Which rifle survey...with a twist. ;-)

[OpelBlitz]

Lighten up Francis...

LOL! For some reason, that was the highlight of my day from reading THR today.

If not allowed to take an AR, I really don't know what I'd take chambered in 5.56 to combat. My only experience and knowledge of the cartridge has been with shooting the AR I used to own. And though I don't have a lot against it, I don't prefer 5.56. Any answer I'd give is a pure guess on what I'd want. I suppose I'd say SCAR.

 

[Red Tornado]

Mmm......M249?
RT

 

[Girodin]

As to my support of the 2A, please do not presume to know anything about me, who I am or what I support. And as a History major I know full well what roll firearms have or have not played in shaping, not only our country but the world as well. You may believe as you like, but few things are as important to me as our RKBA. So ya'll have fun playing pretend Army. I will leave you to it. I will not return to this thread.

I didn't actually presume to know anything about where you stand. If my comments could be read to do that they could only be reasonably read to have presumed you did support RKBA. I mere pointed out that it is seemingly incongruous to support the second amendment and then assert that talking about guns as combat arms in the hands of civilians doesn't isn't related to the promotion of responsible gun ownership. In fact it is very arguably the essence of the 2nd amendment. To talk about the unlikelihood of that use in terms that suggest it isn't, or to suggest that this is an improper subject, or to dismissively calling it playing army is to take line straight from the antis (although I do not suggest that is your intent per se). It also, as I pointed out earlier, is to willfully ignore the benefits of it as a thought exercise about firearms.

 

[kayak-man]

I'd prefer a 308. But if I can't use that, I guess I'd go with an SA80. It looks like a short compact, gun. Less chance of it getting snagged up on something.

Ut would be interesting to see what the results would be if you opened up the caliber choice...

Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson

 

[Coal Dragger]

The troops don't get to pick their own rifles, so this thread might as well be about zombies or TEOTWAWKI.

 

[Skyshot]

Mini-14 581 series, simply because I own one, and it runs flawlessly

 

[bikerdoc]

Combat! Sounds all macho and testosterone laden.

Reality is I have seen some. It is terifiying, the noise, the smells, the confusion, the fear. I was hot, tired, thirsty, and scared. Figured it was my end time because some little dude in black pajamas with an old Mosin could see me and I could not see him. Or maybe it was an old M 1, carbine. An NVA with an AK, Whatever, it is not the weapon it is the shooter.
Be good with what you have. If some one else's 100% is better than yours you will die.
As for combat try to avoid it, it is hazardous to your health.

 

[speaksoftly]

Ut would be interesting to see what the results would be if you opened up the caliber choice...

I agree. Strike the caliber restrictions. I'm thinking that a Tikka T3 Battue in .308 would be a fun choice. Like someone said earlier, one hit is worth more than 20 misses.

 

[d2wing]

I said AR because I don't think there is a good alternative in a battle proven rifle in 5.56.
A piston added on is a uneeded weight and complication and seems to degrade accuracy in many cases. Bull pups, I don't like.

 

[JWJacobVT]

If it has to be in 556 than the H&K 93, I would prefer my H&K 91.

 

[henschman]

OK, I'll play...

If I am going with a 5.56, I guess it would mean that my stockpile of 7.62x51 is all out and I haven't killed any machine gunners in a while.

But I do believe in having a 5.56 for backup, if only to have something set up all like I like it that uses the police and military's main cartridge. In my lineup that is an AR, just for parts commonality and the ability to customize it to my liking, but I'll play by your rules...

I would want something pretty light weight, but I like a long barrel for increased max effective range and ballistic effectiveness with the little .22 cal projectile. I think 20" is pretty much ideal, but I would sport an 18" if I had to. I would also want a 1/7 twist rate, so I could use the heavier bullets that are effective at longer ranges... my strategy in a "combat" situation would be to stay out of the enemy's max effective range but keep them within mine, if at all possible. I would also want a chrome-lined bore, for increased reliability and ease of cleaning.

About the only thing I see that fits the bill is an FN SCAR 16 LB. It weighs a trim 7.74 lbs., and it has an 18" 1/7 twist chrome lined barrel. Top her off with a TA-11 ACOG, a surefire light, about 15 p-mags, and a GI M-14 sling. They already come with KAC's excellent folding iron sights, which are a must-have.

Hmm, I like it almost as much as my ideal AR setup... except for the fact that if something breaks on that FN, it will be damn near impossible to find parts if things have deteriorated so badly that we are in the middle of a shooting war in the continental U.S.

If you really have somebody who has offered to pay for a rifle set up however you want, then you better stay on good terms with that person. Friends like that are hard to come by!

Oh, and why did you mention the M-1 in your original post? As far as I know, nobody has ever converted one of those fine battle implements into a poodle shooter. And if you know of somebody who has, please let me know so I can liberate it from them and restore it's manhood.

 

[ABTOMAT]

How about a Galil?