FAL? ie Receivers

M

marsbars

New member
I have been reading posts on FAL's here lately as I am interestedin purchasing one. My local shop has one that is "NEW" by centutry arms that is built on a Hesse receiver. I have seen a lot of bad press on the Hesse reveivers. What makes these so bad compared to others?
I don't want to buy this rifle if I am going to have nothing but problems with it, yet I don't have the really big dollars required to get one that is made on a different receiver.
 
The quality control at Hesse has to be nearly non-existant. Some come out okay, others are obviously screwed up (like gas piston holes drilled off center). By the looks of them, they appear to be cast and a couple of operations are performed afterwards. The surface looks pitted straight from the factory. The word over at the http://www.fnfal.com board is they are very soft and by the looks of everything else Hesse, I tend to believe it.

If you can't afford DSA, go with an Imbel receiver + parts kit and have a local smith barrel, headspace, and attach the muzzle brake for you. If you can operate a screwdriver, you can install the remaining US parts with little trouble.
 
Just outta curiousity, what is the Century FAL going for? You can get an excellent DSA "kit" gun right now for 795.00 dealer price. If you know an FFL or can find one that will purchase and transfer for 10-20 bucks, you can have a great rifle for 800 and some change. These DSA "kit" guns are really fine FAL rifles. You will not be sorry.

The Century offerings are truely hit or miss.....you might get lucky, you might get screwed........make sure the dealer gives you a no-hassle return policy if you decide to get the Century rifle. Some people have bought these and gotten good shooters.....
 
The problems with the rifle you're looking at could be two-fold. Not only does it have a Hesse receiver, which many FAL gunsmiths won't even work on, but it's also built by Century. Century's rifles usually work, but they make them work by grinding locking shoulders with a die grinder (instead of just installing the correct shoulder) and lots of other lazy fitting practices. I have a friend that has a Century L1A1 that the lower looks like Ray Charles assembled it with a hammer. Luckily, the rest of the rifle looks good, and lowers are cheap...even inch ones.
 
The Century is going for just under 600 bucks and now that I have heard so much iffyness on the Hesse receivers and the fact that DSA's scope mount may or may not fit, depending on how well the reciever is made then I won't be putting my money on this one. Unfourtunatly I don't have the cash required to buy one of DSA's new rifles. Can someone tell me more about the "kit" that DSA has for what everyone is saying is 795. I can't find that on the website.
 
The kit rifle is advertised on the DSA page:

http://www.dsarms.com/SA58Rifles/SA58A_STG58_Austrian_FAL.htm


You see it says 995.00 retail.....But DS Arms posted in the FAL forum that the dealer price was 795.00 so alot of us found a dealer that would get it for us for a small fee, normally 10-20 bucks over the dealer price. I had my FFL give me a copy of his FFL and a letter that said it was okay for DSA to charge my credit card direct for the payment. I included a letter that said I understood that DSA would charge my credit card for 795.00 plus shipping. I enclosed a photo copy of my Credit Card and My drivers license. 12 days latter, I had a brand new DSA Kit rifle with a Type II rcvr.......These are great guns, very accurate and very well constructed.
 
I own an Imbel and I have never looked back. The Imbel recievers are some of the best made and they are licenced.
The only real difference between them and DSA as far as I can see is that the DSA uses a heavier and more dense steel.
The DSA however is much pricier.
I would avoid a Hesse reciever at all costs.
 
Century also "builds" a lot of rifles on Imbel receivers they import. I picked up one (STG-58) last weekend at a show, that looked nearly new-great barrel, lower, bolt and carrier, new stocks and pistol grip, bolt hold open works, with bipod. The gas piston is the only problem, its the 2-piece they make, I'll be replacing it with a DSA soon. The Century stocks are a higher than stock comb, which means you have to kind of mash your face into it to line up with the sights, but should work great with a scope. Just my $.02 worth.

Bri

[Edited by brianidaho on 03-18-2001 at 11:41 PM]
 
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