M305 questions, opinions please.

hoegaardenzo

hoegaardenzo

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Hi, I'm thinking of buying a Norinco M14 but I have a few questions. How much do you pay for the ammo? Is there "silver box" surplus stuff available in 7.62x51? I have a norinco SKS and the stock is tiny! how is the stock on the M305? Length of pull? what do you like and dislike about the M305, and how does the sks measure up to the M305

sorry to sound pushy or rushed, I just wanted to keep this post simple and to the point.

thanks for reading,
 
There is surplus ammo available (I think Districorp's website says they were getting some in at the end of September) plus you can use the Winchester white box stuff as well. The last ammo I bought was a 200 round battle pack for $70. The stock that comes with it is garbage. Do yourself a favour and swap it out for a USGI wood or synthetic one.

Likes: Cheap, easily customizable, reasonable accurate out of the box, did I mention cheap?
Dislikes: Crappy chuwood stock

Not sure how it compares to the SKS as I don't own one.
 
I pay about $0.37 per shot with surplus ammo. Maybe someone else can chime in about the stock length, I know that it feels quite comfortable and natural to handle. The things I love about the rifle are:

- The design has a strong lineage.
- Military history.
- .30cal.
- Enough power to hunt big stuff with.
- It's semi auto.
- It's quite accurate even out of the grease.
- It's being used in the sand box right now, so I see it on TV all the time.
- It's cheap!
- It's fairly simple and fun to modify.
- There's a lot of neat aftermarket part available.
- M305 owners are a great bunch.

I don't like:

- The chu wood stock.
- Cosmoline.
- The addiction to modify.
- I only bought 1.

As for the SKS, I don't think there's any comparision after handling and shooting both. Maybe it was the partiular SKS I was using, but it sure felt cheap and unfinished.
 
Don't think about buying a M305, just do it!

You can't really compare it to an SKS, it's way better IMHO. It's the kind of gun that'll bring a smile to your face. You can leave it stock or dress it up. At the very least change the stock to a USGI fibreglass (it should fit you no problem unless you're a big guy, order from Fred's at around $70), replace the rear sights with used Garand or M14 ($100), get a Rooster op rod spring guide and you'll have an awesome shooter. Scoping is another option but quality mounts do cost a bit, figure around $400-450 for ARMS mount and quick detach rings and add your optic of choice, it's pricey but you can go from scope to irons and back again in seconds without loosing zero. The scope isn't really necessary though since the M14/Garand have the best iron sights you can get on a battle rifle.

A stock M305 should group between 1"-2" at 100M, I get 2" with surplus and had a 15/16" group using commercial ammo and a USGI barrel. You can use any off the shelf .308 and 7.62x51 surplus. Cost of the surplus depends where you shop and availability but it won't be as cheap as 7.62x39.

The M305/M14 is truly a riflemans rifle. You won't be dissapointed.
 
As hungry says...
Don't buy one by two....

What's not to love (other then the stock) they are 308 (Actually 7.62 nato) they are decent shooters out of the box and can be worked on... There are parts and upgrades available and they have history (at least the M1A does)

I bought 3 and I'm having a blast working them up... Should be really good shooters when I'm done...
 
The last gunshow I was at the 762 ammo was cheaper than the 223. Anyway that is not normally the case nor will it. I found the stock a little bit on the short side so I got a fibreglass stock off of Hungry. The colour of the stock sucks but Kralon paint sure makes it look good. I got the rooster oprod guide and a new spring as well as a bolt buffer. There's a lot of tinkering you can do to make things better. However, I was knocking the 200 metre gong offhand regularly when it was out of the box. So for 465 bucks at the door with a case, its hard to beat. Trigger is OK. Rear sight can work loose so you lose elevation. LOTSA SUPPORT ON SITE FOR THE 305S! If you want a love in heres the rifle. You can hunt with it anything in north america. Just dont get the heavy bullets.

SKS, its cheaper and so is the ammo. Cheap ammo usually has corosive primers so cleanliness is a good idea. Immediately! Stock is ok. You can upgrade it but the stock is about as much as the rifle. Trigger is BARF!!! Needs lots of smoothing but if you want to practice on something to develop good trigger work, this will help. Ive put the spring kit in and did a bit of stoning. It helps. Theres are websites that will help with that but it will never be as good a 305. Sights, upgrade to williams sights or theres others as well. The williams is nice others I dont know. I prefer the stripper clip model of sks but other people have different preferences. Past 100 metres, accuracy sucks. Also recoil is light.

I have both and shoot both. The SKS is my fun gun, ammo cheap, lotsa rounds downrange. 305 still fun, accuracy is better, recoil is heavier and I could hunt with it. Can hunt with SKS too but deer is upper limit and not with surplus ammo either.
 
hoegaardenzo said:
Hi, I'm thinking of buying a Norinco M14 but I have a few questions. How much do you pay for the ammo? Is there "silver box" surplus stuff available in 7.62x51? I have a norinco SKS and the stock is tiny! how is the stock on the M305? Length of pull? what do you like and dislike about the M305, and how does the sks measure up to the M305

sorry to sound pushy or rushed, I just wanted to keep this post simple and to the point.

thanks for reading,
Click to expand...

Get the rinco m14 as the prices might go up sometime soon.

Trigger pull on the m14 I love, i think it is perfect.

Its a two stage military trigger, and trust me you know exactly when its gonna go off. I'm 6'2, 6'1 and the m14 fits me fine. I hunt with it although its a bit heavy with a scope and everything else mounted on it.

Its very accurate, and easily huntable with irons!

You can get heavy grained bullets (anything for 165 grain) and use them just turn off the gas system. You'll have to recock after everys hot but you can use whatever grainage bullets you want.
 
Get the M305 now and an SKS later. M305 price will probably go up eventually as supply is more finite, while the SKS has stabilized at the current level and should remain cheap for quite awhile. There was talk awhile ago that there are not too many M305's left in the manufacturers inventory and the last shipment may be in 2007. I don't know if this is true. Remember, 10yrs ago you could get a Garand for $150, now they are $600 as the supply has dried up.
 
well it looks like I'm getting a late birthday present this year from myself :) I called Marstar and gave them my name and number so they can call me when they get more M-14S (hopefully december) now I just need to stop thinking about this gun for a few months. Man I can't wait!

thanks for all your help and opinions, cheers.

Edit: is it possible to reload .308 ? I'm thinking of getting into that some other day/some other thread
 
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Steiner said:
Get the M305 now and an SKS later. M305 price will probably go up eventually as supply is more finite, while the SKS has stabilized at the current level and should remain cheap for quite awhile. There was talk awhile ago that there are not too many M305's left in the manufacturers inventory and the last shipment may be in 2007. I don't know if this is true. Remember, 10yrs ago you could get a Garand for $150, now they are $600 as the supply has dried up.
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I'm sure you believe what you're saying and are not intentionally fear-mongering, but why would the supply of a rifle that is currently manufactured dry-up? The Garands, I get, they're mostly WWII or 50's surplus and there is a finite supply - that is, unless money's not an issue and you can buy a brand new Garand from Springfield Armoury for like 20 grand US -
But honestly, why would Norinco stop producing the M305? You're making me paranoid and I will have to buy 3!!

Hoegaadenzo, happy Birthday man! Go for it! Oh ya, can I borrow $450?
 
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C9er said:
I'm sure you believe what you're saying and are not intentionally fear-mongering, but why would the supply of a rifle that is currently manufactured dry-up?
Click to expand...

Dude, the M305/M14 hasn't been made since the '90's The stuff we are getting is just being assembled with the stock of parts.
 
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