.30-06 EBRs?

[Crunker1337]

For the purposes of this thread, let's define EBR as a detachable magazine-fed semiautomatic rifle.
Anyway, we've all seen .308 EBRs of all shapes and sizes--PTRs, FALs, AR-10s, and so many others. But how come there's a relative farce of .30-06 sports-utility rifles? All I'm aware of is the M1A, and I think that one manufacturer made, for a limited time, a .30-06 AR-pattern rifle.
Aside from the M14/M1A, are there any other .30-06 EBRs? And how come big AR manufacturers that make ARs in many calibers, like Bushmaster or DPMS don't make .30-06 AR pattern rifles?

 

[CBS220]

Cobb Manufacturing, now owned by Bushmaster, makes the MCR in .30-06 (and .300 Wmag... and .338 Lapua Mag... and others).

EDIT: Sorry for the page stretch. Only good pic I can find in ten seconds of searching.

 

[TexasRifleman]

It's got a black plastic stock so it counts

 

[1KPerDay]

Aside from the M14/M1A, are there any other .30-06 EBRs?

The M-14/M1A is not .30-06. It's 7.62X51 (sorta the same thing as .308 Winchester)

 

[El Tejon]

How about the Garand, the Johnson 1941, or the Garands converted to accept BAR mags? They have wood stocks, but in their heart of hearts, they long to be evil, eeeeevvvviiiillllll.

 

[Z-Michigan]

The Cobb mentioned is by far the best bet for your criteria. I think CDNN was clearing some out - still close to $2k.

 

[H2O MAN]

M1 Garand in a SAGE M1 Garand chassis stock = .30-06 EBR

 

[Vaarok]

Would a BM-59 fit in a SAGE stock? Otherwise, my only suggestion beyond those lousy M1918 SLR BAR copies (sorry, they weigh ten pounds more than my DP-28 semiauto, cost twice as much, and hold half as many rounds), is that a M1941 Johnson Automatic Rifle parts kit "lower" actually can fit on a M1941 Johnson Rifle frame and semi-auto triggerpack.

 

[TexasRifleman]

my only suggestion beyond those lousy M1918 SLR BAR copies

Not sure why you think they are "lousy". I've got one of those as well as a "real" BAR and I shoot the SLR more often.

It's more accurate and more reliable than the real one.

As for it's weight, it's a historical replica so I'm not sure why you'd expect it to weigh any more or less than the original.

Anyone that would try to use it in an "assault weapon" role is a moron. That hardly makes the rifle lousy........

 

[Spinner]

So, back to the original question, "Why aren't there many 30.06 EBRs?"

Probably because the .308 cartridge (or 7.62NATO) has similar ballistics yet is a shorter overall length. The rifle's mechanism doesn't have to move so far to extract, eject and feed another 7.62NATO round and that means that the action can cycle faster, can be shorter, can be lighter, the mags can be smaller and lighter, etc, etc.

The 7.62NATO was basically designed to do what the 30.06 did but in a smaller package.

 

[publiuss]

What Spinner said.

 

[GarandOwner]

Not sure why you think they are "lousy". I've got one of those as well as a "real" BAR and I shoot the SLR more often.

The only thing lousy about the BAR replicas are their price

 

[Neo-Luddite]

But how come there's a relative farce of .30-06 sports-utility rifles?

Because for a paltry sum of <500 bucks a Garand is to be had for the asking.

True no box mag, but you get REALLY attached to the enbloc when you practice and find that you can function the weapon one handed and fast.

Short answer, there is no money in one; the winner would have to out perform the M-1 at a price point it could NEVER do so at. On the high end, a BAR fills a special niche.

When steak is on sale, no one opens a hamburger stand to compete.