I am in the process of buying one of these and have a few questions. I will be getting a NIB stg58a type 1 rifle for about $800-$850. Is it worth it. I have been looking for a nice .308. I dont's want an AR-10 as the mags for these are expensive, and I don't realy care for the m-14. Not that I have any thing against the M-14 just not my cup of tea.. Any info would be helpful. Thank you..

you will love it, especially when you start buying magazines for $5. I bought my FAL this last Feb, and i dont regret it at all.

The only down side is the cost.  Not the cost of the STG58.  The price of $850 is cheap for that gun.  The cost will be the next three or four you end up buying because you are addicted to the FAL and can't decide the "best" configuration.

I've had mine for three or four years - they're wonderful! Outside the first magazine - while tweaking the gas system - the thing has run without failure. Thousands of rounds.

They are a bit heavy if you're use to the AR-15 family. I'd like a lighter barrel but that's a project that's waiting.

When I first got the thing I couldn't tell the new from the used parts. They were either re-finished or were like brand new. After the first trip to the range there was more wear on it than it came with.

I was getting new in wrap magazines for $8 until I started slumming with the $4-$5 ones - buying an AR USGI magazine for $12 hurts.

My rifle isn't a target shooter and I haven't sat down over some sand bags and shot it for accuracy but it does about 2" groups of 10 shots.