FAL Finally

[Keith]

After approximately 18 months, I can finally call my Build-a-FAL project finished! Most of that 18 months was entirely due to my own procrastination. I basically did this in installments. First, I ordered the kit from DSA and threw away the awful plastic furniture and refinished the original Walnut, which they'd included.
Then I dinked around for an awful long time before ordering the reciever. More dinking around till I got the rifle assembled around that. First tests revealed a weak gas system, which is typical of these old G1 kits. Back in the closet till I FINALLY drilled out the gas port to the proper size (7/64ths).

Recipe as follows:

1 Refinished G1 kit from dsarms: $179
1 Coonan Arms Reciever from FAC: $249
1 locking shoulder: $12

A lot of sweat, research and fun.

Result: A really fun gun that looks like it just came off the factory floor in Belgium. It won't look that way for long because I have about 4000 rounds of surplus NATO ammo to blast away!

After a couple of last minute gas problems that have spoiled my fun for the last month or two, I finally opened up the gas port (which I should have done in the first place) and got in running flawlessly today. Burned up about 200 rounds drilling various targets of opportunity on the beach. A blast!

This rifle is an absolute joy to shoot!

 

[JShirley]

Good going, Keith. Maybe one day we can shoot our G1's together and drink rum on the beach...

John

(who should have his G1 soon)

 

[Badger Arms]

Looks mighty pretty. I've got an L1A1 sporter that does me just fine for now. It's my plinker. Mighty accurate compared to what I thought I was getting for the price.

BTW, I pulled out my No.4 and loaded some stripper clips. Gawd she's quick!

 

[Marshall]

You sure that's not a Punt Gun? LOL

Read this, I stole it from Glockten's thread in the Shotgun section. Hope that's OK Glockten?

Punt Gun

Maybe this could be your next project Keith?

 

[JShirley]

Oh, Keith- you got the required # of US parts? Nazis...

 

[Wildalaska]

just about to point that out..

especially the flashhider...

WildbecarefulAlaska

 

[Keith]

Actually, yes. It has the required US parts and the flash hider has an aluminum sleeve welded in and is permanently attached. Isn't that ridiculous?

I did forget to mention the parts as a cost factor though. I bought the parts as a group which cost an additional $55, though I've seen them cheaper since then.

There is also a "theory" that when you refinish a kit as DSA is doing, the entire thing becomes "US parts" according to the law. I didn't want to be the one to test that theory in court, so I bought the extra parts.

At any rate, the cost came in about $500 and the finished product is closer in quality to one of the $1200 DSA rifles, than to one of the Century Arms Frankenstein guns. Not too shabby.

We always hear about those great surplus deals in the past, how in the 60's you could buy a Garand for a dollar and change, an M1 Carbine for a nickel and that they used to give away 03 Sniper rifles complete with Unertl scopes as an incentive whenever you bought a box of ammo... or something like that.
Well, now is the time of the FAL. These rifles are being discarded as armies go to newer "better" (plastic) guns. The "kits" (entire rifle minus upper reciever) are being sold for as low as $100 ($179 refinished to like new condition). If you're handy at all, you should consider looking into one of these.

Keith

 

[Midnight]

Keith, that theory is as much bunk as the theory that if you refinish furniture it becomes a US part. According to everything I've read from the ATF, place of manufacture determines import/US part. You've got a good looking, authentic looking G1 there. Congrats!

 

[Keith]

Well, who knows? It is true that if you "alter" something, it becomes legally a US part. For example, if you shorten a barrel, or bend the trigger to a slightly different shape it is considered a legal part... Why wouldn't bead blasting and re-parkerizing also be an "alteration"? I'll let somebody with more resources test that theory. $55 is cheaper than fighting the ATF in court. I've seen the US parts sets for as low as $24.95 since I bought mine.

My only real complaint is that the original hammer/trigger/sear combo had a fairly light let-off. It was a long two stage military style trigger, but the final let-off was fairly light and crisp. Not a match trigger by any means, but .. acceptable. Probably just well broken in after many years of use.

The replacement hammer/trigger/sear must be about 7 or 8 pounds of pull and the let-off is mushy.

As far as I'm concerned the law has no point other than to annoy people. One of these days I'll take that stuff out and see if I can't stone it into a lighter pull.

Keith

 

[Destructo6]

It is true that if you "alter" something, it becomes legally a US part. For example, if you shorten a barrel, or bend the trigger to a slightly different shape it is considered a legal part...

That's not true. Regardless of the amount of rework done to an imported part, it's still an imported part.

Otherwise, my G3 trigger pack and gripframe that has been permenantly converted to semi would be considered "US-made". Or, the Williams Trigger Specialist Hk set trigger setup would be US-made and that's not the case. How I wish that were true, though.

The basic rule of thumb is to pick the was of interpreting Sec922 that makes is most difficult to comply and that will probably be the BATF way.

BTW, nice FAL.

 

[Gewehr98]

Ain't that just a lot of fun?

I ran through the same checklist when converting my Bulgarian SLR-95 to the ATF-legal pistol grip furniture. Right down to modifying the magazines with new floorplates, springs, and followers. Gawd!

 

[Keith]

Well, I'd rather pay for the US parts than argue my case in court. This subject has been mulled over so much in falfiles that it becomes wearisome.

It makes little sense to me when for under $50 you can avoid all "interpetations" and just make your gun compliant under the strictest interpretation of the law.

Keith