Looking for a .308 "battle" rifle

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zooski22

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so im sure this has probably been discussed but I've been doing some research and am wondering what you guys think because i have about zero experience with any of them. I have narrowed my choices down to 4 choices.

#1 DS Arms Fal

#2 Springfield M1a loaded

#3 PTR 91

#4 AR-10 or some variety of .308 AR

Please share your experiences with these firearms. From the research I've done so far they all sound like fine rifles. I'm gonna try to get my hands on them at my local shops and see what I like but with a potential $1500 investment the more input the better. Thanks
 
ive owned the ptr and a loaded m1a.....

i like the m1a, BUT i think the socom deserves a look....i shouldered one yesterday and was impressed....handy as hell....but havent shot it yet

the ptr will mess up your brass and the recoil was a little harder on it, not that it was awful. a plus on the ptr is the mags are under 5 bucks a pop.

a lot of people love the fal but ive never even held one.

and AR's are great but IMHO as a MBR i want the one that can get the dirtiest before needing cleaning......(not starting a war here)
 
I changed the title because there is no such thing as "best". Period. Exclamation mark.

There are many good ones, and some are indeed better than others. But "best" is purely in the eye of the beholder. Purely emotion-based opinion.

I once had an M1A Match target; I put maybe a couple of hundred rounds through it. Never particularly was all that excited about, but it worked just fine. Sold it.

Otherwise, had an HK91. Didn't like the trigger, I guess was my main gripe. But, I don't guess that would be a big deal in a defense situation. Lousy for paper-punching and hunting. After I shot all the 8¢ ammo that came with it, I sold it. :)

The majority of Internet comments about high-end AR-10 rifles are generally quite positive.
 
zooski22 said:
i have about zero experience with any of them
Click to expand...

you should at least try to pick them all up and get a feel for the ergos to your body before purchasing. i feel whatever is most comfortable to your body is what youll perform best with moreso than what a spec sheet says it can do.
 
People seem to like the Larue OBR.

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I trained on the M16 and M14 in the Army. I preferred the M14. So, my vote is for the Springfield.
 
GREAT point about handling something before you buy it. Where I live gun stores are few and far between and you are lucky to see an 870 on the shelf nevermind any of these great rifles.

I just did the research and decided on a DSA SA58 FAL. There is no do-it-all tool that works well. Even the great Leatherman, which no survival pack should be without, is pretty mediocre at best when viewed on a tool by tool basis.

I narrowed it down to a semi-auto, and then to .308 (mainly b/c I already have an AR-15)

Here's what went into my decision:

1. Reliability - the FAL seemed a clear winner over the AR10 in terms of taking outright abuse if you were to actually spend months in the field.
2. Ease of maintenance- FAL looks easier than the AR10
3. price/availability of parts on the FAL worldwide looks promising for at least the next 100 years
4. I like the adjustable gas system for use of crappy ammo if necessary.

FAL loses points for accuracy potential of the platform vs. an AR10, not really a consideration for me because there is no range here where you can shoot farther than 300 yards and from what I'm learning neither is really a contender for shooting matches vs. a bolt action.

What did I miss? Besides subjective things like looks...
 
I would definitly love to shoot even hold all 4 at the same time and see what fits me but its highly unlikely that that will happen. I am confident with my abilities on an AR platform so maybe thats something for me to look at. The LaRue is definitly out of my price range i am merely asking for your experiences with the rifles posted above.
 
I'll change things up tha fn ar.
As I understand the action is very similar to a bar
 
The big decision is all going to come down to what you are looking for in a rifle, what is important to you, and what you can afford.

All of these rifles have strengths and weaknesses. None of them are perfect.

If you haven't read it already, "Boston's Gun Bible 2d Ed." has a fairly good breakdown of the "Big 4". It isn't complete by any means as it was published before PTR's were on the scene. As with all gun writers, take it with a grain of salt......or the entire salt shaker.
 
.308 ar

I bought an R-25 for $1299 and I love it. My buddy bought a .308 POF for $2500+ and he is having fun, but it is the only gun he will ever buy again.
 
zooski22 wrote:
what kind of accuracy can i expectout of the ptr
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Very good accuracy. What had been a 4MOA rifle using 4MOA surplus ammo will turn out 1.5MOA scoped with reloads if I do my part behind the trigger.

Make sure that the G3 rifle is for you though. The ergonomics are way different than anything out there. They have a purpose, but you have to learn to operate it as it was meant to be operated. It is made of steel and can't be bent to conform to the way one would handle an AR.
 
outright abuse if you were to actually spend months in the field. 2. Ease of maintenance- FAL looks easier than the AR10
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(Bold) Is this a realistic possibility for you? Months in the field with no maintenance whatsoever?

(the rest) I dunno about that, I've never taken down a FAL but the AR platform is extremely easy to maintain, any part that needs replacing short of the entire front end can be switched out very quickly and easily.

I don't think the various AR-based rifles get nearly the credit they deserve for ruggedness. And they can outclass just about any other choice in accuracy, especially if they are built up to be a dedicated long-range gun.
 
i had a fal & didn't care for it at all. i have 2 m1a's one 22" ss loaded & a 18" bush rifle. they both fuction perfectly, but the 18" bush is a hair more accurate. imo if you only have one m1a then go 18" best compromise of the three. the 18" m1a is now called the scout/squad, and it uses all regular m1a/m14 standard parts, the socom uses a few modified parts in the gas system. i do think the socom is a good rifle i may even buy one some day. i just think if you go 18" you will have all the parts combatable with usgi specs and will have several manufactures to chose from. the 7.62 nato round is a great round and no matter which one you chose im sure you will enjoy it.
 
jeepguy: Is your M1a Bush as heavy as the current Springfield M1a Squad?
 
Planning on going into battle?

George Washington went into battle leading men armed with muskets.

WW II vets went into battle with M1 Garands. The other guys were carrying bolt action rifles in most cases.

A modern battle rifle will have full auto capability.

My point is that (1) ANY rifle can be used for fighting. (2) Your options are limited unless you live where automatic rifles are legal and you can afford one. (3) Nobody can tell you what gun you will like best.

I am not a soldier. If there is chaos and fighting in the streets I have no intention of grabbing a black rifle and running out into the middle of it looking for targets to engage. My stance would be defensive, with a shotgun being a good first choice. If I felt the need to shoot at someone not coming in the door at me then I would prefer a powerful rifle with a good scope so I could shoot him from so far away he would never know what happened.

But really, this whole topic (which occurs daily on these forums) is largely fantasy. Buy an AK or an AR and stand ready for the zombies or the revolution or whatever.
 
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