They won't ship these to California even though there are literally no legal issues with doing so at all.  FN is taking this stuff over the top.  I even saw a 922r disclaimer on the page, lol.

I have an FN CODE I'm not going to be using. I also have an Argentine 21" barrel with gas lug and flash hider/brake and blank firing device. PM me if you are interested.

Exactly.  I still have my SAR 48 Bush Rifle I bought new in the fall of 1988.

Gah, sorry and thanks for helping out there. It loaded into cart and I didn’t finish checkout to see if it would complete. Just appeared that it would. Apologies there

That’s the error message that comes up if you try and check out without putting in the unique code. I got it too before realizing the code was a ‘discount code’.

Received 2nd code from FN. Il. new AWB law prohibits my order.  If you want it, how do i send it?

Got mine today, so I'll open and post some pics tomorrow.

Why is that odd? That's how an English speaker would pronounce it as a word, just like "pal".

Order the hooded rear sight from DSA as a replacement instead of the standard one, it's a lot nicer to shoot.

Someone remind me what the bolt with the tail on it is called?

If you're referring to the bolt carrier, usually people call it a "rat tail" but it's just the standard bolt carrier for a fixed stock.
Para carriers don't have the tail.

anyone else have a kit code they wont be using?

Disappointing…still no code for me.

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I'll upload close-ups of the small parts tomorrow. Overall, the flash makes it look rougher than it really is. I'm pretty happy with the condition.

I have a code I won't be using. I also have an Argentine barrel.

ETA Barrel sold and code sent.

Got a code!

And bought.

Stumbled across email in my spam folder. Ordered.

Is the rear sight broken?  There's supposed to be a vertical part.

Or is it just poking through the box?

Got code as well and ordered today.

Now what do I do with the kit? Always wanted a FAL but not a collectible one. Send to ARS and have a faithful replica built?

Yes, send it to ARS and it will be as close to perfect as humanly possible.

I think he just started taking work again.

My son has a Para FAL that ARS built and it's great.

My son has another Para kit going out to him soon and I need to send ARS
one of my FALs that someone else built that has issues.

He built an L1A1 for me years ago and it was perfection !!

DSA is going to be ready to help too

Hi EMSFlyer!

Thanks for the information on that, was the kind of response I was hoping for.

I hope to contact ARS this week and ask his thoughts on these FN kits. Be interesting to hear of the master gun plumber thinks there is anything special about these particular imports.

Appreciate the reply again, stay safe out (up) there

I’ll have to do some homework, I didn’t realize DSA was still doing builds, thought they were only doing production.

Anyone have a code they're not going to use? Stupid FN didn't let me enter the contest because of the state I live in.

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Arrived today. 127/400.

Reunited...

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Not sure how it works with their new awb....

Good score to all that got one…

Looking for a code if someone doesn’t want theirs…

Doesn't effect out of state sales at all.

I'm in for a kit if you don't want it!!!

Anyone started building yet?

DSA has a notification page with pictures up on their website for their take on the receiver:

https://www.dsarms.com/p-17494-dsa-sa58-special-gendarmerie-marked-stripped-semi-auto-fal-receiver-type-3-carry-handle-cut-762x51-mm.aspx

I thought they were going to build them? I see a receiver and someone asked their CS who said they were also doing barrels without gas blocks.

Received shipping notification today, hopefully it'll arrive by Saturday.

Thanks! Do you have an estimate on when everything will be ready to and I can ship the kit off?

What receiver types will you be offering besides the type 3?  And how will matching serial numbers work?

Thanks!

Curious about the same thing. I don’t know much about FAL but thought the M2 version used the type 1 receiver. Would be interested in that for sure.

None of them show as in-stock on the website :(

If anybody doesn't want/can't use their code, I can (thankfully) use it!

Gendarmerie FALs either lack an M designation or are the M5. Typically made in Type 3 receivers although perhaps some were ordered during the Type 4 period (cast version). M2 were ordered for the regular Belgian military. I forget if any were ordered for the Force Publique in Africa as well, or if that was only the M1.

M2s have a lightweight lower and other parts, charger guide top cover, fiberglass handguard, plain muzzle with bayonet lug, and a Type C stock. Most have already been destroyed AFAIK. I do have some M2 parts I bought from a member in Belgium as well as some M3 parts (LW para model still used for training at the commando school).

The M5 is just a tear gas launcher?

The Gd rifles were the same as the army, even if they didn’t have the designation right?

Anyone have a picture of these rifles from around the time when they were first issued?

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Not my pics, but from FalFiles.

To anyone interested, there's a thread over there that documents specifics on some of the 400 kits. If you have one, I'd encourage you to share.

Thanks.

Well, this thread (and kit prices) motivated me to buy an upper for my Imbel kit.

Army had the M1, M2, M3, and whatever they designated the FALO (they had two contracts of them from what I can tell, one of which had a "ZM" serial number prefix).  FN Model DA1, which uses FAL mags, was also used in this role.

IIRC, the Gendarmerie made use of some Army stuff but also bought its own rifles, which were of later production (21" fixed-butt models), some of which ultimately had a cup discharger replace the combo device (these, at the very least, were designated M5 and some ended up with the Army; the guy who posted the pics above had his unit issued them during his Balkans deployment in the 1990s).

M1 is the first generation fixed-butt 21" FAL they used.  Very early pattern with Type 1 receiver, Type A lower, Type A butt, all-wood furniture, charger-guide top cover, open ear front sight base, tall rear sights, and NBC barrel with plain muzzle and bayonet lug.  Some later ones show some of the changes in the gas system as things transitioned to the final version.  Some are marked for the Force Publique in the Congo, to which they were issued.

M2 succeeded the M1.  It incorporates more mainstream production features such as the Type C gas system.  It is a lightweight model, which means the lower and some other parts were hiduminium instead of steel.  It retains the NBC 21" plain lugged barrel.  It also retains the charger guide, but the cover is hiduminium.  Butt is Type C, handguard is fiberglass instead of wood, carry handle grip is plastic instead of wood, charging handle knob is now plastic, and the pistol grip is plastic instead of wood and has the serial number engraved on it (as lightweight lowers were not stamped with the number).  Upper and lower are Type 1.

M3 replaced the M2 among the paras that got that model (Belgian paras left a bunch behind for the Katangese during the Congo Crisis).  It is a 17.2" NBC-barreled lightweight para model.  It has the fixed rear sight, fiberglass NBC handguards, a carry handle, and a fixed charging handle.  They have a mix of Type 1, Type 2, and transitional receivers (what some call a "Type 1.5" and one that is in-between that and a Type 1).  Type 2s also have a horizontal frame lock lever.

"Sniper" versions of each of these were made and while originally made with black paint for the finish, many were painted or repainted grey and some have a mix of black and grey painted parts.  Late purchases of replacement furniture was of plastic furniture, so sometimes that could be seen on these guns.

Gendarmerie rifles appear to use Type 3 and/or 4 receivers.  They are 21" threaded BC barrels with combo devices, with some having it replaced with cup dischargers.  IIRC, some did get shipped with bipods and some had grenade sight gas plugs, but I don't recall for sure.  They were not lightweight models, had all-plastic furniture, and a black paint finish.

Ten-round mags were sometimes issued with the Gendarmerie rifles, especially those with the cup dischargers.  These were also used for launching cartridges for other rifles as well as for sniper models.  Factory mags of this type have features which distinguish them from 10-rounders cut down from 20s here in the U.S.

191 no Handguards came with the kit.