2aHawaii
Tools and Uses => Firearms and Accessories => Topic started by: Garuda on December 24, 2013, 07:29:38 PM
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Been thinking about getting a FAL. I like the robust platform and it's historical significance.
Everyone says to get the S TG 58. http://www.floridagunworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=145&Category_Code=PK+PARTSKITS (http://www.floridagunworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=145&Category_Code=PK+PARTSKITS)
Is this a good price for the kit? It's not chrome-lined but everyone raves about its accuracy.
Was thinking of mating this with an Imbel receiver.
Anyone can steer me in the right direction?
Merry Christmas all!
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FALs are awesome!
I got a STG58 paratrooper style!
I also got it for historical significance... as a lot of my other firearms :thumbsup:
I don't know much about building one but here's another parts kit available...
http://whatacountry.com/Imbel-FAL-Parts-Kit.aspx (http://whatacountry.com/Imbel-FAL-Parts-Kit.aspx)
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Thanks for the reply BC.
Enterprise has the Imbel kits for $325-89 as well.
Was thinking of ordering a kit and sending it out to a builder.....
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Like BananaClip stated, FALs are pretty awesome!
They're beefy rifles, rugged, but still quite sexy. Lots of fun to shoot and reasonably accurate, they're easier on spent casings as well... Much more brass friendly than the HK91/G3.
Some basic info: They come in 2 flavors, metric & inch. Some parts will swap between the two, others won't. There are also differences within each group like Type 1 or 2 metric receivers, or Australian vs. British inch pattern receivers, so one has to research a good bit before undertaking a build. Pretty much as one would do with any build so kind of a moot point ;) Metric or Inch, parts can easily be sourced from a number of places online. As far as building goes, I haven't messed with a build for 2+ decades so my intel is quite dated, of course I didn't have the internet back then either. The hardest part I encountered was timing the barrel, I didn't have a complete set of barrel washers or the correct tools so I ended up sending it out to have it done (they also installed the correct locking shoulder for the supplied bolt). Once that was done the rest was very straight forward. I'd say overall it's a little trickier than an AR build but easier (when you have the correct tools) than building an AK from a flat... No riveting or welding! There's so much history with these rifles and a lot to learn about the build process, be sure to checkout sites like surplusrifle & FALFiles... Make good use of those online resources :thumbsup:
One note, and I don't normally bash online dealers... Avoid FloridaGunWorks!!! I've heard nothing but bad things about them and have a couple of friends who were lucky to get their money back after a lot of hassle . They have another online store as well but don't recall its name, but the websites look similar so you can tell they're in cahoots.
HTH a little, Ahui hou :shaka:
Boomah
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Thanks a lot Boomah.
Fals and m1as confuse me since everyone says to get certain parts (usgi for m1a, and it seems to be stg-58 parts kit with a Coonan or imbel receiver), which seem to be nLA for the most part, unlike AKs we can get new arsenals which at least are Bulgarian/Russian made, and already built!
I was thinking of getting the parts and sending out to Arizona response systems. The Israeli Fals are sweet looking rifles as well.
Thanks for the heads up regarding Florida gun works. I know nothing about them.
More research to do!
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I also have a stg and it's one of my favorite rifles. I also have a PTR 91 and had a m1a loaded. I thought I would like the m1a before I bought it, but after owning one for a little while I ended up liking the fal and ptr much more. However I do love my Garands and m1 carbines. fal's adjustable gas is nice and it's a pretty smooth shooter. I have a arms mount, falcon trigger group, ergo grip, od stock set, and a vortex diamondback 1.75-5x in a dnz game reaper. Oh, and i had the barrel cut to 16" with the short FH instead of the long stg one. I had a dsa mount but it didn't fit well, hopefully the arms mount holds up. It definitely mounts up rock solid and sits a tad lower than the dsa. I cut the back tab so the carrier can be removed without taking off the mount.
(http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g321/toyupload/CAM00145_zps3cusqu32.jpg) (http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/toyupload/media/CAM00145_zps3cusqu32.jpg.html)
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I also have a stg and it's one of my favorite rifles. I also have a PTR 91 and had a m1a loaded. I thought I would like the m1a before I bought it, but after owning one for a little while I ended up liking the fal and ptr much more. However I do love my Garands and m1 carbines. fal's adjustable gas is nice and it's a pretty smooth shooter. I have a arms mount, falcon trigger group, ergo grip, od stock set, and a vortex diamondback 1.75-5x. Oh, and i had the barrel cut to 16" with the short FH instead of the long stg one. I had a dsa mount but it didn't fit well, hopefully the arms mount holds up. It definitely mounts up rock solid and sits a tad lower than the dsa. I cut the back tab so the carrier can be removed without taking off the mount.
(http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g321/toyupload/CAM00145_zps3cusqu32.jpg) (http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/toyupload/media/CAM00145_zps3cusqu32.jpg.html)
Sweeeeeeeeeet :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Sweeeeeeeeeet :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
+1
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Thanks for this thread. I am also curious... Between a FAL, a PTR or an AR-10... for what you're getting vs cost, which one would you choose?
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Thanks for this thread. I am also curious... Between a FAL, a PTR or an AR-10... for what you're getting vs cost, which one would you choose?
If you want straight up accuracy, AR-10. They are also the best choice if you are planning on running optics. My buddy had a Armalite and never could get it running 100%, so that put a bad taste in my mouth for the AR-10. I'm sure some folks have AR-10's that run great though.
I like the adjustable gas on the fal, If you reload, you can adjust the gas to suit your recipe.
I have a heavy buffer in my ptr, so recoil is about the same as the fal.
My ptr has a heavy barrel, so the fal balances better.
Mounting optics on the fal and ptr both require additional cost of a mount. Some are better than others but neither are as easy as a flat top ar.
AR 10 has way more aftermarket support for stocks, triggers, handguards.
PTR has the hk style forward charging handle which is cool as hell.
I wasn't going for target accuracy, so I went with what I thought would be the most fun to shoot, coolest looking, and something different to add to the collection.
With that said, my fal and ptr are a straight up tie IMHO. IIRC they were both around the same price too. I know you rather have a clear winner, but I love them both.
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I love my PTR91! For a sub $1K firearm it's very much a "best bang for buck" rifle, I find I fire it more than my FALs and M1A these days. I did have a canted front sight, yep it's not only an AK issue, but that was quickly fixed by the PTR team in very short order (they refinished the entire rifle as well). I'm super satisfied with their service :thumbsup: I currently have a Hensoldt scope installed and it easily and consistently groups at 100yds (about 1.5moa). A great buy.
Boomah :shaka:
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I rolled the dice on a imbel kit from enterprise arms. This way I can take my time and try to find an imbel Receiver or a Coonan (heard enterprise receivers had problems). Wish I could have gotten an stg58 parts kit, but $1000 on gb seems to rich for my blood right now. When did these kits "dry up"?
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Thanks Pit808 and Boomah! I have the PTR on my buy list and will be keeping it there. Was considering all those 3 but for under $1k, I think it's hard to beat the PTR. However, I heard it can sometimes be hit and miss. Question, where's a good place to get one? GB?
I heard that for the AR-10 platform, the DPMS build (called AR-308?) has a better aftermarket support.
Good luck with the FAL! Looks like a good gun.
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I rolled the dice on a imbel kit from enterprise arms. This way I can take my time and try to find an imbel Receiver or a Coonan (heard enterprise receivers had problems). Wish I could have gotten an stg58 parts kit, but $1000 on gb seems to rich for my blood right now. When did these kits "dry up"?
Garuda,
When your kit comes in, please start a new post of your kit and build so that we can all follow along.
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Garuda,
When your kit comes in, please start a new post of your kit and build so that we can all follow along.
Will do, but I won't be building it. Wish I had the time, but I'll probably send it out. I will post updates.
I'm already thinking about ponying up for an stg-58 kit (maybe an argy too), I really want one.... Figure prices won't necessarily get any better given they aren't imported anymore and the gun climate has cooled down for now. If there is one thing I learned about this industry, is you might as well get foreign stuff when you can as prices usually go up. Especially on stuff that isn't domestic or is limited supply.
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I love this platform. I had the chance to shoot one at the last Father's Day Shootout at KHSC. The handguard was so hot, I had to use chopsticks to hold it. I felt like Kwai Chang Caine grappling the cauldron full of red coals with his forearms.
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I love this platform. I had the chance to shoot one at the last Father's Day Shootout at KHSC. The handguard was so hot, I had to use chopsticks to hold it. I felt like Kwai Chang Caine grappling the cauldron full of red coals with his forearms.
LOL. Very descriptive.
Update. The parts kit on order has sprouted into multiple kits. ;D
Hunting for some receivers now. Long gun permit renewal seems to come quicker every year!
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I rolled the dice on a imbel kit from enterprise arms. This way I can take my time and try to find an imbel Receiver or a Coonan (heard enterprise receivers had problems). Wish I could have gotten an stg58 parts kit, but $1000 on gb seems to rich for my blood right now. When did these kits "dry up"?
Great to hear, and good call on the Coonan receiver (or Imbel if you can find one) :thumbsup:
Here's a pic of my old build, a matching BSA L1A1 SLR kit built on one of the early Enterprise Arms Inch pattern receivers (based on a Lithgow Aussie receiver). It was bought back in 91, maybe 92, and built shortly there after. This receiver is quite nice and there were no issues getting barreled & head-spaced buy a QUALIFIED smith... Read, not me ;) I tried but couldn't get it right. Today, with the correct tools & web I'd maybe give it another go. Regardless, the receiver sized up quite well when compared to my real Aussie SLR back in the day. Sadly ike a dumb-a$$ I sold the Aussie SLR to fund other firearms, one of my biggest regrets along with not buying an SVD when they were cheap and widely available. Anyway, back on subject, I've heard of quality control issues with the EAI stuff currently out there as well & would probably stay with the other manufactures offerings.
The rest of the build was straight forward, simple assembly for the most part. Some parts will require a little fitting but most just fall into place. I did stone the gas-block end of the gas tube in order to seat it nice and snug when pinned in place, this helps insure the gas goes where it needs to without having to close the regulator (setting should be 3-4 after a good break-in). Also, be sure to pickup a nice set of punches, an extractor removal tool, a gas tube spanner, and finally a FAL recoil spring/butt-stock removal too. That last item is a must! It makes assembling the lower WAY easier and safer... The recoil spring can mess you up if you're not careful. Recently I refinished the entire rifle, took it down to the original park finish and repainted in Aluma-hyde II. That's the nice thing about Brit SLRs, they were painted and that makes for an easy refinish. I also added a few 922r parts to keep the feds happy (though this is a pre-94 rifle) and also replaced the black maranyl furniture with Beech wood stuff. Still fun to mess with this rifle from time-to-time.
Again good luck on the project and please post images as you go :shaka:
Boomah
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y133/BuckHI/L1A1-2_zps22723e90.jpg) (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/BuckHI/media/L1A1-2_zps22723e90.jpg.html)
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Oh and Pit808, sweet looking FAL as well! :thumbsup: :shaka:
Boomah
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Awesome FALs :thumbsup:
PIC THREAD!!!! PIC THREAD!!!!! :thumbsup:
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Great to hear, and good call on the Coonan receiver (or Imbel if you can find one) :thumbsup:
Here's a pic of my old build, a matching BSA L1A1 SLR kit built on one of the early Enterprise Arms Inch pattern receivers (based on a Lithgow Aussie receiver). It was bought back in 91, maybe 92, and built shortly there after. This receiver is quite nice and there were no issues getting barreled & head-spaced buy a QUALIFIED smith... Read, not me ;) I tried but couldn't get it right. Today, with the correct tools & web I'd maybe give it another go. Regardless, the receiver sized up quite well when compared to my real Aussie SLR back in the day. Sadly ike a dumb-a$$ I sold the Aussie SLR to fund other firearms, one of my biggest regrets along with not buying an SVD when they were cheap and widely available. Anyway, back on subject, I've heard of quality control issues with the EAI stuff currently out there as well & would probably stay with the other manufactures offerings.
The rest of the build was straight forward, simple assembly for the most part. Some parts will require a little fitting but most just fall into place. I did stone the gas-block end of the gas tube in order to seat it nice and snug when pinned in place, this helps insure the gas goes where it needs to without having to close the regulator (setting should be 3-4 after a good break-in). Also, be sure to pickup a nice set of punches, an extractor removal tool, a gas tube spanner, and finally a FAL recoil spring/butt-stock removal too. That last item is a must! It makes assembling the lower WAY easier and safer... The recoil spring can mess you up if you're not careful. Recently I refinished the entire rifle, took it down to the original park finish and repainted in Aluma-hyde II. That's the nice thing about Brit SLRs, they were painted and that makes for an easy refinish. I also added a few 922r parts to keep the feds happy (though this is a pre-94 rifle) and also replaced the black maranyl furniture with Beech wood stuff. Still fun to mess with this rifle from time-to-time.
Again good luck on the project and please post images as you go :shaka:
Boomah
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y133/BuckHI/L1A1-2_zps22723e90.jpg) (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/BuckHI/media/L1A1-2_zps22723e90.jpg.html)
Sweet rifle!
Appreciate all the info! I'd love to build it Myself but I am seriously lacking in the TIME/tool/ and know how department. As long as I can strip a rifle for a heavy cleaning and replace wearable parts I'm satisfied with that. Maybe one day....... That's what the extra kits are for. :geekdanc:
I'll try to see if anyone knows any local FAL gunsmiths though I'm pretty set on ARS. Was thinking of doing two. An imbel on a imbel (assuming the receiver buy comes through) and an argy/Coonan para model. Still unsure if I need an entire new lower for that para stock or if a smith can do it with just the stock. (DSA has a dozen different parts ranging from the stock, to lower and all kinds of other confusing stuff)
I haven't even held one or shot one but this FAL bug is turning into my AK sickness. Definitely need to get into reloading to feed these! I don't even know what a decent price to pay for 308/7.62x51?
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Any update on the build?
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Sorry so late to reply, been working like a dog. Receiver finally made it to ffl, need to pick up and send out to the smith. Hopefully it'll go out next week :thumbsup: