I.O. INC. Imbel FAL Kit

[SKSgunnut101]

How hard is it to build a rifle with one of these kits, an AGI Instructional DVD and an Entreprise Arms Type 03 Receiver? How is the barrel's rifling in the kit? and is it legal to assemble it like this or do I need some U.S. Compliance Parts?

 

[Ash]

You will need compliance parts. Barrels are, from what I understand, okay - nothing to write home about but usable. An Entreprise receiver is probably okay, but they have been somewhat hit-and-miss from what I have read.

Ash

 

[AndyC]

You have probably chosen the 3 companies with the worst reputations in the FAL community for their respective products/services, but never mind.

1. It's not hard, but you would need access to some tools - FAL receiver wrench, barrel vise, .308 go- and no-go gauges, calipers. These can be borrowed, usually.

2. Barrel's rifling - if it's an Imbel kit, likely quite good - they have the reputation of having been "carried a lot and shot a little"

3. If the barrel has a muzzle-device, you'll need 7 US-made parts for 922r-compliance (technically, it means there can be no more than 10 foreign-made parts on the rifle).
Example - replacing the hammer/trigger/sear (aka HTS) with US-made components = 3 parts
Repacing the stock, pistol-grip and fore-end with US-made components = 3 parts
US-made gas-piston, charging-handle or parts of the magazine (floorplate, follower, body) with US-made components = 1 part each.

 

[W.E.G.]

You need 7 US compliance parts.

For one of these kits, the most economical compliance parts are:
hammer
trigger
sear
gas piston
pistol grip
muzzle device
charging handle

Talk to us at http://www.falfiles.com/forums/index.php?s= and we'll walk you through it once you have all your parts.

Consider getting a DSA receiver instead of the Entreprise. There is a wait for DSA receivers, but you will be glad you chose DSA instead of Entreprise. I don't recommend Entreprise for first-time builders. There is too often an issue regarding placement of the ejector block with the Entreprise product. I have two guns with Entreprise receivers. The placement of the ejector block could be better on each of them.

 

[Wolfgang2000]

I have a enterprise built FAL scout. I love it, it works well, and the fit and finish is good.

 

[JHansenAK47]

IO sucks I bought one of their kits and it was supposed to have mags and US furniture. Neither one came with my order. parts were advertised refinished excellent and all my upper receiver parts were good condition definetly used. I contacted them and they pretty much gave me the run around. I will never buy anything from them again. If a product is not as advertised you should make it right or change your ad.
I know other people sell kits. If you order from IO and get something other than ordered remember "I told you so".
http://www.entreprise.com/imbel.html

 

[silverlance]

Did someone mention Entreprise?

DSA receivers will have smoother edges. There is no difference in terms of finish (both are parkerized), and if the ejector block seems out of place on your receiver we will replace it under the lifetime warranty that accompanies each we sell. We will also support you in your build if you email us (or me, for that matter).

The locking shoulder is set for .265, the barrel is set to hand time at 10:30, and if you mention my name when you order we'll get you free shipping at a cost of $329 for a Type 3.

While we are primarily a manufacturer, we also build rifles from any customer supplied receiver. Sometimes we get requests for DSA receiver builds. DSA receivers seem to be spec'ed for DSA barrels - this can result in complications for builders using surplus parts such as IMBEL or STG. As well, CAI receivers often need larger locking shoulders in the .270 range. Finally, IMBEL receivers time very well with IMBEL kits (surprise), but complications arise when building upon STG Austrian kits.

Entreprise, DSA, IMBEL receivers all make fine rifles, but the point is that building a FAL is not necessarily one-size-fits-all.

Finally, considering purchasing IO Inc's great bargain right now with the Lithgow Australian L1A1 kits. Complete kit with one magazine and a brand new green mt barrel (this will reduce your 922 count further) for $250. Inch (and yes we do have some inch receivers, although we no longer make them) receivers and will make EXCELLENT FAL rifles.

 

[Mtdew]

and if you mention my name when you order we'll get you free shipping at a cost of $329 for a Type 3.

Have any type 1's in stock

I have a STG kit I hand picked that's been waiting for a receiver for a few years.

 

[evan price]

It's not hard to screw together a FAL but as was mentioned before you need (not ought to have, but NEED) certain tools that are not inexpensive for a one-time build.

A receiver wrench and barrel vice, a headspace gauge set, pin gauge set.

FALFILES has people who can WTT ot WTL some of the tools and you can often buy the tools used from a board member and then resell them for breakeven to the next guy wanting to build one.

Only prob with DSA rec right now is the wait time to get one in your hands, they are often backordered.

Since IMBEL uppers are crazy priced at $450-$500 right now a new DSA is the deal for a nice one.

Century recently sold a truckload of their recent-spec uppers for dealer cost of $199 each. The new Century uppers are night and day better than the old ones were, the last one I just built literally screwed together, all I had to do is a little work on the BHO pin and some smoothing of the magwell lips; I sorted through my locking shoulders to find the right one and it was done. You should be able to find one of the new Centuries for under $300 for the next few months.

 

[CoryS]

I want a FAL very bead but prices are crazy on them right now.
I almost settled for a G3 clone at the gun show last weekend but Id rather have an fal.

 

[silverlance]

As someone else noted, building a FAL requires a lot more in the way of tools than in the way of skill. At the very most, you might have to remove a bit of metal from the barrel flange - often, even this is not necessary. In our factory IMBEL barrels are simply torqued home from 10:30 to 12 (TDC).

Enterprise, DSA, IMBEL are the most common right now and most affordable. The new Century receivers are said to be decent - however, I worked on two over the past weekend that had locking shoulder holes in excess of .272 which needs to be planned for in advance. EAI is $329 shipped, DSA is about $460 shipped, IMBEL is between $460 and $550 shipped. $600 shipped for IMBEL GL. There is a lot of hype about IMBEL receivers. they are good, yes, but they were a bargain back when they were $199 in 2003... now not so much. Of course, at that time our own receivers were $220 IIRC and 8mm Mauser was 900 rounds for 60 bucks. sigh*

There are some really good resources for building FALs online. Here are a few.

http://t6aluminum.tripod.com/FAL_STG58.htm

http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/barrelingthefal.htm

http://www.frontlinearmory.com/vise/vise.htm

http://www.cruffler.com/trivia-April01-background.html

The last has a section specifically addressing building FALs on Entreprise receivers.

Further, if you just want one shipped to you headspaced and done, we are selling them for $890 shipped. These are fully parked and headspaced, come with one magazine, and have EAI's effective ZC muzzle brake installed. You will need to mention THR and that Kevin sent you (me).

 

[SKSgunnut101]

If I had added the following compliance parts to my kit would my rifle be legal?
D.S.A. U.S. made Trigger, Hammer, and sear set
TAPCO Pistol Grip
Entreprise U.S. Made Carrying Handle
TAPCO Gas Piston
D.S.A. U.S. Made Semi Auto Selector.

Also if I bought the reciever from Entreprise would it come with the ejector block?

 

[Gunsnrovers]

The FAL market is odd right now. In many cases, cheaper to buy one built then build one. Common to find well made rifles built by solid builders for $1000 and less. Troll the FALFiles and look around.

 

[AndyC]

If I had added the following compliance parts to my kit would my rifle be legal?
D.S.A. U.S. made Trigger, Hammer, and sear set
TAPCO Pistol Grip
Entreprise U.S. Made Carrying Handle
TAPCO Gas Piston
D.S.A. U.S. Made Semi Auto Selector.

The carry-handle and the selector are not compliance parts - to the others you mentioned above which are compliance-parts, try adding any two US-made parts from the following:
A charging-handle (aka cocking handle), magazine baseplates, magazine followers, fore-end, buttstock, muzzle-device, etc.

 

[SuperDuty7.3]

I have two FALs and want to put scope mounts on them, and also do they make a forward picatinny rail sytstem for them like on the ARs?

 

[JHansenAK47]

[I have two FALs and want to put scope mounts on them, and also do they make a forward picatinny rail sytstem for them like on the ARs?/QUOTE]
DSA has a corner on the aftermarket FAL parts market.
http://www.dsarms.com/products.asp?dept=48&pagenumber=2&sort_on=&sort_by=
http://www.dsarms.com/products.asp?dept=14

 

[AndyC]

You have probably chosen the 3 companies with the worst reputations in the FAL community for their respective products/services, but never mind.

In the interests of fairness, it now appears that Entreprise is making a serious effort to improve their offerings - here's a review of their more recent receivers by a respected FAL 'smith, Mark T. Graham of Arizona Response Systems.

Hopefully this is a good omen and I wish Entreprise the best.

 

[aloharover]

FAL file members get DSAs for 350. If you can afford to wait 90-100 days spend the extra 21$ and save the hassle.
FYIW in the past couple months I know of 8 Entreprise receivers that had the problems Mark mentioned. A couple also needed work in the hole for the locking shoulder. Looked like inserting the ejector block pushed metal into the hole that required some filing to remove, and the locking shoulders were still very hard to insert.
Three had mag wells that were undersized, length and width. These need a lot of work.

 

[evan price]

I needed a .264 L/S on the recent Century I built. Can't get better than that.