Non AR 5.56: what are your favorites? - Page 3

Fishbed77 · March 13, 2018, 10:09 AM

Quote:

At the time, I wasn't sure the 223 rifle would work out in regards to parts availability and reliability.

Parts and mag availability was my concern at the time (and just a desire to have a quality 7.62x39mm AK). The Polish Beryl is a reliable 5.56x45mm AK, so certainly the Russians could do the same.

Also, doing a Beryl-ish clone build of a 5.56x45mm Saiga would have been a lot of fun.

USMCGrunt · March 13, 2018, 12:35 PM

In 5.56mm rifles, I have found a love for bullpups these days. I started out with a Tavor, recently added a STg77 and just ordered an RDB from gunbroker. I can't speak for the Kel-Tec yet but the Tavor and AUG have been solid performers, accurate, and reliable. Their short overall length for compact storage and easy handling yet full size barrel for better ballistic performance is a winner in my book.

dgludwig · March 13, 2018, 05:47 PM

Very cool, COSteve! Love it.

michaelc246 · March 13, 2018, 07:24 PM

I'd probably go for an AR 10 haha! Or I'd get a red dot on an AK and run that.

lordmorgul · March 13, 2018, 11:50 PM

Very much in the Mini camp! My ARs are definitely better weapons of war but my 583 Mini Tactical is a gun I’m very glad I bought and won’t be selling it! Gas port and trigger mod, 1x Spitfire Prism site, Techsights rear aperture iron sight upgrade, and it’s fantastic. (With a muzzle brake)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Andrew - Lancaster, CA

flashhole · March 14, 2018, 06:22 AM

Why do you say better? Can you be more specific with your assertion?

Zen Archery · March 14, 2018, 08:06 AM

Love the classics bolt actions
.22 RF
.223 5.56
.308
30.06

and the lever actions
30-30
45/70

rickyrick · March 14, 2018, 01:28 PM

I could compare groups from my Mini14 to groups from my ARs and you couldn’t tell the difference.
I don’t like the rock in style mag on the Mini14 but that’s about it.

I didn’t realize that there were even issues with the Mini14 pre Internet days.

COSteve · March 14, 2018, 02:16 PM

Why would anyone assume that you need a 'weapon of war' as a civilian? The facts are that none of us are going to need a weapon for an armed attack, need to defend ourselves against a Zombie, or be part of a military unit (again). Being in a militia that may spend time playing 'war' might be fun but that's all it really is, playing.

If there ever is a need for one of us to defend ourselves and/or our loved ones in a time of civil unrest or from attack by criminals, the smart thing will be to call the police while you are defending yourself until they get there. (Yes, I agree that when seconds count, the cops are minutes away.) Taking a person's life in self defense doesn't lesson the impact the act has on you. Those of us who've been forced into it in battle will never forget the toll it takes on our humanity.

So, the rifles we might pick are almost always going to be used for recreation. One should keep that in mind. Nothing wrong with a military style rifle but one must remember, we aren't in the military anymore. Those of you who are in a job that requires firearms, I'm sure that the organization has requirements for the type and style they outfit you with. So, in truth, our arms are part of a hobby. Not unlike golf or hiking. All of my collection was picked with recreation in mind. Yes, I have military style weapons, however, they are mostly for nostalgia. M1 and M1 Carbines in honor of my father, M1A and AR in honor of me. The Mini above is 'just because I can' so I can enjoy shooting the 5.56 rd in a comfortable platform. (While I have 2 myself, I'm not a real fan of the AR.)

rickyrick · March 14, 2018, 02:50 PM

We are quickly becoming a society of needs and not a society of rights.

It’s just me, but I think the AR ship is sinking ever so slowly. We’ve had a surge in recent years, but the public is weary of getting mass murdered in public spaces. Everyone they trust, celebrities, mayors, Congress people, senators, presidents, news outlets, doctors, nurses, radiologist, FBI agents, clergy, retired generals, school teachers, college professors and many more are all telling the public that the Assault Weapon is the cause.

We are here talking about recreation and semantics over semi auto and magazine clips.

ammo.crafter · March 14, 2018, 02:54 PM

Ruger Mini-14

flashhole · March 14, 2018, 04:38 PM

"Why would anyone assume that you need a 'weapon of war' as a civilian?"

Because I don't trust my Government and I don't want to be out-gunned if I can help it.

rickyrick · March 14, 2018, 06:11 PM

Well lookie here, speaking of Mini14s, this was on my doorstep today.

Ordered so long ago I had forgotten about it.

Sure is pretty.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DMK · March 15, 2018, 06:01 AM

Quote:

.... the public is weary of getting mass murdered in public spaces. Everyone they trust, celebrities, mayors, Congress people, senators, presidents, news outlets, doctors, nurses, radiologist, FBI agents, clergy, retired generals, school teachers, college professors and many more are all telling the public that the Assault Weapon is the cause.

And yet they are all wrong.

Nobody is looking seriously at what the real cause is. Whatever it is has a lot more to do with our society than the weapons used. But dealing with that would be hard and banning tools is easy.

pete2 · March 15, 2018, 10:52 AM

My real guns are a Model 88 in .243, A model 70, .243 and a Model 77 MKII in .270.
The 2 ARs are just toys for me.

Fishbed77 · March 15, 2018, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Everyone they trust, celebrities, mayors, Congress people, senators, presidents, news outlets, doctors, nurses, radiologist, FBI agents, clergy, retired generals, school teachers, college professors and many more are all telling the public that the Assault Weapon is the cause.

It's funny that you mention this list of "trusted" people, when many of their actions are the ones responsible for the conditions that lead to mass murders.

rickyrick · March 15, 2018, 03:11 PM

That is not my view, but many Americans trust those people blindly, so if everyone they trust is telling them that Assault Weapons are bad, then they believe it.

I think if we had a poll, the Mini14 would win as the non-AR type rifle that is CHAMBERED in 5.56mm as the op asked.

Skans · March 15, 2018, 04:51 PM

FN FNC - still a very fine folding stock 5.56. Just really expensive because those with registered sears are always buying up the semi-autos to (legally) convert them.

Mike38 · March 15, 2018, 04:57 PM

Saiga 223. From a distance, in it's original configuration, it looks nothing like an AK, yet it is.

TheDevilThatYouKnow · March 15, 2018, 06:44 PM

I'm in the minority along with SPEMack618 I guess. My Non-AR is a Daewoo K2 (AR-100 when I purchased it in the mid 80's.

The only changes I've made are a full-length FAL handguard, a 90-degree safety and a M1913 top rail.

It bookends nicely with the Daewoo shotgun.

CalmerThanYou · March 15, 2018, 06:54 PM

This years want list includes a B&T APC556

DMK · March 16, 2018, 06:22 AM

Quote:

... many Americans trust those people blindly, so if everyone they trust is telling them that Assault Weapons are bad, then they believe it....

Unfortunately, you are very correct there.

Too many lemmings and not enough citizens these days.

benEzra · March 16, 2018, 07:01 AM

The only “weapon of war” I own is a 1942 Finnish M39 bolt-action built on a 1905 Izhevsk hex receiver with the crest of the czar.

My Tavor (my favorite rifle) and my Rock River AR are non-automatic civilian guns, and are no more “weapons of war” than your grandfather’s military-style Winchester Model 70 or your great-great-grandfather’s military-style Winchester 1866.

Pretty much all civilian guns except double-barrel shotguns can be described as “military-style”, but that doesn’t make them “weapons of war”. And an AR is far less like it’s military cousins than a civilian Remington 700 is like an M24/M40 or a Model 70 is like a Mauser.

AR’s and other modern-looking civilian semiautos are legal in Canada, most of Europe, and New Zealand, and .22LR variants are legal in the UK. Bloomberg et al have fallen so far into fundamentalist extremism that they are trying to ban guns that are entirely legal in the nations they purport to admire.

dgludwig · March 17, 2018, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Sure is pretty.

Pretty ugly if you were to ask this dyed in the wool traditionalist-which you didn't...

rickyrick · March 17, 2018, 12:43 PM

Dgludwig,
Some time back, I too the wood stock off of my Mini14 so I could slow down the wear and tear on the wood. I put an ATI plastic stock on it, but really never liked it. Went through a pretty nasty divorce and ended up leaving the wood stock behind. The Mini14 has had to live five extra years with that bad plastic stock on it.

The laminate stock is now way better looking and definitely more comfortable for sure.
I also imagine that sometime in the future, I’ll find an original wood stock for the Mini14. My first lan all along was to only use the plastic stock through my varmint hunting stage, which I did, but I lost the original.

March 13, 2018, 05:47 PM	#53
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	Very cool, COSteve! Love it. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

March 13, 2018, 07:24 PM	#54
michaelc246 Member Join Date: November 8, 2017 Posts: 18	I'd probably go for an AR 10 haha! Or I'd get a red dot on an AK and run that. __________________ -Michael C. Si vis pacem para bellum http://reddotshooters.com/

March 13, 2018, 11:50 PM	#55
lordmorgul Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 2016 Posts: 206	Non AR 5.56: what are your favorites? Very much in the Mini camp! My ARs are definitely better weapons of war but my 583 Mini Tactical is a gun I’m very glad I bought and won’t be selling it! Gas port and trigger mod, 1x Spitfire Prism site, Techsights rear aperture iron sight upgrade, and it’s fantastic. (With a muzzle brake) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Andrew - Lancaster, CA

March 14, 2018, 06:22 AM	#56
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	Why do you say better? Can you be more specific with your assertion? __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

March 14, 2018, 08:06 AM	#57
Zen Archery Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2005 Posts: 274	Love the classics bolt actions .22 RF .223 5.56 .308 30.06 and the lever actions 30-30 45/70 __________________ Video Hunting Library

March 13, 2018, 12:35 PM	#52
USMCGrunt Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2000 Location: Somewhere in 14T NT Posts: 730	In 5.56mm rifles, I have found a love for bullpups these days. I started out with a Tavor, recently added a STg77 and just ordered an RDB from gunbroker. I can't speak for the Kel-Tec yet but the Tavor and AUG have been solid performers, accurate, and reliable. Their short overall length for compact storage and easy handling yet full size barrel for better ballistic performance is a winner in my book.

March 14, 2018, 01:28 PM	#58
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	I could compare groups from my Mini14 to groups from my ARs and you couldn’t tell the difference. I don’t like the rock in style mag on the Mini14 but that’s about it. I didn’t realize that there were even issues with the Mini14 pre Internet days.

March 14, 2018, 02:16 PM	#59
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	Why would anyone assume that you need a 'weapon of war' as a civilian? The facts are that none of us are going to need a weapon for an armed attack, need to defend ourselves against a Zombie, or be part of a military unit (again). Being in a militia that may spend time playing 'war' might be fun but that's all it really is, playing. If there ever is a need for one of us to defend ourselves and/or our loved ones in a time of civil unrest or from attack by criminals, the smart thing will be to call the police while you are defending yourself until they get there. (Yes, I agree that when seconds count, the cops are minutes away.) Taking a person's life in self defense doesn't lesson the impact the act has on you. Those of us who've been forced into it in battle will never forget the toll it takes on our humanity. So, the rifles we might pick are almost always going to be used for recreation. One should keep that in mind. Nothing wrong with a military style rifle but one must remember, we aren't in the military anymore. Those of you who are in a job that requires firearms, I'm sure that the organization has requirements for the type and style they outfit you with. So, in truth, our arms are part of a hobby. Not unlike golf or hiking. All of my collection was picked with recreation in mind. Yes, I have military style weapons, however, they are mostly for nostalgia. M1 and M1 Carbines in honor of my father, M1A and AR in honor of me. The Mini above is 'just because I can' so I can enjoy shooting the 5.56 rd in a comfortable platform. (While I have 2 myself, I'm not a real fan of the AR.)

March 14, 2018, 02:50 PM	#60
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	We are quickly becoming a society of needs and not a society of rights. It’s just me, but I think the AR ship is sinking ever so slowly. We’ve had a surge in recent years, but the public is weary of getting mass murdered in public spaces. Everyone they trust, celebrities, mayors, Congress people, senators, presidents, news outlets, doctors, nurses, radiologist, FBI agents, clergy, retired generals, school teachers, college professors and many more are all telling the public that the Assault Weapon is the cause. We are here talking about recreation and semantics over semi auto and magazine clips.

March 14, 2018, 02:54 PM	#61
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	5.56/223 Ruger Mini-14 __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

March 14, 2018, 04:38 PM	#62
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 2,000	"Why would anyone assume that you need a 'weapon of war' as a civilian?" Because I don't trust my Government and I don't want to be out-gunned if I can help it. __________________ ,,, stupidity comes to some people very easily. 8/22/2017 my wife in a discussion about Liberals. Are you ready for civil war?

March 14, 2018, 06:11 PM	#63
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Well lookie here, speaking of Mini14s, this was on my doorstep today. Ordered so long ago I had forgotten about it. Sure is pretty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

March 15, 2018, 10:52 AM	#65
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	My real guns are a Model 88 in .243, A model 70, .243 and a Model 77 MKII in .270. The 2 ARs are just toys for me.

March 15, 2018, 03:11 PM	#67
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	That is not my view, but many Americans trust those people blindly, so if everyone they trust is telling them that Assault Weapons are bad, then they believe it. I think if we had a poll, the Mini14 would win as the non-AR type rifle that is CHAMBERED in 5.56mm as the op asked.

March 15, 2018, 04:51 PM	#68
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	FN FNC - still a very fine folding stock 5.56. Just really expensive because those with registered sears are always buying up the semi-autos to (legally) convert them.

March 15, 2018, 04:57 PM	#69
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	Saiga 223. From a distance, in it's original configuration, it looks nothing like an AK, yet it is.

March 15, 2018, 06:44 PM	#70
TheDevilThatYouKnow Member Join Date: November 22, 2015 Posts: 89	I'm in the minority along with SPEMack618 I guess. My Non-AR is a Daewoo K2 (AR-100 when I purchased it in the mid 80's. The only changes I've made are a full-length FAL handguard, a 90-degree safety and a M1913 top rail. It bookends nicely with the Daewoo shotgun.

March 15, 2018, 06:54 PM	#71
CalmerThanYou Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2017 Posts: 323	This years want list includes a B&T APC556

March 16, 2018, 07:01 AM	#73
benEzra Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2001 Location: Down East in NC Posts: 220	The only “weapon of war” I own is a 1942 Finnish M39 bolt-action built on a 1905 Izhevsk hex receiver with the crest of the czar. My Tavor (my favorite rifle) and my Rock River AR are non-automatic civilian guns, and are no more “weapons of war” than your grandfather’s military-style Winchester Model 70 or your great-great-grandfather’s military-style Winchester 1866. Pretty much all civilian guns except double-barrel shotguns can be described as “military-style”, but that doesn’t make them “weapons of war”. And an AR is far less like it’s military cousins than a civilian Remington 700 is like an M24/M40 or a Model 70 is like a Mauser. AR’s and other modern-looking civilian semiautos are legal in Canada, most of Europe, and New Zealand, and .22LR variants are legal in the UK. Bloomberg et al have fallen so far into fundamentalist extremism that they are trying to ban guns that are entirely legal in the nations they purport to admire.

March 17, 2018, 12:43 PM	#75
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Dgludwig, Some time back, I too the wood stock off of my Mini14 so I could slow down the wear and tear on the wood. I put an ATI plastic stock on it, but really never liked it. Went through a pretty nasty divorce and ended up leaving the wood stock behind. The Mini14 has had to live five extra years with that bad plastic stock on it. The laminate stock is now way better looking and definitely more comfortable for sure. I also imagine that sometime in the future, I’ll find an original wood stock for the Mini14. My first lan all along was to only use the plastic stock through my varmint hunting stage, which I did, but I lost the original.