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Post by stickman on Jun 28, 2008 19:45:23 GMT -4
Anyone have either one, and can anyone tell me if they like em, how do they shoot. I'm thinking of buying one of them sometime in the near future but don't know alot about em. I shot ak's before and it was love at first site!!
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Post by frankinthelaurels on Jun 29, 2008 5:27:00 GMT -4
I'd wait alittle and see what the new Remington version is on the market....I believe the adminstrators and chief engineers from DPMS are now running "BIG GREEN" and I'd bet they have their eye on big military contracts, they will be making a mean machine in the semi-auto world.. DPMS has so pretty cool ones already available... The AK's are cool, fun to shoot, and much cheaper than the AR types... guess it comes down to how much cash you want to spend.. I believe one version of the DPMS and one other maker is available in 300 SAUM, now your talking, now that would be awesome!! I wonder how long it will take be this backward state permits the use of them. I see alot out in OHIO being used for varmint hunting.. I can't see myself owning anymore .223's but if BIG GREEN offers something else I may spring myself for one.
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Post by stickman on Jun 29, 2008 9:57:27 GMT -4
Thanks Frank, yeh not sure on the money thing yet, I saw some Ar's Bushmaster (I Think) for like 8 hundred something, where as the ak's are a lot less. Now if I'm not mistaken, do one of these come in a choice of .223, or 308?
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Post by frankinthelaurels on Jun 29, 2008 22:15:26 GMT -4
Not sure but I'll check the site for you.... I think one model is available in 6.8 spc, anything but a .223...how many more do I need to own !!!! LOL !
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Post by dennyf on Jun 30, 2008 19:04:37 GMT -4
If not mistaken, DPMS and Bushmaster are both now owned by the same parent company (Cerrebus?) that bought Remington (and Marlin/NEF).
I've seen the "new" Rem. camo flat-top ARs at the store. IIRC, they were priced higher than equivalent Bushmasters? Not much use for them here, since they can't be used to hunt with, (without modifications) and any AR that has a detachable carry handle is usually not acceptable for "high power" service rifle matches.
AKs are reliable, if not all that accurate, come in lots of variations and are fairly inexpensive only in milsurp mode. Think the most accurate "AK" I ever saw, was a Valmet, but they're pretty pricey. 7.62 Russkie ammo had doubled in price in the past year (if not more).
I had a new Bushmaster DCM AR-15 for some time, that was very accurate. Only gripe I had is, that AR "platform" is very maintenence-intensive if you shoot it as much as I did mine. It's now on semi-permanent "lend-lease" to our club's shooting programs. They needed it, I didn't. Don't miss having to disassemble/reassemble it either. ;O)
Have both a Ruger Mini 14 (223) and a Mini 30 (same cartridge as AK) for years. Neither is as accurate as the Bushmaster, both are much easier to maintain and shoot good enough for punching paper and steel plates.
Used to get Wolf 7.62x39 milsurp steel-case ammo (122gr HP) for about a buck per 20. Last case I picked up, was $199 per thousand, may even be more by now?
Haven't purchased much 5.56/223 ammo lately, still have a coupla thousand rounds of 5.56 milsurp from Greece (ugh!) and some better stuff from Malaysia. Last I bought any bulk 223, was Ultramax 55gr FMJ on sale last summer for about $30 per 150 rounds. That stuff works great in either the Bushmaster or the Mini 14, pretty accurate for the money, although it's probably alot more expensive now.
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Post by stickman on Jun 30, 2008 20:45:49 GMT -4
Thats good info too, I do gotta remember price of rounds and maintance trouble for any one I look at.
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Post by dennyf on Jun 30, 2008 22:19:34 GMT -4
AR's are fairly easy to take apart and put back together again, even with the bits'n pieces involved in the bolt assembly. It's just that it gets old if you do it every 100 rounds or so. And if you don't, then it's just asking for trouble. Some powders leave residues that are harder to keep cleaned out of the gizzard, than other powders are.
I've seen guys partially disassemble them at the range, squirt hale out of them with Breakfree or some spray cleaners, lube 'em lightly and put all the stuff back together. Unfortunately, my AR mentor insisted on taking everything down to its component parts, cleaning and lubing it properly, then putting it back together again. Takes me about 30 minutes to properly service an AR. Longer, if I manage to drop any of the wee bolt parts.
Other than a few squirts of cleaner in the bolt/trigger assemblies on the Minis, a dab of RemOil where needed and a few patches down the barrel, they hardly ever get much attention and just keep on ticking. I've already mixed 20 rounds of different 223 ammo in a 30 round mag (OEM Ruger) on the Mini 14 and it just chucks it out like confetti.
Biggest problems are the pencil barrels on the older ones, that instantly get hot after only a few rounds of rapidfire. Ruger claims their latest Mini 14s (heavier bbls) are more accurate than the older ones like I have, but doubt they'll challenge a good AR for accuracy? My Mini 30 is far more accurate than the 14 is, but that ain't saying much.
One advantage of an AK or AR, is that hi-cap mags are more plentiful and cheaper than same for Rugers. Most aftermarkent hi-caps for Minis don't work all that well and original Ruger hi-caps are fairly scarce and pricey. Ruger only made Mini 14 factory hi-caps for law enforcement use in the "assault weapon" ban era.
Recall one shoot when a guy's AR up and quit on him part way through rapid fire prone. One of the AR mavens took it apart to find the problem, discovered he'd never cleaned the bolt buffer/spring assembly in the butt stock. Kinda got too gooey in there to function properly.
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Post by stickman on Jul 1, 2008 18:32:01 GMT -4
What are those Mini 14's and such like, I never even gave them a thought.
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Post by dennyf on Jul 1, 2008 22:28:47 GMT -4
Not bad for the money if you just want something to "burn ammo" with, generally cost less than anyone's AR. As noted, not nearly as accurate as a good AR is.
I handled some of the new Mini 14 Ranch Rifles, but haven't shot one. The only ones The Trop Gunshop had the last time I was there, were SS/synthetics. Think they were a bit over $600? They also come in wood stock/blued metal and wood stock/SS (at least the older ones did).
As opposed to my older Mini rifles, the newer ones have much better sights and the current edition has a heavier barrel.
You'll find many opinions on them. Folks that are into ARs generally despise Ruger Minis because of the accuracy issue. I've had both, prefer the ease of maintenence and reliability with the Ruger for something to plink with.
Some shooters detest Bill Ruger because he once made the statement that no one really needed any more than a five shot magazine and quit offering anything more than that to the public, for the Minis. Old Bill is dead now, the "assault weapon" ban has ended and perhaps Ruger will offer their own hi-cap mags to their customers again?
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Post by stickman on Jul 2, 2008 12:11:34 GMT -4
Thanks for the info.
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