.308 Battle Rifle Poll

[spartanpride]

I don't know how to make a poll so this will have to work.

If you were to get a battle rifle chambered in .308, and you are looking for accuracy, reliability, and ease of finding spare parts etc., which one of these would you pick?

A) Quality HK 91 build
B) M1A
C) FAL
D) AR-10

All input is greatly appreciated!

 

[MCgunner]

None of the above.....Remington M40 Sniper Rifle....

 

[XD9GUY]

M1A any day (Match grade of course)

 

[Al LaVodka]

With THAT priority? M1A pretty clearly.
Al

 

[billfrombyron]

AR-10, but thats just me.

Parts are there and the cost is lower. Drastically so if you build your own.

-Bill

 

[DMK]

Saiga 308

 

[Geno]

I'd also have to say a bolt-action in .308 Win. (Remington M700, Winchester M70, even Weatherby Vanguard...lot's of options!)

Geno

 

[Big Bill]

M1A definately...

 

[sprice]

my choice is fal- but for the things you have posted ar-10 or better yet ar-10 with a gas piston

 

[desidog]

I have an M1A and a Saiga....yeah, the M1a is more accurate. However, in any type of fight in which i'm not connected to a unit, a chain of intel and fire support i'd take the Saiga. Why? Well, I wouldn't be on the offensive all by my lonesome. I'd be escaping and evading, and the Saiga is lighter.

Still, given said situation I'd prefer a semi auto .22lr: lighter gun, lighter ammo, and a whole lot quieter...

 

[Vicious-Peanut]

For accuracy? M1A.

For everything else? FAL.

 

[Mags]

AR-10

 

[fragout]

Reliability and accuracy = M1A across the board, and without hesitation. (Wood or synthetic)


11B

 

[surfinUSA]

FAL or its inch equivilent the L1A1.

 

[eddism]

Tactical Rifle built M852. USMC M40A1 spec. quarter-minute rifle.

 

[Hatterasguy]

FAL, its nickname is only "the right arm of the free world".

 

[spartanpride]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't the M852 a 168 grain bullet used IN the M40A1 that the military uses in competition only now because some guy behind a desk says hollow points cause "unnecessary suffering"?
Anyway thanks for all the replies folks!

 

[Greg Bell]

HK91.

1. This rifle was designed by engineers who were building on the experience of the Eastern Front of WWII. In other words, this rifle is bomb proof (considering the context, maybe even atomic bombproof). Battle rifles do not get any more durable.

2. Parts are dirt-cheap right now. Mags are even cheaper.

3. Accuracy. The HK91 and the FAL both have triggers that were designed to be dropped from aircraft--unfortunately that means it is very heavy and long. Fortunately, there are numerous gunsmiths who can fix this. With an appropriate trigger, the HK is about as accurate as a semi-auto .308 gets short of specialized guns.

 

[Z-Michigan]

HK91.
1. This rifle was designed by engineers who were building on the experience of the Eastern Front of WWII. In other words, this rifle is bomb proof (considering the context, maybe even atomic bombproof). Battle rifles do not get any more durable.

Eh, no. The HK91 roller-delay mechanism was designed by engineers who accidentally discovered that the roller-locking system on the MG42 wouldn't stay locked even without the gas piston activating it. Then they fled to fascist-tolerant Spain and turned it into the CETME, an oooooo-kkkk rifle that was adopted by something like two countries. Germany desperately wanted the FN-FAL and even bought some as G1's, but Belgium was still a little miffed about that whole Blitzkrieg and slaughter thing, so they wouldn't grant Germany a manufacturing license. German pride was enough to look elsewhere, and those engineers were allowed to come home and refine their oooo-kkkk CETME design into a slightly more ooo-kkk G3 design.

The G3/HK91 can be instantly disabled by the application, accidental or otherwise, of a fist sized rock to almost anywhere on the upper receiver. To me that isn't "bomb proof." The same really is not true of its major competition. And fine sand trips it up just like it trips up most rifles.

Spartanpride: I think a quality AR in .308 (AR-10, LAR-8, LR-308B, etc.) is likely to be the best match for what you want, especially in terms of accuracy and spare parts availability. For reliability I would look at the M1A or FAL, but the FAL isn't typically as accurate and the M1A requires fairly advanced gunsmithing skills as well as fairly expensive parts if anything breaks (which isn't all that common, fortunately).

 

[blitzen]

Given your sort of vague parameters. In this country, I'd opt for the M1A. Followed by a close second and not on your list and if not attached to at least a fireteam, a long range precision rifle.

 

[Heljac]

L1A1

 

[Jaws]

FAL/SLR for history alone.

 

[spartanpride]

Does the length of the barrel on the M1A affect accuracy at all? Because 22 inches seems a little long for a battle rifle, but it seems like 16 inches is a little too short on one. Do they even make a 18 or 20 inch long barrel in a M1A?
BTW, I wouldn't plan on shooting anything past 500 or 600 yards.
Thanks again for all the comments.

 

[Greg Bell]

Z,

I guess we will have to agree to disagree about the G3 being the most durable. However, I am pleased to note that no less an expert than Larry Vickers thinks the G3 is the most rugged of the above choices.

 

[Casefull]

AR 10 style. Firepower and accuracy plus less weight than the others.