The Universal Rifle

[Housertl]

16" 308 with some sort of optics should be able to known the snots out of anything at 600 yards.

ON that note, does the 16" VEPR have enough barrel past the FSB to thread for an AAC Blackout 51T?

[Jesuvuah]

Would 18" give any added bennifit as far as ballastics go over a 16" barrel? I know the idea is to keep it light an handy, which I wholeheartedly agree on.

[back2basics]

How about a scar 17 .308 with trigger job? I know there is a mag availability issue but that is where TSD comes in and saves the day!!

[Housertl]

Would 18" give any added bennifit as far as ballastics go over a 16" barrel? I know the idea is to keep it light an handy, which I wholeheartedly agree on.

I seem to remember it makes about 100-150 fps worth of difference.

[RDog]

I agree with the general consensus: Kalashnikov action, rails for optics, folding stock, full size round w/20 &30 rd mags = all around rifle. (Yet history has shown that the intermediate size round is fine for the average range of engagments.)

I would like to see (and half expect to some day) a refined "AK" w/ polymer receiver, side folding adjustable stock (cheak riser and length) TWS style railed top cover, w/better than stock AK iron sights, Ambi safety and ambi charging handle, railed forearm (but not rails everywhere! style), multi caliber,and "quick change barrel."

The goal would be to have one platform which could change between a rifle and (SBR)carbine with both full and intermediate size cartridges.

[Gabe Suarez]

Universal means that you can go shoot bad guys with it at 50 feet or at 600 yards. And you can shoot a terrorist...or an Elephant. The Universal requirement eliminates anything in the intermediate cartridge realm IMHO and virtually requires the use of 7.62x51. This is intended as a "universal" and not a "special" use rifle.

[Jesuvuah]

Universal means that you can go shoot bad guys with it at 50 feet or at 600 yards. And you can shoot a terrorist...or an Elephant. The Universal requirement eliminates anything in the intermediate cartridge realm IMHO and virtually requires the use of 7.62x51. This is intended as a "universal" and not a "special" use rifle.

That is where the 6.5 could come in and shine, but then it would not meet the requirement of it being a military round.

[Sleestak]

The Colt CM901 might make this irrelevant, or moot, or whatever. If it works right and since it takest most AR-10 mags including the P-mag it looks like the very definition of the Universal Rifle. Right now, the 7.62x51 AK isn't in active service in any meaningful way and hasn't been for some time. The AR-10 is in the form of Knight's SR-25 and M-110 and the LWRC in the hands of the Anglo Democracies. Plus, I don't see any military force moving away from the intermediate assault rifle since armies are already modular (we had a lone insurgent with an AKM a few nights ago and the Company in contact just called CAS). I'm very interested to see how the AR-10 in the M-4 configuration and the .308 AK variant will wring out in the competition for civilian operator dollars. I have a feeling the AR will pull ahead in this matchup.

[Gabe Suarez]

I have a feeling you will see an AK in 308 that fits this bill very soon.

[Housertl]

The Colt CM901 might make this irrelevant, or moot, or whatever. If it works right and since it takest most AR-10 mags including the P-mag it looks like the very definition of the Universal Rifle. Right now, the 7.62x51 AK isn't in active service in any meaningful way and hasn't been for some time. The AR-10 is in the form of Knight's SR-25 and M-110 and the LWRC in the hands of the Anglo Democracies. Plus, I don't see any military force moving away from the intermediate assault rifle since armies are already modular (we had a lone insurgent with an AKM a few nights ago and the Company in contact just called CAS). I'm very interested to see how the AR-10 in the M-4 configuration and the .308 AK variant will wring out in the competition for civilian operator dollars. I have a feeling the AR will pull ahead in this matchup.

The point of this rifle is that if you had to grab one gun and head out the door into lord knows what, it would do absolutely anything you ask it to do, every single time you ask it to do it, regardless of neglect or abuse, weather conditions, etc. I am sold on the reliability of the AK design, but not on the AR design. Take a look at the videos linked here, then consider whether a twinkie should be able to kick a fighting rifle's a$$.

http://www.warriortalk.com/showthrea...hlight=twinkie