Kit Prep and Inspection Page 2
Front-End Dis-Assembly/Inspection
Spent about an hour or so working on the "Texas Jungle" carbine after reviewing Gunplumber's excellent video and workbook on home gunsmithing the FN/FAL.
I highly recommend the combo as it answered all the questions I had about working on a FN/FAL, even questions I didn't even think about asking. Check the
Shopping List page for price and a link to where it can be ordered. IMHO Its a bargain!! Anyways, I went about
the task of stripping the front-end (barrel and gas assembly). Going by what I learned from the video, the front sight, gas plug, gas piston/piston spring
and gas tube assembly removal went without a single problem. The front sight merely unscrews from the top, just be sure to remove the detent plate and spring
once the sight is completely out of it's housing on top of the gas block. The gas tube assembly is a bit more involved.
On the front of the gas block you have a gas plug. On the gas plug there is a push button or lever that needs to be depressed to rotate it to "G" stamped in
the plug in a counter clockwise direction (looking from the muzzle end). Rotate it another 45 degrees counterclockwise and the tension of the piston and spring
*should* push the gas plug out(Left Pic "upper portion"). Once the plug is out, the piston and it's spring should slide right out. Now go to the receiver stub
end of the gas tube assembly and take a gas regulator wrench or an old style can opener to unscrew the gas tube nut fully from the receiver stub.(Left Pic "lower
portion") The carrying handle should pull out of it's cut in the receiver. Screw the gas tube nut back into the stub a few threads to make the next steps less
awkward and easier on the assembly parts. With the same gas regulator wrench or old style can opener, unscrew the gas regulating ring completely off the gas block
and slide it down the tube and out of your way. You can now take the gas regulator detent spring from it's holes in the side of the gas block at this time by gently
prying the legs out of their respective holes and off the block. Once that's done, look closely at the gas block and you will see a cross pin that keeps the gas tube
from rotating(Right Pic). With an appropriate pin punch, drive it out. Then you can take a strap wrench to unscrew the gas tube fully from the gas block. Now go back
to the receiver stub end of the gas tube assembly and unscrew the gas tube nut fully from the stub and the assembly should slide together enough so it can clear the receiver
stub and gas block to remove it.
Inspecting the gas piston showed absolutely NO wear as it miked right at the spec (.431"), and the gas tube appears to be in excellent shape. It will be a shame to have
to replace this piston with a US manufactured one, but to be compliant with the law I have to. I can always use this piston for troubleshooting or in another build where
I replace the furniture with US made parts.
All that remained to finish stripping the front end, was to remove the upper receiver stub that was left on the barrel when it was demilitarized and
imported to the states. Again, going by the video this was a piece of cake. I broke out the dremel tool with a cut-off wheel attached to cut a groove
in the receiver stub at the cocking handle channel (Left Pic). At this location the receiver stub is at it's thinest. The trick is to go slowly and not bog
down the dremel tool to allow the cut-off wheel to do the cutting. Keep checking the cut to ensure it's even and for when you see a slight discoloration at
the bottom of the "V" that is formed. The discoloration in the cut is actually the transition point where the stub material ends and the barrel threads begin.
At that point you should stop cutting the groove. Next I took a chisel and placed it in the cocking handle channel lengthwise and whacked it with a hammer a
couple times (Right Pic) to split the stub at the cut made with the cut-off wheel.
The picture at left shows where to make the cut and that I was successful in getting the stub to split. All that was left
to do was to wedge the chisel into the cocking handle channel so I could whack it a couple times with a hammer to get the
upper receiver stub to start unscrewing from the barrel, then spin it off by hand (Right Pic).
Ahhhh, Bandit smiles after sweet success. As you can see in the pic inset, the barrel threads were unharmed. The shiney area you see, is a reflection from
the camera's flash. I WAS going to take off the muzzle device, but after heating it with a torch, it still refused to budge. I decided to leave it on because
I didn't want to risk damaging the barrel or gas-block. The barrel will be cut to 16.25 inches, so I'll ask the gunsmith that cuts, crowns and threads it for
me if he will save the cut-off portion and return it to me so I can "HAVE AT IT"!!! I could cut it off, but I want to try to save the piece.
Since I didn't get the muzzle device off, I went ahead and stripped the magazine release, bolt hold-open device and locking shoulder from the other "chopped"
portion of the upper receiver included in the kit. The magazine release and bolt hold-open device are held in place with a single cross screw/pin. Unscrew it
with a hollow ground screw driver bit of appropriate size and they both can be pulled from the bottom of their respective channels. The locking shoulder which
controls headspacing on a FAL, can be driven out with a hammer and appropriate size pin punch. Hammer it out in the direction of the "dog leg" side of the
locking shoulder. The locking shoulder in my kit miked out at .262".
Page 3 - Lower Receiver Dis-Assembly/Inspection!
Shoot Safe!!!
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Spent about an hour or so working on the "Texas Jungle" carbine after reviewing Gunplumber's excellent video and workbook on home gunsmithing the FN/FAL. I highly recommend the combo as it answered all the questions I had about working on a FN/FAL, even questions I didn't even think about asking. Check the Shopping List page for price and a link to where it can be ordered. IMHO Its a bargain!! Anyways, I went about the task of stripping the front-end (barrel and gas assembly). Going by what I learned from the video, the front sight, gas plug, gas piston/piston spring and gas tube assembly removal went without a single problem. The front sight merely unscrews from the top, just be sure to remove the detent plate and spring once the sight is completely out of it's housing on top of the gas block. The gas tube assembly is a bit more involved.
