Nightcrawler
June 15, 2004, 07:32 PM
I've been thinking. I love the FAL rifle, and I love my DSA STG-58A. However, if I were to have a FAL type rifle built up from scratch, I think this would be my ideal configuration (my opinion on this fluxuates, mind you).
It'd be built on a DSA Metric Type II receiver, with a carry handle simply because I like the carry handles. It'd have a DSA alloy lightweight lower, and a Penguin humpback buttstock. It'd have an Ergo G3-style grip (which is way more comfortable for me than a regular FAL grip).
I'm torn between a metric folding charging handle and an Israeli style forward-assist handle. It'd have an extended magazine release lever, as well as a wider bolt release lever.
The rear sight would be DSA's windage adjustable para-style. Now, I hate to lose the rear elevation adjustment, but I don't do much shooting beyond 200 yards, and I think that one aperature will allow longer range than the other.
The barrel is something I'm torn on. I'd probably end up going with an 18", chrome lined barrel in the same weight as DSA's "medium contour". The stiffer barrel would make for better accuracy, and the chrome lining would mean easy cleaning.
The front sling swivel would be mounted to the handguards, if I went with a heavy barrel. A heavy barrel would disallow use of a the folding bipod, so it'd be nice to allow use of a shooting sling via free-float handguards. I'm not sure how rugged typical free-floated hand guards are, though; if they were flimsy, I'd skip 'em and go with Penguin non-bipod-cut standard handguards.
Finally, the barrel would be mounted with a five-slot flashhider and bayonet lug. The design would accommodate any bayonet designed for the M16 rifle; there are some pretty cool bayonets out there.
In lieu of that, it'd be an L1A1 flashhider. The L1A1 is one of the few FAL variants to have a proper bayonet, and I've actually ordered such a flashhider and bayonet in the hopes of getting it installed on my rifle if/when the AW ban sunsets.
So that's probably what I'd go with. What FAL configuration would you want if you were having one built?
It'd be built on a DSA Metric Type II receiver, with a carry handle simply because I like the carry handles. It'd have a DSA alloy lightweight lower, and a Penguin humpback buttstock. It'd have an Ergo G3-style grip (which is way more comfortable for me than a regular FAL grip).
I'm torn between a metric folding charging handle and an Israeli style forward-assist handle. It'd have an extended magazine release lever, as well as a wider bolt release lever.
The rear sight would be DSA's windage adjustable para-style. Now, I hate to lose the rear elevation adjustment, but I don't do much shooting beyond 200 yards, and I think that one aperature will allow longer range than the other.
The barrel is something I'm torn on. I'd probably end up going with an 18", chrome lined barrel in the same weight as DSA's "medium contour". The stiffer barrel would make for better accuracy, and the chrome lining would mean easy cleaning.
The front sling swivel would be mounted to the handguards, if I went with a heavy barrel. A heavy barrel would disallow use of a the folding bipod, so it'd be nice to allow use of a shooting sling via free-float handguards. I'm not sure how rugged typical free-floated hand guards are, though; if they were flimsy, I'd skip 'em and go with Penguin non-bipod-cut standard handguards.
Finally, the barrel would be mounted with a five-slot flashhider and bayonet lug. The design would accommodate any bayonet designed for the M16 rifle; there are some pretty cool bayonets out there.
In lieu of that, it'd be an L1A1 flashhider. The L1A1 is one of the few FAL variants to have a proper bayonet, and I've actually ordered such a flashhider and bayonet in the hopes of getting it installed on my rifle if/when the AW ban sunsets.
So that's probably what I'd go with. What FAL configuration would you want if you were having one built?
