STG-58 FAL Battle Rifle

[1srelluc]

I made a deal last week on a CAI build on a STG-58 parts kit. Someone had cut the barrel back to 17.5" so I wanted to see if it was gassed right before bragging it up too much. Sometimes when the barrels are shortened you have gassing problems but this one was GTG.

It was built using a metric EMBEL receiver and a Steyr STG-58 parts kit. I ran 40 rounds through it with no issues. Around 2.5" groups at 100 yards using SA surplus ammo. No complaints. The only thing I did to it was replace the front sling swivel for a Brit SLR swivel and add a proper Austrian STG sling.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Should be Imbel, (Brazilian rec). I built 30 + FnFal, all variants. I headspaced check a buddys CAI Fn, field gauge had slop! Replaced his locking shoulder, all is good. Even though you shot it and he did too, check headspace, it's CAI built after all and make sure they didn't grind the locking shoulder. They did that to.

 

[1srelluc]

Should be Imbel, (Brazilian rec). I built 30 + FnFal, all variants. I headspaced check a buddys CAI Fn, field gauge had slop! Replaced his locking shoulder, all is good. Even though you shot it and he did too, check headspace, it's CAI built after all and make sure they didn't grind the locking shoulder. They did that to.

Headspace is GTG, shoulder looked fine......It's not my first dance with a CAI build.

I have a inch pattern CAI build I bought in the 90s and it's been a fine rifle.

My real concern was with the shortened barrel.

To be honest I never had much problems out of a CAI build, you just have to know what to look for. I do shy away from them when they used Hesse receivers.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Good deal. I did mostly Imbels. Few cool variants, Aussie, Israeli, STG, only built one inch a guy wanted. I stuck to metrics. I wouldn't worry about 17.5. I saw a test they started at 21 on 308 and kept cutting, found 19 was optimum. My gas ring was usually set so there was plenty adj for more gas iff needed, never did. I did some 18" were fine, and accurate.

That don't look like an STG brake though. I was running a turkey shoot in Maine. For the poker shoot, couple decks tacked to a board with 1/8 space between. Yup a 22 would fit between the cards! We would take $5, 5 people, 5 shots, winning hand takes turkey. Every year was 22's, we supplied to get spectators to try it. I set an STg58 on the bipod, stack of mags (ammo was $150 case Portugese shipped then) and let everyone use that! Should have seen the smiles.

We had a running deer shoot too, deer on pulleys and cable. Deer was shot up. Next meeting I suggested a running Obama target (was 2008). They liked the idea but wouldn't let me.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Oh yeah, that Hesse! Not even good enough for 12 foot sailboat anchor. Didn't like the alum rec's either. Got 2 DPMS rec, locking shoulder holes were drilled crooked! DPMS said they are fine, I said yeah right they coming back to you. He said "we do better on AR's" They do. I used Imbel and DSA rec only.

 

[Flash]

I've had one for about the last 20 years.

With any of the surplus military .308 I get 2.5-3 MOA. If I use better ammo or my reloads I can usually knock .5 - .75 MOA off that.

I prefer my M1A because I trained with the M-14 when I first went in the Army. However, the FAL has a lot of good features going for it.

It is a lot easier to scope a FAL than a M-14.

 

[Flash]

By the way, I took the bipod off my STG-58. Since I am not firing it full auto I see no need for it and the rifle is lighter without it.

 

[1srelluc]

Good deal. I did mostly Imbels. Few cool variants, Aussie, Israeli, STG, only built one inch a guy wanted. I stuck to metrics. I wouldn't worry about 17.5. I saw a test they started at 21 on 308 and kept cutting, found 19 was optimum. My gas ring was usually set so there was plenty adj for more gas iff needed, never did. I did some 18" were fine, and accurate.

That don't look like an STG brake though. I was running a turkey shoot in Maine. For the poker shoot, couple decks tacked to a board with 1/8 space between. Yup a 22 would fit between the cards! We would take $5, 5 people, 5 shots, winning hand takes turkey. Every year was 22's, we supplied to get spectators to try it. I set an STg58 on the bipod, stack of mags (ammo was $150 case Portugese shipped then) and let everyone use that! Should have seen the smiles.

We had a running deer shoot too, deer on pulleys and cable. Deer was shot up. Next meeting I suggested a running Obama target (was 2008). They liked the idea but wouldn't let me.

The regulator was set on 3 so I went with that, I could probably drop it back to 2 but with the shortened barrel I figured if it ain't broke don't fuck with it.

The brake is the same one CAI used on a lot of their 7.62 X 51 battle rifle builds.....It serves so I'll leave it be. I think it's supposed to approximate a Argentine FMAP's brake.

Back many years ago when TAPCO sold mostly FAL stuff and decided to go in another direction they blew out all their inch and metric parts and I bought boxes of NIW parts and mags for next to nothing. I still had a .50 cal ammo can full of like new metric mags.

LOL....I replaced almost every used part on my inch build with those NIW parts.

 

[1srelluc]

By the way, I took the bipod off my STG-58. Since I am not firing it full auto I see no need for it and the rifle is lighter without it.

I'm good with the bi-pod though I would not mind getting shed of the steel hand-guard for a DSA plastic one.

I was tickled with 2.5" given my older eyes and windy conditions. I bought big back when they were selling those 300 round battle packs of SA 7.62 X51 for $29.00 a pack. My inch pattern rifle loves it.

That was about the time all the .308 Ishapore Enfields were coming into the country, they sold you a rifle and a battle pack for $125.00.

Sigh, good times.

 

[Flash]

I was tickled with 2.5" given my older eyes and windy conditions. I bought big back when they were selling those 300 round battle packs of SA 7.62 X51 for $29.00 a pack. My inch pattern rifle loves it.

That was about the time all the .308 Ishapore Enfields were coming into the country, they sold you a rifle and a battle pack for $125.00.

Sigh, good times.

I have old eyes also. I put a 2-7X lightweight Leupold scope on mine and amazingly I get about the same groups with the scope and I did with iron sights. Not much difference.

 

[Zincwarrior]

I made a deal last week on a CAI build on a STG-58 parts kit. Someone had cut the barrel back to 17.5" so I wanted to see if it was gassed right before bragging it up too much. Sometimes when the barrels are shortened you have gassing problems but this one was GTG.

View attachment 622448

It was built using a metric EMBEL receiver and a Steyr STG-58 parts kit. I ran 40 rounds through it with no issues. Around 2.5" groups at 100 yards using SA surplus ammo. No complaints. The only thing I did to it was replace the front sling swivel for a Brit SLR swivel and add a proper Austrian STG sling.

FALs are made of case hardened sexy. I ran a squad in a carbine match and a shooter had one with like rosewood or something. It was freaking art.

 

[1srelluc]

I have old eyes also. I put a 2-7X lightweight Leupold scope on mine and amazingly I get about the same groups with the scope and I did with iron sights. Not much difference.

I was looking at DSA's mount and thinking about a 3X Burris prism scope. I have a couple of them, one on a AR and the other on a CZ Bren 2Ms and I really like them.

 

[Shawnee_b]

The regulator was set on 3 so I went with that, I could probably drop it back to 2 but with the shortened barrel I figured if it ain't broke don't fuck with it.

The brake is the same one CAI used on a lot of their 7.62 X 51 battle rifle builds.....It serves so I'll leave it be. I think it's supposed to approximate a Argentine FMAP's brake.

Back many years ago when TAPCO sold mostly FAL stuff and decided to go in another direction they blew out all their inch and metric parts and I bought boxes of NIW parts and mags for next to nothing. I still had a .50 cal ammo can full of like new metric mags.

LOL....I replaced almost every used part on my inch build with those NIW parts.

You got plenty of gas. I'd leave it on 3. Fouls up some your'e good.
Darn, missed the Tapco cleanout. Got alot from them.
I liked the bayo feature and mean ugly look of the STG brakes.

 

[Shawnee_b]

FALs are made of case hardened sexy. I ran a squad in a carbine match and a shooter had one with like rosewood or something. It was freaking art.

Probably walnut, was super walnut too, bout $200 earl 2000's. One small stock co offered the 3 pc sets, very nice and counted for the 922r US parts count.

 

[1srelluc]

You got plenty of gas. I'd leave it on 3. Fouls up some your'e good.
Darn, missed the Tapco cleanout. Got alot from them.
I liked the bayo feature and mean ugly look of the STG brakes.

Yeah, but you would have to cut the barrel way back to use one and get the same length and I don't know if it would cause cycling issues.

 

[1srelluc]

Probably walnut, was super walnut too, bout $200 earl 2000's. One small stock co offered the 3 pc sets, very nice and counted for the 922r US parts count.

LOL....I remember when peeps used to get into pages long arguments on 922r.....922r "nazis" were rampant in the build years of cheap parts kits......You would post a pic of a recent build and here would come the 922r nazis with their parts count herr durr......I mean hell, half the ATF inspectors do not even know what a 03 (C&R) FFL is.

 

[Pete7469]

LOL....I remember when peeps used to get into pages long arguments on 922r.....922r "nazis" were rampant in the build years of cheap parts kits......You would post a pic of a recent build and here would come the 922r nazis with their parts count herr durr......I mean hell, half the ATF inspectors do not even know what a 03 (C&R) FFL is.

Half the ATF doesn't know their Pie Holes, from their Assholes or what gender they are anymore. Buncha fascist goons in a make work welfare program that pays way too much.

Anyway, Ive had a DSA STG 58 for a long time that at first was an amazing rifle. I was getting awesome groups at 100 yards with some GGG Lith .308 just around 1" when I was having a good day.

Then the trigger group started to fail and would double. So I ordered a new one and tossed the old one, but now basically every 3 pulls or so break at a 10 pound pull where the few in between are around 4 pounds. It's like there's a spring binding up in there but I can't figure it out and I'm pretty much an AR guy anyway so I haven't spent a lot of time concerned with it. My FAL just sits neglected and ignored for years now until I find a trigger group worth of putting into it.

If anyone has knowledge of a better group or what the problem is let me know so I can wipe the dust off it and bring it back to the front of the safe.

.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Yeah, but you would have to cut the barrel way back to use one and get the same length and I don't know if it would cause cycling issues.

I forget how long a full stg was. Brake may be what 2" longer than an Imbel brake?

 

[Shawnee_b]

LOL....I remember when peeps used to get into pages long arguments on 922r.....922r "nazis" were rampant in the build years of cheap parts kits......You would post a pic of a recent build and here would come the 922r nazis with their parts count herr durr......I mean hell, half the ATF inspectors do not even know what a 03 (C&R) FFL is.

I hated that 10 years. Dumbest thing I ever saw the AWB and 922r. You must mean on Falfiles

I was an 07FFL class 2 SOT. Compliance checks from hell. Had an Imbel on the bench. Agent dumbo asked what it was. I said a FnFal compliant with 922r. Next day he came back, I have a yellow warning "you can't build FnFal's". I said WTF you talking about, it's a US made firearm, 922r compliant, a "US sporting rifle". Once I said US sporting rifle, he said OK that's fine. WTF. Then he questioned/accused me of I can't have the parts kits! Where did I get them? Told him where I got the last 10 parts sets. Then he wanted to see the receipts. I knew where they were. I went up in the loft and found them, sat there, pretended I was looking still. He said after about 1 1/2 hrs, "that's OK, come on down." I said no, you asked, I'll find them. Another 1hr

Next compliance check I had moved KY to Me and had to have the full check out again. My private was mixed with logged inventory so he wanted to see all those too and why weren't they in my bound book. Told him why. I had a second bound for private records. Asked him if he wanted a coke, "no thanks". I got one, took 45 sec, came back he's photographing my private log, a big no no. Sooooo, I can chew him for it in which case "license denied, unfit premises" or something so shut up and got my lic addy change. Fukheds.

After 2 decades, 3 counting C&R's I retired from the bullshit. You know how many records, firearms built and all info etc? When you get a lic or change addy which is as bad as a first lic they ask "who do you do business with" and write it down. I told him EMF in Ca (or whatever that cowboy gun whse was) and the rest, I build, auction buys or gun shows. After I retired and turned everything in I get a phone call. Know how one can smell a cop? I heard "cop" He wanted me to order him a 45 peacemaker. Told him, "I'm sorry sir, I gave up my lic because of all the ATF bullshit, sneaky agents and I won't order for you". (suggested a few other licensees) He made this stupid kinda nervous laugh, hope there were other agents listening. Fucking scum suckers. Only 2 agents I ever liked were 2 women, one went very high up later. They were in my place in Me, switchblades illegal but somehow knew I made them. Wanted to see one. I brought out several. Both were flickin monsters. I said, "great, 2 ATF agents here and your playing with my illegal switchblades" She goes, "we like these, we don't care, we enforce firearm laws. Great compliance check, 3 1/2 hrs long, fun was had by all.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Half the ATF doesn't know their Pie Holes, from their Assholes or what gender they are anymore. Buncha fascist goons in a make work welfare program that pays way too much.

Anyway, Ive had a DSA STG 58 for a long time that at first was an amazing rifle. I was getting awesome groups at 100 yards with some GGG Lith .308 just around 1" when I was having a good day.

Then the trigger group started to fail and would double. So I ordered a new one and tossed the old one, but now basically every 3 pulls or so break at a 10 pound pull where the few in between are around 4 pounds. It's like there's a spring binding up in there but I can't figure it out and I'm pretty much an AR guy anyway so I haven't spent a lot of time concerned with it. My FAL just sits neglected and ignored for years now until I find a trigger group worth of putting into it.

If anyone has knowledge of a better group or what the problem is let me know so I can wipe the dust off it and bring it back to the front of the safe.

.

I loved DSA stuff. However I did use the Tapco hammer/trigger/disconnectors, were about $50. Forget who made them but very nice. Liked DSA receivers, Imbels for that matter too.