Semi-auto .308

[maskedman504]

Saiga .308 / PTR-91 / DPMS Panther

My familiarity with the AK-style platform and the overall compactness of the rifle has me leaning towards the Saiga. The novelty factor and the ruggedness of the HK-platform combined with affordability make me desire the PTR. The DPMS is a no brainer.

This is not a SHTF thread. Tell me why your choice is the ultimate! Passionate replies are a bonus. Persuade me to contract your sickness and purchase your rifle~

 

[ZombiesAhead]

Why is the DPMS a no-brainer? I like the PTR-91 but you haven't told us what your criteria is for a .308 rifle other than "This is not a SHTF thread." Did you want it for "SHTF" use or something?

Sorry my reply wasn't very passionate but I only get hard for the FAL.

 

[JWarren]

I've owned all three of the firearms that you've listed. (Well, I owned an HK-91 rather than a PTR-91), and I've owned a FAL pattern L1A1.

Of the three choices (4?)-- with cost not being a factor, I WOULD say that the DPMS LR-308 is a no brainer for MY purposes.

The LR-308 has significantly better accuracy out-of-the-box than ANY of the above listed rifles based on everything I've ever read and from own my experience.

The LR-308 is much easier to configure to your needs due to both its modularity and the availability of aftermarket parts.

Downsides to the LR-308? Sure, there are some...

The rifle weighs a lot. Not much else to be said there.

At the moment, magazines are kinda hard to come by at a reasonable price.

However... regarding magazines... You'll pay $80 a pop on Gunbroker for them and get them NOW. You'll pay $60 a pop on for them on AR15.com's EE and get them NOW. Or you can do like I did-- Place your order with CProducts and wait 5 weeks to get all you want for $21.99. My CProducts ones are great and function perfectly.


-- John

 

[Bailey Guns]

My preferences would be, in order:

1) M1A
2) AR-style
3) Saiga
4) FAL
5) New FN rifle...can't remember the name
6) Savage 10FP
7) Anything else
8) Whatever I've forgotten
9) Those I'm not aware of
10) G3-pattern

Just me, though. YMMV.

 

[JWarren]

Baily,

For some reason, I am getting the impression that you really don't like the G3 patterns.


-- John

 

[SN13]

I love my .308 Saiga. with Fed. Gold match, I'm consistently between 1 and 1.5" at 100yrds.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

As between the Saiga and the other two: Make no mistake; it's strictly about budget, not "choice". The DPMS I still have; the Saiga .308 I don't. The ergonomics are the reason. 99.99% of people will choose the AR platform, if all other factors are equal. Ergos & accuracy & ease of adding optics. Nothing wrong with the Saiga, but if you have the budget, you will be more pleased with the DPMS. As for the PTR91, haven't had one, but some people don't like the ergos (weight distribution) of those very much. Also, the AR style has less muzzle climb, due to the straight-back recoil.

 

[Kentucky]

I have personal experience with 2 of the 3 in the OP, as well as an FAL. My personal preference would be

1. DPMS LR-308 - Awesome ergonomics, super accurate, compact, lighter than a PTR or FAL (dont know about Saiga). Easy to mount optics, very modular. Only downside is the high cost of mags. I did as JWARREN did and paid and waited for an order from C Products. Took a couple of months but at $22 ea they are a great deal. I really should get a bunch more. The AR-10's also have a reputation for having reliability issues, but I think that is in large part due to the older Armalite problems, and the Bushmasters. My DPMS has been perfect so far, but I am using it more as a DMR rifle so it has not been fired hard like a "fighting rifle", and I have used decent ammo and mags in it.

1A. PTR-91 - To me it balances much better than the FAL. SUPER reliable, mine even eats the Indian surplus ammo without any problems. Magazines are dirt cheap, tough, and easily found. The PTR is a heavy sucker, but for a fighting 308 it would be my number one choice.

3. FAL - I had one and sold it. It did alright, but I did not like the way it felt, the ergonomics and balance were very wrong for me. If I found a great deal on a DSA FAL with an 18" barrel I would be tempted to give it another whirl.

4. M1A - Never owned one and dont have much personal experience. The one I shot did have great sight radious and a decent trigger. High cost of mags, very high cost of the rifle, lack of a pistol grip, and questionable reliability (in my limited experience), push it this far down the list for me. I know you can spend a lot of $$ tricking them out with different stocks and grips, but I think that spending that same $$ on my DPMS gives me more bang for my buck.

5. Saiga - These rifles sure are popular with a lot of people, but they dont do a thing for me. Mags are high and hard to find, have to spend time and money changing to get a pg, etc...I have a buddy that is a huge AK fan and even he doesnt like the Saiga. A lot of people do though, and I suppose they are very reliable. I think a lot of people love them because of their low initial purchase price. To me though, the extra that you pay for a PTR over a Saiga is quickly lost in the cost of mags and ammo that accompany the rifles.

All the above is JMO. Almost none of it is scientific fact

 

[Noban]

I highly recommend the semi M-14 style rifle. I have a Springfield and it has proven to be reliable and accurate. I did send it off to Clint Fowler for his NM sight upgrade, but other than that, it's plain vanilla.

I've only run milsurp through it and it has never had a hiccup. At the bench with open sights, I can hold a nice 3" group @ 100 yds.

Yes, those magazines are a bit pricey.

Kev