Will you compare Socom16 - SKS -Saiga 308

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kemosabi45

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Messages
11
Can someone who has shot a sks, Saiga 308, Remington 7400 or 742, and a SOCOM 16 tell me how they stack up against each other. I understand the caliber difference i mean the handling, the feel, can you carry it all day in the woods, is there something you would buy instead, ect. I don't care for the HK-91 or BAR-10.
I'm going crazy for a 308 carbine. I'm trying to compare the Socom 16 to a Saiga 308 or a Remington 742 -7400 in 308. I have (4) SKS's, (3) 16" and (1) 20". They are fun and cheap and handel good but i gots the shakes for a 308 semiauto and i like a 16" or 18" maximum length barrel. If the Rem 742 is the ticket i'll cut the 22" down to a 16" or just buy the 30-06 18" carbine. What's you experience with any of these?
 
SOCOM V. Rem./ 7400

Both .308s, but different actions, and different barrel lengths. From personal experience I prefer the SOCOM. I like the cleaner action and the shorter barrel. I also believe that the SOCOM is capable of greater sustained accuracy.

Notice that I have said nothing negative of the Remington, because I do not believe that the Remington has any inherantly negative attributes. They are both great rifles. Choose the one you like best and which feels best. For me, the SOCOM shoulders and comes into line-of-sight much quicker and easier.

The SOCOM's only detriment is price. At the gun show last week I saw one for $1,350ish, and the Remington you will pay $600ish. All in all, both fine arms.

Doc2005
 
What role are you looking to fill?

Anyone who considers an m1a socom also oughta look at the m1a scout squad. They've got a longer track record, and 18" is, IMO, a better compromise on the .308 ballistics.

SKS aren't .308.

30-06 isn't .308 either. ;)

The SAIGA's a solid, dependable, and inexpensive alternative that is handicapped by a somewhat iffy trigger and low cap mags (8x).

I've never heard anything bad about Remington 308s, but you'll be limited to 4x hunting mags.

Also consider JLD's PTR in paratrooper format, if I had money to burn, I'd get one: http://www.jldenter.com/
 
Sold the Saiga.

It is very nearly impossible to get magazines for it. Not even extra factory 8rd mags, not anywhere. I have the Scout/Squad M1a, and it's wonderful.
Get that, and you'll like it a lot.
Everyone into shooting shout have an sks. It's like not having a .22lr Ruger or a 1911. You just NEED them.
Get the sks, and a good bolt action .308. If can still afford it, but the M1a in whatever variant you want. The SOCOM is cool, but not really any better than the Scout.
Best,
Steve.
 
If looks are any part of the equasion, I would rule out the Remington 7400. I think that the M1A... just has the classic M14 look that I like.
 
I have shot both the SKS and the Saiga .308 (since both were listed in the original post). I love both of them :D . As for "can you carry them all day in the woods"---I most certainly wouldn't like to, they're both quite heavy :eek: . The SKS action is similar to the Saiga .308's, so dissassembly wouldn't be hard. I have had no problems obtaining the 8-round mags, but you can't just load them in, you have to have the bolt held back to do so (anyone able to tell me why that was thought smart in the development stage :confused: ). I like my Saiga because I have a PSO 8x42 scope coming through the mail, and they're relatively cheap. They'll feed anything (Wolf and surplus are no problem at all). It's heavy, and not easy to use offhand--I'd suggest somehow getting a bipod on there (that's my next objective, anyhow). Other than that, it's a very reliable rifle, on the same page as the SKS. As for something I'd buy instead--why not get a CMP Garand and send it to DGR for a new fit & finish, and get a .308 barrel? But, that's just me speaking. The Saiga is good, and gets my recommendation--besides, it's just an awesome rifle.
 
my 2 cents

SKS if you're poor

Saiga if you have more money

Scout/Squad M1a if money isn't a problem


If I had a choice of the 3 and didnt have to pay- I would take the M1a any day. (assuming ammo and mags were to be had for all).
 
Anyone who considers an m1a socom also oughta look at the m1a scout squad. They've got a longer track record, and 18" is, IMO, a better compromise on the .308 ballistics.
Click to expand...

+1
 
What do I want This rifle for ???

Well first I enjoy going to my local range, it has up to a 300 yard range. I also hunt the swamps of florida mostly for hogs. I really enjoy the 16" SKS it's balanced ok and not to heavy, it's right and 8 lbs.. Since I hunt hogs somtimes get a little nervous with the 7.62x39 even though I have read that many a hog has fallen to an SKS. I also have a Savage 99 in 308 and that's what i have had out in the field when i got my hogs. Every time i have the SKS with me i don't see any.
Thanks to the SKS i have enjoyed the semiauto a bit more than my lever guns in the last couple of years. So i was thinking that a 308 semiauto might be a good idea for fun at the range and in the woods. But 2 things keep me questioning the purchase of the Springfield M1A and that is the high price and the weight of 9.5 lbs. So when they brought out the Socom 16 it seemed like a good idea. The Socom is lighter at 8.9 lbs. and better balanced plus with the fiberglass stock it's better for rough use in the swamps. Well then i handled a Socom 16 at the gun show last week and it wasn't as perfect as i thought. The one way i like to carry a long arm when i'm by myself is holding it one handed, my arm haning at my side at the balance point. What i found was is that a 8.9 pound rifle it's all that light and with the magazine hanging down I can't hold it one handed. I don't nessaraly need a military gun but i seam to light them best.
Keep the comments coming they are very helpfull. It seems that a lot of people that like the M1A but they feel the Souct/Squad 18" best. Of corse every one seems to enjoy their SKS but that's not any surprise.
 
I have an Springfield M1A standard. It works very well for me. As for carrying one handed, I don't do that, but you might be able to get a sling arrangement that would help with that. If you are looking at 308, I kind of doubt you would get a light one making one handed carry comfortable. That PTR-91 might be promising for you (and a little cheaper), but I have never seen one up close.
 
do they make a flush fit 5 round magazine for the M1A? If they do does any one have a picture of how it looks in thier rifle? I'm thinking that would make it easier to carry one handed.
 
The PTR-91 is a fine .308 semi-auto, and carry handles are readily available for them. Unfortunately, he said he doesn't care for the HK 91, for whatever reason, so I guess that's out.

What about a FAL? They aren't cheap, but they can be had for less than what a SOCOM M1A costs. Carry handles are also readily available. I have a 16" barrel SA58 that is sweet....
 
GunGoBoom
Quote:
Anyone who considers an m1a socom also oughta look at the m1a scout squad. They've got a longer track record, and 18" is, IMO, a better compromise on the .308 ballistics.


Scout over SOCOM? -1
 
Why not consider the FAL? It's ultra reliable, adustable for different ammo, accurate out of the box and it responds well to simple and inexpensive methods to accurize it further. Cheap parts are available from a number of sources. The FAL is available in full length rifles, carbines and folding stock paratrooper models. You can get a FAL for as little as $400 or as high as $1000+. They're all worthy. I've got a frankenfal built with an Aussie inch kit on an Entreprise metric receiver. I paid roughly $550 for it (there was some trading involved) and it shoots and shoots and shoots without any problems whatsoever. Mags are $5 a piece, it shoots any and all types of .308 ammo and will shoot sub 3" groups at 100 yards with surplus military ammo. A quality scope mount can be had for $50. I think it's the best of the .308 military rifles, although the M1 and M1A are certainly worthy. The SKS being chambered in 7.62x39 doesn't really fit in, it's way underpowered compared to rifle chambered in 7.62x51.
 
Remington 742/7400 rifles are hunting accurate but will not hold up to sustained rapid fire, not in accuracy or durability.

Saiga rifles will hold up to sustained fire but accuracy will deteriorate as the gun heats up.

Ditto on the SKS not being a .308.
These are durable, fairly accurate and practically worthless if ranges exceed 400 meters.

I own a Bush rifle version of the M1A and have fired three of the SOCOM varients.
These are durable, extremely accurate for the rifles intended ranges and being .308/7.62X51, they are plenty powerful.
Frankly they are no more accurate than a Saiga Rifle past 400 meters but will generally outshoot the Saiga .308 rifle out to 300 meters with little or no tuning and will continue to hold this accuracy level even under sustained rapid fire for a much longer period than the Saiga, 120 rounds versus 40 rounds tops for the Saiga.

I own or have owned all of these rifles at one time or another.
I still own several M1A rifles and a Saiga .308.
 
Patrick- it probably would have been better to start a new thread than dig up a 1.5 year old thread.

But from what I hear, the 5.56 barrel is made from the same stock as the 30 cal barrels. Same barrel with a smaller hole equals a heavier profile barrel.

Hope this helps and welcome to THR.
 
I have a "flush-fit" magazine for my M1A Scout 18".

I bought it at a gunshow... it was advertised as a 5 round hunting magazine. I got it home, and it held 6 rounds. :banghead:

I tore the magazine apart and inserted several cardboard shims in the bottom until it only held 4 rounds (I prefer the first round to always be on the right hand side... seems to load and feed better as a result).

These were made simply by cutting down a "standard" M14 magazine, folding new floor plate lips on the bottom, shortening the spring and re-assembling the floor plate. Easily done to any magazine you may find... good candidates are ones that don't work properly (chinese knockoffs with bad springs and bad finish on the inside, for example... they don't feed well to begin with due to the rough finish and soft & too large spring).

The only rifle that will make you happy out of those three (SKS, AK-308 and M14 Scout/SOCOM), I think, is the M14 Scout rifle. Mine shoots sub 2-MOA with irons... I am in the process of scoping it right now to see if I can get better accuracy with some glass.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
30.06 / 308 semi opinions sought
Replies
8
Views
2K
mainebear
M
0
  • Locked
308 Saiga!!
Replies
14
Views
1K
JohnMc
J
E
  • Locked
Should I pull the trigger on a Saiga 308?
Replies
12
Views
1K
Col. Plink
Col. Plink
D
  • Locked
Someone talk me out of getting a Saiga .308
Replies
16
Views
926
RooK
R
303 hunter
  • Locked
Saiga 308 trigger conversion accuracy
Replies
4
Views
651
JohnnyK
J
Back
Top