I'm a big fan of 30 caliber battle rifles. My collection runs the gamut from an M1903 to an FN SCAR Heavy with lots of variety in between. BUT, I have always wanted and have never owned an FN FAL. That all changed over the weekend.
I worked the shoot at Jonesboro IN back in August with a great group of border raiders. SteelThunder showed up bright and early with an Israeli Light Barrel FN FAL produced by DSA Arms out of Lake Barrington, IL. It took several months from order to delivery, and he had just taken possession of it hours before. The instructors got to give it a look before the students started arriving then late on Sunday he put a few rounds down range just to see if it would put them on paper. All was well.
Before heading home, I pulled up their website to see about obtaining one and was very disappointed to see that no more orders were being accepted for the "Izzys". All of their parts kits were spoken for so in my mind, that was that. No Israeli FN FAL for me.
This past weekend I made my bi-annual trip to the Knob Creek Machinegun Shoot in Kentucky and walked over to the caution tape that keeps everyone out until the official 9AM show start. Lo and behold just inside the tape was DSA Arms and there were two Izzys on their racks. When the clock struck nine, I lifted the tape and grabbed one. Their gunsmith was right there to answer my questions. Turns out those were the last two and had been kept to use as show display models. While we were talking, a guy who had one on order asked when his would be arriving and was told "maybe before the end of the year". But I maintained my resolve as I had come to look for something else. I reluctantly returned it to the rack and as I walked into the show I saw someone else grab it. I told myself if it was still there after I looked at every table, I would buy it. I made it back after having no luck with my original quarry and to my surprise, both rifles were still there. I struck a deal with the salesman then stood at the edge of the pavilion in the pelting rain trying to get enough signal to email DSA a copy of my dealer's FFL. Later in the day the other Izzy was taken off its rack to go to a new owner.
Yesterday my Izzy arrived and I picked it up last night. What a gorgeous rifle! DSA has maintained as much originality as possible while complying with NFA and 18 USC 922r regulations. They manufacture a new lower receiver (the originals were select fire - sort of), replace the guts of the magazines with US-made parts, replace the Israeli pistol grip, and supply an additional set of US-made plastic furniture. The receivers retain the original Hebrew markings with DSA placing their name and the rifle's serial number inside the magazine well. The Izzys have a forward assist which was not a normal FAL convenience. They also had a 2-piece wooden/steel handguard that was superior to the 1-piece guards for getting rid of barrel heat. (It gets hot in Israel I hear.) Their selector was lengthened to keep the rifles from being switched to full auto because the FAL was pretty useless as a machinegun. There are a few more smaller differences that make the Izzy unique. All in all it's a very impressive rifle.
I hope to get it sighted in the next few days and may use it for a service rifle match near the end of the month. I doubt if I can maintain the scoring I get with my AR15, but I have to give it a try.
Are there any FAL experts in our ranks? Anything interesting you can share?
Beautiful! I'm in love
Not an expert by any means but I do have a weakness for FALs. I've now owned 4 (but sent one to a good home this spring to finance my new Izzy that HB references above). Currently in the stable is a DSA StG-58, a DSA 16" Para and the DSA Izzy.
If you don't know the history of the FAL, it is interesting. Dieudonne Saive designed it, based on the action of his SAFN-49. Saive's story should be known better but he was working in the shadow of JM Browning (praise be his name) so doesn't get the credit he should (designed or perfected the Baby Browing .25, the Hi Power, FN49, FAL, etc, etc, etc.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieudonn%C3%A9_Saive Trialed by the US next to what became the M14, it probably should have won, but political pressure is what it is.
My own experience with the platform is a pleasant one. Very ergonomic and easy to maintain, the design was WAY ahead of it's time. Israel used them extensively (as did about 90 other countries) and by all accounts it performed well. They come in 2 basic versions...the light barrel and the heavy barrel/FALO.
FALOs were essentially a SAW. Heavy barrel examples use a slightly larger hand guard. It is common to see light barrel examples with and without a muzzle device.
Internet Chairborne Commandos talk about how the Israelis complained that the FAL did poorly in sandy environments, compared to the AKs they saw the Arabs using. The receiver is pretty buttoned up for the era so sand ingress isn't the real issue. It's more about the fine stuff that seeps in everywhere. The FAL was designed with tighter tolerances than the AK so not surprising. There are sand cut bolt carriers but I recently found out that they weren't issued regularly, so it is completely normal not to have sand cuts (dubious whether it really helped or not). Obviously most know that the Israelis designed the Galil as their answer to the AK...as well as to follow the intermediate cartridge craze.
I'll echo HB...DSA did a nice job on this one. The furniture is surplus but in reasonable shape. The Hebrew markings are there but are not overly crisp. My example had one small problem but DSA customer service had it fixed fast (call, issue RMA, free shipping both ways...all within 10 days). None of my FALs are tack drivers...they weren't meant to be. They are a rugged, reliable battle rifle. You may find one occasionally that can do 1 MOA, but that isn't the norm IMO. 2-4 MOA is completely normal. They are ergonomic. They are easy to work on. I find them very soft shooting...better than an M14 and WAY better than a G3. The tunable gas system is responsible for that, even if it isn't trooper-proof. The triggers absolutely suck, but there are aftermarket spring kits that improve that.
SteelThunder tested and approved.
Glad you were able to expand the stable. The ability to tune the gas system makes for a very easy to shoot rifle. It tames the 308 quite well.
ST -Thanks for your thoughts and the information. I learned a lot of that from watching Gun Jesus on YouTube and reading a few googled articles. Tomorrow I should make it to the range to see how well mine will punch paper. Haven't taken it apart yet to see how the internals look, but supposedly these kits DSA used were in pristine condition.
Check out the new shirt!
Quote from: Charles McKinley on October 16, 2019, 10:57:51 PM
Glad you were able to expand the stable. The ability to tune the gas system makes for a very easy to shoot rifle. It tames the 308 quite well.
Charles - Looking at the FN FAL and the much later designed FN SCAR, much of that lineage has been retained in the SCAR. I had read that FN does not recommend a civilian SCAR be suppressed, but I equipped mine with a can, turned the gas to the "military" suppressed setting and baddabing it ran like a sewing machine.
Here's my shirt
I need that one in OD green!
By the way...do yourself a favor and "spring" for a new spring kit. The stock FAL trigger is AWFUL (but not as bad as a G3). This kit helps a lot...not as good as a nice AR trigger but MUCH better than original. Still reliable primer strikes.
https://www.falconarms.com/fn-fal-metric-trigger-pull-reduction-kit-new.html
I looked at these and fought off the urge to buy one. But then stubbed my toe locally on an SBL Izzy rifle/mags/ammo deal a few months back and it all followed me home. I am no stranger to the FAL/L1A1 but previously all I had were home-brew kit riFALs. One might argue the SBL is a kit rifle, but I did not put it together. It looks, handles, and shoots well and I am glad to have it.