What Battle Rifle Should I Get??

Which Battle Rifle Should I Get?

  • M-1 Garand, Aussie or beatup surplus

    Votes: 90 51.1%

  • FN-49 SAFN, good surplus

    Votes: 8 4.5%

  • Romak-3, good surplus

    Votes: 9 5.1%

  • CETME

    Votes: 18 10.2%

  • Something else

    Votes: 51 29.0%
  • Total voters
    176
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Cosmoline

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OK, I'm hat in hand now looking for advice. I've decided to save up for my next purchase and rather than getting my usual fare of Curio Mosins, I'm going to aim for a nice, tough and accurate semiautomatic battle rifle. The only one on the list I've owned before is the FN-49, which I liked a lot. The price range runs from $450 to $850, and sadly there's no way I can get one of the top end Garands, M-14's or M-1A's.

Cartridges are no problem for any of these choices.

So, what say you?
 
FAL - you can get a pretty nice one for the upper end of your price range.... DSA with custom finish? :cool:
 
“Other”
For that price range I’d look hard at a FAL. You can get a DSA STG for just a little more, or a kit put together by a good smith would make your budget.

Chuck
 
Cosmoline, I am/was in the same boat as you....
I still am saving for an M1 from CMP, and I keep telling my self it will be my Christmas present to my self.

So that's why I just bought one very very nice Norinco SKS and put a pristine Russian SKS on lay-a-way.... :rolleyes:

December is still 7 mo away....

Go for the M1
 
I voted other, get an AR. You can build a nice AR for $600, cheap to shoot, accurate, reliable, magazines are cheap, one heck of a rifle for $600. An FAL would be my second recommendation.
 
With the following assumptions: you need/want it to be C&R, still have the '49, and plan to buy additional rifles in the future, I'd vote Hakim. Less common than the Garand, which is likely to be avialable for a while. Short of .22, there is no cheaper ammo. It also scores high on the KFB (KA-FRICKIN-BOOM) factor. For 50 extra bucks, you can score 4x 25 round MG 13 mags in a cool carrier, and with a little fairly simple work you can mod them for your Hakim.
 
if you don't consider the SKS to be a worthy choice, I'd spring for the progeny of the FN49 - the FAL.
 
HRA Greek Service Grade M1 Garand via the CMP. $550+$20.95 shipped.

Or you could get two Field Grades for just under $850 shipped.
 
Since you mentioned battle rifle...

You've automatically ruled out an AK or AR, unless you're looking at an AR-10 or SR-25 in .308 Winchester.

I'd get the CMP M1 Garand. They won't always be available, and when the new Band of Brothers 2 - Pacific Theater comes out, you'll have your M1 ready to watch the DVD with you at home. :D
 
Forget the CETME. Get a PTR-91 from JLD Enterprises. It's a top quality, highly accurate HK 91 clone built on HK licensed tooling right here in the U.S. It will take G3 surplus parts, is very rugged, and is more accurate than anything on that list other than perhaps an M1 with a new, match grade barrel (it will still outshoot almost any CMP M1). Street price is around $700 brand new. http://www.jldenter.com/PTR-91 Rifle.html

Or, get it on the Group Buy for a VEPR. It's a Russian-built AK-47 variant built on the Soviet RPK machine gun receiver. Also very rugged and accurate, especially for an AK. It's available in 5.56 NATO and 7.62 Russian, so ammo is cheap and plentiful.
 
I'm going to aim for a nice, tough and accurate semiautomatic battle rifle.
Click to expand...
I've got a FAL and a Garand. The FAL was built by me and the Garand is a CMP that was professionally rebuilt with a .308 barrel. Both are rock solid and reliable.

The Garand has better sights, is a little tighter and with the new barrel is more accurate. The Garands have a lot more potential to be tack drivers, but only with iron sights.

The FAL is a little looser, has a chrome lined barrel and I have a crate of $4 twenty round mags. It's like the AK of battle rifles.
 
Ping?

I understand the love and effection of the Garand and have lusted for a really pristine example myself. However, I don't think George Patton himself, who made the famous quote, would look to the latest advancements in today's firearm marketplace and makethe choice that would give the greates bang for buck for soldiers.

In addition, since you said you wanted a "Battle Rifle" not a "Battle Carbine", the .223 AR and the 7.62X39 guns are not on the list, even though they a re excellent, excellent platforms, they DO NOT fit the defenition of "Battle Rifle".

So your left with only a few choices as I see it. YEs, Hakims, Ljungmans, FN49s, etc are all great C&R rifles, but they are outdated and parts are VERY hard to find.

Therefore: Drumroll please>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You are left with:

M1A, FAL, .308 AR PLatform, PTR-91, CETME, VEPR or Saiga Rifle

Any of those f6 are awesome weapons, if you choose a choice example and ay the price, but only a couple fit in your budget:

An FAL will require a liitle more savings, but has many pluses, including $5-7.00 mags
A Polytech or Norinco M1A fits the bill, but some have a problem with Chinese clones. I own one and it shoots great and has had noproblems (Polytech).

PTR-91: This looks like a great choice but I have no personal experience.

VEPR: Now we are talking. AK reliable, super fun and relatively fairly priced.

Cheapest, yet reliable: The Saiga rifle (previously imported by EEA) is a fantastic .308 battle rifle at an unbelievable price. KY Importers has them for < $300.00 and 20 round mags are coming this summer....best kept secret in America. Have had three different examples including both the 22" and 16-18" barrels. Boith are excellent!

Hope that helps....
 
I must admit the one thing that's kept me from Garands in the past, apart from the high sticker price, is what I understand about the limited ammo you can use in them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it difficult to use a Garand with heavy (200 or 220 gr) bullets or +p light magnum loads?

Also, yes this is just battle rifles. So the AK's and SKS's are out. I need something with bear killing power.
 
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