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Posted: 3/4/2007 9:52:58 AM EDT
| i got rid of my israeli fal that was built on a imbel reciever with a gunpartsguy 21" barrel. it was at best a 3"-4" moa rifle..and heavy. i needed the money so i had to sell. now i'm thinking that i would like a PTR91 or maybe another FAL. I noticed on the DS arms website that they sell fixed mags for cal. i did not see the same for PTR91's. anyhow my question is: which shoot better? After doing a lot of tinkering with the gas system my fal was reliable..are the PTR91's? since they cost about the same i'm kinda up in the air...i see the PTR91 recievers are sold here in calif..how about the whole rifle? I'm not a builder and i do not know anyone that is..Could you guys help me out? thanks...mark |
I don't know about the FAL or PTR in Cali, but because the laws there are so strict and prohibiting, it seems most just go with the M14. Without the pistol grip you can use 10 rounds mags from what I know and the more rare for there prebans. M1A's |
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IIRC, the DSA CA-legal FAL has a top cover with a short section of rail on the rear, an enlarged front opening, and a built-in stripper clip guide for reloading the fixed mag from the top side via 5-rd GI stripper clips. The stripper clips are the late NATO style, with one projection on either side of the clip. Not to be confused with Mauser or Springfield clips which had two on either side. The mag is fixed by using a special mag latch with an allen screw holding it in a fixed position thus preventing removal of the mag. Don't know capacity of mag, might be 5-rd, maybe 10-rd. I presume the muzzle of the barrel is either bare, or has a faux flash hider silver-soldered onto it. The interesting thing about the CA-legal FAL is that it can be converted to standard configuration should you either leave CA, or wish to sell it to someone out of State. Simply remove the allen screw from the mag release, and you can now change mags normally. Might have to buy another mag release, but they're cheap. The faux FS can be removed by heating the joint with MAPP gas torch and unscrewing it. Doing this will mar the finish of the barrel, but re-parking is cheap, and you can now screw on whatever you wish. Top cover can be replaced with something with a longer, much more useable rail. If you're ordering this new from DSA, you might want to consider a couple of options. First is an aluminum lower, which saves a good deal of weight. If you have a choice of faux muzzle devices, have them install a faux version of the long Stoll device. My tests of FALs indicate that they have best accuracy with extra weight at muzzle, and the long Stoll is about the heaviest muzzle device available. Don't know anything about CA-legal version of your other choice. |
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I can't speak about the laws in CA as I don't know them, but as for the differences between the two, IMO I'd say generally the FAL is superior ergonomically to the G3 (which is what a PTR is), and the G3 is the better shooting rifle, and neither is that much more or less than the other. Both are equally reliable. The FAL is a higher quality rifle overall; it has a milled receiver, lots of machined parts. It has a bolt hold open, it can have a forward assist relatively cheaply, the charging handle, bolt release and magazine release are within easy reach with the off hand and the safety can be manipulated with your finger on the trigger. The receiver has a magazine well relief that speeds mag changes. The gas system makes the rifle very reliable with pretty much whatever you want to run through it. The trigger is ok, and is pretty difficult to improve. The rather crude sights being on separate assemblies can be a detriment to accuracy, if the rifle isn't built tight. The tilting-block action is reliable but tolerances prevent a high-precision lockup. Mounting a scope solidly is expensive and means making the rifle harder to clean (but no harder than the G3). The G3 is made of stamped steel and welded together. The barrel is free floating, the sights are very good, and the trigger can be made very good for very little. The delayed blowback action is extremely reliable and precise, but very dirty and hard to clean. The rifle is modular; you can mix and match stocks, pistol grips, trigger packs, forearms, rails, etc., in seconds with no tools. Very good optics mounts are available fairly cheap. There is no bolt hold open, no forward assist (although you could put an MSG90 assist on there, but it's costly, like most HK stuff), there is no mag well bevel or relief to assist in mag changes, and the mag release without the paddle (PTR or HK91) is difficult to reach. The charging handle is way out front over the barrel, and the safety is impossible to reach with my thumb while my finger is on the trigger (and I've got big hands). My G3SG/1 clone built by IGF is more accurate than my DSA STG58CP; however, I have not scoped the FAL to see what it can really do. I guess I consider the FAL a better door-kicker, inside of 300YD rifle, and the G3 more a DMR, mountain or desert rifle where longer ranges are incountered. YMMV. |
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