I'm looking for some opinions on DSA's current FALs. I understand almost all parts are now cast (vs. forged), but that is what it is I guess. Any bad experiences with fit or finish? Any other complaints or warnings? I have wanted a FAL for some time and a DSA FAL seems to be the best way to get in the game. Thanks.

Actually, the best source for quality built F A Ls is the marketplace forum on FALFILES.COM  

 http://falfiles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11

  Be patient and a fair deal will show up there. On the other hand, DS Arms does offer a lifetime warranty. I have no personal experience with their warranty service, but at least they offer it.

In the last year, I've purchased three bare receivers, one complete 21" Para, an aluminum lower, and a bunch of other parts. Only one set of issues: missing ejector blade and pin and the locking shoulder dogleg hole was slightly short on one of the receivers. DSA took care of it by headspacing and installing the barrel and providing a locking shoulder at no charge. The complete Para shoots like a dream. Easily, my favorite rifle.

I am a DSA fan

Me too.

Are they casting their receivers now? Last dsa receiver I bought was about 8 years ago and they were forged

I bought a Voyager 18" a few months back. No complaints about it at all. No issues with cycling, fairly accurate. Finish looks good. Even the furniture, these get surplus I believe, looks good. About my one and only complaint is the rear sight(Holland style) sucks ass. But that's fixable. 

ETA: To be fair I've only shot a few hundred rounds through it and it's my first FAL I've owned. Have shot many surplus builds over the year and it seems to be on par with those. 

They still do some forged receivers for military and police contracts and sometimes offer them to private persons.  But all receivers are made in-house now, and their quality controul has gone downhill.  LMT no longer makes their receivers and they don't seemed to be that concerned about making them in-spec.

I've owned quite a few early DSA forged receiver guns (starting with Grayslake marked uppers).  The quality of the "forged guns" ranged considerably.  I ordered a couple of SA58 Paras direct.  One had a MASSIVE (1/8" x 2") ragged gouge through the anodizing (lower receiver).  It came direct from DSA with a SIGNIFICANT function impairing flaw (this was at the selector arc and caused the selector to bind as the aluminum galled).

Others (SA58 ... not those STG58 "parts guns") had a mix of  parts that can only be described as "whatever is in the parts bin".  The SA58 guns were supposedly assembled from "new" or "unissued surplus'd" but after about a dozen DSAs I figured out the the only parts that were definitely new on the SA58 line included: US made aluminum lower; US made forged upper; US made NON-CHROME LINED barrel.  Just about everything else was subject to review.

Overall, I'd describe older (pre 2008 ... as all of my DSA were from the late 90's to 2008) DSA's as "better than Century, but still a parts gun".  I liken them to Springfield Armory's M1A.  Who really knows what you're getting (yes, I've owned a lot of those too).

If you want a FAL seriously consider buying a professionally built gun from ARS or similar.

I just bought an early Century made in Canada with Imbel receiver and a trilux scope along with 8 mags for $700 plus tax.  My advice is to find a complete gun with an Imbel or other quality upper and worse case send to ARS for a refit.

Heck, you can still find non Belgian prebans for substantially less than $2k.

I just purchased a new production DSA and am very happy with it.

I still enjoy the ones I bought from you Gary.

Hi Jake!

You ended up with the best that I had.  If you remember - you ended up with the ones I saved because they were nice.

My uncle has one of the Paras too. He's decided to sell it, because he prefers his SCAR-H.

I bought this para in July and it has been and great purchase.  I can not complain one bit about fit and finish by DSA. Attached File

I recommend looking for one of the earlier DSA guns built on STG-58, even if ban era. A solid gun from the word to, and you can uprade/update as you see fit.

How do current DSA sa58's compare to current made ptr 91's and SA m1a's? Talking purely on QC, fit and finish, overall build quality, etc.

My 21" DSA Para was made early last year, as was my PTR-91 G.I. Both have eaten everything forced through them and are a joy to shoot. The finish DSA applies is very durable and applied via a sprayer, so it's nice and even (I've since painted over that.). The PTR is nicely parkerized, and the furniture is NOS HK or FMP. Machining quality on both is superb. Both are fine rifles. No pertinent experience with the M1A.