NEW to FAL's what did I buy???? PICS

[coldbore556]

Ok so I went to a local gun shop and saw this sitting on the rack for 400 bucks and after buying pretty much everything i run into over the past 6 months I got it. I would like to know if its any good? I know its used but is it good quality? What should I look out for with it? I have not had a chance to shoot it yet but I will try this weekend.. Also the front sight seems to be canted to the left and I know its part of the gas block so is there any way to fix this? And last question is what parts should I have on back up or what parts are prone to break. Thanks in advance I have already learned alot with this forum.

Also on the last Picture what is the ring for?? Sling, Bi-pod????


http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30129-1.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30130-1.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30131.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30132-1.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30133-1.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30134.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30135.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30136.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30140.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30144.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g260/getnpaid/SNV30146.jpg

[vmtz]

Yeah. Now go shoot it and let us know how it runs.

Fr. Vince

[coldbore556]

I cant wait to shoot it. But Any help with the stuff I asked in the post?????????? somebody

[vmtz]

To check the timing place the rifle upside down on a glass table or other flat surface. Place a mag in the mag-well and see if it is canted.

As for the rest of your questions you'll need to shoot it fist. It could be perfect or it may need some work. If work is needed then you came to the right place and the fixes are generally very easy.

Fr. Vince

[W.E.G.]

:mad: MAGAZINE FOUL!!! :mad:

[coldbore556]

No mag's were with it.. Is this thing inch or metric??? what type of reciever is it? what parts will work on it lol. I dont know shit about it

[fastprofessor]

You got an Australian inch kit built on a Century metric receiver. It will use metric mags. The ring in the last picture is where the front sling swivel attaches. Check out Gunpartsguy (google him) and you should be able to find a replacement. But Vince is right, you need to shoot it and get back to us. Many of the century guns run good from the start but some can be problematic. Good news is that even if its problematic, you came to the right place to get it running good.

[saltshaker]

And hey!
It was worth the $ you paid for it...........well worth it. These guys on this forum can help you with the tune up part.... Safely fire the weapon, then give them a range report........move out!

[crsswift70]

What is that about checking head space by a canted magazine?

[Oedipus]

Nice find, I'd have paid $400 for it in a heartbeat.

[billh1963]

Originally posted by Oedipus
Nice find, I'd have paid $400 for it in a heartbeat.

+1

Can't gp wrong at that price.

[DYNOMIKE]

For $400.00 beans it will be worth fixing for sure if it doesn't run right..

"IF" it runs "as is" you scored yourself a very sweet deal.. :beer:

Originally posted by crsswift70
What is that about checking head space by a canted magazine?

That's NOT what he said... He said to check the TIMING, IE: The Barrel timing or it's position on the receiver. Like a Clock if you will..
Headspace is entirely different, although if it were my rifle I would check that also..

[crsswift70]

Ahh,, you are right. My bad, i mis-read that :)

[coldbore556]

is there a good HOW TO on taking this thing apart? I didnt get anything with the rifle.

[crsswift70]

I seem to remember a thread on this forum for that... search field stripping. Here's a video if you can't find it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-SoIHe32E (http://)

Hmm.. after watching the video, i think he goes a little further than the standard field stripping.

[NEWFNL1A1]

Originally posted by coldbore556
is there a good HOW TO on taking this thing apart? I didnt get anything with the rifle.

Here's a link to a Century Sporter Manual in pdf:

http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/pdfs/centuryl1a1sporter.pdf

Doesn't cover much but probably like the one that came with it.

[gatsby]

Great find for the money.

Sometimes I wonder if it would be helpful to have a "New FAL Owner" section? I'm still pretty new to the wonderful world of FALs myself. :)

[Chalk_2]

Looks like a nice clean rifle. One other thing you might do is check to see if it has a "Widows Peak" feed ramp.

[bob dole]

i think your popsicle stick is held in with a drywall screw.... i know my l1a1 has a flat head screw in it, that looks like a philips head drywall screw

[bobm1919]

Nah, thats a century thing.

Their PG's don't have the machine screw insert in them that the originals do.

They just drilled a clearance hole (sometimes, other times they just ran the screw straight in, making a large bulge under the stick) in the plastic and ran in that flat head screw.

Works OK, I guess, but if you swap out the PG for an original you'll need to replace that screw.

[amdburner]

I believe that you will find that it takes "inch" mags and not "metric" mags. Check his pics out more closely. I own one and it takes inch mags. Metric mags will be loose in this receiver as it is cut for the larger inch mag tang.

[coldbore556]

Yea it takes inch mags but it also fires fine with a metric mag I found. I had it at the range last night for the first time with my gunsmith and it ran like a dream. We put in his metric mag and it was a tiny bit loose but fed fine. Overall I am pretty happy with it. It seems to have a chromed lined barrel so I cant cut it down which I am a little upset about. I didnt think chromed lined barrels were offered on these guns but I am 100 percent sure its lined....

So my next question is what barrel will this thing take, metric?? inch???

[coldbore556]

PS-

The trigger pull on this thing BLOWS..

[crsswift70]

If you're used to a civilian weapon's trigger pull, it will. I'm sure you can smooth it out a little. What did you do about the barrel timing?

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by coldbore556
PS-

The trigger pull on this thing BLOWS..

Remove the pistol grip assembly, and disassemble the trigger-return-spring plunger.

Polish the sliding surfaces of the plunger.
You might be amazed at what a difference this will make in the smoothness of the pull.

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by coldbore556
It seems to have a chromed lined barrel so I cant cut it down which I am a little upset about.

I know where you are going with that, and you're wrong.

We've hashed-out the no-you-can't... yes-you-can... about chrome-lined barrels until we are all blue in the face.

DEFINITELY - Yes, you can.

Especially since the angry beavers already ruined the "original" character of that barrel when they fugked-up the muzzle with their "blind pin" muzzle job.

Be careful if you remove that CENTURY muzzle decoration.
Sometimes they don't come quietly.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd7/rkba2da/rifle%20pics/CETME/muzzlemangled-blindpinsgtmike.jpg

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by coldbore556
Yea it takes inch mags but it also fires fine with a metric mag I found.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd7/rkba2da/FAL%20parts%20pics/magwellcutoutcomparison.jpg http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd7/rkba2da/rifle%20pics/FAL/magazines-inchvsmetric.jpg




...and Century "mystery cut."

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd7/rkba2da/FAL%20parts%20pics/receiver-centuryminchmagazinecut.jpg

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by coldbore556
...what parts are prone to break.(?)

.
.
.
.

Originally posted by W.E.G. at http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=2237278#post2237278



spare parts

Parts I have broken, lost or needed to replace on a FAL.

Muzzle device - flew downrange or simply cracked
Gas plug - cracked
Gas tube - eroded threads or pitted bore
Gas adjustment ring - broke in two
Handguard - wood broke or screw-threads lost/buggered
Handguard screw - lost/buggered
Top Cover - dented (repairable)
Firing pin - broke in two
Rat-tail rivet - fell out (recovered)
Recoil spring tube - broke in two at the receiver joint
Recoil spring nut - threads buggered.
Recoil spring nut washer - lost
Buttpad - worn (unsightly)
Bolt hold-open device - broke in two
Magazine catch - worn out
Extractor plunger - broke in two
Magazine follower - bent/buggered
Barrel - worn out -- unsatisfactory accuracy
Trigger plunger spring (L1A1 version rusted to oblivion)
Front sight retaining screw (L1A1 - lost)
Rear sight detent ball (lost)
Rear sight detent spring (lost)
Stock (cracked wood)

Other FAL parts I have heard of failing, but not have needed to replace myself:
Hammer - broken
Gas piston spring - broken (Ol' Dirty has a broken spring but still operates)
Firing pin spring - one member here almost got sent to prison for having a gun that had a broken firing pin spring (doubling)
Receiver - kaboom'd gun
Magazine body - kaboom'd gun
Extractor - kaboom'd gun
Locking plate - just heard of that one in this thread

I think anybody can see, this covers a goodly percentage of the parts one might encounter on the FAL.

Bottom line for me is this:
I cannot afford, nor am I inclined to acquire, every latest and greatest "battle rifle" that comes along. While I certainly have my share of this-and-that, I am settled on the FAL for my choice of general-duty major-caliber semi-automatic rifle. I was considering looking for "something better" just when DSA came out the "Hampton" lower. That rear sight solved my major nagging complaint about the FAL.

I have a spare FAL or two, and I have a fair number of individual spare parts. This FAL hobby has amused me for many years. The hobby will probably continue to amuse me, even if I don't keep acquiring parts as I used to. After all, how many handguard screws can I really lose between now and when I meet my maker?

FAL parts are currently widely available at reasonable prices. Take advantage of this.

I still need better FAL tools. I keep losing and breaking the inexpensive soft-metal tools.

Lastly, if you don't have a good set of headspace gages, I recommend that you at least get a GO, NO-GO, and FIELD gage. That is, assuming you can settle on .308 as your preferred caliber. Maybe 6.5x42 Improved will be the way of the future. So, hold off if you believe that. Otherwise, get those gages into your kit.

[coldbore556]

...im pretty sure the same thing applies to chrome in the barrel as it does on a chrome part.

[W.E.G.]

No.

You are wrong.

...and sorry, I mucked up your post

That's what happens when they put the "edit" button right next to the "quote" button, and let me have complete access.

Seriously, this "chrome" issue has come up here at least a hundred times.

Chrome in barrels in NOT remotely the same stuff you are familiar with on trailer hitches and exhaust pipes.

[JAB75]

Originally posted by coldbore556
PS-

The trigger pull on this thing BLOWS..

Look for a 'C' stamped on the FCG parts. If so, then the Century HTS are easily smoothed to give a very good trigger pull.

All of my TAPCO closeout Century HTS sets needed slight fitting to make them run reliably. The sear was stoned on either side, and the 'tail' that engages the trigger shelf was slightly shortened and squared. The trigger pocket had a cast line smoothed off. Hammer axis hole was opened up a few thousands to remove excess park and cast flash. Go slow and check frequently for fit. I cheated with a factory IMBEL set to measure and compare with.

Cutting the barrel will be fine...the biggest problem will be with bore drift when it was made and where you should cut it. Then you have the line bore issue... :biggrin:

Cool rifle and a great deal!

-JAB75

[troubleticket]

Just shoot it and leave that beautiful long barrel alone!

Get the correct FH on it and ENJOY!

[kmurphy]

Originally posted by troubleticket
Just shoot it and leave that beautiful long barrel alone!

Get the correct FH on it and ENJOY!

yes!