SEMI AUTO STAINLESS STEEL

quamnet

I previously wrote to ask if anyone knew of any semi-auto stainless steel 30-06. No one knew of any so I am going to open my question up a bit. Does anyone know of a stainless steel semi-auto rifle that would be a good gun for larger game. (Deer, bear, etc.) Thanks again.

michael minarik

I have been a fan of stainless since the very first S&W 66's came on the market...since then I have been waiting for Browning to make their BAR's in stainlss.I am just getting older!!!! waiting...look how long it has taken Marlin to get off their dead * to start making their levers in stainlss. Look at S&W, since their 66's nearly their entire line is stainlss...some day we will see a stainlss semi-auto in 30-06.[This message has been edited by michael minarik (edited 03-19-2002).]

JudgeColt

I think maybe LTS is answering without regard to your key characteristic, stainless. I agree that all guns should stainless. I love stainless firearms. However, as far as I know, there are no stainless semi-automatic rifles in a chambering larger than 7.62 x 39 Russian. (The Ruger Mini-14 and Mini-30 are the only stainless centerfire semi-automatics that come to mind.) The 7.62 x 39 is adequate for deer, but nothing much larger.

offeror

It used to be that stainless semi-auto gun parts did not operate together as smoothly as non-stainless and it took a while for gun designers and metallurgists to get the kinks out. I believe some of the earlier S&W autos were discussed as suffering from a few minor problems pertaining to the stainless. I'm no expert -- I just remember the discussion years ago when stainless started taking off in semi-autos. It may be that current alloys have solved the problem, or it may be that some designs still don't lend themselves to stainless. I really don't know.

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"The 2nd Amendment is about defense, not hunting. Long live the gun shows, and reasonable access to FFLs. Join the NRA -- I'm a Life Member."

concealedG36

JudgeColt, my M1A has a stainless barrel. It is 7.62 x 51. Still, not a .30-06.

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Gun Control Disarms Victims, NOT Criminals

CAPPER

The RUGER MINI-30 is available in stainless.The 7.62x39 is OK for deer.

JudgeColt

Obviously, stainless barrels are available on several semi-automatic rifles. However, the original poster is wanting a full stainless semi-automatic rifle. The Ruger Mini-14 and Mini-30 are the only two that came to mind. Oh, an Epiphany! I forgot about the DSA FN-FAL clones. DSA makes one in all-stainless! I have seen one of these and they are beautiful. Oh, the mind grows dimer with age! While they are "only" .308, that is a big step up from the 7.62 x 39 Russian Mini-30 Ruger. An all-stainless DSA FAL clone would be a great conversation starter on the hunting fields! Yes, they do make 5-round magazines just for hunting. I once toyed with taking my original Sudanese AR-10 elk hunting just for the fun of it, but decided I would get laughed out or driven out of camp. Still, the idea appealed to me because I like weird stuff and I love my AR-10. I had made a scope mount and I think it would have been the functional equivalent of a hunting party member's .308 BAR. No guts, no glory, or fun.

DarkStar11

I sent an inquiry to Remington asking if they had considered producing a stainless 7400 or 7600 rifle. Here is the response I got back:"Thank you for your inquiry. We do have some good news. We are producing a special run this year of the Model 7400 in a nickel plated barrel and receiver with a black synthetic stock. It will be available in 30-06. Your dealer can order this through his wholesaler. It is item number 26459.":-)

michael minarik

JudgeColt,tell me a lttle more about your AR-10, I am almost over the edge buying one....thanks for your time

quamnet

Dark Star that sounds like a perfect match for what I am looking for. How much is that going to go for???

DarkStar11

Unfortunately, they didn't mention price. You'll need to talk to a dealer to get a quote. You could try www.sportingarms.com -- They have a page where you can request a quote.

offeror

I've been savoring the possibility of getting into a so-called "battle rifle" for a little while now. I assume .308 is the modern caliber of choice for both easy availability of ammo in the field and quality of manufacture. I want a semi-auto with interchangeable mags, nothing too heavy. I've been leaning toward the FN FAL, the HK G3 carbine, or the AR-10. Assuming I don't have a mint of money right now, any other 'battle rifles' I should consider?

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"The 2nd Amendment is about defense, not hunting. Long live the gun shows, and reasonable access to FFLs. Join the NRA -- I'm a Life Member."

DarkStar11

Oh yeah, I almost forgot these guys make "custom tactical" Remington 7400's. One of the options they offer is a nickel satin finish. http://iyp.uswestdex.com/accuracysystemsinc/Page9.html

JudgeColt

Mr. Minarik:The AR-10 to which I was referring is one that was assembled on a semi-automatic lower receiver (CKA) using one of the kits that came in during the early 1980s, NOT one of the current production Geneseo, Illinois rifles. Are you considering an ORIGINAL AR-10? If so, please tell me about it.If so, they are rather rare these days. Estimates of the number of such kits assembled into rifles range from under 1,000 to 2,000. From what I have seen, the Portuguese versions (often called the NATO version) outnumber the Sudanese by many times. I like the Sudanese better because it looks more like an AR-15, its "son." I bought a lot of original parts (mostly from Wilke in Canada) and eventually acquired some rare accessories and restored my Sudanese AR-10 to as close to original issue as possible. Parts can be a problem for original AR-10 rifles, and magazines have become scarace and expensive, probably because the Knight SR-25 uses the same pattern magazine. I see one poster constantly relisting his or her original "waffle" AR-10 magazine with a "buy it now" price of maybe $175. In my experince, they do not bring that much. A "package" of two recently sold for around $100, which may have been a bargin. I place their value at about $60 or so, depending on condition and whether early or late style. I think steel Knight magazines bring from $75 to $125. I bought a bunch of early and late style "waffle" magazines in the 1980s for a few dollars each, but that was before the Knight created new demand.If you did not mean to inquire about the original AR-10, I also have an opinion on the current production AR-10 rifles from Geneseo. They are great rifles and use modified M-14 magazines. Still, that places the cost of 20-round magazines higher than many original AR-10 "waffle" magazines. I have an early current AR-10, a pre-ban Steyr FN-FAL, and a very early "Devine" M1A. In my heart, I like the AR-10 best because I am such an ArmaLite fan, but in my head, I think the FAL may be the best of the bunch. I think the FAL recoils less than the other two, but the AR-10 has better ergonomics. The very high quality of the currently available DSA clones probably exceeds the quality of the current ArmaLite AR-10 and the current Springfield Armory M1A. The very inexpensive FAL magazines, often found for $5 to $10, seem to me to tip the balance to the DSA clones. If I failed to address your concerns, tell me what I missed.