The most accurate of the bunch is the Garand...based upon the two I have owned compared to the Springfield M1A (M14's) I have owned. The Garand had about a 1/2" advantage over the others...but that's splitting hairs.
The reliability of the Garand and M14 are legendary. The enbloc in the Garand is a little bit off-putting for some, whereas the 20 round mags for the M1A are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. That also goes for the FAL...BUT...you have to be careful of trying to use metric mags in non-metric receivers.
I really LIKE the FAL...but it has the crappiest trigger of the bunch. It can be worked on, but again....the M1, and the M1A far outshine them.
The open sights on the Garand and M1A are leaps and bounds better than the FAL.
The Mosin...I just don't heart that rifle. It's an apples to oranges comparison between that and the others. It's a gun with great functionality...but...to me, it's like my 03-A3...an occaisonal shooter.
All in all, I'd give the nod to the M1A only SLIGHTLY ahead of the FAL.
The ONLY reason why I'd choose those over the Garand is the magazine in favor of the enbloc. Something about an M1A though...a hardwood stock with a steel recoil plate..."zombie whacker".
I have a friend that has been shooting the Garand for Y E A R S in competition, and he has influenced me greatly to their ability. I love that rifle for it's sheer simplicity and immaculate accuracy. "it don't mean a thing, unless you hear that PING"
That being said, I still like the AR platform, for it's ability to be light, (maybe not the AR-10's) It has a high cyclic rate that sounds, to me, tougher and nicer than (some of you will cringe here) the A. K., and even though you cant bury it in mud and pull it out firing, I don't mind. I don't mind cleaning the thing, I'm just "familiar" enough with to like like it more than the others.
Don't get me wrong now, all of the combat rifles you guys have listed are incredibly indelible to history for a reason, they have impeccable records and abilities, and I'd pick up any one of them, IF my AR was flat *** broke...
I've been looking at the Springfield M1A's. The Scout (with an 18" barrel) does look to be the goldilocks of the offerings. The SOCOM, at 16", just seems too short a barrel for the .308, but the 22" barrels of the longest models seem a little unwieldy.
The peep sight aperture sounds to be one of the best open sight designs ever invented. Though this platform is one of the more expensive suggested on this thread, it is also one of the most popular...from people who own one and shoot it!
I've been looking at the Springfield M1A's. The Scout (with an 18" barrel) does look to be the goldilocks of the offerings. The SOCOM, at 16", just seems too short a barrel for the .308, but the 22" barrels of the longest models seem a little unwieldy.
The peep sight aperture sounds to be one of the best open sight designs ever invented. Though this platform is one of the more expensive suggested on this thread, it is also one of the most popular...from people who own one and shoot it!
I thought the same thing about a 16" barrel, but Hickok45's review sold me: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ybkiUl30Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame] He's hitting targets with a fair amount of consistency out to 100yds. A compact rifle with EXCEPTIONAL functionality, & enough power to put any BG down, like I said I'm sold. I'm not saying this is the best, lots of fighting rifles are good & will get the job done, this is simply the one "I" prefer.
AR type rifles have only a few that can operate with full caliber ammo. The new LMT 7.62X51 adopted by the Brits is one. Knight Armaments has another. Both are on the AR platform, and both use pistons. HOWEVER, they are not as robust as the PTR, which is a modern build, like they are...
IF you must have an AR platform, LMT and Knight are the best- PERIOD.
A little late to notice this I admit. But Armalites all handle full power 308 ammo quite well. At least mine has through it's first 2,000 rounds of near flawless shooting. much of it Hornady TAP. I found some Federal hunting rounds don't have enough umph to cycle the action correctly so I stick with Hornady. Thing loves the 110gr TAP round in fact and is a tack driver. In fact Armalite really were the first to the show commercially. I have an LMT 5.56 and they are truly fine weapons. I'd love one of their AR10 variants but the Armalites are a bit cheaper to buy, and easier to come by.
Seems like lots of folks are hung up on the initial cost of magazines. Who really cares about the price of a magazine? High functionality and reliability are my first priorities, not cost. If I can't afford $30 mags, I really don't need the gun in the first place. Two or three boxes of ammo will cost more than that mag will, if you shoot 308.
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