Dollar An Hour
Member
I've got a VZ-58 and it's a ton of fun! Now I want to add a second semi-auto smaller caliber rifle to the mix, in either 5.45 Russian or 5.56 NATO.
I like the price of 5.45 compared to 5.56, but wonder about the availability down the road, I guess nobody really knows.
Aside from ammo cost, I value reliability, ease of field strip / maintenance and fun factor over tack-driving accuracy. Will probably add optics down the road, but plan to keep open sights for a while.
What do you guys suggest, and why?
Here's the rifles I'm considering:
1) Ruger Mini-14 NRA edition. I know Minis are often maligned on gun forums, but my experience with them has been that they're reliable, low maint and fun. The new ones are said to be better than ever and 20 round factory mags are easy to find these days.
2) Arsenal SLR-106FR... Arsenal has had some hit or miss quality issues in the last year or so, but these seem to be ironed out. The 106 should eat up the cheaper steel-cased 5.56, and people that own them say accuracy is better than an typical AK, and that they are a lot of fun with minimal recoil.
3) AK-74... Probably a BLR-74 Bulgarian from Atlantic. Cheap ammo, nice quality folding stock.
4) AR-15... Not having ever owned an AR, I'm not sure if AR's are higher maintenance or more finicky, but these are things I've read on forums. Still, I've also read that AR's are softer-shooting than AK's in the same caliber, more accurate, and have more normal ergonomics for a taller-than-average guy like me. How about the S&W AR in 5.45?
I like the price of 5.45 compared to 5.56, but wonder about the availability down the road, I guess nobody really knows.
Aside from ammo cost, I value reliability, ease of field strip / maintenance and fun factor over tack-driving accuracy. Will probably add optics down the road, but plan to keep open sights for a while.
What do you guys suggest, and why?
Here's the rifles I'm considering:
1) Ruger Mini-14 NRA edition. I know Minis are often maligned on gun forums, but my experience with them has been that they're reliable, low maint and fun. The new ones are said to be better than ever and 20 round factory mags are easy to find these days.
2) Arsenal SLR-106FR... Arsenal has had some hit or miss quality issues in the last year or so, but these seem to be ironed out. The 106 should eat up the cheaper steel-cased 5.56, and people that own them say accuracy is better than an typical AK, and that they are a lot of fun with minimal recoil.
3) AK-74... Probably a BLR-74 Bulgarian from Atlantic. Cheap ammo, nice quality folding stock.
4) AR-15... Not having ever owned an AR, I'm not sure if AR's are higher maintenance or more finicky, but these are things I've read on forums. Still, I've also read that AR's are softer-shooting than AK's in the same caliber, more accurate, and have more normal ergonomics for a taller-than-average guy like me. How about the S&W AR in 5.45?