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New Toy/Project arrived today.

3K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  Templar 
#1 ·
This is going to be my first FAL build and I think I picked up a great kit to start it with. It?s an STG-58 from ?GunThings.com? and makes all the other kits I?ve seen look like pieces of junk. The only wear I see is a little on the magazine, bolt carrier and bolt, the rest looks absolutely new, also all the numbers match. The cost was a bit high at $339.00, but I think it?s well worth it for a kit in this condition. I also picked up two ?Forster? Go and No-Go headspace gages in .308 for $38.00. Something they also carry is what?s called a ?Sling Thingy? (See Pic) that fits between the lower receiver and the butt stock, it has both a sling slot and a hole for a hook. I was looking for a better way to attach a sling to my present FAL rifle and this looks perfect for the job. It?s .128 thick and is parkerized, should last forever. Shipping for all this was only $10 and I had it 48 hours after I Faxed the order in. I would have to recommend these guys because of the quality of their kits and speed in shipping, definitely nothing like ?Joe-Ken?. Now all I need is the money to purchase all the USA made parts to put this rifle together. I could use any advice on the required USA made parts that I can get, I want to keep the original look of the rifle so I don?t want to replace the bipod, butt stock or handguard. I have a good looking fake flash hider that?s US made to replace the one on the kit, and will get a US made piston, pistol grip, FCG & receiver, that?s six or seven parts depending on how the grip is counted. Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions? I hope to get a Coonan receiver because I?ve been told it?s the best, but I may have to settle for an IMBEL that?s imported by Century, this will change the part count depending on what I can get.
 

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#3 ·
Good looking kit. Was it originally Type 1 or 2 receiver ? (you should be able to tell from the upper receiver stub still attached to the barrel)

Coonan are nice receivers although it is investment cast steel. FWIW - I personally prefer drop forged Imbel or forged ingot DSA receivers just strictly for their better strength characteristics. Sometimes the wait on DSA receivers can be long - depends on type reciever you want and what's in the current production run

http://www.dsarms.com/item-detail.cfm?ID=029&storeid=1&image=sa58type1receiver.gif&CFID=3454580&CFTOKEN=67550594&jsessionid=04308364a63b$B7$F2x$
http://www.dsarms.com/item-detail.cfm?ID=0292&storeid=1&image=sa58t2rec.gif&CFID=3454580&CFTOKEN=67550594&jsessionid=04308364a63b$B7$F2x$
 
#6 ·
scubadvr said:
Thats my favorite FAL. Did you get pin guages? MSC has them cheap. You may want to check out Arizona Response Systems Mark (Gun Plumber) is one of the leading experts on FALs. His videos and work book are the best. Jack
Without a doubt the folks at ARS are outstanding.

Just in case you didn't already know, here's another excellent source of build data for the FAL
http://www.falfiles.com/forums/index.php
 
#8 ·
Yep I?d like to get a DSA receiver but the price is rather high from what I remember, something like twice what a Coonan cost. Anyone have the current prices? I?d take a Type 1,2, or 3 as long as it has the cutout for the carry handle; I like the handle it adds a lot to the looks of the gun. I guess I?ll give them a call today after I call FAC and see what they have coming in.
I found ?GunThings.com? when I was over at ?falfiles.com? reading about problems with the Century?s receivers, some of the guy?s talked about the great kits they received from GunThings so I tripped on over and liked what I saw. Holy c*ap, I think using the phrase ?tripped on over? comes from back in the 60?s, man I?m getting old! Well any way I also tripped on over to Enco to look for the pin gauges and picked up a 250 piece set that?s on sale for under $50. They run .251 to .500 and are 2 inches long and come in a wood case, should work fine for doing the headspacing. I?ll take a look at the other places that you all have suggested later on today.
I still would like to know about the parts count.
1. Frames receivers, receiver castings, forgings, or stampings----X
2. Barrels
3. Barrel Extensions
4. Mounting blocks (trunnions)
5. Muzzle attachments-------------------------------------------X
6. Bolts
7. Bolt carriers
8. Operating rods
9. Gas pistons ----------------------------------------------------X
10. Trigger housings
11. Triggers-------------------------------------------------------X
12. Hammers-----------------------------------------------------X
13. Sears---------------------------------------------------------X
14. Disconnectors
15. Buttstocks
16. Pistol grips ---------------------------------------------------X
17. Forearms, handguards
18. Magazine bodies
19. Followers
20. Floorplates
Looks like I ?ve got enough US parts, Right? I may put a DSA butt stock on so I have 8 parts.
 
#9 ·
it looks like you would have enough parts. Parts count is posted at http://www.gunco.net/forums/showthread.php?t=306 or also at falfiles there is a list at http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93225&highlight=count* and here is a copy and paste of it:

"No more than 10 evil parts allowed.

List of evil parts found on a FAL follows:
(1) Receiver
(2) Barrel
(3) Muzzle attachment
(4) Bolt
(5) Bolt carrier
(6) Gas piston
(7) Trigger housings (lower receiver)
(8) Operating rod (charging handle)
(9) Trigger
(10) Hammer
(11) Sear
(12) Buttstock
(13) Pistol grip
(14) Handguards
(15) Magazine body
(16) Magazine Follower
(17) Magazine Floorplate

You will need to replace original imported parts with 7 US parts if you have a muzzle attachment, or 6 parts with no muzzle attachment."
 
#11 ·
Well I called FAC and they say it will be six to eight weeks till they have Coonan receivers in. I asked the woman about the fact that they have been saying that for some time already and she said that they really have no idea when they?ll see more Coonan?s shipped in. So then I called DSA and received a little attitude from the person that talked to me, but then again she must get a lot of calls asking the price on receivers. She could only tell me the retail cost on a receiver and it?s more than twice that of a Coonan. I?m not going to pay $450 for a receiver no matter how good they are, I?d resell the kit and parts I bought before I spend that much. If I wanted to spend over a thousand dollars on the gun I would have just bought a DSA rifle in the first place. I guess I?ll have to settle for an IMBEL and replace the butt stock to get my parts count right, kind of sucks though, I wanted to keep it as original as I could.
I received the gauge set from Enco today, only two days and it?s at the door, fast service. The Ruger is just for size reference. $48.49 for the pins and right now they have a special deal that if you buy over $50 you get free shipping just apply promo code ?RNFS25?, if this code doesn?t work give them a call and you may still get the shipping free. Go to http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM or call 1-800-USE-ENCO
 

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#12 ·
Oldgunner, The Imbel recievers are nice. For parts count why not go with muzzle attachment, gas piston, FCG (hammer, trigger, sear), Pistol grip, and an operating rod (charging handle). That would be the 7 compliance parts and you could keep the buttstock that came with the kit. Or mag floorpaltes could be used as well. Just a thought anyways.
 
#13 ·
You'll like the STG-58. They are considered among the best-quality FAL parts kits. My buddy has one with a post-ban muzzle brake. I must admit, that sucker really helps with recoil.

IMNSHO I'd choose a FAL over an HK-91/G3 any day of the week. And I'd choose an STG-58 over any other FAL kit.

The Coonan receivers are a mystery to me - do you have a link or post to one?
 
#15 ·
sniper69 said:
Oldgunner, The Imbel recievers are nice. For parts count why not go with muzzle attachment, gas piston, FCG (hammer, trigger, sear), Pistol grip, and an operating rod (charging handle). That would be the 7 compliance parts and you could keep the buttstock that came with the kit. Or mag floorpaltes could be used as well. Just a thought anyways.
Thanks Sniper, I didn?t actually know the charging handle counted if replaced, I guess I didn?t think of it as the ?Operating Rod? for some reason. When I think operating rod, I think of the smaller piston that an SKS has, I don?t picture the charging handle as a rod/piston.
I already have a Tapco STG Muzzle Brake that looks just like the original STG flash hider but is really a muzzle brake not an evil flash hider.
I already swapped them, looks great! I noticed that this model has the short gas tube and it?s brazed or silver soldered in place so I can?t replace it without replacing the whole gas block and front sight. Any one else have a gun with the short tube? I?ve heard that they?re dirtier to shoot because of excess gas escaping inside the handguard? T or F.
I sat down with my FFL guy and he told me that if he ordered a DSA receiver for me that the most I could expect for the dealer discount would be 25% and that it may be less because of it being a sellers market right now. So with the $15 he would charge, plus tax & shipping the total would be around $400 by the time I have it in hand, that bites when a Coonan only cost $200 and a Imbel is $20 less than that. I think I?ll put myself on the FAC waiting list for both the Coonan and the Imbel and see what comes in first.
I called ?The Dealers Warehouse? and they expect Imbels too come in the first week of March, but they don?t know if it will be enough to cover the orders they?ve taken already. Maybe we should start telling people that FAL ?s are crap so they stop buying up all the receivers.
 
#16 ·
After contacting both FAC and DCI, it looks like FAC isn?t ordering enough of the receivers to fill the orders they have. DCI says that they delivered eight receivers to FAC last month and they imply that?s what FAC ordered, (But FAC has over 100 people with orders waiting?). It looks like FAC is trying to force people to buy the Imbel (Now out of stock) and Century receivers they have in stock before they sell Coonan?s. It makes FAC look like the bad guy to me not DCI. I think we?re all getting screwed by FAC on the Coonan?s so I won?t even place an order with them. I called ?The Dealers Warehouse? and put myself on their list for the Imbel receiver, they think it?ll be 2 to 4 weeks before shipping.
I also emailed DCI about the idea that the wait is because of them re-working the receivers to fix a problem and got this back from Steven Lincoln at DCI, seems like a good guy to me from the emails, he?s answered me within a couple of hours each time.

?The only problem that we were having with our receivers was in the finish. It looked like a crack, but was a flaw in the finishing process. I believe that they were sold as seconds because of the finish flaw.
We delivered eight receivers to Federal Arms last month and they do the ordering.?

Steven Lincoln


It sounds like FAC only ordered eight and DCI delivered what FAC asked for when he says ?and they do the ordering?. In an earlier email he said ?Last customer I talked to said they were 100 plus units on back order.? just a guess but I think FAC wants to get rid of those Century?s first if they can.
 
#17 ·
Well, I know some say they are good and others say they have some issues, (and personally I have heard both opinions from people) but have you tried entreprise? http://www.entreprise.com/default.htm they are American made and the price isn't to bad. Might be another option to look into.
 
#18 ·
I thought I remembered another company making receivers but couldn?t remember who it was. As soon as I saw your post I thought ?Damn, their the ones that make that California legal AR lower, the one that won?t take a removable magazine.? Thanks for the tip, I?m sometimes kind of thick in the head so I didn?t remember them, as I get older it gets worse too. I looked at the web site and found they have a sale on right now so I?ll have to get in touch with them Monday about availability and then see if I can get my FFL dealer to place an order for me. I remember hearing good things about their receivers so I feel safe in buying one if they have any in stock.
 
#19 ·
#20 ·
DSA receivers are the only forged and milled receivers using original FN and Steyr blue prints, and the quality is absolutely outstanding.

You don't here about people having issues when they build on a DSA receiver, while the recent Imbels have had some issues and the Coonans, while nice receivers, are cast and reverse-engineered.

Look at it this way, you bought the best kit available, a Steyr StG-58 kit with low miles and a Steyr cold hammer forged barrel.

Get the best receiver you can for it.

Here's my DSA StG-58 with a new/unissued Belgian/German G1 walnut buttstock.







 
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