With the posting of the pics of The Hun Bastard last week, I got an email or two asking why I chose it over an M1A. We’ve had our discussions. I’ve given my reasons, and they have given theirs.
One of the writers brought up author, Boston T. Party, and his “discovery” of the M1A as the best battle rifle of the bunch in his latest edition, when comparing it with the HK-91 clones, the various FAL’s and the M1 Garand. This is a bad thing to do, as I have read the guy’s books as well. You see, there is this one quote that negates all the prettiness of the M1A.
However the critics denounce the HK-91, even they must admit that the rifle works. No other rifle came close to matching the 91’s brute reliability. It also does not break – ever – and can be neglected with little risk of failure (I mean, the Mexican Army carries them, if that tells you anything!).
I now own one for my “End of the World” battle rifle.
To which can only be added, is there any other kind of battle rifle?
Seriously, if you are having to defend you and yours with a your MBR, hasn’t the end of the world arrived, at least for you? You won’t be able to get parts and you may have little to zero time for maintenance. When the battle rifle comes out, it is “Run What You Brung” time, folks.
We’ve spoken about this: Whether it is brigands trying to get into your home or your friendly federal constable asking for you to hand it over, the world is not a nice place and I don’t want my #1 means of protection to be picky about it’s food or deciding that it never really liked that extractor in the first place.
“The World” may not be about to end, but “Yours” might be. Why let sentimentality get in the way?
I’ve shot both the M1A and my CETME, which, of course, is the base model for the H&K91 as well as the G3, all being designed by Herr Vorgrimmler.
The M1A is a gas-operated design, and as such, you HAVE to clean it regularily. If you shoot any corrosive ammo, you have to clean it in detail IMMEDIATELY after firing (at the range). Least you think that there is no such thing as corrosive 7.62 NATO, you’d be wrong. I wound up with some thanks to my “buddies” at J&S Sales, which advertised the Indian “OFV” surplus as non-corrosive, but when my latest order of it came, it had a bold note on the invoice that made sure I knew that I was accepting corrosive ammo….grrrrr. Not that beggars can be choosers, of course, since Hugo Chavez bought up all the 7.62 NATO on the market for HIS G3s and FALs.
The Vorgrimmler family of rifles is operated by the much simpler blowback system, and locked not by a rotating bolt, as the M1A is, but by a set of locking rollers which are cammed out of the bolt head and into their recesses when the bolt slams home. These rollers delay the rearward start of the bolthead’s travel after firing, due to their unlocking and re-recessing back into the bolt head.
If you guessed that such reciprocating gear in the bolt head might foul when it gets dirty, and fail to operate, you would be correctimundo.
So, the PTR91, being a US-made H&K91 (without select-fire), must be cleaned often enough to keep the little rollers functioning properly, and the roller recesses and the flutes in the cylinder relatively free of powder residue.
Different rifle powders give differing amounts of powder residue, so how long you can go between detail cleanings of ANY rifle depends largely on that, and also on how much OTHER dirt you get into the action.
The use of a rifle in combat means that accumulation of dirt in the weapon is not something that can be very well controlled, so you have to be prepared to use breaks in combat action to field-strip and maintain you weapon.
I’ve never torn down an M1A, but it has basically the same action as my Ruger Mini-30, which is a proper PITA to strip in the field, say, sitting on the ground behind a wall. It has too many fiddly bits which can get lost or fall into the dirt instead of staying on you lap as you sit.
The Vorgrimmler family, in contrast, was designed for easy stripping. All you do is push out the two stock-retaining spring-pins with the point of a cartridge, pull off the stock, pull off the trigger group, pull out the bolt and bolt carrier, and get to cleaning. Aside from the stock pins (of which there must be spares in your pocket!), there are no fiddly-bits to lose, everything else is a large piece.
The M1A is a fine, precise rifle to take into combat. When it needs cleaning though, you had better not be in combat, you need a table to tear it down on.
Kalashnikov designed his battle rifle, the AK47, to be even more easily strippable, and Stoner’s family of rifles, in use today, are not far behind in maintainability.
I would put the Vorgrimmler family right behind the AK47 in ease of field-stripping, then the Stoners, then the Garand, M1A, M14 and Ruger Minis last. YMMV.
The stock pins go into the open holes in the butt-stock when they are removed to disassemble the rifle.
That way, you don’t lose them.
If your G-3 clone is missing those holes, get a better butt-stock.
Unfortunately, the deciding factor for me was Kalifornistan itself… The M1A is legal, whereas the 91 is not (assuming my understanding of the law is correct, which could very well not be the case). That “state” is really starting to annoy me.
I am in the same boat as Linoge. I took delivery on my M1A last Tuesday and made it to the range this last Saturday. I am extreamly happy with it and it will do me good. A couple of SEALs from my boat days have had no problems with their M14s in the areas they have had to go, so I will not worry about my M1A too much. But on the otherhand, they only shoot LC.
My PTR 91 rocks. It does tend to shoot itself dirty, though. My VEPR AK is flawless, and I do belong to the AK school of gun cleaning.
I’ve been REALLY tempted by the Saiga .308s that are being sold in various places in California. Some gun shops won’t handle ’em, and if you bother to call the AG’s office they’ll tell you they’re banned, although fine legal minds make a good argument that they’re not…. Still, for $350 it’s awful tempting, vs. $1.25k or thereabouts for an M1A.
There was a nice-looking VEPR a couple of benches up from us at Boomershoot this year (see here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8143727@N07/489329438/in/set-72157600190289069/ ) The fellow shooting it admitted that it was NOT tagging Boomers all that well. I’m presuming an M1A wouldn’t have that problem — hell, at $1k plus, it had better not miss a Boomer at 385 yards!
In part because of that info, and also because I’ve now read Boston’s Gun Bible myself after seeing Phil’s copy, I think an M1A is going to be in my future. In Kalifornia there’s really no other safe option. But it’s gonna take a while to save up, damn it!