FAL Issues

[Light]

So I bought an FAL earlier this year off of someone here on INGO and it has issues. Having issues with Failure to Feed properly sometimes but I have a bigger issue.

About half the time it's fired, the action pops open (the same as if you use the side lever). Luckily with the design the trigger won't pull with the action open.

Everything seems to be in working order on it, but it is from a parts kit. Could this be the gas block being set incorrectly? Or what else should I look at?

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[duffman0286]

send Psode27 a Pm he knows his FAL's, he has built a few

 

[223 Gunner]

A friend of mine had a very similar issue with an FAL built from a parts kit, he ended up replacing the lower, and I can't remember why now.
But it did fix it.
We had it at the range, not only would it "blow apart", but it seems like it would also eject the bolt out of the upper.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Go to the Falfiles and ask questions.

 

[sht4brnz]

Hypothetically, Too much gas could beat on the rifle excessively enough to produce these failures, although I have never experienced any like it.
The gas adjustment is: Left is less gas, Right is more gas
To adjust, test rifle with only one round in the magazine. Decrease gas so the bolt will NOT cycle far enough back to stay open on an empty magazine. Increase gas until bolt stays open on empty magazine, then increase an additional 2 - 3 clicks. install a magazine with multiple rounds and check for functionality.

Was the rifle assembled by an individual or a company?
what brand is the upper receiver?
what parts kit was used?
is the lower receiver from the parts kit or new manufacture?

 

[Light]

Was the rifle assembled by an individual or a company?
what brand is the upper receiver?
what parts kit was used?
is the lower receiver from the parts kit or new manufacture?

Thanks for the info.

Not sure if it was assembled by an individual or company, the lower is Entreprise. I read they both did assemblies and sold lowers.
Assuming an Imbel parts kit.
The lockup on the takedown doesn't seem loose at all.

 

[gska3873]

Post a picture of the take down lever on the lower with it assembled and closed on the rifle. That can help point in the right direction for solutions there.

Need a lot more detail than failure to feed as this could be a multitude of things. Is it ejecting the spent cartridge, has the headspace been checked, does the gas piston move freely with the spring removed, how does the bolt and carrier move through the receiver rails, what type of ammo are you using, what does the gas setting look like (picture because the numbers mean nothing on the regulator), what is the position of the gas plug, what do the feed ramps look like, what does the barrel chamber look like.....I can go on and on without more details it is impossible to help diagnose.

 

[citizenkane]

What kind of receiver is it? Hesse and Century can be problematic.

They make an over size piece to keep the rifle from splitting in half. There was a guy selling them on fal files recently. It could a weak spring or improperly shaped or worn part. Nothing quite like having a rifle split in half. Mine was a Para when it happened, it was interesting for sure.

 

[Light]

Lower is marked Entreprise Arms, INC. Irwandale, CA USA ABNI

Serial starts EFAL. Other side is marked RIFLE 7.62mm. Looks like the "standard FAL" on their site.

Can't test the Gas setting until I get some more ammo.

As for FTF, I believe it was just on the first round from the mag, had to force the bolt to feed it. Dropping the bolt from full open didn't have enough to shove it in.
I've got a DSA mag, and an unmarked mag. Both acted the same.
I remember it mangling the brass too. About 1/3-1/2 of the brass I left instead of taking. Neck edge bent inwards, heavy scrape in one side.

Action is very smooth and stiff. Parts have wear but nothing looks overly worn.
Pic of the takedown lever:


Thanks.

 

[gska3873]

It appears as though either your frame lock is worn or the lug on the bottom of the receiver is out of spec or has been messed with (indicated by your take down lever being all the way up against the back plate of the lower receiver). Apply some dychem to the underside of the frame lock and see how much engagement you are getting with it and the receiver. If you are not getting very much you can weld up the bottom of the frame lock and re-cut it to fit or you can try one of the newly made over sized frame locks made by a gentleman on the FALfiles:

Oversized FAL Frame Locks - The FAL Files

A good starting point would be to take the DSA magazine if it is a 20 rounder and smash it up and through it away, they are junk. Start with a known good working surplus magazine or Moses magazines also get rave reviews for functioning well. Don't use the bolt hold open to release the bolt, pull the charging handle all the way back and let it sling shot full force forward. You may need to smooth the rails in the upper receiver above where the magazine inserts in order to address the brash shaving. The dent on the neck of the brass is normal and typical of an FAL with its ejection pattern. You may want to check your return springs in the lower to make sure they are good and not caked with gunk or rusted or mangled up.

 

[Light]

Measured the engagement length. .155in or 3.94mm
Measured the overall locking lug length. 1.459 inches

Not sure what the engagement distance is supposed to be.

Now have a nice grease stain on the floor from the flying spring, but that's another matter.

 

[Psode27]

Weird! I think the advice you've gotten is a pretty good place to start. So many countries made parts, and you never know who put it together. The fact that you have to force the bolt closed sounds kinda strange too. I think if you can head space it that might be time well spent, might be a bit tight. Most kits come with a locking shoulder, may not be the correct size, but its there anyway. If someone used a random shoulder that just came with a kit that could be a problem. You do hear of issues on Enterprise receivers sometimes too, could be something just barely out of spec? Keep us posted!