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Posted: 9/29/2010 8:06:36 AM EDT
| Well not quite yet, but looking at FAL's and know absolutely nothing about them other than being a .308 semi auto rifle. Anything special i need to know or need to look out for while looking to purchase? and any reason not to get one? |
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Century is hit and miss, you may get a great shooter or a gunsmith special. DSA built rifles seem to be the best factory guns, you pay more but in return get assured a certain level of quality. Parts built guns can be an extremely good value (you may get more features that you want for less than the sum of parts cost) but again, they may be hit or miss as to whether they run reliably depending on who put them together. There are differences between "inch" and "metric" rifles, but not very many, many parts interchange, the most notable difference is magazines. I don't remember but I think an inch gun will accept metric or inch magazines, a metric gun will only accept metric magazines, I could have switched that around, so you may want to research that. I only have experience with metric guns, and they are the most common, so are the magazines. Mags are getting harder to find, it seems there are some different ventures for new production, but until they're for sale, it's all talk imo. Ammunition has come back down a bit, I don't know if it will come down further so I'm buying as much as I can afford right now, seeing as how I missed "the good old days." I'm new to the FAL game and they've quickly become my favorite rifle. I have some pretty damn cool ARs and I would much rather shoot my FALs when I get the time to shoot. I get the feeling that if you want to be a FAL shooter, now is the time. Used gun prices have become reasonable as of late, and with fewer and fewer kits on the market, I don't know how long it will be before 100% US made rifles are the only thing available. I have to think they will be much more expensive than anything built with surplus parts. Unless the barrel ban placed on 922(r) is lifted in the next administration, I think we may be on the tail end of FAL availability. I could be completely wrong about that, just my gut feeling. |
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I'm a FAL noob myself and recently picked up a DSA Imbel from Aim. So glad I finally took the plunge and bought a FAL because I've been tempted for a very long time. They really are fine rifles and I really like mine. I added an ARMS mount and a SPOT red dot and am very happy with the outcome. I say go for it... |
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Quoted:
Im also a noob FAL owner picked up a Im still trying to figure out the gas knob, and which is the right setting for it, and what loads to be used with for optimal settings. http://www.falfiles.com/gas.html It's in your manual (if your rifle came with one). |
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WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FAL ownership can become an addiction. It is very hard to just stop at one, two, three..... I have owned some centuries over the years. All have ran fine with a little work. If possible shoot it first and if it runs it should be good to go. The only rifle I regret selling the most was an early century with an L1A1 Brit kit on an argie receiver. Needed the money and had to sell and have been trying to get it back from the individual ever since. (It is now his favorite rifle) If purchasing if you have the money get a DSA or older Springfield, they seem easier to resell if the need arises. The only one that I would steer clear from is a Hesse only because they are harder to sell, if it runs right there are great values if you do not plan on reselling it but I would shoot it first before committing to buying a Hesse. |
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What's your budget?
Century's seem to be mutts put together with a mish-mash of parts. Most work fine. Stay away from early receivers with the unibrow feedramps. They also used Imbel receivers which are perfect. Can be had from $600.00 if you look. Entreprise are good, cast receivers and are priced above Cuntury DSA's are top of the heap (forged), notwithstanding original imported guns which are pricey. More expensive but hold their value. Hesse- haven't seen one in person. Coonan- I have heard the receivers are good and I think they only make the receivers so any complete gun should be looked at as a homebuild. Your best bet is DSA. Anything else, I would ask to shoot it first if it is a used rifle. New, and your dealer should back you up if it doesn't work. I have one I built myself and I love it so much I'm building another. It really is fun to shoot. |
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FALs are a bit like AR's some people set them up to shoot, some shooters get the retro bug and get obsessive on "correct" parts. There is great advice on the FAL files, but beware it's a little like the AR forum here and zealots abound.
They are battle rifle accurate - on par with a non-accurized service grade M14/M1A, but they handle much better and have superb ergonomics. The barrels are fairly lightweight (with the exception of the Isaeli hevy barreled LMG versions) and trying to get sniper accuracy put of one is expensive, difficult and not really worth the trouble on what is a wonderful short range (300-400m tactical rifle intended for use on people sized targets. Upper receivers come in type 1, type 2 and type 3 configurations Type 3 are a bit heavier and stronger as no metal is removed from the lower rar edges of the upper receiver, but the milled edges on Type 1s and Type 2s fits the relieved section of the plate on lower receivers intended for type 1 and 2 uppers, so they tend to be more highly prized. Inch mags have a larger plate on the front to anchor the mag - much like the M14 mag. Metric mags have a smaller half cone shaped protusion that serves the same function. Inch mags are theoretically going to be more stable in the gun with the larger anchor point, but in practice both work equally well. The receivers of inch and metric recievers are machined to match the protrusion on the mag. Since the inch [protrusion is larger,but both have the same depth and distance below the top of the mag well, metric mags will work fine in inch rifles, but inch mags will not fit in metric rifles. There are lots of detail differneces between inch and metric rifles and there is in general more detail differences between all the various metric versions. But most parts interchange. And there are some differences that appear big but are not. Barrels and receivers for exmaple are different and one needs a shim while the other does not. But if swapping a barrel from one to the other, deleting or adding the shim as needed deconflicts the two, so it really is no big deal. Personally I had a not so hot century inch reciever with wonderful Austrailian L1A1 lower receiver and configuration. I swapped the less than satisfactory unibrow century inch receiver with a very nice Imbel metric reciver and other than having to use metric mags, the swap created no issues (the shim just follows the receiver) and resulted in a wonderful running and very good looking rifle, especially when I added new early pattern wood to the rifle. I prefer the L1A1 look, furniture and charging handle as well as the traditional browning style flash hider on the L1A1 series to the more continental look of the metric FALs, But I'm probably in the minority. What works works and you can build or modify a FAL to get pretty much any look you want which makes then fun to own, build and shoot. |
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