Can't wait to so the finished work

There won't be much to see. It'll just be a shorter barrel and a muzzle brake like the ones on that website. At some point I'll probably have him install one of his free-float tubes.

But I will post pics.

Here is a factory 18" Imbel barrel that I pieced together with Imbel parts and receiver. Shooting a 15" steel gong at 200 yards.

http://s8.photobucket.com/user/tota...e089_zps284ce1f3.mp4.html?sort=3&o=0

I've owned all of the common 308 / 762 NATO "battle rifles" including:

AR10 = Colt LE901-16S

FAL = Century Arms, DSA, IAI, Imbel Kit Builds, and Springfield Amory imported factory assembled Imbel SAR48

FN SCAR 17

G3 = Century CETME, German Heckler & Koch, PTR91, and Springfield ARmory imported factory assembled Greek SAR-3

Robinson Armament XCR-M

Springfield Armory M1A = every version they've made except the White Feather "sniper" type.

I'm probably forgetting several. Anyway, what do I have now?

FN SCAR-17 and Springfield SAR-48 (Imbel factory built preban - these exceed FN Herstal standards since they are "license built" with forged receivers ALL Herstal type 3 receivers are CAST).

I'm selling the SAR-48 rifles because I prefer the Scar system. However, if I didn't have a SCAR I would never part with the SAR-48's.

ETA: I've had several copies of all of the rifles listed, and had problems with many of them. I never had a single problem with a "real" HK91, Springfield Armory SAR-48 preban (this comment does not fully extend to the SAR-4800 postban) or FN Scar.

Clarfication: I only had one RA XCR-M. It was a heavy TANK!

Gary - It is my understanding that Imbel never produced FALs under license from FN and Imbel was sued because of this. I could be wrong.

Not true.

FN and HK sell different kinds of license agreements.

HK sells a license (and sometimes equipment) to manufacture a specific product. You must strictly adhere to their design criteria. You cannot change anything.

FN sells the rights (and equipment) to manufacture a rifle. However, you are free to modify or improve upon the design. This is why we have 10,000 FAL variants and one G3 variant.

IIRC Imbel broke their agreement when they started making the 5.56 FAL variant.

I guess the best way to describe the difference...

FN = Licensed Copy

HK = Licensed Rifle

I've also heard FN stopped production and licensing in the 1980's.

Ok. I remember reading that Imbel was manufacturing FALs without license from FN and settled out ot court and was somehow forced to buy some tooling.

I know there are several manufacturers working under license from FN, like DSA. I believe DSA also bought some tooling from Steyr, though I don't believe they're still using it.

DSA has never been licensed by FN. They bought the original blueprints, tooling, and spare parts from Steyr.

DSA came into being after FN stopped producing and licensing the FAL.

An interesting note...

The reason the world has the G3 is because Herstal refused to sell the Germans a license to fabricate the G1 (German issue FAL).