[M1Tommy]

The prev. thread on the nasty black evil rifles got me to thinking, and wondering what folk here thought. Notice I didn't put "black" in the description as some of the best have purty wood-colored bits about them.

What's YOUR favorite, or most desired, 30 caliber semi-auto. rifle?

While I'd live to own one of each of the below, I've shot and really enjoy the AR-10 type rifles (Armalite is the only one I've shot before) and M1A (OK, I've qualified on the M14 too but they tend to be basically unobtainium nowadays for normal folk like most of us, thanks to Pres. Reagan and the FOPA of '86). That said, all I own in this category are a couple old sort of ratty M1 Garands.

What trips your trigger, and why? I ask why not to disparage any particular make/mode, only to from my own curiosity.


Some possibilities:

M1 Garand, 30.06 or .308?
M1A (manuf?)
FN-FAL
AR-10 (manuf?)
SR-25 (OK, we can dream can't we?)
AK-47 (why?)
SKS (why?)

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I have 3 .30 cal semi-autos that get quite a bit of range time...

The Garand is just fun to shoot. 8 rounds and then "Ping" as the enbloc pops out. With the weight of the rifle, recoil is surprisingly manageable, even for extended shooting sessions. If I had to go to battle, it would not be my rifle of choice due to the limited mag capacity.

Another one that gets quite a bit of range time is the AK style SAR-1. Fun and cheap to shoot, and it will eat anything I feed it. It has had a ton of rounds put through it and I can't even remember the last time I lubed or cleaned it. It just keeps on trucking. Also not my favorite battle rifle due to the lack of accuracy at longer ranges. Sure, it is minute of torso at several hundred yards, but no surgical precision that might be needed for a tight shot.

The .30 caliber rifle that I enjoy shooting the most is an Armalite AR10. It will not only reach out and touch someone, it will do it with MOA or better accuracy. On the 300 yard ranges, which is the farthest I have shot, sub 3" groups are not hard at all with good ammo. It feeds everything I throw at it from mil-surp to Federal GMM, and the bolt carrier just needs a few drops of CLP every few hundred rounds to keep on truckin'. I also like the 20 round mags, and Armalite has recently introduced a 25 round mag, ala the Galil. I've deer hunted with it a few times, although I have not harvested a deer with it. Maybe this year...

 

[JR]

I would love to have an M1, just because of the history behind them. And an AK-47, just because.

 

[factory909]

im partial to my 1903, hey its .30 caliber , my sks gets alot of shoot time, but my favorite is Winchester Model 100 .308.

 

[snydedawg]

I've got an M-14 clone... a Polytech M-14S, not as sweet as the M-1A, but I got a good deal and it has eaten everything I've fed it an shoots as well as the m-1a's that I have shot. It is my favorite rifle. I had an M-14 in the Navy and will always love those rifles.

Next up would be an AR-10... still trying to get a bro of mine to sell me his.... not gonna do it, but I still want it!!!

I love the AK and SKS..... simple, reliable, inexpensive, all-around GP go-to guns!!


I really do want an M-1 Garand. I had one once that I bought for $80... and actual M-1D with the Unertel mounts and all, wrapped in grease packed canvas strips!!! I sold it within a year for $600 in 1985! What a dumba$$ I was as a teenager!!!!!

Since then, I guess it'll be on my want-list, but not on the got-list.....

 

[conwayhntr]

SKS - cheap and plentiful parts and ammo.....

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I've got an M-14 clone... a Polytech M-14S,

I got one of those when they first started being imported. It was a great shooting gun. Seems like I paid ~$300 or so for it, maybe less. I sold it for about twice what I paid for it a couple of years later. I've sold a lot of guns over the years, some I don't miss, but this one I wish I had never sold. Oh well, that's the way it goes some times.

 

[John Stiles]

I had an M-14 in the Navy and will always love those rifles.

Exactly....I had a national match M14 in the Navy...as far as I'm concerned it was the best sniper rifle around at that time! It had everything..match barrel, sonic[silencer], Redfield 3x9 variable with range finder, glass bedded stock...etc......and the starlight scope....man was I shootin in high rice!:thumb: But these days, I can get much more ammo for the SKS, cheaper than any other, and I'm ready to rock and roll right now!:wink:

 

[possum]

:shrug: I don't own a semi-auto anything, everything I've got is bolt or pump. I have been looking at some AR's and SKS's though.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

:shrug: I don't own a semi-auto anything, everything I've got is bolt or pump. I have been looking at some AR's and SKS's though.

Better get 'em before the Hildabeast gets in!!

 

[flintknapper]

My love for John Garand's famous invention stems mainly from the fact my father gave me mine, just like he used in the Marines. Mine's got a six-digit serial number....:razz: What do I like about Garands? Possibly the worlds manliest battle rifle ever. Warts, faults and all.

I've always lusted after the M14 (OK, M1A for most of us) because they are basically an updated Garand, what's not to like about that?
I don't have one yet, but If I live long enough...

I know you said .30 cal. RIFLE, but I've got a couple (three?) of M1 carbines, and they're good for giggles. Years ago dad and I bought a wooden crate of Lake City '54 vintage .30 carbine rounds, and I've yet to get to the bottom of it.

I've only drooled on AR10's. If me and one of those are ever in the same place at the same time and the deal is good, I'd love to invest.

 

[Bruin]

I have an old Universal M1 Carbine. Ive had it for 30 years. I killed about a dozen deer with it when I was in my teens. Recently I cut the stock down so my daughter could shoot it, but she doesnt like it. Im going to whittle the stock down to a pistol grip, saw off the barrel and make a home defense weapon out of it.

I like my Vangaurd .270 for hunting these days. The .30 is too expensive for plinking any more. I paid $33 for a box of shells for it just the other day.

 

[LGustin]

I have a Israel Galil ARM 308 and a suppressed Russian AK 308, both are fun to shoot.

 

[squirrel hunter]

I do love my WASR-10 (Romainian AK). it is just as accurate as an average shooter can hold it. ammo is cheap and plentiful. Mags are dirt cheap, and i NEVER have to clean it....even though i clean it about every 2 weeks... i really like it but i would like to have a CEMTE or a FAL....

pretty much all the guns listed are either military guns or civilian versions of military guns, and in all truthfulness my favorite military rifle of all time is my Mosin Nagant M38. i have had Lee-Enfields, Springfield 03-a3's, a mauser, and of course my AK clone, but my favorite is the MN. Cheap, cheap ammo, tough, ugly and ...uhh.....cheap!

luke:thumb:

 

[10pointman]

I dont't have any of the aboveexcept for an sks.It's really cool.You can shoot it till the barrel is red hot.its a tough gun. Cheap too.

 

[snydedawg]

What I'd do for an ARM!!!

Or any other Galil for that matter.... Just great guns in my opinion.

The Valmet's were good as well. Not as sweet as the Galil, but good solid guns. It's a shame that they are sooooo expensive now. Those and FN-Fal's.

The FAL was once my dream-lust gun!!! I still wish for one, but that will never happen on my budget!!!

Now a Springfield SOCOM-16 may see light of day at my little crib eventually, but I've had to forget about the true "import" battle rifles!

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

The FAL was once my dream-lust gun!!! I still wish for one, but that will never happen on my budget!!!

Now a Springfield SOCOM-16 may see light of day at my little crib eventually, but I've had to forget about the true "import" battle rifles!

You can get a FAL for cheaper then a SOCOM. I've heard that you can get SGT58's for ~$1K, give or take a little. SOCOM's run $1500 or more from what I've seen. Being that I'm not really in the market for either one, I may be grossly mistaken on theses prices.

 

[Arkie_3_fan]

Better get 'em before the Hildabeast gets in!!

That's one of the big reasons I've been participating in the Evil Black (or camo in the Remington's case) Rifle thread. I've gotta get properly armed while I still can.

As for my favorite .30 cal... there's nothing scary about it. My favorite is the Browning BAR Safari .308 that belongs to my dad and used to belong to my grandpa.

 

[josh4666]

.30 rem pump

 

[snydedawg]

Mr. C I think your pretty close on the price ranges and the STG58's are acutlly a bit under that. But what I really want is a true FN. Some of the STG's I know of have had some less the decent barrels.

One guy that worked the S.O. had one that had to be scoped to hit paper at a hundred yards. the barrel didn't appear to be threaded true and it shot hard low and right.

Figured if I stick to a SOCOM, I've already got mags too!!