Posted: 3/20/2005 4:28:24 AM EDT
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I want a 308 semi auto. which should i buy. i want to spend less then 600. Whats your thoughts on the Century L1A1. |
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I've got both an FAL and an L1A1. If you can get an FAL get an FAL. The L1A1 is a ncie gun but accessories are VERY limited. The L1A1 is the inch style and the FAL is the Metric. There are tons of goodies available for the FAL. I hav yet to find anyone who makes stocks or grips or anything for the L1A1. |
how well does it work? if i buy this L1A1 i will leave it bone stock, i plan on dumping some big bucks later on down the road. Right now i want a durable, mean looking, heavy hitting 308. |
| I was researching a FAL last year (didn't end up buying). I found that the DSA builds off of the Steyr Stg58 kits were the best of what's available as far as quality and closest resemblance to an issue weapon. Looked at a Stg58 kit at a gunshow around that time and the parts were well maintained with sharp bores and not much wear. |
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I wouldn't buy a pea shooter from Century. Before getting started on my current FAL project I spent some time reading and learning at FALFiles. Lots of people have had problems with Century Weapons, they aren't built well, have horrible/no quality control, and are often fabricated with lesser grade materials. You would be much better served buying one of the STG 58 kits for $300, a new reciever, and 6 other U.S. parts (all foreign made kits like FALS must have 7 U.S. parts, even if it's new springs) from DSA. You'll spend a little more than you would on the Century, but it will be a great gun. I'm building a new FAL with an STG 58 kit, a new reciever, heavy stainless barrel, new stock set, and a few more parts. Though I'm investing more than you're looking at, when it's all said and done I expect the gun to be one I can be proud of. If you don't want to build your own you can also order an STG58A FAL (essentially a completed U.S. built STG 58 FAL) from DSA for $900. However, if you reallllyyyy want to buy a Century FAL despite all this, please consider sending me the money. In return I'll bag up some manure, gift wrap it, and mail it back to you. You'll get the same quality item you would have otherwise, plus prompt ordering, quality customer service, and free gift wrapping. If you act now, I'll even throw in pictures of my custom FAL which your $500 helped me finish building!  Seriously though, consider reading up on FALs at FAL Files. You'll be glad you did. |
you need 7 specific US made parts for a FAL and springs don't count. I used hammer, trigger, sear, reciever, grip butt and handguards so I could mount the evil flash hider/bayo lug. |
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actually the latest batch of century fal's have not been that bad. ALL fals are built from used kits. yes some are better than others and generally century uses the cheapest of them all. Replace the fire control with good parts and the gas plunger and you will have a decent gun for under 600.00. their finish and fit has improved dramtically over the last few years. The monkeys at CAI have built enough that they at least know how to assemble them now. <unlike their early guns> A century l1a1 is certanly not a 900.00 dsa but they are far from junk. |
I have a Century L1A1, now with 1000's of rounds through it in my hands. It easily shoots 2 MOA with good ammo (good surplus that is, like Port, RG, Aussie etc. The indian stuff shoots 3-4 at best. Good plinking ammo though) and good shooting skills. I can AND DO regularly smoke clay pigeons at 100 yds at my range with 'factory' iron sights. (The know it alls will tell you that the sights suck. They do up to a point (not as good as AR's), but when you hit clays at 100yds with iron sights while the nimrods with $2000 tricked out ARs cant, believe me, you'll feel good about your trigger, iron sights etc! Its inch pattern and regardless of what the know it alls say, parts are available from Tapco and others. (Get a SGN and you'll see). I installed a mag catch myself which works great (and has never failed) and have 9 mags the moment. I should have bought a ton when they were $4.99 but what can I say? Metric mags are supposed to work in inch FALs but I've never tried one. New inch mags are readily available. Oh yeah, did I mention that its a frikin .308!!!!  Hit's like a train! Hits like a train, with rifleman skill level out to 500 yds too. Try that with a .22 ! Easily done with iron sights by the way.My rifle has NEVER failed me! I clean it after every range trip, and keep it properly oiled, greased etc. In my opinion, you will will be well served with a rack grade rifle and surplus ball ammo to become a rifleman. Century DID have problems years ago with quality, especially in their CETME. That's squared away now from what I find. One of their FALs is a great weapon to learn to shoot rifleman skills with. Fair warning though, once you get up to speed with a FAL in .308, ARs quickly lose their appeal and your desire to drop big bucks on a high end MBR will as well. 93 Nations can't ALL be wrong can they? 
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Well, if leaving it stock is what you want to do, then I think you'd be ok. The one I have(bought couple years ago) works great. Probably a couple thousand rounds through it now. Only had one problem out of it one time and it was a bad mag spring causing my problems. Here's a pic of mine after dura coating it. Sorry the pics grainy, I copied from an old photo. 
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Go over to the FAL Files and watch the marketplace. You can pick up an Imbel or StG build for around the same price range, that will already be worked out. And be careful! I only planned on building two FALs, and I'm now working on number five.  
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and Bless the Port. ammo WOOF!
I bought a kit from Tapco when they were about$125 buck I think............Bought an Imbel reciever for $200 I think and the US required parts from here and there.......put it all together and I have less than $400 in a very nice FAL............Look around for the kits maybe you can find one and make a project out of it!!
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| L1A1 is just what Century calls its FAL pattern rifle. It could be all metric very possible now that inch parts in good shape comanding a premium. I have a L1A1 thats all STG-58 parts except the dust cover which is FN. You could have an all inch rifle but would say its highly unlikely as I have never heard of or seen one. I have an all inch English L1A1 built on a Imbel factory inch reciever.It was imported by Century but not built by themn. You could alo get a mix of inch and metric which I think is less likely than it used to be. By the way what reciever are the using now. I know they have used Imbel. Hesse and and There own when in Canada. |
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I had some trouble with my Century Arms L1A1, It had a bad feed ramp where the bullet would come up and hit a flat wall. It would push the bullet into the case making it short so I got a small round File and grinded down that wall so it has a smooth feed ramp. The Rifle works pretty good now just needs alot of cleaning http://img136.exs.cx/img136/3519/rifle6gu.jpg |
Thry got some L1A1 Stuff They Do too...... |
Hell with the number of problems I've seen folks post about on this rifle........... Century and DSA are almost one and the same!  It appears to me, now-a-days....No matter how much you spend, or who made it......... It's a crap shoot! 
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