I want to build a FAL

[93sr20det]

I would like to build a FAL from a parts kit. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Is it something I am going to kick myself in the pants for. I know that I am going to have to buy about $300 worth of tools/gauges but I figure I can always use them for gun maintenance or if a friend wants to put one together. From what I have read the IMEL parts seem to be the one everyone goes for. Any other takes on this?

[wonderdog451]

The best thing you can do is have a reputable gunsmith build your Fn-fal. The tools you need for maintenance are not that expensive. You will need the butstock removal tool,gas wrench and bolt dissassembly tool. Those should run about $75-$85 and area worthwhile investment.

[93sr20det]

Gunsmiths in this area dont even bed stocks... If I am going to mess with shipping a whole rifle and labor I may as well buy a fully assembled one.

[SCCogswell]

Aw, c'mon! You definitely don't have to be a gunsmith to build a FAL. It isn't as easy as assembling an AR lower, but any reasonably intelligent primate who can read and follow simple instructions and has opposable thumbs can do it. The fun is in the doing of it: months of deciding on exactly the right configuration and gathering the parts, days of carefully disassembling your kit down to the smallest part, cleaning everything scrupulously, bagging and labeling everything, hours of carefully fitting those parts to your receiver, watching one of the world's finest rifles gradually be reborn in your hands, the thrill of a succesful testfire, then dawning realization that you actually built it, and the damn thing actually works!
The receivers and parts kits are not cheap anymore, but they're still available. And yes, an Imbel kit on an Imbel receiver would be a very nice setup. It's the best balance of quality, price and availability. Besides the receiver and kit, you'll need 922r compliance parts. A good hammer/trigger/sear is something you'd want to do anyway; add US made furniture, charging handle, etc. to get your parts count and you're out another $100.
The tools you'll need are a corded variable speed Dremel with lots of carbide-reinforced cutoff wheels, a big bench vise on a sturdy bench, a receiver wrench, a good-quality open-end wrench, a good file, a set of pin gauges and headspace gauges, and some Craftsman punches (Craftsman because they'll replace the broken ones for free). Nice to have are a sight-adjusting/gas tube bushing wrench multi-tool and a recoil-spring/buttstock/pistol grip nut tool (TAPCO used to sell both of these; lots of FAL-part vendors also carry them).
Absolutely mandatory is the instructional manual and/or DVD!!! I used the Gunplumber one and it is excellent, well worth the cost.
After that, it's simply a matter of following instructions; no mad skillz necessary. When you're done, you'll understand the design and function of your FAL far better than if you just plunked down the money.
NB: you won't save any money by building it, in fact, by the time you add up all the expenses, it will probably cost you more than just buying one. But it's well worth it, IMO

Cogswell

[93sr20det]

Aw, c'mon! You definitely don't have to be a gunsmith to build a FAL. It isn't as easy as assembling an AR lower, but any reasonably intelligent primate who can read and follow simple instructions and has opposable thumbs can do it. The fun is in the doing of it: months of deciding on exactly the right configuration and gathering the parts, days of carefully disassembling your kit down to the smallest part, cleaning everything scrupulously, bagging and labeling everything, hours of carefully fitting those parts to your receiver, watching one of the world's finest rifles gradually be reborn in your hands, the thrill of a succesful testfire, then dawning realization that you actually built it, and the damn thing actually works!
The receivers and parts kits are not cheap anymore, but they're still available. And yes, an Imbel kit on an Imbel receiver would be a very nice setup. It's the best balance of quality, price and availability. Besides the receiver and kit, you'll need 922r compliance parts. A good hammer/trigger/sear is something you'd want to do anyway; add US made furniture, charging handle, etc. to get your parts count and you're out another $100.
The tools you'll need are a corded variable speed Dremel with lots of carbide-reinforced cutoff wheels, a big bench vise on a sturdy bench, a receiver wrench, a good-quality open-end wrench, a good file, a set of pin gauges and headspace gauges, and some Craftsman punches (Craftsman because they'll replace the broken ones for free). Nice to have are a sight-adjusting/gas tube bushing wrench multi-tool and a recoil-spring/buttstock/pistol grip nut tool (TAPCO used to sell both of these; lots of FAL-part vendors also carry them).
Absolutely mandatory is the instructional manual and/or DVD!!! I used the Gunplumber one and it is excellent, well worth the cost.
After that, it's simply a matter of following instructions; no mad skillz necessary. When you're done, you'll understand the design and function of your FAL far better than if you just plunked down the money.
NB: you won't save any money by building it, in fact, by the time you add up all the expenses, it will probably cost you more than just buying one. But it's well worth it, IMO

Cogswell

Thanks... That is exactly what I wanted to hear... Time to start piecing one together before March! Oh and if I still have all my fingers after I build it I will post pics.

[Bill]

I can't tell you how to assemble it ( I had mine assembled by a gunsmith). But I can give you my opinion on parts.

Federal law says that to build up a FAL you have to replace a certain number of original parts with US made parts. This gets you past the "importation of a non sporting rifle" law.

Most people go for the cheapest route: They choose the cheapest components to replace, attempting to get their FAL as cheaply as possible.

When doing so, you end up replacing the trigger assembly (hammer trigger and sear if I recall correctly). So essentially you are replacing a very sturdy assembly made by a major manufacturer with a replacement part from a small firm. Sometimes those parts are good, sometimes they are garbage, and sometimes the vendor is inconsistent.

When I assembled mine, I actually went for replacing some of the more expensive parts. That allowed me to keep the heavy, but high quality trigger assembly from Steyr. I ended up replacing the plastic furniture with locally machined Claro walnut furniture.

[93sr20det]

Yes Bill I am aware of the parts that you must replace but I figure I need to go ahead and secure my receiver and my military parts kit before the election. I am sure U.S. made parts will still be around. Oh and thank you for your input on the trigger group. I had not thought about that.

[Bill]

I am sure there are plenty of people who have great trigger groups purchased from US vendors. I can tell you that the Steyr trigger group is pretty darn heavy (makes sense for a system that started it's life out as a military rifle). So my choice may not have been the best choice, but it certainly was ~different~. :D

[ostrobothnian]

Bill. I put an StG58 trigger group in my custom built para too. The H/T/S were too pretty and a perfect polished arsenal blue... sexy! To reduce trigger pull I went with a Falcon TPR spring kit. You should check that out!

93sr20det, if you like projects have a look into building your own. There are plenty of kits available other than Imbel although the "FAL build glory days" are definitely a thing of the past. Swing by falfiles.com. It's the Perfect Union for the FAL. Be prepared. You will curse me for telling you so.

[93sr20det]

Yeah I have been reading falfiles for the past month.... very addicting

Also at the local gun show Sunday there were no FALs or parts kits... And only 1 person had mags and they were $20 each!!!!!!

[tpelle]

I built an STG58 kit on an Imbel Gear Logo receiver back in 2000/2001.

I bought a buttstock tool and headspace gages. Both of these are "must have" tools.

I tried doing the build on the cheap, and used a receiver clamp that I carved out of wood to hold the receiver in my vise, and I used a Sears open end wrench that I had to file to a "drive-on" fit on the barrel flats. With this setup I don't feel that I ever had my barrel timed properly. The rifle ran OK, but always shot off to one side. Recently I bought a receiver clamp and a barrel vise from a guy that posts on the FalFiles forum ("ratas calientes" is his user name over there), and was well satisfied. I used 'em to retime my barrel the right way. There's also a guy over there that sells a gage that can help with timing (didn't buy that - yet) that posts under the name of "gghhiilliiee". Instead I used the "two sticks" method.

Right after I did my build, my neighbor, who is an FFL, also got the bug, and I built one kit for him while he watched. Later he borrowed my tools and built a second one for himself.

On mine, I replaced the following "evil" foreign parts with the following "good" U.S. made parts:

DSA hammer
DSA trigger
DSA sear
DSA gas piston
DSA charging handle ("operating rod")
Penguin stock
Penguin handguards

These additional parts were quite expensive, and certainly added to the cost of the build. Overall, in 2001, I calculated that the rifle cost me about $750.00 to build. As I said, recently I bought a receiver clamp and barrel vise to do the barrel timing job right, and this cost another $70.00 or so.

I also had a fair selection of mechanic tools, plus a few specialized tools like a dial caliper that came in handy when I wanted to measure up my locking shoulder to decide what new one to buy when I did my headspacing. I also did not need a gas wrench, as I could turn my gas adjustment with the can opener on my Swiss Army knife, although YMMV.

BTW, I did not see a reason to buy a bolt disassembly tool - I just use a steel punch with the bolt, punch, and both hands in a gallon storage bag to take the extractor out of my bolt (you need something to catch the spring that flys out at lethal velocity!). You have to do your headspacing with the extractor out of the bolt.

I've also never touched any of my firearms with a Dremel tool - I know I'm giving up WECSOG points by saying that, too.

In 2001, the $750.00 was not far from the cost of what a "store bought" Century or other complete "kit gun" would have cost. However, I really enjoyed the process, and it's hard to put a value on the experience of knowing every little part and spring in the rifle. I have recently looked at receivers and parts kits, and see that the prices are significantly higher than back in 2000/2001, AND that Imbel receivers (the best, IMHO) are no longer readily available due to import restrictions.

Anyway, my read on this is, if you are the type that's interested in how things work, and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, and want to experience the accomplishment and pride of making something out of a pile of junk, then go for it. If you think you're going to save money, at least on one build, forget it and just buy a complete rifle for $1000.00 to $1500.00.

[93sr20det]

To reduce trigger pull I went with a Falcon TPR spring kit. You should check that out!



How did you like this upgrade?

[ostrobothnian]

How did you like this upgrade?

The best $20 I ever spent on the rifle. Trigger pull was reduced by at least 50%. Probably closer to 70%.

[93sr20det]

Cool... I will defiantly have to get one now... Is this it:

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=92220954