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Seems that a lot of the old FAL information out on the web has gone stale. I am reprinting the info from this thread, and am capturing the missing images from the wayback machine so that the guide can exist in one spot on the internet again (sorry, these were the highest resolution images I could find. Minor corrections made for legibility). This archived thread does not include user names. If you know who wrote this please let me know so I can properly credit them.
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The main difference between the inch and metric receivers is the cut in the forward face of the magazine well.
The inch receiver (left) has a large machined slot. The metric receiver (right) has a smaller thumbnail shaped cut.
The inch receiver (top) has it's cocking slide track cut off (approximately. .300) to allow the cocking handle to fold down.
The track on the metric receiver extends to the forward end of the receiver. The cocking handle on a metric FAL does not fold down.
The inch receiver (left) has cut outs on the rear of the receiver to allow the dust cover to seat completely.
Metric dust covers don't have tabs on the rear so these cuts aren't necessary.
[Uncut receivers are getting pretty rare apparently. It is advised to not cut an uncut receiver.]
The locking tab on the front of the inch magazine (left) is shaped differently and is larger than the metric version.
Metric magazines will generally fit into an inch receiver but the opposite is not true.
Six other things I can think of.
1. The front sight have open ears on the inch. There are a couple of metric variants that do but generally there closed
2. Carry handle on inch is generally much larger in diameter
3. Parts in inch and metric lower parts not interchange. Inch trigger guard is part of the pistol grip Stocks and pistol grip do not interchange. The safety is an exception. Lot of people like the larger inch and use it on their metric. You can swap complete lowers between inch and metric though.
4. Inch in standard rifles where semi for the most part and metric where full auto.
5. Rear sight folds down on inch they again being on the lower the inch sights due not interchange due to height differences
6. Inch carriers are generally sand cut, some metric are also Israeli for example and some Belgium.
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7. You can use metric mags in an inch receiver but they may be pretty loose. Inch mags will not fit in an metric receiver unless the front cut is enlarged.
8. You can mix and match inch and metric uppers and lowers. You need to check both if you are unsure what you have (I have not found comparison photos of the lower, I will include those if I ever find any).
If there is other info you think should be archived here let me know and I will add it.
-----------------------------
The main difference between the inch and metric receivers is the cut in the forward face of the magazine well.
The inch receiver (left) has a large machined slot. The metric receiver (right) has a smaller thumbnail shaped cut.
The inch receiver (top) has it's cocking slide track cut off (approximately. .300) to allow the cocking handle to fold down.
The track on the metric receiver extends to the forward end of the receiver. The cocking handle on a metric FAL does not fold down.
The inch receiver (left) has cut outs on the rear of the receiver to allow the dust cover to seat completely.
Metric dust covers don't have tabs on the rear so these cuts aren't necessary.
[Uncut receivers are getting pretty rare apparently. It is advised to not cut an uncut receiver.]
The locking tab on the front of the inch magazine (left) is shaped differently and is larger than the metric version.
Metric magazines will generally fit into an inch receiver but the opposite is not true.
Six other things I can think of.
1. The front sight have open ears on the inch. There are a couple of metric variants that do but generally there closed
2. Carry handle on inch is generally much larger in diameter
3. Parts in inch and metric lower parts not interchange. Inch trigger guard is part of the pistol grip Stocks and pistol grip do not interchange. The safety is an exception. Lot of people like the larger inch and use it on their metric. You can swap complete lowers between inch and metric though.
4. Inch in standard rifles where semi for the most part and metric where full auto.
5. Rear sight folds down on inch they again being on the lower the inch sights due not interchange due to height differences
6. Inch carriers are generally sand cut, some metric are also Israeli for example and some Belgium.
------------------------------
7. You can use metric mags in an inch receiver but they may be pretty loose. Inch mags will not fit in an metric receiver unless the front cut is enlarged.
8. You can mix and match inch and metric uppers and lowers. You need to check both if you are unsure what you have (I have not found comparison photos of the lower, I will include those if I ever find any).
If there is other info you think should be archived here let me know and I will add it.
