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The FAL
Oct 12, 2012 12:50:40 GMT -5
Post by UnforseenWeather on Oct 12, 2012 12:50:40 GMT -5
Having just test fired my DSArms FAL and coming away quite impressed with it overall, how many of you guys have had the opportunity to shoot FALs?
I know the new hotness are .308 AR series rifles but, well, I had the chance to trade my 5.45 AK away for a very nice FAL and took it. The accuracy isn't as good as an AR series rifle (obviously) but the durability should be up there with the AK I traded it for.
I have a DSArms railed forend inbound at the time and am looking forward to taking it back out once it's installed.
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The FAL
Oct 12, 2012 14:41:56 GMT -5
Post by Hawkeye on Oct 12, 2012 14:41:56 GMT -5
I loved my DSA that I had.
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fm18
New Member
Posts: 73
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The FAL
Oct 12, 2012 22:39:12 GMT -5
Post by fm18 on Oct 12, 2012 22:39:12 GMT -5
I have one and I really like the gun. It feels like what a battle rifle should feel like and is extremely dependable. Wish I could afford to shoot it a little more! Mine is set up just like Hawkeye's except I have an Aimpoint 3X magnifier that I also run on mine. He was also the evil force that talked me into getting one and I wasn't disappointed in the least!
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The FAL
Oct 15, 2012 19:48:50 GMT -5
Post by Patriotic Sheepdog on Oct 15, 2012 19:48:50 GMT -5
I looked at the FAL before settling on a .308 bolt. From what I've read and researched on it, it will take a beating and keep on firing like an AK.
Nice set up Hawkeye
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The FAL
Oct 19, 2012 9:48:06 GMT -5
Post by UnforseenWeather on Oct 19, 2012 9:48:06 GMT -5
Well I'm doing my best to get my FAL like Hawkeye's with the exception of the optic. I have Leatherwood CMR 1-4 on mine. Need to get it back out to the range and confirm zero with the new rail on (and perhaps more importantly, the two things that could have affected barrel harmonics, the sling swivel and handguard retainer, removed). Attachments:
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The FAL
Aug 30, 2014 17:46:30 GMT -5
Post by panzer0170 on Aug 30, 2014 17:46:30 GMT -5
Well I'm doing my best to get my FAL like Hawkeye's with the exception of the optic. I have Leatherwood CMR 1-4 on mine. Need to get it back out to the range and confirm zero with the new rail on (and perhaps more importantly, the two things that could have affected barrel harmonics, the sling swivel and handguard retainer, removed). UnforseenWeather : What's the score with the cover (if that is what it is?) on the stock? Is it one of those magazine keepers?
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Post by UnforseenWeather on Aug 30, 2014 19:32:15 GMT -5
I just needed a slight cheek riser to get my eye the right height for the optic is all. I think that one was made for a shotgun.
Actually, now that I think about it, I needed a pocket on the gun to hold a wrench that I could have removed the optic quickly in case it went down. It fit the bill in both cases.
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The FAL
Aug 31, 2014 7:15:52 GMT -5
Post by panzer0170 on Aug 31, 2014 7:15:52 GMT -5
What do you guys think about a FAL as a DMR/SAW type rifle? (Obv it's not going to actually be automatic, but with a reliable hi-cap mag and a bipod you can still make it act like a SAW, though not like a GPMG)
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The FAL
Aug 31, 2014 9:58:29 GMT -5
Post by UnforseenWeather on Aug 31, 2014 9:58:29 GMT -5
SAW? Go for it.
DMR? Probably not, the accuracy just wasn't there for me. The accurization process (good trigger, barrel, floated rail) would probably keep you from wanting to use it in the SAW role. Much rather personally roll with an accurized M14 (M1a, civvie version) as I am more familiar with it.
The FAL is/was an interesting transitional late 40s/early 1950s gun design. It is made to last through Armageddon and then be rebuilt by whoever's left living, with relatively crude tools. It can be made accurate, but with so many .308 ARs hitting the market (DPMS has an interesting one) that will shoot rings around it, why bother?
As always, ymmv, and this is my opinion, individual, 1 ea.
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The FAL
Aug 31, 2014 10:01:09 GMT -5
Post by UnforseenWeather on Aug 31, 2014 10:01:09 GMT -5
I just realized that I have come full circle. I traded that FAL off for an AR and haven't looked back. The AR platform is where it's at as far as I'm concerned. Now I need to sell my FAL mags.
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The FAL
Aug 31, 2014 10:13:15 GMT -5
Post by panzer0170 on Aug 31, 2014 10:13:15 GMT -5
SAW? Go for it. DMR? Probably not, the accuracy just wasn't there for me. The accurization process (good trigger, barrel, floated rail) would probably keep you from wanting to use it in the SAW role. Much rather personally roll with an accurized M14 (M1a, civvie version) as I am more familiar with it. The FAL is/was an interesting transitional late 40s/early 1950s gun design. It is made to last through Armageddon and then be rebuilt by whoever's left living, with relatively crude tools. It can be made accurate, but with so many .308 ARs hitting the market (DPMS has an interesting one) that will shoot rings around it, why bother? As always, ymmv, and this is my opinion, individual, 1 ea. I've always been dubious of drum type magazines, they've historically been... sub par, for various reasons. But there seem to be a couple about now that are actually pretty solid, and with .308/7.62x51mm the 30rd magazines are just a PITA. When I can fit a 50rd drum that makes the weapon more controllable (because of the deadweight) and is only as deep as a 20rd box mag, I like that idea. Between that and the advantages of 7.62x51mm at range I think it would make a brilliant support weapon, ESPECIALLY for static locations in open country. I wouldn't ever want to haul that through woodlands, but grassland areas - one of those with 2-3 drum mags would be a nice thing to have. Key issue is PRICE (But hell, they do look like FUN, as well.) Even if you only had one drum, for pure access to firepower from the get go, I think it's a decent concept, so long as you've taken care of other things you need to first (For example - I do not need 10 identical/nearly identical rifles. This would be better suited than 10 carbon copies of the same weapon I already had.) I am a firm believer in suppressive fire, so long as it comes in a 'real' calibre, and VOLUME.
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The FAL
Aug 31, 2014 11:13:35 GMT -5
Post by UnforseenWeather on Aug 31, 2014 11:13:35 GMT -5
Key issue is price... and weight. I have some 25 rd mags for the FAL and M1a, and doggone they're heavy in the gun while you're holding them. I can't imagine how heavy a 50 round drum would be...! If you're set up, and it's a static defense situation, throw that drum mag in and rock and roll, but if you're slugging it out with a .308 and not leaving... perhaps some other planning and forethought could have helped forestall that entire scenario. This comes back to something Nutnfancy (love him or hate him) calls "SAWC" = Size and Weight Considerations. He's definitely on to something there, and not just from an individual weapon mindset, but overall survival thinking and planning. I'm not going to hump a .308 if I'm patrolling unless it's needed for a specific reason (so yeah, it's good to have access to them!). If I'm bugging out, give me a 5.56mm with a variable low-power scope and accurate barrel any old day!
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Post by panzer0170 on Aug 31, 2014 13:13:32 GMT -5
Key issue is price... and weight. I have some 25 rd mags for the FAL and M1a, and doggone they're heavy in the gun while you're holding them. I can't imagine how heavy a 50 round drum would be...! If you're set up, and it's a static defense situation, throw that drum mag in and rock and roll, but if you're slugging it out with a .308 and not leaving... perhaps some other planning and forethought could have helped forestall that entire scenario. This comes back to something Nutnfancy (love him or hate him) calls "SAWC" = Size and Weight Considerations. He's definitely on to something there, and not just from an individual weapon mindset, but overall survival thinking and planning. I'm not going to hump a .308 if I'm patrolling unless it's needed for a specific reason (so yeah, it's good to have access to them!). If I'm bugging out, give me a 5.56mm with a variable low-power scope and accurate barrel any old day! Weight I'm not bothered about. If you're taking this out and expecting to use it, it's worth double it's weight with the right optic/bipod setup and a good gunner. This would be an ideal section weapon, the kind you'd perhaps let everyone get some trigger time on, and then if you're going to throw down some forward OPs that are static for a while, you put this on that position. Same sort of thing you'd do if you're going to occupy a harbour; Section/Platoon weapons down first, then fill in the gaps. I have no intent of ever having to go for DISTANCE, nor would this be my primary. I'm MUCH better with bullpups, and when they're in 5.56 as well it just makes it a no brainer as to what my primary is going to be for 95% of scenarios. Definitely nice to have a hammer in your toolkit, as well as scalpels.
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The FAL
Aug 31, 2014 13:19:40 GMT -5
Post by panzer0170 on Aug 31, 2014 13:19:40 GMT -5
14lbs, with Drum, btw. Not UNworkable, but definitely not something to lug around all the time.
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The FAL
Sept 8, 2014 11:12:22 GMT -5
Post by norinco on Sept 8, 2014 11:12:22 GMT -5
I like my FAL's but I don't love them. I don't like adjusting the gas ring and mine were finicky with certain types of ammo regardless of how much gas I used.
Now my PTR-91 I love!
Who wouldn't love magazines at 99 cents a piece?
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