FN FAL

[Phosphorus32]

This doesn't exactly fit here although it is built from milsurp parts on a semi-automatic Imbel receiver, which is a Brazilian maker of military firearms...but it certainly doesn't fit under AR or AK either...

I dropped by my LGS Saturday and saw this FAL. I picked it up, looked it over, disassembled the bolt but not the gas system…had a hard time putting it back on the rack but  I had a few questions to research.  I found some answers and got some feedback, so I went back when they reopened for the week on Tuesday, checked out the gas system and asked for a 4473.

It’s a mixmaster consisting of a German G1 barrel, gas system, flash hider and bolt carrier group. The flash hider type is characteristic of the G1. The Eagle mark on the bolt carrier is also an indicator of German use. SNs on the FN bolt and bolt carrier match and the receiver cover and barrel are FN (or Liege) marked. The 7 with the open bottom on the square indicates the bolt carrier group was made in the 3rd quarter of 1957. The H with a star is for inspector Christophe Woit who served from 1938-68, consistent with that date. Both of these bits of info are from Anthony Vanderlinden's excellent recent release, "FN Mauser Rifles".  It also has a nice sharp Liege final proof on the barrel.

The lower is from an R1 (South African build) that saw service in the former Rhodesia (1965-80), which is now Zimbabwe, based on the bits of blue-green paint scattered about and the electropenciled RA12656. They did use G1s (or anything they could get outside of the general arms embargo). The magazine is also consistent with Rhodesian or South African use.  No idea if this mixed kit came this way and was built onto the Imbel (Brazilian) receiver or if someone pieced together the parts. It has a Tapco gas piston and American made (C marked) plastic handguard. Perhaps there are other American parts scattered about but it’s not my 922r concern because this is the way I bought it.

These are incredibly easy to field strip with no tools or force. Pop the lever up to open the receiver halves at the hinge bolt, pull the bolt carrier group; rotate the gas plug (just like an FN49) 90 degrees and pull the piston and spring, and that’s it.

Anyhow, all I really know is that it’s a bad azz scary black rifle that spits .308 diameter 147 gr bullets!  Makes me want to break into a Warren Zevon song and has me itching for a range trip.










Barrel












Bolt Carrier Group



German contract


1957



Action Cover


"Inch Pattern" Enfield Safety Lever




Rhodesian Usage Characteristics: Blue-green Paint, EP'd RA Number, South African Magazine

[Greasemonkey]

NICE....   It fits quite nicely here... with the rest of the studly, manly, actually uses a rifle cartridge and has juicy recoil like type weapons 

My My My  what a big muzzle brake you have... almost makes me wanna get the M-14 brake out and compare sizes I gotta bayonet lug though 

The mag marking... I think thats a South African made one.. I think.. My FAL language is a little rusty...   Naw. Wait, I'm full of FAL, I mean foul language.

[Phosphorus32]

NICE....   It fits quite nicely here... with the rest of the studly, manly, actually uses a rifle cartridge and has juicy recoil like type weapons 

My My My  what a big muzzle brake you have... almost makes me wanna get the M-14 brake out and compare sizes I gotta bayonet lug though 

The mag marking... I think thats a South African made one.. I think.. My FAL language is a little rusty...   Naw. Wait, I'm full of FAL, I mean foul language.

Yeah, I love that long G-1 muzzle brake.  It only extends about 3.25" beyond the muzzle (the muzzle is just before where the slots start) but it sleeves over the end of the 21" barrel and the whole thing is about 6.5" so it looks crazy long.

You win the evening prize!    That is a South African magazine   

[newchi]

why did i think they had a carry handle?  Must be something else. getting old.

[Phosphorus32]

why did i think they had a carry handle?  Must be something else. getting old.

You're correct. Many or most did have the distinctive carrying handle. 

[xtriggerman]

 WARNING...... once bitten by the FAL bug there is no cure! You will never be able to degrade your idea of a battle rifle into the cheaper HK 91-G3 clone or Cetme alternative.  I see your Rhody lower has tight block pins (huge plus). Have a look at the left side of the hammer. The Rhodies saw lots of FA shooting and you can see the FA sear there with the finish scrubed off by Mr rock n roll disconector! After you pulverize some cinder blocks way out to the back berm, you will wonder how you lived on earth with out one of these. I got rid of my 1977 bought M1A back in about 83 so I could buy a Springfield SAR48......... never looked back as far as accuracy while hot and general design. ENJOY   
  You might want to loose the L1A1 safety. Its making all those German proofs feel violated.

[Phosphorus32]

WARNING...... once bitten by the FAL bug there is no cure! You will never be able to degrade your idea of a battle rifle into the cheaper HK 91-G3 clone or Cetme alternative.  I see your Rhody lower has tight block pins (huge plus). Have a look at the left side of the hammer. The Rhodies saw lots of FA shooting and you can see the FA sear there with the finish scrubed off by Mr rock n roll disconector! After you pulverize some cinder blocks way out to the back berm, you will wonder how you lived on earth with out one of these. I got rid of my 1977 bought M1A back in about 83 so I could buy a Springfield SAR48......... never looked back as far as accuracy while hot and general design. ENJOY   
  You might want to loose the L1A1 safety. Its making all those German proofs feel violated.

   Yeah, honestly, I was lost the moment I picked it up    Yup, the Enfield safety lever will go eventually to be replaced by a metric part.

[Phosphorus32]

Runs great. Gets a lot of looks at the range 

This'll do for me, about 3 moa for my best group at 100 yds with Hirtenberger 70's surplus. I'd be very happy if I was consistently 3 moa or better at 100.

[Greasemonkey]

Runs great. Gets a lot of looks at the range 
This'll do for me, about 3 moa for my best group at 100 yds with Hirtenberger 70's surplus. I'd be very happy if I was consistently 3 moa or better at 100.

You got a big honking hottie battle rifle that turns heads AND hits the target......hard   I'd be extremely happy...thats like dating a hottie chick that turns heads and %&*%@^ ........hard,   

Most FALs I've heard of or seen, 3 or 2 moa range is acceptable for import builds. A little tweaking and possibly even variations in ammo might tighten it up some. I don't have one but there is always a tweak or a particular ammo that a rifle really just loves to eat..

[running-man]

Most FALs I've heard of or seen, 3 or 2 moa range is acceptable for import builds. A little tweaking and possibly even variations in ammo might tighten it up some. I don't have one but there is always a tweak or a particular ammo that a rifle really just loves to eat..

Wait....what?!?!? 

[Greasemonkey]

Most FALs I've heard of or seen, 3 or 2 moa range is acceptable for import builds. A little tweaking and possibly even variations in ammo might tighten it up some. I don't have one but there is always a tweak or a particular ammo that a rifle really just loves to eat..

Wait....what?!?!? 

BAH!!!! RM,  I'll get all excited and twitterpated and buy a FAL, when you buy a Mosin 

[Direct Connection]

Man thats a conversation piece right there.And It just looks like its ready for action for some reason  Nice Going Phos .. Great pics..

[Phosphorus32]

Man thats a conversation piece right there.And It just looks like its ready for action for some reason  Nice Going Phos .. Great pics..

Thanks DC!  Yes, it's a serious piece of hardware 

[firstchoice]

Nice rifle Phos! I hadn't seen the thread before now. Back around 1990, I bought 4 receivers and 4 kits to assemble. 3 of them were Isreali FNFAL Heavy Barrel kits and the 4th was a Australian L1A1 FAL kit. I think the receivers were all Imbel receivers, but the L1A1 was Inch Pattern. I don't recall, is the Imbel receiver capable of being mated to an inch pattern kit without modification? I don't remember if I had to order separate receivers for that or not. It's been too long and I've slept since then. I had everything assembled by a gunsmith, and he did a great job of it.

The rifles all came out beautiful. I really liked the wood stocked Isreali kits and they were TANKS. They all used the mounted bipods, so they weren't for deer hunting anyway. The Aussie was much lighter, although I found the metric mags much easier to find than the inch pattern FAL mags, for whatever reason. Somehow, for whatever lame reason, I don't have any pics handy, or the rifles anymore. I used to think it was going to be an unlimited supply of kits coming in, so I sold off the completed rifles thinking I'd replace them someday.

I'll have to scan some of my old pics and upload them to show those precious old collectables I once owned. Still have one of my Isreali UZI's, but my Jerrico 9mm and my FNFAL's are gone to new owners now. I bought SN 100997 Model A UZI  NIB in 1988 for $525.00 and my NIB HK-91 A2 for $565.00  My USMC buddies and myself bought the spectrum on the HK's. One had the HK-91 A3 collapsible stock, and the other had the HK-94 9mm and a HK-91 A? (it had a mid-mounted/non-removeable bipod, just forward of the magazine. Only one like it I ever saw.) Oh crap, I'm starting to sound like the big blue fish. It really did happen, guys. 

firstchoice

[Phosphorus32]

Hey FC, sounds like you had a nice quartet. It's too bad you didn't keep one Israeli and the Lithgow. Kits have completely dried up and I was just happy to stumble across  this interesting German-Rhodesian mutt on a quality Brazilian receiver locally.

That reminds me I need to get this beast out to the range again...and you've also reminded me that I don't have a G3