[Skunkabilly]

I like my M1A but the fit and finish is awful and reeks of...cheapness.

It's effective and does what it's supposed to, but I ENJOY an arm more if it's well made, like my Benelli, HKs and Berettas.

Is there a high quality and well fitted and finished .308? My M1A looks years old and I have about 500 rounds through it.

Too bad Beretta doesn't make a semi .308. I may check out the HK SLB2000, too.

[Mr Bill]

Skunkabilly,
Do you ever go up on top of the Cleveland national forest, them there hills to your east, to shoot? I'm out here in Norco and if you'd like to know the way up drop me an email. Maybe we can get together and do some shooting.
Bill

[Edward429451]

Doesn't Beretta still make the BM-59? I know its M-14ish but they sure looked good in the catalog I had a while back. Beretta produces them (I think) so the fit / finish should be Beretta quality.

[4v50 Gary]

Knight SR-25. But it's going to cost you.

[762x51]

DSA SA-58.

[goon]

Maybe a VEPR?
I had a .223 version. It was very accurate, but too barrel heavy. But the 308 version is on my wish list.
The only thing is that at heart they are AK's, so they are known brass mutilaters. If someone just made a ejection port buffer for them....

[hksw]

As mentioned, the SA-58.

The VEPR does need to be seconded too. I was very surprised at how high the build quality of my Super VEPR is. Coming from Russia you'd expect a rough but rugged and dependable tool. The fit and finish of the wood and the steel is well above what you might think. Even the buttpad is expertly installed and the stock is cast-off with a slight twist so the toe is a little farther out that the heel making it more confortable to shoulder. The only complaint is that some of the stipling overruns the borders in a few areas.

The .308 WIN VEPR, though, is the hardest kicking .308 I have.

[Gewehr98]

It was the Italian military answer to modernizing the M1 Garand with the "new" 7.62mm NATO cartridge, using leftover Winchester M1 Garand tooling and their own innovative design. It became the Italian version of the M14, well before we got around to finalizing the design of the M14.

They haven't been imported into this country in any great quantities, nor have they been imported in recent years. They fall under the '94 ban. I feel privileged to own one that came into the country before then. ;)

Some BM-59's, stripped of their receivers, were imported as BM-59 kits, where you add your own M1 Garand receiver, and either modify the Garand trigger group to accept M14 magazines, or spend $80 each for original BM-59 magazines.

Another nice .308 autoloader, that comes in either a steel or alloy receiver, is the Browning BAR. Fit and finish on these rifles are impeccable. I've got a 1969 Belgian BAR in .30-06 that's almost too pretty to take out in the woods.

[Gewehr98]

in .308 Winchester:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/images/031002111m.jpg

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Reese Surplus has Beretta BM-59's and other models. Nice looking items. I may opt for one instead of an M1A.

http://www.reesesurplus.com

Regards,
Rabbit.

[AK103K]

Skunkabilly,
Do you have the M1A with a walnut stock or the re-did GI glass one with the recoil pad? Of all the M1A's I've seen I cant remeber seeing one with a "bad" finish on them. The walnut stocks are really nice, especially after a bunch of coats of linseed oil. You can also get a walnut handguard to match to replace the fiberglass one that comes with it.

[Skunkabilly]

I have a stock Scout.

[Marko Kloos]

If you have some spare change, you could go for a H&K SL7. Picture a nicely made walnut stocked rifle, with the G3 roller lock mechanism and sights, all in a civilian-looking package that should be inoffensive enough in California. No pistol grip, no flash hider, no bayonet lug. The whole thing reeks of quality.

Bring money, though.

[JohnKSa]

DSA SA-58
Armalite AR-10
Knight SR-25

[cheygriz]

Whooo doggies! What cud be purtyer than a Armalite AR10?

Less mebbe it cud be one o them Brownin's. Ah don't mean the kind Sears-Robuck sells, ah mean the kind yer supply sargent gave ye. Couse thet's a thutty ought six, but mebbe y'all cud git a new barel fer it.

[AR-10]

Armalite. http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/Gif/SPanikengun.gif

[Skunkabilly]

Assuming I'm stuck in CA, which I won't be, would a Browning be my only bet?

[Tropical Z]

Saiga-Saiga-Saiga!;)

[Will Fennell]

Skunk,
If you are looking for a NICE rifle, go ahead and have confidence inyour shooting ability and quite worrying about firepower...get a nice boltgun;)

[geojap]

Since you listed "fit and finish" as your criteria, I cast my vote again with the DSA SA-58 crowd. Saigas and VEPRs are nice (don't know about the AR-10), but they cannot hold a candle to the awesome quality of a DS Arms rifle. My SA-58 is the best made firearm I own, period. It's like a swiss watch. The parts fit absolutley perfectly together. So tight, but with the perfect amount of tension. The smooth, even behavior of the rifle while it is cycling through a round is just a beautiful thing to behold.

[Gewehr98]

Assuming I'm stuck in CA, which I won't be, would a Browning be my only bet?

Don't forget, there's the Winchester Model 100 autoloader in .308, with a gas system eerily similar to the M14/M1A.


And the Remington 7400 series, innocent enough to slip under the onerous SB-23 law:

http://www.remington.com/images/firearms/7400sy.jpg

[MrPink]

KAC SR-25 Lightweight Match. 1/2" MOA accurate. Light two-stage trigger, Free Float RAS. Leupold M4 10X scope or a Leupold Scout up front. Great gun.

I also have the DSA SA-58 and it is a quality FAL - probably better than the old FNs I recall. But it is a FAL design and will never be as accurate as the SR-25. The dustcover rail mount alone - while sturdier than prior FAL mounts comes nowhere near the stability of an SR flattop.

[375nm]

A super-accurate bolt gun in .308 would complement your carbine quite nicely. And you might even be able to get one in CA...

http://dealer.berettausa.com/photo_viewer_detail.cfm?photoid=2524

Beretta is the importer/distributor for North America (and owns an interest in Sako, I think.)

Rumor has it that Sako does not ship a rifle unless it consistently shoots 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards.

TRG 22/42 Gallery link (http://dealer.berettausa.com/photo_viewer.cfm?currentcat=244&access=0)

An interesting discussion of the TRG rifles on Tactical Forums:
http://64.177.53.248/ubb/Forum56/HTML/000071.html

[375nm]

It appears that the Beretta dealer web site does not allow external linking of images, hence the red x.

Click the gallery link to see some nice photos...

[CWL]

Skunk,

Don't give up on that rifle!

Doll it up. Cheap solution would be for you to replace the stock with some purty wood. Or you could paint the black plastic. Suggest "urban cammo" pattern to go with your "uber-tacticalness".

But since you seem to have money to burn, I'd suggest that you send in your M1A Scout to Clint Mckee at Fulton Armory and have him do some customization work on it. He can rebuild your M1A up into a truly polished, personalized and finished battle rifle. It'll look a whole sight better & cleaner than your Springfield armory. He'll put on a black laminated wood stock for you as well. Great outfit & great rep.

www.fultonarmory.com