DS Arms FAL question

[Mitch1352]

2 actually: Are there any quality differences between a DSA built in Barrington, IL and one built in Greybear (I think that is the right place)? What would be the differences in one with a 10xxx serial number vs. one with a 40xx number?
Please chime in with any other tidbits of info. My local gunshop has 2 for sale. The gently used one is as much as the new, but supposedly has "all FAL" parts according to the clerk, making it "better".

[HeavyDuty]

Grayslake?

[Ricardus]

I have one built at Lake Barrington, IL and the serial number is 24XXX built in 2003. The only thing I can think of is the availability of better kits back then rather than now and the availability of inexpensive magazines which has since dried up. I have 5 brand new and 9 lightly used mags.

Mine is a Tactical Carbine with the short gas system and it has the DSA mount.

Good luck, since I hear that the newer ones have some problems because of the kits that have become harder and harder to acquire. I have a feeling that DSA will concentrate more on M4s but that is just my speculation. They have not started back up manufacturing magazines that are reliable. Their site no longer offers 20 round mags.

[Toonces]

Maybe the clerk meant the older one had "all Steyr FAL" parts, instead of the US produced parts DSA is using now?

You could try doing some reading on the falfiles FN forum, but I've always found it hard to come up with exact answers to questions like this. Posting this question on the falfiles would get you a lot of responses.

Did you miss an X on the serial number? I bought mine used five years ago, and its in the 25xxx range. If you are talking about a new rifle, I would expect the serial number to be higher than either of the numbers you listed.

[mrbieler]

I guess the question is how "new" is the newer one. The older kits were built on STG kit parts. Good stuff. Rifles built in Barrington also were on STG parts until the kits dried up. It's very possible the Barrington marked rifle has the same "original" parts content as the Greyslake model.

Newer version have fewer and fewer original parts and there have been issues with current production DSA parts failing. They do offer a good warranty, but it's something to ponder.

[shootist~]

Is it a complete DSA built gun (with box and warranty card) or just a parts kit gun someone cobbled together using a DSA upper receiver?

There can be major differences in home builds with some excellent and some built from beat to death parts and refinished to look good. There can even be major differences in DSA built guns.

DSA built both new (from NOS parts) and from StG de-milled parts kits.

[Mitch1352]

Grayslake is correct.

[CPTK]

I have owned 2 from IL and its top quality