This afternoon I was going through my spare parts box.  In it is a complete FAL lower receiver.  It still has the original fire control parts in it.  While playing around w/ it, I pushed the safety lever to the "full auto" spot.  While holding the hammer down I pulled the trigger, and the hammer released.  While keeping the trigger held back I pushed the hammer back down and the sear would not engage, the hammer  would spring right back up.  It was at this point that I looked at my vault and got scared...I have an FAL in there.  We all know how easy it would be to swap lowers.  Would this lower receiver w/ the original fire control parts constitute a machine gun? Should I pull the fcg, and the original fcg from my FAL build, take to work and throw in the scap steel bin??

If any one can help pls do and help me calm down!

Thx much,

Brad

Don't think many will answer you...

Why not give the parts to someone that can legally own them???

MT

Hold your horses.  I don't think you'll have any problems unless you have a full-auto ejector block installed in your upper.  You can install that lower with the full auto parts in it all week and it won't make your FAL full-auto.  I would not reccomend it though.  If you want to use the parts just make sure you fill in the groove that allows the auto sear to drop into the rotary safety switch.   You can also make sure to install a pin on the left side of your lower reciever to ensure that the switch cannot be rotated into the full auto position.  (many have already been modified by the militaries that used the FAL to prevent their troops from wasting ammo.)
The installation of an auto sear requires the use of a registered full-auto reciever with appropriate ejector block.    If this weren't the case the alphabet dudes would have to track down the thousands of de-milled FAL kits puchased across the nation.

I do strongly recommend buying an American made fcg that way you can CYA, or at the very least just toss out the auto sear.

You are not going to have a problem at all. At least you shouldn't. It's the upper that will constitute if it's full auto or not. You'll have to have a full auto disconnector installed in a FAL upper. And you wouldn't be able to do that with a semi-auto upper. You can't just throw it on a mill and start making a conversion. You'd have do do some welding and milling and it would be a lot of work.  

So don't freak out, you can use that lower with all of the parts, as long as you are within the american parts count.

As stated above, the differance between a semi and full upper is the milled slot for the auto sear on the front left hand side of the pivot lug.  Also, the ejector block on the full auto is releived to allow the sear to pass threw it.

Without the safety sear, the hammer would just follow the carrier and would not have enough force to ignite the primer using the lower in the full auto selection.

As for the using the full auto ejection block, as long as the receiver has not been milled to accept the safety sear, the block is fine in a semi auto rifle.

Like drilling the sear hole on a Ar-15, milling for the auto/safety sear is the act of making a MG all in it's self.

No big deal man its the upper rec. that would give you a problem with the law dogs.

Shipsnipe1 is correct on all counts except one.  The American made FCG will have the identical HTS parts as the import.  Your selector will still swing to full and the hammer will still follow the carrier down.  If you don't like your selector doing this, you have two simple ways to deal with it.  First is to buy a pistol grip that prevents it from going all the way around.  Akron Armory sells these for less than $15.  The other option is to buy one of DSA's selectors that have a lump that catches the pin and prevents the FA position.

Thanks guys!  Looking at it now, I should have known better!  Just wasn't thinking yesterday.

While on the subject, where can I get a set of fire control parts for my lower?  I want to build a carbine FAL now, so I figured I might as well get some more it it now (By the parts bit by bit, and the Mrs. doesn't notice it...buy it all at once, that's a different story!)

Thanks for the help!

Brad

Go here for your FAL ? FALFILES

The funny thing about this is that I bought my first FAL kit from Dave at DSA years and years ago at a gun show. I think I was 18 or 19. This was the one gun show my Dad didn't come to. Back in those days, you NEVER saw FAL's like you do now. My Dad was a big gun guy too, Air Force Vietnam. Anyway, when I brought home the kit ( A G1 from what looked like a brand new rifle) my Dad flipped and told me to take it back "that's a machine gun" because we also found FA on the lower and it did go into FA. Sprindfield Armory amongst many other builders didn't even remove the FA selector on guns they built and sold. I think Century and Entreprise used too as well. Like everyone has said, it's the ejector block that makes the difference. That's what you need to not have. Any FAL kit I have ever bought, the first thing I always did was torch the ejector block in half and toss it in the circular file. You DO NOT want to have a semi FAL and FA ejector block in your posession. The lower means squat.

Quoted: Thanks guys!  Looking at it now, I should have known better!  Just wasn't thinking yesterday. While on the subject, where can I get a set of fire control parts for my lower?  I want to build a carbine FAL now, so I figured I might as well get some more it it now (By the parts bit by bit, and the Mrs. doesn't notice it...buy it all at once, that's a different story!) Thanks for the help! Brad

www.dsarms.com

I couldn't imagine having to hide a gun from my woman. I am a gunshow dealer and just a fan. There is a box, sometimes multiple boxes, delivered daily from the big brown truck. Tell her to chill out and do some cleaning.

Whatever you do, just don't face the telescreen with them in your hands.