Will_Power

As I mentioned briefly in my introduction, I'm relatively new to firearms and the like. I've been tentatively looking into putting together a semiauto black rifle for the past year and am only just now getting to the point of feeling confident in my direction of platform. But not because I particularly "like" the .308 AR platform, but because the negatives piled up too high on the other two I was considering: AR-15s and FALs. FAL For a while, I was looking hard, hard at the FAL. I liked the 7.62 NATO/.308 round for versatility, availability, and cheap (by comparison) plinking ammo. And with an FAL, you get supreme reliability, but the accuracy suffers. And that accuracy can range wildly anywhere from 3MOA to 6MOA+ on these guns, and no one seems to be able to pinpoint the exact problems (anything from magazine pressure to the tilting block to vibrating gas pistons to magic fairy dust). If I just needed a SHTF battle rifle as insurance, then that's not a problem, but as a jack-of-all-trades rifle, that's not going to cut it. However, it seems FAL parts kits are drying up and what is available is - arguably for the most part - old, shot-out pieces of kit that are only climbing in cost (along with mags). I hear about the golden age of cheap FALs, but I certainly missed it. The only manufacturer of new FAL parts these days - DSA - has been working hard at building a horrible reputation amongst the enthusiasts over at the FAL Files. AR-15 The widespread adoption of the AR-15 platform by 50,000 different manufacturers, and the resultant proliferation of different parts, accessories, and cartridges is very, very appealing. While I've no interest in 5.56/.223, the 6.8 and 6.5 cartridges interested me as workable substitutes for the .308 (even though I'd still worry about elk, even thought hunters have done it before). However, they both remain niche cartridges without cheaper plinking ammo or any sort of mil-surplus. Just too expensive. Plus, the AR-15s I've shot (all M4 styled carbines with 16" barrels in .223) just feel so damn small and fragile. Hard for me to explain, but I'm a big 6'4" guy with long monkey arms, and I just didn't enjoy the small size of the guns. Doesn't that even make sense? However, accuracy is miles and away better with the AR and - according to the anecdotes I constantly hear - all this development on that platform has really increased its reliability. I still have my worries though. Even though I'm not planning on fighting some guerrilla insurgency against UN troops and a tyrannical US government, I still want to trust that my rifle will go bang every time, you know? So there you have it. A bit long winded, but as basically a firearms newcomer, maybe it'll help others to see my thought process on that matter.

Outside of Tulsa and the Osage reservation, but moved to Oregon about six years ago after college.

Hello everybody, I suppose this is my obligatory intro post. Came to firearms and hunting relatively late (in my late twenties and just got into shooting a few years ago) and have now gotten bit bad by that Evil Black Rifle Disease. For a long time I couldn't make up mind mind between an AR-15 in a huntable caliber (likely 6.8 SPC or to-hell-with-it 458 or 450) or a super-dependable FAL. The prohibitive cost of niche cartridges in the AR-15 and the declining state of FAL kits & supplies combined with the platform's inherent inaccuracy have finally helped me make up my mind, pay more money than I wanted to, and get the best of both worlds with a 308 AR. Picked up two Pmags as a mental crossing of the Rubicon and will soon pick up a MEGA Ma-Ten lower later this month to slowly start on a SR25/DPMS pattern build. Looking forward to learning from you guys (and drooling over your guns)!