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Posted: 11/24/2012 3:23:58 PM EDT
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Check this one out guys: http://alaskaslist.com/1/posts/9_General/63_Guns_Hunting/264475_FN_FAL_308.html
I spoke with the owner today and he's willing to sell me this FAL w/o the scope for $500 bucks. Seems like a killer deal to me, am I right? He says its a Century import, but built on a Imbel (Brazilian) metric receiver. I know almost nothing at all about FAL's, but loved my brother's DSA-58 (I know the DSA is a higher quality build probably), but what am I looking at here? I'm assuming that this is a "ban era" type rifle, as I don't see any type of flash hider/bayonet lug present? I don't really know much at all about this rifle, but figured that any good condition FAL .308 for $500 bucks right now has to be a good deal, right? I remember the name Imbel being associated with the "good ones" (I think)? I also remember that there was a difference between the standard and metric receiver models, but no idea what it is... Can anyone tell me the specifics of this rifle and how it stacks up in comparison to other FAL's? Supposed to meet with the owner in about 4-5 hours to make the deal, so whatever I can learn before then would be helpful, haha! |
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Ok, well I grabbed it. It's an Imbel receiver for sure. Century imported it, but didn't build it as far as I can tell so would that make it an actual complete Imbel FAL rifle then? Or were all these built off parts kits after a certain date because of import bans, like AK's?
Also at the end of the barrel there's a "keyed" notch at the 6-o'clock position and about the last 1/2" or so of the barrel is missing the finish. Making it pretty clear that some type of muzzle attachment used to be there but is now gone. What belongs there? I've seen several pics on here of rifles that have a muzzle break/ flash hider with a built in bayonet lug ( I think that it attaches with a crimp/set-screw?), would that be correct for it? I feel like a total idiot here, as I'm helpless on the subject of FAL's... If this were an AK I'd know every single detail inside/out. Any advise on where I can do some reading on these rifles and get schooled up? I'm reading as much as I can here trying to sort out details, but still left wondering about a lot of stuff. There seems to be a ton of different variants of this rifle, and it looks to have been made for the better part of 6 decades with several design changes to chose from and sort through... 
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The barrel had the threads cut off, about an inch or so worth of threads. It can be rethreaded and a new flash hider key slot cut farther back. The original flash hider would thread on and they used the flash hider key that locked the flash hider from unscreweing with the jet blast from the barrel when fired. As I recall the majority of metrics have threads in the opposite direction so that the blast from the spinning bullet would further torque their flash hider on.
Is it worth switching it to all Imbel, probably not all the way. -Imbels with inch cuts are different than standard imbel metrics. In fact they're a crossbreed if anything and not consistenty done from batch to batch. The centuries with inch kits will (almost) all have the charging handle cut for the wider inch type, going back to metric would be quite sloppy fitting. Good news is most prefer the inch type handle due to it's folding knob. Some but not all Century sporters have an inch mag well cut. Look in the front wall of your mag well. A wide slot that is full width of the front wall is for inch mags, a rounded small cut with a bottom flat is for metric magazines. An inch mag well cut works with inch mags and usually with most metrics but with a sloppy fit. A metric mag cut will not take inch mags. Metric mags are more easily procured than inch mags, probably 15:1. If you have the small mag well cut then you could go all imbel but retain the inch folding carry handle and swap out the complete lower for a imbel metric and swap out the barrel with it's different front sight height. You must have inch front and rear or metric front and rear as you'll never get sighted in mixing the two. Only easy way to change the front sight type is to change the gas block it's mounted to, and that has another issue gas vent alignment; brits drilled theirs on the 45 deg angle and metrics were straight bored. Easier to unscrew the whole front end and change the barrel and all. 
You didn't get hurt in that deal at all but be aware of what you have and where you can go with it. |
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