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whats up with R1A1 Rifle?
scottm21166
Member Posts: 20,723
I bought one from a walker at the gunshow last weekend, paid 700 for it. Based on what I remembered about the rifles and what everyone at the show was telling me, this was a better than average deal for the gun. I look online and while there are 15 of them for sale, not one has a bid on it. That tells me they are not very popular? is there a problem with them? were they 100 dollar rifles that are returning to their original value?
Mine is kind of unusual, it has a three position selector. makes me wonder what the 3rd position does? the guy I got it from bought it on a whim, and had never fired it, didn't even notice the selector.
how the heck do you adjust the sights" the rear sight seems fairly self explainatory while complicated and the front sight adjusts too, just not sure what the numbers mean.
Mine is kind of unusual, it has a three position selector. makes me wonder what the 3rd position does? the guy I got it from bought it on a whim, and had never fired it, didn't even notice the selector.
how the heck do you adjust the sights" the rear sight seems fairly self explainatory while complicated and the front sight adjusts too, just not sure what the numbers mean.
Comments
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Brain Fertilizer
you might end up regretting posting that on here.
3rd position is FA but is welded to prevent that nasty habit..popularity is down due to 50+ cents around
it isn't welded, [:0]
quote:Originally posted by fordsix
3rd position is FA but is welded to prevent that nasty habit..popularity is down due to 50+ cents around
it isn't welded, [:0]
Mine isnt either but it wont go past the SA position.. You are fine.
I cant remember what I paid or it, but I have kicked mysef daily that I hadnt bought a Galil they had for same price.
quote:Originally posted by fordsix
3rd position is FA but is welded to prevent that nasty habit..popularity is down due to 50+ cents around
it isn't welded, [:0]
Nor was my ORF Carbine. It has no function on a SA rifle. It will fire 1 round then stop, as I recall, causing you to need to rack the bolt manualy.
The R1A1's, if I recall correctly were made from inch patern and metric pattern guns. The most comon FAL type in the world was the metric pattern rifles. Some R1A1's take metric magazines (most comon most cheaply priced). Some only take inch pattern magazines (hard to find and expensive).
The Century R1A1 with the thumbhole stocks don't sell well. The stock looks fugly!
$700 sounds about right with todays market but could be a little high.
The 3rd position on the selector won't do anything wihtout the auto sear installed which requires a cut in the receiver.
However, since the hammer will follow the bolt when it is on the FA position, with soft primers you can cause a slam fire. DSA makes a selector that only goes to the 2 positions.
the gun is in good shape, I couldn't buy one online for less.
I just don't want to be a panic buying, sucker paying 3 times the value for a POS. I have lost my belief that there will be a revolution any time soon, still it wouldn't hurt to own a few semi-auto rifles I could trade for nessesities when TSHTF., Besides, what would a guy do, put the money in the bank? pffft...
Yeah I looked at some older blogs, these rifles sold in the 350-400 range in 2004 so I am a sucker afterall....I did learn what the numbers up by the front sight are for. they are for adjusting the gas pressure to fine tune the action. I guess youre suppossed to turn them ever upward to where the bolt fails to cycle and then back off one. this reduces recoil, and keeps the ejected brass from actual orbit. (your neighbor on the firing line might appreciate that)
Start with gas on highest number, fire one round wiht empty mag. It should short stroke. Click the gas down a number, repeat. When your gas is clicked down enough so that the action locks back on the empty mag, give it two more clicks down and you are done.
Also be aware that the gas plug should be set to "A" - this is the semi auto setting. If it is on G or a unlettered setting then it is on the grenade launcher setting, no gas will go to teh action.
Thats a metric FAL (not an inch pattern l1a1) so the gas adjustment is different.
Start with gas on highest number, fire one round wiht empty mag. It should short stroke. Click the gas down a number, repeat. When your gas is clicked down enough so that the action locks back on the empty mag, give it two more clicks down and you are done.
Also be aware that the gas plug should be set to "A" - this is the semi auto setting. If it is on G or a unlettered setting then it is on the grenade launcher setting, no gas will go to teh action.
How can you tell the difference? Oh and one other thing, what is the difference in the magazines?
I need a manual for this gun or at least someone to show me how to remove the piston and clean it.
The "beer keg" charging handle is a giveaway also - most l1a1s have a folding charger, but you can put a folder on a metric receiver if you either grind the back of the folder OR grind the slot for it in the receiver.
Inch guns can use metric mags, but they may be wobbly. Metric guns can't use inch mags. All due to the cut out in the receiver.
To get your gas piston out, it pushes in, rotates, then comes out. The piston will come flying out under spring pressure.
A quick google for "FAL manual" shoudl turn one up in PDF format.
The quick way to tell is the pistol grip - inch pattern l1a1 types have a solid wood flatish pg, the metric ones have a plastic hollow one. Much better ergonomics with the metric I think.
The "beer keg" charging handle is a giveaway also - most l1a1s have a folding charger, but you can put a folder on a metric receiver if you either grind the back of the folder OR grind the slot for it in the receiver.
Inch guns can use metric mags, but they may be wobbly. Metric guns can't use inch mags. All due to the cut out in the receiver.
To get your gas piston out, it pushes in, rotates, then comes out. The piston will come flying out under spring pressure.
A quick google for "FAL manual" shoudl turn one up in PDF format.
I just figured that one out...lol funny how even when you expect something to happen, it still makes you jump when it does happen...lol [:I]
I like them..... I think you did ok. I have seen a lot worse and yours seems to be nice. The parts guns can be a real mess sometimes. One fun thing to know about the mags....if the notch on the mag that locks it into the gun is big and flat it is for the "inch" guns and if it is a little bend of a bump it is for the "metric" guns. Some of the parts guns have both types of parts involved and it leads to feeding problems. The ones that don't have problems are a lot of fun.
LIKE THIS?
One more thing to check - what are your US made parts for 922r compliance? You have 16 "evil" parts, only 10 can be foriegn made.
Get thee over to the falfiles.com/forums and get edumacated
quote:Originally posted by bigtire
I have had a Century Arms R1A1 on an Imbel reciever for years and never had a problem with it. I cut my barrel down to 16.25 inches and opened up the gas port a bit. It functions flawlessly. However, I have only used surplus 7.62 NATO in it. Never shot it with commercial 308. I Paid $500 for mine in 2001. $700 seems like a fairly good deal in 2009 with the present administration. Remember AKs were selling for $275 in 2001.
What is the lower receiver on that ?
says Receiver by Hesse US. I never heard of it before...
is this the bipod for my rifle?
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=129268189
Upper would be Hesse based on above, which had a worse reputation than Century. However, I've also read that the first few hundred were kit builds that were really good....
Anyway, that lower is a inch one... you can tell by the pg. Compare with the pic in the frost pist of this thread.
Re: bipod - that is a metric bipod listed. Check on falfiles.com to see if it interchanges, or if your barrel is metric cut...
Ahh, it is a Hesse upper, sold by Century ?, with what appears to be an Austrian/German barrel assy., and the lower receiver is metric, which could be Imbel or German/Austrian.
If the barrel is German, then STG 58 steel handguards and the bipod would be appropriate.
The hanguards do seem to have the bipod cut, and the barrel does have the spacing on the barrel for the bipod mount.
For example:
http://www.dsarms.com/STG58--Austrian-FAL-Standard-Rifle-308-Cal/productinfo/STG58STD/
Is that good or bad? I looked at that sight, I think I can find my bipod and scope mount there, if you have a reccomendation fot a scope mount I would appreciate it. I want to be able to install it myself, we don't have a competent gunsmith within 100 miles.
The pistol grip is hollow. and yeah it does look like the stg58. it doesn't say century it says CAI on the lower
http://www.dsarms.com/FAL_STG-Folding-Lite-Bipod-New-with-New-Hardware/productinfo/624/
Anyway, that lower is a inch one... you can tell by the pg. Compare with the pic in the frost pist of this thread.
Re: bipod - that is a metric bipod listed. Check on falfiles.com to see if it interchanges, or if your barrel is metric cut...
Mine is the first one pictured it has a hollow, PG and the metric mags fit> The stock mag, Pictured inserted in the rifle, is the same as all the rest.
SO we are narrowing it down, it is a hesse upper with German/Austrian barrel , a metric lower and magazines.
SO these are the standard issue rifle for infantry in western european armies? german french british VS SKS issued to eastern block countries yugo, poland, chech republic. so what is the paratrooper version comparable to an AK?
Have one of the dust cover mounts from GPG on a buddies FAL, they work really well...
quote:Originally posted by bigtire
I have had a Century Arms R1A1 on an Imbel reciever for years and never had a problem with it. I cut my barrel down to 16.25 inches and opened up the gas port a bit. It functions flawlessly. However, I have only used surplus 7.62 NATO in it. Never shot it with commercial 308. I Paid $500 for mine in 2001. $700 seems like a fairly good deal in 2009 with the present administration. Remember AKs were selling for $275 in 2001.
What is the lower receiver on that ?
Imbel
can the rifle be lightend to under 8 lbs?
No one said if hesse is an good part or if they are junk? would it make sense to by a better upper? for this rifle? I am going to get some 308 ball ammo and shoot it
FWIW, if you want a "real" one, Belgian, etc. are it. The FN reps on fnforums.net recommend DSA as the best you can buy today.
Right now a poster on falfiles.com has a deal - 4 rifles in various configs for $3600.... wish I had the $$.
quote:Originally posted by scottm21166
I am getting excited about this rifle (or this type rifle). I looked thru all the accesories you can buy for them and I could turn it into a redneck dream. I am tempted just to get rid of this one and buy a good one, like a real HK or at least a PTR.
can the rifle be lightend to under 8 lbs?
No one said if hesse is an good part or if they are junk? would it make sense to by a better upper? for this rifle? I am going to get some 308 ball ammo and shoot it
any bets on how it will do? I am about to go out in the field and try it out
those smaller mags I have are 20 rd, so the longer one must be a 30? jeez 20 rds was 17 bucks so that will be a spendy gun to shoot for fun. Even if I found ammo @ .50 a rd a guy coun't aford to shoot it much. but then I might get sick of the recoil after 20 rds anyway.
quote:Originally posted by bigtire
quote:Originally posted by Barzillia
quote:Originally posted by bigtire
I have had a Century Arms R1A1 on an Imbel reciever for years and never had a problem with it. I cut my barrel down to 16.25 inches and opened up the gas port a bit. It functions flawlessly. However, I have only used surplus 7.62 NATO in it. Never shot it with commercial 308. I Paid $500 for mine in 2001. $700 seems like a fairly good deal in 2009 with the present administration. Remember AKs were selling for $275 in 2001.
What is the lower receiver on that ?
Imbel
I asked because I was interested in how the stock is shaped against the receiver. Usually i see the flat end of receiver and flat end of buttstock, but yours seems to be stepped. Aftermarket buttstock ?
Nope, that's the one it came with when I bought it new.
Speaking of recoil, I don't think mine kicks nearly as much as a 12GA, although I have not been able to bumpfire it.[:D]
.308 from a gas gun does not recoil. It is much more obvious from a 6lb "scout" bolt action [:D]
I bet, I just need to get used to it. couple of hundred rounds outta do...now I think I will take this CZ 58 back to the gunshop annd return it. I have a 556 and a x71 no point in having a x39 as well.
and I can use that cash toward BIG BURTHA Thats one gun that will definatly have a name[:D]
What is super sad is that whoever made this "poster" didn't realize that is one NICE shotgun he is holding. Now....what is worse? The goofy red-neck poster OR the fact that I am impressed by the gun?
You might call up Copes Distributing, they had 500rds of German DAG 308 in ammo cans for $250 + shipping.
1 866 523 2673
http://www.copesdistributing.net
Still a good idea to figure out what your 922r parts are.