Alright here's another "which one" thread. I've pretty much had my heart set on a Robarms XCR in 6.8spc for awhile now, but as I took my scoped M1A out of the safe tonight to re-acquaint myself with it again, I had an "epiphany".
My reasons for even considering another rifle is to fill the proverbial one-rifle-do-it-all niche. I know, I know, one rifle can't do it all, but I say one rifle can do most of the things I want it to do or could imagine doing with it.
I had considered the M1A Scout before, but then I was pretty much duplicating my M1A Standard. Then the RFB came about and I was all about that rifle too, but as they haven't really flooded the market with them yet, they seemed expensive and hard to come by.
Now the XCR really only caught my attention because it was a piston-driven AR style rifle in 6.8spc, a caliber I've been intrigued with for some time. But as the caliber has not really taken off as much as I'd like and it's still rather pricey, it's hard to justify, not to mention I'd have to stock another caliber of ammunition that's much harder to come by than .308.
Then there is the Ruger Mini-14 in 6.8, I don't know what to think of this rifle, the accuracy of prior Mini's has always been so-so and hi-cap mags for 6.8 would be hard to come by, expensive and with questionable reliability.
Now there is no argument about the attributes of the .308 versus other assault/battle rifle calibers, it covers many niches and covers them well and there's not much doubt about it's authority.
So in an side-by-side comparison, it comes down to personal preference mostly, prices being pretty much the same amongst them across the board except for the Mini costing about half of what the others cost.
In the M1A, I'd not have to buy a different caliber and I already have ammo and magazines for it, the design is proven and there is notable support for it and it comes with it's own sights, which are arguably the best available. It weighs 9lbs empty, 18" barrel, it's over-all length is slightly over 40" and it's in a familiar platform.
In the RFB, I already have ammo for it but would have to get some FAL metric mags, no big deal. But it is a proprietary design and believe Kel-Tec is a bigger company with a more substantial support system in place than say Robarms. It has no sights, it weighs approx. 8.5lbs empty, I'd prefer the 24" barrel version, which would make the overall length 32" total and I have no bull-pup rifle experience at all.
The XCR is a whole different animal, I'd need all new mags, new (relatively expensive) ammo and limited bullet weights and applications. It too is a proprietary design and I may be mis-speaking, but don't believe they are a big enough company to provide the support necessary as I've heard they're having a hard enough time filling new rifle orders with a significant wait. It comes with no sights, an empty weight of a stated 7.5lbs, with the 16" barrel it gives an overall rifle length of just under 38".
Then there is the Ruger Mini in 6.8. I have heard Ruger has updated their design specs on it and it's much more accurate than it's older siblings, but again, it's in a caliber with limited application (compared to .308), ammo being relatively expensive, with limited bullet weights and applications. The Mini is in a familiar platform closely designed after the Garand and M1A rifles, but magazines would be of questionable reliability, accessibility and probably expensive. Also the Mini doesn't have the SPCII chamber and with 1:10 twist (which I believe doesn't allow for the hotter 6.8spc ammo(?) ). It too comes with it's own good sights, a stated weight 6.75lbs, an 18.5" barrel with an overall length of just 37.5".
So with the Mini not having the SPCII chamber, but extra barrel length of 18.5" what is the performance difference between using the "hotter" 6.8 in a SPCII chamber with a 16" barrel?
The RFB with 24" barrel would give you a longer barrel length than an M1A Standard but at only 32" overall length versus an M1A Scout rifle with an 18" barrel having an overall length of just over 40". It seems that the RFB would be the way to go, losing velocity with the Scout's short barrel and gaining velocity with the RFB but shorter overall length.
What draws me to the 6.8spc cartridge is that it's more powerful than .223 yet fits into the .223 platforms but with much less recoil than .308 rifles.
So help me out here, let me know which you would pursue and for which reasons.
My reasons for even considering another rifle is to fill the proverbial one-rifle-do-it-all niche. I know, I know, one rifle can't do it all, but I say one rifle can do most of the things I want it to do or could imagine doing with it.
I had considered the M1A Scout before, but then I was pretty much duplicating my M1A Standard. Then the RFB came about and I was all about that rifle too, but as they haven't really flooded the market with them yet, they seemed expensive and hard to come by.
Now the XCR really only caught my attention because it was a piston-driven AR style rifle in 6.8spc, a caliber I've been intrigued with for some time. But as the caliber has not really taken off as much as I'd like and it's still rather pricey, it's hard to justify, not to mention I'd have to stock another caliber of ammunition that's much harder to come by than .308.
Then there is the Ruger Mini-14 in 6.8, I don't know what to think of this rifle, the accuracy of prior Mini's has always been so-so and hi-cap mags for 6.8 would be hard to come by, expensive and with questionable reliability.
Now there is no argument about the attributes of the .308 versus other assault/battle rifle calibers, it covers many niches and covers them well and there's not much doubt about it's authority.
So in an side-by-side comparison, it comes down to personal preference mostly, prices being pretty much the same amongst them across the board except for the Mini costing about half of what the others cost.
In the M1A, I'd not have to buy a different caliber and I already have ammo and magazines for it, the design is proven and there is notable support for it and it comes with it's own sights, which are arguably the best available. It weighs 9lbs empty, 18" barrel, it's over-all length is slightly over 40" and it's in a familiar platform.
In the RFB, I already have ammo for it but would have to get some FAL metric mags, no big deal. But it is a proprietary design and believe Kel-Tec is a bigger company with a more substantial support system in place than say Robarms. It has no sights, it weighs approx. 8.5lbs empty, I'd prefer the 24" barrel version, which would make the overall length 32" total and I have no bull-pup rifle experience at all.
The XCR is a whole different animal, I'd need all new mags, new (relatively expensive) ammo and limited bullet weights and applications. It too is a proprietary design and I may be mis-speaking, but don't believe they are a big enough company to provide the support necessary as I've heard they're having a hard enough time filling new rifle orders with a significant wait. It comes with no sights, an empty weight of a stated 7.5lbs, with the 16" barrel it gives an overall rifle length of just under 38".
Then there is the Ruger Mini in 6.8. I have heard Ruger has updated their design specs on it and it's much more accurate than it's older siblings, but again, it's in a caliber with limited application (compared to .308), ammo being relatively expensive, with limited bullet weights and applications. The Mini is in a familiar platform closely designed after the Garand and M1A rifles, but magazines would be of questionable reliability, accessibility and probably expensive. Also the Mini doesn't have the SPCII chamber and with 1:10 twist (which I believe doesn't allow for the hotter 6.8spc ammo(?) ). It too comes with it's own good sights, a stated weight 6.75lbs, an 18.5" barrel with an overall length of just 37.5".
So with the Mini not having the SPCII chamber, but extra barrel length of 18.5" what is the performance difference between using the "hotter" 6.8 in a SPCII chamber with a 16" barrel?
The RFB with 24" barrel would give you a longer barrel length than an M1A Standard but at only 32" overall length versus an M1A Scout rifle with an 18" barrel having an overall length of just over 40". It seems that the RFB would be the way to go, losing velocity with the Scout's short barrel and gaining velocity with the RFB but shorter overall length.
What draws me to the 6.8spc cartridge is that it's more powerful than .223 yet fits into the .223 platforms but with much less recoil than .308 rifles.
So help me out here, let me know which you would pursue and for which reasons.
