I've been looking at getting a battle rifle, and am stuggling to decide on what to get. I'm on a budget, preferable not much more than $500. I don't need an uber-survival weapon, just something fun to shoot and relatively accurate.
Locally, I can have my choice of a CETME (with many to choose from, so I can watch for pitfalls) for $320 with plastic furniture; a century arms L1A1 for $450 (looks complete, but uses inch pattern mags); an STG 58 built on a entreprise arms receiver (see my other thread) for $499, but can probably talk down $25 or $50; or a saiga .308 with a 20 inch barrel for $275.
Finally, I can get a CMP garand for $500, plus shipping.
I'm fairly handy with tools and guns, I think I could diagnose and fix/get repaired any problems with a CETME. I know what to expect for the price. (I figure I coudl just buy an HK91 for $2K and get a great rifle, no problems and accurate. Or I could buy 6 CETMEs for $320 each, and probably get 3 lemons, 2 decent, but not spectacular rifles, and one pretty good one. This would indicate an efficient market). I'm leary about the Century Fal, especially one in inch pattern, due to magazine incompatibility with metric mags. The enterprise arms STG 58 seems like the best bet, except for unknowns about who built it and what to expect. The saiga is new, and no problems there, except for relative comparability to the other models. Though it's not a battle rifle, the price is right and it seems like it'd be fun to shoot. I'm concerned about the Soviet-style sights and reports of inaccuracy, due to design limitations of the AK action.
The garand seems a good choice, too, and I might just wait and pick one of these up in a few months, regardless. I think I'd prefer a detachable magazine, but the en bloc clip doesn't phase me.
Please, enlighten me!!!!
-John
Locally, I can have my choice of a CETME (with many to choose from, so I can watch for pitfalls) for $320 with plastic furniture; a century arms L1A1 for $450 (looks complete, but uses inch pattern mags); an STG 58 built on a entreprise arms receiver (see my other thread) for $499, but can probably talk down $25 or $50; or a saiga .308 with a 20 inch barrel for $275.
Finally, I can get a CMP garand for $500, plus shipping.
I'm fairly handy with tools and guns, I think I could diagnose and fix/get repaired any problems with a CETME. I know what to expect for the price. (I figure I coudl just buy an HK91 for $2K and get a great rifle, no problems and accurate. Or I could buy 6 CETMEs for $320 each, and probably get 3 lemons, 2 decent, but not spectacular rifles, and one pretty good one. This would indicate an efficient market). I'm leary about the Century Fal, especially one in inch pattern, due to magazine incompatibility with metric mags. The enterprise arms STG 58 seems like the best bet, except for unknowns about who built it and what to expect. The saiga is new, and no problems there, except for relative comparability to the other models. Though it's not a battle rifle, the price is right and it seems like it'd be fun to shoot. I'm concerned about the Soviet-style sights and reports of inaccuracy, due to design limitations of the AK action.
The garand seems a good choice, too, and I might just wait and pick one of these up in a few months, regardless. I think I'd prefer a detachable magazine, but the en bloc clip doesn't phase me.
Please, enlighten me!!!!
-John
