Need some help finding a specific rifle...

[ddcronk]

What I'm looking for is a utterly reliable, semiauto, carbine length .308 that has or will accept 10rd or higher mags, and can be had for sub $600.

Pretty simple, but pickin's are pretty slim. I don't like the close-range ballistics on the .223, don't like the long-range ballistics on the 7.62x39, so .308 it is. Help me out, guys! Thanks,

Dan

 

[Skywarp]

All I can think of are the Saiga 308s

 

[Eightball]

All I can think of are the Saiga 308s

Yep.

 

[Plain Old Bill]

FAL....but try it out first to see if it runs. Some CAI builds are junk.

 

[Bottom Gun]

How about a Remington 742 or 7400 carbine with aftermarket magazines?

 

[rangerruck]

Saiga, hands down.

 

[rangerruck]

yeah a remmy would do, but they do not make mags more than 5 rounds for those, do they?

 

['Card]

Yeah, you can get 10-round mags for the Remington 7400's. The transparent plastic ones (made by Eagle) work well, in my experience. The metal ones less so.

As much as I love my 7400's (I have several of them) I feel obligated to mention that reliability can be a issue. I've found that if you give them a full, complete cleaning (inclding a full, complete disassembly) at least once a year, the 7400's can be rock solid - BUT (and this is a rather large BUT) they can be a major bitch to fully take down. It pretty much requires at least one special tool, a gunsmith's manual, and it's not for the faint of heart.

So all in all, with the criteria you listed, I'd probably suggest a Saiga as well. If you wanted to spend more money, I'd say FAL. If you wanted a .30-06, I'd say go for the 7400, but for a .308, I'd go with a Saiga.

 

[db_tanker]

Yeah...I think the FAL would be above the 600 dollar limit...you can get a standard barrel length and then send it off to the 'smith for the mods...but the FAL alone would probably run in the neighborhood of about 6 bills...


I say go with a Saiga...can't get much more reliable.


D

 

[Bottom Gun]

I bought my 742 Remington carbine used in 1980 and have shot the living daylights out of it since then.
I have never had a malfunction of any kind, nor have I ever taken it apart to clean it. I have only given it normal cleanings without taking anything apart.
It has been 100% reliable.

 

[rbernie]

Saiga is a good choice. The CETME would be another, if you get one with the proper bolt gap and an unground bolt face. I have two CAI CETME buillds that are (so far) utterly reliable. Moreover, alloy HK-made G3 mags for 'em can still be had for $2/each.

My most recent CETME was purchased NIB two weeks ago from MGS for $450 and so far it's dumped a couple of hundred rounds of Wolf 308 downrange in an utterly predictable fashion.

I bought my 742 Remington carbine used in 1980 and have shot the living daylights out of it since then.

The issue with the 742/7400 is that the only 10rd or larger mags are those plastic Eagle monstrosities.... Been there, done that, and won't waste my money on that again.

The Remmie is a fine hunting rifle, but (IMO) it's not well suited to use much beyond deer huntin'..

 

[ddcronk]

I've heard about the Century Arms FALs and CETMEs. Wasn't there a rumor about the poor reliability of the CAI receivers? Are there some good'uns and some bad'uns? Anybody have any info on those? Thanks,

Dan

 

[____hoot____]

If you are in a hurry, you have to make damned sure that those 742 mags go all the way home.

 

[MErl]

ddcronk, the CAI receivers are safe, they just are known for sometimes not working. they don't blow up or anything like that so no worries there. just that some work, some don't.

same for the cetmes. CAI won't put out an unsafe product as their insurance would go through the roof.