I posted a lot of the details several months ago, but not that the final few parts are on it and the Duracoating is complete, here it is the Franken-FAL is done!
It started out as an Indian Ishapore FAL rifle. Currently, the only parts that are original are the upper receiver, the barrel (although it’s now considerably shorter and rethreaded for the new flash hider), and the front sight block complete.
This is what I started with before my project truly kicked off:
Before this pic it also had the thumbhole stock seen in my starting parts:
Critical to starting was several weeks of searching through the FAL Files website (an amazing amount of information there), as well as ordering the ARS Gunplumbers FAL and L1A1 Gunsmithing book/video set. In addition to that, being a huge PITA to M39A2, Recce, Reaper, gunplumberr, and several others got me a lot of information and advice.
My initial order to Gunthings.com (unfortunately they’ve since gone to a policy of not dealing outside the US ). Metric lower complete, spare butt, Schneider Sling-Thing, DSA 2 piece handguard ring (if the government policy changes to allow me to shoot this rifle again, I’ll be ordering the railed handguards which will require me to remove the ring), Tapco picatinny top dustcover with stripper clip feed, and DSA OD composite handguards:
Project, at this stage:
Then it was back in touch with Scott (M39A2 here on CGN) and Kevin at Dycor in Edmonton. They chopped my barrel into the carbine length I wanted, confirmed my headspacing, bored out the gas port (to accommodate the shorter barrel length), rethreaded the barrel to AR-15 specs, and bored out the Phantom flash hider from it’s factory 5.56mm opening to the 7.62mm I’d need for this gun. (basicly, they did all the hard stuff )
Shortly after this my furniture came back from Skullboy, where he CADPATed my handguards and butt:
Fast forward now to the present. All the components in the Franken-FAL:
-Original Ishapore FAL rifle (barrel cut down and rethreaded, most of the remainder sitting as parts in my gun locker)
-Canadian C1 bolt and carrier
-L1A1 cocking handle from GunPartsGuy in the US (at least he still deals with Canadians!). This was necessary due to the Indians doing something very permanent to ensure their cocking handle could never be stripped (they did that to a few components. That combined with their slightly off-spec components lead to a serious PITA many times )
-Metric lower complete (butt stock shaved down to accommodate the Schneider Sling Thing)
-Schneider Sling-Thing attachment point (Dremel tooled to remove the HK sling point on the one side)
-Isreali FAL rear sight assembly (sight plane more closely matched when mounted on the metric lower than the original Indian sight, or the Austrian Stg-58 sight)
-Tapco M-249 style pistol grip
-DSA extended selector lever
-Tapco Picatinny dust cover with stripper clip feed
-Carrying handle removed and replaced with metal loop from handle (a rifle isn’t meant to be carried like a suitcase!)
-2 Piece DSA handguard rings
-DSA composite Stg-58 handguards
-DPMS Phantom flash hider bored out to accommodate 7.62mm rounds
-Durafil (pitting filler sold with Duracoat) used to fill the 3 extra serial numbers on the gun (a gun built with so many parts from other guns has extra serial numbers, I filled all of those not used by the Firearms Centre for registration)
-“Cooler Green” Duracoat gun coating over majority of gun
It was a lot of fun, and took just under a year and a half, and I learned a lot about the subject of FAL gunsmithing. Thanks to everyone who provided me with a lot of advice, assistance, and data! Unfortunately in that time the CFOs decided that I could not shoot it anymore. So, if/when the new government changes that back, I will then purchase the DSA rail interface handguards (Skullboy has already CADPAT painted some rail covers for me), add the Tango Down OD vertical foregrip I have for it, and the FAL will get back the Aimpoint sight that’s now on my AR.
It started out as an Indian Ishapore FAL rifle. Currently, the only parts that are original are the upper receiver, the barrel (although it’s now considerably shorter and rethreaded for the new flash hider), and the front sight block complete.
This is what I started with before my project truly kicked off:
Before this pic it also had the thumbhole stock seen in my starting parts:
Critical to starting was several weeks of searching through the FAL Files website (an amazing amount of information there), as well as ordering the ARS Gunplumbers FAL and L1A1 Gunsmithing book/video set. In addition to that, being a huge PITA to M39A2, Recce, Reaper, gunplumberr, and several others got me a lot of information and advice.
My initial order to Gunthings.com (unfortunately they’ve since gone to a policy of not dealing outside the US
). Metric lower complete, spare butt, Schneider Sling-Thing, DSA 2 piece handguard ring (if the government policy changes to allow me to shoot this rifle again, I’ll be ordering the railed handguards which will require me to remove the ring), Tapco picatinny top dustcover with stripper clip feed, and DSA OD composite handguards:
Project, at this stage:
Then it was back in touch with Scott (M39A2 here on CGN) and Kevin at Dycor in Edmonton. They chopped my barrel into the carbine length I wanted, confirmed my headspacing, bored out the gas port (to accommodate the shorter barrel length), rethreaded the barrel to AR-15 specs, and bored out the Phantom flash hider from it’s factory 5.56mm opening to the 7.62mm I’d need for this gun. (basicly, they did all the hard stuff
)
Shortly after this my furniture came back from Skullboy, where he CADPATed my handguards and butt:
Fast forward now to the present. All the components in the Franken-FAL:
-Original Ishapore FAL rifle (barrel cut down and rethreaded, most of the remainder sitting as parts in my gun locker)
-Canadian C1 bolt and carrier
-L1A1 cocking handle from GunPartsGuy in the US (at least he still deals with Canadians!). This was necessary due to the Indians doing something very permanent to ensure their cocking handle could never be stripped (they did that to a few components. That combined with their slightly off-spec components lead to a serious PITA many times
)-Metric lower complete (butt stock shaved down to accommodate the Schneider Sling Thing)
-Schneider Sling-Thing attachment point (Dremel tooled to remove the HK sling point on the one side)
-Isreali FAL rear sight assembly (sight plane more closely matched when mounted on the metric lower than the original Indian sight, or the Austrian Stg-58 sight)
-Tapco M-249 style pistol grip
-DSA extended selector lever
-Tapco Picatinny dust cover with stripper clip feed
-Carrying handle removed and replaced with metal loop from handle (a rifle isn’t meant to be carried like a suitcase!)
-2 Piece DSA handguard rings
-DSA composite Stg-58 handguards
-DPMS Phantom flash hider bored out to accommodate 7.62mm rounds
-Durafil (pitting filler sold with Duracoat) used to fill the 3 extra serial numbers on the gun (a gun built with so many parts from other guns has extra serial numbers, I filled all of those not used by the Firearms Centre for registration)
-“Cooler Green” Duracoat gun coating over majority of gun
It was a lot of fun, and took just under a year and a half, and I learned a lot about the subject of FAL gunsmithing. Thanks to everyone who provided me with a lot of advice, assistance, and data! Unfortunately in that time the CFOs decided that I could not shoot it anymore. So, if/when the new government changes that back, I will then purchase the DSA rail interface handguards (Skullboy has already CADPAT painted some rail covers for me), add the Tango Down OD vertical foregrip I have for it, and the FAL will get back the Aimpoint sight that’s now on my AR.
