Centurian STG 58 308 Win Sporter Rifle

M

muddyboots

New member
Anybody know about these? What things to look for (defects, wear, etc)? What is the price range they go for?
This is kind of a new leap for me, something I know little about. I always wanted something in .308 but different from the AR style, these look pretty neat.
 
IMHO, the key is the receiver manufacturer. CAI uses both Imbel (Brazillian, good) and Hesse (U.S., maybe good, maybe very bad). I have a CAI Imbel/Stg58 that has been fine with very limited use so far. Unless things have changed a lot since I bought mine, I'd think the first digit in the price should be a 5. All this, and the metric mags are cheap, too!
 
Muddyboots - The Century rifles are most often assembled from a mixed bag of parts. Some do have a quality Imbel receiver, but a rifle ultimately is only as good as the sum of its parts, plus good gunsmithing. For additional advice, check out the FNFAL discussion boards at http://www.fnfal.com/falfiles/index.html.

Good Luck

Noban

[Edited by Noban on 01-11-2001 at 03:06 PM]
 
If it has an Imbel receiver and a good bore, it's a pretty good buy at $500-$600.

Look for metal shavings in the receiver, around the locking shoulder (in front and below the ejector). Examine the gas piston for a Frankenstein look (front end one piece, long shaft another).

Definately cruise the FALFiles boards for more.
 
I recently bought one of these CAI Frankenguns for about $550. It is an STG-58 assembled on an Imbel receiver, no logo and no matching serial numbers. The American made parts included the hammer, sear, trigger, gas piston, stock, & pistol grip. It is a carbine model with a US made muzzle brake. The finish was good to very good and the bolt, bolt carrier, and bore looked new. Although I've read a lot of bad posts about these guns, I'm very happy with mine. It shoots well with rounds touching at 35 yd. and 2-3" groups at 100yd using cheap Radway green ammo. I did replace the gas piston with a DSA one piece job ($35 incl. shipping).

The most likely problems with these guns seems to be either a bent gas piston (or a failure of the cheap two piece one that was originally put into the gun by CAI) which will cause cycling malfunctions. The other common problem seems to be a misaligned sight picture caused by under or over rotation of the barrel when screwed into the receiver (this, I think, is the definition of "timing".) It is also recommended to have a gunsmith check for correct headspacing before firing it (mine checked out OK).

I've heard that if you get a gun with any problems, it can be difficult to get Century to fix it. If I wanted to buy one and could be assured that I would get one like the one that I have, I would definately do it again.

Check http://www.fnfal.com for a wealth of info about the FAL.
 
The receivers to look for are the Imbel (I've not heard of ANT problems with these) or the newer Entreprise-not pin-stamped version--If the Entreprise has problems, it's ok, because they have a lifetime warrantee, and the repair shop is great.
 
Interesting, Entreprise's warranty was previously only valid if they barreled and headspaced the receiver. That is the reason why I went with DSA, even though Entreprise is about 20 minutes away from my door.
 
fnfal.com was a boat load of info. After reading many posts, the Century built gun seems a little dicey. I've made the decision to build one,that way I get it just the way I want it. Might be a fun project (or pure hell). Now more research.
 
It'll be a fun project, boots. The FAL isn't a difficult gun to work on and there are many people who know what they're doing with them, unlike G3's.
 
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