Quality of the PTR-91

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I am in the market for another .308 and have been going back and forth between the Sig 716 Patrol and the PTR-91. I've also been looking at the FAL from DSA, which rivals the 716 in cost. There's a lot going for the 716 and FAL, but they're quite expensive and my budget isn't what it used to be. The PTR-91 is more in line with what I can afford right now, and while the reviews seem generally good, there's not enough data for me to plunk down $1000 for one yet.

I do have a lot of experience with other .308 platforms, mostly the M14, and I did shoot the HK33 as part of the military exchange event when I was doing FMS in the Navy some years ago. I have not shot the PTR-91, but the action and design are very similar to the HK33 which I have some familiarity with.

Any advice from the THR Faithful? Is the PTR-91 a good buy or should I save up longer for a 716 or DSA FAL?
 
personally i would prefer a ar10 style overa fal or ptr91. have you looked into the dpms lr308?
 
personally i would prefer a ar10 style overa fal or ptr91. have you looked into the dpms lr308?
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I certainly don't want to start a firestorm over this (please, no flaming :) ), but I am not a fan of DI-AR's. I've had so-so luck with them and would prefer piston actions or rollerblock.
 
I must admit to not know a ton about the PTR but it seems to me that there have been a number of changes over time regarding parts and materials used. That makes it difficult to read reviews and know how they will translate to current production guns. All in all though the vast majority of what i've read has been positive. I'd rather have a 716 though.
 
I'd go for the AR-10, but then again I'm a reloader. Anyone who has ever tried to resize brass that has been shot out of a gun with fluted chambers knows what I mean.
 
Good reliable rifle, length of pull is a bit short (as are all 91's), recoil is high for a 7.62mm, cases are deformed but can be reloaded, highly reliable, acceptable but not stellar egronomics, etc. All of the strengths and vices of the HK family are present. Quality is fine for a basic battle rifle. If they are at your budget point, you could do a lot worse. Is an original HK "better"? Probably "not really". They are what they are: A sheet metal rifle designed to be as cheap to produce as is possible. They always seem to work.


I'm a real fan of the HK-33, and it's civil analog the HK93. In a 7.62 the FAL is more of my choice. I've no experience with the Sig, or AR-10's newer than the original Armalite ones with the cocking ring under the handle (which are lovely rifles, albeit exceedingly rare and one of which I am fortunate enough to own) so cannot offer opinion.


For a working rifle the PTR will do the job with certainty.


Willie

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For what it's worth, I love my PTR91! If someone hadn't experience with either the PTR91 or the FAL, I'd say that the FAL gets the edge based upon particulars--nicer to brass, slightly less recoil, etc.--but in function, they're honest competitors. Mine struggled with one brand of lightly-powered ammo, but has otherwise been flawless. I prefer the PTR91 and FAL to the AR10. I cannot speak to the 716, as that seems to be a "whole other thing."
 
All great input, team, thanks! Looks like the PTR-91 is a good buy, but I will have to think about the ergonomics for a bit. It took me a long time to adjust to the LOP on my Sig 551A1, to which I finally had to add a spacer to get it to fit right. Looks a little funky when folded, but it shoots better for me since I have long arms. If I go with the PTR-91, I may need to do the same, but I could cross that bridge if need be.

I don't reload (yet), but I may have to soon since ammo is still damn hard to find and expensive. I thought about reloading a few years ago when the ammo crunch hit, but I just stopped shooting for myself and took on more CCW students instead. Also, there's only one range in my area that allows firearms of this caliber and it's a pain to get to (most are pistol-caliber only), so I don't know how much I will be shooting while the ammo crunch is still going on. May need to think about the brass issue with the PTR a bit more, too.
 
Willie summed it up well: a cheap rifle of stampings that works. I have had excellent service with a variety of pre-ban HK products, but have come to prefer the M1A platform. The PTR's I have examined were decent, but one I ran a few mags through had reliability issues. Never had that problem with original HK firearms, and yes, I have reloaded quite a few rounds from rifles using port buffers.
Willie: remember Cooper's 91-A3? I saw it last time I was there. I am guessing that he approved, and I suspect it is the same one pictured in The Art of the Rifle.
 
Ptr-91

I own both the GI model and several FALs.

Love them all. They are different rifles. While the FAL seems to recoil less, due to the gas system, I don't have any problem with the 91's recoil. And neither should you.

My GI has been extremely reliable. Some other/earlier models deviated from the original specs in terms of the depth and number of the chamber flutes; however, the GI models are correct.

And man, are mags cheap !
 
Why not consider an M1A or an AK based rifle? I personally find the M1A or Saiga .308 pretty hard to beat when it comes to battle rifle awesomeness. Both are gas op, plenty accurate and have good track records.
 
I already own a M1 SOCOM. Really like it, but I wanted to get a different .308 to add to the collection. Eventually, I will give one of these to my oldest son when he graduates from Ole Miss in a few years. In another seven years, my youngest son will graduate from college, and I will do the same for him. I guess I could get another M1, but I wanted to get some variety in the mix.
 
"Willie: remember Cooper's 91-A3? I saw it last time I was there. I am guessing that he approved, and I suspect it is the same one pictured in The Art of the Rifle"


Absolutely. The Colonel always approved of Teutonic Efficiency... however that stock on the G3 platform never made sense to me at all. Kicked the crap outta my face every time. But in a semi auto he thought it grand. Easy to carry on the 4 wheeler.


I'm a fan of a SBR built from a C93 Pistol and a sliding HK stock. It's at the top of my list of fun things to shoot. The HK91 was my first battle rifle other than a Garand, and while having a soft spot for the design as a classic, it would be a low echelon choice for ergos. Funny that I think very highly of the HK93 and less so of the 91. Something nice about those 40 round mags... :D


I loaded 1000's of rounds of brass shot thru my 91's both with and without port buffers. The brass looks like dog-doo, but sizes and shoots just fine (dent from not using a buffer and all). Just.. ugly. But works fine.


In any event, there's nothing wrong with the current crop of HK clones. Shoot 'em and enjoy.



Willie


.
 
There are a couple of modifications you may wish to have done. One is the installation of the paddle magazine release, the other a trigger job. And don't forget a port buffer. Maybe install a heavy HK buffer in your stock, or one of the substitutes.

These will all make your experience much more enjoyable, but they do add to the price of the rifle.
 
Since we aren't talking lightweight rifles, the FNAR may be worth considering, you can sure find one in your budget last time I checked.

I owned the SXAR (a Winchester-branded FNAR) which I'd hope to do some hunting with, weight was the only reason I sold it, fantastic shooter though.
 
There are a couple of modifications you may wish to have done. One is the installation of the paddle magazine release, the other a trigger job. And don't forget a port buffer. Maybe install a heavy HK buffer in your stock, or one of the substitutes.

These will all make your experience much more enjoyable, but they do add to the price of the rifle
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Thanks, I will factor that in. I am a bit finicky about triggers, but I do expect a lack of crispness in MBR designs. I'll get a feel for it first and then go from there. As for buffers, I may see how stout the recoil is. I ran some 3" slugs in my Nova pump last week and started to get annoyed with it, so I may be getting picky about recoil. Blaming it on age... :)

Since we aren't talking lightweight rifles, the FNAR may be worth considering, you can sure find one in your budget last time I checked.
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I'll look into that, too. I do like a MBR or AR look, but the FNAR is a good shooter from what I've heard.
 
You could buy a cetme. There the same platform as the ptr. Parts are interchangeable between an hk 91. You can get a cetme for around 700.
 
You could buy a cetme. There the same platform as the ptr. Parts are interchangeable between an hk 91. You can get a cetme for around 700.
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Thanks, but the only problem with CETME is the inconsistent quality of the Century receivers. Some have had good luck, some have had bad. Not trying to throw CAI under the bus, but I would want reasonable confidence that the receivers and construction were reliable and high quality.
 
One thing I forgot to mention about the FNAR is a field strip is not for the faint of heart. Then again, it doesn't need to stripped very often. There are YouTube videos contrasting a FNAR versus SCAR field strip; the difference is considerable.
 
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