The Right Arm of the Free World

There's only 2 rifles still on my list. An M1 Carbine in cal and an M1A in .308. I always liked the looks of the FAL's but never enough to justify the purchase.

In reply to Bobzilla:

Well, I have the carbine, and a pistol variant of the ol .30 carbine M1.

They're great little rifles, everyone should have at least one.

Bobzilla wrote: There's only 2 rifles still on my list. An M1 Carbine in cal and an M1A in .308. I always liked the looks of the FAL's but never enough to justify the purchase.

They're on my list too, and a Lee-Enfield, M14, and a Galil, and countless more pedestrian firearms.

I fondled a Marlin Camp Carbine 9 at the gun show last weekend, I've read about them, first one I've seen/held in person, I want one.

I've got 3 more stripped AR lowers to build too, need a Grendel, something big .458 SOCOM or Beowulf, and something else, maybe a pistol caliber or dedicated rimfire.

I need cheaper hobbies.

I once shot a friend's M1 Carbine. I can see why they are popular.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

If you had an AR10 lower I'd say build it as a 22-250.

In reply to WOW Really Paul?:

I've considered going that route, actually thought about building an AR-10 instead of buying a FAL, I wanted a FAL more, obviously. Even though the AR-10 is a little different, it's still an AR, been there done that. There's plenty of other uppers/calibers that fit a standard AR-15 receiver that interest me, and can make me go just as broke as shooting .308.

Dad used a 22-250 for 'yotes and feral dogs on his farm for a while, .17 HMR wasn't doing the job to his liking, he stepped up to 22-250, much greater success rate. Then I got him most of the stuff to build his own AR-15, mostly Palmetto lower parts, Stag left handed upper, 5.56, now the .17 and the 22-250 never come out of the closet.

I do need a .308 bolt gun now that I'm stocking ammo for the FAL, I mean it's the only logical progression. I fondled a friend of a friend's Ruger RPR with a Luepold Mark 4 on it, that rifle & scope combo may have set the high water mark for most expensive combo I've gotten to lay hands on. I think I'd be content with a Savage Model 10 or 11, and decent mid grade glass from Vortex.

I have been pondering the AR10 in 308 with the 20" heavy barrel, match trigger, and adjustable check piece for a while now. Never seems to move under 1100 which is a hard number to deal with before buying optics...May end up building the similar AR15 for half that...

A top of the line PRS butt stock will set you back 2-300, top of the line barrel:400, trigger: 300, upper/lower: 150. Free float forearm: 100. You're at $1250 no matter what you do.

I must admit to wanting to jump into the 80% game. There is one AR kit that only requires a hand drill and a router, no drill press.

Dr. Hess wrote: I once shot a friend's M1 Carbine. I can see why they are popular.

I once shot a state trooper's M-1 carbine. I can see it too.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: I fondled a Marlin Camp Carbine 9 at the gun show last weekend, I've read about them, first one I've seen/held in person, I want one.

Camp Carbine in .45 is one on my list too. Buy all the 1911 mags and done. Maybe try one of those 25-rd 1911 drums.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

I'd recommend either a Remmy 700 or a Browning x-bolt over the Savage. Unless they have gotten infinitely better in the past year on QC, I wouldn't wish one upon an enemy.

Also, 308 is a semi auto caliber, I don't understand the appeal of one in a bolt gun. Too many big angry cartridges out there for something that won't really ever break the bank to shoot.

Personally, I prefer 30-06 over 308. Flatter shooting, more force, yada yada yada.

I'm pumping the brakes for a bit on gun purchases, I've more or less added the key items to my collection for the time being that I want. Today's makes 4 new additions in the last month. I'm usually 1 or 2 a year, and have gone several year stretches with nothing new, so this is a little out of character for me.

What did Lee do at lunch today? He met a random dude in a Target parking lot and bought a WASR-10. Remember how I was bagging on Century, the hypocrisy isn't lost on me, nor is the irony of a firearm purchase in a Target parking lot. At least some Romanians built the rifle, Century just imported and tinkered with it a bit.

This was my first Armslist transaction, and I didn't get mugged or murdered even a little.

WOW Really Paul? wrote: In reply to bigdaddylee82: I'd recommend either a Remmy 700 or a Browning x-bolt over the Savage. Unless they have gotten infinitely better in the past year on QC, I wouldn't wish one upon an enemy. Also, 308 is a semi auto caliber, I don't understand the appeal of one in a bolt gun. Too many big angry cartridges out there for something that won't really ever break the bank to shoot. Personally, I prefer 30-06 over 308. Flatter shooting, more force, yada yada yada.

I've never been a big 700 fan, but I wouldn't turn down a VTR. I would love an X-bolt or several, but at heart, I'm a Winchester 70 man.

I've got a couple Savages, granted they're both rimfires, but have shot a few others, Accutriger sells me on them, and I've yet to have an issue.

I can see where you're coming from on .308 but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss, heck of a lot cheaper than .338 or 6.5 CM, and can reach out and touch stuff in the same neighborhood as those higher dollar rounds.

I shoot a .270 at Whitetail and stuff, so the value of the 30-06 isn't lost on me.

Brian wrote: I must admit to wanting to jump into the 80% game. There is one AR kit that only requires a hand drill and a router, no drill press.

Billet80.com I'm a fan.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

I love 70's, it's just they cost so much to get one of the good ones. For modern stuff, I love the 700 & xbolt. Its still very very hard to beat a sporter Mauser however. Whatever mine has is a lot lighter & crisper than an accutrigger or even a timney.

FWIW, I do have a single savage bolt gun currently, it's their bull barrel .17hmr. Their bigger pattern rifles aren't up to the hype however IMHO.
If you ever get a chance to shoot a 6mm Remington at range, do it. Pretty much is a 243 magnum.

Good score on the AK, Lee. Is that one set up for the 10 round mags or opened up for 30's?

There's a new DIY AR receiver that you cast yourself from plastic. You get the mold and some reinforcements and the plastic. Then there's the aluminum ones you machine. SGN had a whole series on them. Best method was with a mill, but the gunsmith guy did one with a drill press and a jig/drill guide as a demo. There's even a 80% Glock lower out now.

Man, that Armslist is a dangerous site. So glad that Hillary will ban it for us, otherwise, I'd be broke.

In reply to WOW Really Paul?:

I think we may have discussed this before, I think we have the same rifle, 93R17 BTVS, love mine, got the first one the gun shop got in back when Savage first added Accutrigger to the rimfire line up. I've got an A17 too.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Thanks! Yes it's a wobbly mag special, started life as a -10, when Century imported it they milled (Dremeled probably) the mag well open to fit double stack magazines. Came with what I assume is its original 30 round steel mag, and a 30 round ProMag full of steel case hollow points.

I have 2 other 30 round AK ProMags that I got in error from an online retailer that couldn't handle the post Sandy Hook volume. About 6 months after I ordered some AR Pmags a pair of AK ProMags showed up, and the store wouldn't respond to emails or answer the phone. That store was dead and gone shortly after that. I kept the mags thinking I might have an AK someday, and now I do.

I was shopping for AKs and PPKs at the gun show last weekend, this WASR I bought today is in way better condition, and was at least $100 cheaper than anything I was interested in at the gun show.

The last polymer 80% I recall had the part you milled out a different color, and the ATF came down on them hard, because in the .gov's view they were initially creating a 100% poly receiver and then filling it with a different color polymer, not actual stopping manufacturing at 80% complete.

My Armslist transaction was pleasant, first I've ever used it, most folks are so delusional on their pricing, I'll browse but have never felt compelled to contact anyone. I know some folks that were hurt pretty bad when Facebook banned gun groups/sales, I imagine shutting Armslist down would have a greater impact because of all the shops that advertise on it too. Preaching to the choir here I know, but I have good friends, smart folks, that were ignorant of how "buying guns online," really worked, and thanks to you-know-who's rhetoric assumed there was basically an Amazon for guns, 2-day shipping to your house. I do what I can to educate if someone's willing to listen.

There's a little gun shop here in Conway that does FFL transfers for $20, and is happy for you to buy online and ship to him, he doesn't keep much inventory in the store. Internet shopping has been my preferred method thanks to that gun shop, I've yet to buy from anywhere he wasn't already on file with either, so with Armslist's usually silly prices I've not had much need for it.

I knew I was typing for a bit, but that kind of turned into a novel, sorry I guess I'm a tad long winded tonight.

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

Might have, I had one and sold it due to skipping off a yote's skull, then bought another one because they are damn effective at eliminating squirrels. LoL

There's a pawn shop in B'ville that will do transfers for $20. I bought my complete Desert Eagle set (50AE, 44MAG and 357MAG) on gunbroker and had it shipped there. Another pawn shop that is closer to my office will do it for $25.

On that WASR, lemme know how it shoots, or feeds in particular. It has no dimples in the side to hold the mag. Also, you might want to take a peek at the pieces and make sure you have the right number of 922r parts in there. If some guy just hogged it out and stuck a normal capacity mag in, that's a no-no, per George Bush the First's still in place gun ban.

I sold my LR-308 without ever having fired it. I'd be interested in another chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor. It'll have to wait, though.

I checked the 7.62mm box with an SA M1A. I had it scoped for a long time, and I even went so far as to put it in a JAE chassis--but that resulted in a 16-pound rifle, so I never shot it. So recently I put it back in its original configuration. And that's fine--the iron sights on that rifle are fantastic.

I do still want to build a 7.62 AR variant, though.

A question on Savage quality. I was under the impression that the rim fire was junk and the center fire was much higher quality. The only Savage I have handled was a Left Handed Mk2. The ACU-trigger is nice but the rest of it is E36 M3. My friend who owns it only bought it because it was the only left handed .22 in stock. The one real issue it has it that it won't eject the spent shell. He just never got around to sending it back to get fixed.

Dr. Hess wrote: On that WASR, lemme know how it shoots, or feeds in particular. It has no dimples in the side to hold the mag. Also, you might want to take a peek at the pieces and make sure you have the right number of 922r parts in there. If some guy just hogged it out and stuck a normal capacity mag in, that's a no-no, per George Bush the First's still in place gun ban.

Will do. There's no concern on 922r, it was federalized by CAI before being sold on the US market. Correct on the lack of mag retaining dimples, but when CAI hogged out the magwell to fit double stack magazines they also welded in little steel tabs where the dimples would normally protrude. So it's got tabs instead of dimples to locate the magazine.

Mine is old enough though that it doesn't have a Tapco trigger. I've never experienced trigger slap, apparently that's a thing, that the Tapco double hook fixes. We'll see how that goes, I may be putting a new trigger in it.

Brian said: A question on Savage quality. I was under the impression that the rim fire was junk and the center fire was much higher quality. The only Savage I have handled was a Left Handed Mk2. The ACU-trigger is nice but the rest of it is E36 M3. My friend who owns it only bought it because it was the only left handed .22 in stock. The one real issue it has it that it won't eject the spent shell. He just never got around to sending it back to get fixed.

I don't have any experience with a Mark II, but I recommend the 93 series over just about everything on the market. My 93R17 is my gold standard for "tack driving" accuracy and reliability.

I know the first couple years of B.Mags were questionable at best, but my FIL bought one a couple months ago, and seems pleased.

Well, got the upper ordered, delivery date is sometime towards the end of Nov.

In the meantime, I did put half down to reserve a new handgun.....Evidently Rock Island is making 10mm 1911's now.

It's a Rock Ultra FS, and with my propensity to own non-.45acp chambered 1911's, it only seemed logical. I'll even put up with the inferior extractor for this one.