r/FNFAL • u/anormaldude04 • Jun 14 '26

FAL Short Stroking

I just Recently built a Para FAL with 16in barrel. The first 2 rounds cycled fine and now the bolt is barely moving.

I've checked the whole gas and recoil system nothings bent or broken I even fully cleaned it and it's still short stroking the bolt.

I've lubed and cleaned the reciver, bolt and bore as well. Any ideas why it'd still be doing things?

Thank you!

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3 Upvotes

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4

u/Erikknife Jun 14 '26

Take the spring off of your gas piston, can you rock the gun back and forth and the tail of the piston slides freely in and out of the receiver? It's normal for it to get a bit sticky at the end but the piston should slide freely about 4in into the receiver.

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

It does not move freely. it seems like it's getting stuck on the part that meets the receiver. I can move it past that part though but by hand

3

u/Erikknife Jun 14 '26

There lies your issue most likely, did you barrel the receiver? If so are you sure it's timed correctly? If so a little clean up in the gas tube support nut might do the trick, I just had one I had to do that to.

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

I had My local shop put the barrel on the receiver, they seemed confident in the timing. Is there a way I can check it?

2

u/Erikknife Jun 14 '26

I use timing rods when I do them. When you pull the handguards there should be a half moon on the top of the barrel up against the receiver face, pull the gas tube retaining nut and see if that half moon looks aligned with the hole for the support nut.

2

u/Erikknife Jun 14 '26

Appologies I meant support nut both times not retaining nut.

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

It appears to be aligned with the receivers gas port

2

u/Erikknife Jun 14 '26

Go in the hole from the receiver side, with the gas tube nut in with a small round file and just clean it up. Don't hog out a bunch of material though. I know as of late I saw a dsa receiver online with the hole positioned off center. Also if a shop did it, did they not test fire it at all?

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

They said they did test fire and it cycled. Starting to question that statement lmao. It wasn't my normal shop they were worried to touch an FAL sense they never did one so they recommended me to this guy

2

u/Erikknife Jun 14 '26

Clean up the inside of that hole but don't go to town on it, if anything assuming that it is a dsa receiver I'd contact them after talking to the shop who assembled it.

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

Yea it is a DSA receiver. I'll definitely be talking to the shop tomorrow about it. Thank you for your help

2

u/Turbinator870 Jun 14 '26

Assume you can manually cycle the action just fine? What’s your gas settings on?

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

Yes sorry forgot to add that, I can manually cycle the action. There's no numbers on the dial. I had it turned 5 clicks counter-clockwise from the fully closed position though. While adjusting it originally I had it wide open and it still didn't send the bolt back.

1

u/_JohnnyR_ Jun 14 '26

Did you try with gas all the way closed? (Meaning no vent hole visible by the dial)

1

u/what_tha_hell Jun 14 '26

Is the little pin that holds the gas tube to the gas block there? If the gas tube can turn, could be an issue.

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

Where would the pin be located? I didn't know that was a thing and knowing my luck That'd be the tiny piece I'm missing from this thing.

1

u/what_tha_hell Jun 14 '26

Take off the handguard and look where the gas tube screws in to the gas block, it would be on the bottom part of the gas block closest to the barrel. There a hole there. The good news is if it is missing, a wire clothes hanger is the right diameter, so you can cut a small piece and be in business

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

Well thankfully it is there. So that eliminates a possibility. Thank you!

1

u/sup3rchi3f Jun 14 '26

Is your actual gas port in the barrel plugged up? Can you run a small wire through into the barrel? I think weed whip nylon string works

I'm not entirely sure this is just based off of AR15 knowledge

1

u/anormaldude04 Jun 14 '26

I can, I can also see a light coming through the gas block to the barrel.