[illnevertell]

I'm looking for a rifle to fill a few roles; my "it's hit the fan" rifle and my "well regulated militia" rifle. In your opinion what rifle would fill that role? Oh, and is legal in CA

[spittinfire]

Welcome to the forum. Pleast stop by the introductions area and let everyone know you are here and a little about yourself.

The best rifle for what you are discussing IMO is the AR15. Accurate, easy to use and maintain, parts available everywhere, ammo is readily available, good capacity, what more do you need?

[Poink88]

Since you are in CA, I am guessing M1A, AR10, or AR15.

I know M1A is not modern but it is in the hands of the modern militia.

[Jo da Plumbr]

Originally Posted by illnevertell

I'm looking for a rifle to fill a few roles; my "it's hit the fan" rifle and my "well regulated militia" rifle. In your opinion what rifle would fill that role? Oh, and is legal in CA

Very specific regulations on the AR in CA. If you do want one PM me for details.

Oh... welcome to the FTF

[illnevertell]

Thank you thank you. The AR15 is the rifle I had found and was leaning towards before posting as well.

As for the difference between the AR10 and 15, from what I've read the AR15 uses a.223 vs a .308 round in the AR10. It also sound that the AR15 is more customizable than the 10. Would you say both of these statements are correct? Are there more factors I should be aware of?

[mcramer]

I was in the same boat. I was looking for an AR rifle, and didn't know what bore to get.
From what I've been reading AR10 is .308, and and AR 15 is .223.
As far customizing, I think externally they should be just as easy to modify as a AR15. Parts for magazines might be harder to find.

Like I said thats just from what I have read and researched.

[Dillinger]

You are partially correct.

The AR-15 platform is designed to handle smaller rifle cartridges like the .223/5.56 - but there are about 50 other specialty calibers that you can build an AR-15 Receiver into.

The AR-10 platform is designed to handle larger rifle calibers like the .308 - but once again, there are a host of other calibers that you can build out.

Right now the AR-15 is probably the easiest, most available rifle component platform out there. Everyone is turning out parts for them, so much so that you can actually find a listing of 10 companies making the same one type of part. Variety for personal preference is definitely available.

For the AR-10, there are companies who are starting to get on board with this platform and turning out parts, but not as many. With the larger caliber, the size of the receiver had to go up, so the size of the components had to change.

If you have a million dollars of CNC tooling, all you do is enter some new specs and hit "Go". If you are a one or two man shop, retooling to make a different size and spec part could lead to some downtime which adds to expense.

I think for most people, the AR-15 is a great choice. The AR-10 is a better choice, overall, for a battlefield type rifle, but you are slightly limited on where you can get components, and it's more expensive.

Now, I am surprised that none of the AK guys have stopped by. The rifle is cheaper, it's easier to maintain and right now there is ammo available. So, if cost is a factor, it's a decent option.

AR vs. AK has been done to death & I am not going to rehash it. If you like one, get that one, if you like the other, get that one.

JD

[brandy]

evil bayonet lug or flash hider, a gas system far superior to the 50+ year old AR design, takes most AR mags, 223 so ammo is easy to get, has good iron sights, is set up for any rail mount optic and it shoots MOA or better.

It's a Benelli MR-1, here's mine with a Bushie red/green T dot illuminated 0 X scope.



The ARGO gas system is also used in the R-1 sporting rifle and the USMC M-4 tactical shotgun so you can count on it!

[DrumJunkie]

If I was getting an AR type weapon for the often talked about SHTF situations then the 225/5.56 is the logical choice. Ammo is pretty cheap and it's everywhere.

AK types are good for that same reason but I don't know how that works in Cali.

[sweeper22]

Depends on your preferences and budget. Generally it's a good idea to stay with a common caliber. The usual suspects:

AR-15 ($650+)- Good all around platform. Precise, with ability to hit your spot out toward 500 yards. Light weight. Large selection of mix/match parts and accessories. Ammo is light (portable), widely available, and reasonably priced. Can be a little high maintainance. There are a host of other .223/5.56 semi-auto tactical rifles from other manufacturers such as Ruger, Kel-Tec, Sig, Saiga (AK style), etc.

AR-10 ($900+) Basically a big boy AR15. For $2000+ or so you can build a pretty legit semi-auto sniper rifle with this platform. For $900 you can get into a basic DPMS 308. Ammo is of course spendier and heavier. I believe spending for better ammo is also more of a priority with the 308 than the 223. There are a ton of additional 308 options...M1A for starters, plus options from FN, HK, and plenty of clones of all of them. And Saiga even makes a $500 308 that gets pretty good reviews, even if it's not ideal at extended range.

AK/SKS ($300+) Less precise than ARs and not as easy to play "dress-up" with. But they're durable and reliable. 7.62x39 ammo is relatively affordable to buy in bulk. You can get into some really solid AKs just north of $500, and they just go and go. Again, Saiga is also an option here, and they're available for well under $500.

Pistol Caliber Carbines ($250+) While these lack the power of those listed above, they're very handy rifles. The three most popular are the HiPoint 995 ($250), KelTec Sub2K ($400) and Berretta CX4 ($900). These fire common and affordable pistol cartridges, can accept pistol mags, and are quite compact. I just picked up an S2K and love it for what it is: a simple, inexpensive, light, portable, tactical rifle that'll put a bunch of rounds on target at anything inside of 150yards.