Years ago, I bought most of an FAL para kit from someone on the FAL files (missing the bolt carrier). Deep in my treasure pile I had an original, like new Stg58 barrel. Time for a build, right?

I was in a gun store the other day picking up a Tavor, and saw that they had DSA type 1 receivers, so I grabbed one. I went for a deep root in my stash, and found left over parts from the glory days of cheap FAL kits. A hammer, gas pistons, gas plug, folding charging handle. A complete set of springs... I'm almost there, I thought.

I went online to shop for my missing parts, and Holy shit. Nobody has all the parts, and prices are nutty.

$250 for small parts, $80 for a para top cover (my kit came with the railed top cover), $200 for a para bolt carrier and I'm still short a bolt group and a selector.

Apparently it's not 2005 any more.

This is the reason I haven't completed my Cold War collection with an FAL.  Starting to wonder if I ever will...

I bought a trashed up Israeli kit for $1000.00, then factor in the forged receiver at $600, barrel at $240, and professional build and refinish at $700.

Cheap magazines dried up too, hard to even find metal metric mags these days

I still have a couple kits.  SLR inch pattern.  Good stuff.  I’d build a Aussie kit one day.

I still have two other FALs I built back in the day, but I always wanted a Para.  It won't be 100% correct, but it will be 100% cool.  

I'm good for mags; I bought a case of metric magazines at $2 each, I think there were 50 in the box.  I remember buying several entire lower receivers, assembled, for about $20 from Tapco (back when they used to sell gun parts).

It seemed like there was an unlimited supply.  Now, not so much.



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