What Battle Rifle Should I Get??

[Cosmoline]

NONE of the weapons you are mentioning are designed for use with heavy bullets. not one. some may work and if you hand load you might be able to create a load thatwill work, but why?

My understanding was that the adjustable gas system on the SAFN and FN-FAL was specifically designed to cope with bullets of varying weights. In the case of the SAFN, it can be adusted to cope with grenades in single-shot mode. What else is the purpose of this system?

 

[Ivy Mike]

There really is no choice

You could go easy and pick the Dragunov-type rifles.
Cheap and rugged. Corrosive leftovers aren't that hard to clean out. I'd go this route although a CETME would be my other choice.

OR

You could find a Saiga in .308 and modify it with tactical goodies of your choosing. The only drawback I see is the proprietary mag. I've heard getting them isn't exactly easy either. Stock up when you can.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

IMHO, there are only two choices...

1. FN FAL- Light and powerful
2. SOCOM 16- Light and powerful
FN FAL wins however ! It was in ,"Heat", after all!!

If I want a battle rifle, I want one that doesn't need to be reloaded before I reach 20 shots and will accept optics !

 

[seeker_two]

Any Lee-Enfields or .303 Martini-Henry's available to you?...

 

[GunGoBoom]

Assming that a policitally-correct-looking one is not an important criterion for you

I'd say

High Budget, ideally ===> AR10 type, like a Bushy

OR either one of:

Medium Budget ===> Good FAL like a DSA, or PTR91
Low Budget ===> Saiga AK .308 (or possibly a CETME)

If you want more political correctness for some reason, such as if you live in a Commie state, and need all the help you can get vis-a-vis law enforcement, then Garand or M14 type is the way to go.

 

[Fatelvis]

Garand.

 

[Ala Dan]

ar-15a3

 

[Cosmoline]

I've been looking into more FAL-type rifles, and while I admire their construction and toughness, I HATE their ergonomics. They're like heavy slabs of steel--no balance and a stock that I believe was developed to torture the neck muscles. Maybe there's some aftermarket parts that can tame the beast, but frankly the old wood and iron SAFN is a whole lot nicer to hoist and fire.

The Garands have two serious strikes against them. 1) very limited ammo choices that prevent the use of the .30'06 to anything like its full potential and 2) VERY high cost locally. The used and new Garands at the stores around Anchorage run from $600 to $1,200. There are no CMP programs in town apart from some high school teams, and I'm a bit old for that.

I'm going to continue my quest. Those Saiga .308's sound interesting. When I first saw them I assumed they were low quality, but it appears I was wrong about that.

 

[Cosmoline]

"ar-15a3"

Isn't that just a gopher gun?

 

[rbernie]

Not in .50 Beowolf or .458 SOCOM or even 6.8SPC guise, it's not. The 6.8SPC sounds like an interesting possibility, if you're happier with the AR ergonomics than you are with the FAL...

 

[Cosmoline]

Those are interesting, but way out of my price range.

 

[TheDutchman]

A Fn FNC was in Heat.

 

[ocabj]

VERY high cost locally. The used and new Garands at the stores around Anchorage run from $600 to $1,200. There are no CMP programs in town apart from some high school teams, and I'm a bit old for that.

You don't need a CMP program in your area. Aside from proof of citizenship and age, you can use your C&R for the "firearms activity" requirement, and then get a membership in the Garand Collectors Association for $25/yr to satisfy the CMP affiliation requirement.

 

[MudPuppy]

Yeah, the cop used an FNC--but one of the bad guys used a fal. For sure at the drive in and maybe to kill the armored car guys?

I like the CETME--had the safety though. It is "backwards", but correct on the G3. (wonder if i could cheaply swap that out?)

 

[mattw]

used Springfield Armory M1A

 

[Cosmoline]

I think I'm just too picky for a battle rifle. The bolt actions have completely spoiled me.

 

[Risasi]

A Fn FNC was in Heat.

Yeah Pacino used it during the bank robbery scene.

But Sizemore's character used a FAL during the initial armored car robbery.

----------

Cosmoline, I voted M1.

But I see you have an availability problem. If that's the case I'd go with a Saiga, 16" barrel.

 

[rbernie]

I think I'm just too picky for a battle rifle.

Or too frugal. Let's face it - to get a decent high-powered semiauto rifle simply costs a lot more than a comparable-quality bolt-action.

Personally, I think that you REALLY want a Savage 99 in 358 and just don't know it yet. You can't find anything this side of a No4Mk1/No5 that'll cycle faster, hit harder, and be mo' reliable in the muck.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

FN FAL The single best battle rifle ever divised

+1
Mine's an SAR-48. Probably pricey now if you could find one. But nowadays, I wouldn't hesitate to get one of those DSA SA-58s.

 

[LiquidTension]

I voted for "other." My first thought was either M1 or FAL, but you've knocked the M1 out of the running and the FAL isn't looking real good due to ergonomics. There are several aftermarket stocks available for the FAL. I have the SAW style from Tapco on mine and I like it. The fold up shoulder thingy doesn't really see any use, but the hand cutout does and the shape of the stock is a bit different from the standard. It's more comfortable for me than the original.

My FAL is built from an STG kit on an Imbel receiver. As common as FALs are, it always gets some interesting looks from people at the range that just have those pansy bolt guns Somebody made a comment about ammo availability getting better, but I haven't seen it. Last I checked, AIM had the best deal on ammo, 980 rds for $164 delivered to my door in SC. I haven't seen any Hirt ammo in ages, and the other usual suppliers seem to be trying to unload that Indian garbage. Of course, I've been hanging out in a tropical paradise for the past few weeks so there's no telling what's changed in my absence....