Poll: .308 piston "battle" rifles

[Jcon268]

Hey folks, I'm looking for specific reasons as to WHY you would choose. This would help someone trying to make a choice as to what is right for them. Currently, I'm in that boat of needing information. Feel free to touch on accuracy, durability, ability to run in harsh conditions, availability of parts, etc. I don't care just put the WHY

 

[Jcon268]

True, but we ain't talking about "military grade" weapons are we?

If we are, I sure hope there aren't any anti's lurking around.

Although perhaps a couple options aren't specifically battle tested, if a rifle has been designed with robust parts and combat durability in mind and has still proven itself relatively successful against civilian "torture test methods" I think it should be considered.

 

[eightyeight mag]

Going to add both as options

Yes!
I cast my vote

 

[Jcon268]

Apparently it won't allow me to make further edits to the poll so what's currently up is all I can add

 

[Goosebrown]

Not even hard, the right arm of the free world is the only choice in my mind. Make mine a fal.

Make mine a fal too

 

[Camelfilter]

Apparently it won't allow me to make further edits to the poll so what's currently up is all I can add

I believe polls are limited to 10 selections, else things would just get CRAZY around here...

 

[Goosebrown]

I hate the term "battle rifle". Remind me of all the Colt fan boys that say only Colt AR's are "battle rifles" . No offense OP.

Battle rifle means something AR15 class weapons are not battle rifles any more than a Ford Taurus is a race car.

 

[Ura-Ki]

You asked for it, you got it!
AK, tough is they come, durable, reliable and will run most of the time no matter what you do to one, short of running it over with a T-72 to adjust the Sights, they are bomb proof!
M1A, Reliable when cared for and kept clean and fed well, accurate as any, better then most! Major down sides, they are a bugger to get an optic to run as the mounts are funky and tend to flex or come loose, very hard to get a good mount to stay solidly in place, Ask any one who has run a REAL M-21 and they will tell you how sensitive they can be. As a standard Fighting Rifle, they are one of the best, matched only by the FAL for reliability and accuracy! Major plus's, Very accurate, very reliable when kept spotless, self regulating gas system that compensates very well, only down side that can be fixed is adding a gas plug with a shut off for running suppressed!
SR-25 ( AR-10 pattern) can be very accurate when set up properly, tend to be heavy, and are extra sensitive to environmental influences, worse then the AR-15. Needs an adjustable gas system that can be throttled and also needs a matched buffer to deal with the gas system! Tend to be finicky with ammo/mags, especially if dirty or carbon fouled, but easy to service and few parts to break!
G-3 types, Forward charging handle is a major head ache all around, tends to carbon up and short stroke the bolt. The roller bolt must be dripping wet with oil and tends to run very dirty and will foul super easy. difficult to get the bolt clean and keep it clean, and recoil is a lot more stout then any other .308 rifle, with half a pound of bolt mass hitting you during the recoil, it's excessive! Field stripping isn't easy, and if you loose the rear pins, your screwed! Overall, they run well and can be very accurate if cared for and maintained constantly!
FAL, For all it's goodness, there are a few downers that needs to be addressed! The Mag release isn't very big and isn't ambidextrous, BUT, it's a minor issue. No forward assist or manual way to close the bolt, proper training is the fix to what really ins't a problem, you clear any round that will not chamber and work the problem against a loaded mag, until it goes into battery, or you change mags!
The FAL will run when others don't, and accuracy is very very good, recoil is about the lightest of all, and the impulse comes strait back with almost zero muzzle jump, allowing you to stay on target and to track mush easier and faster for any followups if needed! You can also stomp the bolt open like a M1, so clearing a jamb or a broken case isn't an issue!

As I posted above, NONE that are built from a kit or are a combo of parts from all over the place should be trusted until they have proven themselves reliable, and this includes the FAL, the AK, and all the HK types and AR's!
I have limited experience with the SIG and the SCAR's, and I would NOT recommend them until several issues are properly addressed, both involving the recoil system and piston drive, especially the SIG!
The Big Israeli are usually pretty dang good, but can be a bugger if you get a Kit built one, your going to have to work one to see how it runs, and chase any issues it may have, including getting a reliable batch of good mags, which are getting harder and harder to find, and 'spensive!
The HK types can really chew up mags and brass, so learn to deal with that as well if you choose to go that route!

 

[Jcon268]

You asked for it, you got it!
AK, tough is they come, durable, reliable and will run most of the time no matter what you do to one, short of running it over with a T-72 to adjust the Sights, they are bomb proof!
M1A, Reliable when cared for and kept clean and fed well, accurate as any, better then most! Major down sides, they are a bugger to get an optic to run as the mounts are funky and tend to flex or come loose, very hard to get a good mount to stay solidly in place, Ask any one who has run a REAL M-21 and they will tell you how sensitive they can be. As a standard Fighting Rifle, they are one of the best, matched only by the FAL for reliability and accuracy! Major plus's, Very accurate, very reliable when kept spotless, self regulating gas system that compensates very well, only down side that can be fixed is adding a gas plug with a shut off for running suppressed!
SR-25 ( AR-10 pattern) can be very accurate when set up properly, tend to be heavy, and are extra sensitive to environmental influences, worse then the AR-15. Needs an adjustable gas system that can be throttled and also needs a matched buffer to deal with the gas system! Tend to be finicky with ammo/mags, especially if dirty or carbon fouled, but easy to service and few parts to break!
G-3 types, Forward charging handle is a major head ache all around, tends to carbon up and short stroke the bolt. The roller bolt must be dripping wet with oil and tends to run very dirty and will foul super easy. difficult to get the bolt clean and keep it clean, and recoil is a lot more stout then any other .308 rifle, with half a pound of bolt mass hitting you during the recoil, it's excessive! Field stripping isn't easy, and if you loose the rear pins, your screwed! Overall, they run well and can be very accurate if cared for and maintained constantly!
FAL, For all it's goodness, there are a few downers that needs to be addressed! The Mag release isn't very big and isn't ambidextrous, BUT, it's a minor issue. No forward assist or manual way to close the bolt, proper training is the fix to what really ins't a problem, you clear any round that will not chamber and work the problem against a loaded mag, until it goes into battery, or you change mags!
The FAL will run when others don't, and accuracy is very very good, recoil is about the lightest of all, and the impulse comes strait back with almost zero muzzle jump, allowing you to stay on target and to track mush easier and faster for any followups if needed! You can also stomp the bolt open like a M1, so clearing a jamb or a broken case isn't an issue!

As I posted above, NONE that are built from a kit or are a combo of parts from all over the place should be trusted until they have proven themselves reliable, and this includes the FAL, the AK, and all the HK types and AR's!
I have limited experience with the SIG and the SCAR's, and I would NOT recommend them until several issues are properly addressed, both involving the recoil system and piston drive, especially the SIG!
The Big Israeli are usually pretty dang good, but can be a bugger if you get a Kit built one, your going to have to work one to see how it runs, and chase any issues it may have, including getting a reliable batch of good mags, which are getting harder and harder to find, and 'spensive!
The HK types can really chew up mags and brass, so learn to deal with that as well if you choose to go that route!

How is the FAL running suppressed? This is one thing I haven't found a lot of info on.

There is so much to consider when choosing a rifle that will suit your needs. Inevitably at some point you'll have to trade off something to gain somewhere else.

 

[The Heretic]

How is the FAL running suppressed? This is one thing I haven't found a lot of info on.

It has an adjustable gas system - something most other rifles do not have.

 

[Stomper]

I voted the .308 Galil..... because, like, I already have one... like, yeah.

 

[Medic!]

HK/G3?


Pist-on got nothing to do with them.

 

[MrRob96]

HK G3, heavy AF, reliable, slow to reload, accurate with irons, cheap parts available, not expensive if you get a clone, my very early PTR eats any and all ammo. Loves steel and is quite accurate with it. If you get a preban HK, bust out the wallet

SCAR, reliable, durable, probably most accurate on this list out of the box, lightweight, nimble in spite of it's size, expensive, expensive parts, light recoil, not ammo sensitive but I only feed mine brass. With "bubblegumty" milsurp this thing is 1MOA, dunno how it turns Malaysian L2A2 into MOA ammo, but it does.

AR anything, it's a biggie sized AR. All over the map depending on manufacturer. I have a S&W M&P10, lightweight, accurate, skills from AR15 transfer relatively quickly, not ultra expensive, reliable for me, not ammo picky, mags available, recoil was harsh after 50+ rounds until I put a decent brake on it and meaty butt pad.

All others on here I don't know. I'd suggest putting together a spreadsheet with all the parameters, ranking them for how much you want each and adding it all up.

If you like lightweight and accurate modern design, and you don't want plebs dinging your BMW at the range, you'll likely want to check the SCAR or Sig, maybe an AR.

If you want a heavy AF rifle that's finicky but has nostalgia for old dudes, get an M1A. They'll be your buddy on the range

If your favorite band is Queen, the G3 or FAL

If you're a serious "grass is greener on the other side" type, a Saiga or Galil will let you get a hold of the best (???) commie technology could do

 

[Boboclown]

FAL, build a carbine.

 

[MannyGlocks]

Ura-Ki,

The FAL mud test put pains in my chest...

 

[Jcon268]

I voted the .308 Galil..... because, like, I already have one... like, yeah.

View attachment 629356

That's no ACE either. Sure wish I could find one like this.

 

[Jcon268]

It has an adjustable gas system - something most other rifles do not have.

True, yet some rifles even with adjustable systems run better than others. Looking further into it, it seems the DSA FAL for some folks has had trouble cycling while suppressed sans a special "gas plug" ...which is strange because my thoughts were that the suppressor would make it cycle more reliably.

 

[Ura-Ki]

If you get a DSA FAL, they come with the Correct gas plug, so no issues running suppressed, you just have to figure out which gas setting the Rifle/Suppressor likes best and rember to dial it in/out cold, or get the spanner so you dont have to wait! Nice thing about the FAL is it runs very clean, even suppressed, and they field strip very quick and easy, so your back in business real quick!

 

[Boboclown]

That's no ACE either. Sure wish I could find one like this.

You can, if you got cash. Magazines are $100 each too.

True, yet some rifles even with adjustable systems run better than others. Looking further into it, it seems the DSA FAL for some folks has had trouble cycling while suppressed sans a special "gas plug" ...which is strange because my thoughts were that the suppressor would make it cycle more reliably.

There was one guy at the range with an imbel build, and he was shooting it suppressed fine. With regular gas system.

 

[JRuby]

Where is the m1a in the choices?