Decisions, decisions...

Farmer Harv

Farmer Harv

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Man o man, how I wish for the good old days when rifles were simply rifles, and one didn't have to worry about the restricted classification. Decisions seemed easier to make 20 years ago also, as I'd simply leap before I looked and worry about the financial consequences later. :)

I'd love to purchase an AR-15 H-Bar like I used to own, but they're kinda expensive now and are restricted to range shooting only. I loved the handling and accuracy, but if I can't take it out varminting then I'm probably better off sticking to my Mini-14 that can go everywhere with me.

On the other hand I'd love to acquire a CX4 with a non-restricted barrel, as I like the looks and the fact I could send (relatively) inexpensive 9mm goodness downrange wherever I pleased. The downside again is that it'll be expensive as a non-restricted, and I doubt the accuracy will be what I'm looking for at 100m (although it may not be much worse than my Mini).

I've also got a couple of Browning Buckmark .22 pistols that are very rarely fired that I should probably sell, but I really hate to get rid of any more guns that shoot well as I always seem to regret it a couple of years down the road.

{sigh} What to do...

Ah well, I'll figure something out. Thanks for listening to my whinging. :)
 
Hmmm, never thought about the Tavor as I assumed that as a lefty the bullpup wouldn't work. Turns out I was wrong and it can be converted for LH use. Freaky expensive though, but I do like the looks and design of it. Maybe I just need to sell more stuff... :)

None of the other non-restricted rifles mentioned really appeal to me for one reason or another though...whether it be price, design or looks. The marketing types that have focused on the nostalgia factor for the 40+ year old demographic know exactly what they're doing, as that is exactly what keeps me going back to a good old Colt AR15A2 HBar.

Better to have too many choices than not enough though. Maybe the 649 retirement plan will finally come through, and I can simply get one of everything. :D
 
Well, after spending the entire afternoon reading about the various rifles mentioned, I've finally made the decision to...



...aw crap, now I've started thinking again. :redface: The field is still pretty small though...AR15A2 HBar, Beretta CX4 or now the Tavor. There is a new AR in the EE available that would be perfect for me, but it's restricted. CX4's are backordered, will need a new barrel at extra cost, but will be unrestricted and fire 9mm. Tavor's are available soon(?) and are unrestricted, but require a significant cash outlay.

It's almost enough to cause a headache. Right now the order of desirability goes AR, Tavor, CX4, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. :runaway:
 
Farmer Harv,
If I could make a suggestion...
Mini 14 target rifle in .223. The price is right, non restricted and it'll give you varmint accuracy which some of the others like the Tavor won't (That's not what it was designed or excels at). The others that are varmint accurate appear to be too expensive. The cost of the mini 14 target was around $900 if I recall. The only issue is the trigger needs some work. Check out the mini 14 target threads on this forum. Just some food for thought.

Good luck.
 
Ahhhh. After hours of discussion and deliberation I think I've finally done it. :) Thanks for the input btw...helped to get me outside the box and think about other possibilities also.

Had to rule out the AR first on purely practical reasons. As much as I really really want one, if I can't take it out plinking, varminting or anything else anywhere I want, it becomes almost impossible to justify. If the day comes that common sense prevails and they're no longer restricted I'll be on one like a farmer and a sheep (when it's dark of course), but until then I'd better hold off.

The Tavor made it into the shopping cart and was almost checked out, but after doing some math it also had to go into the "really want but not right now" pile. By the time I add the LH bolt, rail and tax it crowds $3700, which is just a bit too much for general 100m shooting. As my Mini-14 will shoot minute of gopher to ~125m already, that kind of cash outlay might take me uncomfortably close to a bad episode of Divorce Court.

Which leaves the CX4. Even though I've been looking at one for quite some time it was never at the top of the list, and my wife was the one that made the best case for it. Next to .22LR it's the cheapest shooter of factory ammo, can be made unrestricted, is ambidextrous, can be used in the winter at our local indoor handgun range, and most importantly, she likes it. :)

Now to start listing the things I (currently) deem unnecessary on the EE, so the next level of shooting nirvana can be reached...:D
 
I personally would not put the extra money into making a CX4 non-restircted. $500 bucks is a lot for 2 inches. Why don't you buy a non restricted VZ58? Only about $600 and bags of cheap ammo!
 
Farm Harv,
Greentips covers my thoughts For varminting/target black rifles. I didn't mention them because I thought they were out of your budget. That being said: Brand new Swiss Arms PE-90 (The semi only civilian version of the current Swiss Army rifle, and previous German army rifle before they went to the HK G36).

The Sl8 is cheaper, but there are some disadvantages. If you mod it up with equivalent features to the Swiss Arms the costs are pretty similar. Here's a picture of the Swiss Arms PE-90 Target model. With 62-64 grain .223 ammo it is varmint accurate. Current Price, $2700 brand new. I wasn't sold until I looked at one in real life. Then I was sold.

For varmint shooting, PE-90, HK SL8, Mini14 target model. A target AR would be exceptional but they are restricted :mad:. These selections are varmint accurate.

I'm not sure I'd want to use 9mm for varmints. May as well just use a .22.

DSCN0014.jpg
 
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Epoxy7 said:
That being said: Brand new Swiss Arms PE-90 (The semi only civilian version of the current Swiss Army rifle, and previous German army rifle before they went to the HK G36).
Click to expand...

As far as I know, the Germans were using the G3 until the adoption of the G36 series.
 
Big_Red said:
As far as I know, the Germans were using the G3 until the adoption of the G36 series.
Click to expand...

Looks like I was wrong. I was sure I read that the German army ordered a lot of STGW 90 rifles between their change over to the G36. But... I can't find it anywhere.
 
Go big or go home they say (who are "they" anyways?)...so I went big. :)

Back when I quit smoking I decided that the amount I saved would go towards my hobbies. The only rules (guidelines really) were that I couldn't borrow ahead, nor carry forward any unused amount to the next year.

Well, I just cheated a bit. :D Some of last year's extra just went onto the Visa, and I think I also spent some (read: most) of the 09 budget. The outcome of the election might derail all of my plans, but after a Lot more reading, looking at pics and flipping coins I've decided to acquire...

A CX4 in 9mm. They look just too cool to not own one, and all the reports say they're fun to shoot and accurate enough for anything I'll be doing with it. Having the option for a nonrestricted barrel is nice also, and it'll make for a relatively inexpensive plinker for my UTV.

Also on the way is an SL8. Of all the available non-restricted .223 this is the one that appeals to me the most aesthetically, and price-wise it lands roughly in the middle of the pack. Any differences between these rifles almost boil down to a Chevy/Ford/Dodge discussion, so I figured there wasn't much use in getting anything I didn't like to look at. :)

And finally I also ordered a Tavor. Something about it just screams Buy Me! whenever I see one, so I finally gave in and clicked the button. Thankfully it most likely won't be here until the new year, so there won't be any need to massage the budget to make everything fit.

Now I just need to sell my Browning .22 pistols, Mini-14, DU Beretta 390 and some assorted bits and pieces, perform some voodoo on my hobby spreadsheet to make everything add up, and wait for Santa's elves (aka Canada Post) to deliver everything. :D
 
You should have a lot of fun with those. I've heard that the CX4 is a lot of fun to shoot. It looks pretty cool as well.
 
Almost there... :D

First up is 18.5 inches of unrestricted nine millimeter goodness. This little puppy is a blast to shoot, and being able to shoot it anywhere now makes it even better. :) The ability to make this fully left hand friendly (with the exception of the bolt stop) is extra icing on the cake.

IMG_1036.jpg


I made my own 3 point sling from a Butler Creek utility sling, added a Burris Fastfire and have sent a couple hundred rounds downrange at my gongs without anything more than a basic sight in. I have no idea what the accuracy is like, and I'm not sure that I want to know. It'll smack my 8x8 gong at 100m repeatedly, and at the moment that's more than good enough for me. Someday I'll probably mount a scope and see what it does at various ranges, but as I didn't buy this as anything more than a plinker I don't feel compelled to rush into serious testing.

Second of the three planned purchases is a nice shooting used SL8 from the EE. It has some interesting design "features" that I'm still getting used to, but it seems more than willing to shoot (relatively) cheap 55 grain WWB and PMC ammo into 2" for as long as I want to keep squeezing the trigger.

IMG_0990.jpg


I'm still unsure of the dual optics, and they might go on the EE eventually. I can shoot well enough with them, but they're a bit too bulky for my liking. Overall I'm quite happy with the rifle, and am looking forward to introducing it to some gophers next spring.

And I finally found a used Tavor! Hopefully it'll be in my hands in a couple of weeks, and then my decision making process will have come to an end. Of the three, this is the one I've been looking forward to the most. The only downside is the lack of left handed bolts at the moment, but a little practice firing from the right side over the winter won't hurt.

Now to wait for winter to end and varmint season to begin. :)
 
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