Just looking for some opinions here. I just finished my most recent M-4 build and an now looking for something different to sink my teeth into. I am trying to decide between buying a AK or having a FAL built.
I want both but I have laid out way too much money on guns over the last 6 months, and right now my “fun” funds are running low. So buying both right now is out of the question. Hopefully later next year I can follow on with the other one. Any one have any thoughts on which way they would go if they were in the same position?
The AK is much handier because it is a true carbine. Follow up shots are faster, it is lighter and had a larger capacity standard magazine.
The FAL is a battle rifle, has much longer practical range etc.
I would not want to take a FAL in to clear a structure, and I would not want to shoot 200 m with an AK. Both great guns, just figure out which application is more important to you right now.
Thats a tough one.
Having various versions of both its a hard call. The AKs are very fun and ammo is cheaper at this time. The FALs are very reliable and will shoot distance well with a stronger round.
Don’t shoot my FALs much right now because of ammo prices but ain’t getting ride of’m either.
I’d say see about getting or saving for a good FAL kit and reciever and sitting on it and go ahead and buy an AK for shooting now. When you have more funds get the FAL built. At least you’ll have the parts for when your ready.
Think the FAL kits are going to be getting harder to come by and pricier down the road.
Where as AKs, especially kits like the Romanian G kits are in good supply and in good condition. AKs aren’t costing that much right now so the time is good for a kit to have built or buying a complete rifle. But the time of good FAL kits at good prices is fading so I’d buy and sit on it.
Course you could buy a DSA FAL but its going to cost you.
I’m currently living and working in a land full of AK’s, they’re cheap and there’s heaps of ammo everywhere. But i would never use one by choice, I’ve been working in a close environment and using an 11" barreled FAL. Now i’m working in more rural areas so have swapped that rifle out for a 16" barrel.
A loaded FAL (even with only 20 rnd mag) is heavier than an AK with 30 rnds but more usable in my opinion.
Ak’s are a great “fun” rifle because they are cheap and ammo is cheap. There are now heaps of aftermarket stuff for them too. But being cheap and redily available doesn’t make them a good rifle.
I know there are heaps of die hard AK lovers on the forum here, don’t be upset this is only my opinion.
An AK will do the job, but if given the choice i’ll go the FAL every time.
I think the AK is potentially more useful and interesting.
The AK is the most common rifle in the world. As a gun lover, you should have and be proficient with one.
The ammo is still fairly cheap. It is damn near dirt cheap if you build an AK-74.
Getting to know the Ak well can have other benefits too. Lets face it, most gun owners are not good shots. I have found that a better than average shooter like myself with an AK can easily outshoot average or worse shooters with ARs with all manner of tactical doo-dadery. I went to a service rifle match with my Hungarian AK and basically got laughed at. The laughing stopped when I came in third. Granted, I would have done better with a 20 inch AR with A2 sights, but that isn’t the point.
The AK is one of those guns that you could imagine being useful in a true emergency. Not to sound paranoid, but when some jerk finally sets a nuke off in NY or whatever, the government is very likely to collapse, at least temporarily. Depending on where you live, you could see pandaemonium in the streets that will make Katrina look like a Arbor day festival. An AK and about 1000 rounds of ammo would be a nice tool for the kit. I know a FAL would be great too, but the AK would be, ultimately, more robust and much easier to keep fed. Plus, 1000 rounds of .308 ammo is now 1 million dollars.
Utterly agree with Tim, even though his 11" OSW DSA FN rattled my teeth when he’d touch it off from the ‘car’.
I’m not an AK fan at the best of times - I train with them to be familiar for battlefield pickup - but given a choice I’d take the FN. I have 3 here (2 thanks to Tim) what can I say its a gunowners paradise.
I dont have an Ak
Ergonomic wise, and accuracy wise the FN has it all over the Ak.
It’s hard to beat, sub MOA at 100 yaerds from a 16" fluted stainless barrel:
That said, you can save nearly $3,000 and get an AK…get a Noveske AR and Remington 700 with the change…AK’s have their place, reliable, cheapo to manufacture. Accurate (maybe a few), but not in same class. I still want one though, before the Dems ban everything one again!
As technology and technique have developed since the 1950s we now know the FAL or other MBRs like the M1A don’t have to be 45" long and weigh 11lbs to retain more than 95% of its capability on the long range end, and actually increase its utility on the CQB end of the envelope. My shorty 16" para FAL weighs only 8.25lbs and is easily as quick at close ranges as an M4 or AK.
I’ve owned a couple of AKs and now have an FAL and I’m not going back. My 16" barreled Fal has it all over the 20" AK I had, and punches right through pretty much everything. It’s pretty much just as robust as the AK also, and has much better ergonomics.
Never had a FAL, but have a real nice AK - a Krebs Custom AK103k. A well-built AK - especially if fitted with a good optic - is something to take quite seriously from both ends of the barrel;
Though Marc Krebs builds them one at a time, with $895 and a few months wait you can have a rifle that is utterly reliable and shoots far better than the typical commercially-made models. With the Aimpoint/BP-02 mounted, it weighs in at 8 lbs./8 ounces and measures 35" OAL.
BTW, a long time ago before the AWB, I bought a brand new HK91 (.308) for $500, along with the HK bipod and a supply of HK 20 round mags. Needless to say, I’m still kicking myself for selling it (in retrospect, what a dumbass for not holding onto that rifle!).
Thanks for the input. I have decided to wait a little longer and order an STG58 from DSA. Hopefully I’ll be able to get an AK before the next Klinton AWB.
I’d definately go for the FAL. I have a few and am not sorry. I’ve had deep respect for the FAL going back to the mid 70s when I was first introduced to them. I’ve never quite warmed-up to the AK. The only AK or variant that ever grabbed my attention was a 7.62 Galil.
As a few have already stated, it really depends on what you’re looking to do. There’s no way an AK will compete with a .308 FAL over 200 meters, and though the FAL owners will no doubt disagree, there’s no way you will fire a .308 SA as quickly and accurately at close range as a less powerful round. Regardless of how skilled or strong you are, recoil is recoil and muzzle blast from a short barrel .308 is IMO excessive for short-range use. I once used my SA M1A in a 3-gun match and it was DEFINITELY a handicap at the shorter ranges. Even on the 100 meter targets, the AR/AK guys were getting their hits faster than I could.
The FAL is one rifle I have yet to own and would welcome one into my collection. But based on my past shooting experience with the M1A and the HK91, there’s no way I’d reach for it instead of my AR or AK if the action was close and fast. It’s really a matter of using the best tool for the job at hand.
