Enterprise vs. DSA

[kbenning]

I am trying to do a little research before I get my first FAL. Looks mean absolutely NOTHING to me in regards to the finish on the gun. Price is a factor, but not an overpowering one. My main concers are reliability and accuracy. I know the typical accuracy of a FAL can vary from gun to gun, but comparing the two companies guns, Is there a big difference between them? Also, I read that the metric front sight post is rounded versus the inch being squared. I want a metric, but I would prefer the squared front sight blade. Can the front sight be easily replaced with a squared blade on it like the inch ones? If I could get away with getting the Enterprise, I would have some leftover cash for mags and a new pistol. If I got the DSA, I am gonna be strapped for cash and I have a couple more purchases before Osamabamarama becomes president and tries to take all my stuff away.

Thanks

[GM4spd]

I live in CA---so I am limited to a 10rd NON detachable mag but can have a
pistol grip. I have owned a DSA Congo rifle,CA configuration, I see NO difference
in accuracy or function,I think the finish on my Entreprise looks better then
the 2 tone effect of the DSA. My Entreprise last week shot the 2 consecutive
groups @100 with Aussie ammo(pictured) if you lay the targets on top of
each other it's 10 shots in a hair over 3"---very respectable.I did initially have
a BHO issue with my Entreprise which they fixed in 2 weeks. For California DSA
and Entreprise FALs
the price diff can be over $900 MORE for DSA,not to mention DSA has a considerable wait
time. Also for California buyers,Entreprise has their 10/20 mags in place which makes for a better looking rifle,I would suspect DSA will probably end up dropping their CA model especially with their product commanding such a higher price and not looking as good with the 10 rd short mag.The first pic is the Entreprise,second is the DSA, HTH, Pete in CA


http://www.fototime.com/44CD69C1488C0ED/standard.jpg


http://www.fototime.com/4B8CAB36E00E9A6/standard.jpg

[xkalifornian]

I'm a newbie here and to FAL's. I am also going through the same dilemma choosing between the two makers. Is the DSA worth the extra $? In a recent phone conversation with Nicole at DSA she mentioned "you get what you pay for".

Regards

[GM4spd]

Originally posted by xkalifornian
I'm a newbie here and to FAL's. I am also going through the same dilemma choosing between the two makers. Is the DSA worth the extra $? In a recent phone conversation with Nicole at DSA she mentioned "you get what you pay for".

Regards

"You get what you pay for" in some cases is just a bunch of words,a few
years back you could pay $72K for a ZO6 Corvette or $138K for some exotic
Mercedes 2 dr and the Corvette would outrun it,for a lot less money,and
look better in the process. If you have money to burn on a "name" it's
certainly your right--it's still a free country-- at least until November:skull:

Pete

[John Thomas]

Hi,

I just went through the same decision making process in purchasing a receiver. I chose the Entreprise, and I think it was the right choice. The rifle went together perfectly. I had no trouble of any kind with the Entreprise receiver. I'm sure the DSA is really nice, too, but in my situation, I didn't need to spend the extra money or get on a waiting list. The receiver was in my hands the following week after I paid Entreprise. It had a few tool marks on it, but I'm like you, that doesn't bother me at all.

Good luck,
John Thomas

[F4GIB]

I've owned two Entreprise STG's. Both were excellent in all regards.

[2336]

Received an Entreprise Arms metric FN-FAL Type III build about a month ago and am extremely pleased with it and will go straight back to them for my next FAL which will be an inch pattern. Can't say enough good about Matt and the folks at Entreprise Arms. Best bang for the buck in my opinion! I think DSA is overpriced, lazy and customer service isn't that big a priority for them - just my opinion!

[indy_Muaddib]

back in the day the only good receivers were DSA, Imbel, and DCI. Entreprise wasn't a contender will all their problems.

these new Entreprise Receivers however are much improved.

next FAL i do will be on an Entreprise.

[EricCartmanR1]

i have a dsa but i have read a lot of good stuff with these new enterprises. my next FAL will be an enterprise.

[gauraprema]

If you have money to buy a good DSA which is around $2000 then you should find someone selling a FN import.I have seen them going for $2500 but if you offer cash you might get lucky.The thing is that unless you get the DSA stg 58 then you will get a new gun,not a parts gun.And If Im not mistaken the enterprise guns are made using imbel kit's.I could be wrong.If you have the money then you also have the choice of a SAR-48 which is a pure factory imbel imported by springfield.Now you will find sooooooo many oppinions and advice here but I sugest you go out and find these guns and try them.Like at the range or find a file member close to you and see if they will help you out.Dont rush in fear of obama as that agenda will not happen overnight.If you are looking to buy one good enough to last and be a reliable friend.Then go slow and look around at show's(but dont believe all the things the dealers tell you at shows)and on gubroker ect..Anyway you get the idea.Go to the main file forum and enter this into the general firearm discussion section and ask around.Look at who has had which rifle and ask them how many rounds have they put through it and what were the issues with the rifle if any.And think very carefully as to what you are going to be using the rifle for.DSA rifles are all .308 where as you can find 7.62x51 if you look.And a chrome lined bbl will last longer.So many variables to account for.Do some research on the net on differant styles of the FAL.Like the congo the L1a1 the STG and what bbl length you want.I pray this helps a little.

[gauraprema]

And if this is going to be your SHTF rifle then dont take customer service to seriously as in the field you will have to make all the repair's.Like any other tool you wil have to maintain it and ifyou treat it well then it will treat you well.If you find a quality rifle and it ha good customer care then that's awesome but dont base your choice just on the fact that you can send it off to be fixed.Now if they will replace a KB rifle then thats another story.(KB=KABOOM)

[Manedwolf]

Originally posted by 2336
Received an Entreprise Arms metric FN-FAL Type III build about a month ago and am extremely pleased with it and will go straight back to them for my next FAL which will be an inch pattern. Can't say enough good about Matt and the folks at Entreprise Arms. Best bang for the buck in my opinion! I think DSA is overpriced, lazy and customer service isn't that big a priority for them - just my opinion!

What do you base that on? When I called DSA, they were incredibly friendly, and they shipped my Type II immediately. Plus, if you're a member here, it's only $350!

You do get what you pay for. If you want to drive a Saturn instead of a Lexus, that's up to you. :)

[Vaughn L. Allen]

The folks at DSA have always been incredibly friendly and have gone to great lengths at times to make sure that everything was right. I had a problem with a receiver having double-struck lettering on one side. It wasn't a big deal and you wouldn't know the difference unless you were doing a side by side comparision. They refunded some of the $350 that I paid for it.

I haven't ordered anything from Entreprise yet. When I have called to ask about products they were great to deal with. My friend bought an Entreprise rifle and it is definitely a keeper!

[ftierson]

The following represents my opinion, and only my opinion...

I don't think that most of the posters here have held a DSA receiver and an Entreprise receiver in their hands at the same time...

While the 'new' Entreprise receivers might be better than old ones (and, personally, I'm not yet convinced of that myself), the DSA receivers are the finest and most beautiful FAL receivers ever produced, except perhaps for the Austrian StG-58 production...

And the price difference between the DSA and the Entreprise is very small...

For that reason alone, why would you be picking Entreprise?

The availability of DSA receivers is somewhat spotty, so, for the need-it-right-now crowd, there might be a reason for picking an Entreprise receiver that's available right now over a DSA receiver that will be available sometime in the future...

My personal experiences with DSA have been very positive. The people there have bent over backwards to get me what I've ordered, and have even searched through stuff to find what I've been looking for...

Thus, my customer service has been great, although I recognize that others, from previous comments here on the falfiles, have had slightly less stellar experiences.

DSA is a sponsor of this website, with their own vendor's forum and, until recent health problems, with a representative working hard to answer our questions and respond to our concerns (at the same time recognizing that DSA was not quite as responsive here a few years back).

Although I have heard some talk (mostly from Matt, I think) about Entreprise becoming a recognized vendor here, I haven't seen it happen yet. I certainly hope that Enterprise does follow through with this and becomes a site sponsor too...

In the past, the representatives/owners of Entreprise have threatened to shut down this site and sue Jen for allowing unbiased assessments of their products to be posted by members here. I haven't really heard any apologies for this behavior or indications that the ownership of Entreprise Arms has changed to any significant degree.

For these many reasons, you don't have to worry about me ever buying an Entreprise product, even if they end up better than DSA's (which is certainly not the case anyway to this point in time)...

I freely admit that this may just be me, but that's what I make my buying decisions on...

And perhaps I may be wrong in some of the 'facts' stated above, but that's currently how I see things. I'd be happy to have any errors in anything stated above pointed out to me, and I hope that things can be better in the future for my 'relationship' with Entreprise Arms...

For what little it's worth..

Forrest

[owlcreekok]

In the opposite side of you, Forrest, I won't abide DSA's arrogance. Were it merited I might look over it. Since it is not, I don't. I HAVE held a new Entreprise and a DSA, one in each hand.

Not worth $150 extra for the DSA to me. For a shooter-keeper. If I wanted to hold the option of profit later on, I would go for a Gear Logo or a DCI, DSA as a last resort.

Blast off the finish from a DSA and behold the same tool marks that others display (in my limited experience).

I have a new Entreprise in the safe. We shall see.

:beer:

[GM4spd]

After reading the post by Forrest,I see where he is coming from,as I stated
earlier I have owned both (albeit at different times) and I stated I see no
diff accuracy or functionwise. His comments about the "looks" of the DSA
rcvr got my attention, I never really looked that close at either one---geez these are battle
rifle clones not engraved Weatherby's---I could give a rat's arse about a
few marks on one or the other. As far as "looks" I showed photos of both rifles
and the dark finish furniture contrasting with the light grey metalwork on my
DSA was more troublesome then a few toolmarks. That may be changed now
or maybe my DSA was an anomoly and not real representative of DSA at that
time(2003).I must have missed something on the price diff ($150),my Entreprise
CA legal rifle with tax and reg was about $1100, a DSA CA FAL would cost me
about $1900+ all the fees(shipping,reg,tax) WHEN it arrived,maybe my math is
bad but that looks like about 80% more for DSA,that much money covers a lot
of tool marks and pays for a lot of ammo! Pete

[tracyballard]

If this will be your only FAL, do yourself a favor and get the DSA - you can get them for a reasonable price from Atlantic Firearms - $1039 for the standard rifle. Not too bad for a real FAL from a reputable company producing Brand New LICENSED FAL's, no used parts involved.

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/programming/expand.asp?Prodid=389

[kbenning]

Thanks for all the help guys. I have been on some other gun forums and a lot of times people are arrogant and don't want to take the time to help a newbie. All the advice is much apreciated, I have some heavy thinkin to do.

[2336]

Manedwolf, I have not had completely unsatisfactory dealings with DSA. My last dealing was the one that I based my post on. I have, in the past, talked to a gentleman named Jeff. He has always been very personable and very customer friendly. However, when I went to actually order my receiver I ended up dealing with a young lady. Initially she told me that the order was a go and it would be $349.99, with a 6-8 week ship time. She called me back about 2 hours later and said she couldn't sell to me even if I provided an FFL and a dealer to ship to. She stated that they could only ship if the order was placed directly by the FFL holder and the price would be the website $449 price. As you can see that certainly put a sour taste in my mouth. I ended up going with Entreprise and received my completed rifle back in less time than it would've taken DSA to just ship the receiver. I'm not a collector. I just want a fully functional battle rifle. It will be shot, it will be used! A few tool marks here and there are of no consequence to me. However, my Entreprise Arms receiver has no such tool marks - so I'll stay with Entreprise. Just my opinion. Yes DSA has Type I and Type II receivers, they build repros of famous FALs, and all kinda customs. If that's what you want, more power to you. This is still a free country, at least for awhile. But for what I wanted DSA was over-priced, and too slow to deliver.

[kbenning]

Forrest, I had to get something to put all these fal mags in while I wait for my LAR 8 standard A4.

[ftierson]

Originally posted by kbenning
Forrest, I had to get something to put all these fal mags in while I wait for my LAR 8 standard A4.

There is that, isn't there...

:)

Forrest

[Ducktoller]

DSA vs Entreprise receivers I have both as far as build problems about the same.
Entreprise barrel timed at 10:30 all parts fit well no thread chasing had feed problems called Matt@Entrepise he said send in for fix or replacement.
DSA Had to chase barrel threads barrel timed at 9:00 had to dress up mag catch . DSA Has often been the better choice but Entrepise is catching up Matt@Enterprise seems to be listening.

[Azraphaelus]

DSA receivers are forged. I've had nothing but good experiences with DSA, they are top quality and I can only compare them with surplus S/A and H&R M1 Garands.;) I've handled Enterprise FAL's also, and I think they are nice. Although I would purchase an Enterprise, I would prefer the DSA. I say get what you can reasonably afford and be happy with. Happy rifle hunting!:beer:

[EricCartmanR1]

My DSA Para FAL is one of my favorite guns. If I could only own one FAL, or gun for that matter, it would probably be this gun. It has been a fun and reliable gun, but besides that it is very pretty and it has a great following. Sometimes it feels good knowing you have the best. From what I hear, it does not get much better than a DSA......

However, it's an FAL! Ole Dirty himself is a FrankenFAL. The Enterprise at $869 is a dam good price and I if I were on a budget and looking for a new FAL, the Enterprise would be my one and only option.

[tracyballard]

Century - $699
Entreprise - $869
DSA - $1039


I'm not saying the Entreprise is not better than the Century. It may be. But I don't think it's competitive with the DSA. If you're on a budget, a Century will run just fine, the easiest FAL I ever put together was on a 2007 Century. If you're not on a budget the DSA is more attractive to me even though it costs a little more. There is a difference. It's hard to describe, but if you've ever held a DSA in your hands you know.

[tracyballard]

you might want to click this link and reply, if you like DSA.

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=2352706#post2352706

[GM4spd]

Originally posted by tracyballard
you might want to click this link and reply, if you like DSA.

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=2352706#post2352706


Did this actually happen? Pete

[FalFNatic]

I bought my first DSA rifle, about ten years ago and was sold on it's quality. Of my 14 Fals, 6 are DSA factory guns. I reciently bought 3 DSA receivers for my own builds and all time perfectly on my STG and G1 barrels. I have spoken to DSA at least a dozen times , primarily to Jeff and althought he doesn't know me from Adam, has ALWAYS been courteous and patient with my questions.

I have no experience with Enterprise or their products.

[Matt(formerly@)EntrepriseArms]

Well,

I can say that I've called DSA a couple of times, and they were nice to me and answered all my questions! Ditto when I ordered something from them as well, and doing so using my company name when we ordered it!

[tracyballard]

Originally posted by Matt@Entreprisearms
Well,

I can say that I've called DSA a couple of times, and they were nice to me and answered all my questions! Ditto when I ordered something from them as well, and doing so using my company name when we ordered it!

gee, how refreshing. I may have to order something from Entreprise soon.

[weld387]

I own a DSA 58 Aussy. Breaking in the barrel one can usually tell if they have a winner or not. When I put my break in rounds thru the weapon I was amazed at the gloverleaf prints at the thirty yard mark. After the break in. It was hitting a nice 2.5 group at the hundred. "OPEN SIGHTS" The only other semi auto I own that did this was a Springfield M1A. Can't speak for Enterprise? Never shot one

[kbenning]

Thanks for all the info. I decided on a DSA, and will have the rest of the money by the end of the week. I am planning on getting a SA58 FAL Standard. Any idea on a wait time going through DSA? Can't wait for my first FAL, but I am sure I am gonna. Just hope the wait is not as bad as the RRA LAR 8 I have on order.

[ftierson]

Originally posted by kbenning
Thanks for all the info. I decided on a DSA, and will have the rest of the money by the end of the week. I am planning on getting a SA58 FAL Standard. Any idea on a wait time going through DSA? Can't wait for my first FAL, but I am sure I am gonna. Just hope the wait is not as bad as the RRA LAR 8 I have on order.

No shit...!!!

Forrest

[Matt(formerly@)EntrepriseArms]

Originally posted by tracyballard


gee, how refreshing. I may have to order something from Entreprise soon.

No kidding!

Btw, I'm gonna order a 13" OSW front end, the quad rail hand guards, and para lower & stock from them here in the next couple of days.

Its not for me - its for a customer who wants us to build an OSW for him.

I wish it was for me, though :biggrin: