FN FAL accuracy

[warpedskydiver 0]

This is a picture of a target that was shot with a "Frankengun" FAL that I purchased way back in 1995.


I have done work on it, none of it costing more than $150 total, after purchasing the FAL.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o42/warped60120/PC050040.jpgThis is a picture of a target that was shot with a "Frankengun" FAL that I purchased way back in 1995.

The first group you see to the left was after removing and replaceing all the screws on the scope rail, and locktiting them with red.

I shot the next group after zeroing, you will see this group a half inch left, and 1.5" high.

I have done work on it, none of it costing more than $150 total, after purchasing the FAL.

Then I recrowned and lapped the chrome lined bore.

Custom taped up stock using a rubber hose as a riser.

Taped up pistol grip using fuseable rubber splicing tape.

Bipod, and trigger work.



Well what do you think?

[lawrocket 3]

I'm glad to see you got your breathing under control for the 5-shot grouping. Your zeroing shots were acceptable. I can tell you didn't trust your zero rounds because if you had, you'd have been center mass. For some reason I expect a little more from you.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[namgrunt 0]

lets see a pic of the rifle

.

59 YEARS,OVERWEIGHT,BALDIND,X-GRUNT
LAST MIL. JUMP VIET-NAM(QUAN-TRI)
www.dzmemories.com

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Very good.

My Entreprise STG-58 is _not_ that accurate and I figured it was the gun which I should trade in on a HK G3 or AR10. I even swapped in a DSA floating fore-end (partly to get my US parts count up).

Should I blame the ammo (Hirtenberger), iron sites (the FAL puts the rear site on the lower receiver, so switching to the dust cover scope mount on the upper receiver avoids the problem), barrel (Austrian STG-58), muzzle appliance, or what?

[JohnRich 4]

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The first group you see to the left was after removing and replaceing all the screws on the scope rail, and locktiting them with red.

I shot the next group after zeroing, you will see this group a half inch left, and 1.5" high.

What's your explanation for how lock-titing the rail screws improved the accuracy? Do they impinge upon the barrel?

That second group is sub-minute nice, except for that one flyer that leaked out to the right.

Was this done with a scope? What magnification?

Now bring your zero down and right!

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Custom taped up stock using a rubber hose as a riser. Taped up pistol grip using fuseable rubber splicing tape.

Oh, that sounds kind of back-yard gunsmithish... But hey, it seems to work. Will the tape stay on when it gets in the hot summer sun? What was wrong with the original pistol grip?

[JohnRich 4]

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My Entreprise STG-58 is _not_ that accurate...
Should I blame the ammo (Hirtenberger), iron sites (the FAL puts the rear site on the lower receiver, so switching to the dust cover scope mount on the upper receiver avoids the problem), barrel (Austrian STG-58), muzzle appliance, or what?

That's the problem, it's hard to tell what's responsible for the inaccuracy. Many guns are not made to shoot that well though, with an acceptable accuracy of only 4 moa or so. So a 4-inch group at 100-yards may be all you should expect from it.

But you can easily buy one box of many different kinds of ammo, and have fun experimenting with them to see which shoots best. That's the first, cheapest thing to try. I've been amazed at the differences sometimes just between different brands of ammo.

Shoot off of sand bags for steady consistency.

[jm951 0]

I had an FNFAL, built on an early Enterprise receiver using an inch pattern L1A1 kit. With irons at 100, a 3.5 inch group was the norm with decent ammo. A scope mount from DSA allowed me to tighten that back up to about 2" at best. It was a great rifle and I had several 30rd Bren mags for it. Wish now that I hadn't sold it.

[steve1 5]

I'm not really sure what a FN FAL is. Is it similiar to a British F.N.? Whatever the weapon, I'd say it is shooting very well. I know many bolt action rifles that can't group much better than two or three inches at 100 yds. I wouldn't expect this kind of accuracy out of just any automatic rifle.

It's good you are experimenting with five shot groups. Many people shoot three shot groups, and their tight group might be luck. A five shot group that is tight, takes an accurate weapon, the proper ammo, and skill by the shooter. I sometimes shoot four shot groups, just because I get tired of waiting for my barrel to cool down....

[airtwardo 6]

I'm not really sure what a FN FAL is. ...british FN?

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Yup

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[steve1 5]

In the military we trained with a British FN, a little. We were told they were a good weapon. That's about all I know....

[warpedskydiver 0]

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Very good.

My Entreprise STG-58 is _not_ that accurate and I figured it was the gun which I should trade in on a HK G3 or AR10. I even swapped in a DSA floating fore-end (partly to get my US parts count up).

Should I blame the ammo (Hirtenberger), iron sites (the FAL puts the rear site on the lower receiver, so switching to the dust cover scope mount on the upper receiver avoids the problem), barrel (Austrian STG-58), muzzle appliance, or what?

I only achieved this using Hornady 150 grain Ballistic Tips.

So far that was some of the most accurate ammo I have sent down the bbl.

I have no muzzle device, and that in itself can imrove the accuracy on this particular rifle.

How was your trigger?

Mine breaks like a glass rod, and has about 2.5lbs of pull.

I did my own trigger work and also cut 1.5 turns off the trigger return spring.

[warpedskydiver 0]

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I'm glad to see you got your breathing under control for the 5-shot grouping. Your zeroing shots were acceptable. I can tell you didn't trust your zero rounds because if you had, you'd have been center mass. For some reason I expect a little more from you.

wind was blowing, I had drank a pot of coffee, and the weather was like shit.

As I get older, it seems my ability to brush aside those types of things, and shoot well are diminishing.

[warpedskydiver 0]

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I'm not really sure what a FN FAL is. Is it similiar to a British F.N.? Whatever the weapon, I'd say it is shooting very well. I know many bolt action rifles that can't group much better than two or three inches at 100 yds. I wouldn't expect this kind of accuracy out of just any automatic rifle.

It's good you are experimenting with five shot groups. Many people shoot three shot groups, and their tight group might be luck. A five shot group that is tight, takes an accurate weapon, the proper ammo, and skill by the shooter. I sometimes shoot four shot groups, just because I get tired of waiting for my barrel to cool down....

It's an L1A1 to you, or SLR depending on your vintage.

[warpedskydiver 0]

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The first group you see to the left was after removing and replaceing all the screws on the scope rail, and locktiting them with red.

I shot the next group after zeroing, you will see this group a half inch left, and 1.5" high.

What's your explanation for how lock-titing the rail screws improved the accuracy? Do they impinge upon the barrel?I was tired of the screws securing the rail to the receiver backing off and in fact one had fallen out after many hundreds of rounds.

That second group is sub-minute nice, except for that one flyer that leaked out to the right.
I would claim it, but that was my .270win, the weather was getting worse so I got lazy and shot once into that target just for a zero check.(use a caliper )

Was this done with a scope? What magnification?2.5-10x42mm cheap ass Tasco with MilDots

Now bring your zero down and right!
As for right, I would have if conditions were not the way they were, I had a full value wind from my 3 o'clock

Guess why my zero was 1.5" high?You know the answer!

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Custom taped up stock using a rubber hose as a riser. Taped up pistol grip using fuseable rubber splicing tape.

Oh, that sounds kind of back-yard gunsmithish... But hey, it seems to work. Will the tape stay on when it gets in the hot summer sun? What was wrong with the original pistol grip?

Hey some rubber tape and duct tape works wonders, and it still barely pliable in the cold, yeah it holds up in hot weather.

I will take a pic and post it, it looks like hell, and I like it that way, it probably has a half ounce of krylon on it.

[warpedskydiver 0]

I also use a half empty mag to improve accuracy, it is an old trick that still seems to work.

That day in north central WI it was pretty crappy out, my friend Steve did not even want to come out of the clubhouse.

[warpedskydiver 0]

I will be going back out when the weather permits, to shoot 100yd targets with the FAL, Grendel, AR15s, Model 760, and Benelli firing 300grain XP3 SabotSlugs.

I will also try stretching out the legs on the Grendel as far as I can, it may take a looooooong trip or permission to shoot on private property.

[warpedskydiver 0]

The original pistol grip is small for my hand, and I prefer a sticky rubber grip, with enough of a taper that I can relax my hand, and barely hold onto the rifle when I want to.

[warpedskydiver 0]

Here is the pic, I finally got around to it.

I told you guys it was ugly

and I like it that way.

[auburnguy 0]

Id say you are probobly off with a gun that is better to start out with than trying to upgrade that one. Sell it and get an ar-10 or if you have the money an SASS. Expensive but worth it for an extremely accurate semi auto.

"If you don't like your job, you don't strike! You just go in every day, and do it really half assed. That's the American way."
- Homer Simpson

[warpedskydiver 0]

It needs no more work, or upgrades.

What do I need an AR10 for?

Geez you must think I only own a couple rifles.

I do however want an MGI HYDRA in with a .260rem bbl and bolt.

Also an EDM arms M96 Windrunner in .50BMG and .338 Lapua.

The FAL is just what it should be, very utilitarian.

It shoots far better than some AR10s do.

[warpedskydiver 0]

It shoots under 1 MOA what do you want?

[auburnguy 0]

Look up the SASS

"If you don't like your job, you don't strike! You just go in every day, and do it really half assed. That's the American way."
- Homer Simpson

[GQ_jumper 4]

Quick side story on the FAL.......a few years back, when I was a newbie in the world of foreign guns I was a huge advocate of the M-14, who wouldn't be, that thing is consitent at 1K meters. I ran into someone who uses the FAL in competitions, I told him that my opinion was that the FAL was inferior to the M-14 due to the fact that the M-14 had a better feel.

Holy shit!!! I have never seen someone get so upset about a simple statement!!

Doing a little research I learned a healthy respect for the FAL.

Nowadays, I still personally prefer the 14, just because in my hands, it just feels better, but at the same time I have learned a hearthy respect for the FAL, definitely not a weapon to laugh at!

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[akarunway 1]

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It needs no more work, or upgrades.

What do I need an AR10 for?

Geez you must think I only own a couple rifles.

I do however want an MGI HYDRA in with a .260rem bbl and bolt.

Also an EDM arms M96 Windrunner in .50BMG and .338 Lapua.

The FAL is just what it should be, very utilitarian.

It shoots far better than some AR10s do.

I'm debating the 416 vs, the 338. Opinion? I woud like a 50 also tho

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[warpedskydiver 0]

.416 ammo will be in very short supply.

Great ballistics, but then you better be a reloader as well.

Just check out how easy it is to find .416 ammo right now