and check it out for me.


what the hell, WHY NOT OWN ALL (3) MAIN BATTLE RIFLES!



the PROBLEM WITH THESE DAMN THINGS is the MYRIAD OF FREEKING PARTS MADE FOR THEM THAT DO NOT INTERCHANGE and MORONS who have hacked kits together for them.


so beware of that before ya buy one local let alone off gunbroker or gunsamerica.


thats why i kind of like just biting the bullet from DSA for a new one. and ya get a warranty that i have heard they are pretty damn good about from reading FNfiles.com.

They do shoot well. Once clean and setup they were very reliable.

The only thing that let them down were the sites. Very basic rear peep and blade front site. I used to blacken the sites with soot from a cigarette lighter.
The NZ Army had plastic furniture instead of wood but they were made in the same Australia factory as ours.

Oddjob -the basic SA58 has a MSRP of $1k exactly... not sure why you would pay $1200?

But I'd check the marketplace forum on falfiles.com/forums before buying - lots of deals there. In fact, someone just sold a SAR48 para (preban import, real deal made on licensed machinery) for $1400 ..

Seeing as how I just bought mine there should be all sorts of great rifles at good prices in the next few weeks...

My uncle has one of the folding paratrooper models. I wouldn't want to lug that thing around... it's freeking heavy!

Love my FAL's

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/j...3/Fun/FALs.jpg

I had a very nice G1 but sold it recently due to the fact i never shot it much once I got my M1-A.

For me, they are really nice rifles but the M1-A is a better fit personally.

Go try an FN-FAL and see how you like it prior to getting one.

James

I bought a M1A over the FAL back when the evil assault weapon ban came down.

I do love many things about my M1A. It's not on the ban list, the trigger and sights are better & it's a little more accurate ( not that I can out shoot it)

I got the chance to fire a FAL. I LIKE the gas system. I could get back on target quicker! It recoils a little less. I like the way it breaks down to clean.

I will own a FAL some day. it might be the 2nd or third rifle down the line that I pick up.

Next rifle will be a M1 Garand made by International Harvester.

I do not have a AR-15 that's together. I have a receiver but I really should build that up. ( but that means that I would need to stock another round. It's not in my plan right now)

THAT is gorgeous.

I have poked around the FAL Files. It's a wealth of information but (in my opinion) horribly organized. On several occasions I have delved into that site looking for build information but have always come up empty handed. In fact, my frustration from looking for a build tutorial there last night prompted me to post here. I am just looking for a build overview with photos to help me understand what's involved.

I have a very modern DSA Para but in recent years I've moved away from the railed out variants and really appreciate the older full size battle rifles a lot more.

Wow, Bill.

We can be friends.

:D

Jim, that's an interesting comment about the recoil. My experience was that the FAL had much worse recoil than the M1-A when shooting them back to back. I tried all kinds of different settings and still couldn't get it to be as pleasant to shoot as the M1-A.

Everyone, both rifles and people, are different though.

James

Got to see and shoot a FA FAL, M1A, and G3 all at the same sitting. FAL was much more comfortable to shoot. Watching other shooters from behind, the FAL was much more controllable as well.

Thanks but not mine. With our current laws I can't even own the rifle I carried in the Army. :rolleyes:

----------------

Just before I got out I shot one that had been customized by the armorer of the battalion I was serving with. It had a nice scope on a custom mount...
With that rifle at 100 meters I shot a 5 round group that was 3 inches across... No word of a lie.

I can only imagine what this rifle would be like with a modern reflex style sites.

I have so many great memories with this rifle. It fitted me perfectly. It was like that rifle was made for me.

They had a reputation for having a kick but the way they trained us was to lean into the rifle when you're standing and HOLD the frigging thing.

Don't baby it. Don't anticipate the recoil, just go with it. Take hold of it and put your body behind it and squeeze off the trigger.
Prone was much the same. Always pull it back into your shoulder. I often came home from the range with marks from my shirt imprinted on my shoulder.

It's not bad at all really. But then I shot an M16 and that old war gun was a tame baby compared to the SLR. Put Put Put as opposed to BANG BANG BANG... ;)

Whoo Hoo!

Finally found a build tutorial: Building the FAL at Home, Assembly

The FAL Files Forums - Building Documentation *COMPLETE*

And

The FAL Files Forums - Gunsmithing & Build It Yourself

Yup, I've seen that thread on TFF. I think it's so old, the OP deleted the photos.

I've found a source for a receiver wrench and barrel vise. Any ideas where one can find a set of locking shoulder gauges?

This is mine:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1303753899.jpg

When I bought it I thought it was the coolest thing since Justin Bieber got his period.

Now, I am actually thinking of selling it to fund the build of a couple G1's.

(I won't actually sell it. That goes against my firearms ownership philosophy.)

The older I get the more I appreciate the original FN design. I never shoot that Para because it's awkward and heavy but my little brother has an Israeli musket that makes me very jealous.

The gauges are pins, similar to gap/feeler gauges for working on spark plugs, etc.


Ditch the rails, VFG, etc. on that para and it should be nice...

Peter, Thanks for all the great input and first hand dialogue. Was the rifle you were issued a regular barrel or heavy barrel?

Cheers, James

CHEESE UND RICE another one with the SICKNESS(FEVER)!. LOL!


ok 1st to address the cost from DSA. a STG-58 austrian on their site is $1150. thats the long barrel. read their site for particulars.


i want a long barrel and the possibility of getting a folding stock. a bipod and a evil black full automatic sling. thats it. and i want black evil plastic with tac-ti-kool vents.



now what the hell model do i want? what model do i steer clear of? what will always have a good parts source for crap that breaks some day?


i just want to get a case of beer, my amigos, my pick em up, ma dawg, drop the tailgate and blast the hell out of it, at cans and come home and q-tip clean it within an inch of its life and throw in the safe with all the others.

I DO NOT WANT TO MODIFY IT! I DONT WANT RAILS OR LAZER BEAM DEATH RAYS! I DONT WANNA BE A MALL NINJA! i just want a shooter that with some federal 168gr BTHP MATCH will shoot some decent groups and hit the broadside of a barn.


i like flavors 1-2-9-10 going left to right. what the hells the difference? thanks.

Number 2 is an early British L1A1 built on an inch receiver

Number 3 is a G1

Number 4 is an Australian built on an inch receiver

Number 5 is an STG-58

Number 8 is an Israeli Light Barrel

The one on the floor is an Israeli Heavy Barrel

All are ready to rock-n-roll when the zombie apocalypse starts

Oddjob - check the SA58 - they are Imbel kits/parts, has the config you want except for the silly long break/fh. The Imbel muzzle device is more like the ones on either end.

BTW - I don't think you'll need to worry much about breakage - Ol' Dirty is at 19k+ rounds w/o cleaning (except a mud puddle visit around the 4k mark) and no breakage. The FAL Files Forums - The Tale of Ol' Dirty. A Texas Legend. (Update: over 15,000 rnds fired w/o cleaning)

coming from over 30 years of ownership of a very bad azz UBERIZED TO ALL HELL, HK-91 by ralph smith at RDTS w/1200 meter iron sights and (3) very uberized M1A's. (1) being a super duper match mcmillian/arrington from hell another a socom from hell and the last a "loaded", both done up by phil arrington to beat the band.

i'm just looking for a shooter. deer/elk/antelopezzz/bear/zombeez. at a good damn distance. no fuss no muss no mall ninja crap.


from what everyone said that i had talked to, this damn canadian L1A1 that i found and lost, was quite the model to own. dont know if thats true by your standards as you know FN's like i know M1A's and HK's.


do i want INCH?

do i want metric?

does it matter?


havent a clue.


i like the price point on the STG-58. is that a nice one for decent distance and reliability? w/ninja bipod/folding stock/black evil sling.


i love spoons that can get clobbered with mud dirt dust rain snow sleet puke. having nice spoons is real cool, but when ya feek 'em up, your heart just sinks and yer wallet gets lighter.

i did not get drawn for elk here this year. my buddy DID and its a LATE HUNT! and LATE HUNTS = MUD / SNOW/WET. and with that carrying a nice spoon in a case is fine and dandy, but yer pooing yerself if ya think yer gonna get that pup out of its case when ya see any kritters. on the bars front or back doesnt matter in a late hunt just plan on buying some rubbers for yer barrel and bringing some towels to wipe all the crap off. they just get wasted dirty. hell one late deer hunt here i may as well have thrown my damn m-1 carbine down in the mud and dragged it behind me..................for miles it was so covered in crap.


so thats what i am looking for in a fn. after watching britain kick the arggies azz all to hell in the falklands in just downright crap weather conditions, i know a fn is a great rifle. i am willing to spend whatever it takes to get one that just SHOOTS over and over and over with MINIMUM BABYSITTING!


to throw the other side of the coin in there, summers here are just as bad with all the dust. talk about learning HOW TO LUBE A SPOON and NOT LUBE A SPOON! may as well drag yer spoon behind ya in all the dust here. front or back of quad they just get filled with dust. the only way they DONT get filled with dust is going by yerself or being 3 miles in front of yer buddies quad.


so ya think a austrian STG-58 is the answer to my quest for a straight shooting all around spoon?

o thats what i am looking for in a fn. after watching britain kick the arggies azz all to hell in the falklands in just downright crap weather conditions, i know a fn is a great rifle. i am willing to spend whatever it takes to get one that just SHOOTS over and over and over with MINIMUM BABYSITTING!

Both the brits and the Arggies used the FAL as their main battle rifle in the sheeplands war.

I remember reading about accuracy problems with the FAL? Something about successive shots stringing vertically, this is aimed single fire. Regardless, I think it is the most beauteous modern battle rifle ever. I will be very happy to see a FAL build thread. I guess the first decision is, metric or inch?

The rifles we carried were semi auto with regular barrels. The heavier full auto rifle was in service but they were rare.

oddjob - inch vs metric basically comes down to ergonomics - the pistol grip on each is different. I prefer the metric. Inch guns can use metric mags mostly but they will be wobbly. Metric guns can only use metric mags. A lot of the parts will interchange. Inch guns do not have a last shot bolt hold open - metric do. But you can add the metric part to an inch gun. I think w/ my small hands the "extended" style selector switch from the inch guns is easier to operate - and I can put one on my metric gun. And I think the Indian (dot not feather) mag release (a long horizontal bar) is better as well, and again I can put one on my metric gun. Butt stocks attach differently between inch and metric.

As to which FAL will give you a straight good shooter, I'd say just about anything built by someone who knows the platform and avoid Century and Hesse like the plague. Yes, you can get good guns from either (I had a great Century) but it is really a crap shoot, and they have no resale value. Bargain bin is DCI (Dan Coonan) receiver, better but not much is Entreprise, then DSA, and then a licensed manufacturer (Imbel, etc).

If you think you will want to convert to Para at some point, go metric and remember that you have to do more machining on the upper, get a new lower, get a new bolt carrier, etc. to do the conversion.

Still think your best bet is to handle an inch and a metric, see which you like the feel of better, and then spend some time watching the marketplace forum on the fal files site.

hey thank you for the info. theres another one in local paper i will check out. i will start checking into ergonomics of inch vs. metric. here for hunting and about everywhere else i know of you CANNOT have/use/possess a mag bigger than 5 rds. PERIOD! get caught hunting w/a 20/25/30 rd mag and its BAD JU JU and rightfully so. i have noticed some of the para models at 8.2#'s up to above 10#'s for some of the other models w/full stocks and heavy barrels.


i looked at gunbroker and about keeled over on the belgian made fn's. HOLY NED THEY ARE PROUD OF THOSE! and from looking i have noticed arggie models/indian models/brazil made models and damn near 1/2 the world mfg'd them on license from FN.


one of the smartest things i did was ROGUARD my HK-91. that stuff is the katz azz as far as bad yucky weather be it rain sleet snow mud dust and your ability to clean weapon and weapon to function in the worst of conditions. it doesnt matter here what mode of transpo you use unless spoon is cased all the time. and reality is a cased spoon is a WORTHLESS SPOON when it comes to kritter time. yeah i have had picture perfect hunting days, but usually they are few and far btwn as we always try and put in for late hunts which include bad weather historically.

gonna have to go shoot my buddies fn and play with it as far as taking apart and putting back together again to get familiar with them again.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1303819094.jpg

here we are in a typical deer hunt. me w/my hk and my peudner with his fn. ya just GOTTA LOVE THE WEATHER HERE IN AZ! everyone thinks its a DEZERT and LOOKS LIKE THE SAHARA!

You can get a 5 round mag from DSA, or put a block of some sort in a 20.

yes thats what my buddy did was snag a bunch of 5 rd mags. they draw a premium from us. i snagged a bunch of 5 rds for my hk when they were cheap. we love the military spoons for obvious reasons aka weather mud snow sleet yuckiness.

try finding 5 rd mags for a m-1 carbine. oh boy! you will spend some time there. anyway as you can see the later the hunts here in the west, the worse the weather gets. depending on the hunt unit you get drawn for , your ability to get away from other hunters can be different. some units we DONT SEE ANYONE! others hunters are stacked up like cordwood on top of each other. and when the weather hits..............well thats when the hunting GITS GOOD! kritters move around alot as a low pressure system moves in. either looking for grub or looking for a place to bed down for the storm. for us alaskan cold fronts sweeping down generally have about 3-4 days of crap weather associated. then it clears up, sun comes out and snow starts to melt and the damn place turns into a MUDBOG! and you and everything else get covered in it. and if YOU havent had the FUN of cleaning a weapon covered in mud...............well YOU JUST HAVENT LIVED!


when the weather is nice thats when the really spendy nice spoons come out and get used. the above pic was when we were young and STOO-PID! and HARDCORE HUNTERS! you would need a crowbar to pry us out of a hunt unit if the weather got bad. now we have gracefully aged, become wiser, AND BOUGHT A FREEKING 18FT DUAL AXLE TRAILER WITH MR. HEAT and PROPANE, a HONDA GENERATOR WITH BIG AZZD COTS!


yeah after a 10 day-2 week hunt sleeping in a tent, freezing yer azz off, having to deal with smoked oyster farts and slim jim farts, you tend to start thinking of CREATURE COMFORTS !

Carried an L1A1 for 13 years - and it had bolt hold open on the last shot as far as I can remember.

You guys have reopened the desire to get my paws on one again. Still have all my wood furniture for it from when I was in. I'll have to dig that out.

The bolt open devise is built into all versions of the rifle but it's disabled by removing one part. (from memory)
It's a very simple device that is engaged by the floor of the bullet shelf of the magazine when the last round is fired.

What we did is load a tracer round second to last so we knew when the last round was in the chamber.
Worked beautifully. It was a standard thing in Vietnam.