Poll: What would be your only rifle?

[The Annoyed Man]

At the moment I'm holding tight to the purse, and expect to pick up a rifle in the spring or next summer. I'm leaning towards the M1A but I also want the Ruger GSM Scout. I'll probably eventually get both.

Well I understand the attraction to the M1A Scout Squad. If I were going to buy another M1A, that would be the one. And the iron sights on the M1A are pretty hard to beat. I forget where it was, but I was involved in a discussion about truck guns with someone, and I averred that my Gunsite Scout was a perfect truck gun, in the same way that a .30-30 lever rifle is a perfect truck gun. The M1A Scout Squad might well fall into that same category. If you think of the kinds of traits that make a rifle ideal for keeping on a gun rack in your truck, "handiness" would be right up there......

• light weight
• short length
• good ergonomics
• iron sights required
• intuitive optics nice to have
• of a caliber with range and power enough to deal with anything you'd be likely to run into in the lower 48
• with more than 4 rounds on hand, and the ability to reload quickly

Both the Ruger and M1A scout rifles have all of those bases covered.... just like an old fashioned .30-30, but with handy-dandy 20 round box magazines. Another thing about box magazines.... they are a good way to store ammunition. It is easier to pop in a new mag than it is to fish some rounds out of a box and put them 1 at a time into a magazine tube or an internal magazine. It doesn't mean you have to shoot all those rounds, but you have them already packaged and ready to go. And that means that you can easily carry the gun unloaded if you want to because loading and charging it is very quick.

The Canadian Rangers (a sort of cross between a "national guard" and "national park rangers") recently selected a new issue rifle to replace its aging arsenal of Enfields: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... mperatures

Here's what they came up with:



This article (http://www.scout.com/outdoors/hunting/s ... he-rangers) says:

Specifications include: .308 Win., 10-round detachable magazine, 20-inch barrel, iron sights calibrated from 100-600 meters, laminate stock, oversized trigger guard for gloved use, stainless construction with special coatings to combat corrosion and the Ranger logo etched into the stock. It will be issued with accessories such as extra magazines, a Pelican gun case and a trigger lock.

If I were on the market for another scout rifle, I would try real hard to see if any of these can end up in civilian hands. I think they are awesome.

In any case, I'm sure you'll be more than happy with the M1A Scout Squad. It's pretty nifty.

[Crash]

I have a Howa 1500 in .308 Winchester. It is the compact model with the Hogue overmolded stock and the 20" barrel. When I'm doing my part it will shoot 3-shot groups into less than an inch off sandbags and every deer I've shot with it has dropped with one shot. What more do I need?

Crash

[parabelum]

Hard choice to make. I like so many...

I voted personally for 5.56, since my personal favorite is colt 6940 LE. I just love that one.

[Unocat]

M1 Garand chambered in .308.

[gary_lankford]

I would vote for the M1A, but I already have a Garand.

M1A would be my vote, too. I do have one, early 80's Springfield Armory manufacture, walnut stock. Solid rifle that can do it all.

[gary_lankford]

I would vote for the M1A, but I already have a Garand.

You can get an M1A for $1,000? I paid $1,700 for mine.

I paid $548 for my M1A.

[gary_lankford]

I voted for .308

Figured if it was just one caliber it should be something that can generally do anything and can be found in almost any armory throughout the world. I'm kinda looking at the question through a "prepper" type lens.

60 years ago I would've answered 30-06 for the same reason. Not that it isn't available it's just not stocked by militaries around the world anymore. The world armories should be drowning in .308 these days.

I look at everything through a "prepper" type lens and agree with you completely on your .308 choice. My second choice would be 5.56mm for the same reason.

[Redneck_Buddha]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

[Bitter Clinger]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

I am waiting for my tax stamp to break this baby out of jail. Thank you Obama for your latest EO attacking NFA trusts!

[Redneck_Buddha]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

I am waiting for my tax stamp to break this baby out of jail. Thank you Obama for your latest EO attacking NFA trusts!

That is super sweet! Can you tell us semi-literate rifle folks what we're looking at -- that is provided I'm not the only semi-literate rifle person here?

[Bitter Clinger]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

I am waiting for my tax stamp to break this baby out of jail. Thank you Obama for your latest EO attacking NFA trusts!

That is super sweet! Can you tell us semi-literate rifle folks what we're looking at -- that is provided I'm not the only semi-literate rifle person here?

Gas Piston .308 SBR, http://pof-usa.com/p308/

[Redneck_Buddha]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

I am waiting for my tax stamp to break this baby out of jail. Thank you Obama for your latest EO attacking NFA trusts!

That is super sweet! Can you tell us semi-literate rifle folks what we're looking at -- that is provided I'm not the only semi-literate rifle person here?

Gas Piston .308 SBR, http://pof-usa.com/p308/

So it needs a stamp because of the gas system?

[Jusme]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

I am waiting for my tax stamp to break this baby out of jail. Thank you Obama for your latest EO attacking NFA trusts!

That is super sweet! Can you tell us semi-literate rifle folks what we're looking at -- that is provided I'm not the only semi-literate rifle person here?

Gas Piston .308 SBR, http://pof-usa.com/p308/

So it needs a stamp because of the gas system?

It's a SBR ( short barreled rifle)

[Redneck_Buddha]

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a walnut Springfield M1A Super Match. Cannot wait!!

I am waiting for my tax stamp to break this baby out of jail. Thank you Obama for your latest EO attacking NFA trusts!

That is super sweet! Can you tell us semi-literate rifle folks what we're looking at -- that is provided I'm not the only semi-literate rifle person here?

Gas Piston .308 SBR, http://pof-usa.com/p308/

So it needs a stamp because of the gas system?

It's a SBR ( short barreled rifle)

Cool, thanks!