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British FAL Question
dfletcher
Member Posts: 8,178 ✭✭✭
A friend has an inch type L1A1 FAL - a Century Arms import. I'm doing a bit of restoring, my experience is with metric, DSA and such. I noticed the bolt doesn't hold open on the last shot, nor will it hold open if the bolt is manually pulled to the rear with the mag in place. Looking at the bolt hold open device, I see no "tab" on the front of it to catch on the mag follower.
Is this inch type supposed to hold open on the last round, or not? I'd like it to hold open, will a metric type drop in & work?
Is this inch type supposed to hold open on the last round, or not? I'd like it to hold open, will a metric type drop in & work?
Comments
It's an easy fix. Just beat the proper sized roll pin into the hole if there is one and trim it so that the follower reliably pushes it up when the mag is empty.
I restore them all the time.
The "Commonwealth Rifles" had the pin for the BHO plunger assy either ground off, pushed out, or in later instances the BHO didn't even have a hole for one.
It's an easy fix. Just beat the proper sized roll pin into the hole if there is one and trim it so that the follower reliably pushes it up when the mag is empty.
I restore them all the time.
Roll pins can be a bear not so much in the steel framed Fal. But the aluminum framed AR's. "Beating" on them could cause mangled or broken parts. The one in the trigger guard specifically.
Tapering one end of the roll pin with a course stone or 100 grit emery, while holding it with a pin vise. And using one of the short shank roll pin punches for the specific diameter pin, is the way to do it, IMHO.
A friend has an inch type L1A1 FAL - a Century Arms import. I'm doing a bit of restoring, my experience is with metric, DSA and such. I noticed the bolt doesn't hold open on the last shot, nor will it hold open if the bolt is manually pulled to the rear with the mag in place. Looking at the bolt hold open device, I see no "tab" on the front of it to catch on the mag follower.
Is this inch type supposed to hold open on the last round, or not? I'd like it to hold open, will a metric type drop in & work?
This is correct behavior for inch guns. If it bothers him, you can replace the BHO assembly with metric and it will hold open on ht elast shot.
Also, the way you adjust the gas changes for the inch (w/o BHO). Satart wtih full mag and full gas, and drop gas down until it short strokes, then give it 2 more clicks of gas.