Which DSA FAL?

C

Coronach

New member
My wife once commented that I should be a bureaucrat- whenever I purchase anything of any appreciable price I tend go through a procurement process that would do the GAO proud (no, I have not yet paid $2000 for a toilet seat ;)).

Well, my search for a FAL has just entered the advanced selection phase. In theory this is the point at which I sit down and mull over books and go out and borrow guns and dedicate myself to 'serious research' to determine how I shall squander errr- ah, SPEND my hard-earned treasure. In truth, this is just an excuse to look at pictures of guns and drool a lot. But enough about my quirks.

I have settled upon DSA as the contractor that shall be awarded this lucrative contract. The question is, which DSA rifle do I want? I have narrowed the field down to the following:

DSA standard rifle
DSA medium contour rifle
DSA medium-contour (stainless) rifle
DSA 21" Bull rifle

All of these range from too-expensive to hideously-too-expensive, so clearly the accounting office will need to hide the figures from the Wife-in-Chief.

The questions I have are:

1. I do not intend to be doing heavy competition shooting with this gun, or using it as a 900-yard chipmunk-shooter. So, is there any real advantage to the heavy-barrel with the 1-10 twist, as opposed to the 'standard' 21" barrel, 1-11?

2. Aluminum vs stainless steel lower receivers: pros and cons?

3. 4140 steel vs stainless steel upper receivers: pros and cons?

4. powder coated steel handguard vs synthetic: is there a difference besides aesthetics and weight?

5. What the hell is the difference between the medium contour and the standard rifle, anyway? ;)

Anyone?

Thanks,
Mike


------------------
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
Here's the standard barrel:

ds58.gif


Here's the medium contour:

ds57.gif


As you can see, the barrel behind the front sight has a considerably larger diameter. I'd go for the standard barrel, in either the standard length or a 16-inch Congo style.



[This message has been edited by Destructo6 (edited August 20, 2000).]
 
Okay, so the 'Medium Contour' has a larger diameter barrel, to the rear of the front sight. Is this the main reason for the medium contour weighing one pound heavier? What is the reason for this feature? Accuracy? Recoil dampening?

Can someone lay out the pros and cons of each, please?

Thanks!

Mike


------------------
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
Say, I'm at about the same point as you are Mike concerning acquiring a DSA SA-58. Currently, I'm leaning towards the Medium Contour Blue.

My opinion, whether right or wrong, on choosing the heavier barrel I had developed from the varminting side of me. Heavier (thicker) barrels tend to stay accurate longer as the number of shots increase. That is, they perform better when it gets hotter.

I picked blue as I prefer subdued over flashy, even if flashy has slight better corrosion resistance. The FAL posted in pther post(s) with a long stainless barrel does look very nice, though. (I think it is George Hill's.)

I gotta couple questions too to add to yours.

Does the FAL bi-pod fit the medium comtour? Destructo6's photo's does show a step on the barrel surface just in front of the front sight for the medium. Is this for the bi-pod?

I'm getting a price of $1480 (ordered) from a local gun shop for the medium (Al lower), retail is $1595. What kind of prices are seen at gun shows? If it's less than $50 I would prefer to go with the shop - permanent location, less people handling the gun.

------------------
- Ron V.
 
'kay. I figured it was as simple as that. heavy barrel=better heat disp. From the photos, though and from destruvto6's comments, it looked like only the rear part of the barrel was 'enlarged,' and the 'medium contour' doesn't have that 'heavy barrel' look, so i was wondering if they had some other design feature at play there. Guess not.

How much 'better' is the heavy barrel model? I ask because I don't plan on using this puppy as a sniper rifle by any means, and if that is the only realm in which its advantages (tighter twist/heavy barrel) are going to come into play, well, then...I'll keep my extra loot and carry less weight. ;)

Stainless vs. aluminum? Stainless looks cheesy (con), won't rust (pro), is more expensive (con), weighs more (con). How is its durability, compared to the standard aluminum?

More and more I'm leaning towards medium contour...but to go stainless or regular...thats the question.

Mike

------------------
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein
 
As for stainless; FN didn't use it, why should I/you? I'd use the standard, not stainless, steel gripframe/lower and add US parts in less critical areas, like furniture. Go with an Imbel or DSA 4140 steel receiver.

I'm sure one of the major reasons that DSA only "Bulled" the barrel behind the front site is so that they could use standard front sight assemblies.

A friend of mine likes to simulate full auto fire with my standard weight, STG-58 take off barrel, and can keep 20 rounds in about 8 square feet at 250 yards. The steel handguards heat up to untouchable levels (another reason to use US furniture), but accuracy remains battle rifle reasonable. FN did an excellent job engineering the FAL, so I'm thinking that these half-bulled barrel setups are more fluff than actual improvement.

[This message has been edited by Destructo6 (edited August 21, 2000).]
 
1) The heavier barrel will maintain accuracy after sustained fire. This may be important for competition or sniper applications, but not much else.

2) Aluminum is lighter and more stain resistant. The weight savings may be nice if you know you'll have to hike it out somewhere.

4) You got it; weight and aesthetics. Some people say they're "softer."


Your shopping process sounds at least as stringent as my own. I'm also going with the DSA.

Hmmm, I wonder if we could save some cash by doing a group purchase?
Maybe $100 off for a purchase of 10 or more rifles.

[This message has been edited by Mikul (edited August 21, 2000).]
 
There is one more consideration-I own both a medium contour stainless and a standard rifle. The reason I bought the standard is because the medium contour has a match chamber and would only reliably chamber match ammunition which I now know is sized slightly differently for tighter chambers. Plain jane .308 or surplus 7.62 would frequently fail to chamber in this rifle. I contacted DSA and they informed me it was behaving exactly as it should. So I got the standard which feeds and fires any .308.
I notice that DSA no longer advertises any of its' rifles as having a match chamber, now they all have ".308 chambers" so perhaps this situation has now changed.
I am very happy with both these rifles and now I want a carbine model with an Elcan or Acog on it.

------------------
"He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages."
Mark Twain
 
Check out the latest soldier of fortune magazine. They have a good write-up on those very same FALs. The upshot: expensive, yes! but worth it! and the medium contour was the most accurate FAL the author had ever shot!
crankshaft
paranoia is a great idea when they actually are out to get You!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top