FALs are SO EASY to build! Perro and Rick's Mobile Gunsmithing

[rickinvegas]

I bought a G1 Kit from Perro years ago. He has always touted how easy they are to build. I didn't have a FAL in my collection so it's all been sitting in the back of the cabinet all this time. Along the way, I picked up an Enterprise receiver and related parts to do the build.
Perro and I have been working a lot lately and it's been hotter than normal in Vegas so nobody has wanted to go out and shoot lately. He and I were talking this morning and we decided to build a gun instead.

I guess FALs are easy to build. A lot easier than AKs for instance but we had a bitch of a time getting the barrell properly indexed. Maybe it was the receiver or maybe it was just the 50 year old gun the Turks looked after in their usual careful way. Ya know, tie it to the back of a camel and drag it through the swamp? (actually, the kit is very cool and in overall good condition. Dirty as hell but in good shape) Anyway, we kept spinning the barrell in the blocks but after several tries, we found a way to combine a huge breaker bar and a big shiney cresecent wrench. It felt like I was playing a game of twister but we finally got it indexed. The whole time I'm shouting, "FALs are SO EASY TO BUILD!" After that, and some skinned knuckles, it's all cake. I need to order up the correct locking shoulder and then we will take it out and shoot 'em up! Stay tuned..... Here are some pics:

Getting the kit Ready

http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1255.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1256.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1258.jpg

Using the Perro and Rick Mobile Gunsmithing barrel vise rig. Hey, I don't have a vise :rolleyes:
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1267.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1269.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1270.jpg

Here are some pics of the finished rifle. The one in the back is a G1 Perro built many years ago.

http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/NewGolfClubs.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/GolfClubsDeluxe.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1278.jpg
http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/vegasshooters/MAPS/DSCN1277.jpg

[LostInTexas]

Looks like a fun day! Love the shots of the twins.

[Perro Del Diablo]

I still can't believe the amount of torque it took to index your barrel.
your barrel indexed to 11 o clock like it should have - pre load

It was not what i would consider a standard amount. How many tons of pressure was being applied by my MONSTER barrel vice?? I bought that barrel vice for that reason alone cause it is massive.

maybe it was the extra humidity causing the barrel to slip inside the bushings :533:

it helps having a 6000 pound truck to anchor the MK1 mobile barrel vice wood mount securely - im contacting the patent attorney on monday morning

if you think about it, it really was easy to build even with the difficulty we had indexing the barrel. if we would have had the correct size locking shoulder it would have been finished in what 5 hours tops??

dont want to jinx the test fire like i did by telling you that FALs are easy to build so ill leave it at "i wish you luck in your test fire" :wink:

[Planning]

rick, thanks for the pictures.:thumbup:

i wish i had bought a few more of the G1 kits, but as always hind sight is almost always very good.

nice looking kit.

perro's G1 looks great also.

thanks
ron

[weasel_master]

Looks great. I'm jealous, I'd like to pick one up someday. That's definately some enginuity with the mobile vise.

[19Charlie_84]

Sweet build, looks great!

[Perro Del Diablo]

he forgot the best part


he had the barrel indexed to maybe 5 degrees out from being top dead center when i looked down and realized that i had forgot to put the handguard retaining ring on and we had to remove everything and start over. classic rookie mistake that i have made on every single one ive ever done

funny thing is i told myself about 5 times "self, dont forget the handguard retaining ring"

if you could have seen the look on your face!! if you could have shot lazer beams out of your eyeballs i would have been tag on the toe dead at that very second :slap:

[rickinvegas]

That look was me trying to figure out where I was going to find some asbestos gloves. I figured there was NO way we were going to get that sombitch off that barrell after all the torque we had to lay on it up to then. I pictured me having the only handguardless FAL out at the next shoot :flame:

Thanks again for your help! Makes me want to build another one. Maybe something tacticool this time.........Does Tapco make a collabsible AR stock for the FAL?? :icon_biggrin:

[weasel_master]

snip...Does Tapco make a collabsible AR stock for the FAL?? :icon_biggrin:

I'm sure Mike has a pile of them, get an extra from him. You know how to wind him up.

[weasel_master]

Speaking of, I really need to post up the picture of his old BAR with the AR stock on it. Fits me much better now.

[rickinvegas]

I'm sure Mike has a pile of them, get an extra from him. You know how to wind him up.

I doubt it. You know how he feels about ARs. They make him itch.

Anyway, I'm doing my best these days to clear out his safe. I bought two more pieces from him today. A super cool 91/30 ex-sniper and a Norinco Trench Gun knock off.

Funny thing is my wife was in and out all day laughing at us cussing over a pipe bolted to a 4x4 under one of Mike's tires. After Mike left, I got the dreaded question. One I've never gotten before..... "Honey?". "Yes Dear?", I said.

"How many guns DO you have?"

Whoops! :088:

[weasel_master]

That's a tough corner to be in, you didn't give an answer did you?

[rickinvegas]

That's a tough corner to be in, you didn't give an answer did you?

Of course not! That would be against the manlaw :nonono:

I actually told her I didn't know exactly which is the truth. I guess that's just as bad since she told me, "If you don't know exactly, it's probably a LOT"

My ace in the hole is that she handles our investment portfolio. When I compare how our stocks have done in the last year to what my "Investments" have done, she can't complain. :icon_biggrin:

[Buelligan]

The FAL is another kits or kits I should have bought.

[Planning]

I doubt it. You know how he feels about ARs. They make him itch.

Anyway, I'm doing my best these days to clear out his safe. I bought two more pieces from him today. A super cool 91/30 ex-sniper and a Norinco Trench Gun knock off.

Funny thing is my wife was in and out all day laughing at us cussing over a pipe bolted to a 4x4 under one of Mike's tires. After Mike left, I got the dreaded question. One I've never gotten before..... "Honey?". "Yes Dear?", I said.

"How many guns DO you have?"

Whoops! :088:

do a democrat response. ask a question back. er! how many shoes do you have or purses, etc.
diversion is always the key, but never, ever give the correct answer to the question.

works for me.

yep! buy a dozen or more fal/L1A1 kits and just start building them in a lot of configerations. the more the better.

1 is never enough.

ron

[Perro Del Diablo]

Anyway, I'm doing my best these days to clear out his safe. I bought two more pieces from him today. A super cool 91/30 ex-sniper and a Norinco Trench Gun knock off.

someday remind me to show you the original and correct G1 Hensoldt scope and mount for the G1. It is rarer than hens teeth. i dont know why i didnt think to bring it out. I was just grabbing guns from the safe and didnt think about it.

also have the bayonet, grenade launcher, blank fire adaptor, and cleaning kit for the g1

[weasel_master]

I've been doing my best to snatch some stuff up from him as well. My fiance has his address memorized already.

[drine]

Just for general info, do you guys know why it took so much to get it indexed? I've had parts made to use where I work and we sometimes get threads that are too tight since the two parts were made by different people. Just wondering

[rickinvegas]

I will let Perro chime in here as he has far more experience than I as it relates to firearms but here are my thoughts.
It's entirely possible the Enterprise receiver had few hundredths extra material on the receiver face. I'm just glad we hit maximum torque point 15-20 degrees BEFORE alignment than 15-20 degrees after. I think the "problem" was due to 2 things that had nothing to do with the receiver.

1. We did a very quick and dirty cleaning job on the threads once the stub was cut off. A quick shot of penetrating oil and a couple of passes with a toothbrush. That was it. I'm sure we left some material in there that could have caused some extra tightness. I don't intend to refinish this rifle. I'm going to leave it the way it looks now with that cool "In service" look to it so I wasn't concerned with every speck of rust and general yuck.

2. Keep in mind, we were literally building this in the street! While our Mk1 Super Barrel Vise worked well, the ergonomics were atrocious! We couldn't use our natural leverage points and instead had to use our backs and arms while sitting on the ground. I think this was the most likely cause for our difficulty.

No matter what the cause, the Enterprise Receiver looks to me to be a quality piece. All other parts installed without incident. The final test will be once we shoot it and see how the rounds feed, extract etc.

[Planning]

rick said "I'm going to leave it the way it looks now with that cool "In service" look to it so I wasn't concerned with every speck of rust and general yuck."

the last few rifles i have built i just left them as the came to me. i think i like the way they look. i am going to use them for my shooting rifles and my grandsons to use. i still have a few fal's/L1A1's to finish up, locking lugs, cut for para covers, etc. just have not gotten around to doing it yet. maybe next month.

ron

[drine]

Thanks for the info, good post. "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
I was trying to equate it with a simple AK74 type FH I put on my AK. To engage the dentent I was 1/8 off turning it as hard as I dared. Some say loose is OK as long as the lock is engaged. I can live with loose mags as long as they function but not something loose in the bullet path. I sanded the base removing material untill it popped in place, tight as hell.
With that in mind I was wondering if the same kind of issue was at play and what fix would be needed. I wouldn't want to remove any material off a receiver. Your answers makes sense.

[SteelCore]

Glad to see the use of improv tools.

In other news, I know what Rickinvegas needs as a b-day gift...rhymes with "ice"...

[rifleman]

very nice indeed. those two rifles are cherry.

[Perro Del Diablo]

when initially indexing the receiver onto the barrel stub by hand it should stop real close to 11 o clock which it did.
It was not a problem with the timing of the threads cause it is supposed to stop at 11 o clock hand tight.

the receivers i did were no where near as hard as yours

granted i didnt have the barrel vice bolted to a 4x4 on the ground so leverage may have been an issue

and the barrel vice bushings were used so maybe they werent as tight as new which may have contributed to it (although you saw how tight we got the bolts - single jack sledge hammer tight)

and i didnt think to bring my cheater pipe i used on mine

maybe the grime in the threads might have made it a bit more difficult


im sure all of it had a small part in it


doesnt matter though - it barreled
when youre ready to do the next one let me know

[jerrymrc]

when initially indexing the receiver onto the barrel stub by hand it should stop real close to 11 o clock which it did.
It was not a problem with the timing of the threads cause it is supposed to stop at 11 o clock hand tight.

the receivers i did were no where near as hard as yours

granted i didnt have the barrel vice bolted to a 4x4 on the ground so leverage may have been an issue

and the barrel vice bushings were used so maybe they werent as tight as new which may have contributed to it (although you saw how tight we got the bolts - single jack sledge hammer tight)

and i didnt think to bring my cheater pipe i used on mine

maybe the grime in the threads might have made it a bit more difficult


im sure all of it had a small part in it


doesnt matter though - it barreled
when youre ready to do the next one let me know

I made my own wrench years ago and attached a 5' piece of .200 wall 1-1/2 chrome moly tubing to it. even with that I have had a few that were a little tight......

[williewoo]

Sarco in N.J. has some wonderful argentine fal kits. The things are virtually brand new.If you're careful with the build, you won't even have to do any refinishing to them!
Willie Woo
Maimi, Fl

[chili]

First of all, great looking rifle. :rockon: My first FAL build was constructed with the same method minus the truck. Overall, putting a FAL together should only take about 90 minutes, give or take.

I once busted a Sears vice trying to barrel a FAL. If it wasn't for my wife, the vice would have landed on top of the receiver. :eek: The 2nd FAL I built that day went on so easy I was almost afraid to shoot it! These were both DSA receivers. Overall, a great way to spend July 4th!

[patjsimpson]

Yeah, I stayed away for a long time because of the threaded barrel. I finally got arround to building one and laughed at how easy it was to build.

pat

[Anthropy]

Have to love the FALs