After my initial experiences with the FN FAL I was not impressed.
WAIT! DON'T STOP READING FAL FANBOYS!!!!
These were Brit and Canadian guns in the mid 1970s. They were in poor shape and the troops showing them to us and letting us try them out complained they were not reliable or accurate. They all looked rode hard and put up wet.
I looked at but only handled briefly and did not shoot in that time period an FN rifle belonging to the German Police and an STG58 in Europe, but given my prior distasteful experience with the Canadian and UK guns applied my expectations to these nicer condition guns.
ABout ten years later a buddy shows up with one of the Springfield Armory Brasilian guns (SAR-48??????) and after sneering at it a bit I shot it. New gun verses 15 year old hard service gun was like night and day. Suddenly the FAL looked a lot better.
Unfortunately I was working on a Master degree and Interning as a high school teacher at the time and so did not buy one of the Springfields at the time while I was hot for one.
Soon there came the Century plain jane FALs and some worked quite well and mostly hit where aimed and some were .....well tent pegs.
Then came the host of "home built kits" Some f these put the best of the Century guns to shame. Some were down right great guns and some....well beloved tent pegs.
I think there are a lot of good FALs out there I would not mind having, but saying you want an FAL these days is like saying you want an "AR15" these days. You have to be more specific.....unless you like rally expensive tent pegs.
Personally I would love to have that SAR48 in the condition I shot it that weekend 30 years ago........but as white socks wearing, formerly PBR drinking, redneck crumudgeon I would not trade my M-1 for it.
-kBob