Should I step into the FAL world ?

[Firefly]

FWIW if I had a pristine STG-58 kit, an excellent receiver, and a pile of mags.....and the time and money....I might dip my toes back in just for that one.

It had a wood stock, imbel receiver and Steyr parts. It remains one of my biggest regrets. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't super accurate (but accurate for what it was) and was a blast to shoot.

It was my first evil gun and I stupidly traded it.

If I ever get another FAL it would simply be to try and reclaim my old collection.

Never trade stuff you like and never panic buy. Two hard won lessons.

I would say rent or borrow a FAL. You kinda have to grow up in it. Otherwise you'll see the flaws over minuses. Also SA ammo and DAG ammo has kinda dried up so....

for a grand more you could get a SCAR which is still in the FN lineage.

[Bubba FAL]

I have 4 (and a half - lacking an upper receiver). Love them, but as some have written, their time has kind of passed. Parts and accessories are much harder to come by and more expensive than they used to be. The days of $5 mags are long gone, too.

Having a bunch of .308 battle rifles was a lot more fun when high quality ammo could be had for <$150/case. If I didn't already have a bunch along with mags & other FAL stuff, I might look at something else.

[Pikey]

FWIW if I had a pristine STG-58 kit, an excellent receiver, and a pile of mags.....and the time and money....I might dip my toes back in just for that one.

It had a wood stock, imbel receiver and Steyr parts. It remains one of my biggest regrets. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't super accurate (but accurate for what it was) and was a blast to shoot.

It was my first evil gun and I stupidly traded it.

If I ever get another FAL it would simply be to try and reclaim my old collection.

Never trade stuff you like and never panic buy. Two hard won lessons.

I would say rent or borrow a FAL. You kinda have to grow up in it. Otherwise you'll see the flaws over minuses. Also SA ammo and DAG ammo has kinda dried up so....

for a grand more you could get a SCAR which is still in the FN lineage.

I to had a Steyr parts kit (matching numbers) built on an Imbel and regrettably sold it. Big mistake.

[TED]

For whatever it's worth, if I were choosing a semi .308 for accuracy, I'd go with an AR platform. If i was choosing a semi .308 for a balance of durability, reliability, AND also ABUNDANT AWESOME, it would be a DS Arms FAL. One of the things that is cool about FAL's is that the feed lips are part of the receiver. BTW, back in the day when time was young and so was I, the FAL was the more controllable shoulder fired 308 full auto that I have ever experienced (between HK, M14, and the FAL).

TED

[SteyrAUG]

for a grand more you could get a SCAR which is still in the FN lineage.

Wouldn't it be cool if FN decided to do a "retro series" of rifles like Colt is going to do. Of course that's asking a lot, I don't think FN even has the tooling to make FALs anymore.

[Kyohte]

Wouldn't it be cool if FN decided to do a "retro series" of rifles like Colt is going to do. Of course that's asking a lot, I don't think FN even has the tooling to make FALs anymore.

An FN factory rep told me to possibly expect a collector's edition FAL, similar to their M16 and SAW. This was almost a year ago, so take that for what it's worth. My guess is it's a pipe dream. He said when it comes, it won't be cheap.

[SteyrAUG]

An FN factory rep told me to possibly expect a collector's edition FAL, similar to their M16 and SAW. This was almost a year ago, so take that for what it's worth. My guess is it's a pipe dream. He said when it comes, it won't be cheap.

Wasn't the FN semi auto M-16 pretty much a hobby rifle?

[Kyohte]

Wasn't the FN semi auto M-16 pretty much a hobby rifle?

It was entirely, and it wasn't even correct. I'm sure their FAL would likely be the same. My guess would be they contract it out like they did with the AR. My second guess is that it will be a built by DSA type II with FN markings and sell for $4000-5000.

If we are lucky, they may be Imbel forged and American finished type III clones (kind of like how Springfield did their TRP 1911 frames). Regardless, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Firefly]

I to had a Steyr parts kit (matching numbers) built on an Imbel and regrettably sold it. Big mistake.

This is what it's like when Doves cry.

That rifle haunts my dreams.

[GNXII]

I agree what "Firefly" said that 15 yrs ago was the renaissance of the FAL. Quality surplus mags were cheap as was ammo.DSA had a few competitiors to keep them straight and narrow so to speak. Most are gone now along with the really good surplus parts kits. I rember buying a few thinking Id build them up exactly the way I wanted a FAL. The money gods then intervened and smiled and I fell into some cash, called DSA directly and had two FALs of my dreams within a month.They both are excellent but now there a plinking toy nothing else. Theyve been superseded by a few AR10s that shot well enough with zero grief right out of the box and continue to do so, totaly modular, easy to repair and IMHO easy to feed.