I'm 18... thinking about a rifle.

[helz_mcfugly]

Im not a Mini-14 fan at all but I know a few farmers who carry them in their field trucks for hogs and snakes and other critters and Ive shot lots of them. accuracy is not a strong point on those, very reliable though. AK has the power and reliability, FAL even more power, AR has more accuracy and good reliability if you keep it clean. Ide go to one of the larger gunstores so you can hold them all and compair which one feels the best to you but keep the power, accuracy, reliability in mind. personally I would get an AR M4 and stick an Eotech on it. you would probably fall in love with it.

 

[tradja]

i won't be using the gun for hunting, it'll be more of a fun-gun, plinker, and AWB-insurance

i don't intend this to be a plinker

You had me until right up to there.

In any event, 5.45 is a military round. Sure, I wouldn't hunt with it, but do some searching here and at AR15.com on the terminal performance of this round. I, for one, was impressed.

As far as your requirements of fun, plinking, and AWB-insurance, a AK-74 variant would be worth looking into. The lack of domestic ammo and the persistent negative reviews surrounding the CAI Tantals (mostly the barrels) has kept me from getting one.

Of course, since November most rifles that are perceived as "banable" quickly became REALLY expensive. For reasons I don't understand, the 74-style rifles seem to have gone up less than ARs, 7.62 AKs, Saigas, and even SKSs, making 74's a relative bargain these days.

One other drawback is that it could be difficult to handle one in person. For example, that is how you found out that the ultra-popular AR platform might not be right for you.

Maybe you could go to a gun show and see which of the mag-fed semiautos appeals to you when you pick it up. It sounds like you have it narrowed down.

 

[TMM]

tradja: whoops. good catch on that. what i meant, but failed to properly convey, is that i don't want a gun ONLY for plinking. i mentioned that because of the smaller 5.45 ammo. .22 is good for plinking but not for, say, defense. .308 is good for both. that's what i was getting at.

in the upcoming days i'll visit two local gun stores, and i'll also look into gun shows to see if any are around at this time.

what i've started to think is that all of my choices have drawbacks, and there are people that both love and hate each one. i think what'll influence my choice is what is available and the price. and as someone said earlier, no one said i can't have just one!

tmm

 

[helz_mcfugly]

dude Ive been avoiding guns shows lately because there have been lines about 100 yards long just to get in, then its shoulder to shoulder in there. And God forbid you want to have a conversation with someone behind a table. they are crazy right now and I realy need to go to one soon because Im building an AR and are in need of some parts. Im not at all looking farword to it. I use to love going to gun shows before we got a anti-gunner in office.

 

[TMM]

hmm, good thought, thanks for the heads-up. i'll try to check out gun shops before i head to a gun show...

tmm

 

[beretta16]

get an m1a or and AK. i have both and they're very fun to play with and shoot. great guns

 

[TMM]

M1A is out of my price range.

I thought about an AK, but they just don't really call out to me. i'll probably get one some day, though.

the Mini's seem to be a bit expensive too, i'm going to a gunshop soon which hopefully will have one that i can at least handle.

i've started thinking about the SKS - $200 or so is a gift, and if the internal magazine bothers me, they do have removable ones... i've heard some problems with those though, reliability wise. can anybody verify that?

so many rifles, so little money.

tmm

 

[tradja]

An SKS is a great choice. I like shooting mine as-is. The 10-round internal mag is not a bad thing at all -- practice with stripper clips and it isn't really a drawback.

 

[RaferJanders]

When I was 18, I was a SAW gunner in the 1/75, I have a AK and a G3, and a Tricked out FAL, I love my FAL I had enterprize arms do it up, I had a post ban Franken FAL, I got rid of the thumbhole stock, Had the rifle and 7 20rd mags and one 30rd mag parked, and cut the barrle down to 16inches, and put a zero break flash hidder on, Man that thing is sweet! SKS is a great rifle, I have a russian with a chicom fixxed 20rd mag, Shoots like dream, good luck man, I would choose the FAL if I were you!

"Better to have a gun and not need it" "Than need one and not have one"

 

[Prince Yamato]

AWB-insurance.

Just a thought... if you're in CT, as you seem to have said, you have a state AWB to contend with, which would places 7.62x39 AKs, Colt-brand ARs, and a couple other guns out of your reach. Also, you cannot have a folding stock or bayonet lug...

If I read your location wrong, ignore the following,

 

[MatthewVanitas]

You mentioned at Garand at first, and then nobody's brought it up since, but I think that one's really worth considering.

There may or may not be some restrictions. Personally I'd put money on it not happening. However, if it does happen either your EBR will grow in value, it'll have no value because it'll be non-transferable except to your heirs (i.e. CA-style but with no "out of state" outlet), or it'll be confiscated. So if there's a ban you have a 1/3 chance of getting nothing, and if there's no ban prices will stay moderate, maybe drop a little when folks calm down, and then just climb with inflation.

However, if you buy an M1 Garand it will increase in value, since they aren't building WWII/Korea-era Garands anymore. You can also get several Garands for your budget from the Civilian Marksmanship program. Maybe get one beater (with an eye towards replacing the old barrel with a .308 barrel down the road) and one nicer one to stash.

30-06 isn't terribly cheap, but there is some surplus, and you can always reload (though you have to reload Garand-specific loads).

Now is a pretty bad time to buy an EBR, unless you're convinced that they'll be restricted this year. Prices are artificially high due to panic, but might come down nicely mid-year when folks start hitting financial trouble and see that closet full of AR-lowers as a source of emergency cash.

If you are dead-set on a .308 EBR, don't forget the PTR-91 copy of the G3. Supposedly as good as the HK original, and a fair bit cheaper than a DSA FAL, or was prior to the current panic.

 

[TMM]

i just checked out a nice gunshop the other day... they had one russian SKS for $445, which i though was too much. guy said it was high because the russian ones are the originals... he said to call later to see if they get another SKS shipment in.

i'm liking the SKS, i must say. i'll come in way underbudget, the ammo is plentiful, and i like how it felt when i held and aimed it.

i just saw a 20 round internal magazine on gunbroker for the SKS... didn't even know those existed! are those as reliable as the stock 10 rounders? i'd like the possible 20-round capability.

i've wanted a garand for a long time, and it is a possibility to get one. the gun and ammo is pricier, though, and the capacity is only 8 rounds. perhaps the next gun...

if i was made of money i'd probably already have bought a FAL. the gunshop i went to had two, but they were about $1200.

tmm

 

[Almond27]

TMM you can find Yugo SKS's for around $200 classic arms has them from time to time. Russians do command a higher premium, you could also find a Nice norinco aka Chinese SKS for around $275 seems to be around the going rate. You could also go the route of getting a stripped lower reciever and start an AR build. I'm 19 and want alot of different rifles and my mind changes on what I want everyday.

 

[tradja]

An SKS would be a great choice. IMHO, $445 is steep for a shooter (vs. a collector piece). +1 for the $200 Yugo. My Norinco has been great as well.

At $445, you might as well cough up the extra $150 and get a CMP Garand.

 

[Ignition Override]

TMM:
Although I'm a late-bloomer with all of this at age 53, my next suggestion, as stated by jpatterson, is to also have a Mosin Nagant for more distant targets. Many claim that accuracy at 200 yards+ is good with many of them.

All of my shooting is at floating fruit or a cottonmouth snake (they take long naps now) and can not describe actual accuracy.
If you can afford a Saiga or SKS for shorter distances and like the feel/looks of the MN 44 or 91/30 then this could be a nice combination. The best SKS, the Russian, lists for about $400 at some gunshows. But Yugos and Norincos should sell for much less, are quite popular.
The guys who know their various SKS types (the lifestyle) tend to be at "SKSboards" and for SKS and MNs etc, "Gunandgame".

Once you make your decision(s) and are certain, start buying ammo if not already-maybe ammo before you deal with a seller for the rifle. Even cheap imported x54R will gradually increase some more and could be banned one day by the ultra-wealthy 'limosine-liberals'.

Mini 14, 30, SKs and two MN 44s.

 

[TMM]

if i need to reach out and touch something far away, grampa has a bolt action .30-06, which i can use and will be willed to me...

in the coming days i'll be checking out the same gunshop for an SKS...

tmm

 

[twofifty]

TMM, those $1,200 FALs, what make were they?

iirc, there were 5rd stripper clips for the FN-FAL, even though it's a detachable mag rifle. Maybe someone here can confirm or disprove that.

 

[TMM]

guy told me, but i forgot. one had a thicker fore end that seemed plastic-like, and handled like a brick. the other had a thinner metal fore end and thinner, lighter reciever. felt nice. i think one was $1200 and the other was $1300... didn't pay much attention to the specifics because they were out of my price range, but i just held and aimed them. felt nice.

there is .308 that comes on strippers, so you can load magazines and, i suppose, certain guns with it. i don't know if FAL's take strippers, is the ejection port open far enough to the top to accept one?

tmm

 

[targshooter]

First semi-auto centerfire rifle

Back in the mid 1960s my first centerfire semi-auto was a Plainfield M1 Carbine. This was a reworked US issue M1Carbine. The cartridges were plentiful and easily obtained. In today's market I would buy a Ruger Mini-14.

 

[Deckard]

I have also always wanted a Garand, but i'm not sure if they are at as much of a threat as removable-magazine rifles.

There might be more than a few Germans, Japs, and Chinese that would take issue with that. The Garand is a legend for a reason. It can provide the firepower I need and save me from dropping two grand on an M1A.

 

[cliffy]

.223 Remington is a giant step up from .22 LR rimfire

YET, what is your intended usage? cliffy