Kinda want one.

Don't know anything about em.

Like the look of the 16"-18" DSA voyagers.

Needs to run cheap wolf .308

Budget +/- $1k

Teach me.

Mine, a Century build on a Imbel receiver, has been nothing short of great.  It eats the cheapest wolf and any surplus 308 I laid in years back.  Accuracy is not up there with my 308 ARs, but close enough.

I gotta think a DSA build would be GTG.    Full disclosure, I don't know if I would get into an FAL at todays prices.
Mine was bought in the glory days.  The rifle, 1k rds of S African ball and 5 mags was 600.

I have never tried to mount optics, they have a funky way to get a rail on the dust cover that did not inspire confidence.  But mine has a decent set of irons.

Ive had a DSA since the late 90's and it has never given me any issues with multiple types of ammo. When my eyes were better I could get a 2" group off the bench with Port ammo and irons pretty easily.

I think the voyager are ok rifles from what I have heard, but I imagine if you look around you can find some used deals out there.

One of the key things holding me back would be adding 7.62 to the stable.

Pretty well stocked on:
5.56
7.62X39
6.5G
6.5CM

The idea is built around an iron sighted battle rifle. I guess I could build a m16a1 clone or do an iron sighted 6.5 Grendel.

Sold my SCAR17 to get a Para Fal. I loved my SCAR but I really like the FAL and I have money for ammo left over

16" Para, or 18" carbine.  Or both.

Have you handled one before? I thought I wanted a FAL until I get to handle one at a gun show. I foumd it to be crude and heavy, so I changed my mind. YMMV

I got a 18" last christmas. Great rifle. Not sure about the crude and heavy part from the poster above. Its not an ar or scar. It was designed back when they wanted stuff to last 100 years in battle and still be good. I understand not wanting another round to get into but at least there is cheap 308 out there.

For the price of a Voyager, you can get a nice second-hand FAL if you look on the EE or FAL Files Marketplace.

I've had six FAL's over the years, four currently. One is a DSA factory-built PARA. It is an excellent shooter, but then so are all the builds I have done.

Great ergonomics, easy to clean and work on, but heavy, has a mile long LOP, and is expensive to feed, even with Wolf. Forget about a nice trigger; you're looking at a Mil-spec AR type of feel at best.


Selling the gun for a reasonable price after I realized the fallacy was a difficult endeavor.

I forgot one of the cool things about the FAL, the adjustable gas system.  It can be set to where the empties just dribble out or flung into a low eart orbit.

In my experience with the full length gas system on a 16" bbl, the adjustable gas is useless. You have zero dwell time, so DSA's answer is to hog out the gas port. You need to use all of the available gas, rather than bleeding it off. Try and restrict the gas and you get feeding problems. Using the amount of gas needed to cycle the action, the casings get thrown into the next county.

That combo was a soft shooting rifle though, gas issues be damned.

My 16" Para is the short gas version.  I don't really like all the extra barrel hanging off the end, but it's a nice, comfortable shooter.  Cheek pad takes the remaining edge off the folding stock.

How hard is it, to add a stock to a pistol configuration Fal ? Once it gets approved as an SBR.

Swapping the lower would be the easiest route. A para stock could be added by drilling and tapping for the stock hinge attachment block i that threaded hole is not already there. A standard stock would require the installation of both the stock tang at the bottom and the recoil spring tube.

I had a DSA STG-58. I really loved the rifle, but the cost of ammo even with reloads killed it for me.

I got a DSA used once because it wouldn't run steel case, the owner locked up the action shooting steel case then snapped off the op handle trying to get it open. I dropped a cleaning rod down the bore and it popped open. Took three months to get a new op handle from DSA though. I don't run steel case in anything but combloc stuff.

You could just pick up a lower for fairly cheap, swap your parts on, and have a stock. The upper receiver is the serialized "firearm" part of a FAL.

If you were in AZ, Im about to put my 18" FAL up for sale.

Please don't shoot steel cased ammo in your FAL.

DSA bought 10,000 rounds of steel cased ammo a while back when
ammo was hard to get.

They lost two rifles to it during that time.

DSA's rep just posted this on Facebook a couple days ago.

Thanks guys.

I'll just build an iron sighted 6.5 Grendel upper out of my spare Grendel barrel.

Feeding cheap ammo is a must due to the volume I shoot.

Wolf 6.5 is cheap right now and I've got several cases somewhere in the garage.

Is this a good buy? still can't shake the want for a .308 battle rifle.

main use would be shooting things (plates and targets)

Looks like a good price, but keep your eyes peeled on the EE and FAL File Marketplace for a kit build.

I had a FAL and didn't like how it shot or the sights.  Traded it towards an M1A and never looked back. I vote M1A for a little more dough.

For your price range you might still be best served by doing a build.  My current build is going to be under $1,000 in the end, and that includes extra work and a rare part that you won't have to worry about, as well as refinishing of certain parts.  I find it more satisfying, and you can get it exactly how you want it.

The picture below shows what it will look like.  The parts that are very worn or have a paint-over-park finish are going to be bead blasted and Parkerized.  The barrel needs to have some material removed from the breech face so that it will time correctly (followed by torqueing it on) and headspace determination still needs to be made (followed by locking shoulder installation).  I also will be installing QD swivel cups and a small rail section (and thus eliminating the standard swivels).  I'll probably also change the carry handle type or just go with a slot filler.  I've also considered a grenade sight gas plug simply because I like those.

If I had used a standard top cover and combo device and had the barrel hand-timed correctly, we'd be talking about something closer to $700.  This is with today's parts pricing.

The kit is a mix of FN (Herstal and USA) and IMBEL parts, with a few other US parts thrown in, as well as a Commonwealth pattern bolt and carrier group.  Receiver is IMBEL from a recent group buy on the FAL Files.  Barrel was originally 21" but was cut down to 17.2".

IMBEL parts kit (they can still be found for a good price), a few 922r parts if you care at all about that stupid law, and an IMBEL or older DSA (or very early Entreprise, ABNI marked) receiver can get you something decent that would, if assembled correctly, be of better quality than the DSA Voyager and be within your price range.  If you find a really good deal on a parts kit and use anything but the most recent Coonan receivers you could very well save a decent amount of money.

So where do I get a receiver and parts kit?

Are we talking DIY build or are special tools needed.

Your best bet for anything FAL is the FAL Files marketplace. I got almost every single part through there, including my receiver.

Yes, special tools are required. But there are people willing to lend them and they are not difficult to use. You need a barrel vise, receiver wrench, cheater bar, timing rods, headspace gauges, locking shoulder pin gauges, some punches, and a bolt disassembly tool. IME one can find FAL Filers or ARFCOMers locally who are willing to lend tools or otherwise help you out.

Attached File



Do it..........

had a DSA 16, traded it for an 18, now want to find a short barrel because its awesomely useless. Dont shoot it much at .50 a round though.

what optic you go there? fixed low power Im guessing?

There is a lot of FAL parts on Gunbroker these days

Sig Romeo 7 red dot.

Here's what you need.

FAL

That hurts my head just looking at it. Cant imagine the blast from it

You can find assembled Imbel parts gun for under $1k.  Just saw one for $700.  If they were just sold as parts, the price would be far more.

Fals are a lot of fun to shoot.  Just dont expect a light modern target rifle.  Its a battle rifle.  It will put a smile on your face every time you shoot it, but with the cost of 308 your wallet probably wont be smiling.

I've always been intrigued by the FAL.  18 inch para will be in my safe one day.  Damn cool looking guns.

The South African Police raid video made me want one really bad.  That dude ran his like a boss.

The last time I was intrigued by a YouTube video , I walked directly out of the house and bought a motorcycle.