Why AR and not AK?

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Not really...

I'm a huge fan of the old Swift. I've owned a rifle of one description or another in that caliber for over 30 years. The one downside to it is that it absolutely will not survive any sort of rapid fire or, for that matter, even any sort of sustained fire. It builds barrel heat very, very quickly, and then begins to erode the throat at an exceedingly rapid rate. While certainly not nearly as bad as its reputation, that reputation is not without some foundation.

My current Swift is built on a Ruger #1 action. It wears a 28" Lilja stainless barrel, 1:12" twist. I like the single shot approach to the Swift, as it reminds me to slow down. A shot every few minutes is about as hard as you want to push one of these. They simply will not tolerate any sort of sustained fire. In an autoloader, I would venture to guess a guy could ruin a barrel with one 20 round magazine, if he tried to empty that mag as quickly as possible. Not a good marriage of cartridge/weapon.

Well i guess that's why no one makes one. Shame, the idea sounded good on paper.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Soukus

Ok so what are some milled receiver types?

Don't they sell stripped milled receivers?

Google is your friend

http://www.firinglineoklahoma.com/akreceivers.html

[MotoSook]

Thanks James. I'll do some more research, but back to the AR vs AK. The hillbillies appear to be winning because of better construction although not great...

...here's a hillbilly I just built tonight. Got tired of the off the shelf crap and figured I build one with the parts I wanted...







Maybe the only way I will like Eskimos is if I build one

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by Soukus

Thanks James. I'll do some more research, but back to the AR vs AK. The hillbillies appear to be winning because of better construction although not great...

...here's a hillbilly I just built tonight. Got tired of the off the shelf crap and figured I build one with the parts I wanted...

Very nice. What bbl is that?

Here's some go-big-or-go-home hillbilly 7.62/.308 pron for your consideration.

HK417:

[MotoSook]

Nice! I will probably build a .308/7.62..maybe the next one.

But the barrel is a White Oak 12.5" SPR that I'm putting on a pistol lower. Can't SBR here.

[m21sniper]

Looks great man. I love the forearm, who makes it?

[MotoSook]

Snipe - the handguard is a JP Enterprise tube with their top rail added. VTAC designed and manufactured the tube for JP as I understand it. I like it because it is simple and light and you can add rails to it in 2", 4" or as long as the tube on top. It's less costly than some of the good free float railed handguards available and just looks better. No special tools to install, just a barrel wrench. JP instruction says loctite, but it's not necessary. Cheapest place to buy is at MidwayUSA if you're considering one $145 for the tube And barrel nuts (it uses a two nut system) and $65 for the top rail iirc.

[ClickClickBoom]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I would say that the AR is the Corvette C-5 of the automotive world, the AK is the Mustang GT. The Mini-14 is an LS-1 Camaro.


I shot my brothers SIG 556 about a month ago, when i first got my Bushmaster AR. My AR outshot it. My brother sold the SIG within 3 days afterwards.

G-3/HK-91 the AC Cobra of shooters, I shot cases of ammo through that sucker, never had a problem. .308 NATO excellent big bore round and has the legs for a good mid range distance shot, and the KE left over for stopping power. Had to sell mine due to the Assault Weapon ban. My final bugout kit will have a Barrett .416, HK USP-LEM and a Mossberg 12GA toss in some spare rounds and a chest rig for carrying the party favors. Still trying to figger out the optimal zombie round/shooter, I am thinking the old HK-91 for the EOW scenario.
eric

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Soukus

Snipe - the handguard is a JP Enterprise tube with their top rail added. VTAC designed and manufactured the tube for JP as I understand it. I like it because it is simple and light and you can add rails to it in 2", 4" or as long as the tube on top. It's less costly than some of the good free float railed handguards available and just looks better. No special tools to install, just a barrel wrench. JP instruction says loctite, but it's not necessary. Cheapest place to buy is at MidwayUSA if you're considering one $145 for the tube And barrel nuts (it uses a two nut system) and $65 for the top rail iirc.

I like the hogue overmolded rubber furniture personally, yours is the only "tactical" handguard i've seen that i like.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by ClickClickBoom

G-3/HK-91 the AC Cobra of shooters, I shot cases of ammo through that sucker, never had a problem. .308 NATO excellent big bore round and has the legs for a good mid range distance shot, and the KE left over for stopping power. Had to sell mine due to the Assault Weapon ban. My final bugout kit will have a Barrett .416, HK USP-LEM and a Mossberg 12GA toss in some spare rounds and a chest rig for carrying the party favors. Still trying to figger out the optimal zombie round/shooter, I am thinking the old HK-91 for the EOW scenario.
eric

It's certainly hard to go wrong with an HK, and sticking with a std. NATO chambering is probably a good idea for any EOW scenario, so you're good there too.

[m21sniper]

Candidate for the ugliest 5.56 rifle on earth:


Benelli MR-1 Carbine

It sure as hell isn't cheap either. The price i saw was from $1300.00 and up.

[MotoSook]

Ya...not pretty. But then neither are AKs.


What do you guys have to say about SA vz rifles?

http://www.czechpoint-usa.com/products/vz-58-rifles/sa-vz-58-hi-cap-sporter/

It's a milled steel receiver, but not really an AK. My FFL had a couple of them the last time I stopped in, but I had no ideal what they were.

[porsche4life]

My room mate has a vz. I hate that thing with a passion. Doesn't seem that accurate to me and it is not friendly to your shoulder. It works fine but I just don't like it. Shoot it before you buy. Oh and centerfire has them cheap.

[m21sniper]

Well you were certainly right about one thing....it's ugly.

Why not just buy a cheap $350-400.00 AK and be done with it? That flexing receiver issue is a total non-issue at the kinds of real world engagement ranges anyone in a city is likely to face in an EOW scenario.

Have you considered an M-1A (M-14)? Or is that too pricey for you?



A couple other solid options are the FN FAL and CETME type weapons.

A (pricey) legend


I just saw a CETME for about $700.00 used, in perfect shape. This is a pretty well thought military grade weapon, made in Spain. I think you can accesorize them pretty well too. They're based on the german WWII STG-45 design.

If i for some reason didn't want an AR or MINI-14, a CETME is the route i'd go, i think. (But only because civvie M-1A's are so ridiculously overpriced, and FAL's aren't cheap either).

All the rifles i just named are all time greats. I'd pick any of them over an AK of any kind. They're all 7.62x51mm NATO too.

EDIT: Edited to correct some info on the CETME.

[MotoSook]

Well doesn't look like a whole lot of advantages to the AK over the AR...take away the larger caliber and it's just clunky gun. As an engineer I like my stuff less clunky


Snipe - you've given me the right path. I wanted a 308 bolt action to added to the collection, and I want something a little more punchy than the AR. I was a little reluctant to buy a DPMS 308 due to some comments I read about reliability, but I'm contemplation just going ahead and building one. Building one will let me select and inspect the parts so it should help with reliability concerns.

Then again, DS Arms is not to far from me and they have an AUS FAL for about $1200 with new receivers. The piston design may be nicer to have in the FAL than the DI gas system. I'd probably end up at the same place price wise.

Why not build an AK then? Well, I'm not sold on an AK. Even some SA vz owners think it's an improvement over the AKs they own. Shrug.

[m21sniper]

I was shooting one of these last night. What a "blast."

[911boost]

I just ordered a Sadlak scope mount and Nikon Monarch 2.5x10 for my Springfield Armory M1A. I'm planning on using it for elk season this year.

[HHI944]

If you keep yours eyes open and are patient you can snag Century CETME's for ~500 pretty consistently. That's a lot of stopping power for the $$$.

[Jim Bremner]

I'm looking for a Marlin Camp .45,

I allready have some 1911 mags to fill it.

Plus

sorry for the cell pic.

Wood is good!

I do have an ugly black rifle receiver, but right now it's a paperweight.

[Jim Bremner]

I'm not this old, but I'm almost this crotchity

And I don't need to ask "what ammo for 1/7 twist?"