A Tale of Two FALs: Israel Arms, Inc. M444 Entreprise Arms STG58C Target

ENTREPRISE ARMS STG58C TARGET MODEL

Type:  Self Loading Rifle Caliber:  7.62mm NATO Capacity:  20 round box magazine Sights, front:  Elevation adjustable post Sights, rear:  Fully adjustable aperture Length: 44" Barrel length:  21" Weight (unloaded):  9.8 lbs Suggested Retail Price:  $1400

From the beginning of Austrian license production of the FAL in the late 1950's, the Steyr produced StG58 variants were known for their precision and quality. Entreprise Arms of Irwindale, California manufactures  FAL clones based on the StG58 using their own domestically produced receivers and Austrian StG58 parts.   Entreprise receivers are manufactured on state of the art CNC machinery using 4140 chrome-moly steel castings.  The firm manufactures two semiautomatic versions of the FAL receiver:  The Type 01, which is the military version with the sculpted "lightening cuts" and the Type 03, which lacks the lightening cuts (both are available with or without the carry handle cut in the receiver).   The Entreprise STG58C Standard rifle is a a no-frills version of the StG58 built using an Entreprise Type 03 receiver.   The Standard has garnered a great deal of praise from industry standards such as the American Rifleman, Gun Tests, and the Shotgun News.  And for good reason - it is a reliable and surprisingly ergonomic rifle that consistently surprises shooters with its fine accuracy.  Groups of between two and three inches at 200 yards using the issue iron sights are not uncommon.  Given this performance from the Standard rifle, it is not surprising that Entreprise made the decision to offer a target version.

The Standard STG58C's reputation for accuracy made for some pretty large shoes to fill; a target version would have to be even more reliable and more accurate!  Entreprise addressed the issue from the ground up.  The Standard's Type 03 receiver was replaced by a Type 01.  All StG58C parts slated for use on the target version of the STG58C are gauged and measured, and only those that meet strict dimensional tolerances (significantly tighter than the requirements imposed for military acceptance) are accepted for use.  Like the Standard rifle, the Target is equipped with Entreprise's excellent "Zero Climb" muzzle brake.  The furniture, with the exception of the handguards are the original Austrian parts.  Like the Standard STG58C, the Target model is finished with an attractive mil-spec grey parkerizing (with the exception of the handguards, which are anodized black).  The STG58C Target retains the original FAL sights, a fully adjustable rear aperture, and an elevation adjustable front post in lieu of specialized target sights.  The handguards, and handguard retaining ring were discarded in favor of a "free floating" handguard unit made of machined anodized aircraft grade aluminum.  The free floating handguard assembly is interesting and worthy of some exploration.

The handguard assembly actually consists of six components, fastening screws and nuts.  The chamber area of the barrel is sandwiched between the upper and lower halves of a machined aluminum collar.  The collar is tightened onto the barrel with four machine screws.  The front of the collar is drilled and tapped on either side of the barrel to accept  3/16" steel locating rods that run the  of the handguard and parallel to the barrel.  The handguard tube, which is open at the top, is slipped over the rods to seat itself on the rear collar.  The front collar is seated into the forward edge of the handguard and over the locating rods, which protrude through holes bored into the front collar.  Acorn nuts secure the front collar to the locating rods, and tighten the whole assembly.  The result is a tight, immobile handguard that provides as free floating a platform as possible, given the FAL's design.

PRODUCT REVIEW
The STG58C Target rifle can be purchased directly from Entreprise Arms by your local dealer (Type 1 FFL holder).  Depending on who you ask, the CRUFFLER.COM staff is either "within the FAL's thrall" or "suckers for anything FAL."  Either way, we're unable to resist anything that has to do with the FAL.  We phoned Entreprise and ordered and STG58C Target.  A few days  later, the BBT arrived, bearing our rifle.

External Inspection
The finish on the STG58C Target was a smooth, uniform light  grey mil-spec parkerizing that displayed no evidence of discoloration, streaking or any other blemish.  The synthetic stock and pistol grip are bead blasted to a uniform matte black finish that makes these original parts look like new.

The STG58C Target, like other rifles that fall under the provisions of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922r, must contain no more than ten parts of foreign manufacture out of the twenty listed in the associated portions of the Code of Federal Regulations.  As the FAL employs only seventeen of the twenty enumerated parts, seven of the listed parts are replaced with those of domestic manufacture.   The parts replaced on the STG58C Target are:

Receiver
Hammer
Sear
Gas Piston
Muzzle Device
Magazine Floorplate
Magazine Follower

The receiver is a faithful recreation of the FN Type 1 receiver that is difficult if not impossible to tell from an original.  The muzzle device, on the other hand, is very different from the original.  The STG58C uses the Entreprise Arms "Zero Climb" muzzle brake.  The Zero Climb brake consists of a threaded steel tube that is silver soldered onto the barrel.  It is bored through three times on the horizontal axis, yielding six large gas escape ports.  The top wall of the brake is bored twice while the floor is left solid, yielding a downward thrust that is supposed to counteract muzzle rise when the rifle is fired.  While the brake differs substantially from both the original "Belgian short"  and Austrian Stoll flash suppressors, it is aesthetically pleasing in a minimalist way.

A detailed inspection revealed that the internal parts were in excellent condition, and that the mating between parts was solid and precise.  Moving parts functioned smoothly and without binding.  The bore was an especially nice surprise as it appeared to be new!  It was bright and shiny with sharp rifling.  A headspace check revealed that the rifle's headspace was set to 1.633".  This was well within the SAAMI .308 Winchester tolerance of 1.630" minimum and 1.640" maximum.  More importantly it was within the FN factory specifications for a new or overhauled FAL of 1.6315" minimum and 1.638" maximum.  (Editor's Note:  The FN factory specification for an "in service" FAL was 1.6315" minimum and 1.640" maximum.)  This rifle was very tightly headspaced, as one would expect of a target rifle.

Shooting the STG58C Target
We enlisted the aid of an experienced highpower match shooter to test the rifle, packed up our gear and headed out to the NRA range in Fairfax, Virginia.

Ammunition
Two types of 7.62mm NATO ammunition were used to test the STG58C:

Portuguese FNM 147 +/- grain FMJ
US Lake City Match M852 168 grain BTHP

Accuracy
We fired the STG58C at fifty yards, the maximum distance possible at the NRA range.  The target we used was a three inch black center.  We were not disappointed with the rifle's accuracy.  From the bench we were able to hold the gun consistently to groups of about one inch.  Offhand accuracy was also very good, with the best groups coming in at about one and half inches.  These results were achieved with a combination of the standard military sights and our less than professional shooting ability.  We believe that with either a good telescopic sight and mount or a target aperture sight, the accuracy results would have been even better.

Recoil and Ergonomics
Recoil was extremely mild, even by FAL standards.  This is a rifle that you could fire all day long without developing any sort of flinch or adverse reaction.  The Zero Climb brake was surprisingly effective; there was almost no discernible muzzle rise when firing from the bench, prone, and offhand. Like all FAL's the STG58C Target rifle has excellent ergonomics.  If anything the handguards, which are larger in cross section than the originals make the rifle easier to hold and shoot well.  The rifle is comfortable rifle to hold, balances naturally, and is an instinctive pointer.  The selector, which is positioned on the left side of the lower receiver above the pistol grip is  easily reached and manipulated.  The  cocking handle is positioned on the left side of the receiver.  This is especially convenient as the shooter never has to move his right hand from the pistol grip when charging the arm.

The issue sights, an aperture rear and post front, provide a clear, easily acquired picture.  They are not as finely or as easily adjustable as we'd have liked on a target gun.  Ideally, they would be replaced with an aperture sight that fits into the original sight dovetail with half or quarter minute of angle click adjustment in both windage and elevation.  The STG58C Target rifle also retains the FAL's forward sling attachment method.  This consists of a groove around the barrel which retains a flat steel ring that encircles the barrel.  A sling swivel is attached to the ring with a screw.  While effective for a battle rifle where little if any pressure on the sling is transmitted to the barrel during firing, this is less desirable on a target rifle where shooters routinely use tjhe sling, tightly wrapped about the upper arm, as a firing support.  The amount of pressure put on the sling by target shooters has the potential to actually bend a barrel while firing.  We'd like to see the sling swivel moved to a reinforced section of the handguard so as to minimize this problem.

Reliability
The minimum gas setting for reliable function was 7, which is to say, fully open, indicating an extremely smooth and well balanced action.  In fact, this was the only FAL assembled from a parts kit that we've ever seen function with a fully open gas system.  We fired over two hundred rounds of mixed match and target  ammunition.  We experienced no failures to feed, fire, extract, or eject.
 

Conclusion
The STG58C Target rifle is an excellent platform from which to assemble a FAL of truly astounding accuracy.  Indeed, the steps that need to be taken to bring this rifle into its own as a competitive target gun are few and simple:  Replace the sights with true match sights, and moving the sling swivel.  Once these measures are taken, we believe that the STG58C Target would more than hold its own on any highpower match firing line.  In general, the fit and finish are superb, mechanically it is excellent, and range performance leaves nothing to be desired.  Entreprise has a lot to be proud of in this rifle.
 

And now, our Buy-O-Meter rating for the STG58C Target:
 

. . .based on the provision of new muzzle brakes.

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