Newbie Fal Questions.

DanielJ · March 23, 2004, 10:04

First of all this is great board and i learned a great deal from surfing it for for the past couple of months, hopefully i will contribute more when i get my fal.

I am seriously considering getting a DSA stg58 and had a few questions. I have decided to get the model with a 18 inch barrel and plastic handguards. Would i be better off buying the standard length version, not the carbine, and having my gunsmith cut it down, and buying plastic handguards and puttting them on myself or just getting DSA to do the work for me? I want a reliable gun shtf proof gun, so i was kind of concerned that an average gunsmith could ruin the barrel and reliablitly by cutting it down and could i easily put the handguards on my self?

Thanks
Dan

mojo_matic · March 23, 2004, 10:15

If you buy an assembled DSA rifle, and then cut the barrel, the cost will be high since the barrel must be removed from the receiver, cut n' crowned, and then retimed. You will also want to refinish the barrel after cutting...adds even more hassles and cost. I believe that having someone else cut/crown/time your barrel will void DSA's excellent warranty.

Have DSA do it for you...I believe thhat they have an 18" barrel version, that shouldn't cost much more, if any, than the standard length. Call DSA up and tell them what you are looking for....DSA is a great company. It will cost MUCH less and will curb any future worries and possible hassles. It will be done right the first time, and if something IS wrong, you have a warranty to back you up!

fastprofessor · March 23, 2004, 11:58

The handguards can easily be changed. One screw holds them on. I put the penguin handguards on mine. They feel better in my hands than the standard stg58 metal, bipod cut handguards.

DanielJ · March 23, 2004, 12:07

Okay great i have fal do it, they gave me a price of like 1050.00 for the barrel job and the new handguards, it seemed kinda steep to me, is that price like the MSRP?

One final Fal question, does a Fal break two into two piece like an AR 15 and about how long is each piece.

fastprofessor · March 23, 2004, 12:18

Quote:

Originally posted by DanielJ
Okay great i have fal do it, they gave me a price of like 1050.00 for the barrel job and the new handguards, it seemed kinda steep to me, is that price like the MSRP?

That is the MSRP, but since they don't make a standard 18" stg58, you'd probably have to go with it, build your own, or have one of the very reputable gunsmiths on this board build one for you. A build would probably be in the $600-$700 range. Check the reveiws forum for the FALsmiths and talk to some of them before making your decision.

Quote:

Originally posted by DanielJ
One final Fal question, does a Fal break two into two piece like an AR 15 and about how long is each piece.

Yeah, pretty similar.

pmf · March 23, 2004, 12:29

Like everyone else says, have DSA do it. The stg58 they sell is a good buy. You couldn't do it yourself for that price.

I got mine for $800 when they were retailing for $1000. DSA won't tell you the dealer price. Have a dealer arrange a transfer for you (the fee is usually $25) and he should be able to get it for $800-$850.

The stg58 has a bipod. I'm not sure that Penguin hand guards have slots for a bipod. Make sure before you buy them. Or just take the bipod off, it does add weight. Personally, I think it looks cool.

I have a full size stg58 and the only drawback is the weight. Its a heavy gun. I had gunplumber make me a carbine based on an Imbel kit that I like better. You might want to check out Mark's site. He sells some premade replicas. Not cheap, but very high quality. Mine is similar to the ARS bush rifle he sells. It ended up costing me a little more than what he sells them for, but I did have some extras and had the thing refinished in Metacol III.

http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/

fastprofessor · March 23, 2004, 14:14

Quote:

Originally posted by pmf
The stg58 has a bipod. I'm not sure that Penguin hand guards have slots for a bipod. Make sure before you buy them. Or just take the bipod off, it does add weight. Personally, I think it looks cool.

Yep, i should have clarified. I chose the penguin handguards because I didn't want to leave the bipod on and so I went with the non-bipod cut handguards. I don't think Penguin makes a bipod cut handguard. If you want to leave the bipod on then be sure to get the bipod cut handguard (DSA standard metal ones or DSA plastic.)

Here's a link to check out for more info on the FALsmiths:

FALsmiths

instr8 · March 23, 2004, 23:21

Why don't you check with Todd at www.ohiorapidfire.com. I have an 18" carbine that I absolutly love for about 2/3 of what DSA wants.

darkest2000 · March 23, 2004, 23:54

You don't have to worry about the handguard, cutting the barrel does not change the way your original handguard is fitted.

March 23, 2004, 10:04	#1
DanielJ Banned TROLL FALaholic #: 11688 Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: New York Posts: 26	Newbie Fal Questions. First of all this is great board and i learned a great deal from surfing it for for the past couple of months, hopefully i will contribute more when i get my fal. I am seriously considering getting a DSA stg58 and had a few questions. I have decided to get the model with a 18 inch barrel and plastic handguards. Would i be better off buying the standard length version, not the carbine, and having my gunsmith cut it down, and buying plastic handguards and puttting them on myself or just getting DSA to do the work for me? I want a reliable gun shtf proof gun, so i was kind of concerned that an average gunsmith could ruin the barrel and reliablitly by cutting it down and could i easily put the handguards on my self? Thanks Dan

March 23, 2004, 11:58	#3
fastprofessor Registered FALaholic #: 13254 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,719	The handguards can easily be changed. One screw holds them on. I put the penguin handguards on mine. They feel better in my hands than the standard stg58 metal, bipod cut handguards. __________________ Greg My position is that anybody who's in favor of gun control is a fuing moron.*---Jackie Mason*

March 23, 2004, 23:21	#8
instr8 Registered FALaholic #: 12904 Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,654	Why don't you check with Todd at www.ohiorapidfire.com. I have an 18" carbine that I absolutly love for about 2/3 of what DSA wants. __________________ I'll have another......

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March 23, 2004, 10:15	#2
mojo_matic banned - trolling marketplace FALaholic #: 12363 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New Carlisle, IN Posts: 3,257	If you buy an assembled DSA rifle, and then cut the barrel, the cost will be high since the barrel must be removed from the receiver, cut n' crowned, and then retimed. You will also want to refinish the barrel after cutting...adds even more hassles and cost. I believe that having someone else cut/crown/time your barrel will void DSA's excellent warranty. Have DSA do it for you...I believe thhat they have an 18" barrel version, that shouldn't cost much more, if any, than the standard length. Call DSA up and tell them what you are looking for....DSA is a great company. It will cost MUCH less and will curb any future worries and possible hassles. It will be done right the first time, and if something IS wrong, you have a warranty to back you up!

March 23, 2004, 12:07	#4
DanielJ Banned TROLL FALaholic #: 11688 Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: New York Posts: 26	Okay great i have fal do it, they gave me a price of like 1050.00 for the barrel job and the new handguards, it seemed kinda steep to me, is that price like the MSRP? One final Fal question, does a Fal break two into two piece like an AR 15 and about how long is each piece.

March 23, 2004, 12:29	#6
pmf Registered FALaholic #: 2923 Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 1,636	Like everyone else says, have DSA do it. The stg58 they sell is a good buy. You couldn't do it yourself for that price. I got mine for $800 when they were retailing for $1000. DSA won't tell you the dealer price. Have a dealer arrange a transfer for you (the fee is usually $25) and he should be able to get it for $800-$850. The stg58 has a bipod. I'm not sure that Penguin hand guards have slots for a bipod. Make sure before you buy them. Or just take the bipod off, it does add weight. Personally, I think it looks cool. I have a full size stg58 and the only drawback is the weight. Its a heavy gun. I had gunplumber make me a carbine based on an Imbel kit that I like better. You might want to check out Mark's site. He sells some premade replicas. Not cheap, but very high quality. Mine is similar to the ARS bush rifle he sells. It ended up costing me a little more than what he sells them for, but I did have some extras and had the thing refinished in Metacol III. http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/

March 23, 2004, 23:54	#9
darkest2000 Registered FALaholic #: 13475 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 325	You don't have to worry about the handguard, cutting the barrel does not change the way your original handguard is fitted.