Building an FAL...

asiparks · March 28, 2008, 14:06

I've built a couple of ARs from scratch and quite fancy my chances of building a FAL, with the goal of making it as accurate as possible, say 1MOA. Is that doable on the FAL platform at a reasonable cost, or should I take the AR10 route ? Any receivers/parts that I should absolutely totally avoid ?
Help much appreciated.

**indy_Muaddib** · March 28, 2008, 14:35

1 moa with a gas gun will be a stretch, doesn't matter the platform.

4 moa or less will do you fine for engagements out to 400 - 600 yards.

Goliad · March 28, 2008, 16:10

1 moa is quite achievable on the AR platform. You'll probably have better luck getting your FAL questions answered on the "gunsmithing, build it yourself" portion of this board. Welcome!

**W.E.G.** · March 28, 2008, 16:42

You will not be able to make a FAL shoot a 100-yard 1 MOA five-shot group with rounds fired consecutively out of the magazine.

If you shoot many, many groups, you might get lucky and do it once in a while. Most of the time though, the FAL is about a 3 MOA gun.

You can do tricky stuff like float the barrel, and load ammo that won't feed through the magazine, and let the barrel cool between shots, and you might get some neato groups. Kind of a stretch though by my assessment.

See http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showt...postid=1761162

dpowers · March 29, 2008, 08:50

I have AR10s that I have built and factory built uppers. I am building an FAL but I don't expect the same level of accuracy. 1MOA is pretty easy with factory and home built AR10s. Free float a good quality barrel and add a good trigger and you have the potential for a consistent shooter.

I am building my FAL for what I think it was intended for ----dependability and ruggedness. I also want to build a rifle with alot of character and history. I am starting with an Imbel kit but I would love to build a Rhodesian model. I have a friend who grew up there and I want to build it for him to shoot.

I will try handloads and some match to see what works best with it but accuracy is 3rd or 4th on my priority list.

If you want an FAL that is built for accuracy contact Vandenberg customs in Houston, TX. You probably can get one that is the best of both worlds.

My AR10s have never failed me when I am using good ammo. I tried some Indian and Wolf and just wasn't happy with all of the mess. I have avoided the home M14 magazine conversions so magazine reliability is a non-issue.

asiparks · March 31, 2008, 14:18

thanks for the responses, guys. Funnily enough as I trawled the local gunshops I found a FAL with weaver mount dustcover, 3X9 scope, couple of mags and a case for $449 !
... of course it's a frankenfal with a Hesse receiver, but whats the worse that can happen....

I'll start a new thread, as I have a bunch of questions, but it seemed like a cheap way in to a FAL... I think I'm going to get an AR10 or DPMS 308 and send it to GAP for my precision needs.

March 28, 2008, 14:06	#1
asiparks Registered FALaholic #: 31492 Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 10	Building an FAL... I've built a couple of ARs from scratch and quite fancy my chances of building a FAL, with the goal of making it as accurate as possible, say 1MOA. Is that doable on the FAL platform at a reasonable cost, or should I take the AR10 route ? Any receivers/parts that I should absolutely totally avoid ? Help much appreciated.

March 28, 2008, 14:35	#2
indy_Muaddib Curio & Relic Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 17581 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Tampa FL Posts: 3,046	1 moa with a gas gun will be a stretch, doesn't matter the platform. 4 moa or less will do you fine for engagements out to 400 - 600 yards. __________________ All government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man: its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him. If it be aristocratic in organization, then it seeks to protect the man who is superior only in law against the man who is superior in fact; if it be democratic, then it seeks to protect the man who is inferior in every way against both. One of its primary functions is to regiment men by force, to make them as much alike as possible and as dependent upon one another as possible, to search out and combat originality among them. All it can see in an original idea is potential change, and hence an invasion of its prerogatives. The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is very apt to spread discontent among those who are. -H.L. Mencken 1919 Were not that lucky.

March 28, 2008, 16:42	#4
W.E.G. Administrator Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 1211 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Virginia Posts: 31,052	You will not be able to make a FAL shoot a 100-yard 1 MOA five-shot group with rounds fired consecutively out of the magazine. If you shoot many, many groups, you might get lucky and do it once in a while. Most of the time though, the FAL is about a 3 MOA gun. You can do tricky stuff like float the barrel, and load ammo that won't feed through the magazine, and let the barrel cool between shots, and you might get some neato groups. Kind of a stretch though by my assessment. See http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showt...postid=1761162 __________________ . . . Ask me about the Mason-Dixon FAL Collectors Association.

March 29, 2008, 08:50	#5
dpowers Registered FALaholic #: 12179 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: AL Posts: 38	FAL / AR10 Accuracy I have AR10s that I have built and factory built uppers. I am building an FAL but I don't expect the same level of accuracy. 1MOA is pretty easy with factory and home built AR10s. Free float a good quality barrel and add a good trigger and you have the potential for a consistent shooter. I am building my FAL for what I think it was intended for ----dependability and ruggedness. I also want to build a rifle with alot of character and history. I am starting with an Imbel kit but I would love to build a Rhodesian model. I have a friend who grew up there and I want to build it for him to shoot. I will try handloads and some match to see what works best with it but accuracy is 3rd or 4th on my priority list. If you want an FAL that is built for accuracy contact Vandenberg customs in Houston, TX. You probably can get one that is the best of both worlds. My AR10s have never failed me when I am using good ammo. I tried some Indian and Wolf and just wasn't happy with all of the mess. I have avoided the home M14 magazine conversions so magazine reliability is a non-issue.

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March 28, 2008, 16:10	#3
Goliad Registered FALaholic #: 28473 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wetstern WA Posts: 178	1 moa is quite achievable on the AR platform. You'll probably have better luck getting your FAL questions answered on the "gunsmithing, build it yourself" portion of this board. Welcome!

March 31, 2008, 14:18	#6
asiparks Registered FALaholic #: 31492 Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 10	thanks for the responses, guys. Funnily enough as I trawled the local gunshops I found a FAL with weaver mount dustcover, 3X9 scope, couple of mags and a case for $449 ! ... of course it's a frankenfal with a Hesse receiver, but whats the worse that can happen.... I'll start a new thread, as I have a bunch of questions, but it seemed like a cheap way in to a FAL... I think I'm going to get an AR10 or DPMS 308 and send it to GAP for my precision needs.