The FN/FAL has been used by militaries all over the world, so why are the magazines so expensive on the consumer market?
Take the AK-47 magazines for example, their usually dirt cheap. Years ago I remember AK mags being around $3 - $5 each. I dont know what the current price is, because I have more AK mags then I know what to do with.
But with the FN/FAL, the latest prices I have seen are in the $20 - $25 price range.
Even the PTR-91 magazines are cheap. Several months ago a buddy of mine found some PTR-91 magazines for around $1 each.
The FN/FAL has been used by militaries all over the world, so why are the magazines so expensive on the consumer market?
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But with the FN/FAL, the latest prices I have seen are in the $20 - $25 price range.
When I was searching for a .308 back in 2009, I noticed the metric FAL mages weren't too bad, but inch-pattern mags were scarce and expensive. Then in 2010 I noticed the metric FAL magazines started creeping up, and I have to ask -- is the Kel-Tec RFB having an impact on the metric FAL magazine market?
I have to ask -- is the Kel-Tec RFB having an impact on the metric FAL magazine market?
I dont know about the Kel-Tec RFB having an impact on FAL magazine prices. People seem to have a love - hate relationship with Kel-Tec. Some people love them, and some people love to hate them.
After looking at the prices of the Kel-Tec RFB, if I'am going to pay over $1,000 for a rifle, its going to be for another DS Arms SA58 FN/FAL.
It's all about supply and demand. I can remember when I could buy a whole 55 gal barrel of Garand clips from a govt scrap sale for $5. Today a single clip will run you $1 to $2 each. I bought FAL mags for under $2 each many years at the SHOT show in Dallas in about 1985, I think 200 of them if I remember correctly, for $375 plus freight. Of course, there weren't very many FALs in the country back then.
Buy anything that's cheap anad throw it in the back of your garage or warehouse and fuggedaboudit.
I don't think the RFB has had any real impact on the price on FAL magazines. There are just more FAL rifles circulating through the country now that the demand has gone up. At the prices that they used to run I remember friends picking up 50 to 100 at a time. Unless there is another couple boatloads coming over I don't see the prices going back down.
It happens with all items but supply and demand shows up more readily on firearms it seems. I think most of us remember $69 SKS and $250 Garands. Sadly those days are gone. Seems like Mosin prices are already starting to go up a bit.
DSA was going to start making them, which makes sense, since they are pretty much the FAL source in the U.S.
The first run had significant QC issues, bad enough that production was halted. AFAIK, it has not started back up.
For right now, our choices are surplus mags from one of the countries that used to have FALs, or Korean new production mags.
The surplus mags in good condition are typically quite reliable.
The Korean mags seem mostly OK: some work fine out of the box, some can be tweaked to work reliably, and a few just can't be made to work.
The thing is that those same mags might work fine in someone else's FAL.
Simply put, unlike AK-47 or M14 magazines, they are not making any more Fn-Fal magazines. That makes them a valuable commodity,if you don't believe me, look at the price of M1 carbine magazines! I am not that old, and I remember buying them for $5 each brand new. Just wait, other magazines are headed the same way(Uzi and probably HK91 in the near future).
Simply put, unlike AK-47 or M14 magazines, they are not making any more Fn-Fal magazines. That makes them a valuable commodity,if you don't believe me, look at the price of M1 carbine magazines! I am not that old, and I remember buying them for $5 each brand new. Just wait, other magazines are headed the same way(Uzi and probably HK91 in the near future).
I agree with the above post. Time will tell if DSA can produce a reliable/durable FAL magazine, which I think they will be able to eventually.
The M14 magazine went through the very same thing not too long ago, but is now solved with the current Checkmate Inc magazines being produced for the U.S. military......and also for sale to the public.
In short...... it stood the test of time, and with DSA cranking out FAL's, I see no reason why they could not produce a reliable current production magazine for them. The only real difference is that there is not much of a world wide demand for FAL mags as most militaries do not use the FAL any longer.
I saw a couple of RFBs at a gun show today, but I think we can safely say they're not even a blip on the market. It's far more likely an issue of far more FALs in people's hands.
Awwwwww.....crap: there's another half-kilobuck I've gotta spend on gun parts .
If it had been anyone other than Moses, I would probably have passed. But his stuff is "known good", so I've gotta get some: I can put the original trigger bits back in the FALs and stay 922r compliant, plus a polymer mag will go better with the RFB's "look".
Thanks for the link, whirlibird!
FN shut down manufacturing of FAL mags over 20 years ago. In the USA, the quantity is fixed with no more importation.
I paid $6.00 each back in the mid-90's and that was expensive back then. Of the 10 mags I have out, 5 have never been used. With today's manufacturing prices and the relative demand for FAL mags (Imbel, DSA, Century, etc all sell FAL parts guns) it's not unreasonable to pay $25 for a good rifle magazine. That's the same price as a Wilson 47D 1911 magazine from Dillon. I would be happy with 10 mags for a FAL. I have taken 3 rifle courses with mine and the 5 mags I used was plenty.
This makes me not want to purchase an FAL now. I have been looking at these for a while now and I really like them, but if no more mags are being made for them, whats the point? I mat still buy one though, they are one hell of a gun?
Do you think prices are going to come dowm any time soon? Really, if you want a $1000 rifle, don't let the price of a few mags stop you. After all, if you decide to sell the rifle later, it's not like you aren't going to get your money back out of them.
I bought 500 FAL mags back about 1986 for $1 each, sure wish I had some of those left now.
If Moses' mags prove to be good then you have a reasonable solution. From what I've heard of him and his thread spanning a year on the development of them there is cause for optimism. There are some very popular guns where you have to spend that much or more for good mags, some times way more. Good M1A mags ain't cheap. Ruger factory mags for the Mini-14 (consistently the best) ain't cheap. There are some rifles requiring $50-60 mags. If you want to choose a gun because it has cheap mags there are certainly some that you wouldn't go horribly wrong with, but to each his own.
you will never survive needing more than 3 of them at any one shooting, anyway, except by pure luck. 60 rds is too much missing or too many enemies, or both.
you will never survive needing more than 3 of them at any one shooting, anyway, except by pure luck. 60 rds is too much missing or too many enemies, or both.
and there you have it folks more wisdom from our new resident expert.
would you like me to fed ex you a nice toasty hot pocket and a full throttle as a reward for educating us lowly noobs with your uber firearms expetise Tap?
heard the PS network will be back up this week, It'll be so sad to lose you...
*sniff*
DSA has their new thirty rounders available, I have a few of those and they feed just fine. They are supposed to be working on twenty and twenty-five round magazines as well. I am looking forward to buying about 10 of each as soon as they are available.
Hey folks, I have FN-FAL mags for sale. 10 used/issued mags in perfect working order along with 10 replacement mag springs. Springs are wrapped in oiled paper. $200. for the mags and springs. I will break it down to 5 mags and springs for $100. I won't sell less than 5 at a time! Buyer pays shipping (USPS Priority Mail).
Also have 10 brand new never issued FN-FAL Israeli 20rd. mags. These are a deep matte black parkerized mags. They are wrapped in oiled paper. These are $300. for 10. I'll split these into 5 and 5 also. Not selling less than 5 at a time.
If you would like pictures I'll email them to you. Sorry I didn't mention these are Metric.
I HAVE SOLD 5 MAGS AND HAVE 5 LEFT TO SELL $150. plus $11.00 SHIPPING USPS PRIORITY MAIL WITH DELIVERY CONFIRMATION.
Kevin
I mat still buy one though, they are one hell of a gun?
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