I like the idea of a light weight rifle as you mention. One thing I have found is most people add to much weight to a rifle and it winds up being a ten pound rifle. At the range you speak of open sights are good. The nine and half pound rifle can gain weight as well. Of course I am getting older, used to be able to toss around M1 Garands like chopsticks. Found I favor the lighter stuff now days. Some rifles like the M1 and M1A do gain weight when you look at them kept in a dark closet or somesuch. ATB

I like the 20" barrel for the 308, and that's what I have on my M1A. I have shot shorter barrel 308's and I don't like the excessive muzzle blast, plus 4" of barrel cut off doesn't save much weight and the shorter rifle doesn't balance nearly as well for me. With iron sights that extra 4" in sight radius makes a big difference in being able to hit things at long range (Not to mention having the front sight farther away makes it easier for these older eyes to keep in sharp focus). In 223 the 16" barrel is great, but in 308 I'll take a 20" barrel hands down...

the one I had in the Army, although it does seem to be a little heavier now days. The muzzle blast from the shorter barrel would bother me. I'm going to look into one of those AR style 308.

full size rifle format.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

We have the synthetic stocked standard M1A in the shop. Weight change to the short barrel not so great but it is "handier" with the shorter barrels. As is it seems to be less weight than the M1 Rifle. I actually paid money for the M1 rifle. The loaded M1A/M14 magazines seemed more daunting to me than the M1 clips. It also seems to me that one of these rifles scoped might be a good idea, but if that is the what I need, I'm going to be in deeeeeeep doodoo indeed. My scoped AR type weighs less than the unscoped M1A/M14 or M1.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

As the esteemed Mr. Taffin would say (write?), buy 'em both!

I have a converted Saiga with 16.25" barrel and a skeletonized aluminum stock. It just needs a good red dot to make my old eyes work, and that is coming.

Then I have a Springfield M1A Loaded with standard length barrel. Excellent weapon, but if I were to do it over I would split the difference and buy an M1A with the 18" barrel and call it good.

Still, that little Saiga is sooo tiny, and I love the bark!

I wish it was a flat top carbine. It's gets really long and unhandy in the woods with a suppressor added to the front end.

select fire cousin in S.E Asia way back when you and I were kids in the 60's.
Besides, you only carry one if your hunting with it. It's not like were humping it for days on end like an 19 year old in a jungle. We can hack it, even though we are in our late 50's (well me anyway,late 50's that is).

I figure I'd shoot one more than I would carry one and I do like the sights

Bob

chance to play around with two FN SCAR 17s. And I am very impressed. Shot sub one groups with British Radway Green Surplus ammo. And just about every other kind of bullet as well. Except the Russian stuff. Shot OK but did not really like it(Either Gun did not shoot it well. They have all but done away with any muzzle flip. Stock folds and fires folded. MAGAZINES ARE HARD TO COME BY RIGHT NOW,, IS A DOWNSIDE.

Had no problems with any time I have had to shoot these rifles.