I am thinking of buying an FAL.  I would like to spend around $800 or so.  I have looked at DSA, but there list prices are around $1500 (on there web site).  Who else makes a good quality gun?  Any thoughts on which one to get, or which one to stay away from?  I have searched this site, but did not find much info.

DSA has two levels or lines.  One is the 100% US parts, all brand new, with many options, and about $1300-1500.  The other line uses the same receiver and many of the small internal parts, but has Steyr surplus parts also.  They have the more authentic look and are under $1000 out the door with tax.  They come in rifle or carbine and include the bipod.  They blow away a Century or Enterprise.  We have sold probably a dozen from each line of the DSA FAL copies.  We had a hard time selling two Century copies.  At one point we had them on the rack side by side and nobody would touch the Century even though it was $400 cheaper.

The dealer cost on the DSA STG-58A Kit rifle is $795. I ended up closer to $850 for my rifle. It was beautiful - not a nick or scratch on it (no longer true ) inside or out.

Entreprise Arms make nice rifles, every one I`ve handled fired or owned has been fine. In fact I like them.
You can build a very nice FAL for less than you stated.
Get an Imbel, DSA, Entreprise reciever and a G1 or similar surplus kit, add the US parts and you can build a FAL for under 600. A real nice one.

I've dealt with DSA and really liked them. A lot of companies are difficult to deal with after the sale. Not these guys. Springfield is really good too.Personnally I would build my own.I really have only seen two collectable FAL's, and for that reason I consider them non-collectable. It is a shooters rifle, and some of the different pieces that I prefer are English(furniture,folding cocking handle,lower receiver and parts) Israeli(fold up buttplate,heavy barrel cut down for carbine,mags, mag release) Belgium,(furniture, light barrel, upper receiver,sights).South African(folding stock)
There's a perfect mix for every rifle, but it usually includes a part or two from another variant.Find somebody thats really into them and has a few variants on hand before you buy.

I have zero experience with them, so right now I think I will buy a complete rifle.  I do not want a super precise rifle, and I don't want a cheap one either.  

I saw a Century one today for $595, and I did not think highly of it.  It looks like I will have to wait till January before I buy, since that is when the next Gun Show is.  If I could find one locally or mail order, I would get it earlier.

Try asking this same question on www.FNFAL.com and you'll get the scoop on each manufacturers offering at this time.  I believe that DSA makes the nices post-ban at this time, but you have to be carefule with the parts guns that are showing up at the gun shows these days.  You don't know who assembled them and the quality varies quite a bit from rifle to rifle.  Once you shoot a real FN, there's no turning back!  I sold a sweet M-14 once I found the FN that I was looking for.  After shooting a C1A1 it took me 8 years to find an original and now I have an Argentine model.  Nothing really fires quite like an FN!

What does a real FN cost?

Quoted: www.azexarms.com

Yes this is the only way to go my frind a STG 58 from azexarms I love mine it is a great rifle!

Check out

www.l1a1.com

Lots of info there

Sometimes you can get lucky at gunshows as well. I recently bought a Canadian L1A1 at a show for $650. I am pretty sure the guy didn't realize what he had and I am not sure if he ever fired it.

I have an Arizona Response Systems STG-58. It is a flawless piece of work and deadly accurate.
Fit, finish, and function are all PERFECT.All
that and a lifetime warrantee. I challenge anyone to do better than that. Best money I ever spent on a rifle....

Macloud,

FWIW, I have 2 of the DSASTG58 FAL rifles - 1 standard with the 21" barrel and another 16.5" carbine barrel. Both are excellent quality rifles and were a bargain at $795 and $845 dealers price, repsectively. These are built using DSA Type I or Type II upper receiver and parts with excellent Steyr STG 58C forends and lower receivers - imported contract parts from some of the best FNFAL's ever manufactured under FN's Belgian and Austrian contracts. DSA packs them in a hard case and unmarked white box with a complete manual and 2 - 20 round magazines. Both rifles come with the Austrian-Steyr integral swivel bipod and are completely refinished to match.

www.dsarms.com/SA58A_STG58_Austrian_FAL.htm

I also have another FAL assembled by Rich @CGW (no, this is not CIA - Century Arms International) and it is also an excellent rifle. Spent a little more on the kit, receiver, and assembly fee with Rich, but it is definitely worth it. Don't have his website bookmarked, but you can find him on the FAL Files website.

GunPlumber @ ARS also builds some of the best FAL's available:

www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/fal/sale/pagefalsalears.htm

Also have 3 more FAL's that I have built myself - all shoot extremely well and I have refinished 2 of the 3. A great project to undertake and the price is reasonable. If I were buying a FAL to shoot and was reaching for the best buy for the $, I would buy the DSA STG58 rifle.

Here is the place to go if you want to get info from the FNFAL guru's:

www.l1a1.com/cgi-bin/forums/ultimatebb.cgi

Good luck and enjoy a battle rifle!

P.S. I built this one ......