AR-15 or M1 Garand

I am not so sure that .223 is any cheaper than .30/06 is brass case ammunition anymore.
At the lower end of the spectrum brass case factory .223 ammunition is averaging .50 cents a shot and up.
Factory .30/06 brass case ammunition can still be found for .35 cents a shot and up.

I am with the other posters, buy both rifles while you can.

I own one of each, and there are srengths to both. The AR is of course modular so you have many options. Also it (the AR) can fire a wide variety of ammo right out of the box. But the M1's will eventually dry up and go up even more in value, plus it is a peice of history. You do have to stick to surplus ammo or reloads though since the M1 was desigend for a spicific burn rate of powder. Others will know more bout this, i just stick to surplus in my M1 to be on the safe side.

Shalom Aleikom

I personally prefer larger calibers over smaller ones. The venerable 30/06 can take on any game in North America. With an Ar-15 this is not so, unless you get the 308 Armilite. I also prefer the "one shot one kill". Since I "poach" deer in my back yard I don't really want my game to die in my neighbors yard. If you are young like me and don't mind the weight, there is only major setback with the M1, it's small magazine capacity. Also I like to have the comfort of knowing that if worst came to worst in hand to hand combat I could clobber my foe with my weapon.

Peace be with you Comrades!

Man, I hate this there's going to be a ban thing. I'm not in denial but come on write your congressmen, vote, donate, and make some converts for the faith! I'm not rolling over and you can bet I won't be turning anything in either!

It has been a straightshooter for me so far. This one was killed using FMJ from S Korea (PS 74). Lung and heart shot placement. Dead as dead.

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Garands going up in price not down, no more are being made. Ammo cheapish with CMP ammo. Battle tested and loved

AR still being made by everyone and there dads, price all over the map but there are many good guns for a "cheap" price. Battle tested and um liked...depending on who you ask

Garand all the way, get one now, then later when you can get a AR

As has been said the 30-06 can me used in a lot of situations. And about the Garand being heavy, well i have seen some light ARs that were heavy with all the weigth they had on them. Guns are like backpacks, the more room they have to stuff crap in there the more you will put in. Buy a Garand and all you will be putting on is a Scope maybe. Buy a AR and you got, ok no way i am listing all the options!

Both are good rifles. The AR-15 is more useful and more versatile IMHO. The AR goes to the range with me nearly every time, but the M1 doesn't- its very expensive to shoot compared the the AR, and the only thing I shoot through my M1 is handloads which means that I have to spend a lot of extra time reloading for each time I take it to the range.

If you want to buy something of value or just for its 'coolness value' the M1 is hard to beat. ARs are a dime a dozen but everyone loves having the opportunity to shoot M1s.

This is too simple Get them both! Get the one that will serve your purposes best right now then the other for the sake of having another excellent caliber and rifle!

68'chevelle said:

Should I get a AR-15 or M1 Garand, for my next multi-purpose gun?

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I have both and I like both. If somebody told me to bring "a multi-purpose gun" or "a general purpose rifle" to a class or to a fun shoot, I'd bring an M1.

The words "multi-purpose" in your original post tell me to recommend a rifle in .30-'06 rather than .223. The '06 is the general purpose cartridge of the two, and the M1 is a great platform.

An M1 with a sling is not too heavy for most folks to carry comfortably. Full disclosure: I'm comparing my own rifles. My AR is a match rifle, so it's as heavy as an M1. Most ARs are lighter than mine, and if you'd asked which would make a better "handy carbine," I'd have written, "AR-15."

Which would you rather have: a 2008 compact American sedan with all of the options, or a 1968 Chevelle?

You're welcome.

My answer:

I think every American should own and learn the history of the M1 Garand.

But I would get both Garand first and than the AR, like said above the Garand is not going to get cheaper.

multi-purpose

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AR15. Not only is it a very versatile rifle as a standard .223 carbine or rifle, but you can swap uppers to make it a 22LR plinker, change a light HD carbine into a long range HBAR target rifle, convert to alternate calibers such as 7.62x39, 9mm, or 50 Beowulf. The possibilities are almost endless. All with one lower.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=777146&t=11082005


THey re on sale now. I ordered one so I can use commercial hunting ammo for the next hunt.

I just came back from the gun show. I went to buy my newest firearm...a beautiful M1 Garand. It is a Springfield, Serial #: 704XXX. I believe that means it was manufactured in 1942. I'll do a separate thread with pics later. Of course I still have my Colt AR-15 Sporter. And others.

Get both.

Geno

I would get the Garand for the following reasons:

- Price will only go up on them
- Limited supply they will only get scarer to find.
- Good Target or hunting rifle (While a good AR when customized will also shoot well, I can out shoot most with my Garand when both me and the shooter have the same skill)
- It is "sexier" than an AR

Some say "but its heavier" if you are not able to comfortably carry 9lbs on a sling, than you prob aren't physically fit enough to go hunting.

Did i mention that the Garand is "cooler" ......only kidding

If the doughboys of WW 2 can logged the Garand thru the Pacific swamps and in European winter, then so do we in peacetime 21 th century. I love the sights and I can hit good with it. Im looking forward to getting my Schuster Adjustable gas plug. I bought a box of Winchester Super X 150 gr Power Point too. It should be a dead ringer .

68'chevelle said:

Will the M1 Garand get banned like the AR-15 if there is another ban?

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Not if we do our jobs as constituents (writing letters to defeat such a thing) and as voters. Rumor has it that bans of all semiautomatic rifles have been proposed.

Play to win.

Rumor has it that bans of all semiautomatic rifles have been proposed.

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Don't kid yourself the DEMS want all your guns and so does NATO and so does average joe who could care less. If your not voting and writing already we're screwed!

Of course there are people who want to ban them. They won't be able to if we keep doing our jobs (see above).

Play to win.

Will the M1 Garand get baned like the AR-15 if there is another ban?

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As stupid as that would be, It would be quite possible for the Garand to end up on that list.

To answer the original question........
with the political situation as it is, or stands to become, I would suggest getting a new credit card with no intrest for the first 6-12 months, so the payments can be spread out a little. Buy both. If some of the anti's in govt have their way after this election (should they win) would want to call your 10/22 an assault rifle. If you're going to buy, you should think sooner than later.

How about an alternative answer? Get one rifle that offers some of the values of each. Like a DPMS LR 308. Virtually as powerful as a 30-06, surplus ammo readily available, also will shoot commercial. VERY accurate, typically sub MOA. Is definitely an EBR, but very nicely, an EBR on steroids, bigger badder and louder. (if an AR 15 makes 'em wet their panties, then an LR308 makes 'em - - - well you get the picture)



Roger

I spent four years lugging around an AR-platform, always wondering if it would feed the second round When I Really Needed It To.

What the Garand, on the other hand, offers is one of the most reliable semi-autos to ever walk the earth, a hard-hitting, inexpensive cartridge out of a rifle with good (although not as good as an AR) ergonomics, low recoil and great sights, close in line with the bore.

Get the Garand, shoot it a lot, clean it very little and buy an AR when you have more $$

Two very different types of rifles. Cannt compare.

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True enough.

Which one do you like?

And what does "multi-purpose" mean?

Some say "but its heavier" if you are not able to comfortably carry 9lbs on a sling, than you prob aren't physically fit enough to go hunting.

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Clearly a flatlander. I'll leave it at that.

Garands going up in price not down, no more are being made.

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Last I checked, I could buy a new one from Springfield. The CMP is just authentic and cheaper, if pretty beat-up.

I think every American should own and learn the history of the M1 Garand.

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And I think that every American should be skilled at shooting a sidelock muzzleloader. So?

Seriously, these guns are very different. It depends on what "multi-purpose" means to you.

The Catch-22 of an AR is that, while you can turn it into just about anything, it isn't necessarily cheaper to do that than to buy a bunch of rifles.

E.g. a lot of people balk at spending $500 on a really nice, fun, quality .22 rifle like a Marlin 39A or one of the Brownings or the nice Remingtons (552, 572). But just a Spike's Tactical .22LR upper, without sights, runs $550. So don't think that having this modular platform is some big money saver, 'cause it's not.

Of the two rifles, I own an AR -- a relatively heavy one, actually. I have friends with Garands, so I get to shoot one without having to own it.

I'd gladly take both rifles if they were given to me. 25 or 30 of each. But again, that ain't the question.

Depends on what purposes you have in mind.

If you live in a suburban area (or anywhere with relatively close neighbors), the Garand's power and penetration (as well as its sheer size) pretty much rule it out as an inside-the-house HD weapon, whereas a 16" barreled AR with an adjustable stock and shooting lightweight JHP's shines in that role.

On the other hand, if hunting deer or elk were one of the purposes you had in mind, then a standard AR in .223 won't have the necessary ooomph, and you'd need the .30-06 (or an AR with a larger caliber upper).

For recreational target shooting, it depends on what kind of shooting you wish to do. The AR is both more accurate and more pleasant to shoot, but the Garand has the historical appeal. They're both great rifles.