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Fn FAL--l1a1...

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I've got the serious itch...

I've found one locally, in very good condition, but it has one of those silly "sporterized" thumbhole stocks. I've held it and dry-operated it, and this stock is simply unusable. You cant reach the safety switch through the thumbhole with your trigger hand. It is badly balanced, and heavy as hell (because it's all wood furniture).

It's an IMBEL receiver (Canadian,
Century Arms).

I know that the rules for swapping parts on some of these older demilitarized semiautos are impossibly bizarre and nonsensical, but I wondered if anyone knows if I can legally swap the "sporterized" stock for an original polymer pistol grip stock if the stock is OEM Aussie or Brit manufacture?

Are these L1A1's under the same silly
18 USC 922R rules that AKs and Saiga's fall under, with the "at least 6 US-made parts" rule? If I swap the handguard and stock for foreign OEM parts, am I going to have to replace 3 other parts with US made parts, like trigger, flash hider, bolt follower, or gas tube?

The BATFE rules on imported "sporterized" rifles make absolutely no sense...
 
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PrayingForWar

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
1,701
Location
The Real World.
http://www.falfiles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=150

This is a great forum, they can give you a lot of answers to your legal questions. I would advise against a Century Arms weapon. I've only had 2, but they were both cheap crap. I've also heard more bad than good about them elsewhere. Also, if you wanted to change the flash suppressor, you might be out of luck if it's pinned or welded in place.
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
Thanks. this is a great link...

From what I read, (and have heard from other FAL fans) this "sporterized" unit is probably just trouble waiting to happen. It appears to be a "parts gun" and the barrel is not threaded.

Maybe I'll just hold out for a nice Izzy heavy barrel. They tend to be much more solid and reliable, and have those super-cool looking Galil-style handguards...
 

PrayingForWar

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
1,701
Location
The Real World.
Glad you like he site, they helped me decide on a DSA STG58, and suggested some really good upgrades. There's a lot of FAL oppinion and knowledge there. You don't want a bastardized gun that was thrown together on the cheap. Like the saying goes, "you get what you pay for". I would hold out for a new DSA. They're more than double what a cheap one costs, but it's worth it from my experience.
 

GLOCK21GB

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
4,347
Location
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
I had one of these about 12 years ago, it was a great rifle. kinda wish I would have never sold it now...mine was a preban with a pistol grip. I got it for 450.00 back then - NEW.
 
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