Well I'm always on the ass-end of any curve.   Behind,etc.   Almost always at least.    Sig P225's, K31's,etc. you name it, I go to buy it, the price jumps out of my reach 2-3 months before that.

   Well I might have my FAL fixed on the stringing (got to go out as soon as the rain quits and I'll try again), but regardless, I'm thinking of trading it off and setting myself up with a PSL.

  I LOVE my FAL, the power, the handling, but ever since I got my last batch of ammo (40 cents per round, shipped), I just kinda hoard it.  I shoot some, but I've increasingly begun using my AK's at ammo that's half the price of any new .308 I can acquire. 

  I been shooting my AK enough that's it's adequate out to 300, groups a little big and alot of drop at that distance but it's managable.  And past 400 yards I've been practicing with my M14.      Sorta eliminating the "sweet spot" that I used my FAL on, the 250-450 yard shooting.

  Well 54R ammo is sorta making me drool.  Right now it's cheaper than X39 ammunition, has longer reach.   I've no doubts in my mind that the days of super-cheap huge quantities of 54R is coming close.    Even so, Russian non-corrosive commercial will still be available, at roughly equal prices to .308 ammunition.

    I've got about 1,300 rounds of .308 stocked, and 25 magazines for my FAL...that's a decent investment I've already got into it, however if I could (roughly) trade/sell my FAL for a equal price for a PSL, I can get 1760 rounds of 54R for $340.    Extra PSL mags are hellacious prices right now, running about $35+ apiece. 

     Any thoughts?    The PSL wouldn't be too bad for out to 400 yards, and eventually I'd probably trim the barrel back to a slightly handier 20" or so.      I just dunno if it's worth switching over.       I'd save literally 25 cents for every round I shot.    I could probably only marginally lose money by selling the FAL.    The PSL mags would be a bigger loss, as I'd keep my FAL magazines (I bought them for $11 apiece, if I ever get another FAL, they'll cost more than that).

If you are insistant on a 7.62x54R rifle then personally I would get a Vepr as it will be more accurate than a PSL and not cost much more.  Now if caliber dictated then I would get a Yugo M76 in 8mm.  The M76 is more accurate than the PSL and IMO the 8mm round is much easier to reload for and is excellent for mid-long range applications.  The mags are more expensive but the rifle itself is a tank.

I like my L1A1 better than my PSL for what it is worth. What kind of FAL do you have?

My vote? Fix the FAL. There's a lot of institutional knowledge on the platform, and it is probably capable of better accuracy than a PSL, once you get it sorted. That, and I freely admit that I'm a fan of the Right Arm of the Free World.

Mike

The FAL is indeed the better rifle, firing the better cartridge.

My vote? Fix the FAL. There's a lot of institutional knowledge on the platform, and it is probably capable of better accuracy than a PSL, once you get it sorted. That, and I freely admit that I'm a fan of the Right Arm of the Free World.

Mike

+1. I'd stick the FAL. My SA58 is becoming one of my favorite rifles

 Just a quick update on my FAL problems.
http://falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322606

  I'm at a loss as to what I can do with it outside of sending it to a fal-smith and letting him tinker on it.   

Regardless:   I'm thinking that I'll use my "extra" guns to trade off on a PSL, get it AND fix my FAL....best of both worlds           Then if I really, really can't get the FAL fixed, sell it later.

 First: I agree with what all are saying the PSL ain't exactly an upgrade, and I probably won't be selling it.  I got's a few things I'll try first, then, assuming they'll take it, I will try and get ahold of a FAL-smith to take a look at it.     

Second: I looked into reloading.   And seriously, honestly, I didn't see it as being that much cheaper. On bigger calibers yes, .223 and .308? not as much.   
Bullets, absolute cheapest: $195 per 1K
Powder: 7,000 grains per pound=40 grain average charge=175 rounds per can.  $20 per can, 11 cents per round    $110 worth of powder per 1K
  $40 for 1K primers
=$335 per1K, so only about 65% the price of factory ammo or saving $165 per 1,000 rounds.  That's some savings.     However that's also the bargain basement bulk FMJ's.   

 That said, Nightcrawler brought up something interesting, about "trading up" for a better rifle......What IS a better rifle?        I know Crusader is good, but for long-term, possible SHTF use, I don't want an AR design.        So, outside of a FAL......what is there?     From what I've seen, a FAL is about king when it comes to .30 caliber battle rifles for the 50-500 range.

I wouldn't necessarily say my M14 is "better", it's an equal, the same as a hatchet is an equal to a cutlass, each in their own arena.   
 
NC wrote:

The PSL is a capable rifle but at the end of the day it's a glorified Romanian AK

That's the reason I was interested     My Romy AK's have been surprisingly consistant when it comes to accuracy (more than I expected before I got into AK's), and was a virtually identical operating system.

Wait, wait, wait...
I think I recall something about this rifle from a while back, and then you mentioned Loctite too.
Did ALL the rifles parts come from the same parts-kit? Because-my theory is that-if they didn't, then the Loctite is holding an improperly fitted rifle together...somehow.

Just a theory. Never heard of Loctiting rifles together...

I would not go to an inferior design. If anything, get a BETTER FAL than what you have (and if what Atlas says is correct regarding your rifle, the only place for loctite on a weapon is on the scope screws)

Your luck is you'd get a POS sample of a PSL and then you'd spend ages trying to work that out.

 P.S. Although you do bring up an interesting point:

I have terrible gun-karma.      Thus far the only thing to survive my terribleness is my Sig's , my 7MM mag and my AK's....everything else has fallen victim to it to some degree or another......(well not EVERYTHING, just seems like it  )


P.P.S.  I am also considering getting a differant FAL.    However the odds of getting a good/bad one.....almost as bad as gambling on a PSL.     Lot of FAL's that don't/can't hold 3MOA.

*sigh*, why can't stuff just be simple.    Like my AK, take it out, point AK, pull trigger, bang.  Gong rings every time......no wacky scopes, no jams, no mysterious POI changes.

  Yeah, but the AK was my own danged fault for being a moron     I had the opportunity beforehand to see it's problem and I ignored it.     

  DSA is what I'd look at probably, however 4 MOA?   I got my AK's for mid/close-range.    My FAL/any .308 I was wanting for a first-hit (flatter trajectory than X39) out to 500 yards, yet good enough for up close and able to out-penetrate X39.     

I think first off, as one final thing on my own, I'm gonna try putting a differant scope on, then shooting a group with irons as well. to 100% eliminate that.

I think after that I'll see if I can get it in with a Fal-smith, repairing it could be cheaper, and if it can't be fixed, well it was a gamble.    As much as anything, I want to know WHY it all of a sudden went wacky.    If there's even a slight possibility of this happening again, or on a differant gun, I want to know.        Every other gun, I've found the problem, a loose screw, improper installation,etc.  But this gun, and my Mini-14, both all of a sudden went bonkers and I've been unable to find the problem.

Keep the FAL, like the old 1980's FN advertisments used to say, "It's the right arm of the free world".
Now get off the computer and go watch "The Wild Geese" and you'll feel all better!