OK...I am brand new here but after looking around a bit, I seem to have found some people I can be friends with. I am replying here because you asked about FAL's and that is a subject near and dear to my heart.
I have owned an M1A (Springfield Armory) and I still own a DSA made Stg 58 which is a FAL made on a US made receiver out of foreign parts ( I want to say Belgian but at the moment I dont remember.)
OK why did your friend tell you that if you were just gonna own one Main Battle Rifle it should be a FAL....the simple truth is that they are exceptionally rugged, easy to maintain, reasonably accurate and there are tons of extra parts and magazines available. The .308 round is also powerful and even though its heavier to carry a bunch of magazines, it has greater stopping power then the round used for the AR-15.
Go check out "the FAL files" website and particularly look for the thread in the weapons section called "the tale of old dirty" . It is the story of a FAL that has purposefully been used and abused by its owner for 10,000 + rounds and never cleaned, including a dunk in a lake and some mud, if it doesnt make you sit up and take notice that the FAL is a great piece of gear, then no argument here will convince you. You can also view the FAQ section there and learn alot about why FAL's are so highly regarded.
Yes the sights on an M1A are better and I think the M1A gets a slight nod for accuracy but the cost of the magazines is high ( think $8-10 for a 20 rd FAL mag and $40-50 for a 20 rd M1A mag!) and that is before we have a Democrat in the White House! The FAL has an adjustable gas system which is far superior to the M1A and is easier to clean and maintain.
I like the M1A but when I had to pick one to let go of, there was no argument in my head about which gun I would want to bet my life and the lives of my family on.
There are many flavors of FAL and several companies make receivers for them (Imbel and DSA being good ones) and then use surplus parts to make a complete rifle. If you can afford it, find a DSA receiver with a good set of parts on it and you will have a great weapon.
Stepping off my soapbox.
Ignatius
I have owned an M1A (Springfield Armory) and I still own a DSA made Stg 58 which is a FAL made on a US made receiver out of foreign parts ( I want to say Belgian but at the moment I dont remember.)
OK why did your friend tell you that if you were just gonna own one Main Battle Rifle it should be a FAL....the simple truth is that they are exceptionally rugged, easy to maintain, reasonably accurate and there are tons of extra parts and magazines available. The .308 round is also powerful and even though its heavier to carry a bunch of magazines, it has greater stopping power then the round used for the AR-15.
Go check out "the FAL files" website and particularly look for the thread in the weapons section called "the tale of old dirty" . It is the story of a FAL that has purposefully been used and abused by its owner for 10,000 + rounds and never cleaned, including a dunk in a lake and some mud, if it doesnt make you sit up and take notice that the FAL is a great piece of gear, then no argument here will convince you. You can also view the FAQ section there and learn alot about why FAL's are so highly regarded.
Yes the sights on an M1A are better and I think the M1A gets a slight nod for accuracy but the cost of the magazines is high ( think $8-10 for a 20 rd FAL mag and $40-50 for a 20 rd M1A mag!) and that is before we have a Democrat in the White House! The FAL has an adjustable gas system which is far superior to the M1A and is easier to clean and maintain.
I like the M1A but when I had to pick one to let go of, there was no argument in my head about which gun I would want to bet my life and the lives of my family on.
There are many flavors of FAL and several companies make receivers for them (Imbel and DSA being good ones) and then use surplus parts to make a complete rifle. If you can afford it, find a DSA receiver with a good set of parts on it and you will have a great weapon.
Stepping off my soapbox.
Ignatius