The ONE rifle for all.

ton45

ton45

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Montreal, PQ
Greetings,

I know that the group in this "Main Battle Rifle" forum will nail my doubts once and for all. I've held of buying a rifle for the longest time. I'm a shooter who believes in mastering one gun and keeping everything simple. I'm an IPSC who refuses to change my single stack 1911 .45 for a slick double stack .40 because everyone else is doing it. I use my 1911 from bullseye, tactical, and PPC competition and anything else I can possibly use it for. I only have one handgun and I beat allot competitors with it.

Now the question, or the reassurance for that matter, will the Norinco M305, with some modifications, be the perfect one rifle for hunting, IPSC rifle for 3 gun matches, and tactical rifle competitions? I mean, does anyone here actually shoot their Norinco M305 rifle in rifle match one day and then bring it hunting the next day. How far can one really push this rifle in terms of flexibility, usefullness and performance?

:confused:
 
Miles Teg in North Van, eh... Just might have to meet up with you one of these days to figure out if you're the original, or the Ghola!

;)

Neal
 
I'm curious to hear the responses. One of the main reasons I bought (hurry Marstar hurry!) an M305 is because I believe it's a good multipurpose rifle. Fun and cheap shooting, hunting, plinking, fun to modify, cool history, lotsa power, great price, looks great...there's so many reasons. I can't afford a bunch of different rifles for different purposes. I want to grab ONE gun and no matter what's planned for that day or use, my rifle can do it.
 
Well I plan on turning it into a competition gun and use her as a hunter at the same time using the original barrel length.
But then again, I did order two of them!
 
Mine is going to be strictly a hunting rifle, why wouldnt you want to hunt with a .308?.

Other than the fact that it will be a bit heavy, it seems ideal for what I want.
 
I'm of the same opinion... I just thinned the gun cabinet down and replaced 3 bolt rifles with 2 M14's from Marstar. Here is what I have planned for my all purpose M14...

Aimpoint M2
Rooster33 scout mount
Arms #22 Quick release rings
Stainless op rod guide rod
buffer
USGI fiberglass stock
Might unitize the gas system and have the gas system "trued" with the op rod

This setup will be used for EVERYTHING... Shots here in N.B. are almost always under 100 meters. You can go looking for longer shots, but it'd be on power lines and fields where everyone crowds to anyways... I've got a nice spot for my deer hunting that keeps shots nice and close...

Cheers
Jay
 
Ton45, I agree with you. What's that saying "be careful of the man that owns one gun, because he knows how to shoot it". My perfect combo is a 1911 and M14 (shortened to 18.5"), both guns may be ancient in terms of design but the newer stuff doesn't really have anything on them in terms of effectiveness or reliability. Having said that I do have and AR and plan on getting a P226, but you can't argue with the sense of confidence you get with the "old boys" backing you up.

What I really like about the M14 compared to the AR is it's setup. Very simple to manipulate under stress. To #### it, to release the bolt when locked back, to forward assist, unload a chambered round can all be done by grabbing the same "handle". If you have a hang up in the chamber area drop the mag, yank back on the op rod and you have a big open space to put you fingers in and sort stuff out not a small little port like the AR. It may not be the quickest setup but it is a reliable one.

Have no doubt I like the AR, but the M14 would be my choice if I had to bug out with one gun.
 
Won't be perfect for anything. Won't do a bad job, but it's heavy and doesn't make a very good hunting rifle due to lack of flexibility with ammunition. In a pinch the M305 would do (I have one so don't think I'm a hater) but it wouldn't be my first choice for hunting.

I can't comment on the precision rifle aspect nor the run and gun games.
 
Jay said:
I'm of the same opinion... I just thinned the gun cabinet down and replaced 3 bolt rifles with 2 M14's from Marstar. Here is what I have planned for my all purpose M14...

Aimpoint M2
Rooster33 scout mount
Arms #22 Quick release rings
Stainless op rod guide rod
buffer
USGI fiberglass stock
Might unitize the gas system and have the gas system "trued" with the op rod

This setup will be used for EVERYTHING... Shots here in N.B. are almost always under 100 meters. You can go looking for longer shots, but it'd be on power lines and fields where everyone crowds to anyways... I've got a nice spot for my deer hunting that keeps shots nice and close...

Cheers
Jay
Click to expand...

I plan on using the same set up as Jay here. I will also be using it for everything.
 
Personally , I don't believe in the " one gun " ideal .
But I do believe in the M14 platform .:)
I like AR's but they are restricted and due to that alone I can't justify there expense . No matter what you do to it you can't use it in the field - and that sucks .:mad:
An M14 properly set up to your particular needs is the ATV / SUV of the gun world ( in Canada anyway ) right now .:cool:
A M1 Garrand is close as well ( had one ) but I prefer my M14 .
And it goes so well with a 1911 .:D
 
The replies are what expected. Simplification is the hardest thing to do. It's that ideal I've sought after when it came to firearms. The AR is almost out of the question because it is restricted and I cannot hunt with it. I've persuaded my self at one point to go the bolt action route or even the lever action route but that second quick follow up shot keep nagging me. Another persistent demand is the need for good rugged iron sights. It seems that only military rifles are made with good iron sights. The fact remains that we are restricted to 5 rounds for a rifle of this configuration. With that in mind, the importance of making that shot count and perform well when it engages the target cannot be taken for granted. The 308 can do that undeniably in hunting and IPSC power factor. I am especially seduced by the fact that the M305 can be loaded through two different positions quickly and safely – top via strip clip and below with a magazine. The strip clip route sounds especially efficient for a 3 gun IPSC match.

I've found that you guys have allot of great ideas for different ways of dressing up this rifle. It seems I am heading the route of a forward mounted low power scope (scout) configuration. I will have to go with a cross hair scope instead of a red dot. Next route is to find that perfect load that will make this piece of metal and wood a real rifle. The usefulness of this rifle will be challenged. It won't be pretty for pictures. Mark my words, the only time you'll see it posted for a beauty shot in this forum is when it's stock is being held by screws and tape, it's finish is a patina with scratches and dings, and it still shoots like a it's supposed to. Come to think about it, maybe I should just buy the real SA M1A? Nah, to expensive and too easy.

R U Ready? Now I am!! :)
 
M14 All rounder

I have to throw a fly into the ointment... I'm putting on my devil's advocate hat NOW !! :eek:

I'm the guy telling all of you not to buy ONE if you recall. I keep telling all of you to buy TWO of the M14's. By all means, stick with that advice. Skullboy and I bought our M14's back in 2002 and we were able to buy a whole whack of M14 parts. My brother cruised the Texas Gun Shows and found piles and pile of USGI parts for decent prices. Then came the Iraqi expedition and boatloads of M14's arrived into Canada, compounded with the US State Dept's declaration that the M14 and related parts are NOW illegal to ship out of USA without export paper work. :eek: :(

Get the picture now ?? Bolts selling for $ 350 US, Op rods selling for $ 250 US :confused: :mad:

So here are most of you with great plans for your 2 MOA box stock accuracy.... :rolleyes: For hunting and bear protection, the 2 MOA does the job. Maybe you can feed your bangstick match ammo and reduce the groups to 1.25" with some additional tweaking learned from my clinics. That's fine and dandy UNTIL......

Until you decide that you always wanted an M25 DMR rifle that you see in the CNN bytes from Fallujah.... You want a match barrel with a USGI bolt. You read about the SAGE stock or a McMillan A5 Precision stock. :confused: This is where and when I gotta help you save your money. Sorry fellas, you won't ever recover your money from your expenditures. I'm trying to burst your bubble NOW before you get burned and then ask me for advice. :rolleyes:

So please, please FWIW, keep the Norinco M14's in perspective... great shooting .308's for the price. Key words here.... "For the price."

I hope this is gonna help YOU save YOUR money.

Barney
 
I'll be realistic with my expectations from the M305. To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting much from the Norinco anyways. I will definetly exploit the services of the resources in this forum. I'm counting more on my shooting skills to compensate for the other short comings of this Chinese imitation. You get what you pay for. If it turns out to be a crazy obsession, I'll cough up the dough to get the real deal. :) Anyone with a great recipe for hunting handloads for Deer for the M305? Is it true that the Redding sizing dies have the right dimension for the 7.62 NATO chamber of the M305/M14/M1A rifles?

R U Ready? Wait!
 
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