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Posted: 2/29/2012 3:08:37 PM EDT
Far back as I can remember, I've wanted an FAL. Hadn't fired one, hadn't owned one, but I wanted one. Summer of 2005, I lucked in a deal on this one. Ban era, California rescue that I paid way less than $1000 for...
Put a few battlepacks of SA through it during the rest of that summer and fall when I got a chance. Even picked up a few surplus magazines during 2006, back when they weren't $20/per. A couple of years back when he was still a site sponsor, Woody at Gulfcoast Shooter Supply ran a contest for a duracoat job. After the first winner bowed out, I got an email asking if I was interested. So a couple of emails later, a couple of color choices and a couple of months and my previous basic black SA58 is now ACU Rhodesian! Disregard that scope, it's just what I slapped on there for the picture. I am kind of tempted to mask off the tan and spray the 'foliage' that's really a blue/grey color with olive drab to give it more of an actual camouflage appearance. 
I even shot it in a couple of 3 gun matches: 
But it was darned hard to get in and out of various shooting ports. So enter the good folks at Investment Grade Firearms. Was trying to decide between an 18" or a 16" and conversations with a couple of OBR owners convinced me that there would be a negligible difference in accuracy between the 2 barrel lengths in a 7.62 rifle. Talked to Jayson about it and he said the 16" is reliable, it just needs the gas port opened and a proper test fire. Here's what she looks like now: 
The factory brake is about 1/2 sleeve, so when I hear that Battle Comp has finally started selling their BABC for the FAL, my DSA is going to come full circle and wear an excellent brake purchased from DSA (since that's who I'm told will be selling them first). I've got a Horus Talon 1x4 that's going on top and I hope to get it zeroed this weekend. With the DSA railed topcover, the Horus sits just ahead of the rear sight and there's almost enough room to use the irons under the rings. Now I just need to modify the stock for a slightly shorter length of pull... |
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very nice! I've actually noticed my 16" is more accurate than any of my 21's ever were. My 16.5" DSA STG-58CP is very accurate. My 21" SA-58 is very accurate. Not as accurate as my LMT AR, but reasonably close. I've got a 4X ACOG (TA-31F mounted on DSA's scope mount) Just shot her today... 3 inch groups at 100 yards with TulAmmo, benchrested. TulAmmo is not known for its accuracy, so I thought it was pretty good. |
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funny you say that b/c the tula ammo I have shot out of mine was very accurate too. I put a new scope on mine and will be hotting the range this weekend. I will post a report. In my experience the Ruskie ammo is reasonably accurate up to 100 yards. Past that and its a crapshoot. Groups with my LMT on Brown Bear are about 2 inches at 100 and 5 inches at 200. The Hornady steel match 75 gr ammo tends to group a hair under 1 inch at 100 and around 2 at 200. Ill try to remember not to throw away my targets next time and post results with the FAL |
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I have read that the Tula .308 is actually quite accurate, beating most surplus ammo. Much more so than the 'x39 and the .223. I shall find out this weekend. Cool! Its the cheapest .308 out there that ive seen that isnt questionable surplus. Ill have to buy me some more. |
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Then I guess I'm lucky that I still have an unopened box of it from when AIM sold it last year or so! I think I'll go ahead and pick up a spare extractor, just in case. Its weird, you would think that the steel cased stuff is harder on extractors, but after several cases of it through my AR's I haven't noticed any unusual wear on them. The steel of steel cased ammo is extremely soft.... almost as soft as the brass cased stuff. My FAL often dings them on the way out. Extractors are extremely hard. My FAL seems to like commie ammo better than my AR15s (with the exception of my piston-driven LMT). The FAL just doesn't seem to be picky about ammo, once you get the gas regulator dialed in right. Not to say that you shouldn't have a spare extractor onhand... I like having spares. 
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