Jim,
I agree with you but I’d like to mention a few rifles. 1st one is the stevens 200,essentially it’s a savage with the accutrigger as seen on the new savages. they are running locally around $250. Also why not scope an Ishapore arsenal Enfield, that 12rd mag would be nice in my mind and being an enfield is going to be pretty fast to fire. lastly what about the
the the mosin snipers going for $350? while not a .308, the 7.62x54mm will get the job done and the ammo is cheap enough that a couple thousand rounds could be put away and funds are better a .308 could be acquired.
The other thing about the Mosin is, as you know, is that pre-1899 examples can still be found, making it that much more of a good idea. Signed, – Dan
James,
Concerning MWR’s question about rifles I agree 100% on getting all SKS rifles first as opposed to some lever guns. But one Rifle to also look at as a mark between the SKS and an M1A or an FAL is the Saiga 308. It is based on the AK-47 action and carries with it the rock solid reliability and function. They retail price is around $399 (YMMV), But the only negative aspect is their magazine capacity: The tock factory magazine is 8 rounds and they are a composite plastic, which makes them weak. There is a company out there that has been developing a 20 round magazine for this rifle but they are still under development and not sure when they will be available. Second, hey are also composite plastic so they will be weak and prone to break. Third they are really expensive, suggested retail is $47 each.
Since I saw one first hand and was quite impressed with the fit and function of the rifle and after firing it I found that even though it was an AK design it was shooting a 1 to 1.5 MOA group. So I bought one and I have tinkered and found a way to modify a standard [HK] G3 steel magazine to work flawlessly in these rifles. They hold 17 rds and I have fired close to 1500 rds through them without a failure. If anyone would be interested I would be more then happy to explain the magazine modification process or if you don’t have access to a welder and a well-tooled garage I can make them for $20 each. Just an option for someone to have an 308battle rifle at a relative bargain price. – Brian in Wyoming