View Full Version : Finally got a FAL, I could use a little help on mags.
Just got a great deal on a FAL. It is a DSA on an LMT receiver. I am trying to get mags now before everyone loses their minds. I hear DSA mags are good and they suck. I put them in my rifle and they lock solid, it passed the function test. I will not know if they are good to go until I go shoot. My ammo is on its way but I am trying to find mags in the mean time. Surplus seem to have dried up at least for now so that leaves me DSA 20 round mags. What do you guys think about them? I have tried the search function but what I saw if anything was old. The sticky on the FAL is gone too. :(
I have all DS 20rd's made within the last couple years. No issues. My Para 16in is my truck gun so I trust them.
I was going to suggest the FalFiles market place, but dang you're right, surplus mags have dried up!
I wanted to go FAL also but the mag issue made go G3.
I have found a couple of people that have mags on Armslist but I do not know the true condition and origin of the mags.
I wanted to go FAL also but the mag issue made go G3.
I was going to do the PTR thing but they did not have the paddle mag release. Now that they do have them I may get one too especially if I can find one FTF private sale. I will zero it and put it up with some mags and ammo for a rainy day. LOL
Moose-Knuckle
08-14-16, 02:09
I was going to suggest the FalFiles market place, but dang you're right, surplus mags have dried up!
It's not just FAL mags either, a couple of years ago I was squirreling away NIW OEM G3 mags, you cannot find NIW G3 mags anymore. Sure there are tons of used in all manner of conditions aluminum "para" mags about but even the surplus steel mags are drying up.
Same with AK mags, who would have ever thought Eastern bloc steel 7.62 AK mags would dry up . . .
Before DSA went 100% in house production they had LMT making some receivers for them. They are typically viewed as a higher grade reciever over DSA.
I know a few guys who love Moses mags.
I know a few guys who love Moses mags.
I find it ironic to buy a classic battle rifle and here I am about to buy plastic mags. LOL
Mars attacks...
08-14-16, 16:22
I have been running DSA mags exclusively with my Imbel FAL for over 2 years. Never had a problem with them.
Wow, never thought I'd see the day FAL mags dried up. When I got my first one in '02 surplus Euro mags were practically free. The only costly mags were the 30rd Bren mags.
RetroRevolver77
08-15-16, 18:27
Wow, never thought I'd see the day FAL mags dried up. When I got my first one in '02 surplus Euro mags were practically free. The only costly mags were the 30rd Bren mags.
I bought two FAL's recently and managed to pick up 26 new FN FAL magazines for an average price of $22 each just in the past few weeks. While I consider them expensive for what I used to pay for them, I've also seen original factory mags in that condition go for quite a bit more.
Found a source for Isreali surplus mags in great shape for 27.00 ea plus shipping. Now how many? LOL I have 14 now.
Found a source for Isreali surplus mags in great shape for 27.00 ea plus shipping. Now how many? LOL I have 14 now.
You have 14 of what? DSA, Polys? If so might as well round out to 20 and get six Izzy mags.
Hard to imagine there was a time when factory NEW Steyr metric mags were $5.99 and even came with a stripper clip guide. Glad I have 20, wish I grabbed 200.
Between those and the $4.99 East German AK-74 mags I wish I wend a little crazier. Stocked really deep on the $1.99 G3 mags, have about 150 of them, about 50 are steel and most of those are NIW. One day they'll completely dry up and I'll feel like a genius.
Most of my mags are izzy.
Most of my mags are izzy.
Then personal preference. As long as you have 10 reliable magazines you are good to go for 99.999% of anything that is going to realistically happen. The only reason I have 100+ G3 and AR magazines is I'm thinking long term like what will be available 20 years from now.
Wow! I sure am glad I stocked up back in the day. Got somewhere around 70 of them, Austrian and Izzy. Don't think I paid more than $10 for any of them.
SomeOtherGuy
11-02-16, 12:58
OP: sounds like you are set now. Try the DSA mags. If they work, you are pretty much GTG. Unlike most magazines, the feedlips on the FAL mag simply hold the ammo in place and are not critical to how it feeds into the chamber. They are also fairly durable. My point being that if the DSA mags work at the range, they are likely to work in the future, without needing extensive testing. Failures are likely to be obvious right away. And if the DSA mags don't work, you've got some milsurp that you found, and should contact DSA to get them replaced.
I have a few DSA mags but haven't even tested them because I had a number of milsurp mags purchased when they were cheap.
I would take every single mag you own and make sure it fits into place in each FAL you own. Kind of like with AKMs, you cannot assume that all parts are 100% interchangeable even if made from official blueprints, and it's possible to find that some mags work 100% in FAL-A but won't even lock into place in FAL-B. I suspect this is an issue of tolerance stacking and/or lax quality control. You don't need to do live firing to test this, just try fitting each mag into place and removing it.
Wow! I sure am glad I stocked up back in the day. Got somewhere around 70 of them, Austrian and Izzy. Don't think I paid more than $10 for any of them.
Something like that. I was selling some excess in July but I was simultaneously seeing all these posts about real military FAL mags being unavailable while I was getting berated by people for wanting $20 for my like-new military mags. So I said F it and am just keeping the pile. Maybe they will be worth $100 each in a few years, and I could finally afford a KAC or Barrett M82...
MRBShooter
12-13-16, 22:27
Monitor the various marketplaces on FALFILES, and AR15.com.
Over the last 15 months I have picked up ten surplus mags (6 metric, 4 inch), and a couple thermold mags I took a flier on.
Some of the mags needed to be refinished, but that was a fun project. They pop up. Deals are to be had!
M.
I have only used original FAL magazines since I bout a dozen ten years ago for $7 bucks a piece, but am willing to try out the DSA magazines if they fixed their problems
My SA58 runs fine with the included DSA mag. It is fairly tight in the mag well and overall I am not particularly impressed with the construction. I plan to get several Moses mags soon.
It seems that DSA's mag quality is probably somewhat improved from prior horror stories I have heard. SA58's at least seem to run with provided factory mag.
MRBShooter
12-14-16, 15:54
You guys can also check out these deals for FAL mags:
http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/fal-mag-20rd-metric-new-repro.aspx
http://www.the-dealer-warehouse.com/FAL-Metric-Pattern-Rifle-Parts/fal-metric-20-round-magazine.html
I do not vouch for quality, but options are around.
M.
RAM Engineer
12-14-16, 16:50
Maybe you guys and MotoTech could work out a mutually beneficial solution:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mototech-scar17-25rd-sheetmetal-magazine#/
http://www.mototecheng.com/
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