Florida Shooters Network

Have had my eye on them for a while, was going to pick on up about a year ago but ran into a PTR91k and decided to go with it. now im back on the FAL bug.

Just looking for anyone to tell me what kind of accuracy,durability ect there getting out of theres... basically looking for one of you to talk me into one so i can blame you when my girlfriend finds out

any info is welcome

opinions on ergos combared to the g3 platform, accuracy ect as stated above

I played with my 1st FAL/SLR way back in the mid 70's while stationed in Alaska as an Airborne Infantryman. We hosted a Canadian Light Infanty Company and we swapped guns for a while.

I liked the feel immediatley. They thought our poodle shooters were cute.

I've been into FALs for about 4 years now and have built about a dozen of my own and helped several others with theirr builds.

My 1st FAL was a store bought Century R1A1, G1 kit on an Imbel receiver. Got the bug and started building my own, even 3 Paras. Haven't had anymore that I didn't build myself.

However, that was back before the import ban on receivers and barrels. Kits and receivers have just about doubled in price, so unles you already have the tools or access to tools, it is not cost effective to go the DIY route.

FALs can be found ranging in price from as little as $650 to as high as $2000.

I think they are awesome rifles that will reach out and touch someone and hurt them bad. I like the way they look and the way they operate. They are rugged and will take a beating. They have been carried by lots of countries and has the nickname "Right Arm of the Free World". Where ever AKs were being used by terrorists and communist bad guys, FALs were being used by the good guys.

One thing the FAL isn't is a sniper rifle, that's not to say it's never been used as one. It was designed to hit a man-sized target out to about 800 meters. It will do that. If you want to drive tacks, go with an M1. The design of the rifle doesn't lend itself to accurracy.

There are things you can do to make the FAl a little ergonomic, but personnaly, I think it detracts from the look. Special top-covers with scope mounts are available if that the way you want to go. Someone makes an adjustable stock, but I've never seen one up close. There was the Butt-hole stock that was used during the AWB. If you find one of those, it's usally on a good build, but if you want to replace the stock, you'll have to make the rifle 922r compliant. Changing out evil foriegn made parts for US made parts. Usually needs to be 7 US parts to be legal. Can run into eztra money.

Most everyone feels DSA makes the best FALs available. While they are good (I've got a build on a DSA Type 2 receiver), I prefer an Imbel receiver to work with. That doesn't mean that if some one gave me a real FN made rifle, I wouldn't turn it down. After all, everyone else just built FALs under license anyway.

If you decide to go with a DSA, prepare to wait and pay a high price.

If you go with a garage build, make sure you can shoot it 1st. Some will say stay away from rifle with Hesse (Vulcan) receivers, but some have turned out to be good shooters once the bugs have been worked out. About the only receiver I'd personally stay away from are the early Unibrow feedramp Centurys. However, they can be made to run right. Some other receivers availabe are Dan Coonan, Entreprise and Ohio Rapid Fire (However, I don't think anyone has actually fired one yet, I hope to be the 1st tomarrow).

There are 2 basic flavors, Inch and Metric. Nothing to do with measurements, the Inch rifles were used by the Brits, Canadians and Aussies while just about everyone else used the Metric version; South Africa, Brazil, Isreal and Argentina, to name a few. The Metrics are more common.

Check out www.FALfiles.com, lots of great info over there.

Good luck and good hunting.

Thanks for all the info!

really making it hard for me not to head down the the fun shop lol

I likely wont have that kinda cash for a while unless i were to get one in a trade.

I do have a PTR91k and like it but the ergos arnt the best for me...its a fun gun thats for sure but idk.

Id love to pick up an FAL...i have seen them and wanted to take a look at one for some time and got the chance to handle a couple at the last show in orlando...man just felt right.

Now im thinking of putting one of my AR's as a trade or perhaps my PTR have alot invested into the ptr though, 40 somethings magazines..parts ect ect.

The one thing that gets me about the g3 platform is how big a pain in the but it is to change out the barrel if needed

dan1802 wrote:Thanks for all the info!

really making it hard for me not to head down the the fun shop lol

I likely wont have that kinda cash for a while unless i were to get one in a trade.

I do have a PTR91k and like it but the ergos arnt the best for me...its a fun gun thats for sure but idk.

Id love to pick up an FAL...i have seen them and wanted to take a look at one for some time and got the chance to handle a couple at the last show in orlando...man just felt right.

Now im thinking of putting one of my AR's as a trade or perhaps my PTR have alot invested into the ptr though, 40 somethings magazines..parts ect ect.

The one thing that gets me about the g3 platform is how big a pain in the but it is to change out the barrel if needed

I love the HK9X series rifles, but the barrel issue is a pain. (Quoted a deal of $175 + shipping to change out a PTR barrel)
Keep your PTR its a great gun and very under-rated here in the US. First dibbs on the K though.
If you get rid of it you'll regret it. Just my 2 pennies.

HKfanboy wrote:

dan1802 wrote:Thanks for all the info!

really making it hard for me not to head down the the fun shop lol

I likely wont have that kinda cash for a while unless i were to get one in a trade.

I do have a PTR91k and like it but the ergos arnt the best for me...its a fun gun thats for sure but idk.

Id love to pick up an FAL...i have seen them and wanted to take a look at one for some time and got the chance to handle a couple at the last show in orlando...man just felt right.

Now im thinking of putting one of my AR's as a trade or perhaps my PTR have alot invested into the ptr though, 40 somethings magazines..parts ect ect.

The one thing that gets me about the g3 platform is how big a pain in the but it is to change out the barrel if needed

I love the HK9X series rifles, but the barrel issue is a pain. (Quoted a deal of $175 + shipping to change out a PTR barrel)
Keep your PTR its a great gun and very under-rated here in the US. First dibbs on the K though.
If you get rid of it you'll regret it. Just my 2 pennies.

id let go of one of my AR's before the ptr91.

where did you get that deal at ??? i cant seem to find anyone offering that service for under 250-300

dan1802 wrote:

HKfanboy wrote:

dan1802 wrote:Thanks for all the info!

really making it hard for me not to head down the the fun shop lol

I likely wont have that kinda cash for a while unless i were to get one in a trade.

I do have a PTR91k and like it but the ergos arnt the best for me...its a fun gun thats for sure but idk.

Id love to pick up an FAL...i have seen them and wanted to take a look at one for some time and got the chance to handle a couple at the last show in orlando...man just felt right.

Now im thinking of putting one of my AR's as a trade or perhaps my PTR have alot invested into the ptr though, 40 somethings magazines..parts ect ect.

The one thing that gets me about the g3 platform is how big a pain in the but it is to change out the barrel if needed

I love the HK9X series rifles, but the barrel issue is a pain. (Quoted a deal of $175 + shipping to change out a PTR barrel)
Keep your PTR its a great gun and very under-rated here in the US. First dibbs on the K though.
If you get rid of it you'll regret it. Just my 2 pennies.

id let go of one of my AR's before the ptr91.

where did you get that deal at ??? i cant seem to find anyone offering that service for under 250-300

I love my PTR (top secret project underway, thus the barrel change.....hint K... )
The service is from a member over at HKpro.com. (I promised not to give out my quote.....I guess he has gotten tired of draining my bank acct completely)
You can find HK smiths to do it for around the same I pay, just go hang around HKpro for a while.

I wonder if 20 years down the road we'll be hearing stories about home built FALs coming apart in spectacular fashion?

I carried the L1A1 for 11 years in the British Army, even after I was of a rank to use the Sterling and after the SA80 (piece of crap) came out.

It is a wonderfully soldier proof piece of kit. I have seen it dropped, kicked and abused and then seen it function flawlessly without a misfeed or stoppage.

My standard annual personal weapons test required shots at 400 metres onto a charging man target using a 2" by 4" aiming mark. I never failed the APWT nor did any of my contemporaries.

It is a breeze block chewing, soldier proof, accurate piece of kit. We used to like the US Army visit days as the tender shoulders always used to feel the recoil.

Get one.