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Posted: 11/3/2005 5:20:30 PM EDT
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I currently have an 16" Bushy AR-15 and a Remington 700 VS in .308. I am considering a .308 battle rifle to supplement my rifle quiver. The FAL jumps to mind as a logical candidate for this role. However, I know almost nothing about these rifles, and had a few questions- -How reliable are they? -Is it easy to find parts and accessories for them (such as a variety of sling mouting options)? -Is it left hand friendly (any chance of getting an ambidextrous safet lever)? -How heavy is it compared to a 16" AR-15? -How does the felt recoil compare with my Remington 700? -Is DSA the way to go for an FAL? Any help is appreciated. Thanks! |
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Not a FAL expert but I built one with the help of a friend and the FAL FILES. If you want to learn about fals that is the place. -How reliable are they? Seem to be very reliable if built right... the adjustable gas system will allow you to adjust for weaker ammo if required. -Is it easy to find parts and accessories for them (such as a variety of sling mouting options)? Its no AR-15 but you can do lots with them.. the STG's amoungst others have a rotating swing swivle on barrel. -Is it left hand friendly (any chance of getting an ambidextrous safet lever)? i'm a righty... sorry -How heavy is it compared to a 16" AR-15? your standard FAL is a brick compared to a shorty AR... think 1950's battle rifle. Its also a hammer being a -How does the felt recoil compare with my Remington 700? depends... a equal weight auto loader will always recoil less than bolt gun shooting the same round... how heavy is your Mod 700? -Is DSA the way to go for an FAL? DSA probably has the best reputation of the manufactures... check the fal files out... if you want to go custom there are other options as well... Having shot the M-14 and the FAL... The M-14 is more like a garand, and the Fal is more like a modern assault rifle.... The m-14 can be tricked out to shoot more accurately, but the fal isn't too far behind... but I'd doubt a FAL trigger can be made as nice as a Garand/M-14 my .02 Tom |
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Being a lefty FAL user, I will say they are ergonomically piss poor for us lefties. But I manage. The bolt release isn't bad, easy enough for the trigger finger to activate. The charging handle being on the left side, depending on what you're used to, might seem to be made for a lefty. Magazine release is a bit of a stretch, with the stocker it's a reach for the trigger finger and best left to the hand doing the mag change. An inch pattern mag release will fit metric rifles and makes a big difference. I use an extended release from FSE that works well, but I don't think it's available nowadays. The real screw up for us lefties is the safety.Not any real good way for a lefty to use it easily. Looking at the design, it wouln't be any harder to manufacture an ambi safety for a FAL than an AR15, but no one has yet to my knowledge. Always seems to be someone that's "working on one" for the last few years, but nothing's available yet. Someone needs to make one. |
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Being a relatively new FAL user I am no expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express... First - I have a DSA STG58 rifle with under 1,000 rounds down the pipe.
I have had zero problems iwth my Fal. It shoots great and enjoys both Port. and Aussie ammo. I haven't tried any other brands up to this point. I have also not taken it through any rigorous tests looking for breakdowns. For bench shooting it seems to be good.
Parts and accessories can be bought through Tapco, DSA, and a slew of other places. The FAL, unlike the AR, seems to come ready for a variety of slings.
I'm a lefty and I will admit its kind of a PIA to use some of the controls like the bolt release (have to take my hand off the pistol grip to get to it) but I find that using my left hand thumb to operate the safety switch is rather easy. The magazine release is easier to use than an ARs for me so I think that is a major plus.
To me its seems a lot heavier. Of course my FAL is a rifle with a 22" barrel, and compared to my Colt 6920 it seems a lot heavier becaue most of the weight seems to be in front of the receiver. A FAL carbine might be more balanced than my rifle. Pick one up and feel it, its the only way for you to feel the difference.
I have a .308 bolt gun (not a Remington) and it has more felt recoil than my FAL. I don't find the FAL's recoil horrible at all in fact I have shot for several hours straight and not really felt tired or worn out from it. It is definitely more than an AR though. Shoot a FAL for a while, then pick up an AR and shoot it. The AR will feel like a toy.
Its the way I went but that doesn't mean you have to go that way. Check out FalFiles.com and take a look around. It looks like you can save some $$$$ by building a FAL. Problem right now seems to be the availability of IMBEL receivers in the US. I like my FAL but kind of wish I would have bought the carbine instead of the rifle. Its a lot bigger length wise than my AR carbines and a bit heavier. It doesn't balance right for me so when I am holding it while standing or shooting from a kneeling position the front end seems to want to droop down on me after a while (called me getting tired.) I need to build up my FAL muscles! There is a definite difference between shooting one of them and an AR. Shoot one and then decide. |
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The FAL is a good first choice for a .308 MBR. I am also a lefty and I get along fine with the rifle. Good things about the FAL are that Mags are cheap. Parts are still easy to get, for the most part. Many accessories are also available including slings, rails, furniture and so on. Lefty selectors exsist, I think, and would be easy to intsall. DSA is IMHO the way to go. For the price the STG58 from DSA is very hard to beat. There are many great custom builders who can build very excellent rifles but YMMV. I have owned 6 FALs over the years and all but 1 were DSA. My current FAL and personal favorite happens to be a STG58 from DSA. It is to me what a FAL should be. It weighs more than a standard AR or CAR but it should. Recoil is much less than a bolt gun but again it should be due to how it operates. As for reliability the FAL has an excellent reputation but some have teething pains while others run 100% out of the box. Another fine starter rifle in .308 is the JLD PTR91. It is a very high quality clone of the HK91. Priced at around $700 or so to start it deserves some mention. I have one and love it. It weighs more than the FAL and has a snappy recoil, common on HK91, CETME type rifles. Mags are uber cheap at around $2 a whack. Parts are still available and many options abound for mounting optics. Ambi selectors also exsist for the HK91/G3 but are a little harder to find. I find the JLD to be my current favorite and it runs 100% plus it is more accurate than my FAL iby a hair. Triggers on both of these rifles usually suck but both can be worked on and improved. Remember they are main battle rifles and were never intended to be precision weapons like your PSS. With that in mind you should get equal service out of either rifle you choose. If I were to buy only one rifle this year, I wont, but it if Iwere I would get the JLD PTR91 mainly because it is cheaper and it has more NEW parts than most FALs which tend to be assembled from surplus kits of varying quality. DSA makes 100% new FALs but they cost $1200+. DSA STG58s tend to be the best of the "kit" FALs mainly because DSA had a huge quantitiy of Styer parts and rifles that were either arsenal new or 100% unissued. These they turned into fantastic rifles on DSA recievers which also tend to be the best and most desirable. Just my 2 cents. |
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I've got an entreprise FAL. It didnt work right when I got it but a welded up mag catch solved the feed issues and it's been reliable since. The rear sight is a POS. It needs a better safety selector ( I'm open to suggestions ) Mine had a muzzle brake on it that somehow caused it to beat the hell out of my cheekbone. I heated it up and removed that abomination and put a shorty Stoll FH on it, another problem cured. For me the jury is still out as to whether or not I like it. I owned a chicom M14 for awhile and I think I liked the m14 ergos better but not the chinese piss poor soft bolt. With better sights and safety selector and a bit shorter barrel I might like it better. I love the $3-10 mags though! |
I have an STG58 from DSA that had problems with the gas tube, DSA repaired the tube and replaced the regulator under warranty, in about two weeks, and have to say the rifle....its formadable... Really a nice firing rifle, recoil is greater than the M1A, but its a spirited rifle...  FYI, My FAL kicks spent casing out forward to the right about 10 feet... |
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