I have been contemplating purchasing a military-style rifle. I like both the FAL and the Springfield Armory Scout Squad rifles. Since I live in California, I will be restricted to an "altered" FAL that will have a fixed 10-round magazine and will use stripper clips. The Scout Squad will, of course, use detachable 10-round mags. Can anyone give me pros and cons in my choice here? They both use .308 milsurp ammo so no difference there. Help???
FAL or M1A Scout Squad
- Thread starter Prof
- Start date
ocabj: DSA is supposed to be coming out with one soon. And, Arizona Response Systems will make a California-legal FAL of any of the rifles they build. They state on their site that the only problem is finding a California FFL who will accept shipment and handle the transaction. The DOJ language is clear on this area, but most FFL's don't want to handle anything in any way questionable (I guess I can't blame them as their license would be on the line).
M1A scout for sure!
My understanding on the fixed mag FALs is that they are going to run upwards of $1500! Forget that. Just go with the M1A. You can always find a few of those 20 round mags that you bought back in 1985 that you left in your trunk all these years. It just took a trip to Nevada or Oregon to find them is all. I found six mags that I bought from Cole Distributing back in 1985 a year ago after I got back from Vegas. What a relief! I vote for the M1A. I love mine!
My understanding on the fixed mag FALs is that they are going to run upwards of $1500! Forget that. Just go with the M1A. You can always find a few of those 20 round mags that you bought back in 1985 that you left in your trunk all these years. It just took a trip to Nevada or Oregon to find them is all. I found six mags that I bought from Cole Distributing back in 1985 a year ago after I got back from Vegas. What a relief! I vote for the M1A. I love mine!
El Rojo: The cost will actually be just a shade less for the FAL if purchased through ARS. They have several models for $1,175 plus $50 to convert the mag to California-legal status. What about the M1A (in this case, Scout Squad) makes it a better choice? Thanks in advance for your input.
Not sure if it matters to ya, but thought you might want to know the M14/M1A takes stripper clips as is, presuming you don't use a scope mount.
Spot-welding a USGI mag into place in a throwaway metal stock liner, then screwing the liner into a standard wooden stock might be a (relatively) cheap and easy way to stay CA legal, with the added advantage being that you can just swap to a new unbastardized stock for full 20-round mag changes if and when you move to a free(er) state.
-K
Spot-welding a USGI mag into place in a throwaway metal stock liner, then screwing the liner into a standard wooden stock might be a (relatively) cheap and easy way to stay CA legal, with the added advantage being that you can just swap to a new unbastardized stock for full 20-round mag changes if and when you move to a free(er) state.
-K
I only see one good benefit of the FAL.
I think the only good thing the FAL has over the M1A is that the mags are dirt cheap. Fix the mag under PRK law and you pretty much throw away the best thing the FAL had going for it. You are going to get a more accurate rifle with the M1A despite the cost. And as I posted before, 20 round magazines are easily found in old boxes in the garage all over the PRK. You remember how you bought them so many years ago and you just found them the other day right?
If you weren't in the PRK, I would say get the FAL for cheaper. You might as well spend the extra money on the M1A since you will still be able to use its magazines.
And there is no point to doing a welding job on your M1A since the installation of a Springfield Armory muzzle break does not make it an "assault weapon". You can have all of the 20 round mags you want. The only benefit to getting the fixed mag is if you want a bayonet lug, flash suppressor, or pistol grip on your M1A. A novel idea, but there really is no use for it.
Get the M1A. It is the most accurate choice, it is the least hassle of a choice, and in the long run, you won't be sorry.
I think the only good thing the FAL has over the M1A is that the mags are dirt cheap. Fix the mag under PRK law and you pretty much throw away the best thing the FAL had going for it. You are going to get a more accurate rifle with the M1A despite the cost. And as I posted before, 20 round magazines are easily found in old boxes in the garage all over the PRK. You remember how you bought them so many years ago and you just found them the other day right?
If you weren't in the PRK, I would say get the FAL for cheaper. You might as well spend the extra money on the M1A since you will still be able to use its magazines.
And there is no point to doing a welding job on your M1A since the installation of a Springfield Armory muzzle break does not make it an "assault weapon". You can have all of the 20 round mags you want. The only benefit to getting the fixed mag is if you want a bayonet lug, flash suppressor, or pistol grip on your M1A. A novel idea, but there really is no use for it.
Get the M1A. It is the most accurate choice, it is the least hassle of a choice, and in the long run, you won't be sorry.
Al Thompson
Staff Alumnus
Prof, seems to me that the difference is one of a magazine fed rifle or an awkward "load from the top" rifle.
If you want a "top loader" I'd suggest an M1 - .308 or .30-06. Nothing awkward about those!
Giz
If you want a "top loader" I'd suggest an M1 - .308 or .30-06. Nothing awkward about those!
Giz
Thank you, gentlemen, for your advice and input. I think Gizmo's comment sums it up nicely: for Californians it boils down to how to reload the weapon. And a mag change for me is easier than using stripper clips. Also, El Rojo's point that the cost of the mags (one of the few real differences) is a moot point since I have to have a fixed one on the FAL is a good one. I also have been thinking that the FAL, because it looks more like an "assault weapon" with it's pistol grip, etc., is probably the most likely to become a future target for the gun grabbers, even with a fixed mag. So, I am going to take your advice, gentlemen, and go for the M1A Scout Squad. Thanks again!
I already have a "pre-California ban" FAL (the much malaigned Century STG58 - which works fine for me), and I plan to get an M1A (I really did buy a bunch of 20-round mags before the ban). At the prices mentioned, I'd have to agree that the M1A is the better choice.
But, with the low cost of FAL parts kits, and the continued legal avaialability of Imbel receivers, I'm considering making my own fixed mag FAL. At $1,200 or more, I'd rather have the M1A, but if I can build one for, say $500, then the fixed mag FAL becomes more tempting. I agree that the FAL looks much more like an assault rifle, and being able to have a 10-shot semi-auto that looks and shoots just like a standard FAL sounds pretty tempting. I don't know what it would take to build one, and you'd want to be very careful to make sure the fixed mag meets legal requirements. Another plus would be that, if the law ever changes here, you could probably convert it back to using standard magazines. I wonder if having the fixed magazine would make it legal to use a flash hider or collapsable stock? Hmm.
Doug
But, with the low cost of FAL parts kits, and the continued legal avaialability of Imbel receivers, I'm considering making my own fixed mag FAL. At $1,200 or more, I'd rather have the M1A, but if I can build one for, say $500, then the fixed mag FAL becomes more tempting. I agree that the FAL looks much more like an assault rifle, and being able to have a 10-shot semi-auto that looks and shoots just like a standard FAL sounds pretty tempting. I don't know what it would take to build one, and you'd want to be very careful to make sure the fixed mag meets legal requirements. Another plus would be that, if the law ever changes here, you could probably convert it back to using standard magazines. I wonder if having the fixed magazine would make it legal to use a flash hider or collapsable stock? Hmm.
Doug
chiz45: I'm going to get some of the 10-rounders to supplement the 20-rounders that El Rojo reminded me were in the hall closet from a pre-ban gun show I attended. I'll use the 10-round mags for range mags. DougB, I would also consider making up an FAL kit with a fixed mag except (a) I'm not sure that would be legal under DOJ rules, and (b) I'm mechanically-challenged!
