ABOUT the FAL Receivers!

[kajuntriton]

Title somewhat misleading, this is ABOUT the IMBEL Century Import vs. Century Manufactured receivers!

OK there has been some UNEDUCATED comments made about FAL receivers in the past couple weeks. Some in the FOR SALE ads some in general forums, some of these comments could have cost the sellers a few dollars just due to the fact someone didn't really know the true facts! Just to help ANYONE the best way I know how, here are the pics! (I know some of us MUST have pics to understand)

Anyway here is a FAL metric receiver that was PRODUCED/MANUFACTURED by IMBEL in BRAZIL and IMPORTED BY CENTURY this is a very good very reliable receiver!

Next is a CENTURY Arms produced receiver manufactured here in the USA! Note the two markings/stamps on the two receivers they "LOOK" much alike and contain the same info. as far as R1A1 SPORTER .308, these two are NOT the same!

Now let me add this, although Century made receivers are highly shyed away from in the FAL community and rightly so ESPECIALLY for those that are new to the FAL rifle, and ALSO for many very knowledgeable builders just because of the problems that MANY of the receivers are known for. Very rarely you will find one of these receivers that will run like a spotted ape and have ZERO problems at all! IT IS A RISK YOU TAKE......MOST of these Century USA made receivers are NO MORE THAN PAPER WEIGHTS!
Again some may agree with me here some may not, this is my experience and the knowledge that I have gained, PLEASE form your own opinion from research and reading, not some happy fingered FAL-AHOLIC like myself.

Honestly I hope this shines a little light on the subject!

KT

 

[derf]

Title somewhat misleading, this is ABOUT the IMBEL Century Import vs. Century Manufactured receivers!


KT

I never questioned the Imbel made parts, just the rifle as a whole.

Looks like one is cast and one is billet cut? Century, in addition to making and selling cast FAL receivers, also cobbled together some questionable rifles. That is a FACT. There were some with mag/mag well issues. Some had bad locking shoulders. Some had a mix of metric and inch parts. If you know FALs then you know some of the Century guns were poorly assembled. A poorly assembled rifle, on any receiver, is a poor rifle. The seller had himself and two fan boys in that thread who could have easily corrected any untruths posted there. The fan boys were acting like that was a premium FAL rifle because the receiver was made in Brazil. One might surmise they were artificially inflating the price utilizing only half the facts or speculation. One called it a "true FAL rifle" when in FACT the only "true FAL rifles" legally imported as semi auto and made and assembled by Imbel in Brazil were the Spingfield Armory SAR-48s and 4800s. Maybe it was like your title to this thread? Misleading?
What I consider a "true Imbel rifle" (aforementioned SAR) would be worth at least 2X what a Century marked Imbel kit build is worth, IMHO. Your definition of "true Imbel rifle" and your opinion on value may be different, though.


Here's a link to the for sale thread you mentioned:
http://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?55117-Guns-Next-week-only

But, I am digressing terribly because this thread is about Imbel vs. Century receivers only.
So, for the uneducated, why were the Century made receivers not as good as the Imbels? I mentioned cast vs. machined. IIRC that Century marked Imbel is a true metric pattern receiver. Century's first round of R1A1s were built on Canadian surplus inch pattern kits. Tell us what you know about mag catch slots and mag usage. Educate us on how Century's cast receivers take only metric mags (inch mags can be modified to fit) but use inch pattern furniture.

It is true that the Imbel receivers are some of the best. The Imbel parts kits are some of the best available, too. But, just because a gun is comprised of an Imbel receiver and Imbel parts doesn't make it a premium piece of hardware. It is also possible to have a fine rifle built on one of those cast Century receivers. Century made a bunch and most functioned perfectly. But, they made a bunch of bad ones too, and therefore any FAL with Century markings on it needs detailed scrutiny. It isn't so much the receiver in question, although Imbel machined > Century cast, as it is the assembly and assembler. Century put out some questionable guns. The Imbel receiver doesn't magically make the whole gun perfect.