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CRUFFLER.COM
presents
FIREARM REVIEW REPRISE:
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Type:
Self Loading Rifle
System of Operation: Gas Caliber: 7.62mm NATO Capacity: 20 round box magazine Sights, front: Elevation adjustable front post Sights, rear, fully adjustable aperture Length: OAL 43", Barrel 21" Weight: 10.8 lbs Suggested Retail Price: $950.00 |
Our February 2000 review of the STG58C garnered an unexpectedly large response from you, the readers. A significant number of the letters we received expressed reservations about our endorsement of the Entreprise Arms products that are sold and distributed by Inter Ordnance of America. Generally, the gist of these letters was that Entreprise's reputation for quality control was so poor that it was likely that our evaluation rifles fine performance was a fluke, and that if one wanted an FAL that performed well, one was better of going with DS Arms or a well known specialty shop such as Arizona Response Systems. In light of this strong response, and in response to several CRUFFLER.COM customers who expressed an interest in purchasing STG58C's based on our review, we decided to open up our sample set, and see if other Entreprise guns performed as well as our original test gun.
As a control for the experiment, we purchased an FAL from Mark Graham (the "Gunplumber") of Arizona Response Systems (ARS). The "standard" ARS rifle is built with an Austrian StG58 parts kit using an Imbel Type 03 metric receiver, and a series of US made internal parts (and muzzle brake) made by DS Arms. We also purchased three more STG58C rifles from Inter Ordnance of America.
PRODUCT COMPARISONS
Visual
Inspection
The
ARS gun was, quite simply, a prettier gun than the Entreprise Arms offerings.
It was finished in an attractive smooth black parkerizing. Additionally,
Mark had taken the time to fill in the stamped letterings with red and
white lacquer. Visually, the effect was quite striking. The
Entreprise guns were finished identically to the gun described in our February
2000 review. Interestingly enough, of the four guns, the only
gun that had a gap between the buttstock and the lower receiver was the
ARS gun. The gap was neither functionally nor militarily significant,
being about the thickness of a piece of paper. The handguards on
the ARS gun were finished with a non-slip black crinkle finish. On
all four guns, metal to metal fitting of the parts was extremely
tight. There was no play between the upper and lower receivers.
All moving parts moved on their axes with no hint of deviation from the
assigned track. The selector switch detents were extremely positive,
and the rear sights locked into their elevation settings perfectly.
Magazines locked into the wells with no hint of movement; by the same token
they detached surely and readily. The bores were as bright and shiny
as one could ask.
Headspace
We checked
the rifles' headspace using a set of Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer's
Institute (SAAMI) .308 Winchester headspace gauges (1.630" GO, 1.634" NO-GO,
and 1.640" FIELD). The results are listed in the table below:
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As can be seen there was virtually no difference between the ARS gun and the Entreprise guns in terms of headspace. Interestingly, the "tightest" gun of the group was an Entreprise gun.
Shooting
Results
Before
shooting any of the rifles, they were all disassembled it for a thorough
cleaning. As expected, the rifles' innards were filthy from powder
and carbon residue left from test firing. After cleaning, the
rifle was reassembled, and the reciprocating parts (bolt carrier group)
lightly greased.
Ammunition
Early
the next morning, we drove out to to the NRA
indoor range, located at the NRA headquarters. Since this was
to be a test of the guns' performance against a known standard, we restricted
the ammunition to one type and lot, specifically Portuguese military 7.62mm
NATO ammunition bearing the NATO cross-in-circle symbol on the headstamp.
To our knowledge, this ammunition was factory loaded with military 147
+/- grain full metal jacket spitzer projectiles.
Gas System
Settings
All
rifles had their gas regulators set at 5.
Accuracy
After
tuning the gas system, we fired the rifle for accuracy. Shots were
fired at the maximum range of 50 yards, from a rested position on the bench.
We fired between two and ten rounds to zero and then twenty rounds (one
magazine) per rifle in groups of five shots. Accuracy results are
described in the table below:
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Recoil
Felt
recoil was extremely light in all guns. However, there was no discernible
difference between the gun equipped with the DS Arms muzzle brake and the
guns equipped with the Entreprise Arms "Zero Climb" muzzle brake.
Reliability
There
were no failures to feed or stoppages with any of the guns.
CONCLUSION
We could
find no functional difference between the ARS gun and the Entreprise guns
from Inter Ordnance. Does this mean that the ARS gun is not worth
the $300 to $500 extra over the cost of the STG58C? In terms of pure
function, our tests indicate that it is not.
However, there's a lot more to buying a gun than pure function. As we've said before, the ARS gun is more nicely finished than the Entreprise guns. Additionally, there is a certain cachet associated with the work of a well known and highly reputable individual. This is why so many people are willing to pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more for an M1911A1 style pistol made by Ted Yost or Wilson Combat or Les Baer or Clark Custom Guns than a Kimber with most if not all of the same features. Simply put, it boils down to peace of mind.
Can you go wrong with either choice? We don't think so. However, if value or (forgive the pun) "bang for the buck" is your litmus test, the Entreprise gun is a significantly better value. If the peace of mind in knowing that a master craftsman has assembled your firearm is your primary concern, then we recommend the ARS gun.
If you
have any questions about these tests, about where and how to go about acquiring
an STG58C, or an ARS FAL, please contact CRUFFLER.COM.