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Posted: 3/28/2006 1:59:23 PM EDT
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Hello everyone, I currently have a FN/FAL style rifle to play with for a few weeks for/from work. I finally had a chance to shoot it the other day, and while it shoots great, surpringly so, it doesn't cycle. In terms of not cycling, the first round, the charging handle seemed stuck on the forward position/ in battery. With each following round, I had to eject the case by hand, and the handle/bolt were easier to cycle. Ammo was PMC. Not being the least bit savvy with an FAL, can you point me in the direction to start looking? Also, the safety selector can spin almost 180 from safe, if so desired. Normal? Please advise what info I should provide, to help you, help me? LOL Thanks Instead of posting a 3rd time, I thought best to edit the original. Having gained advice from those better versed, I checked the gun. The "A" not the "Gr" is showing, so good to go there. Also, I played with the knob, which I asume adjusts the gas system? FYI 19 clicks out, from what I would think of as full closed. Or, all the way in, on a right hand thread. Thanks Much Bike boy |
I just went thru the exact same thing with my first FAL this weekend. The guy I bought it off of had the gas plug upside down. Took me a while to figure it out and was pissing me off to all hell. But once it was fixed it was all 
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10-4 I will give it a look in just a moment. What I meant with the handle, was is was a mother to cycle it to eject the first round. After that all was well, just had to do it by hand. Also, a bit tough to open, almost as if the lever doesn't retract that catch all the way. Should the gun "fall" open or is it normal for the catch to "catch" a little when you pull/slide the lever? Also, would it be safe to asume that "third" position for the selector is for a full auto gun? Thanks Much Bike Boy |
| If you push the lock to rotate the upper and lower apart for removing the bolt it should be loose. The Full-auto position will make the rifle fire single shot (you should have to hand charge each round) mode on a semi-auto (yes the lowers have the full auto position still on them.) |
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Try going here www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=108077 They have the most complete troubleshooting around |
Ok sounds like your not getting enough gas to cycle the action. 19 clicks out isn't that much movement, but it might be open too far to properly cycle the action. Using the "knob right behind the front sight, look at the 12 o'clock position. See that little hole in the gas block? You need to close it off a little bit. At your next range trip, you can adjust this. With the buttstock in your lap, rotate the "knob" to the right to close off that hole about half way. Load a magazine with one round, fire one round. If you feel the rifle cycle, but no ejection, safe the weapon & close off the little hole a bit more. Maybe another 4-5 clicks. Fire one round. If the weapon cycles & ejects the spent round (should be forward to the right about 3-5 feet) you should be ok. Now if that particular rifle has a "bolt hold open" in good working order, the bolt should be held back. If your rifle doesn't hold the bolt back you can test for proper working order by inserting an empty mag, cycle the bolt with the charging handle. If the bolt is held back, the bolt hold open device is working properly. If after firing the second round the bolt didn't hold back (and the bolt hold back device is working properly) close off the little hole a bit more. Maybe another 2-3 clicks on the knob on the gas block. When adjusted properly moving 2 clicks either way will either allow the rifle bolt to hold back or it won't hold back. That is your target adjustment. If that doesn't work, there might be some other things we can try. But try this first. Make sure you do not have your selector rotated all the way into the third position (F/A) as it will make your rifle a single shot. The selector should rotate one notch (from safe) to fire semi-auto. No further. Let us know if this works, I'm sure others would like to know...... but don't want to ask. |
This normal. There is quite a bit of spring tension on the bolt carrier & that charging handle doesn't leave you a lot of room to grab onto. Also once you get proficient with the FAL, I'll explain the "POGO" to you.
You just have a tight upper/lower. Eventually it will wear in, but again, there is an awful lot of spring tension on the catch. Just be sure that the upper/lower are closed properly, even if you have to "slam" it closed. I have to do this on 3 of mine.
You are correct if you had an original F/A weapon. But even though the selector will rotate all the way through, it isn't a F/A weapon. There is required machine work on the upper receiver & the auto sear has to be in place to make it F/A. By rotating the selector that far, the weapon cannot engage the auto sear to "cock" the weapon. So you end up with one round fired, one in the chamber with the weapon "uncocked". You have to use the charging handle to rack a new round into the chamber, then it happens all over again. Using a 20 round mag, your only going to be able to fire 10 rounds. The others will be on the ground next to you. Let us know how this works for you. |
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bikeboy, You've received some good advice here... Keep in mind that all gas plugs don't have an "A" on them to indicate autoloading. Some gas plugs just have an indented line, front to back, and some gas plugs are even different from that... What you need on the gas plug is to have the hole in the plug part (when inside the gas block) pointing downward to have the gas pass through the gas block to reach the piston. My first guess is that the plug is in upside down... My second guess would be that the gas regulator is completely open (hole in gas block completely exposed)... As Mark says, let us know what's up... Forrest |
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Thank you sooooo much for the ideas! I should be able to get to the range in the next day or two, and start testing, based on the information you've provided. I will update with results asap. Questions: I am guess that as the gas system adjustment know is rotated to the right, and thus traveling away from the shooter, it is closing the amount of "bleed off" ? Thanks Much, and I will update asap. Bike Boy |
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Yes, the threads on the gas block are "right hand threads". So to close off the gas hole at the top of the gas block, you need to turn it "clockwise" or if your holding the weapon with the buttstock in your lap/end of barrel facing away from you, turn the gas adjusting nut toward the ejection port (right side of weapon). That will "close off the gas hole" & bleed off less gas pressure when you fire a round, giving more pressure on the gas piston, which in turn will cycle the bolt/bolt carrier faster/harder. You don't necessarily want to have the gas hole shut off completely, as you will hammer your FAL with all the recoil. The manufacturer suggests adjusting the gas setting to get reliable ejection, nothing more. Besides, you should feel how soft the recoil is compared to a bolt gun. My Swedish Mauser 6.5x55 kicks 10 times harder than my FAL's. And the recoil impulse is not as sharp, but more drawn out like a shove rather than a slap. The only thing "left hand" threaded on a FAL (if it's an original barrel) is the flash hider. Most have left hand threads, everything else is right hand threads. |
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Woo Hoo! went to the range yesterday, and per your advice adjusted the gas port/valve/knob, and presto change-o it works like a charm! Went 5 clicks and that was the ticket. Tried backing off a little but it became unreliable, so 5 seemed to be the magic number. Thanks to everyone for the information, and yes, I may becaome an addict. I love this thing. LOL Next stop, may be some form of bipod, and a scope mount of some sort. Thanks Much Bikeboy |
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Good to hear about the functioning. Bipods on the barrel are not a good thing...........throws the POI off, way off. If you want a bipod, I would suggest you get a full float handguard & a bipod that attaches to that. That way your POI won't be thrown off. If your not interested in changing the handguards (takes removing the barrel, etc, etc...) just sandbag it or put the rifle on a rest close to the mag well. If your going for accuracy, don't put the rest out too far & don't tighten up on the sling. Use the sling to steady your shots, but don't bear down on it like you would an AR or M1 in a high power match. Good luck & welcome to the addiction!!! |
Yup...  Glad things worked out, bikeboy... As MarkBall says, FALs are addictive. Ask me how I know... But then again, so are ARs, as anyone on this site will testify to... And also as MarkBall says, stop over at falfiles.com sometime for some more FAL talk... Forrest |
If the A is up on the gas plug it is one of these following problems: Chamber is dirty-most likely the problem. FAL rifles will simply stop ejecting brass when the chamber becomes too dirty, the brass will get stuck. If you have had a difficult time pulling the cocking handle back when the rifle fails to extract, your problem is a dirty chamber or.... The gas tube pin is missing. this is the pin that keeps the actual gas tube from rotating out. It is located in the gas block underneath the gas regulator. or... the rifle is simply not getting enough gas. The way to check to see if the rifle is getting proper gas to cycle is to load one round in the mag at a time and turn the gas regulator down until the bolt locks back on the mag follower. Start at 6 on the regulator and back it down until the bolt locks back. and possibly the gas port from the gas plug to barrel is clogged. I highly doubt it but possible. Check these things out and let us know. Good luck! |
Yes. I got mine in the cleaning kit from Tapco. I think the other FAL parts dealers have them too. Most of the one's I've seen will allow you to adjust the front sight too. Not too expensive either, around $15.00, maybe less, maybe a bit more. Otherwise, you can use a poptop/can opener to rotate it. But that has a tendency to slip & mar the finish. Remember the gas adjusting nut is spring locked, with the spring under the nut to hold it in position. That spring has a lot of tension on the nut, so the gas nut is gonna be tight. |
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