Help me pick my magazine fed light rifle.

F

firemediceric

New member
I know my question will be much like asking someone to tell me what the best tasting food is; everyone has their preferences and individual tastes.

I am looking to purchase a magazine fed light rifle (an assault rifle to use a liberal moniker) for my occasional target practice. To be honest, I'll be doing well to take it to a range a couple of times a year. The rifle will most likely spend 364 days a year sitting in my safe, yet nonetheless I want to purchase a dependable, quality built gun. In doing reading of past threads on the forum I quickly become overwhelmed with information that is well beyond my expertise as to why one gun may be better than another.

There are those who love the AR-15 platform and others who religiously stand by the reliability of an AK. That said, regardless of type chosen, what's the best manufacturer/model to go with and what accessories should be incorporated?

It's in your power to tell me how to spend my money. Please help me make a decision I will not regret in choosing a rifle that is built with quality, reliability and accuracy to the point that if I were ever to start using the weapon on a daily basis I would not be able to find a fault with it.

Depending on how suggestions are made, perhaps I'll add a poll to this thread to keep track of the suggestions.

Thank you.
 
This thread is going to get a bunch answers to include Ar15, AK47, FAL, Mini-14, SKS, 10/22 and the list goes on and on and on.

What kind of money are you looking to spend? Since you only plan on shooting it once a year, do you want something that is not common? What caliber are you looking for? Just some food for thought.

Personally I like Ar15s because thats the rifle I learned to shoot in boot camp. So I'm biased. There are more good AR companies out there than there are bad ones. One's I'd recommend would be Colt, BCM, Daniel Defense, Spikes Tactical, and S&W. It all depends on what kind of money you are willing to dish out.

If you wont somethin more "exotic" I guess you can say, I also have a FN PS90. They are on the expensive side and ammo is not widely available (internet is your friend) but its an eye catcher and its tons of fun to shoot.

As for accessories. Buy iron sights first and get good and comfortable with those before you start worrying about scopes and red dots, etc. Buy a couple more magazines, a whole bunch of ammo and enjoy!
 
Cannonfire has a strong point, what do you want to spend?

I have my HK93 clone (C93) and I love it. The only thing that really sucks is that magazines are expensive, the 40 rounders are about 45 bucks and the 30-25 rounders are 80 and above. You can get one for 500 at jg sales.

AR15s are fun, I know them like the back of my hand because of boot and have built two for friends. Magazines are cheap and they have more accessories than barbie. Good choice and prices can range from about 600 to whatever you feel like spending.

Otherwise get yourself a 10/22 and throw on one of those stocks that make it look like another gun. I'm planning on making mine look like a g36k.:D
 
cannonfire,
I'll spend what I have to, but don't want to spend more than I need to. What I mean by that, is regardless of the price, if I'm not paying more than the going rate for the product and the consensus is that the product is indeed worth the MSRP, I'll pay it.

I'm not looking for exotic or to turn any heads. I want functional, utilitarian and reliable. I realize every thing is a trade off; the more compact the weapon the harder it is to be accurate, the larger the weapon and mobility is sacrificed. I'm looking for middle ground in all areas. I also want a weapon for which ammo is readily available and in caliber that has significant knock down.

Part of what will go into my decision process is being able to get the weapon from a vendor that will provide me a product that I can take right out of the box and be ready to go with any of the recommended accessories, bells, whistles, etc. already professionally installed. I don't want to play gunsmith making a project gun by buying various pieces that I have to assemble on my own. I want a fully assembled, well crafted, complete unit that is ready to go.

I completely agree with you about starting with iron sights and "Buy a couple more magazines, a whole bunch of ammo and enjoy!"
 
In that case I would buy a BCM or a Colt 6920 in 5.56. This may start a war between 5.56 and 7.62 and AR vs. AK but that is what I recommend. Both those companies will be real shooters out of the box. No rifle will come with all of the accessories that you want (foregrip, good optic, suppressor, etc.) you can accessorize as you go along with those add-ons. But those rifles will be great out of the box and 5.56 and .223 are available just about every where short of the Democratic primary. And ammo is cheap.
 
Your question is too open ended.

Its like me walking onto the lot of a car dealership that offers every model sports car in the world ranging from budget sports coupes to Maseratis to Ferraris and even McLarens then asking a bunch of sales people as well as random other shoppers to help me find my sports car... and that's it.

First budget is a real concern. If price is of no concern to you I'd suggest taking a look at Knight's Armament's offerings... or if H&K's offerings (like their civilian version of the 416).

If price is of a concern then let us know your budget and actual intended use for the rifle so we can offer better advice.
 
Hansam,
In my mind I was thinking upwards of $1500. I don't mind spending less, but I won't be shocked to pay more. Knight's Armament (which happens to be in the same town in which I live, Vero Beach) is of a quality that would likely be lost and wasted on me due to my being a true novice. The actual use is as mentioned in the beginning; I want it to have it and I'll likely take it to the range only a few times a year. That said, I expect flawless performance each and every time.

Cannonfire,
Do you recommend one particular vendor over another?
 
I want it to have it and I'll likely take it to the range only a few times a year.
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I've heard that before. After you get it, you'll likely spend a lot more time at the range than you realize. I find myself scheduling time on my calendar for trigger therapy. Shooting is more addictive than golf.
 
Cannonfire,
Do you recommend one particular vendor over another?
Click to expand...

At that point it is personal prefance. You can not go wrong with any of the ones I mentioned.

Personally, I would go with BCM only because I feel that you get the best for the price, and as a poor college student, cheaper is better. Colt has been making AR15s from the start so they have the design down, but with Colt you are also paying for the name and resale value (if you decide to resell it). But BCM is top notch with competitive prices and I refuse to sell any of my guns (heard too many stories of people regretting selling a gun).

I prefer to build one, this way I get exactly what I want but you already said you do not want to do that. check out bravocompanyusa.com (BCM) you wont go wrong.

And dont forget to get lots of Magpul P-Mags
 
Actually if you REALLY do intend to only hit the range a few times a year with the gun you could really scale down in cost. Get one of those new fangled polymer lower receivers for around $100 and pick up an upper from PSA for around $475. For $575 + shipping, FFL and tax you have an AR you can take to the range a few times a year or even a little more. If you start making weekly (or more often) trips to the range and start sending thousands of rounds downrange I'd spend a bit more and at least get a regular lower receiver.
 
Parts availability, ease of maintenance, availability of magazines and ammunition, cost. If those were my criteria, I would pick the Stoner.
 
USGI M1 carbine and USGI 15 round mags

700 for the carbine and 10-15 per mag

The vast majority of them run like sewing machines

Ammunition was never corrosive

Accurate enough; mine ten rings at 100 yards with no real effort. Should be acceptable out to 250 yards I imagine. I think my AR15 is a great rifle and my M1 rifle is my favorite to own but my M1 carbine is by far my favorite to shoot.

carbinestock.jpg
 
A Yugoslavian SKS or an AK-47 variant such as the WASR-10.
Either one can be had for minimal investment (buy ammo with the extra cash), are fun to shoot and in most cases very reliable.
I love my AR-15, but it requires more care than the other two options.

Based on the criteria of "reliable" and "only shooting a couple times a year", I'd go SKS or AK. You probably won't get the same accuracy potential as a good AR, but to the "couple times a year" shooter, I guarantee you won't know the difference. I shoot a bunch more than a few times a year, and I can't make full use of the accuracy potential of most of my firearms. :)

$350 for a good SKS and that leaves you with a whole crap load of ammo money! :cool:
 
Im far from an expert but an sks, or an m1a or even a socom 16 are all in your budget. For your budget, you COULD get an sks and a smith&wesson m&p15. I like the m&p 15. If you are only shooting it a few times a year, these are pretty nice options. Just my two cents.
 
don't

If you want a "light" rifle, don't get an SKS. They are "rifle" size, but fire a carbine cartridge, and I am not a fan.

My vote is for a Mini-14. Ammo common to the military. I'd buy a quantity of good mags and lots of ammo with the cash left over. I'd get a folding stock too, something you cannot do with the AR platform, but might not fit it to the rifle for every day use. Put an optic (easy with factory rings) on it, something small to intermediate, maybe a Leupold AR series, 2-7x or 1.5-5x at largest.

And I'd shoot it plenty.
 
From what you describe....your best choice would be an AR that is chambered in 7.62x51. AR's are known for their accuracy and the 7.62x51 is well known for its ability to get downrange with some authority.

With the AR platform, you will be able to get a lot of different accessories to "make it your own". Surplus ammo is readily available for it at a decent price. You can also purchase commercial ammo for it (308 Winchester) and use it for hunting.

I hope that this helps.
 
firemediceric, how much experience with rifles have you had? If little or none, I suggest you get a .22 rimfire to work on your learning curve to marksmanship. If you definitely want a semi-auto, there are many on the market. If you want to mess around with bells and whistles in modifications, the Ruger 10/22 is a good choice.

If you have experience, there is the issue of your interests in shooting. Tin-can plinking, paper-punching at targets in a more formal fashion, possibly home defense, possibly at some point in the future, hunting. These considerations make quite a difference for rational choice.
 
I am looking to purchase a magazine fed light rifle (an assault rifle to use a liberal moniker) for my occasional target practice.
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As a gun toting liberal perhaps I can shed some light on this subject (it might do a great deal of good to engage a dialog with us GTLs as we do have some things in common with the GTRs or GTCs). They were the ones who suggested a universal mandate for health care which I endorse and they deny.

Both the AK and the AR gun platforms are semi auto version of selective fire (fancy talk for an automatic weapon).

So what do you call them that accurately bring to mind the picture you need to share ? (we all know what a 67 Mustang looks like, so if we say that we all have the same mental image).

Frankly to denigrate people using the phrase is an attempt to diver the subject as there is no doubt in my mind that is the reason for their appeal. They are semi auto version of assault rifles.

I do not have mine to hunt dear. Its for HD, SD. Its a legitimate and legal purpose, but I have chosen a gun that is oriented to killing people, plain and simple. So is my semi auto pistol, it just not have the graphic image that the Semi Auto Carbines do.

They can also be used for smaller game up to dear size though it would not be my choice for that.

The industry is trying to get the use the term MSR (Modern sporting arm). They will fail. It just is not going to fly.

Until someone comes up with a moniker that rolls off the tongue and still conveys what we are talking about, we are stuck with assault rifle. Within a group like this Semi Auto Carbine will describe what you are talking about (or so I think)
 
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