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  1. #91
    User Paul's Avatar
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    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    Quote Originally Posted by Wanderin' Zero View Post
    Sounds like its all very far from milspec.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
    Oh, it's not!

    FOPA (the Firearm Owners PROTECTION Act... I shit you not) of 1986 banned the import of most 'foreign' ex-military weapons into the US unless the receivers were physically cut into pieces.

    This caused a bunch of US businesses such as Century and DSA, etc, etc to start manufacturing receivers stateside... so that Murricans could also have cool guns. As with everything else in life, quality differs.
    "Always remember to pillage before you burn"
    Unknown Barbarian

  2. #92
    Moderator KK20's Avatar
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    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    Was this with early versions or is it a current issue?
    Really disappointing because they hyped them to be excellent.
    live out your imagination , not your history.

  3. #93
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    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    I'm happy with the rifles I own. I guess they were manufactured around 2013. The DS arms magazines that came with the rifles did not fit properly. But they worked fine in an R1. Local milsurp mags work fine in the DSA rifles!

  4. #94

    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    If you consider the difficulties that some mainstream arms manufacturers (such as Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal) have in perfecting small arms (and their associated accessories, such as magazines) to ensure that they run consistently and reliably and at all times and in all conditions and the extent of the ongoing testing (and associated costs) that is required to achieve this to a standard which is acceptable to large military organisations (such as the US Army), it is hardly surprising that a comparatively small sideline manufacturer such as DS Arms is going to run into trouble occasionally.
    Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit: occidentis telum est.

    Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD)

  5. #95

    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    Like Larry, I'm also interested in the FN SA-contract Paratrooper FALs (info and pics, as well as parts). AFAIK no parts from them have ever made their way here to the U.S. I suspect that this indicates that SA never provided Rhodesia with any of these rifles. All of the Rhodesian surplus paras that ended up here are either standard FN (with hiduminium or steel trigger housings) or have some sort of locally-produced folding stock (crude steel casting of a standard hinge with the swivel broken off and a rubber butt pad instead of a hiduminium one, but otherwise the same as an FN) on converted R1 trigger housings, with a locally-made stock bolt that is simplified by lacking provision for an expander screw.

    One thing I've been trying to figure out is whether or not the SA-contract Para FALs had hiduminium or steel trigger housings. I have not been able to find this info anywhere, and info in general is scarce (most I could find was on the SAAACA website, which IIRC is now defunct). The picture from the SAAACA website does not show a serial number or UM marking on the trigger housing, but it has a horizontal frame lock lever, and if that was not original, it could be obscuring the serial number (and the scratches combined with low image quality may be obscuring the UM marking). Typically, lack of markings other than, maybe, an asterisk, tend to indicate a hiduminium lower. But the serial is usually on the left side of the pistol grip, and the grip in the picture is plain (picture posted below).

    Another question is on receiver types. The picture mentioned above shows a Type 1 receiver. However, I have finally found additional photos via photos of SAN Parks Rangers, who seem to have come into possession of a number of these rifles (and modified them by adding DSA scope mounts, light mounts, and cutting down the barrels to various lengths in the 16.5-17.5" range, as well as removing or cutting off the carry handles). Nearly every rifle with the unique SA para folder has a Type 2 receiver. So I'm wondering, were some of the FN para rifles for the contract built on Type 2 and possibly also transitional receivers (the R1 uses a variation upon a transitional receiver, it should be noted)? What was the range of production (late-60s/early-70s would be years in which Type 2s were made)? The pictures also show the standard fixed-knob charging handle, so I assume this was what the para rifles had upon delivery.

    While I doubt anyone here who has any of these parts would be willing to part with them (interested in buying if they are, though), I would very much like to see some good pictures, especially if someone has a complete rifle.

    Below is the picture mentioned above from the SAAACA site plus a few of these rifles from pictures taken of the Rangers.



















  6. #96

    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    Also, does the book on southern African arms development that came out a couple of years ago discuss the FN-contract FALs made for South Africa or have photos of the para rifles?

  7. #97
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    Default Re: South African contract FN Paratrooper parts

    The book contains 9 pages of text and pcs covering our contract FALS - THE FAL, FALO and the Para. Even though they fall outside of the title, the team decided to include them because of the iconic status here.

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