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Which option would YOU choose?

  • SIG 556 DMR

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Springfield Armory SOCOM 16

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Black FN SCAR 16S

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • SOCOM 16 and SIG 556 ER

    Votes: 0 0.0%

Poll: Which rifle for next purchase?

7K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  Clyde 
#1 ·
I'm thinking about purchasing another rifle, and it has come down to four choices:

1. SIG 556 DMR - I can obtain one for $2000 [plus tax] then get the $300 rebate which puts me in around $1850 OTD

2. Springfield Armory SOCOM 16 - around $1450 plus tax (~$1550 OTD)

3. Black FN SCAR 16S - $2500 plus tax (~$2700 OTD)

4. Buy the SOCOM 16 ($1550) and a fishgill SIG 556 ER (~$1000 OTD with rebate included) or $2650 OTD for the two

So, I thought I would poll the forum members on this delightful dilemma.

Your vote, and any thoughts/input, would be appreciated and considered.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Sarge 1998 and Ullie:

You guys must be mind readers. I was actually considering the DSArms FAL Para with 21" barrel and aluminum lower. I found a gun dealer who can get these in stock from a distributor without the usual DSA wait....

So, following your advice, I checked on the website and that seems like a real good option. Then, I looked at the DuraCoat finishes, and they have one in Vietnam Tiger Stripe Camo. 8) That is my favorite pattern in all the world. I definitely may have to modify my plans!

I have to admit, having a line on a black SCAR is tempting too, but I already own two of the FDE ones, and I really was leaning towards .308.

Ullie, I really appreciate (and highly value) your input. I was hoping to hear from you on this. The FAL is a missing piece in the gun collection.

I will go back to the drawing board now...also have a line on the SCAR 17S but that will be a very expensive option. :shock: Decisions, decisions. I'll leave the poll open for a week for further input from the members - this may be the best opportunity for "intelligence collection" this year for me! Thanks again for the benefits of your thinking on this!!
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
PGT:

I started off looking at the AKs (they had two Bulgarian WASRs, one para model with folding stock, one fixed) but I just couldn't bring myself to buy it -- I had handled a Russian AK-74 with gas booster awhile back, and it was vastly superior in construction. I think it may have spoiled me some.

Once the owner saw me pondering, he came over and handed me a really nice Saiga .308 [Russian Izmash as you point out]. That one had me really thinking hard - it was clearly better built than the Bulgarian WASRs, not really a surprise since these have been reworked, but you can tell the difference in quality. The owner offered to upgrade it, pistol grip, folding stock, scope mount, all of which was quite tempting.

Then I asked about the DSArms FALs and it was even more tempting. I really like the way they look and people swear by them, so I started leaning in that direction. Then they said "black SCAR is coming" and it was on....

Stopped by another favorite haunt, and they had the SIG 556s, and three M1As - standard walnut 22"; SOCOM II; and the SOCOM 16. The quality of these rifles are just so evident when you handle them.

I know what Ullie is saying about a .308 round coming out of a 16" barrel being a "heavy 7.62 x 39" but walking up a hallway with one when potentially facing a bad guy starts to make that sound like a really good thing to have in your hands (since regular 7.62 x 39 has sent a lot of bad people into an eternal dirt nap - I sure wouldn't want to be on the business end of one of those rounds within self-defense ranges). Some people amaze me by saying a 9mm round is underpowered - sure are a lot of dead people because of 9mm Lugers over the years...not to mention SIG P226s....

As Ullie said, it all depends on what you intend to use it for.

And then there is that overarching issue of the SCAR 17S on its way...!

That is why I decided to run the poll and keep it open - getting a lot of good insights and feedback this way - it has been enlightening and thought provoking, to say the least.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
NYCStripes:

An AK is a very good choice and that price is among the best I have seen. Country of origin/manufacture is key from what I have read/learned. I really like the fact that it does not require a lot of care and upkeep to keep it running, in case it becomes necessary to defend loved ones on the move with a real long time between resupply and safety...ammo availability is also a bit more limited (unless we are facing guys who shoot those for a living...).

On the S&W M&P15, I am not a fan of ARs and direct gas impingement systems (cleaning is a PITA, rounds cooking off not a good thing, etc.), but millions of Americans are fine with them. I have seen these as low as $799 though (admittedly, on sale, and not in FDE). For that kind of money I'd buy the SIG 556 and get the $300 rebate. Right now, that is the best deal out there for the money, in my view (that's how this whole thing got started for me). That FDE M&P is a real looker, and it is not "just another AR-15" - I just prefer gas piston guns; always have....
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
NYCStripes:

Yeah, I was just admiring some of your rifles in the photo section - you have some trick guns.

I have to thank you for your service as a LEO first of all (both my parents were Federal law enforcement) so many thanks for your service to your community.

That MP5 is really sharp, but your bolt action with the purple lighting-looking paint job is beyond cool. Nice M1A too, BTW.

Once you shoot that SIG, your weapon of choice may be about to change, at least in the .223/5.56 caliber class. World class assault rifle, it definitely is. I waited ten years for these to return before buying my first.

The SCAR 17S will be expensive, no denying. But the manufacturing quality is second to none, and once you shoot one, you are hooked for freakin' ever (please be warned).

I work hard, for long hours, so I reward myself once in awhile, to make it all worth it. When I was a teenager, my next door neighbor's older brother bought a Porsche 911 (he got in on the ground floor of liquid protein milkshakes out in California and made a killing) and one day he let me take it for a ride. It was an experience I'll never forget. The rush of the engine as I floored it, the "snick, snick" of the gearbox, the handling and steering, made it clear to me early on - some things are worth paying extra for...even if you have to wait years to get there one day.
 
Discussion starter · #21 ·
Yeah, some things are so good that they literally spoil you - nothing else will ever do, or so you tell yourself. There is definitely a reason they say "Porsche - there is no substitute."

Not to hijack my own thread; just trying to make the point.

Like NYCStripes says, a lot of the fun is in the planning process.

I'm just glad no one has ever handed me the keys to a red Ferrari...! :lol:
 
Discussion starter · #23 ·
Never had the pleasure of Italian prancing stallions (perhaps thankfully so).

So true on the Porsche 911. Legendary, for a whole lot of reasons....
 
Discussion starter · #30 ·
Ullie, and friends:

I truly appreciate the advice and input I am being given. I admit that I have become quite intrigued by the FAL and what DSArms has to offer. I have been researching it much more seriously since hearing from forum members who own them. There is no question about its pedigree, and it came very close to being the American battle rifle before politics and business interests saved the M14 for that honor. It has been used in wars all around the world, usually by the victors, which says a lot in itself.

I have two issues - I have only seen these used (the owner of the shop I am considering buying one from, owns one [maybe more] and has it up for sale), so I have no idea how I would like a new one, sight unseen. It does have a solid reputation for durability and reliability, and for combat accuracy. I may ask the owner to see if he can order it so I can see it in new condition - not sure if the distributor will allow this, but doesn't hurt to ask. And I am definitely interested in ordering one in the Vietnam era Tiger Stripe Camo Duracoat finish if I decide that I am willing to wait on it.

The other issue is that it appears, to me at least, that these are not really being manufactured new anymore - the legendary FN FAL is no longer a catalog item for FN, anyway. I am kind of concerned about that aspect. I don't really want to get stuck with a gun I have to scrounge around to find replacement parts for, or get stuck polishing up old rusty parts to keep it running. I owned an MGB roadster once (my first car) and even though I loved that car [and still do, even though I sold it to a friend] it was a real PITA to try and find parts for. I don't have the patience or the time I once did to chase replacement parts down. Anyone care to comment on this aspect? Ullie? Moses?
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
Appreciated the input! Went SOCOM 16

Well, the poll results were pretty interesting. Thanks for all your insights! Intriguing that the SOCOM 16 came so close to the Black SCAR in the voting...hmmm.

I decided to purchase the Springfield Armory SOCOM 16 after the final analysis.

Reasons were:

-- Wanted .308 caliber knockdown/firepower
-- Wanted CQB capability and ease of handling
-- Familiar platform and manual of arms
-- Already had a matching magazine cache
-- Springfield Armory manufacturing quality

The DSA FAL was definitely tempting, and is now on the wish list. Right behind the FN SCAR 17S. The SOCOM 16 is a real nice addition to the arsenal - there is something about it that just feels so right - hard to describe. I just connect with it mentally for some reason - must be the way I was raised or something...all I know is I kept going back to it. I really like the rifle. Happy.

Rock on, SIGARMS556 forum members - again, I truly appreciate the input/insights!

Now, where did I put those ugly old zombie targets, anyway?! COME GET SOME!!
 
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