I'm looking into a 308 rifle to add to my rifle collection since it seems to be a very ubiquitous caliber. It would be used for range and possibly for serious situations outside in the streets. I'm leaning towards a military type semi-automatic due to higher magazine capacity and because of the gas-operation, less recoil. Can I get a decent rifle with those qualities for $500 or less or should I expect to spend more for a quality rifle? I also prefer something that is easy to disassemble since I am mechanically inept with taking guns apart and putting them together. I appreciate any replies. I'd like to wait, but with elections close, who knows what dim-witted "save the children" gun laws our next administration and congress may pass?
308 Rifle under $500
- Thread starter GI Joe
- Start date
Day was, you could buy the Century Sporter for $500 but that day is past (if for no other reason than they aren't made any more 
) unless you find someone unloading a used one.
If you set your upper limit at around $650, you should be able to find one of the current crop of FAL hybrids at a gun show or in shotgun news. Those hybrids built on the Imbel receivers are generally considered the best. My personal opinion is that all of the FALs priced in the $600-700 range are just adequate, not because the FAL isn't a good rifle but because the quality of assembly is suspect. Century, for example, just slaps their rifles together. You might get a good one and you might get a so-so one. Many of the ones I see at gun shows are junk.
You probably don't want to hear it, but to get a guaranteed high quality .308 military rifle, you are going to have to raise your upper limit to $1000 or more. Likely, much more.
[This message has been edited by proximo (edited August 05, 2000).]
) unless you find someone unloading a used one. If you set your upper limit at around $650, you should be able to find one of the current crop of FAL hybrids at a gun show or in shotgun news. Those hybrids built on the Imbel receivers are generally considered the best. My personal opinion is that all of the FALs priced in the $600-700 range are just adequate, not because the FAL isn't a good rifle but because the quality of assembly is suspect. Century, for example, just slaps their rifles together. You might get a good one and you might get a so-so one. Many of the ones I see at gun shows are junk.
You probably don't want to hear it, but to get a guaranteed high quality .308 military rifle, you are going to have to raise your upper limit to $1000 or more. Likely, much more.
[This message has been edited by proximo (edited August 05, 2000).]
GI Joe,
I was looking recently for a FAL type and could get one for $650.00. I've been told they're not assembled very well??
If you can't afford the $$ you may want to consider a Rem. 7600 Pump gun in 308 you can get 10 rds mags for them.
I ended up buying a Browning BPR pump in 243 Win. once I thought about it I needed another Assualt / Battle Rifle like I needed a hole in the head.
I don't know where you live but
I was looking recently for a FAL type and could get one for $650.00. I've been told they're not assembled very well??
If you can't afford the $$ you may want to consider a Rem. 7600 Pump gun in 308 you can get 10 rds mags for them.
I ended up buying a Browning BPR pump in 243 Win. once I thought about it I needed another Assualt / Battle Rifle like I needed a hole in the head.
I don't know where you live but
You might want to take a look at the Vepr. www.robarm.com
They are usually around $600 or so. It is the cheapest .308 battle rifle that is still of excellent quality that I am aware of. The downside is that the magazines are single stack and only hold 10 rounds. But every time I look at one I'm tempted, but I'm saving up for a nice FAL.
The new CETME also looks interesting, there is a thread about them going on right now, apparently nobody has bought one yet. But it is also under $700, and can take G3 mags. www.aimsurplus.com
The G3 clones that I've seen with the aluminum receivers have been pretty crappy. FAL parts guns are hit or miss from what I understand, I've heard from a few folks who like theirs, and others who hate theirs. Biggest complaint seems to be the quality control.
Good luck.
They are usually around $600 or so. It is the cheapest .308 battle rifle that is still of excellent quality that I am aware of. The downside is that the magazines are single stack and only hold 10 rounds. But every time I look at one I'm tempted, but I'm saving up for a nice FAL.
The new CETME also looks interesting, there is a thread about them going on right now, apparently nobody has bought one yet. But it is also under $700, and can take G3 mags. www.aimsurplus.com
The G3 clones that I've seen with the aluminum receivers have been pretty crappy. FAL parts guns are hit or miss from what I understand, I've heard from a few folks who like theirs, and others who hate theirs. Biggest complaint seems to be the quality control.
Good luck.
Badger Arms
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Correia:
You might want to take a look at the Vepr. www.robarm.com
[/quote]
I Wholeheartedly second this one. The VEPR is based on the AK-47 action and is quite adequate for everything short of competition. You can get into one for around $500 at gun shows if you have patience.
You might want to take a look at the Vepr. www.robarm.com
[/quote]
I Wholeheartedly second this one. The VEPR is based on the AK-47 action and is quite adequate for everything short of competition. You can get into one for around $500 at gun shows if you have patience.
Proximo: Yes I do want to hear it. I appreciate you telling me like it is and not what I want to hear. I wouldn't mind paying a little more for a quality weapon. Of course, if I'm really good the rest of the year, maybe Santa will leave one under the Christmas tree.
Turk: Actually, the streets in my part of town are about as peaceful as I can imagine, but in the unlikely but not impossible event of social unrest (like Al Gore being elected and coming for our guns), I would like something to have around. Regarding the Remington 7600 pump, does it have more substantial recoil than a semi-auto in the same caliber? I'm not familiar with that round, but the highest caliber I've shot is a Mini 14 and I'm sure a .308 kicks more than that.
Turk: Actually, the streets in my part of town are about as peaceful as I can imagine, but in the unlikely but not impossible event of social unrest (like Al Gore being elected and coming for our guns), I would like something to have around. Regarding the Remington 7600 pump, does it have more substantial recoil than a semi-auto in the same caliber? I'm not familiar with that round, but the highest caliber I've shot is a Mini 14 and I'm sure a .308 kicks more than that.
GI Joe,
The Rem. 7600 in 308 will not kick you death. Is it more than a 223? yes. What is nice about the 7600 it is a hunting rifle and if the military types are banned you would still end up with a rife capable of a pretty good rate of fire. My choice would be the 243 Win. caliber.
Concerning a 308 military rifle. I've said it before and will say it again. A 5.56mm NATO caliber rifle is all that is necessary in military type encounters. My advice is to purchase a M-16 clone which would be a BushMaster.
If you want a 7.62 NATO rifle with a box magazine there are many good rifles in this class. I was trained in the Army with M-14's (but like the M-16 better)and I have a M1A SuperMatch and it's a very fine rifle. The first M1A I had was a standard model and was a good shooter.
With that all said if I had to purchase one rifle in 7.62 NATO it would be a FAL type.
My last purchase was a Browning Pump in 243 Win. the day I purchased it I went to the gun show to buy a FAL but didn't find any that were priced right. Didn't want to come home empty handed.
FAL is battle proven and it feels and points better than a M-14 style (I think) read some of the threads about the FAL. There's quite a few owners of this type of rifle on the forum.
What am I going to buy next? FAL and that's only because I have a Colt SP1.
Turk
The Rem. 7600 in 308 will not kick you death. Is it more than a 223? yes. What is nice about the 7600 it is a hunting rifle and if the military types are banned you would still end up with a rife capable of a pretty good rate of fire. My choice would be the 243 Win. caliber.
Concerning a 308 military rifle. I've said it before and will say it again. A 5.56mm NATO caliber rifle is all that is necessary in military type encounters. My advice is to purchase a M-16 clone which would be a BushMaster.
If you want a 7.62 NATO rifle with a box magazine there are many good rifles in this class. I was trained in the Army with M-14's (but like the M-16 better)and I have a M1A SuperMatch and it's a very fine rifle. The first M1A I had was a standard model and was a good shooter.
With that all said if I had to purchase one rifle in 7.62 NATO it would be a FAL type.
My last purchase was a Browning Pump in 243 Win. the day I purchased it I went to the gun show to buy a FAL but didn't find any that were priced right. Didn't want to come home empty handed.
FAL is battle proven and it feels and points better than a M-14 style (I think) read some of the threads about the FAL. There's quite a few owners of this type of rifle on the forum.
What am I going to buy next? FAL and that's only because I have a Colt SP1.
Turk
Gi Joe,
I am in a similar situation, and was unhappy with any of the compromises I had to make. The one that came closest was a Polytech M1a, which I could have bought at $675. But I would always have owned a "copy" along with the drawbacks of the Chinese M1a's.
So I bought an AK-47, which I am considering my urban rifle. Mine was under $300. including a couple of mags. Lightweight, cheap to buy, cheap ammo, not finicky about ammo or mags, and will work under poor environmental and maintenance conditions. The AK has most of the penetration of the .308, especially under 100 yards. It will go through car doors.
My plan is to get a Remington 700 in .308 ($500 - $700) when the bank account recovers. That will be set up for longer range work, and include a scope, etc...
I think with this plan, I end up with two rifles, each better at their respective tasks than an M1A, at about the same cost. Of course, If I could only have one, the M1A is a better choice.
------------------
galt
Speak Out on the Net http://www.netcitizen.org
I am in a similar situation, and was unhappy with any of the compromises I had to make. The one that came closest was a Polytech M1a, which I could have bought at $675. But I would always have owned a "copy" along with the drawbacks of the Chinese M1a's.
So I bought an AK-47, which I am considering my urban rifle. Mine was under $300. including a couple of mags. Lightweight, cheap to buy, cheap ammo, not finicky about ammo or mags, and will work under poor environmental and maintenance conditions. The AK has most of the penetration of the .308, especially under 100 yards. It will go through car doors.
My plan is to get a Remington 700 in .308 ($500 - $700) when the bank account recovers. That will be set up for longer range work, and include a scope, etc...
I think with this plan, I end up with two rifles, each better at their respective tasks than an M1A, at about the same cost. Of course, If I could only have one, the M1A is a better choice.
------------------
galt
Speak Out on the Net http://www.netcitizen.org
Gi Joe: if you are willing to raise your limit to $1000 or so, and you are still interested in a rifle in .308 chambering, I think you have a couple of choices.
For one, I agree with all who say the FAL is one of the best gas operated battle rifles ever designed. Its also beautiful to look at. It's what Websters refers you to when you look up the definition of BAD!
However, for range use, which you say was one of your criteria, FAL sights are marginal and there are few aftermarket options. The minimum you will spend for a high quality FAL is around $1200 (check out http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com ). You can, however, pick up a $600-700 FAL assembled by Century and it will shoot just fine. The looks, though, can be pretty rough for the money you have to pay.
For the same $1200, you can get a very nice Springfield Armory M1A which has excellent sights and will shoot as well, if not better, than the FAL. In addition, there are many aftermarket options for the M1A that will take it all the way up to a serious match rifle if that's what floats your boat (it does mine). The only downside of the M1A is that the magazines cost about five times what you'd pay for the metric FAL mags ($50 compared to $10 for 20 rounders).
However, I agree with Turk that the AR-15 is probably the best of all worlds. For $800, or so, you can get a 20" Bushmaster XM15-E2S that should shoot MOA with good ammo. The sights are excellent, ammo is cheap(er), it looks BAD, and there are numerous aftermarket parts that will take it all the way to a full blown match rifle. Its a beautiful design. Of course, if you already have one, then look hard at one of the above two .308 rifles.
[This message has been edited by proximo (edited August 08, 2000).]
For one, I agree with all who say the FAL is one of the best gas operated battle rifles ever designed. Its also beautiful to look at. It's what Websters refers you to when you look up the definition of BAD!
However, for range use, which you say was one of your criteria, FAL sights are marginal and there are few aftermarket options. The minimum you will spend for a high quality FAL is around $1200 (check out http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com ). You can, however, pick up a $600-700 FAL assembled by Century and it will shoot just fine. The looks, though, can be pretty rough for the money you have to pay.
For the same $1200, you can get a very nice Springfield Armory M1A which has excellent sights and will shoot as well, if not better, than the FAL. In addition, there are many aftermarket options for the M1A that will take it all the way up to a serious match rifle if that's what floats your boat (it does mine). The only downside of the M1A is that the magazines cost about five times what you'd pay for the metric FAL mags ($50 compared to $10 for 20 rounders).
However, I agree with Turk that the AR-15 is probably the best of all worlds. For $800, or so, you can get a 20" Bushmaster XM15-E2S that should shoot MOA with good ammo. The sights are excellent, ammo is cheap(er), it looks BAD, and there are numerous aftermarket parts that will take it all the way to a full blown match rifle. Its a beautiful design. Of course, if you already have one, then look hard at one of the above two .308 rifles.
[This message has been edited by proximo (edited August 08, 2000).]
Proximo:
I may just have to save up for a better rifle. To clarify about the range work: I don't shoot so much for pinpoint accuracy as I do just to break bottles,jugs etc... I do have a Bushmaster Shorty AK (16") and a Romanian SAR-1 with some 30 rd clips so I just wanted to add a .308 to my collection of rifles. My main reason for a semi-auto was: (1)the availability of 20 round magazines and (2) I assumed that gas-operated semi-autos recoiled less than a manually operated action in the same caliber. Please correct me if I am wrong. As for appearance, I'm not too concerned about that. My main criteria for any gun is (1) it goes bang when I pull the trigger and (2) it is reliable and does not jam repeatedly. What's the saying "Pretty is as pretty does". Thanks for the info and have a good day.
I may just have to save up for a better rifle. To clarify about the range work: I don't shoot so much for pinpoint accuracy as I do just to break bottles,jugs etc... I do have a Bushmaster Shorty AK (16") and a Romanian SAR-1 with some 30 rd clips so I just wanted to add a .308 to my collection of rifles. My main reason for a semi-auto was: (1)the availability of 20 round magazines and (2) I assumed that gas-operated semi-autos recoiled less than a manually operated action in the same caliber. Please correct me if I am wrong. As for appearance, I'm not too concerned about that. My main criteria for any gun is (1) it goes bang when I pull the trigger and (2) it is reliable and does not jam repeatedly. What's the saying "Pretty is as pretty does". Thanks for the info and have a good day.
Steve Smith
New member
I will third the VEPR. I've done a lot of research on them lately, and I'm getting one. It seems like the "poor accuracy" claims are mainly from folks who are using open sights or poor scopes and shaky benches. Every time I speak to someone who has shot it seriously, they all say 1.5 MOA. That's great for a battle rifle that's as reliable as it is. I have an AK-47 now, and this will be my second Kalashnikov.
4th the vepr. but off topic if you want a real interesting .308 and NOT a semi auto. i just went to the range today with an ishapore enfield in .308 and i did 3rds @ 100yds. off a shakey rest into the x-ring of a target using cavim mfg .308( every other round was outside the x-ring but in the black)inital cost for the gun was $100 out the door. but it will definetely have to have a pad put onto the stock. after 20 or so rds the metal end plate starts to get annoying (whine)
[This message has been edited by jimc (edited August 09, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by jimc (edited August 09, 2000).]
There are some pretty good buys from this company http://www.gibbsrifle.com
I'm not sure how good they actually are but if you are on a budget, the price is right.
I'm not sure how good they actually are but if you are on a budget, the price is right.