I have decided to buy a .308 assault rifle . I've narrowed choices down to fn-fal , M1a, and S&W M&P10 .
I have working knowledge & experience with the ar-15/m-16  & M1a/m-14 weapon systems, but none with the fal.
I recently was able to handle & check out  a new dsa standard fal & was very impressed with the FN design, but would not consider buying a new gun from dsa because of the aluminum lower & workmanship of the gun.
all I am looking for is a reliable rifle with up to 2-3 MOA. don't care it its mixed parts just so it works with reasonable accuracy for fun shooting but still want a rifle that is combat reliable..
so since  I'm new to fals  I have loads of questions. i'll ask a few here , but perhaps someone who has knowledge about whats out there could help with my many new guy questions by pm or email as I don't clog up the forum with redundant questions.
inch or metric, inch guns seem cheaper?
is it worth the extra money to buy pre ban guns as shooter, not collector ? looking for military parts etc instead of after market parts?
I'm leaning toward sar-48/4800 as they seem to have a better reputation.
imbel guns are interesting , but am I right to think they are compromised(?) , by bad builds from ent.,pac,cai, & hess? .
thanks for any help!
ck

You are on the right track with wanting an SAR-48.

Stay with that plan and you won't go wrong.

SAR-48 with the standard  barrel is a factory built FAL made by Imbel in Brazil
and in some ways better than a late model FN built FAL.

I have an old copy of a review from American Rifleman Magazine
and they said the Imbel built SAR-48 grouped better than the FN made
rifle they tested previously.

Another option would be to hang out over at the FALfiles.com
and see what comes up for sale on their "marketplace" page.

Mostly good folks over there that will help you come up with something nice.

I think the inch rifles point better but the metric guns are more prolific
and there is a better supply of parts and mags out there.

I like the Imbel and Argie kits with the chrome lined barrels.

I have an all Imbel FAL with a chrome lined 18" barrel and a DSA built FAL that was built with
mostly Imbel parts and a DSA receiver. It's Imbel 21" barrel only has a chrome lined chamber but is very accurate.

Are there any SAR-48s on gunbroker?

Good luck with your new addiction,

EMSflyer

  thank you very much for the info., its a big help  in making a decision.
although I do find myself wondering the wisdom of buying a 30 year old used "pig in a poke"  rifle, when I can buy a new m1a or ar-10 for the same or less.
regards,
ck

30 year old SAR-48 will have better made parts than a 2013 M1A and maybe a lot of .308 AR's too.

I know at least two guys who have had extractors break off on their DPMS .308 ARs

Don't discount the older DSA STG-58 rifles. Many have Steyer Barrels and FN parts....

A little heavy but so is an M1A, accurate enough for "combat" distances and absolutely reliable.

Nothing wrong with the SAR. See what you can find.

that's a good point... from what I've seen,
good military spec., parts used or new are more likely to be higher quality than newly commercial made parts .
speaking of weight... are the heavy barrel fals to heavy to carry all day? stats I've seen aren't to specific. 10 pounds for a stand. rifle, 14(?) for a hb? HB's do seem to be a bit less expensive.
thanks.,
ck

The SAR-48 HB is the version I owned.

Wish I had kept but I did sell it because it was so heavy.

14.5 pounds with a loaded mag or something like that.

Very accurate however.

The HB was made in USA by Springfield Armory on an Imbel
receiver and an Israeli parts kit. It's not an Imbel factory built
gun like the light barrel SAR is.