FN-FAL rifle ejector angle / eliminating receiver - brass strikes

Altering FNFAL rifle ejector angles to eliminate brass strikes on receiver

By ggiilliiee / Randy Nott

Edited by Ralph Shoop

Before you begin:

One thing you will first want to do. Using a machinist square or a known square block spanning
the rails, and up against the inside of the receiver. (Make sure the rails are level as they can be
pushed out of place by the machining process ) Use the tool to get the face of the ejector vertical
and horizontal to the right angles of the rifle.

You will do this by using a flat lapping file up against the block or square as a "file guide" to get
the ejector face to right angles. In some cases this will stop the strikes and makes a good starting
point to do the following modification.

The ejectors used in the FAL are stamp forged; not too precise by any means.

That being done, take a non honeycomb type lapping diamond file and press the flat of the file
against the flat vertical face of the ejector, maintaining vertical tilt of the file and the 8-10 degree
angle shown on photos below. Take a few light strokes up and down, then test with EMPTY
brass multiple times, watching for a change in the ejection path.

Take your time. Test by pulling back the charging handle quickly with the dust cover in place
with chambered EMPTY brass to simulate the ejection process with a piece of duct tape on the
side of the dust cover where the strikes, or "kisses", take place around the ejection port rim. This
will indicate a strike by the brass as an indentation on the tape. As you go you will notice the
empty brass ejecting more forward than laterally. This procedure works 99% of the time.

This slight angle will create less spin on the empty brass ejecting by making the first point of
impact, between the bottom of brass and the ejector face, more to the centerline of the brass,
instead of on the outboard side which makes it spin faster.

REMEMBER that the PIVOT POINT for the ejecting brass is the right of the extractor when the
brass bottom face has a chance to hit the left side of the EJECTOR FACE it spins faster on the
way out of the rifles ejection port and that spin causes the brass strikes on the receiver.

In other words the removal of metal on the left side of the ejector face keeps the brass bottom
from ever hitting in the wrong place (left outboard side) and creating more spin.

Slightly fading back the top of the lead angle (right side of ejector) on the ejector face will eject
upward slightly.

Fading back the bottom right side lead angle will cause it to eject towards the lower part of the
ejection port (you will rarely need to do this). You should end up with a 10-20 degree forward
and 10 degree upward ejection about 8 to 10 feet in front of the rifle and 3 to 4 feet to the right.
The brass is well out of rifle port before the empty case mouth or mid section gets a chance to
rotate and impact the dust cover or receiver. This will also eliminate mangled/dented and un-
reloadable brass.
These pictures are of a G1 and the angle was extreme for the rifles I’ve built. This is to show
how far you will ever have to go; 80% of the time it only takes a few strokes at the same angle to
stop the strikes. It all depends on how much pressure is on the case from the extractor and how
worn your bolt pocket is.

You can test your gun for this wear by removing the dust cover, and using an empty case, extract
it from the chamber with the charge handle slowly. If your case comes out on a linear line out of
the chamber (while in the bolt face pocket) until it hits the ejector face, the metal removal from
the left side of the ejector face will be minimal. You’ll probably notice the strikes hitting an inch
or so behind the ejector port opening from the case mouth, with no mid-case dents.

If the empty case mouth tends to lean to the left or right while pulling it from the chamber, the
filed angle will need to be greater than the angle on the bottom of the leaning case, as to maintain
the centerline ejector first contact point. Strikes usually occur at the ejector port mouth rim when
the pulled empty brass leans left which dents the middle of case and more than likely a strike on
the dust cover at the 1 inch or so area back from the port from the case mouth as well.

This modification does not affect function, it actually makes it run more consistently and it keeps
you from beating up your rifle, plus you don’t have to worry about hitting the person on your
right at a sit down shooting range with your spent cases (this pisses some folks off). All the
builds I have done have functioned flawlessly, with thousands of rounds through them and nary a
mark afterwards.

 Randy L. Nott