FALs

[BFit70]

how accurate are these? accurate enough to make a good tack driver? not real familiar with them but i just saw one up at cabelas and i kind of liked it. its a little expensive for me now, but it might be something for me to get in a year or so.

[Frenchy]

You would need to be a bit more accurate then to say FAL. FAL stands for Fusil Automatique Leger, Light auto (most time semi auto) Rifle. this includes many different brands. It also includes many calibers, and many qualities.

If you are speaking of the FN Fal, then you would be asking about only about 30 or so Rifles, pending on what country it was issued for.
So try this again, exept this time, be a tiny bit more specific.

[BFit70]

sorry, let me try this agian. how about something along the lines of a DSA SA58?
thats the model they had sitting at cabelas.

also, how hard is it to build one from a kit? is it a lot of gunsmithing?

[Frenchy]

sorry, let me try this agian. how about something along the lines of a DSA SA58?
thats the model they had sitting at cabelas.

also, how hard is it to build one from a kit? is it a lot of gunsmithing?

For building you might call or write to Lycanthrope, he loves building these sort of guns.
I would love a Fn Fal, but the price is way out for now. The one you show would run around $1.250 + from what I can see, you can get Fal's much more expensive then this.

As for tack driver, I have seen 2 mentions of this, one meaning fast and reliable... One meaning accurate (snyper like quality)

Semi Auto and auto guns are not meant to be very accurate, if you are looking for accuracy, look more into bolt actions and single shot rifles, as for speed and dependability, a lot of that will depend on how you maintain the gun. Mind you most times, Speed and accuracy have no common grounds. As most people who buy one of these shoot faster then they can aquire a target even at 100 yards, you might want to look into a new gun and read up on how to "season" it if you plan on doing any sort of long distance shooting with it. There are now places that offer "Accurizing" what was once known as seasoning a gun, but that is a costly process in its self.

What ever your buget if you plan on doing long range shooting, plan on a gun that you will have a long time, so rather then spend a grand on some thing you may not like, save up and get some thing you will shoot the rest of your life with.
If you are looking at both spectrums, I would say go with an AR or AK for the fun times and quick shots, then get a bolt for the long range and accuracy.

Just my .02 cents of course, but many who wind up with an expensive rifle end up shooting it to death in the first few years by abusing it, then wonder why it shoots all over now.

[NineseveN]

To make a FAL a TRUE tack-driver (.25MOA) you're talking a lot more money than a standard FAL (an easy $3000 to $4000 in some cases). An M14 would cost slightly more or less depending on your options, neither are meant for long range surgery, so maintenance becomes an issue (bedding jobs for the M14 etc...). A PTR-91 can be made into a relative tack driver, but it's going to cost more than either of those. Your best bet, if you want a .308 Semi-auto tack driver (.50 to .25MOA with match or hand loads consistently) is to get a DPMS .308 AR or the Rock River .308 AR and have a smith work it up. It should cost less since the platform readily accepts some of the standard upgrades for accuracy with little to no smithing (though some things may require a smith depending on your own aptitude). A bolt rifle is quite a bit easier to stroke into a surgical weapon, and there are some lower cost options available to really reduce the price into a relatively inexpensive territory.

As for wrenching a FAL together, it's actually fairly simple provided you have the right tools (gauges and a barrel vice/wrench). The hardest parts to do on your own with a FAL is the barrel and the locking shoulder. The lower and bolt go together very easy and the upper is child's play. If you have to get into doing your own gas block for whatever reason (very rare unless you buy a barrel without one already on it), that requires some more tools and a bit of aptitude.

Can FALs be accurate outside of being tack drivers? Yes, they can. Having a smith build you one or getting a DSA (I prefer the bull barrel models for accuracy) will get you better than battlefield accuracy (1-2MOA is not uncommon), but the same can be done with an M14 or a PTR-91 for roughly the same money, again depending on your options and at what price you can find M14 parts for.

[762xIan]

So try this again, exept this time, be a tiny bit more specific.

how accurate are these? accurate enough to make a good tack driver?

The various FAL platforms are essentially Battle Rifles...with Battle Rifle accuracy....typically out of the box 2-3 MOA.

Not saying it cannot be done....DSA does offer options on the rifles they make (I prefer to build my own...so far on my 12th build). There are also several barrel makers out there who make aftermarket FAL barrels which can turn a run of the mill FAL into a "tack driver".

[QUOTE][also, how hard is it to build one from a kit? /QUOTE]

If you want to build one rifle, you are better off buying one....The cost of tooling up for building (barrel vise, receiver wrench, headspace gauges etc...) will offset any gain. It is not a "hard" build to undertake...as far as rifle builds go, once you do a couple, it is a relatively easy.

[BFit70]

Thanks alot for the help guys. i guess i never really thought the action of a gun effected accuracy that much. so what would you guys reccomend for a good tack driver/sniper rifle. i want something that not going to cost me an arm and a leg (im only 20 so money gets to be an issue when it gets over $1000) but i want something that will be accurate and that i can really dial in with some hand loads if i get into reloading in a few years.



thanks again for your help guys. im still pretty green at most of this and im trying to soak up all the knowledge i can.

[NineseveN]

Thanks alot for the help guys. i guess i never really thought the action of a gun effected accuracy that much. so what would you guys reccomend for a good tack driver/sniper rifle. i want something that not going to cost me an arm and a leg (im only 20 so money gets to be an issue when it gets over $1000) but i want something that will be accurate and that i can really dial in with some hand loads if i get into reloading in a few years.



thanks again for your help guys. im still pretty green at most of this and im trying to soak up all the knowledge i can.

Start with a Remington 700p or a Savage 110 for the rifle. These aren't too expensive. Then add some Warne rings and a SWFA Super Sniper scope...that should bring you in right around the price you're looking for. You'd have a functional rifle that is capable of very good accuracy. It won't be surgical like a Surgeon action, Tac-Ops or a GA Precision rifle, but it's a start. From there, as you get money, change out the stock if you like, or have the action blueprinted etc...

There are a lot of ways you can go with a bolt rifle. Out of the box, a Remington or Savage is likely going to be more accurate than you are, so the limitation won't be the gun, especially not at first. As you go and your skill improves, you can add parts or have the rifle customized with features that will really help you enjoy it more instead of wasting money up front for things you may not ultimately want or need.

[DaveM55]

Here's my DS Arms Sa-58 carbine. It shoots minute of bad guy all day long with surplus ammo. It's not a tack driver, but I wouldn't want to be in front of it at 300 yards. If I go to the next West shoot I'll be bringing it with me.

[Hawk]

I'm curious, how accurate do you want the rifle to be and at what range are you going to practice at? Do you want accuracy with open sights or scoped? Do you want a battle rifle or bolt action? When I hear the term "tack driver" I'm assuming typically a bolt action scoped rifle, but people use this term loosely I've heard people refer to their Ruger 10/22 as a tack driver.

Hawk,