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Posted on 11/10/2008 7:14:34 AM PST by thefrankbaum
All,
Like many others, I am considering purchasing a semi-automatic long gun. Most likely, an AR-15 as .223 is still fairly easy to come by, and there are a number of "regular" rifles which use the ammunition, so I have some faith that it will remain available for some time period after other ammunition types are outlawed, should that occur.
We have a number of hunting rifles, some WWII German equipment, a few handguns, and plenty of ammunition. I am wondering if any FReepers can shed some light on the ease and advisibility of purchasing a kit from Model 1 Sales and a stripped down lower receiver from some other retailer and then assembling my own weapon. Do people advise against this, or does it seem like a good approach which will allow me to spend more on magazines and ammunition?
Also, I'm currenting thinking of purchasing an A2 upper and 20" barrel, but I know people have strong feelings, so I'd enjoy hearing some other input.
If you're reloading, you can get into trouble with the brass lengthening and causing a bottleneck in a .223 chamber, resulting in very high pressures. Trim your brass and you should be OK. That said, I'd stick with 5.56 chambers...and shoot either ammo.
“.223 inches diameter, 5.56 millimeter.”
But not identical rounds of ammunition.
It's one sweet little shooter. Put an Aimpoint Comp on it. Great rifle. But it's not the one I would pick if someone said "just one and you don't know where you're going or what you'll find when you get there."
That'd be the WASR.
Besides I figure with one of those I can pretty much get anything I want.
L
You need a bench with a vise, the armorers wrench, and I recommend the upper receiver block to clamp it safely for barrelling.
Model 1 is OK, just OK. I had to remove their hammer and trigger and discard after some safety issue came up.
you can save $300 min to $500 by building yourself. Sears has the punches you need to build, get 2 1/16 and 2 1/8 punches and a tiny mallet to tap them with.
I would recommend doing business with del-ton over model 1 really, quality is safety and safety is life or death.
A Mini is a fine choice in places like California where AR is off the table. You can tweak em or get a heavier barrel to be more accurate.
if they are getting a .308 why not an m1a and have a real rifle.
I bought an AR-15 back in 1984. Excellent rifle. Sorry I sold it.
So, bottom line is get a rifle chambered for 5.56 NATO and you cannot go wrong - even if the worst happens and ammo is tough to come by, it would still be about the easiest rifle to find ammo for (.223 or 5.56).
Can the same be said for .308/7.62 NATO?
.308 AR mags can be hard to find. If you want something in .308, get a FAL or an M14/M1A. Both types of magazines are plentiful and relatively cheap, and in the case of the FAL, there’s a bajillion parts for them running around the US.
AKs in anything other than their original calibers (5.45 AK or 7.62x39 AK) do tend to jam because the action isn’t really suited to the profiles of the Western-style rounds like the 5.56 NATO without a great deal of modification to the magazine and feed path design. They do really well in .308, though that’s an uncommon combo for an AK.
If your AK in 7.62x39 is jamming, either you have bad ammo, or something is really, truly, totally screwed on your gun. They have such loose tolerances that you can literally bury one in river mud, come back in 15 years, dig it up, slosh it around in the river to get the mud out of the barrel, load it with fresh ammo and with no other prep proceed to pour rounds down the barrel like there’s no tomorrow. AKs are bullet hoses.
You can shoot an AK until the front foregrip has *literally* burst into flames from overheating, then dump 300 more rounds down it in full auto before the gas action finally carbons up and overheats. There’s a video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNAohtjG14c
You can’t do that with an AR-pattern rifle.
The SKS has limited firepower (10 rounds), if you fit a detachable magazine it becomes a jam-o-matic, and it takes forever to reload if you use a fixed 20 or 30 rounder. It also isn’t quite as robust and there are fewer parts for them.
A Level III assault clamshell or a Level IIIa with trauma plates will stop a regular 30-06. Level IV (trauma plate or suit) will stop a .30-06 AP round.
Level IV plate hit by .30-06 armor piercing. Front view:
Rear view
Most SWAT or Assault units have Level IIIa vests with Level III trauma plates inserted at a minimum. The BATF raid guys have been seen parading around in IV plate-carrying suits.
Moral of story - aim for faceplates. Nobody's come up with a practical rifle-proof visor or faceplate yet.
The only problem with the M1A is that in stock form it’s damn heavy and you can’t hang all the modern accessories off it, nor can you get a modern adjustable stock, etc.
However, you can now *restock* it into a modern design with all the Picatinny rails you could want.
Yes, but with what will you train to make sure you know how to USE the more modern weapon?
I went the other way. For one of my arms, I wished to have the most reliability possible, with the most firepower per round available, and I envisioned an engagement range of under 100 yards.
Since AKs are reliable, but not particularly accurate bullet hoses, I got the best of both. I got a Saiga 12 shotgun. It’s an AK that’s a 12 gauge shotgun. Great shooter, nice recoil, and with a red dot sight on top, it’s hell on wheels at 100 yards or less. Any of the AK’s inherent inaccuracies are cancelled out (or at least made moot) by the fact that the thing is a shotgun throwing a shot cloud or slugs.
bump and a ping
You can beat up on me now……..
Still got the wife?
If not, then get ready for an @$$ whoopin'. If yes, ((and in case she's reading this) then you made the right choice.
But really, you couldn't have found anything else to sell for six bills?
I got a crazy good deal on a brand spanking new Match M1A last year. I was considering restocking it and putting a ‘pod and scope on it but now that I see what they’re going for, and that you apparently can’t do an adjustable butt stock in CA, I’m reluctant...
It's a local company (well, local to Dallas) that sells M1A/M14 stocks that modernize and update the weapon. They claim to have sold some to guys and units in the sandbox, and at the gun shows they attend, they have pictures... then again, most companies make claims like that. What I can say for certain is that I've handled their products and they seem well made and of good quality.
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