Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles FN FAL never owned or used one need info.

I have a chance to buy one or two Fal's never even held one anyone with knowledge want to share their thoughts?

They were a lot more fun back when a case of good milsurp 7.62 was $135.

I have owned several and also used them as a military man years ago working as an adviser.
I used a Belgium Paratrooper model, 1 Brazilian, 1 Argentine, 2 Israeli, 1 Canadian C1 and a British L1A1. So I have a lot of experience with them and in addition to those I have used in my service days I have owned a DSA, 2 Centuries (one good and one I had to re-build to make it work) and an Arizona Response Systems FAL. If you get one with a perfect barrel it's not uncommon for them to shoot under 2 MOA. My very best one shot to about 1.3 MOA for all shots with good ammo. It was the Century arms gun I rebuilt (oddly enough)

Overall, those that are built correctly are excellent combat rifles and do perfectly well for hunting too. I have killed antelope, deer and elk with FALs in the past. They are a bit long and heavy, and the triggers can also be heavy, but they are accurate enough for any iron sigh application and in the best examples do ok as scope rifles. Mags are plentiful and cheap. And when put together right they are quite reliable.

Their adjustable gas system makes for an auto that can be adjusted to fire about any load you want. I have used loads in my old guns from 55 grain Remington accelerators up to 200 grain Speer bullets, and all worked 100%.

Unless your salesman will allow you to run a good number of round through the rifles as a test, stay away from those not made by a builder who is well known for making good ones (Century's come to mind)

But if made right, and with good bores, they can be excellent rifles
A test for reliability and accuracy will tell you if the ones You are looking at are good ones.

YUP

Had 3 an FN , a heavy barrel Israeli put together, and a Springfield. Used them for prairie dog hunting in Wyoming when surplus was about 8 cents a round. Biggest complaint was scope mounting difficulties, really hard to get a removable cover that doesn't move.. Also the stock is not conducive to scope use, no cheek riser.

Liked them more than the HKs

they are a "drop bolt locking system" which sets the headspace, and has a lot to do with what accuracy your going to get. So as was suggested, shooting them prior would be pretty important

also have an Armalite AR10 target that came out quite a bit later. CCA adjustable stock.

Personally I would get the AR10, better trigger, better site selection, better replacement barrel selection, better stock selection

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^

But if'n yer bound & determined, make sure it's a real FN version, or at the least, an Israeli rebuild.

And start eatin' yer Wheaties if'n you have any expectations of carryin' it around very fer.

YMMV

MM

FAL is very pleasant to shoot. Really a soft recoil, not like the HK 91 or G3 which let's you know it's there.

If I were just starting in the 308/7.62x51 battle rifle area I think the AR10 would be my choice now. And then would likely add a FAL at some point.

Nice rifles, accurate enough. A little heavy and difficult to scope mount. The irons will bite your glasses if you shoot anywhere near nose to receiver. Could use the addition of a free float forend, otherwise the barrel walks a lot as it heats up, either under sling tension or with the use of the bipod.

Try to get more information on what brand/builder they are from. Century on IMBEL receivers are good to go. They were imported with ban-compliant furniture, and non-threaded muzzles. Century G1 or R1A1 sporters can be iffy. I have a G1 sporter that shoots awesome now, but had to be redone in order to get that way. DSA is usually the way people go nowadays since it's the only domestically produced version. QC can be a crapshoot, but at least they're still around to fix stuff. Arizona Response Systems is one of the best FAL smiths around, along with AZEX is another one. Entreprise receivers can be good, but a lot were bad, according to the stuff I've seen. There are a lot of FALs put together by shadetree gunsmiths, so be wary.

If you can get more info, come back and let us know, please?

Just shot one, once. Don't know any of the important details save one, it handles and holds like a dream.

AR 10s get the job done. But, the Fal has a Reagan-era cool factor of 10.

Yep

Closer to Cartier era.

The FN has probably the worst mag. release/magazines of the battle rifle group . The notch on the mags are too small, and a good whack will knock it out.

If your really serious about getting a rifle in this group consider the Galil folders, (as well as the AR10s)

For those of you keeping score at home, Truman was the president when the FAL was introduced.

M14, FAL, AR10, I think M14. I have a couple left in the safe, and back in the day they really had a place in my heart.

I used to shoot an M14 (M1A) in Service Rifle competition and loved it but I've always wanted an FAL ever since I got interested in the history of the Falklands War back in the early-mid 80's.

If you ever have one where the BHO slips past the magazine follower, you are gonna have a dilly of a time getting it unjammed.

Seller says one is Rodesian/imbel pattern the other L1A1/SLR imsh pattern, sand cut bolts full auto ejector blocks.As I said I have not even a passing acquaintance with the FAL so the info is of little use perhaps one of you can help . Thanks for the information I have always had a itch to own a FN FAL.

I prefer L1A1 pattern rifles.
The Rhodesian sounds like a kit build. IIRC, some of them were pretty beat. But man, the history!!!
Anyway, of course you are going to get pictures.

Let's talk pre bans.
Here were 3 from my collection.
Top is an Australian "Poyer" import.
Only 158 imported.
Middle is a 50.00, Rogak import.
Bottom is an Fn 50.63 para.

I'm a moderator on wwwfalfiles.com
Go to the forums, and all the info you seek is there.
They are heaviesh.. can be temperamental if a build, have adjustable gas systems, and are plenty minute of human.
I had a built all Imbel para, 50.63 clone, that I took many a 1st in service rifle shoots with.
There is a diff in metric mags and inch.
No, the little tit metric mags won't fall out under a good bump.
So many faliseces here about fals.
They wouldn't be called " The Right Arm of The Free World", nor adopted by over 93 countries if there were not a 1st class weapon.