Ok I have been bitten by the FAL bug but a friend of mine said I need to get a G series to be a true FAL FAN.  So what is a G series?  Whats the difference between that and a sear cut FAL?  I know this has been beaten to death but searching did not turn up the exact answer.on
Thanks,
Mike

A G-series means you spend $3-4000 and don't shoot it, if you want to preserve your investment. The G's and some early Steyr imports have sear-cut receivers and are not considered MG's. There is a lot more to FAL's than that.
If you want a shooter buy a DSA and be done with it. Otherwise do your homework here.

A Real F A L. That phrase always makes me chuckle.  I know that whomever uttered it has, or is about to spend a ridiculous amount of money and then worry themselves sick that a scratch will appear out of nowhere.

G-series are beautiful! But, they're not for shootin'

If you cant shoot it why own it?  They were built to shoot.  Kinda like the guy that gets a classic muscle car than leaves it in his garage they were built to drive and drive hard.  You ought to see the people in this town I live in, I take my cars out and drive them the way Detroit built them to be driven.

I agree that they were made to be used. Unfortunately the collectibility of the G's has driven the prices beyond what most shooters are willing to spend. If you can score a G lemme know where you'll be, I'll even bring my own ammo .

G-series rifles were imported from 1959-1963. In 1963 the gov decided to stop importation of these FAL's because they had all of the parts to be machine guns (I think they used a semi-auto selector lever to disable FA). The 18XX already in the US were exempted from the National Firearms Act by serial number. If you have a sear-cut G-prefix FAL that is not on the list it is a machine gun and unless registered as such it is contraband. Subsequent production upper receivers were manufactured so that the safety sear could not be installed. This allowed FN FAL's to be brought to the US once again.

When FN switched to the type III receiver the first run that was brought to the US slipped through with the cuts for the safety sear present. These rifles had semi-auto ejector blocks, therefore could not accept the safety sear. When this was discovered the decision was made to exempt these rifles also, as long as the ejector blocks are not tampered with. There are approximately 2000 of this type imported by Steyr. There were also 20 imported by Katsenes with the sear cut and SA ejector blocks. These are also exempted, seperately from the Steyr imports.

That's all I can think of right now.  

1811GNR As soon as I find a G series I will let you know, all I have found so far is a early sear cut.  Know anyone with a G for sale?  Hell whats the difference between a early sear cut and a G?
Maybe I should just go for the sear cut?  I'm just looking for a early classic FN built.

By early sear-cut do you mean a Steyr or Katsenes import? The Steyr imports were brought in late 70's early 80's I believe. Katsenes around the same time. If it is not a G prefix serial number without importer marks, or a Steyr or Katsenes, run.

The G is built on a type I forged reciever. The furniture varies, wood, plastic, some had metal HG's.

The later sear-cut guns have plastic furniture, are built on cast type III recievers.

1811GNR's info on the G-series is correct as far as it goes, however ALL Browning imported FALs are actualy "G" series.  It's just that after 1963, they didn't have the sear cut.  I owned one.

Most people think that the "G" series guns are all sear cut ones and that's not true.  There were many more "G" series guns imported after the ATF ruling that grandfathered the sear cut guns.  The later "G"s aren't sear cut and are virtually the same as any other civie FN-FAL import and are perfectly legal.

Some of these later "G" series guns get passed off to the unsuspecting as part of the much more valuable grandfathered sear cut guns.

The "G" series will have a "G" prefix on the serial number.  You then have to check if it has a sear cut or not.  If it doesn't, then it's a later Browning import and while valuable and a great rifle, not qutie worth what most people think of as a "G series".  If it does have the sear cut, you then MUST check the serial number against the list of grandfathered serial numbers that the ATF considers legal.  If the gun's serial number appears on the list, then it's the real McCoy and worth a ton of dough.  It the gun's serial number does not appear on the list, it's an illegal machine gun.  There is no in between on that.

So make sure it's a "G"
Make sure it's sear cut
Make sure it's legal

Those are the three things you have to do to insure it's one of the famous, high-value guns.  Remember that there are plenty of non-sear cut "G" series guns out there that are not part of that group.  The non-sear cut gun I owned, and the couple others I've seen were all serial numbered well above the group of sear cut guns.  They all had an extra digit in the serial number from those that were the first, sear-cut guns.  

Value wise, those sear-cut "G" guns will increas in value, but really if you're looking at investment and can legally do it, a class three FAL might be a better investment.  It seems as though value on those increases greater, and if you get a real Belgian FN gun there really isn't anyone that can say shit about you not having a "real FAL".  You would also be able to shoot and enjoy the gun, and otherwise use it while it's value contiues to skyrocket.  The "G" guns are far more collector pieces and using one would probably effect value to a greater degree.

Thanks for the correction Ross.
The later, non sear-cut G's are commonly referred to as "Rogaks", the name of the gentleman that they were imported for. They are on type II receivers. There were only 200 imported so they are a sought after model too.
There were type II receivered rifles imported by Browning that are not g-prefixed. These will be marked with Company misspelled Compagny.