Where can I rent a FAL in Southern New England?

[Deleted member 67409]

Thanks for the in depth review.
Everyone seems to love the Rhodesian colors. If you do that, though, you're required to get the short shorts as well.

I'm thinking my next rifle will either be a FAL, CZ Scorpion EVO or an Arisaka. I reload 308 for a friend but I don't own anything in 308 so it might be time. Plus I've got a friend who is interested in getting to guns, and thinks he wants a 308 to do precision shooting.

Given the potential uncertainties on the availability of these rifles post-election, I might make a FAL a priority. My original plan was to make it the first purchase after moving to NH but I got kind of dissuaded. Maybe it's time to recommit to it.

Thanks again.

No problem. Yeah, the hilarious booty shorts crossed my mind

Rhodesian Brushstroke Short-Shorts

Personally I would also go with the FAL first. Arisakas are relatively low-demand and high supply. If you want a specific Arisaka, then you know what you want and you can buy it when you want to and have the money. I shot a 7.7 one back when I was 19, 20 and it didn't really tickle my fancy. I would like to try a 6.5, however.

Now you have to watch The Wild Geese.

Seen that one, I'll re-watch it once I get the gun

Rhody camo is fun, but it wouldn’t look right on a railed piece. In fact, I’m a FAL minimalist: mine came railed, and I swapped out the dust cover immediately and removed the carry handle into the bargain.

Good range report. I’m glad you liked the ergos; they’re a high point of the L1A1/FAL platform, I think. I’ve never had any particular problems getting back on target after shooting, so I’ll pay more attention next time.

Glad it was a positive experience for you and your friend. It’s always nice to usher new SLR shooters into the fold.

Yeah the Rhodie paint on a modern gun with a rail and a MLOK or Picatinny handguard could seem odd. Or maybe it would look good if nicely done? Not sure. I would either have to paint the rail and handguard or leave those black and then have a half-camo'ed gun. However, the all-black DSA SA58 just needs some contrast or color or something on it - all black guns have never really made my day aesthetically.

I'm picturing in my mind an 18" or 21" gun with a fixed stock, optic rail, and Picatinny handguard. I mainly want this gun as an entrance into the platform and to be able to go to 3-gun matches. I don't need to pay extra for a folding stock for 3-gun. Maybe a collapsible stock? But fixed would probably cover all my bases good enough.

I was getting better with getting back on target faster as I kept shooting. It's not a big problem, just something I thought about in comparison to a .223.

And The Siege of Jadotville.

That I have not seen

 

[Mesatchornug]

now you made me go and watch this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7sQL9Rx4io

 

[ScottS]

*I can foresee the non-reciprocating charging handle making remediation of stoppages into a problem based on the InRange FAL mud test
[/MEDIA]

If you're concerned about this, you can always get an Israeli charging handle that features a forward assist capability.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

I went down to Jim's Firearms Repair in Johnston, RI. As far as I know, Jim's is the only specialty gunsmith in RI. I don't think Dave Santurri would appreciate me showing up with an illegal-in-Mass DSA SA58.

Edit: there is also RI Gun Works in Coventry and Sporting Shoppe/The Preserve in Hope Valley. Jim's is the closest to me and I have had good experiences with them before.

Anyways, they wouldn't be able to order me a DSA because they are currently out of stock with all of their distributors. But they would be able to build me one, which is why I went to them over say Heritage or Competition or A&M. I could build one myself, however, that would add $1100 +/- to the tab because I would need to buy most of the tools.

Building the FAL at Home, Tools

Either way, I'm going to figure out what kind of receiver I want (metric versus inch) so I can then start buying parts. I think I'm going to hold off on building a Rhodie clone because I want a shooter.

Alternatively, I pony up $2245 and buy this + optic + foregrip or bipod:

DSA SA58 Improved Battle Rifle - 18" Medium Contour Barrel, BRS Folding Stock - DS Arms

 

[Picton]

Ooh, no. If you’ve got a willing, qualified smith you trust who’ll stand behind the product they build for you, that’s worth twice its weight in gold. I’d go that route and get what you want.

My L1A1clone (albeit metric) has every good feature and no bad ones, though if I had it to do over again I might go with a non-folding charging handle.

 

[daekken]

Found out today my friend's dad used a FAL in the Lebanese Civil War in the 70s, interesting.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

So FAL receivers:

Coonan is out of business effective 11/2018. So no new Coonans. DSA is entirely out of stock AFAIK per their website. The Coonan's I've seen on Gunbroker have been... very... expensive, so that's probably a no. This leaves me with second-party sources like NES, Gunbroker, Armslist, SurplusRifleForum, and Gunboards. FALFiles still hasn't activated my membership yet and I suspect if @Picton doesn't have one yet, neither will I. Before I post up a WTB, I want to know what I WTB.

I'm thinking of getting a Type 1, 1.5, or 3. Some 1s come without the carry handle cut and I have no intention of using a carry handle. Just not my MO considering I want an optic. The "1.5" is typical of what South Africa bought, so I suspect these are high demand, low supply. Type 3s have no lightening cuts and the late-production IMBELs are Type 3s. I'm not concerned about lightening cuts because I don't intend to carry the rifle around the Sinai Peninsula.

I don't think a L1A1 receiver is going to be a possibility. So that's a no-go.

Century and Hessen also made receivers and I see a lot of Century receivers, in varying degrees of abuse or malstorage, on Gunbroker.

Am I missing anything?

 

[KMM696]

I don't think you've missed any. If I did another one, I'd wait for DSA to make some more. I built on an IMBEL with a STg58 parts kit and none of the issues I had were receiver related - if you can find one.

 

[Deleted member 67409]

I don't think you've missed any. If I did another one, I'd wait for DSA to make some more. I built on an IMBEL with a STg58 parts kit and none of the issues I had were receiver related - if you can find one.

Speak of the devil. I went to the gunsmith today and asked if they could get a receiver. The gunsmith called DSA, who currently has a batch out of heat treated and in inspection.

 

[not new guy]

There was a DSA-built FAL on one of their stainless receivers in the classifieds very recently, for reasonable money.

 

[45collector]

If I had to defend a fixed position, FAL.
If I had to crawl through mud and dirt, AK.
If I had to shoot for score on paper, AR.

Love shooting my FAL. The muzzle brake makes it so anyone at the range to my left or right hates my guts though.

 

[KMM696]

Speak of the devil. I went to the gunsmith today and asked if they could get a receiver. The gunsmith called DSA, who currently has a batch out of heat treated and in inspection.