F A L ?

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Stump Water

Stump Water

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Looking at the prices on gunbroker, etc., the FAL seems to have fallen out of favor.

Lots of parts out there. Are they all shot out?

Or has the offerings from Springfield, Saiga, (et. al.) and the variety of AR uppers now available taken over the market/demand?

I think I still want one and am seeking some pointers on what to look for and what to avoid.
 
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I think FAL popularity kind of peaked when you could get a good condition parts kit with the loose change you found in your couch.

Current market is pricier, which slows people down. The disappearance of cheap 7.62x51 surplus ammo surely isn't doing the FAL (or M14 and G-3 clones or AR-10 variants) any favors.
 
The disappearance of cheap 7.62x51 surplus ammo surely isn't doing the FAL (or M14 and G-3 clones or AR-10 variants) any favors.
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I think that's a big part of it. The FAL is sort of the AK of Battle Rifles. It's most often not a tack driver. It doesn't make sense to shoot expensive match ammo in most FALs. They thrive on cheap surplus.

Lots of parts out there. Are they all shot out?
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The other side of the coin is home builders. Receivers used to be plentiful and very affordable. Complete parts kits (the entire gun without the receiver) were also plentiful and affordable. Lots of folks bought parts kits and stocked them up (folks did the same with AKs).

Now receivers are harder to find and much more expensive. Kits are no longer imported with the barrels. It took a lot of the fun out of building the rifles. With less folks building, there's an excess of parts.
 
Yup, high ammo prices, no cheap kits, fewer kits with barrels, receiver makers not producing enough to screw good kits onto and barrel makers not producing barrels inexpensively enough to add to cheap kits. Eventually the price would peak and fall back towards a more stable level.

That said, the FnFAL is one of the best deals going. Just make sure that you look carefully at the interior of the receiver. If it looks like a hammered ape used a dremel on the receiver, walk away. If not, give it a whirl.
 
Ammo, everyone I talk to that likes FALs (or any other 7.62x51, for that matter, even a buddy with an Israeli mauser) says they don't shoot hardly at all with ammo cost, and are holding off on buying a new anything in that caliber.
 
As for ammo prices, the 7.62 nato really has gone through the roof with no end in sight. I got into reloading for the sole purpose of being able to shoot my FAL on a regular basis. Thankfully, I haven't had to really buy factory 308 for over 10 months :neener:
 
I haven't bought factory ammo...well, ever!

I bought 5000 rounds of surplus back when Portuguese was selling for $119 for a case of 1000. I have surplus bullets and cases to make another 5000 rounds.

No factory for me. And I'm making it for around $0.23 a shot.

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I am feeding my FAL with reloads. I get the components from Hi-tech ammo (out of St Louis, Mo) and assemble myself. Ends up being about $0.20/round.
 
We carry a basic Imbel kit rifle for $849 built for us by Entreprise Arms, we have sold tons of these


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The same rifles can also be made to look like this:

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Briane and I with our FALs: PARA Models, fixed and folding stocks. Free floated aluminum handguards. MB on mine; Flash Hider on hers.
 
Where is the picture from?
I hope they are not destroying them.
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Captured from the Argentineans on the Falklands. I think the British military destoyed a bunch and kept some (in demil'ed/deactivated format?) to use as training rifles for drilling and such (i.e. what we Americans use "rubber ducks" for).
 
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