FN is Giving Away a FAL Rifle and Chances to Buy a Complete FAL Parts Kit

By
Dan Zimmerman
-
29

From FN . . .

The right arm of the free world has returned, fueled by a recovery project to extend the legendary FN FAL to a select group of historic arms collectors and builder enthusiasts in the U.S. market. 400 FN FAL rifles issued in the 1980s to the Belgian Gendarmerie were decommissioned and painstakingly crated at FN Herstal.

The lower trigger frame, stocks, bayonets and slings in these authentic FAL builder kits have light cosmetic markings from once-issued uses. Metal parts are free of pitting or fatigue, as long-term storage oils preserved the operating character and finish of each component.

The legacy of the FN FAL can be felt throughout FN’s long history, from the FNC all the way to the present-day FN SCAR. Its influence is undeniable and forever changed the landscape of modern firearms.

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FAL RIFLE

Enter from November 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023. One lucky grand prize winner, announced in February 2023, will win a free semi-automatic FAL rifle (FN/Aftermarket receiver) valued at $2,300.00.

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

ENTER HERE

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO BUY AN AUTHENTIC FN FAL PARTS KIT

Enter for a chance to purchase 1 of 400 authentic FN FAL Parts Kit ($899.99) now through the New Year. Every month, we will randomly select over one hundred winners to receive the exclusive opportunity to purchase an authentic FN FAL parts kit from the FN eStore. You must apply for each Drawing separately during each applicable Entry Period (November 1, 2022 to January 31,2023) to be eligible for that Drawing.

THE PRIZE FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS A UNIQUE CODE WHICH THE WINNER CAN USE TO PURCHASE AN FN FAL PARTS KIT FROM THE FN ESTORE. THE FN FAL PARTS KIT IS NOT THE PRIZE AND MUST BE PURCHASED.

A SKILLED GUNSMITH WITH SPECIALIZED TOOLING WILL BE REQUIRED TO ASSEMBLE EACH FN FAL PARTS KIT INTO A COMPLETE RIFLE USING AN AFTERMARKET RECEIVER, BARREL, AND OTHER PARTS SUPPLIED BY YOU. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLYING WITH ALL APPLICABLE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAWS AND ALL COSTS AND FEES ASSOCIATED WITH ASSEMBLING A COMPLETE RIFLE.

ENTER HERE

 

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29 COMMENTS

  1. Nice to see FAL kits available again – even if limited. Those and AK kits were cheap and plentiful back around 2004 or so.

    I do get a kick out of the euphemism “long-term storage oil.” Every kit I ever purchased was so slathered with cosmoline that you had to soak it in solvent for about a week, perform multiple scrubbings with brake parts cleaners, probably boil it in soapy water, and then scrub some more to get the metal to the point where you could prep for refinishing.

    • Pretty much describes the way that I received my “thoughtfully demilled” CETME. Back then, you could get one built for around $325 with a Federal Arms reciever, which was right up the road from my workplace.

    • Simple Green in boiling water and disposable turkey roasting pans in the garage. Camp stove to boil the water.

      My grand sons loved helping the old man degrease old Russian rifles.

      • I’m game for the assembled rifle. However having to purchase a barrel, receiver, etc. to complete a FN .308 kit is a good reason to purchase readily available components to build on Aero .308 stripped receivers.

  2. Very cool, entered both drawings will pony up for a kit if it is offered. A bit pricey but hey that’s the kit market these days.

  3. I know I would look really “sexy” in a picture holding that “weapon war”. Well maybe not sexy, but it would be great to win that example of western freedom.

    • I think there’s some US import law that restricts importing the barrels now. I see a lot of parts kits less barrel and receiver.

    • Import laws now prohibit the barrel being included. My first Imbel kit included the barrel but my most recent Israeli kit didn’t.

      Not being able to include the complete barrel they chose to cut it to include the section with the gas block rather than sell the barrels separately. This saves building from having to source their own gas blocks.

  6. Before anyone gets too excited by the parts kits, you need to realize that finding a decent receiver to use with it is easier said than done. Most of the “aftermarket” FAL / L1A1 receivers are crap.

    I got lucky a couple of years ago when a colleague was able to get a couple of good Imbel (Brazilian made) FAL receivers, and built L1A1’s on them using Aussie (Lithgow) parts kits (plus a sufficient number of US-made parts to satisfy the BATF regs). The builds definitely took some skill — it’s hardly like assembling an AR — but the one I got from him runs like a champ.

    • Dan Coonan made (or used to anyway) receivers for these that were very nice. I had him make one with a matching serial# of the parts kit. I built three Argentine FALs using these receivers back when Sarco had the kits. I’ve still got the last one I built. It’s a beaut! The kits were from unissued FALs so all parts were new. It’s definitely not like assembling an AR. You best know your stuff before trying.

      • My colleague (who is a serious milsurp collector and pretty good amateur gunsmith) says that a lot of the early DCI receivers were iffy (and so many of the DCI receivers you see out there are those early faulty ones), but ultimately DCI worked out a lot of the bugs. Sadly, however, DCI is no more . . . .

        So the question remains for someone wanting to buy/use the FN parts kits is “where are you gonna get the receiver” (to say nothing of the barrel)? Maybe you can get lucky and find one of the Century Arms thumbhole sporterized versions (which were built on Imbel receivers), but a lot of those are the British L1A1 “inch version” and so may not work with the FN (metric) kits.

        And apparently the guy in Arizona who used to make FAL/L1A1 fire control groups (which gave you a bunch of US-made parts for 922r compliance) is also out of that business.

        So while FN finding and selling the newly discovered stash of parts kits is cool, being able to actually get all the parts necessary to turn it into a functioning, 922r compliant, semiauto FAL will be a lot more easily said than done. And again, even if you do have the parts. it is most definitely a much harder project than assembling an AR from parts.

      • I poked around, and apparently things may not be as dire as I had been led to believe. DSA does offer a variety of aftermarket, made in America FAL receivers, barrels, and other parts.

        https://www.dsarms.com/default.aspx

        So you’d be looking at about $450 (including tax and shipping) for the receiver, and another $400 or so for the barrel, plus $900 for the parts kit, plus probably a few more parts to be 922r compliant . . . plus you are going to have to either hire a gunsmith or be a pretty adept amateur gunsmith to get it together and working properly.

        For less than that, you could just buy an assembled, warrantied, made-in-America FAL clone from DSA.

        • It is really not that difficult for an average person with just a bit of skill to build an FN FAL. I have built 2.

          The trickiest parts are properly aligning the barrel to the receiver and then headspacing. DSA will install the receiver and barrel for a builder, if they’d like. The rest is much like assembling an AR.

          If a builder wants to do their own headspacing they will need to get the following: a receiver wrench, a barrel vise, timing rods and a set of gauges to determine the correct size locking lug to buy. A set of go and no gauges is also helpful.

          The building then installs the barrel using the vise, wrench and timing rods making sure the rods properly align. Once this is done the gauges are used in the locking hole to find the correct size in which the bolt closes on the go gauge but not on the no go gauge. Once you know this size you buy that size locking lug. There are Youtube videos that show this process.

          If you are only doing one then it may be best to have the barrel installed, timed and headspaced for you by DSA than paying for these added tools.

  7. I didn’t read the entire article. One question and a statement. If they are quality; can I buy two? I’d like hands on range time first, but I’d roll the dice on only one. To hell with trying to win something if I can buy it. If there is still a source of plenty of spare mags. I haven’t owned a FAL since the late ’80s. They are a boomer rifle for sure. So are ARs, AKs, M-1 rifles/carbines, M-14s, G-3/33s, Galils, etc. They are all contemporaries +/-. There is really nothing new under the sun. Just those that have only seen they’re first sunrise.

    • Apparently, rather than just sell the lot of discovered kits to one of the usual suspects (SARCO, Century, DSA, etc.), FN is going to sell the 400 kits they discovered by lottery . . . you enter and if your entry is selected, you get the right to buy ONE.

      And I’m sure a lot of people are going to enter and, if they get selected, will buy it and immediately flip it on Gunbroker.

  8. I might be interested if FNH were to reintroduce the FAL at a “reasonable” price. As it is however, I would rather have a DSA FAL, which is readily available, has a lifetime warranty and costs less!

    • You can buy a new DSA cheaper than you can build one from a kit. I built 3 just to spread the cost of the other stuff I had to buy. They were a lot of fun building. Needless to say, the last one went together a hell of a lot quicker than the first.

    • Some people also prefer having the history that comes with the parts rather than a mass produced item. For example, I built one of the Israeli “Hebrew Hammer” kits from PSA using a DSA Israeli marked receiver and Israeli light barrel. I love the worn and battle tested look of it.

  9. I carried one for years courtesy of the Australian Army.

    Would have one if our stupid gun laws allowed.

    Most Australian ones were sold to Canada and were supposed to not go to USA due to your laws as jwm mentioned. But I did come across an original Australian SLR and a Canadian one a different tables in a Missouri gun show a while back.

    • A lot of the Lithgow Arsenal L1A1’s also went to Malaysia, and a few years back one of the usual suspects imported a load of parts kits from there. That was the source for most of my build: except for the Imbel receiver and enough US-made internal parts to make it 922r compliant, it is period-correct for an early-60’s Aussie L1A1. Very sweet shooter.

  10. I just want another FAL. I’d really like a PARA-FAL. Nice condition is nice, but it it will be used. Ten + mags is a bonus. Up to 50. Have Franklins. Will travel.

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