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Posted: 3/5/2004 7:00:09 AM EDT
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I have been wanting an FAL Para for a long time now and now that the ban may possibly sunset I was thinking of starting to buy parts now. What I was considering was an Imbel receiver and the New para set listed in Shot Gun News as well as the new Para barrel they have listed. I would like to hear your opinions on this approach. I've heard the Imbel receivers are good receivers ? Money is a kind of an issue or I would just go get the para congo from DSA so I figured over the next few months I would try to get up all the parts for a build and possibly send it off to ORF for the build or maybe even hook up with someone locally to run me through the build. Any advice, comments or input would be greatly appreciated since this will be my first endeavor into the area of buying parts for an eventual build. |
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Yep. Furthermore, the DSA kits will... Feature the original Belgian lightning cuts Can be loaded up to have as many as 6 US parts just in the lower Will be cheaper Won't be from Brazil. The Imbel receivers IMHO, are awesome. The DSA receivers IMHO, are just a little more than awesome. I like DSA receivers but they are no better than Imbel receivers. Oh and uh....I'm on the September Para bandwagon too. DSA kit on DSA type 2 upper receiver. Who else is going Para? |
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It all depends on what you're trying to do. The kit from DSA is just a conversion kit so you'll need the basic parts anyway. This means you still have to purchase a kit. The best quality kits around are the STG kits. That means you'll have $650 into the set and you still need a receiver and a few more US parts. No biggie, but you just need to be aware of what you're in for. Another option is to get the complete para kit sold by FWRA on the Falfiles. Cost is $645 and is in incredible shape and includes a new Argentine chrome lined barrel (STG barrels are not chrome lined). The kit is argie and quality is excellent. You'll need to get more US parts than you would with the DSA and the lower is not aluminum but it is "correct". Another consideration is the upper. I am partial to Coonan and DSA. All Coonans are type 1 and you can get any type with DSA, although most people get the type 1 or 2. The DSA para lower is a type 1 contour and will certainly work with a type 3 upper, but it will look mismatched. The Argie para is type 3 and looks great with an Imbel receiver. No matter what you do, you'll have less money invested than buying the DSA para congo and you'll have a LOT more satisfaction with the finished product. |
| Cliffy, I have been interested in the Coonan myself. Is it a cast receiver? I am not at all against investment casting if they are done properly. Just curious. I have built on DSA and Imbels. I prefer DSA receivers as well but I have been hard pressed to find an actual difference in quality between Imbel receivers and DSA receivers. Are you aware of the actual advantages of DSA over Imbel receivers? Curious. |
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the imbel recievers have been having timing problems. they either undertime or they "bottom out". this has not been the rule however. i built my first on an 03' imbel that undertimed slightly at about 9:30 if i remember right, but otherwise went smoothly. i still think that imbels are very "useable" in fact im building my next "izzy clone" on an imbel. however, after that i have two coonans i will build on. i think the coonans are the best way to go myself. they are type 1 which is the nicest looking IMO. they're a little cheaper that the DSA's, although ive read somewhere that dsa is going to reduce their price soon, i doubt it wil be down the the price of the coonans. they also count as a US part and i have not heard of any serious problems with them build-wise. i belive they are investment cast, but dont quote me on that. my suggestion for your PARA build is to wait untill brad at gunthings.com gets in his next batch of imbels kits and buy one of those. then get the DSA conversion kit. you should be under $600 w/o rec. that way. |
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I've now built on all three. The Imbels can be fine and they actually have the best finish of the batch which is important if you don't plan on refinishing. Imbel: Often are severely undertimed and frequently bottom out. You are more likely to need shims by the time you are done. Many of them also have distinct rough spots just above the carrier rail, just forward of the charging handle slot. Heat treated only in vital areas and the way they do it makes those parts MUCH harder than they need to be. Its a cheap and dirty, although effective way to heat treat. They are forged from castings. DSA: Also forged from casting. Factory spec top to bottom, including heat treating. They have built in sand cuts. Quality and consistancy is excellent. The only one I have built did have carrier rails that were VERY tight. Two of my carriers actually wouldn't fit. Coonan: Cast but very well done. Heat treated to correct hardness over the entire unit. It does not have soft and hard spots, but rather, the whole thing is treated to correct hardness for the hardest part. Some will have minor surface inperfections. Some will need a bit of steel wool in the channel for the bolt hold open. I had to polish the locking shoulder hole on two of them. Finish is nice, but thin. Every one I've had hand timed between 10:00 and 11:00. Because the breech face is harder than the otheres, I've found you need to hand time it closer to 11:15 unless you have a really big cheater bar and your bench is bolted to the floor. In all, I've had less problems with Coonan than anything else. My only DSA had the carrier issue, plus it required a .252 locking shoulder which means a custom job from Vandenberg. |
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