[id10t]

Saiga mags are *expensive* ... Only decent G3 is either a real HK or a JLD. AR10 isn't "proven", and again mags are expensive (although there is one company that uses FAL mags for theirs). M1A/M14 is again, expensive, as are quality mags. If cost isn't an issue, then consider also the Galil - but again, expensive and so are mags when you can find 'em.

So... FN-FAL. Real ones are less than either the M1A or HK. A good clone - DSA, Entreprise, DCI receiver - is "only" 900-1k. Metric mags new in wrapper can be had for $8 each. And they are well proven. The right arm of the free world - over 90 countries fielded it or still do.

My FAL is a cheap Century, but I got lucky and got a good one. No issues with it, other than the mags are a tad tight. Not sure if it is due to receiver being a tad out of spec or the "angry beavers" put the ejector block in wrong. Also, the barrel is a Green Mountain - they made their name by building match grade 22 barrels. But it eats anything I put in it, from nice new quality stuff to old dirty Indian surplus or Venezuelan surplus (the dreaded "Cavim"). Do a google for "Legend of Ol' Dirty" - a FAL that has had 15k rounds thru it with the only cleaning being a dunk in a mud puddle at about 7k rounds.

FWIW I asked the FNUSA reps on fnforum.net what the best FAL currently available was, they had no problem recommending DSA as the best.