Inexpensive

[vsse]

What is the best semi-auto rifle I can get for a good price, excluding the CMP order for the M-1 Garand?

 

[cdbeaver]

Ruger 10/22.

 

[KW]

Depends on what you want to do with the rifle, and your definition of a "good" price.

 

[vsse]

For home self-defense, a good price for me is $300-$700

 

[Tag]

FAL?

SKS

there are lot's of cool semi-autos out there...



I'll take





for my money CMP looks the best... then once you shoot out the barrel send it off for a full restoration. I may have to do this

 

[MiniZ]

At the upper end of your price range you can get an AR180B, A used(maybe even new) AR15. The SKS and the Romanian AK variants will hit the lower end of your spectrum(SKS is even below), and there are more expensive AKs that still fall under your price ceiling.

Do you have a caliber preference?

 

[vsse]

light, yet fairly powerful

 

[KW]

Here's an article that makes a good argument for the AR-15.

http://groups.msn.com/TheMarylandAR15ShootersSite/whyanar15.msnw

 

[hillbilly]

Two surplus houses, Aim Surplus and Centerfire Systems, both had SKS rifles for less than $90 recently.

hillbilly

 

[vsse]

do any of the rifles come with a free magazine?

 

[KW]

Just about any rifle will come with at least one mag, but usually only a 10 rd. Full capacity AK mags (30rd) are $6-8 I think, and AR 30rd USGI mags usually run about $20.

 

[goon]

A stamped AK goes about 9 pounds loaded.
30 rounds about as fast as you can lay them out there.
It has PLENTY of power for up close work.

 

[762x51]

Another AK vote here. SAR-1 if you want to go cheap, AK-USA AK-103 or SA-M7 if you don't.

 

[GW]

Where are you located?
The state you're in may have laws that will limit what you can legally purchase.
If you have laws like California, you can't buy anything with AR or AK in it, which pretty much limits you to the Mini-14 or 30, The SKS or the M1A.

 

[JShirley]

"Best" is pretty subjective.

One good, legal anywhere in US, choice would be an IAI M1 carbine. Well within your price range, controllable, easy-handling, with cheap mags. Debates may ensure re "stopping power".

 

[vsse]

Oh man, I DO live in CAlifornia.

 

[c_yeager]

If you shop around you can build a quality AR15 for under six hundred (five if you get lucky).

wait

Oh man, I DO live in CAlifornia

sorry.


There are a couple of companies that are circumsizing yugo SKS's for california import. They are pretty good rifles that load with stripper clips. Not QUITE as fast as a mag fed but not by much. And they are plenty combat accurate and run under $200.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

There are some new stripper clip FALs around now too...

Sorry to hear you are in Cali.

 

[railroader]

vsse, when you say for home defense I think something like an sks or a mini 14 is overkill in a house or an apartment. With full metal jacket ammo the bullet is likely to leave you dwelling and wind up who knows where. One other thing as sks's go the yugo's that are selling are the biggest and the heaviest of sks's. If you look around you can find chinese sk's for around $200 and they aren't as big and bulky Here's a pic of one I almost sold foolishly a while back. Mark

 

[Stonewall]

For home defense you cannnot beat a 12gauge Shotgun. You have a wide assortment of ammo. ( I use No.4 Buckshot), and barrels. Just the sound of someone racking the slide will scare away most intruders.
You can get a Mossberg 500 very cheap.

 

[iamkris]

You're willing to spend $700 on a rifle and worrying about a free magazine???

Second the emotion for a shotgun for home defense. Do some research on best loads. Birdshot = no. #1 buck is the best I've seen from # of pellets + velocity + penetration + lower risk of overpenetration of typical drywall. A rifle is sub-optimal for most of us for HD outside of military or in rural settings.

 

[vsse]

Two questions.......

1) Is the FN FAL legal in Calif.

2) Can anybody recommend any rather small, yet effective rifles for me?

 

[yayarx7]

I do not know if they are Cali legal but maybe A pistol round chambered long gun is what you need.

I was thinking aln the lines of the Kel-Tecs,

Maybe a Ruger.

perhaps the new fella from italy

Just a thought

 

[yayarx7]

BTW the Fal that is cali legal is a bit modified with a fixed magazine and a large portion of the top cut out for the use of stripper clips

 

[yayarx7]

Does anyone one know if the SU-16 is cali legal?