Fal not feeding right

iansstud · 02-08-2010, 02:54 PM

I have a FAL its a Enterprise Type 3 upper, (NON-unaramp) Dont make fun!!!

It has run great for about 4 20rd mags now, I WAS very happy with this gun!!! and yesterday, It was as if it was not getting enough gas... I even turned the gas up, down, all the way to 1!!! and then to 7, with NO changes!!!

It would go 80% back, almost to enough to catch the next round, but not quite, it would then ride over the round, jamming it in the feedramp, and bolt. I would then manually cycle the rifle back, then let it go forward, but it would double feed!!!

Im not happy about this!!! Im using American Eagle 168 OTM (m1a) ammo.

Do you think its because it dirty? I havent cleaned it now for about 20 rounds, then I pulled it out yesterday, and it did this shit to me!!!

ALSO... Whats the best ammo for the FAL? and Where do I get it at the best price?

I have 12 empty mags and need some 7.62nato ammo...

moleman · 02-08-2010, 03:12 PM

In a moment of stupidity I sold my imbel fal a few years back. Double check that your gas system is ok. gas port unblocked, piston head not chewed up, piston tube secure, gas adjustment ring properly installed, and gas plug set to fire and not closed. If that all checks out ok, then I'd pull the recoil spring and see if it is all covered in dried cosmoline like mine was. Unless you're shooting black powder rounds through your fal, 20 rounds shouldn't make it dirty enough to cause stoppages.

iansstud · 02-08-2010, 03:36 PM

Thanks moleman!!! I will dbl check right now!!!

[486] · 02-08-2010, 03:42 PM

Is the mag holding the rounds high enough? I think you're describing bolt over base jams. Too short of a mag catch will cause this. Ggiiillliiieee on FALfiles has a good method of improving feeding on FALs. You open up the opening in the lower rails to the same profile as the magazine feed lips.
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He can't type coherently, but he seems to know his machines plenty well.

iansstud · 02-08-2010, 03:55 PM

THANKS!!! I will look into this!!!

iansstud · 02-08-2010, 08:35 PM

Ok, I cleaned the gaspiston, Just a little carbon, nothing out of the norm... I took the Front sight post out, and looked down the gashole, looked good. Cleaned the gas tube and all the parts. everything looked good...

And the gas selector was set to A> not Gr< It would cycle every 5th or 6th shot then there would be 5 or 6 jams in a row.

I will try the dremel/ magazine Ghiillee trick next weekend.

[486] · 02-08-2010, 10:20 PM

Any oil on it? Not enough oil might make it bind enough, or on the other end of the spectrum are you using grease or something thick like that? That'd cause the issue too. If the mags sit nice and high and the bolt engages the rims of the rounds with enough material then you might not help to do the aforementioned trick, though all it can do is help if you do it right so I'd do it anyways.

moleman · 02-08-2010, 10:20 PM

Grinding on my rifle would be a last step for me. The gun was working correctly and now it isn't. Unless the receiver grew thats not at the top of the list. If the rifle won't pick up a round when you work the action by hand I might look at the mag height though. Try different mags, different ammo (even though the fal gas system is adjustable and forgiving), close the gas vent so that all of the gas is going to the piston, clean out the recoil spring and plunger for starters. You can also put a piece of tape on the bolt carrier at the same distance to where the bolt has to come back to pick up a round. The tape should stick up so that if the bolt gets back that far it will get knocked off or deformed by the dust cover. If the tape is getting deformed then the bolt/carrier is comming back far enough to pick up a new round. Then I would look at the mags.
A bolt over base jam is common and is most likely caused by not enough gas or bad mags. I have had bolt over base malfunctions on my fal, m1 garands, m1a's, ar15's ect at one time or another. They have mostly been gas related (or cosmo'ed up recoil system) or bad mags. My fal started malfunctioning like yours and it was the gritty, greasy crud in the recoil spring tube that was to blame.

iansstud · 02-09-2010, 02:48 AM

I always clean everything, I add 2 drops of light oil to each rail, an 1 drop to any contacting surface.

I have never taken the recoil spring out! I will try tomorrow!!! It was always on really really tight!!! I will need to buy a bigger screwdriver!

[486] · 02-09-2010, 07:24 AM

When you take it out, look out. There was a pic going around of a guy with a greasy spring print on his forehead from that exact process. The special tool is worth the extra $20 IMO.

I remember hearing of people having trouble with oil in the recoil spring tube working like a hydraulic buffer, reducing the travel enough for it to not work too good. I was gonna post about that but I dunno why I didn't... Anyways, my vote goes toward what moleman said.