Century,Arms,Model,L1A1,Sporter.,$1200,This,is, a,copy,of,the,British,L1A1,rifle,imported,by,the,CAI.,parkerized/black,Grips:,Serial,Number:,111947. There was no requirement to replace the selector with a semi auto one. The lower has a serial #, the bolt & carrier have serial #'s, the barrel has a. Ban) Century Arms imported a number of as-issued L1A1's and sold them.
Another issue discovered on initial test fitting was the front receiver face was not square on one of the receivers. One rear gas tube support screwed in fine, the other as you can see in the picture, does not contact the receiver face evenly.
While flush at 6 o’clock, there is a noticeable gap at 12 o’clock. This is a cosmetic rather than a functional issue.It is interesting to note also that this second receiver required a spanner wrench for the last 4 turns. I could have chased the threads (9/16×24 RH) but wanted to see how much effort was going to be required.
The front of the Type I has the correct radius and lightening cuts. The machining on the inside receiver face and the receiver bridge is very rough.
While machine marks themselves are of little consequence, the pattern here seems to indicate either non-homogenous steel or badly worn or damaged tooling. You will also note the non-concentricity of the gas piston hole and the relief cut around it. It seems to be the relief cut, not the hole, that is off.
The depth is too shallow as well, as demonstrated by the dustcover fit. (followup: Lawrence claims this is not a problem as it does not affect function and he claims to have fixed it). The extractor relief cut had rough serrations, as was the cut on the opposite side. The receiver the bridge is wavy.
I couldn’t photograph the underside of the bridge, but it too was off. It is supposed to be flat – it cams the front of the bolt down. These had an irregular double-bevel. There is supposed to be a radius on the right side for the extractor to cam outward, and a smaller one on the left, but you can see the center section is not flat either. This does not appear to affect operation.
The photograph that did not turn out well was a closeup of the feedramps. The radii are either too deep or too close together, as the ridge in the middle is smaller than on an FN receiver. This does not seem to have an adverse effect on operation. The same closeup showed the front recess for the tab on the front of the magazine.
It is taller and wider than an FN, but works. One gun fit all magazines loosely. It still cycled fine, and perhaps its simply a stacking of errors with a worn mag catch and a pile of used magazines, but it also could be this notch was a bit too low. The Type 1 hand-timed a little short of the “golden triangle” target, but this is fine.
Both guns headspaced in what I consider an average range, that is.256″.260″ locking shoulder.The Type III hand-timed even shorter, but this is not unusual and a lot better than over-timing. I am concerned about the thread engagement, as there was considerable lateral play prior to snugging against the shoulder. I do not consider it a safety issue.
Both guns headspaced in what I consider an average range, that is.256″.260″ locking shoulder.
FN/FAL & L1A1 FAQ The FN/FAL & L1A1 FAQ by James Wesley, Rawles Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved Revised November 11, 2007. Copyright 2001-2007, by James Wesley, Rawles In response to innumerable postings querying the types and makers of FN/FALs and L1A1s and accessories, here a brief summary of answers to some FAQs. For more details on the FN/FAL, L1A1, and variants, I highly recommend the three volume FAL Series by R.
Blake Stevens. It is expensive, ($110 USD) but a great reference. It is available from Discount Gun Books.
Their phone # is (800) 266-5251. Another great source of information is the FAL Files web site: Check it out!
COLLECTIBILITY: The best collectibility/investment value in a FAL is in either in an original Belgian made FN/FAL (the earlier the better), or a true L1A1 built in a Commonwealth country on an original Commonwealth inch pattern receiver. (Such as the Joe Poyer semi-auto Australian L1A1s that were imported in the late 1980s.) In the eyes of serious collectors, parts guns-- no matter how nice they are--don't count. If it wasn't actually BUILT in a Commonwealth arsenal on a Commonwealth receiver, its just another parts gun. The only exception would be an L1A1 parts gun using a commonwealth parts set built on one of the scarce 'Lithgow L1A1A' receivers brought in by 'Eden Imports', just before the 1989 ban. Less than 600 of these receivers were imported. One of these receivers is currently worth more than $1,800, regardless of the configuration in which it was assembled.