Another pleasant day finding this locally- an Imbel receiver FAL paratrooper:

awesome find... just cleaned it and looking to shooting!

I have never had a FAL and so far am impressed on the apparent quality. It feels like a gun meant for combat use and is heavy. This stock is rock solid.

Pics:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cCGWTSuKNyiQT4gU8

FAL's were the first rifle I started messing with as soon as the AWB lifted.
Bought all the tooling and started putting kits together.

My last one was an Imbel upper and South African para lower.
I ditched the handguards and used Australian L1A1 ones.

The first thing I bought after the sunset of the ban was a DSA FAL Para. This is one with the upper made by LMT.

I have an early Grayslake marked DSA (LMT receiver) built STG58. I had DSA install the correct flash hider a few years back when I was catching up on gun projects during Covid.

[IMG:left] IMG_2307 by David King, on Flickr[/IMG]

Ok, I got to ask about the charging handle. Many years ago, I bought the DSA SA58 Para and was shocked to find it was impossible to charge it with just one hand. It took me both hands to be able to charge it. Barely. Is the FAL normally that stiff to charge?

No

I can’t say that I remember the charging handle being any more difficult than any other full sized battle rifles I have shot and/or own. Mine is buried in the back of one of my safes or I would run up and double check it.

I have to wonder what the hell was with the gun, then. Great looking rifle, though. Never shot it and eventually sold it.

There are many posts on FAL Files on what can cause a stiff charging handle. Mark of Arizona Response Systems (Gunplumber) has some posts. He is a go-to smith on the model and has a web site. I remember shipping him lots of moly resin over the years when I worked in John Norrell's shop helping refinish 11 years and he does HK work too.

Lots of love for the FAL here. I still have the DSA Para I bought about 15 years ago. The 18” barrel is definitely the sweet spot. It’s reasonably accurate and a pleasure to shoot.

Why, of course FAL!

First SLR I ever saw in a book when I was a kid, and wanted one ever since.

This is an Imbel inch pattern. and I've got about a dozen magazines for it.



Trigger is, um, well, serviceable. Accuracy is better than expected with battle sights and the aforementioned trigger.

It eats anything, including Malaysian surplus that my M1A can't tolerate.

While heavy, I get the sense that it will work wet, dry, dirty, hot, cold, etc.

I'm very glad to have it.

G1 kit on an Imbel receiver…


Upset I sold this one, it had “character”!

Also sold a nice L1A1, and now just have one, a sort of mutt rifle, Imbel receiver with a SA parts kit, finished off with a nice wood stock set.
Historically a mess, but it looks pretty good, and is ridiculously reliable.

Bill R

What wood do they use? It really sets it apart.

I've had many over the years, now just an Israeli and para.

My favorite battle rifle. Mine is a Frankenstein made of many varied parts, metric pattern. I put some after market trigger parts in trying to improve the pull way back when. It tripled a couple of times on me. That was a big surprise! Got it all worked out.

Will be the very last rifle I part with.

RMD

It is an interesting, very practical design.
Personal opinion here, but it follows the philosophy of the Garand, M1 Carbine and the AK, it was built to handle battlefield conditions. It can eat dirt, mud, ice, slime etc and keep going. There is a designed looseness of the parts so dirt will work its way through, rather than instantly stopping it.
I’m a fan of precision but if I had to grab one rifle and plan on it being THE rifle to depend on, it would be a FAL

I seem to recall the Israelis having functioning issues with the FAL because of fine dust.

I read Israel went to the Galil because of the sand issue. A SAR Model 323 7.62x51 with side folding stock looks very much like the FAL Paratrooper. Would love to have one. I have not seen one in a long time.

Mine is an Imbel parts kit built on a DSA forged receiver by Mark at Arizona Response Systems.

I think the dust problems encountered by the Israelis had as much to do with rapidly-mobilized reservists and their weapons maintenance skills than any great weakness with the FAL design.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I seem to recall the Israelis having functioning issues with the FAL because of fine dust.

The SADF had the same problem when operating in Northern Namibia.The problem didn't surface when operating in less sandy terrain. Eg. Rhodesia.