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View Full Version : Best semi-auto .308 for the money


The Griffon
April 28, 2000, 01:21 PM
I've been wanting a good .308 semi-auto battle rifle to add to my collection. Here's what I'm considering.
1.M1A- Great rifle according to everybody but a bit salty pricewise.

2.STG-58(FN-FAL)- Another great gun, not as numerious here in the states but the mags are cheap and I'm concerned about the overall quality of a rebuilt rifle.

3.H&K 91/G3- Mags are more expensive, chews up brass, same concerns about quality.

4.M1 Garand in .308- Have seen a few of these and have seen ads for kits in Shotgun News, but other than that I've not heard of anybody with any experience with one.

OK guys these are my options as I see it. I know this subject has probably been hased to death before but I'm new to the forum here so I'd like to hear the collective wisdom. I do own a Savage 110 tactical so I do have experience with reloading the cartridge. Thanks in advance for your comments.

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The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is the pessimist has more information.

RikWriter
April 28, 2000, 01:23 PM
Well, there are people who build M14s with GI parts for around $900. That might be something to think about if money is a big concern. My first choice if I were to buy a 308 right now would be a DSA FAL though. DSA is way backordered, but if you keep your eye on the internet ad boards you can find DSA FALs for around $1300.

Mike Hotel
April 28, 2000, 02:32 PM
Hands down best choice is the Heckler & Koch 91. Get yourself a port buffer to save your brass, and an ARMS or factory claw scope mount with top shelf optics and you are good to go.

It is one of the easist to field strip/clean, battle proven durability, and accurate as hell. You'll pay a little more than the competition, but you'll be hard pressed to do better for less.

RikWriter
April 28, 2000, 03:38 PM
Mike, I love my HK91, but it is nowhere near as easy to field strip as a FAL. It is a very reliable, durable gun, but at the current price of $2000+ I don't think it is worth that kind of money.

4V50 Gary
April 28, 2000, 04:07 PM
Of the two, I would say that the HK is the easier of the two to field strip.

While I personally prefer the HK, if I was on a budget, I'd go with the FN-FAL. Magazines are cheaper. Second advantage is an adjustable gas port which allows for a greater variety of ammunition. The HK is more cartridge and brass sensitive than the FN.

Also, the HK is almost cost prohibitive unless you build your own (use the FMP Portugese receiver). Those barrels from the kits can be pretty worn though as one of our members pointed out. Magazines right now are $25 for a 20 rounder - cheaper than a M14 but more expensive than a FN.

El Rojo
April 28, 2000, 05:36 PM
Spend the extra money and buy yourself an M1A. You won't be sorry you did. They are great guns and are very accurate right out of the box. Save up a few extra months, it will be well worth it.

RikWriter
April 28, 2000, 06:33 PM
Well Gary, mileage may vary and all, but how the heck do you figure???
HK, you gotta pop the pins off the stock, take off the whole buttstock assembly, yank the charging handle back and pull the bolt out. Then you got that magician's trick to get the bolt back together...
With a FAL, you pull back one lever, boom, the gun breaks in half, bolt slides out, dust cover pulls off. Boom, it goes back together. Couldn't be simpler.

Shin-Tao
April 29, 2000, 12:33 AM
Don't over look the VEPR.

Zak Smith
April 29, 2000, 01:00 AM
My vote goes for the FAL/STG-58 - for the money. Just inspect it before you buy, and make sure to get a DSA or Imbel receiver.

If we didn't have all these silly laws, of course the answer might be different. I've never even seen an HK91 manufactured on HK tooling. Mags for the M1A and HK91 are prohibitively expensive, compared to the FAL.

-z

Destructo6
April 29, 2000, 01:22 AM
First choice: FAL built on an Imbel receiver ($240 from Federal Arms) using either a R1A1 or STG-58 kit (with good barrel). There are quite a few smiths that can do all or just some (barrel and headspace) of the work for a reasonable price. Mags are dirt cheap. You can put together a quality FAL for around $800. I did the kit FAL a while back and it was super easy. I had a local DSA recommended smith barrel, headspace, and attach the muzzle brake while I did what little remained. It's been 100% reliable.

Second: "Loaded" M1A1 because they're already assembled and they're cool. Mags are expensive, but it's quite accurate. Seems the price is climbing on these lately ($1300).

Third: HK-91 clone built on a FMP receiver. Inter Ordnance has these for $450, new. Add a decent parts kit (not from IO) for another $200, a brand new barrel for $100 from Federal Arms, the US parts, and assembly for a total of around $1000. I'm in the process of doing this now and I must say that HK parts retailers are terrible with service. The pain in the butt of dealing with the parts suppliers is why the HK-91 clone is third.


[This message has been edited by Destructo6 (edited April 29, 2000).]

DougB
April 29, 2000, 02:07 AM
I have an STG-58 FAL that I like a lot. It was put together by Century Arms and cost mea $589.95 plus FFL fees, etc. I see them now in Shotgun News for about $550. I admit these are variable in quality, but mine looks and shoots fine. I have seen others that aren't quite as nice (I think I was kind of lucky).

Mine has an Imbel receiver (be sure to ask if you want this - some use Hesse receivers, which don't have as good a reputation).

If price is a concern, these are tough to beat. I ordered from AIM Surplus, and they were good to deal with. They also sell new FAL magazines for about $8 each.

A friend of mine purchased an STG-58 kit, an Imbel receiver, and had a rifle assembled and re-finished for him. It looks nice, and he had the option of cutting the barrel shorter and installing a muzzle break (which he did). It looks very nice. I think this can be done for not much more than the Century rifles. It could be cheaper, except that you have to buy some U.S. parts to make it legally a U.S. gun (this is frustrating, because the SGT-58 kit will have the parts you replace with nothing wrong with them except that they are imported). If I didn't live in California, I'd build another one this way (probably with a 16" barrel).

Anyway, I'd vote for the FAL. If you can examine a Century rifle before you buy, or take a chance ordering and get lucky, as I did, I think that is the cheapest way to get a nice .308 semi-auto. Good luck.

Doug

DougB
April 29, 2000, 02:24 AM
I have an STG-58 FAL that I like a lot. It was put together by Century Arms and cost mea $589.95 plus FFL fees, etc. I see that AIM now has them for $529.95. I admit these are variable in quality, but mine looks and shoots fine. I have seen others that aren't quite as nice (I think I was kind of lucky).

Mine has an Imbel receiver (be sure to ask if you want this - some use Hesse receivers, which don't have as good a reputation).

If price is a concern, these are tough to beat. I ordered from AIM Surplus, and they were good to deal with. They also sell new FAL magazines for about $8 each.

A friend of mine purchased an STG-58 kit, an Imbel receiver, and had a rifle assembled and re-finished for him. It looks nice, and he had the option of cutting the barrel shorter and installing a muzzle break (which he did). It looks very nice. I think this can be done for not much more than the Century rifles. It could be cheaper, except that you have to buy some U.S. parts to make it legally a U.S. gun (this is frustrating, because the SGT-58 kit will have the parts you replace with nothing wrong with them except that they are imported). If I didn't live in California, I'd build another one this way (probably with a 16" barrel).

Anyway, I'd vote for the FAL. If you can examine a Century rifle before you buy, or take a chance ordering and get lucky, as I did, I think that is the cheapest way to get a nice .308 semi-auto. Good luck.

Doug


[This message has been edited by DougB (edited April 29, 2000).]

Derek Zeanah
April 29, 2000, 08:39 AM
I asked a similar question here (http://www.thefiringline.com/NonCGI/Forum3/HTML/002461.html) a little while ago.

I guess I'm in the same situation as you are. An option no-one else really covered was the .308 M1 Rifle. You can buy a receiver (http://www.odcmp.com/services/rifles/index.htm) that "may show evidence of rust and minor pitting" for $125 from the CMP. You can pass it off to someone like Orion (http://m1garandrifle.com) who offers packages like this:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Select grade. Assembled with first quality U.S.G.I. parts and original U.S.G.I. receivers. New commercial walnut stock and handguards. New commercial U.S.G.I. spec. gauged standard contour match barrel available in 30-06 or popular 308 Win ( add $25.00 ). These Garands shoot as good as they look. A solid, well-built rifle with the serious shooter in mind. These rifles are as close to un-issued as they get. Springfield Armory. One of our most popular rifles! Guaranteed under 2.0 M.O.A. accuracy ( conservative ). Complete with sling, clips, and training manual. Perfect for individuals wanting to start high power service rifle competition. A quality M1 rifle built by Orion. $959.95 or $659.95 with your U.S. receiver. 30-06 and 308 rifles in stock! [/quote]

So, for $785 plus shipping you can have a "new" M1 in .308 guaranteed to shoot better than 2 MOA, built on an original U.S. military receiver, with a 30-day money back guarantee. Magazines only hold 8 rounds, but can be had for $0.40 each without difficulty; reliability is up there with the best of the rest; and hey -- if TSHTF you can use it + bayonet as a 10.5 lb club! :D

I don't have any experience with .308 Garands, but my 30-06 is a blast to shoot, accurate, with great sights and a great trigger (something none of your other options really offers, except the M14-clones).

That said, I still haven't made my decision. Odds are I'll finish a deal I've been working on for a Turk Mauser-based scout, send my 'B'-grade receiver to Orion (maybe mount a scope on it), and make do with that.


[This message has been edited by Schmit (edited April 29, 2000).]

The Griffon
April 29, 2000, 10:51 AM
Well so far it seems to be that every one agrees that the FAL is the best all around for ease of maintenence, price and reliability. So I guess thats what I'll go with. But in my heart I think I'd really like to have the Garand in .308. The M1A is just to salty, and I'm operating on a budget. I think I'll assemble my own.

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The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is the pessimist has more information.

deanf
May 1, 2000, 01:26 AM
I haven't seen anyone mention the Armalite AR-10 . . . . .

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"Anyone feel like saluting the flag which the strutting ATF and FBI gleefully raised over the smoldering crematorium of Waco, back in April of ‘93?" -Vin Suprynowicz

George Hill
May 1, 2000, 02:12 AM
I was looking at the DSA's carbine barrel assembly... Kinda like a M-4 version of the FAL.
Once you see it - you will want it.

I have a terrible NEED to get it. I feel like George Castanza - I am obsessing over it... I have to have it!

mcshot
May 1, 2000, 10:39 AM
My vote goes to the Beretta BM-590/62 series.
The cream of proven battle rifles IMHO.

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"Keep shootin till they quit floppin"
The Wife 2/2000

Kernel
May 2, 2000, 02:08 PM
Rebarreling an M1 Garand to .308 is a great idea (http://www.thefiringline.com/NonCGI/Forum3/HTML/002240.html). Get a CMP Garand for $400. A number of quality Smiths with rebarrel it to .308 for around $250 (including the barrel), sell your old .30-06 barrel for $100 - $150 on eBay (about what they go for, and condition doesn't seem to matter). Your net cost is $500 to $550, plus some S&H. Every rifleman needs at least one M1. -- Kernel

[This message has been edited by Kernel (edited May 02, 2000).]

alan
May 2, 2000, 11:51 PM
"Best" semi-auto .308, for the money, might well be a rebarreled M-1. They might not have the "chic" of some others, and are "limited" to 8 rounds but every one I have seen WORKED WELL AND SHOT WELL TOO.

Just my take, for whatever it might be worth.

Zak Smith
May 3, 2000, 12:06 AM
I saw the DSA FAL carbine this weekend at the gun show. I was very impressed at the build quality and fit & finish. It's much ligher than a regular all-steel STG58 also.

-z

The Griffon
May 3, 2000, 10:27 AM
Although 8 rounds is a limitation of the Garand in .308 you can get the clips for a buck. So for forty bucks (the average cost of an M1A mag) you can load load up 320 rds. vs twenty in the M1A for the same money. That sounds like a bargin to me if you lose a few your not out big bucks.

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The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is the pessimist has more information.

dlrector
May 3, 2000, 11:23 PM
Griffon, a buck a clip is too high. You can buy 100 of them from Wideners for $35 delivered. Of course, if shoot highpower matches, they usually have M2 ball(3006) for cheap and you get to keep the clips, cardboards and bandoliers too if the officials give them out.