I would like to pick up a FAL variant before March '07. Could anyone point me in a good direction? I've seen L1A1, FN/FAL, Stg58 but I'm not sure of the differences. A friend mentioned to get metric because parts are easier to find. Not completely sure of differences between Type 1, 2, or 3 receivers. Here are a few considerations I must take into account: budget of less than 800 willing to get "work" done on it in a few months needs to be in good working order would like 21" barrel need before March (rwva.org training event in March:^) Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
I really like my STG58 because it is barrel heavy and has an integral bi-pod and just really looks damned cool. You can pick up an Imbel kit at Enterprise for $149.00 or get a select one from them already re-finished for under $300.00. They also sell the compliant parts in a single lot for $124.00 (trigger, sear, stock, pistol grip, fore-arm, flash-hider), their receivers go for $375.00 or you can get a better one from DSA for $425.00. Head-spacing will involve the selecting the correct locking shoulder ($24.00) and magazines can be found regulary for under $10.. each. As for receiver types, I think it is just really a matter of how you want your rifle to look and Enterprise and DSA each show photographs of each type.
There is really no change between the 3 types other than the tooling of the outside. the STG is the caddy of them, buy what you can afford, they will all go bang.
These past couple weeks I've been busier than a one-armed man in a backslapping contest! My dad is visiting, work, flu/colds, meetings, etc. I was given a great price on a new DSA stg58std by a local dealer, who must have pitied me for not even having a FAL. It was just ordered from DSA and is going to take 12 weeks before it arrives :^( My next one is going to be a kit that I'll put together myself (that's legal w/o ffl, right?). There's a gun show coming up so i'll pick up some ammo. QUESTION ON AMMO: The rifle is listed as .308 cal, but I'm pretty sure it can shoot 7.62x51 (??). Any recommendations, suggestions, or bits of wisdom that somebody can share on buying? I'll want to get about 1k rounds for now...
Partial answer (I'll leave the ammo equivalency for someone else.) Yes, building your own is legal, BUT. You need to be sure you have the 922 compliance parts count. The receiver is the "gun" meaning you have to get one that is registered, and that takes an FFL process. Optionally, you can make your own receiver from scratch (still need the 922 parts, but you can make them) but you only get to do that once in your lifetime, and the gun can never be transferred (when you croak, the weapon must be destroyed according to the law.) I think (but do not know) that if you make more than one from scratch, you become a manufacturer, and have another pile of paper to do and a heap of restrictions as well.
