Help talk me out of a FAL!

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J

j.wise

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I suffer from chronic gun-buying. I buy guns I don't need, and sometimes don't ever plan on shooting (much.) I don't have the finances to justify this behavior. Ok, now that you know a little about me...

I've always thought a Galil and a FAL would be fun to have someday. The thread, "Help talk me out of a Galil" worked wonders on getting rid of that itch, so I figured someone here could help me get rid of this one!

I've never had an FAL, and never really liked them all that much. I'm sure I could LEARN to love them, but I'd rather not and save the money it would take. I'm afraid if I never come to terms with the purchase/no purchase dilemma, I'll end up bringing one home from a gunshow. Please, somebody talk me out of the FAL!

BTW, I have a Springfield M21, VEPR .308, several ARs, VEPR II in 7.62X39, HK SL8, SKS, M1 Carbine, etc... I don't need another assault rifle.
 
Get a "good" FAL, you owe it to yourself. That you have taken so long to get one is no excuse. Once you discover you make a "mistake", you are suppose to correct it.
 
C'mon now Telewinz, you're supposed to be talking me OUT of the rifle.

However, if I did ever get one, it would definately have to be a good one. I'm not really a Cetme (Century) or SAR1 kind of guy, I like the look and feel of a rifle to be just as good as the performance.
 
The only thing I can say is...

If you don't buy an FAL, then you'll have more money to buy something else you'll like more :confused:

Sorry, but that's the best I could do.

I had an FAL, and I liked it, it was fun to shoot, but I didn't like it enough to keep it. I haven't permanently replaced it yet, as the funds are still floating around somewhere, but mine wasn't as accurate as my AR, was extremely heavy, and I didn't get to shoot it much because every time I took it to the range, there was always at least one person who wanted to "throw a few downrange". :)

You have a VEPR, so you don't need the FAL. They're virtually identical in "purpose".

Of course, somebody's going to mention the $6 20 round mags, but just exactly how many mags do you actually need for it? I had at least six 20 rounders, but I only ever used the one 5 round hunting mag because it fit better on sandbags. When I sold the FAL, 4 of those mags were still unused.
 
Get a FAL. And a bunch of cheapie 20 round mags, and 1K of .308 surplus ammo, and a SUIT scope.

And if you don't like them, and since you've got gun cash to spare, just send them to me and I'll dispose of the whole lot properly for you.

I built a FAL from a parts kit and an Imbel receiver.

I looooooooove my FAL.

And all the years before that I thought I really wanted an M-14, until I broke down an "settled" for the FAL that I could afford, along with all the accessories.

I probably still "want" an M-14 some day. I'm just very, very happy with my FAL at the present.

hillbilly
 
im with "hillbilly" on this one.I chose the fal over the others because it has a milled receiver,the mags are cheap and theres stuff floating around for them everywhere...and it was reasonably priced.Id like to own a m1A but doubt i'll ever be able to afford a good one...hence the fal.im not a big fan of pressed receivers even though famous guns such as the hkg3 use it as well as the ak varients and they seem to hold up quite well.im stuck on milled steel....i got a fal carbine from ohio rapid fire.it is made from argy parts,us parts(including dsa) and an imbel receiver.I cant talk you out of getting a fal when I enjoy mine so much.the stg fals are going up in price though.
 
FALs are outstanding rifles. Sorry - I can't talk you out of one of these. The arguments against me buying a Galil were very valid and once I held it, I knew I had made the right decision in not getting it. The FAL, on the other hand, is a great rifle.

If you get one, get a DSA. They start at about $1000 and go up. The $1000 dollar models are the STGs and even they are super.

Plenty of mags, spare parts and they are very reliable and ergonomic.

Steve
 
don't buy an FAL! you'll find the 3.99 20 round magazine deal and then you'll end up ordering 100 or so and waste hours on end cleaning them and loading them for the range.
 
OK, my best shot:

DON'T GET AN FAL.

Get an ArmaLite AR10

OR -

Wait a bit and see if Bushmaster is going to release a version of the AR10!!!
(...yeah, that's an exciting prospect, alright!)
 
It sounds ike you need to be talked IN to one, since you really don't like them that much. I think you should buy what you are DYING to have... not visa versa. That said, I love my FAL. I keep telling myself that it is impractical, and that I should sell it and use the cash to buy something I'd shoot more.....but I just can't do it.
 
I suggest that you sell off everything that is not chambered for the 7.62/.308, buy your dream FAL, and then you only have to buy one type of cartridge for all of your rifles, simplifying supply and logistics.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
can't help you....bought one today!!!!!

Sorry I can't try to talk you out of it. I bought one today. I guess that would make me a hypocrite to say don't buy one. :D :D :D

Scott
 
You don't HAVE to spend $600>

I have a Century Arms Imbel FAL, I hand inspected it very carefully and got it for $500. It can be done if you know what to look for and are willing to spend the time. I prefer my Imbel FAL to my M1A hands down and I ain't no genius. If I can select a good one, anyone can.
 
So there are no arguments for NOT getting one (other than that steak a month option, which looks very enticing :D ). I was hoping for reports that would seem to "bust the bubble" on the FAL.

After reading several lengthy threads here (including the excellent FAL vs. M14 thread), I have caught myself stopping to look and checking prices of FALs at gunshows. I never used to give them the time of day. If this continues and my curiosity increases, it is VERY likely that within a year I'll be bringing one home (same thing happened with the SL8.) Before that happens, I just want to be equally informed of all the pros (plenty of them) and the cons. The cons don't always come out until AFTER the purchase.

For instance: when I bought the M21, I was expecting it to shoot anything I fed it with exceptional accuracy (more or less.) I learned AFTER the fact, that the M1A/M21 doesn't like anything below 165gr bullets. I bought some 168gr BTHP and the groups shrunk right up to sub-MOA. Kinda stinks since I have hundreds (maybe a thousand) 150gr rounds.

So the ONLY drawbacks to the FAL are the inability to mount optics without special mounts and parts, and the weight?
 
I suspect I'll be badmouthed about this but I purchased one of those slide-on scope mounts that replaces the receiver cover. It came with a Weaver rail and has worked well for me but then I don't consider a standard FAL (or 99% of the others) to be a MOA shooter. Takes 15 seconds to mount or dismount my scope, if accuracy is your #1 requirement get the M14/M1A otherwise the FAL beats it hands down IMHO. Weight seems normal to me.
 
You have several AR's but no FAL? Rectify that.

I bought a Colt AR15A2 because I "needed" one to be ultratacticool.

I sold it. Earlier this year, I finally received the FAL I've been wanting for over half my life.

I'll never sell my FAL, unless I have kids going hungry.

John
 
dsa sells the mounts..tapco also.my fal carbine doesnt feel near as heavy as the m1 garand i had awhile back.check out ohio rapid fire on the web-located in troy,ohio.they make very good fals with imbel receivers and kits and often have specials on price.theres nothing bad i can say about the fal-its accuracy is very acceptable for what it is,the design seems well thought out and you can do much worse with other guns at more a cost.
 
If your looking for the insight to make a well informed judgement, go talk to the folks over in the general discussion section of Falfiles.com. You may well be able to find an addict in your area who will let you shoot theirs. I wanted to pickup one for years, finally got it ordered two weeks ago. Not here yet. Time is dragging, the deliverymen are driving by the office just to taunt me. Save your sanity, buy one now. :D
 
Even the cheap scope mounts work well if the proper hardware is used to mount them. Weight? Are you in the infantry?
 
So is selling a firearm to finance the purchase not an option? I mean.... 'several ARs'??? :D

My FAL is a century gun too. $500 from jgsales 4 years ago.

Scope mounts are available. I use a DSA mount with the brass catcher. Scoped, I can get 2" with the right 150gr ammo. (aussi, reloads, most commercial) 2-3" with port and south african.

Plenty of sight options too.
 
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