M14 Forum

Hamstrosity

I also, would go with a FAL. My CETME is nice and all, but like others have said:

It pitches brass to the next planet over.

Makes nice little grooves in the brass from the fluted chamber. I've reloaded spent brass from mine before, but they sure don't look good afterwards.

On mine, after about 4 months, the cocking lever return spring broke, and the bolt wouldn't lock into battery, unless the muzzle was pointed down when letting go of the cocking lever. I also had a hell of a time finding a replacement spring, and installing it was a PITA (for me anyhow).

It might just be my sensitive nature , but the felt recoil on the CETME is a little more harsh.


To me, the only good thing is that mags are much cheaper than for either the M14 or the FAL. I shot my neighbor's FAL, and it was a good rifle, but I would only add one to the collection, not trade in a M14 type for it.

That's just me though.

ANYTHING

I cant find the brass from my Springfield SAR8, and 9 lb trigger. My FAL is not accurate enough for me. My cheap AK47s are great for shooting rocks.
A month or two before next years election both the SAR and FAL will be for sale. Money will go into my M1, M1A, and Ar15s. Enough fooling around with guns that are not quite right.

Best
Art

Seventh Fleet

This thread caused me to remember a Springfield Para folding stock FAL that I owned for several years. It was a neat looking rifle that I got in a trade back before the Klinton assault weapon ban. The folding stock on the FAL made the rifle difficult to shoot off the bench and to be frank it hurt like hell shooting it off the bench. However I thought it was a cool looking addition to my battery and I kept it for several years.

I had a friend who owned a gun shop here in my city that was absolutely queer over my Para model FAL. He kept after me to sell it to him, just name my price but I wouldn't get rid of it. Then one day I stopped into his shop and asked about building a CAR-15 for a patrol carbine to keep in the trunk of my Crown Vic. Back then I was just a Sergeant and money was very tight with two boys in school and a mortgage and all that goes with it.

My buddy at the gun shop said, I have a deal for you, but first listen to me all the way through before you tell me no... I said ok.

He said, I will build you a CAR-15 using the best AR parts that I can get and I will also build you an AR-15A-2 with a heavy stainless barrel for target shooting. He knew that I had a pile of FAL mags for my Para FAL and I will swap you new in the wrap M-16 20 and 30 round mags, mag for mag. I will give you a new GI bayonet and slings for both of your new AR's and a ballistic nylon carrying case for the CAR-15 to ride in in your trunk.

I thought about it and told him to get started on my new AR's. I asked for blacked stainless barrels on both rifles and an A-1 upper on the CAR-15 and an A-2 upper on the match rifle. He actually got me an M-16 A-1 upper for the CAR-15, it was built by Martin Marietta as a part of the M-16 spares program for the CAR and he got blackened stainless barrels from Olympic for both rifles.

It took him about two weeks to get everything in for the build and we both ended up very happy with the deal. He still owns that Para and I sitll own both of my AR's.

7th

USMC 711

DSA receivers are drop forged. Early Entreprise arms are ok. Avoid century. Inch pattern rifles (L1A1 , L2A2) some real spiffy wood on Australian variants, Brits had early walnut, changed over to black marynl plastic, which is durable. Many newer experiments with para stocks and non military issue rail systems. DSA has a full line of metric, but I like the inch.

Rare as hens teeth - T48 Rifles by H & R which went no where when the M14 was adopted.

USMC6094

I liked the G3 type till I traded for one, ergonomics arent all that great and that fluted chamber..........not to mention the way it slings brass, I actually saw one embed a spent casing into and awning support at my local range. Only up side I see is that the magazines are at the price FAL were ten years ago but thats not enough.

markp

I like the FAL better, but I also have another suggestion to consider.

What about an Argentinian FN-49 in .308?

Bring that to the range and see heads turn. :)

20 round detachable mags, parts are still available.

MesaRifle

Used the FN CAL in Canada, Armed Forces, match shooting. Then had the opp to buy a real H&K 91, brand new, with a match bbl and factory match-tuned trigger. Then I/it outshot the Canook Army guys on the same range & course of fire with that new H&K. They was jealous!

It still dented the hell out of the brass, even the tough mil-surp stuff, even though I eventually fitted the H&K OE rubber buffer. After that, it still made mince meat out of the brass, but not as badly, and I reloaded them anyhow. Got about 4 reloads out of each round, then the necks split. I didn't know about annealing back then, so perhaps I could have gotten 5 - 6 reloads if I"d been doing that extra step? I was too cheap or poor to buy new ammo all the time. That H&K 91 was also v. accurate, even with their rotating drum R sight.

The FN is far prettier, balanced and of significantly better & more precise manufacture, and also quite accurate, esp in an armorer's match rebuild version. I personally luv the FN's looks, while the G#/91 is a bit of a clunker cosmetically. Having said that, it's also one hell of a battle rifle, in the mud and snow. But then so is the FN. Neither one likes the sand. That's absolutely the domain of the AK, and also of the Golani Galil. Certainly NOT a place to take your prized über-accurate AR though (jam...)

Decisions, decisions, huh?

BTW, the dreaded fast-firing MG42 was also a delayed blowback design. Less stuff to rotate, unlock, then later re-rotate back into battery. Hard to argue with the technology out on the battle ground!

Let us know. Or buy both and do a side-by-side! After all, didn't Comrade Barama tell us all to suffer together and help rebuild the economy? Tell yah what: order them both from me, I'll do a pre-sale trial by fire, then I'll ship 'em on to you and you can confirm or deny!

What a plan!

commostud

I am not a fan of the FAL layout. I am not arguing that they are fine reliable rifles. I like the G3 pattern rifles alot. Easy to maintain, shoot and accurate. Plus I own over 60 magazines for them babies. The only thing that turns me off on them is that they crease the brass. Yes you can reload them, I do. I did own a ptr-91 and I loved it. I just love the m1a more. I will own another g3 pattern rifle soon. But I have priorities I have to manage first. Find a friend and shoot the Cetme and Fal. It is your choice, either rifle can be tuned to shoot better. Both are reliable, and both will work with all kinds of ammo the M1a will not handle. I also like the straight back recoil of the cetme versus the m1a has a little bit of barrel rise. My ptr-91 did not do that as much.

Silver Eagle

If you're going to shoot them alot, go with the FAL, headspace adjustments are easier and parts to do them are more readily advaliable, Just change out the locking shoulder in the lower reciever. One lock screw and the sholder, 2 parts total

CETME/G3/H&K 91 headspace is a little more complex and the oversize bolt rollers can be harder to find. You'll need to strip the bolt down to it's basic componets to replace the rollers, a LOT of small parts are involved in this one...

I've owned both and both have their strong and weak points, the same as redheads, brunetts, and blondes. which ever one you like the most.

MesaRifle

Pssst... blondes do NOT have any weak points!

http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...mb=MuCVzLY4P1d

or...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...mb=MuCVzLY4P1d

or...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...mb=MuCVzLY4P1d

(Wehhhhhlllll... these last two...just might just be a teensie bit o'trouble, esp. if the wifey shows up during the party strting activities.... I doubt she'd understand my more basic male-hominid reactions. "But... it's only Evolution, honey!"

Funny story: Happened on the way to the firing range about 20 yrs ago. My SUV was used by my wife a few days a week to transport our kids around. My daughter was about 4 or so, and she had some Barbie™ dolls she often played with, that she kept in the back seat.

OK. So I picked up three shooting buddies who got all their macho shootin' gear into the back of this SUV, and two of them took up seats in the back. We drove off towards the range (the old S. Coast Gun Club in Orange Country, SoCal.) talking and laughing about a few things, and then one of the Back Seat Boyz cleared his throat, and asked <ahem> "Oh Rusty... What are....THESE... for?"

There, on the floor in the back seat, in my SUV, were four naked/stripped Barbie dolls plus some hand cream (Hey! My hands tend to get too dry in that desert country. Honest! HONEST!) But otherwise, I didn't really have a good answer....

(And.... to cut you off at the pass... size is NOT an issue here, n'Kay? OK?)

donmor53

I went with an Aussie based L1A1 (inch patern FAL...except for mags) 20 years ago...no regrets.

Luke72

If I am not mistaken, metric FAL mags will work in "inch" guns but not vice-versa.

BlackArrow

Because they both shoot about same as far accuracy and reliability, I would buy the one that looks the coolest to you and feels the best as far as balance in your shooting stance and the pull on the stock while looking down the iron sights. The right rifle will sing to you when you have it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it at that point because someone will snatch it up under you. Personally, I like the HK 91 with wood stock assembly. Good luck!

donmor53

My receiver is a Brazilian Imbel that will take metric mag. Since I don't own or have never tried an inch patern mag...I honestly cannot tell you the fact of that matter.