I am looking at a CIA Sporter L1A1 close to me. From my understanding this was built a few years ago as it had the thumb hole stock and a couple of other things from the ban era. The guy who has it swapped out the stock and some other things from the ban era set up but he never shot it and all it has done was sit in the safe. The upper is a complete inch upper but the lower is a metric one. the front sight has the gas adjustment knob right behind it with the numbers slearly marked onit and the piston valve has the one cut on it to show it is installed correctly or not.

The upper was marked with CL1A1 and spoter along with  some other numbers. The bolt has the sand cut's on it and it has a 20" barrel and sliding rear flip up sight. The lower has the S and R on the reciver for the selector and I saw some other letter that were either UE or UB along with other serial numbers on it. I should have took some pic's but was not even thinking about it as I was trying to take care of some other stuff.

Any advice or hlep any of you can give me I would appreciate it.


UPDATE WITH SOME PIC'S

Here are some pic's that I had emailed to me but I will try and get some better ones tomorrow or Friday. The lower is a metric lower and is marked with a UE and the upper is a inch upper and is marked C1A1 and the barrel is marked Canadian. From what I am gather doing my research is that this was a Canadian surplus lower and I guess upper that was pieced together by CAI to make a complete rifle.

Could be an interesting weapon if the price is right.  L1A1 kits are more rare and in good condition make a good investment.  CIA kit builds have a hit or miss aspect to them - something along the angry beaver school of gunsmithing - by reputation.  Nothing that can't be remedied by someone that is competent with hand tools and support from people on the FalFiles.  I have included the url for the FalFiles section that is specific to the rifles of your interest.  

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=154

Good luck with your decision.

The lower is inch, and made by Enfield (UE).

So is the barrel. Note the Inch open-eared gas block and the notch for the flash suppressor (that was cut off).

Yeah I was wondering about the flash suppressor. That would not stop me from mounting another one to it would it?

Also here are some more pic's with some better close up's of the marking. It is marked CAI sporter L1A1 and the barrel is stamped made in Canada and C1A1 and The lower is stamped with UE and UA marking's on it. The lower might be an inch pattern lower but it is only cut to take metric mag's.

Typical of Century's "mix and match" philosophy, your upper receiver is actually metric: note crescent-shaped cut in the mag well for the magazine beak. Inch pattern cut is a rectangle. The charging handle also does not fold flat, as it would on an Inch receiver.
IMO, this is actually an advantage: metric mags are cheaper and more readily available, and the Inch controls are more ergonomic. The charging handle can be replaced with a metric one, or the front of the rails trimmed to let it fold flat (my preference).
The rifle is a frankenFAL, but it's a good combination of parts, IMO. If it runs, I'd buy it.

Thanks and yes the lower has the cut for metric mag's but the upper is an inch upper it has the folding rear sight and the open front sight on it. I broke it down today and the bolt and carrier have what appears to be a crown and two crossed flag's on them and they also have I guess what would be arsenal marking. The barrel has H arsenal proof mark on it along with some other marking's. The lower from what I am gathering is a metric lower or it could be an inch lower but it has the UE stamps and I from what I have been aboe to figure out is that UE is from Enfield in the UK.

I sent Century the serial number and the ran it for me and informed me that the gun was acquired by them in April of 1993. I know this come in the sporter configuration with the stupid thumb hole stock and stuff but it was swapped out for the stock set that is on it now. I will take better close up pic's tonight or tomorrow as my camera is dead right now

Unlike the AR, the upper receiver in an FAL is the one with the magwell and serial number. As I noted, your upper receiver is metric, not Inch.

The rear sight is attached to the lower receiver; the front sight to the barrel / gas block. Neither sight is attached to the upper receiver, so having Inch pattern sights doesn't help with receiver identification. The good news is that they are both the same pattern; Inch and metric sights have very different heights, and mixing them will cause problems.    

In FALs, major components like lower receivers, bolt-carrier groups, etc., will swap between metric and Inch pattern. Yours are, indeed, both Inch pattern, but, because of easy interchangeability, that tells you nothing about the upper receiver, which is, again, metric.

Barrels technically don't swap because the Inch pattern uses breeching washers, but the threads are the same size and pitch, and you can install an Inch barrel on a metric receiver, as Century has proven may times.

You have an Inch pattern kit assembled on a metric pattern receiver, a fairly common Century combination, and one I think is ideal.

Ok thanks I had no idea that is how the FAL's are set up that is a little confusing. I thought they were set up the same like an AR was. This is my first FAL and it seems like a really good rifle and put together pretty well. I am looking at chopping the barrel down to about 18" and then having it threaded so I can slap a flash hider on it as from what I gather since the barrel was cut and crowned when it was made the slot on the bottom of the barrel would be to short to mount a original FAL flash hider on it. Also the slot for the charging handel already has the cut out for the folding charging handle that is on it. It looks like it was made that way and not cut during the build process.

Ghost, a flash suppressor could be installed if the muzzle was threaded and a new keyway slot installed further back.

I was wondering about that and I will look at that option and see who might be able to do it.

I got the FAL and here are even more detailed pic's after I got it home. it has a lot of arsenal marks on it and proof marks and different marks that I am still looking up. It has feed ramps in it and they are good and smooth.

BSA bolt, carrier, and barrel. Looks great. The metric receiver obviously isn't correct, but it will work just fine. Nice score.

Kit is 100% inch.  Upper is metric and made in Argentina.   You should either replace charging handle with a complete metric one or replace the receiver.  You could probably sell the metric Argie receiver for $500.  I would not cut the receiver to accommodate the charging handle.  I have seen some inch charging handles modified to close on metric receivers but they make a bad situation worse.

Ok I am little confused. The rifle in an inch gun but the receiver is a metric one? What is the difference between the charging handles I know one had a round knob on it and the one I have on here folds down? I take from what you said that the one on here is not the correct one and I just need to find the other one and swap it out? If so how hard would that be to do on this rifle? Also what does the cut look like on the receiver for the different charging handles?

Thanks this is my first one and I am just starting to learn about them. I already worked a trade for a parts kit from one of the dealers over on the FALFiles so I can do a persomel build all I will need to get is a receiver for it but I just need to figure out what pattern I want to try and build with the kit.