Convince me why I need a Battle Rifle

[amprecon]

I really want a battle rifle. I am settled on between the Garand, M1A or DSA FAL if I were to buy now. I know the price ranges from $350 - $1,400. $350 for a Danish CMP Garand and up to $1,400 for a Fulton Armory M1A.

I own a SLR-95 and a scoped Rem 700 in .30-06 and feel pretty well armed. However, the ability to provide rapid, semi-auto fire at distance is something I desire. I do not plan to scope the rifle. As a matter of fact, I've considered selling the SLR-95 to help finance a battle rifle, but cannot bring myself to do that.

The AK is an effective medium range handy rifle, but I want the long-range ability as well. So, do I need a battle rifle? Do I need the ability to provide sustained rapid accurate fire out to 300 or 700 yards? It would be nice knowing you have the capability, but is it necessary? It seems the scoped Rem would do just fine at those ranges with even more accuracy.

So convince me, do I NEED to spend my hard earned dough on a battle rifle? Or am I aptly armed?

 

[Dionysusigma]

So, do I need a battle rifle?

The question.

I really want a battle rifle. I am settled on between the Garand, M1A or DSA FAL if I were to buy now.

The answer.

Given your preferences, I'd say go for the FAL (I'm an AK fan, but you've already got one).Cheaper than the M1A, looks more eeeevil, easy-to-find replacement parts, the advantage of a removable magazine (unlike the M1), easily customizable... I wouldn't sell the AK. I sold my M44 and (though they're cheap and easy to find) miss it greatly.

But in the end, I'd say you're good with what you've got... if you have the money and a bad enough case of Iwannacoolgun-itis, go for it.

 

[Swamprabbit]

I don't own my FAL in anticipation of repelling human waive attacks. I own one because I think they are cool and a boatload of fun to shoot. There is also the fun of knowing the history of the battle rifle. To me, I wouldn't advise spending yourself in a hole only on the basis of "needing" one for defense when you are already quite well armed. But if you can afford it, they are neat to own.

The M1 has the additional feature of being a real identifiable piece of American history.

Just my $0.02 worth

 

[cslinger]

Need is very subjective......

Let's face reality here. Even if all hell breaks loose chances are most of our untrained butts will be simply playing the survival game and in that case chances are any engagements will be short range/surprise/fast and dirty type things where the ability to put lead down range will probably be more important than pure aimed accuracy. Basically what I am getting at is I really believe a nice AK varient is probably the best all around SHTF rifle around because........
high capacity
Good sized round suitable for hunting(The main use most likely)
Reliable to a fault
Cheap to buy
Cheap to stock up on ammo
Evil looking and universal enough that most fights may very well be ended by the mere presense of a menacing looking AK.

Now combine that with the chances of you ever having to actually use a firearm in anger,much less a prolonged long range affair being almost non-existent, then IMHO you don't NEED a battle rifle.

Should you get one though? HELL YES!!!!! They are great fun and give you another gun to arm your friends with just in case that SHTF/Zombie/Ninja Grizzley bear situation does crop up.

Now based on the fact that the walking dead is reasonably unlikely then I would pick up the most FUN battle rifle and to me that is the M1 Garand. Nothing like that PING sound. Besides you can keep 100s or thousands of rounds stored on those en bloc clips without fear of spring problems. They are also very fast to load and with a little training I would bet you could keep up with the magazine fed semi-autos as far as volume of fire is concerned.

So do you NEED one? Nah. But are they cool and lots of fun....HELL YES!!! So my vote goes for the M1 Garand. Fun, nostalgic and very viable as a full sized battle rifle assuming you are not going to take on a modern equipped well trained group like a rival military unit.....which will get you killed no matter what you have unless you happen to have a horse shoe surgically implanted up your butt.

Me, I am looking into buying either another AK or a lever action. I want to rationalize by saying this can be used for.....defense, hunting, shtf....but I don't need it so really it is all about want and fun. Pick what you will have the most fun with.

Chris

 

[TrapperReady]

Get an M1. Oozes history... fun to shoot... makes the coolest sound known to man. BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-PING. It doesn't get any better than that.

My only advice would be to go with a Service Grade model from the CMP.

You don't need it. But from your post, you WANT it. As long as you are getting your bills paid on time and have enough food and ammo, that's a good enough reason.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You don't need a battle rifle.

But having a rifle based on a military design is sure a lot of fun to own and shoot.

If I didn't go M-1, I'd go FN. Good design & magazines are readily available and inexpensive. Skip the M-1A/M-14. Mags cost too much and it's really not that advance over the Garand and for the extra bucks, you can buy 2 Garands.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Get a Garand at www.odcmp.com

-Figure out a local CMP-qualifying highpower shoot and go shoot -- make sure they can lend you a service rifle if you need one
-Join a local CMP-Affiliated club -- Or Join the Garand Collectors Association. http://www.garandcollector.org/
-Get a copy of your Birth Certificate
-Fill out the paperwork and mail it in with your credit card info
-Enjoy receiving the finest battle implement ever devised delivered right to your door.

I've posted it before, and I'll post it again:

8 points in favor of a CMP Garand

1. It's a piece of American history, a fine example of American ingenuity - and delivers a wood & metal connection to USA's proud service to improving humanity
2. Can be used for anything from plinking on up to serious High Power competition
3. Can be used for hunting large animals (be sure to use the right ammo, the pressures of modern factory softpoint hunting ammo can be too high for a Garand)
4. Ammo – You can still find deals on Danish & Korean military 30-06 FMJ. 30-06 ammo will always be available and reloadable.
5. Once they're gone from CMP, they're gone and you'll pay much more than $500 for one
6. Matches - Garand-specific competitions have sprung up all over the country. The Garand match is a great excuse to go to Camp Perry in August and shoot with thousands of the finest men and women in the world
7. An accurate, long-range BATTLE RIFLE with excellent, adjustable, bombproof sites
8. blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-PING!

 

[Sydwaiz]

You mentioned accuracy out to 700yds, so I would go with the M1A over the FAL. Unless of course you plan to trick out the FAL even more over its stock form.

 

[Abominable No-Man]

Sounds like you are convinced already .

Of the choices mentioned, I prefer the M1A/M14, but the other ones are good, too. I also have a scoped Remmy 700 in .30-06- this is my "precision" rifle. The AK (for my wife) and the soon-to-be M14 (for me) will be the "encounters" rifles.

It would be nice knowing you have the capability, but is it necessary?

IMO, it's essential.

The primary attribute of a rifle is reach. If you plan to use it for "SHTF", if that comes, you can reach out past the effective range of a 5.56 platform to do whatever you can reasonably think of doing, whether it's food gathering or engine block wrecking.

ANM

 

[Jack19]

Convince me why I need a Battle Rifle

You're an American right?

For my two cents...go with DSA....skip Fulton.

 

[dave3006]

Besides fun, PENETRATION. The full size rounds penetrate better than the intermediate rounds. In a SHTF scenario, people will be hiding behind things. There will be no "man sized targets" for long.

Penetration.

Now, go buy that new rifle.

 

[iamkris]

Repeating much of what was said above

1) Piece of history...I have my C&R and when I buy milsurp stuff, half the fun is researching the history and variants. Same with semi-auto battle rifles.

2) Fun to shoot...lots of fun to blast with that much power on a repeated basis. Decent accuracy (2-3MOA) is on tap as well.

3) Peave-off GRWs * (* = Gun Fearing Wussies)

4) Be a balanced man...a little bit of precision, a little bit of fun, a litte bit of semi auto, a little bit of single action...battle rifles are a great contrast in my collection to the Sharps and single action Vaqueros.

5) If the brain-eating, zombies do come out...you're covered.

 

[George S.]

I just picked up a Garand from the CMP. It's a SA service grade made in April of '41 with a Danish VAR barrel (Danes are pretty much gone from the CMP but they have a big shipment of Greek M1's they are in the process of inspecting). I'm in the process of cleaning it up and it will be going to the range next week. Really looking forward to this!!

I also have a Russian Mosin-Nagant 91/30 that I picked up at my local Big 5 Sporting Goods store for $80. It's a 1931 Izhevsk Arsenal model and in excellent condition. So far it's getting 8-10" groups at 200yds with Russian 205gr milsurp ammo. This rifle and either the M38 or M44 carbine versions are great pieces of history (and they are still in use in places like Afghanistan) and really cheap if you get a C&R license. New, non-corrosive Wolf ammo runs about $5/box and there is some Czech ammo (corrosive but cleans up with Windex with Ammonia!) that is pretty accurate for $3/box. The M44 is supposed to be a blast (literally) to shoot. Big muzzle flash, loud report and a pretty good kick. Sounds like a fun rifle to take to the range. All shoot 7.62x54R which is easy to find.

Yugo SKS rifles can be pretty cheap and 7.62x39 is almost as cheap as .22LR.

 

[cordex]

You're an American right?

And for you folks that aren't American, here are some other excuses:
1. Your nation is allied with America.
2. Your nation has been saved or invaded by America in the past 150 years.
3. You've been somehow impacted by American politics.
4. You've heard of America.

All of these are valid excuses for owning a battle rifle.

 

[30Cal]

You need to at least shoot one clip from an M1 in your life. It's a hoot!

 

[DMK]

You don't need a battle rifle.

I respectfully dissagree!

Every american should have a battle rifle, which is why the U.S. Congress in one of their rare moments of wisdom, created the DCM/CMP!

-> -> www.odcmp.org <- <-

 

[MrPink]

1) Have you ever chopped down a tree by shooting at it?

2) How do you plan to defend yourself from a pack of rabid black bears?

3) What happens when the bad guy is hiding behind the hood of a car and you need to shoot thru the engine?

 

[tbige]

Of course not.

 

[BamBam-31]

"Want." "Desire." That is enough. Anti's can argue that you really don't NEED any firearms at all. Their right to argue, our right to own. There's no sound that makes me smile more than a "PING!"

 

[LeonCarr]

Just get a Battle Rifle .

I seriously doubt anyone on THR will tell you not to get one, but they might tell you to buy one and send it to their house .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[P5 Guy]

You do not need a battlerifle.
You want a battlerifle. Go buy one.

 

[drsteve]

I prefer to engage with a volume of accurate, penetrating fire from a distance, than to be up close and personal. The extra reach and punch of a .308 or 30.06 round vrs. a .223 round can give you an added margin of safety. I vote for an M1 in .308. Ammo in clips is lighter to carry than in 20 round mags. What ever you decide on, practice, practice,and practice some more. You should be as comfortable with that rifle as you are driving your car. That's my 2 cents.

 

[Atticus]

Why? Because you never know when a propane tank will need killing with a .308 (FAL).

And then follow up with some "up close" shots with a .460 Roland. (See gaping exit holes). The .45 acp ball lacks penetration ( see dents)

 

[Joey2]

I don't think you need one, but like me you want one and will find an excuse to get one, two, three or ?.

In my humble opinion a good Marlin or Winchester lever action in 30-30 would do the job.

I have several of those and since I really, really wanted I mean need a battle rifle I purchased 3 M-1 Garands from CMP.

Very accurate and reliable. All you could ask for in a semi-auto. You will not be disappointed.

My wife is not that big and she likes to shoot it, so she took over one of them.

 

[Elarski]

After seeing the photo of the propane tank, I'm won't be surprised when someone from PETOPT contacts you.