theinvisibleheart
Member
how do you tell if the receiver is CAI cast receiver vs. Imbel vs. Argentine receiver?
E.g., the receiver below?
E.g., the receiver below?
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? Century L1A1 Sporter
- Thread starter theinvisibleheart
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theinvisibleheart
Member
LOL, you are right! Good eyes!
GBExpat
Member
WHOA!
In the coming days/weeks/months whenever I commit a DUH!, I am going to think about this thread ... and not feel quite so bad.
I thank you for the Gift! ... I'm an oldfart and need all of the help I can get.
In the coming days/weeks/months whenever I commit a DUH!, I am going to think about this thread ... and not feel quite so bad.
I thank you for the Gift! ... I'm an oldfart and need all of the help I can get.
theinvisibleheart
Member
LOL, both human cognition and perception are highly flawed, to say the least, independent of eyes/age.
4thPointOfContact
Member
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So, when we gonna fancify that puppy?
theinvisibleheart
Member
I need to get US made stock, internals, and muzzle brake/flash hider, LOL!
wally
Member
Made in Brazil doesn't necessarily equal Imbel. "Real" Imbel receivers have the "gear" logo, and as far as I know are metric pattern. The L1A1 is an inch pattern gun.
theinvisibleheart
Member
early ones used Argie/Brazil,Imbel receiver. My understanding is that they used the "L1A1" name rather loosely when most of the parts kit is from StG58, not L1A1.
GBExpat
Member
There was a period just prior to the flood of StG58 Kits when Century-made FrankenFALs were rather eclectic ... often an odd/interesting mixture of Inch & Metric parts (which explains the nickname
) ... but all of those that *I* have seen were built on Metric Uppers.Perhaps they started building out L1A1 Kits and took the receiver name from that. ?
theinvisibleheart
Member
does anybody know what the complete history of Century L1A1 builds are? Just curious.
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DaisyCutter
Member
OP, Go to Falfiles dot com. I learned how to build my FAL on that forum a decade ago, when 200 round battlepacks of 7.62 NATO were $30, and milspec mags were $6.
The Century angry beaver FALs usually take the more expensive inch pattern mags, and the ones with the unibrow feed ramp aren't exceptionally reliable. Century guns are NOT Imbel. Some may have been Coonan. Century guns can generally be made to run, if you are good with a dremel.
I built my FAL on an Imbel Gear Logo receiver, Chilean parts kit, Argentine chrome lined barrel, Penguin furniture amd FSE trigger group. It rocks & rolls. BTW, not all Imbels will have a gear logo.
There is a very good reason why FAL shooters keep gloves or an oven mitt in their gear bag...
The Century angry beaver FALs usually take the more expensive inch pattern mags, and the ones with the unibrow feed ramp aren't exceptionally reliable. Century guns are NOT Imbel. Some may have been Coonan. Century guns can generally be made to run, if you are good with a dremel.
I built my FAL on an Imbel Gear Logo receiver, Chilean parts kit, Argentine chrome lined barrel, Penguin furniture amd FSE trigger group. It rocks & rolls. BTW, not all Imbels will have a gear logo.
There is a very good reason why FAL shooters keep gloves or an oven mitt in their gear bag...
theinvisibleheart
Member
DARN, NICE! Thanks!
silicosys4
Member
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OP, Go to Falfiles dot com. I learned how to build my FAL on that forum a decade ago, when 200 round battlepacks of 7.62 NATO were $30, and milspec mags were $6.
The Century angry beaver FALs usually take the more expensive inch pattern mags, and the ones with the unibrow feed ramp aren't exceptionally reliable. Century guns are NOT Imbel. Some may have been Coonan. Century guns can generally be made to run, if you are good with a dremel.
I built my FAL on an Imbel Gear Logo receiver, Chilean parts kit, Argentine chrome lined barrel, Penguin furniture amd FSE trigger group. It rocks & rolls. BTW, not all Imbels will have a gear logo.
There is a very good reason why FAL shooters keep gloves or an oven mitt in their gear bag...
Not necessarily true
I have a Century R1A1 that has "made by Imbel" right on the receiver, and has no angry beaver marks. It is with an excellent condition kit that is internally excellent, and assembled correctly. It has the proper feed ramps and takes metric mags available from DSA for $20. I would put it head to head against any DSA or gear Imbel any day.
That said, I wouldn't want anything by CAI that had a Hesse or CAI cast receiver. Those were where the Angry Beavers started their reign of terror AFAIK.
Mine is exceptionally reliable and can double tap a 10" plate at 200 yards with ease.
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theinvisibleheart
Member
so basically, avoid CAI FALs if with cast receiver but Imbel/Argie receivers tend to be good/high quality?
GBExpat
Member
I think that the one remaining store-bought FAL that I still own is a FrankenFAL built on a CAI cast receiver. It is my Beater FAL, but very accurate & reliable (and Metric).
Rats! Now I am going to have tyo go downstairs and dig it out of the South Gunsafe just to check that receiver.
Back in 'alf'a'mo.
UPDATE: OP, my receiver looks identical to your with the exception of that extra bit of stamped info above the serial number. All of the other parts are L1A1, down to the sand-cut bolt carrier.
BTW, my receiver is in the mid 106,000 range ... about 6500 shy of yours.
Rats! Now I am going to have tyo go downstairs and dig it out of the South Gunsafe just to check that receiver.
Back in 'alf'a'mo.
UPDATE: OP, my receiver looks identical to your with the exception of that extra bit of stamped info above the serial number. All of the other parts are L1A1, down to the sand-cut bolt carrier.
BTW, my receiver is in the mid 106,000 range ... about 6500 shy of yours.
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theinvisibleheart
Member
LOL, in that case, independent of receiver, you can still have a highly functional FNFAL, even with CAI cast ones.
How much is CAI FNFAL worth today, when built on CAI/Imbel receiver?
How much is CAI FNFAL worth today, when built on CAI/Imbel receiver?
Gordon
Member
I have a early made Century from 1991 that is all British inch pattern parts kit on an Imbel gear logo receiver . It runs well but I had to put some US parts in it to put on an L1A1 flash suppressor and original wood furniture.Because of the Imbel recieiver ,I think, it accepts both inch and metric mags. My other FAL build was done by Arizona response systems and was a basicly new STG58 kit on my supplied Imbel receiver and it is superb!
theinvisibleheart
Member
GBExpat,
in that case, CAI went from cast to Imbel receiver if your s/n is lower and it's cast?
in that case, CAI went from cast to Imbel receiver if your s/n is lower and it's cast?
GBExpat
Member
It appears so ... the strange thing is that my receiver looks just like yours ... I mean ex-act-ly like yours, but missing that crooked little afterthought-looking "imbel" stamping, y'know? Hmmmmm ... I wonder ...
theinvisibleheart
Member
how do you know it's cast?
Cast receivers have a rougher surface finish and thicker dimensions.
I had DSA rebarrel an early L1A1 with an original uncut British barrel right after the ban expired.
Added US made guts, it turned out to be a very good shooter but I have no real love for FALs and sold it off.
ALL CAI L1A1 rifles use metric dimension receivers and use Metric magazines as far as I know.
Not a bad thing as long as the correct barrel locking shoulder is used and headspace maintained.
The British barrels are crush fit to the receivers but DSA proved they can be rebarrelled and the work completed better than the original build.
Not sure if DSA will still do this kind of work since they went all big time, contact and ask.
I had DSA rebarrel an early L1A1 with an original uncut British barrel right after the ban expired.
Added US made guts, it turned out to be a very good shooter but I have no real love for FALs and sold it off.
ALL CAI L1A1 rifles use metric dimension receivers and use Metric magazines as far as I know.
Not a bad thing as long as the correct barrel locking shoulder is used and headspace maintained.
The British barrels are crush fit to the receivers but DSA proved they can be rebarrelled and the work completed better than the original build.
Not sure if DSA will still do this kind of work since they went all big time, contact and ask.
Receivers cut to accept "inch" or commonwealth pattern mags also accept metric pattern mags. Inch mags won't work in metric cut receivers
The cast CAI FAL receivers have what they call the "unibrow" feed ramps. Properly made receivers use a "widow's peak"style feed ramps. The receiver in the photo has a widow's peak
The cast CAI FAL receivers have what they call the "unibrow" feed ramps. Properly made receivers use a "widow's peak"style feed ramps. The receiver in the photo has a widow's peak
theinvisibleheart
Member
so receivers cut to accept "inch" mags are more useful?
Is there any functional difference b/w "unibrow" vs. "widow's peak" style feed ramps?
Appreciate the education.
Is there any functional difference b/w "unibrow" vs. "widow's peak" style feed ramps?
Appreciate the education.
theinvisibleheart
Member
I take it cast is almost as Imbel/Argie receivers.
In that case, why is Imbel/Argie valued more?
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