L1A1 SLR (FAL)

[ArchFluffy]

ooh! pretty

-ArchFluffy

[Niner Delta]

All you need now is 10 magazines and you will be set for a day at the range.....

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[DuncaninFrance]

All you need now is 10 magazines and you will be set for a day at the range.....

.

When I was in the army we carried 5 x 20 round mags Vern. The SLR mag is very easy to reload

[Niner Delta]

We carried M-16 mags in the 7-round bandoliers, but I can't remember if we carried
one or two. And if not carrying the radio, we looked about like this..... from the cover of the
Octofoil magazine.

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[Niner]

Vern, sometimes I carried one bandoleer and sometimes two. I think most combat troops never loaded a full 20 rounds to any magazine either. The idea was that a fully compressed spring would be more likely to fail to push the ammo load upward and potentially cause a feed failure. I think the general load was eighteen rounds in a 20 round magazine.

However, in Vietnam, in about eight months with the infantry, and in several contact events, I never shot a full ammo magazine in total over the entire tour. I could have gotten away with one clip and left the bandoleer in the rear. When the shit hit the fan it was the radio handset, a compass and a map that I was grabbing not the rifle. Vern, since you and I were in the same role as arty FO's I suspect it was the same, or nearly so, for you.

[DuncaninFrance]

Bullets and dies arrived today so everything in place now.......
Going to make some dummy loads up to test cycling before I make some real ammo.

[NuJudge]

I've had a terrible problem with FAL extraction of empty cases bending the rim of cases. I never have this problem with M1 or M14-type rifles, but I've had it a lot with most FAL-type rifles. I did a bunch of things to try an lessen the effect, using a smaller piston, using stronger piston springs, and stronger recoil springs. If you can get USGI surplus brass, its rims seem to be stronger than all the European surplus I have used, and incidence of bent rims is lower. Unfortunately, almost all the USGI Lake City brass you find today has been fired in really loose-headspace machine-guns, making it hard to recondition, and making life a lot shorter.

I believe I enjoy shooting an FAL more than any other rifle I have.

[DuncaninFrance]

I never had an issue with military ammo in all my time in the army.
The brass that I have is military brass and thus thicker than commercial.
Time will tell of course but that is another 2-3 months away.............

[DuncaninFrance]

GOOD NEWS AND NOT SO GOOD NEWS...............

After a few 'local' considerations and plenty of time to think it over during a long bus journey yesterday I decided that pursuing a normal Semi-Auto L1A1 was going to take a lot longer than I had originally intended AND that the fall out from Brexit could muddy the waters somewhat.

I have bought a converted weapon in 7.62 x 51 NATO which is a single pull loading. It is converted and then proofed at St.Etienne. It is advertised 'In new condition'

If things become more stable after the Brexit negotiations then I may look for a fully functioning one but 1 in the gunsafe is worth 2 in the gunshop

[Niner]

I hope this choice will scratch the itch. Obviously you thought long enough and hard enough about the value of getting the almost FAL compared to what you had originally wanted. Too bad you had to reduce your expectations. A lot of things in life end with reduced expectations I've discovered. A half loaf is better than none though.