FAL or PTR-91....and why?

[JRuby]

Boo hiss

I personally am not a big fan of sheet metal receivers.

 

[Vaktathi]

Update.......I purchased one of these.View attachment 332490

Awesome, I picked up one of those back in May, I've been very satisfied with it, aside from the manual labor involved in charging the damn thing XD

I really like the G3 type rifles. the FAL rifles are nice too, but there's just so much more aftermarket support and accessory options for the G3 types, and so much of it is good surplus too. With FAL's, the rebuilds have a lot more QC issues from what I've seen and have dramatically less aftermarket support (who doesn't like $3 G3 mags?). The FAL's also have weird issues with different countries using different measurement standards and the like so stuff isn't necessarily as interchangable.

A FAL is on the long term list for me, but the PTR-91 GI-R was definitely higher up. If we could buy original factory made surplus FAL's, I'd be more inclined towards them, but alas...

 

[Goosebrown]

The FAL's also have weird issues with different countries using different measurement standards and the like so stuff isn't necessarily as interchangable.

A FAL is on the long term list for me, but the PTR-91 GI-R was definitely higher up. If we could buy original factory made surplus FAL's, I'd be more inclined towards them, but alas...

First the measurement issues. Bad information. There are inch pattern rifles, UK and Australia, and metric pattern rifles, all the rest. The big difference is the magazines are different and the inch patterns use a breaching washer to time the barrel and the metric rifles do not.

Original factory built rifles are available from FN in Belgium but they cost a bomb. The rest have US upper recievers but often are entirely matching. I have two that have 100% matching serial numbers with US receivers. Factory built is not that important overall. The problem is that there were several US sources of uppers and two were VERY bad. ORF Ohio Rapid Fire and one slightly less bad, Hesse. The best are from DSA which has the original tooling from Steyr that made the STG-58 and Coonan. Lesser is Enterprise, although they have a specific upper for Argentine kits.

Best kits to get, Austrian STG-58, then Argentine which were built for export then blocked and had their receivers cut. They are basically NEW rifles, unfired. After that Imbel Brazilian are great then chilean FALs and then German G1s which were resold to Turkey and very heavily used. Rare are inch pattern New Zealand rifles, Canadian C1A1 or very rare C1A2, Israeli HB and regular rifles, Cuban FALs are quite rare as well.

Then there are the South African R1s and Rhodesians which were aquired from everywhere and then had the handles cut off and sling swivels removed, they were then painted with Chevrolet Auto Body paints in baby poop camouflage. Some SA models had the coat of arms on the mag well and those that then went to Rhodesia had the crests drilled out. Lots of variations and neat history there.

Don't be afraid of a kit if you want history.

 

[Ura-Ki]

There is a ton of aftermarket parts and support for the FAL, Just have to look a little harder then the G-3 rifles! Most good kits still available can be built and tuned using a Good Upper receiver, and once tuned will outlast any Variant of the CETME/G-3 out there.
Starting out with a good kit is key, or you have to go with a pre assembled rifle and then have a good smith go through it, like Velzey to find and fix the little things that some times show up. Keeping spare wear parts handy is a very good idea for any rifle expected to last, and the FAL is no different. Beyond that, A good FAL will serve you well for a lifetime!
I use mainly Coonan uppers with Imble kits, and have had very good luck with them. Like wise, I got one of the Argentine kits and it went together just fine! It all comes to how you assemble it and tune it. Timing the barrel and head spacing the rifle are the hardest part of assembling one, and once you learn the correct way ( depending on Inch or Metric) you got it down. Mag tuning is also pretty easy, I have gotten mags from friends that couldn't make them work,and with a few min tweeking, they work great!
I dare anyone to replicate the ease of assembly from a kit, with any variant of the G-3!!!

 

[Vaktathi]

Good stuff to know, thanks!

I wouldn't say I'm afraid of a kit so much as just not quite as enthused. This primarily comes from experiences with AK's and some...unfortunate experience with an AK-74 (which RRC firearms actually allowed me to exchange almost two years after purchase for an Arsenal SLR-104 which was *very* generous of them), though my latest acquisition is a parts-kit Spanish CETME-L so I'm not always consistent in my decisions

 

[nehalemguy]

I wish I could have got in on some of those buck fiddy mags!

You still can......

G3/H&K .308 20rd Original - Aluminum - 6 PACK

Edit....
Oh shoot! Out of stock!

 

[Goosebrown]

Big difference between G3/AK and FAL is that there is NO WELDING on the FAL. the trick is the timing of the barrel and the headspacing which actually is easy as. You are best advised once you get a kit and receiver to go to FAL files where if you post someone will lend you a receiver wrench and headspacing pins. Once you get the right spacing you need to order that "locking shoulder", insert it and you're done.

Love G3s but a FAL is much easier to build, easier to shoot with the adjustable gas system and better on brass.

 

[CarlMc]

Love G3s but a FAL is much easier to build, easier to shoot with the adjustable gas system and better on brass.

This
The first ever gun i built was a FAL. Then another. built an AR after that. Neither was a challenge, honestly, but I did use a breaker bar on the FAL, and the build was a lot more satisfying than the AR. Now that I've built a Sten, I've found my calling.

The FAL definitely feels like a real rifle, whereas the AR feels like a toy. I don't have a PTR, so can'treally speak to that.

 

[Boboclown]

Grats on the nice PTR OP.

To be honest if I noticed this thread on time I would have voted for the right arm of the free world, but both rifles are good IMO.

 

[DunRanull]

How about the "AKm, The World's Left Arm"?

 

[BlindedByScience]

Recently went through the exercise, and I'm putting the parts for an AR10 in the safe. Picked up a Rainier Arms 20" Ultramatch barrel to get started. Got an AP upper, lower, and bolt. Found a good deal on a CMC trigger for this one Not cutting big corners on this build, but I'm not trying to spend any money I don't have to. I'm hoping it turns out to be a decent long range shooter, given the caliber. As they say, film at eleven.....

 

[Boboclown]

How about the "AKm, The World's Left Arm"?

Well you know what they say... Left handed people are devil worshippers.

I just find the G3 (and its clones) and the FAL better looking than an AK (depending on the "AK" in question) to be honest.

 

[JRuby]

I will take a 7.62 x 51 any day over a 7.62 x 39.. Nothing else needs to be said.

 

[nehalemguy]

You still can......

G3/H&K .308 20rd Original - Aluminum - 6 PACK

Edit....
Oh shoot! Out of stock!

Back in stock!

Edit: Dang it! Now $12.99 for 6. Price went up from $8.99

E

 

[DunRanull]

Nuthin wrong with an AK altho the NATO/.308 is a heavier, faster, harder hitting round and the rifles themselves are capable of better accuracy over distance.... there were reasons that both the US and Combloc went to the .22 cal rounds. I know which ammo pack I'd rather be carrying ANY day or night... Refresh my memory.. in which regional conflicts was the 7.62X51 successfully used by The Winning Side? Seems like most everyone went to 5.56...
Nothing else needs to be said!
Not to say Ive dumped my ARs, FAL, H&K, CETME, M1A- but generally unless range is a factor, Id rather be humpin an AK than a heavier .308.

 

[Medic!]

Nuthin wrong with an AK altho the NATO/.308 is a heavier, faster, harder hitting round and the rifles themselves are capable of better accuracy over distance.... there were reasons that both the US and Combloc went to the .22 cal rounds. I know which ammo pack I'd rather be carrying ANY day or night... Refresh my memory.. in which regional conflicts was the 7.62X51 successfully used by The Winning Side? Seems like most everyone went to 5.56...
Nothing else needs to be said!
Not to say Ive dumped my ARs, FAL, H&K, CETME, M1A- but generally unless range is a factor, Id rather be humpin an AK than a heavier .308.

Well there was the Falkland Islands.
And as a matter of fact both sides had the FAL.

So I guess it kind of won. And lost?

 

[Boboclown]

Not to say Ive dumped my ARs, FAL, H&K, CETME, M1A- but generally unless range is a factor, Id rather be humpin an AK than a heavier .308.

Dump an AR for an AK for weight?

 

[Boboclown]

Well there was the Falkland Islands.
And as a matter of fact both sides had the FAL.

So I guess it kind of won. And lost?

I'd say it won so hard it lost at the same time.

 

[nehalemguy]

Refresh my memory.. in which regional conflicts was the 7.62X51 successfully used by The Winning Side?

The Israelis used both the FAL and the G3 in the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War.

I have a close friend who served two tours in Iraq. My favorite quote from him is "You know who carries AK's? .......Dead guys."

E

 

[mjbskwim]

So what war was won by a force carrying a M4/16/ar15?
PLEASE don't say Vietnam
The gulf war? Did we win that? Really win that?
Just because some Texan said it on a ship doesn't make it so.
Seems it's still going on to me