My Next Rifle

[k9wh91984]

So I have decided within the next few months to purchase another rifle. I am looking at Noveske, Nighthawk Custom, the HK MR556, and Red Jackets integrally suppressed AK. I really like the HK because...well...it's an HK and a great weapon but there are so many choices. I'm not really looking to build a rifle at this time. What do y'all think?

[Jon_L]

I really like the integral AK, but I just couldn't do it. After the costs and everything I'd still have a loudish bang.

I'm kinda looking toward .300 for mine.

but HK customer service to civvies... leaves something to be desired, from what I've heard.

[k9wh91984]

I have looked at .300 but right now ammo is scarce and I dont have time for my own reloads. I wonder if .300 is really going to takeoff? Guess if the military adopted it, it could happen?

[Johnny Rotten]

Have you looked at this?

http://www.coltsmfg.com/Catalog/ColtRifles/ColtLE90116S.aspx

[Jon_L]

I have looked at .300 but right now ammo is scarce and I dont have time for my own reloads. I wonder if .300 is really going to takeoff? Guess if the military adopted it, it could happen?

If the military adopted it (unlikely), then the price of parts are going to go up, and ammo would be harder to find. I hope they don't take a glance at it. LEO already have their eyes on it and spoke with AAC to make the "Honey Badger." But this round has been reinvented more times than I care to count, so it's probably not going anywhere fast. I just wanted to have a heavier projectile that can be fired from a shorter barrel. And considering the ammo is cheaper than .308, and you could easily swap out your upper for something in .22 or 5.56 for fun, the pros outweigh the cons for myself.

Also, I'd just like to say that Colt had a nice concept, but they made it far too heavy. The larue OBR is considered one of the heaviest "battle rifle" .308s out there and the LE901 is heavier (by a quarter pound, i know. But still.)

[Jonnin]

I would stay away from red jacket. Some of their stuff may be neat or OK, but I do not trust them at all. I would vote for the nighthawk or HK, but not sure which I would personally prefer without a lot of research.

[jcoosi]

.300 ammo isnt that scarce just order 100 rounds from Midway and oredered anpther 100 from local gun shop.

[k9wh91984]

I just like a round that can be picked up anywhere. I like the .300 because of how quiet it is suppressed but then again gotta get it from the net mostly.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I would warn against any integrally suppressed gun. I would get a suppressor that can be moved from platform to platform. It makes that piece of equipment more useful. One thing that worried me about the RJ AK is whether it is a two stamp gun. You might have to pay for SBR as well as the suppressor on the same gun.

Also, a suppressed gun shooting supersonic ammo isn't quiet. The only time you have supersonic that is reasonably quiet is when the target is less than 10 feet. Anything beyond that and the sonic crack is generally pretty loud. I know in most cases the supersonic crack is as loud as an unsuppressed 22 lr firing high velocity ammo.

As far as caliber, I am with you. I would pick a caliber that can be found locally. 7.62x39 can do anything ballistically a 300 BLK can do and probably more because it has more case capacity. The only advantage the 300 BLK has over the 7.62x39 is the AR platform, bolt guns are going to be equal. And I have built AR's in 7.62x39 and have had them be 100% reliable.

One thing I do not like about the AR is that most cannot be folded into a more compact package. There are plenty of platforms other than the AK chambered in 7.62x39. And most of them are threaded correctly for a suppressor.

Dolomite

[Jon_L]

Do the .300 Blk and 7.62x39 have similiar flight paths? I haven't been able to find any info on this

[quietguy]

Do the .300 Blk and 7.62x39 have similiar flight paths? I haven't been able to find any info on this

The 7.62x39 is generally a little more potent round. Some of the hotter .300 loads are pretty close to the same ballistics. The .300 really shines when you look at the short range capabilities of the subsonic rounds.

[Smith]

I would stay away from red jacket. Some of their stuff may be neat or OK, but I do not trust them at all. I would vote for the nighthawk or HK, but not sure which I would personally prefer without a lot of research.

Red Jacket had been the name in AK's for years. Their reputation in AK work is solid with everyone except the folks that only know them from the show and the superior minds on arf.com

[Dolomite_supafly]

The 7.62x39 is generally a little more potent round. Some of the hotter .300 loads are pretty close to the same ballistics. The .300 really shines when you look at the short range capabilities of the subsonic rounds.

The 300 BLK only shines in platforms that use AR magazines. That and the fact there are factory subsonic rounds. The 7.62x39 can be loaded to do exactly the same thing the 300 can. There is subsonic 7.62x39 factory loads out there as well.

If you think about it the 7.62x39 can do anything the 300 can as well as do it a lot cheaper. I am sure that will change some as the 300 becomes more and more popular but it will never be as popular as the 7.62x39.

The 300 is far from new. It has been around since the 80's in the form of 300/221. Then it became the 300 Whisper by JD Jones. Then finally when it was being factory loaded and given SAAMI specs it became popular. Yes I know the neck is slightly longer on the 300 BLK but case capacity is the same among it, the 300/221 and the 300 Whisper. And the reason for the slight change was to avoid problems with JD Jones and his trademarked cartridge. This is why you can shoot 300/221 and 300 Whisper in a BLK gun but not the reverse. Another change to the BLK that I really like is it takes into account the thicker neck brass from making brass from 223 cases. The Whisper was designed to use the 221 case with a thinner neck.

I recently built a bolt gun in 7.62x39, my first bolt gun in this caliber. I looked really hard at 300 blk but decided on the x39 because of ammunition availability. I can walk into any shop that sells ammunition and by 7.62x39. I can also load it to do anything the BLK can. When I can walk into Walmart and buy BLK ammo I will chamber another barrel in it as well as build an AR. Until then though I will work with the 7.62x39.

Dolomite

[k9wh91984]

Sounds like another Arsensal AK is needed in my collection. Is there any 7.62x39 AR's you can recommend buying Dolomite?

[~48_South~]

Sounds like another Arsensal AK is needed in my collection. Is there any 7.62x39 AR's you can recommend buying Dolomite?

Dont know what Arsenals you already have but with what seems to be your budget you could always go with a Arsenal SAM-7, as far as a good AR in 7.62x39... well that depends what ammo you plan to shoot out of it, steel or brass cased 7.62x39. Alot of people do not like the idea of shooting steel cased ammo out of an aluminum gun, and as far as I know AR's in 7.62x39 are basically the same old DI guns like the "Typical" AR in 5.56 which seem to not like dirt very much so I imagine when you step it up and run nasty milsurp 7.62x39 ammo in it you might run into more issues. All of that being said if you do go the AR route you will definitely want to make sure whatever you go with has a chrome lined barrel.

[k9wh91984]

The HK runs an unlined barrel and according to HK, being unlined gives better accuracy and longevity. This is just what HK says, not what I necessarily believe. Anyone care to comment on barrel lining?

[~48_South~]

The HK runs an unlined barrel and according to HK, being unlined gives better accuracy and longevity. This is just what HK says, not what I necessarily believe. Anyone care to comment on barrel lining?

I meant if you decide to go with an AR shooting 7.62x39 make sure its chrome lined. Chrome lined barrels tend to help with extraction,more corrosion resistant,and from what I understand chrome lined tends to win in the longevity department but then again thats hear say, but as you stated non chrome lined barrels tend to be more accurate.

Anyways back to your original topic, I would go with the HK or the Noveske way before the others you listed, but when I decided I was going to buy a $3,000 rifle I went with a Black SCAR 17s which I love(Mags are a pain to get though), if you are stuck on 5.56 you could always go with the Scar 16s and use the difference between it and the HK to buy a good optic.

Edited March 14, 2012 by ~48_South~

[k9wh91984]

Good points...I think it's gonna be the HK probably.

[Jon_L]

There is a new finish out there that does all the things K9 said (longer life, better accuracy, etc...) and it isn't chrome lining. Wish I could remember.

When I was looking at 308's, I was checking out the REPR. Hefty pricetag, but it fit my needs.