I'm looking at buying my son a FAL for Christmas. He is in his plebe year at the US Naval Academy, has always liked them, and I thought it would be an awesome Christmas present when he comes home on leave then. What should I be looking for as far as quality and what should I stay away from? Metric VS Inch? They use to be pretty easy to find, but I'm not having much luck (at least in my budget which is around $1200.00). I know very little about the rifles and have only shot a couple.

Thank you!

FAL Files is where you want to look for stuff.  There have been some good ones up for sale lately over there.

Hate to say it but look in the EE. I've been eyeballing the one there made by Moses on the files. Good rifle. Save me from my poor impulse control.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_93/1472330_WTS__Custom__Professionally_Built_FN_FAL__FL.html

DSA makes a good rifle. Go metric for parts and magazine availability.

Run away from Hesse or Century Arms.

DSA Voyager is right there under your budget, no frills but very nice setup, DSA is quality stuff and they have come a long way with cust. service, great to deal with.

Generally speaking, and I mean generally, any used rifle that has an Imbel receiver should be alright. If its a Century, and the receiver isn't marked Imbel, avoid. Metric us generally going to be better than inch, only in respect to parts and magazine availability. L1a1 and R1a1 are inch...mostly?

That Moses build above is outstanding.

I have rarely heard of any FAL that has problems and the problems they can have are easy to fix.
I would not pay much attention to the name on the receiver like everyone will tell you is the most important thing.  I doubt 1 in 500 Century or Enterprise FAL's have a problem. No more than DSA in my opinion. Just because something costs more does not make it better especially a FAL made from the exact same parts kit.
You will likely get a good gun no matter what you pay or the name brand.    

No Century, except the Century L1A1 Sporter thumbhole sold in the late '80s/early 90s, which are excellent.

The advice that only  "1 in 500" Century or Entreprise (it's Entreprise not Enterprise) have a problem is rubbish.  More than half the post-thumbhole Century guns I've handled won't run.   Entreprise-built guns were much better, but no anywhere near DSA.  

No Hesse, period.

Home builds are suspect.  Despite claims in this thread, without the right tools you will not fix the two most common problems, that being (1) improperly timed barrel and (2) wrong locking shoulder = bad headspace.

Don't get me wrong, there are awesome home builds, even those having fixed Century and Hesse problems.

That said, $1200 bucks will get you into the DSA Voyager, but it could also get you into an excellent home-build.  It's a matter of risk.  

If you can shoot it, try it, if it works buy it.  If you can't verify it works, skip it or buy a DSA.

I wouldn't be so quick to shit on all Century. I've got an all Imbel from Century that runs like a freaking top. The most important thing to be in spec is the receiver, and an Imbel receiver is good to go.

Plus avoid anything with Enterprise Arms on it.

Century never made an all IMBEL gun.  NEVER.

Century used the IMBEL and FMAP receivers only in the early 1990s.  Those were used for the L1A1 thumbhole guns.  They are 98% likely to work great.

Century sold IMBEL receivers marked as R1, L1, etc.  A very, very few R1 marked IMBEL receivers were made by Century into complete firearms with a mishmash of parts.

Will all due respect, and I have no other way to say it, you have no idea what you're talking about.   If I was politically incorrect I'd suggest you STFU.  

If you want to continue your BS information I suggest we back waaayy off and start with the seven different markings of the Browning/ Steyr, GS Type III mish-mash guns.  Once you establish that you have any clue at all we can continue.    Then we'll discuss the six Century marked FN contract receivers.   Finally, we'll discuss the generations of Century contract receivers.   So STFU and stop giving stupid advice.   I really hate to be such an Ahole, but BS know-it-alls like you screw tyrols, and I'll not have it.

I would take one over a lot of DIY builds. Century is not near as bad as most make it out to be.

I have one with a Hesse Receiver that is in spec. Get this. It had a numbers matching STG 58 Kit on it. It shot fine. Those parts went on a DS prefix DSA arms receiver when the prices rose.

The Hesse is fine in every dimension. It is going to be used for a mutt since I have enough odds and ends to build a whole gun. Nothing worthy of going into a nice parts kit.

The out of spec receivers they used was there problem Making the parts fit instead of machining the receiver. Most still worked with tweeks. There biggest problem wa using worn out gas tubes and not making sure the where installed correctly.

Anything with Rhodesian paint or markings. Shoot me an IM and I'll take it off your hands.

Well that just cleared all of that right up. Sometimes it takes an asshole to set the record straight.

 

I'd look for a DSA STG-58 or DSA SA-58 with a DS prefix.

Those seemed to be from an era where DSA was a company to admire.

I have one for sale on the EE.