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Thread: L1A1 / Inch SLR aka Brit FAL - mod's for functionality

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    L1A1 / Inch SLR aka Brit FAL - mod's for functionality

    Got a rifle that wasn't functioning properly - it was an inch Self Loading Rifle that was acting as a single shot.
    The Coonan receiver had some extra material that needed to be removed and reset the head space.
    The bolt would move a little but not enough to eject - the gas port was measured with a drill and was within
    normal spec's - after trying several other possible thing for trouble shooting I had opened the gas port
    from 0.095 to 0.102 and today it ejected with the escapement closed but only ejected about 6 feet.

    But goes to show how just a little more gas does make a large difference - the plan is to enlarge
    to 0.1045 to be able to use the gas adjustment. I would like it function with cast when I'm done.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  2. #2
    Boolit Master roverboy's Avatar
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    Hope you get done easily. Let us know how it does when your finished.
    Mrs. Hogwallop up and R-U-N-N-O-F-T.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Sounds like a receiver problem.

    If the gun was built off of an inch FAL kit (i.e. was formerly a complete Brit/Can/Aus factory FAL before the receiver was chopped
    and the gun turned into a kit)
    then the gas port already was the correct size.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Gas port as delivered was 0.095 per my drill bit set.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  5. #5
    Boolit Man

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    Just curious, did you adjust the gas setting before opening up the gas port?


    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120AZ using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Was that extra metal the little pad on the inside of the left side of the receiver which the carrier goes against?
    When it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark.... and brother, it's STARTING TO RAIN!!

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oneofsix View Post
    Just curious, did you adjust the gas setting before opening up the gas port?


    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120AZ using Tapatalk
    Yes, was using the standard start out all open then turn down until locks back on magazine drill
    First go around didn't eject - openned up and it started functioning but only with all gas going into the works
    Now to test with just a little more gas so hopefully I'll be in the range to be able to adjust for weak to hot loads.
    Interestingly I found the white box Federal M80 type ammo to be down loaded compared to Winchester and Surplus I tried (150-200 fps slower)
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by roysha View Post
    Was that extra metal the little pad on the inside of the left side of the receiver which the carrier goes against?
    Yep, and the ejector block was a little high and the cut up by the barrel to make the curve was off a little. - Not a drop in project - Oh, and it's not numbers matching kit either.
    It came with that stupid thumbhole stock so had to get a new lower frame with new pistol grip/stock to put everything into.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  9. #9
    Boolit Man

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    Quote Originally Posted by Artful View Post
    Yep, and the ejector block was a little high and the cut up by the barrel to make the curve was off a little. - Not a drop in project - Oh, and it's not numbers matching kit either.
    It came with that stupid thumbhole stock so had to get a new lower frame with new pistol grip/stock to put everything into.
    Ah, sounds like one the angry beavers had been chewing on, explains a lot of the issues you're seeing. Hope you're able to work them out.
    I have a metric one that the magwell is a bit smaller than spec.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120AZ using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Well, if you removed the carrier standoff, which is a NO-NO according to Coonan and several other folks that seem to know such things, how big of a locking shoulder did you have to use to get your headspace correct?

    I have never had to open up the port on an FAL barrel and I would hesitate to open the barrel port any more than you already have.

    Did you check to make sure your index holes in the gas tube were at 10 and 2 or 8 and 4 o'clock? If so was the tube nice and tight?

    Did someone at some point unscrew the gas tube without removing the pin? That will cause a huge gas leak and pretty much ruin the threads on the gas tube. Trust me on that. Another lesson learned the hard way by me!

    Having built a few of these over the years, I would first look at the gas tube where it screws into the gas block. It is amazing, at least to me, how small of a gas leak there will cause the rifle to malfunction. In a couple of situations I ended up soldering the gas tube in place to stop the leak. That was the case with the only L1A1 I ever built. The threads were just bad enough that no matter how tight I twisted the gas tube into the gas block it still leaked enough to cause problems. I even cut off the gas tube and rethreaded it but the gas block was a contributing factor also. I would dare say that 75-80% of the functioning problems that I have had with FAL, have been due to the leak at that point.

    And by the way, I love my FALs. IMO they are so far ahead of the AR platform it isn't even close.
    When it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark.... and brother, it's STARTING TO RAIN!!

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by roysha View Post
    Well, if you removed the carrier standoff, which is a NO-NO according to Coonan and several other folks that seem to know such things, how big of a locking shoulder did you have to use to get your headspace correct?

    I have never had to open up the port on an FAL barrel and I would hesitate to open the barrel port any more than you already have.

    Did you check to make sure your index holes in the gas tube were at 10 and 2 or 8 and 4 o'clock? If so was the tube nice and tight?

    Did someone at some point unscrew the gas tube without removing the pin? That will cause a huge gas leak and pretty much ruin the threads on the gas tube. Trust me on that. Another lesson learned the hard way by me!

    Having built a few of these over the years, I would first look at the gas tube where it screws into the gas block. It is amazing, at least to me, how small of a gas leak there will cause the rifle to malfunction. In a couple of situations I ended up soldering the gas tube in place to stop the leak. That was the case with the only L1A1 I ever built. The threads were just bad enough that no matter how tight I twisted the gas tube into the gas block it still leaked enough to cause problems. I even cut off the gas tube and rethreaded it but the gas block was a contributing factor also. I would dare say that 75-80% of the functioning problems that I have had with FAL, have been due to the leak at that point.

    And by the way, I love my FALs. IMO they are so far ahead of the AR platform it isn't even close.
    gas tube is installed correctly - changed out gas plug for NOS - 0.262 locking shoulder to headspace correctly

    And look inside your Fal's see any standoff in them? Mine don't have it.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    with gas port openned to 0.104 the rifle now functions normally with all ammo tested - Yeah

    Going to set the sights and see about loading some loads that jacketed and plated to see what kind of grouping I get.

    Hoping winter comes soon as it sucks when it's 105 by 11 am here in the low desert.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check