Sir,
Do you know a place to get a cheap yet reliable FAL rifle? I am looking for one on a budget preferably under $400 or so. I would greatly appreciate help and i like your blog. Thanks, — Derek
JWR Replies: Unfortunately, because the supply of parts sets has dried up, the price of US Code Section 922(r)-compliant FAL clones is starting to rise. The heyday of FAL clone building was a couple of years ago, when parts sets were cheap and plentiful. The prices then bottomed at about $500. Those days are gone!
Here is some background on pricing: US-made FAL receivers sell for $300 to $450. (That is just for a stripped receiver with sem-auto ejector block.) FAL Parts kits are starting to get scarce (because of the recent Federal ban on parts sets that include barrels), so those kits sell for $220 to $450, depending on maker and condition. (The days of $95 parts kits are long gone.) A set of 922(r) compliance US-made “HTS” (hammer, trigger, and sear) parts is $55. Assembly and headspacing by a gunsmith is $75+. And with refinishing included, assembly is more often $185+. The very lowest price that I have seen FAL clones sell for is about $600 (used, at a gun show), and $800+ is more typical. (Add at least $100 for an “inch pattern” (L1A1) variant.) Some of the nicer DSA-made FAL clones now sell for $2,400. For more details, see the FALFiles.com forums. There, in particular see the Marketplace Forum and their Gunsmithing & Build-It-Yourself Forum. For additional background information, also see my FAQ on FAL and L1A1 rifles.
With the decline of the dollar versus the Euro, I only expect FAL prices to rise. In the upcoming recession, you might stumble into a bargain, as cash-strapped owners sell guns in order to pay their bills. But don’t count on that. Buy a FAL clone soon! I anticipate they will be at least $1,000 within a year.