The FAL (Why do you like them?)

[MK ULTRA]

the second place FAL is not even there.

M16 & Aug is not even a battle rifle. not a .30 caliber.

thanks for your answer.

[MK ULTRA]

[QUOTE=snpr41;3382823][QUOTE=MK ULTRA;3382809]

Originally Posted by snpr41

Hey MK ULTRA - I was celebrating 4th of July w/the neighbor kids. That comes once a yr.
I can get my opinions shot down anytime!
Do you think I have an opinion now even though it might be bogus?

where are you it's not even dark here yet. Only 7 o'clock central time.

it's not dark eastern time either.

[Exit308]

Because it looks great, feels good in my hands, and will really f me up if I don't handle it correctly, like my ex wife.

[snpr41]

Originally Posted by MK ULTRA

the second place FAL is not even there.

M16 & Aug is not even a battle rifle. not a .30 caliber.

thanks for your answer.

The 2nd place FAL was not on my list; as our preference for the title "M14"; was the Armalite AR10

My pick for the title "M16" would have been the Stoner63

I must be a simpleton here but I thought " battle rifles " were weapons used to dispatch bad guys @ any given time. The M16, Stoner, & Steyr are all .223 cal; the M16 has killed multitudes since 1962; Stoner & Steyr to a lesser extent. They have been in many battles & are rifles; so why are they not by definition "battle rifles"? Is it because they are sub caliber? If that is the answer then I propose we christen them "moving target popguns"
School me Kind Sir. Thanks.

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

Originally Posted by AndyC

Like US kids growing up with visions of fighting men carrying the M16, I grew up in South Africa seeing the distinctive, classy and yet deadly silhouette of the FAL.

I later carried an R1 in the SADF during the later stages of the bush-war, but I never dreamed I'd actually get to own one. Oddly enough, I carried its arch-enemy, the AK47, in Iraq - and now I own one of those as well, but the FAL to me will always be a man's battle-rifle.

Totally unrelated to this thread, but since learning of it, I have loved the name Pretoria. Is the city as cool as it's name?

[AndyC]

Let's put it this way - it used to be, and the girls were gorgeous

[Battleborn2002]

Originally Posted by Hebrew Battle Rifle

Totally unrelated to this thread, but since learning of it, I have loved the name Pretoria. Is the city as cool as it's name?

Pretoria is the old name. Now called Tshwane.

[AndyC]

Well....

Pretoria itself is sometimes referred to as "Tshwane" due to a long-running and controversial proposed change of name, which has yet to be decided, as of 2012.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretoria

For some of us it will always be Pretoria.

[El Mac]

Originally Posted by torquemada055

First off it is NOT a damn platform, you want platforms go back to the Disco Era when the FAL was kicking some serious ass and taking names.

A friggin men! I don't know when it became fashionable to refer to weapons (rifles and pistols) as PLATFORMS. Ugh... ridiculous. I guess it caters to the PC crowd or something or perhaps it makes one sound sophisticated. I think it sounds damned dumb.

Rant off.

[jgardner]

when i first started looking for a rifle i knew i wanted something chambered in 7.62(F#%K YOU) mm instead of 5.56(I SWEAR I HIT HIM) mm. i looked at AR10, G3, 91, and finally came across the FAL. as they say the rest is history. you cant beat the power, reliability and simple design of this "weapon" (NOT PLATFORM). the FAL can defiantly turn heads at a range:
ARow,pow,pow,pow...
FAL: BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
almost every time i go to the range i got some kid asking what im shooting (and one time a Range Officer, he thought it was a 50) and i tell them its a Battle Rifle, the Assault Rifle's big angry brother. i dont know about you guys but i cant deny the bulge i get when i let mine "off the chain"

[olgunner]

Always fun to listen to folks promote their religion as the one and only true way to heaven!

The FAL is a damned fine rifle for its purpose. Why do I like them? Well, let's see...

--If they're built right, they're about as reliable as any semi-auto firearm currently produced.
--They have an adjustable gas system that works - easily and well.
--They burn ammo that not only offers substantial power, but is also available just about anywhere at relatively reasonable costs (note I didn't say cheap...just relative to many other high-power calibers).
--Parts are easy to come by with a high degree of interchangeability.
--After decades of service in both military and civilian hands, there aren't many unexpected problems. If one gives you trouble, you'll have no problem finding someone who can tell you how to fix it.
--Their military background is well-documented if you want to build an historically-accurate example.
--There are plenty of options if you want to build a "customized" rifle.

...That's just off the top of my head, but I'd say there are plenty of reasons to like them!

Having said that, I'm not really a "fanatic" like some around here. I only have a few (all metric) and while I respect Saive, I wouldn't necessarily say he was a greater genius than, say, Stoner, Johnson or Kalashnikov. (And IMO none of them could have carried J.M.Browning's toolbox, but that's a topic for a different forum, I think!)

Fortunately, I can appreciate and respect the FAL without having to kneel at the altar and cast aside all other weapons. The government issued me an M14 and later an M16A1 and if I had to carry either into battle today, I wouldn't waste time bitching about the choice. (I'd be far more worried about all the extra weight I carry while standing buck-nekkid in the shower.)
Different horses for different courses, you know?

Now, just for the zombie apocalypse crew here, if I had to quickly grab a weapon and run outside to suppress some sort of neighborhood insurrection, I'd probably grab an AR15 carbine--for the same reason the military moved to the M4: lightweight, maneuverable, accurate at typical conflict ranges and easy to carry a big bag o' mags.

On the other hand, if I was told I have a few hours to prepare for a defense against an unknown threat, the FAL would very likely factor into my plans. (Although, to be honest, I'd probably select one of my NATO/Portuguese variant AR10s first and run it till something broke, then grab an FAL as a backup. That doesn't mean I think the early AR10 is a less reliable design. It's just that, unfortunately, there haven't been any new replacement parts made for them in decades...and anyone who depends on a 50+ yr old, combat-worn rifle without considering a backup is a damned fool.)

So is the FAL the finest combat weapon ever devised? That's a topic for debate. But if anyone puts together a "Top 10" list and fails to include it, well, they just haven't done their homework.

[Hebrew Battle Rifle]

I was issued M16A2 rifles during my time of enlistment. I found them to be very accurate and reliable. I do not recall ever having a feed problem with live ammo. Blank ammo was another matter. It wasn't until I learned of the M14 and the 7.62NATO cartridge that I ever cast a wary eye toward the M16A2 rifle.
I liked my service rifles so well that after being discharged I purchased a new COLT Match Target HBAR. It was a disappointing experience. Accuracy was sub par and reliability was uninspiring. Not constantly troublesome. But enough that I quickly became dissatisfied and looked for something better.
I was in ROTC in high school and we had demilled Garands on loan from the VFW that we drilled with. My love affair with the M1 began then and has lasted for over 30 years now. I found one for sale in a LGS and bought it.
Once I had fired a full power battle rifle, I knew that I would not be happy with any AR15 for anything more than a plinker. I found FNFALs and have been more than satisfied with them. I love my FNs and I hope to be able to enjoy them until my time here is up.

[MK ULTRA]

Originally Posted by snpr41

The 2nd place FAL was not on my list; as our preference for the title "M14"; was the Armalite AR10

My pick for the title "M16" would have been the Stoner63

I must be a simpleton here but I thought " battle rifles " were weapons used to dispatch bad guys @ any given time. The M16, Stoner, & Steyr are all .223 cal; the M16 has killed multitudes since 1962; Stoner & Steyr to a lesser extent. They have been in many battles & are rifles; so why are they not by definition "battle rifles"? Is it because they are sub caliber? If that is the answer then I propose we christen them "moving target popguns"
School me Kind Sir. Thanks.

Thats not hard you know the difference, BATTLE RIFLE, ASSAULT RIFLE.

You bought the CUBAN KIT. You know you love them.

[snpr41]

Originally Posted by MK ULTRA

Thats not hard you know the difference, BATTLE RIFLE, ASSAULT RIFLE.

You bought the CUBAN KIT. You know you love them.

I did look up the definition of "Battle Rifle" & you are right, so I presume that we no longer have a "Battle Rifle" which is a term conjured up in the last 30 yrs or so. Anything that was adopted as "Standard"; me & mine always referred to them as "Service rifles" which I guess makes us "old school".
So if you have rifles in 7.62 & 5.56, you have basically two different "PLATFORMS" that are readily identifiable by the nomenclatures that were assigned them; ie: battle rifle - assault rifle. But they both do the same thing - they kill & maim people. I think I will continue calling whatever the current "PLATFORM" happens to be; "SERVICE RIFLE". Some of us can,t be confused by too many facts @ once.

I bought the Cuban kit because it will make a neat & rare clone. I like them but don,t love any inanimate object & FALs are not my favorite. This will be the last one I do for sure. Am burned out on em.
They are handsome rifles w/a lot of history over 50 yrs w/over 90 countries but "Right Arm Of The Free World" title should have gone to the AR-10 if these clowns & US had adopted it - but alas it was the M-14 instead, IMHO.

[xtriggerman]

I like em so much Im always trying to make other guns more like them...

[snpr41]

now I gotta say - those are slick

[shep854]

Are those real builds or very good photoshops? If real, the work is awesome! If 'shopped, that's really good work, also!!

[PREDATOR]

Three numbers 308!!!

[xtriggerman]

Originally Posted by shep854

Are those real builds or very good photoshops? If real, the work is awesome! If 'shopped, that's really good work, also!!

Nothin photo shoped here. Im to old to know how to do that nonsence. They both run great and the choped MPA 971 will also take the 36rd sticks.

I pretty picky about my weapon mechanicals and since gunsmithing school (79-81), Iv come to realy undstand good design work. When I was a teen, I made a 12 rd mag for my Rem 742 cause back in the early 70's no one made em. Then SA came out with the M1A in 77 and I bought one. It was good but not great due to the fact that 5 rounds of heat would make it a shot gun grouper. NM the bedding was a bit much to do so when SA came out with the SAR48, I dumped the M1A and got one. I tuned it with reloads and I gotta say, This piston gun has printed under 1MOA on more than one occasion. A buddy of mine picked up a new AR10T when they first came out and it flat out would not cycle the case of LC ball he had. I when through the gun and couldnt find a thing wrong. I even opened up the gas port in the barrel by a few thou. Only some old FNM would cycle in the purdy lookin gun. It wasnt too much better when it came back from the Manufacturer. He dumped it. Adjustable gas system on a battle weapon? absolutly. Fine tuning your action pressures with what ever you happen to have on hand is a nice touch..... Id pay more to have it. The ergonomics of the FAL is unsurpased IMO. I have a bunch of S african FA lowers from Sarco that have ALOT of ware on them ( like beat to s***) and I only found 1 out of 25 that had a loose frame block behind the FCG. Folks, these are like the ever ready bunny, The cost of used parts puts this weapon way, WAY over the top. SA charged me $70 for a "bush gun" taller casting front sight.
Her's my ol girl I tuned up back in the 80's (ditched the crapy saw stock).

[Falws6]

I was introduced to the world of shooting with WW2 bolt actions and never liked the AK or AR designs. To me they were always such compromises whereas the old bolt guns had so much style and power. I liked the M1A but didnt care for the Garand style take down procedure and I felt that it was a evolutionary design from the Garand rather and a revolutionary leap forward to the assault rifle.

Then one day in my little Pennsylvania gun shop I had the opportunity to handle a new SA58. As soon as i picked it up, the weight, the feel, cheek weld, button layout immediately appealed to me. I knew that this rifle was the perfect semi auto for me.

Whenever I buy a new gun there is always a period of time where it still feels foreign to me, like its not quite mine yet. But with FAL's i can pick them up and shoot them as if they were my own. So in short, it just feels natural for me. The same reason i love the FAL is the same reason why i love the CZ-75, which im sure many FALfilers also enjoy. It just fits!

[msnyder]

Originally Posted by AndyC

Let's put it this way - it used to be, and the girls were gorgeous

I was there from '86-88. Beautiful city. There was a pizza shop that did clay oven baked pizza that I really enjoyed. Cape Town was another of my favorite cities. I'm hoping to go back for a vacation one of these days but the GF doesn't think it's safe enough and from reports I've heard, can't blame her.

I got into FAL's because I wanted a .30 cal semi auto and it was way cheaper than an M1A. Then I got the disease called a "hobby" of hunting down parts, learning of all the different variations, testing all the different types of barrels. Favorites are the STG-58 (most accurate of metrics), Brit L1A1 with PH barrel (most accurate of inch), NOS Argy (cause it's all new parts and almost as accurate as my STG-58), Rhody with UM markings on lower and excellent barrel(cause I lived in South Africa for 2 yrs) and the Izzy LB because I love the feel and look of the handguards.

[R.Erichsen]

Because proper, upstanding and well educated ladies prefer men who own FALs.

R