In the discussions and arguments regarding the AR and the AK, FAL-pattern rifles often take a backseat. But this rifle and its many variants have seen battle across the globe. And DS Arms, a company that began as an importer of FAL parts and now builds its own high-quality rifles from scratch, has a new 7.62mm NATO rifle for consideration—the DS Arms SA58 Para 7.62mm. In the December 2013 issue of Special Weapons for Military & Police, author D.K. Pridgen tests one of the brand-new Paras.

Pridgen is quick to approve of the SA58 Para, which comes with a folding stock, a railed forend and a heavy-duty scope mount. “A quick examination of the DSA SA58 Para carbine as it came out of the box revealed the quality for which DSA is known. All DSA FAL variants share a number of common attributes. The SA58 Para’s 16.24-inch barrel, made of 4140 steel, has a 1-in-10-inch twist rate. The lower receiver is made of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy and mates well with the drop-forged, 4140 steel Type 1 upper receiver; both receivers are CNC-machined…For those who have previously handled a DSA FAL, the SA58 Para I received will have few surprises. Those are only cosmetic or improved function changes; the basic design is retained with enhancements—a FAL is still a FAL!”

So how did this upgraded and tricked-out FAL perform? To learn more about the SA58 Para and find out how it fared on the range, check out the December 2013 issue of Special Weapons for Military & Police, now available on newsstands and digitally. To subscribe, go to /special-weapons-for-military-and-police/.