Battle Rifle decision

[Wolfgang2000]

The FAL!!!!!

It's a little over your price range, but it will be worth it. By the way Enterprise is running a little sale on them.

 

[HK G3]

Saiga's the only one on that list that I could ever envision finding for under $500.

Anything else on that list selling for under $500 would make me very suspicious...

 

[dscottw88]

Has anyone tried scoping an M1 Carbine? I wonder how reliable these things are. Iv'e seen the ultimak handgaurd rail, and also a replacement for the rear sight adding a mount. http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=66018

 

[squirrel sniper]

I started looking at the saigas. Before i commit to it, i want to know a few things. 1) Does anybody make any mags cheaper than around $40. 2) How accurate is this with your average surplus .308. 3) How hard is it to covert it to a pistol grip, i dont like the look of the stock furniture, and ive seen people get the parts to convert them for under $150. Id rather pay $500 for the gun and have to convert it than have to pay near $1000 for the preconverted custom jobs. Any input on this would be greatly appreciated

 

[JWarren]

1) Does anybody make any mags cheaper than around $40.

No. But M1A (good ones) and AR-10 mags are fairly expensive as well.

2) How accurate is this with your average surplus .308.

I was doing about 2-2.5 MOA with SA Surplus using optics. I could squeeze out 1-1.5 MOA with Winchester Ballistic Silvertips-- again using optics and bench.

3) How hard is it to covert it to a pistol grip, i dont like the look of the stock furniture, and ive seen people get the parts to convert them for under $150.

Its not all that hard at all. As for stocks, there are MANY options available-- including stocks in the AR family if you use an ACE trunnion.


The one below is using an ACE internal trunnion and an ACE 9.5 inch skeleton stock. If you use an adapter, you can put stocks on it from the AR family-- I looked at putting a Magpul PRS on this one:





-- John

 

[Franco2shoot]

How about sub 100 bucks? A Mosin-Nagant with good rifle'ing is exactly what fits the bill. 7.62 is 30 cal isn't it? Sixty bucks for an ATI conversion + 100 bucks leaves him enough for a 200 dollar scope and a gunsmith to install.

 

[George S.]

I would second the Mosin-Nagant as an alternative to the selections originally posted. You can find good examples of the 91/30 for under $100 and the 7,62x54R has ballistics close to that of the .308 or 30.06.

I have an Izhevsk 91/30 dated from 1931 and the iron sights with Czech silvertip 147gr ammo allows for 3" groups at 100 yards. Mine will shoot 6-8" groups at 200 yds which was the Soviet standard for the 91/30 in the hands of Russian conscripts during the "Great Patriotic War". That is easily "minute of Nazi" at that distance.

Milsurp ammo is still inexpensive and there is a lot of it available. You can also get modern (reloadable) ammo from Wolf, Winchester and others in both FMJ for target shooting and soft point for hunting.

Scoping a Mosin is also one of those things that purists will scream and yell over but there were sniper versions of the 91/30 that used a small scope. In the hands of a good sniper like the Russian sniper Vasiiy Zaytsiev of WWII fame, it's very accurate.