Derek Zeanah
New member
I'm afraid that if I don't purchase the firearms I want soon then I may lose my ability to do so.
I've got a CMP Garand (and a 'B' grade receiver coming in) that I really like -- am planning on sending this off to someone like Fulton Armory or Orion as soon as I can come up with the money, then adding something like the side-mounted scope mount that Fulton offers, or the McCann mount. I've also got a couple of handguns that I'm happy with. I don't have an evil, nasty, baby-killing "assault weapon"
though, and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to purchase one.
So, it's time. The problem is one of money -- the wife is in medical school, and finances will remain tight until after her residency is over (assume 4-5 years from now). I'll need to sell off some stuff to justify the purchase, and I'd like to keep the cost to around $500 is possible. I figure that it's OK to "settle" some now, as I can send the gun off to a good 'smith once money is less of an issue. I'm not looking for MOA accuracy either -- if the rifle can consistently hit a 12 inch target at 300 yards then it'll do any job I can see using it for -- if I need more than that then I'll turn to the M1.
I'd love to hear your opinions, and would *especially* love to hear from you if you've got something you'd be willing to trade for (think photo gear, guns, and SCUBA equipment)
I'm looking for a rifle to do the job of the M-16 I used years ago (hopefully better), and I'm thinking about some sort of scope eventually -- something like an Aimpoint, Acog, HOLOsight, etc. (All are toys I have no experience with).
So, lemme know what you think. Here are the options as I see them:
1) AR-15: Big advantage here is familiarity -- it's been years, but I bet I can still field strip an M-16A2, reassemble, and function check it in EIB time. It's easy to keep it on-target for rapid fire, and surplus ammo seems extremely affordable. I'm just not convinced that the 5.56 mm round is a terribly effective round, especially at longer ranges.
2) M-14 clones. Now these seem like serious rifles. Accurate, durable, great trigger, plenty of 'smiths to make them shoot MOA if I change my mind about the importance of accuracy. But the price is a killer. The Fulton Armory folks seem to think well of the ChiCom receivers though -- anyone know where I can find a safe Norinco or Polytech for sale?
3) HK-91 built from a parts kit on an American-made frame: I'm ruling these out because I'm planning on reloading the brass. I know they're Jeff Cooper's choice if he had to equip an army.
4) FAL clone built from a parts kit: this is where I'm heading right now. It would seem that I could buy a rifle from AIM Surplus using the STG-58 parts on an Imbel receiver for a reasonable price. Can anyone comment on quality? If the quality is marginal, is there any reason I couldn't fix that later by sending it off to a decent gunsmith or (preferably) doing the work myself? Is there a better option for buying an FAL?
Thanks. Sorry this sounds so vague, but the only one of these rifles I have any experience with is the AR-15 (in its M16-A1 and A2 varieties). There really isn't any place locally that I can go and shoot the others for comparison.
I've got a CMP Garand (and a 'B' grade receiver coming in) that I really like -- am planning on sending this off to someone like Fulton Armory or Orion as soon as I can come up with the money, then adding something like the side-mounted scope mount that Fulton offers, or the McCann mount. I've also got a couple of handguns that I'm happy with. I don't have an evil, nasty, baby-killing "assault weapon"
So, it's time. The problem is one of money -- the wife is in medical school, and finances will remain tight until after her residency is over (assume 4-5 years from now). I'll need to sell off some stuff to justify the purchase, and I'd like to keep the cost to around $500 is possible. I figure that it's OK to "settle" some now, as I can send the gun off to a good 'smith once money is less of an issue. I'm not looking for MOA accuracy either -- if the rifle can consistently hit a 12 inch target at 300 yards then it'll do any job I can see using it for -- if I need more than that then I'll turn to the M1.
I'd love to hear your opinions, and would *especially* love to hear from you if you've got something you'd be willing to trade for (think photo gear, guns, and SCUBA equipment)
So, lemme know what you think. Here are the options as I see them:
1) AR-15: Big advantage here is familiarity -- it's been years, but I bet I can still field strip an M-16A2, reassemble, and function check it in EIB time. It's easy to keep it on-target for rapid fire, and surplus ammo seems extremely affordable. I'm just not convinced that the 5.56 mm round is a terribly effective round, especially at longer ranges.
2) M-14 clones. Now these seem like serious rifles. Accurate, durable, great trigger, plenty of 'smiths to make them shoot MOA if I change my mind about the importance of accuracy. But the price is a killer. The Fulton Armory folks seem to think well of the ChiCom receivers though -- anyone know where I can find a safe Norinco or Polytech for sale?
3) HK-91 built from a parts kit on an American-made frame: I'm ruling these out because I'm planning on reloading the brass. I know they're Jeff Cooper's choice if he had to equip an army.
4) FAL clone built from a parts kit: this is where I'm heading right now. It would seem that I could buy a rifle from AIM Surplus using the STG-58 parts on an Imbel receiver for a reasonable price. Can anyone comment on quality? If the quality is marginal, is there any reason I couldn't fix that later by sending it off to a decent gunsmith or (preferably) doing the work myself? Is there a better option for buying an FAL?
Thanks. Sorry this sounds so vague, but the only one of these rifles I have any experience with is the AR-15 (in its M16-A1 and A2 varieties). There really isn't any place locally that I can go and shoot the others for comparison.