Quote History Quoted:
Yours on the right of the ar15.
View Quote
I'm flattered that you like it that much.
It started as an IMBEL parts kit on a Coonan receiver with the barrel cut down to 17.2" and with the bipod-cut handguards that came with the kit replaced by non-bipod cut ones, plus the charger-guide top cover, DSA extended selector, and SAW grip. The receiver, barrel, BCG, rear sight assembly, and the first cover I bought all disappeared in the mail headed to my FFL.
At the time, BCGs were getting hard to find if not DSA-made, and I got what I could find, which was an Aussie BCG. I got a good deal on a Steyr barrel that was already cut down to 17" by someone (very well-done, too), which came with a couple of other missing parts and other parts that I sold off to mitigate the cost. I also replaced my original IMBEL lower with an older one with internal lightening cuts. I got an IMBEL receiver from Pars and had the cuts done on it. I also decided to substitute an Israeli mag catch for the original one and substituted the internals and frame lock lever from an FN hiduminium para receiver I had bought a while back since the trigger was much nicer and I wanted a vertical lever (the horizontal one doesn't go well with either the extended selector or the SAW grip). I also had the rear sight opened up to ghost ring dimensions (5mm) and used an FN assembly I had bought for something else to replace the missing one. I chose to replace the FAL combo device with an FNC combo device. Most of the parts were refinished, Parkerized only.
Later on I replaced the gas plug with the grenade sight one and found a very rare South African sniper sling swivel from their 2nd generation R1 sniper rifles (it sounds like it may be the only one known to exist in private hands; the owner of the only rifle of this type in private hands had it missing the swivel and had to make a replica). Before getting the swivel, I was still trying to figure out how to get a handguard-mounted swivel setup to allow the sling to be used as a shooting aid. Someone on the FAL Files may eventually make some replicas. I recently replaced the plastic charging handle knob with an aluminum one, as the rifle fell several feet right on the knob and it shattered. I also modified a Magpul MLOK 5-slot rail to be able to be installed through the vents for a light.
The most expedient way to go about this would be to get an IMBEL parts kit and have the barrel cut down accordingly (which also requires the gas port to be enlarged a bit), get the top cover and gas plug shown, SAW grip, Israeli mag catch, vertical lever, extended selector, NBC handguards (if not included with the kit), and an IMBEL receiver (I think Pars may have finally sold out, but I'm not sure about that). Standard front swivel would have to be used for now. For a similar device, the cheaper way would be to get one of the Para SAW combo devices DSA is selling, which only differs from the FNC one in having a groove for USGI blank firing adapters (I do wonder if this would allow for using A2-mount suppressors); theirs are missing the grenade retainer spring, which would need to be bought separately.
The cover that Brad at Gun Things is selling is the same type I have other than being finished in a different color.