Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Short Bolt

Caleb started this meme, jonesing for a Scout Rifle type rifle that shot .223.

Firearm Blog dreamed what it could look like.

And Tam expounded and commented, while Says Uncle just don't get it.

It is intriguing, a scout type bolt action rifle shooting NATO 5.56mm and taking standard AR magazines. Caleb's contribution is to that Cooper Scout concept is to add commonality of magazines with AR's.

I admit the whole concept has intrigued me, and I have agonized on a proper personal bolt action selection process here on this blog for 2 years, and here I go again.

I fell for the spell of the Scout Rifle that Cooper was such a proponent. A light, handy, general purpose bolt action rifle good for nigh everything. The problem with the actual Scout by Steyr? Cooper lamented the lack of a left handed alternative. And everyone else lamented the price.

Both are reasons I don't have one right now. I would have bought one as one of my first purchases near when I started writing this web log.

Instead I still wait for an alternative that is appropriate for me.

Why a bolt action? Because their mechanism is simple, leading to fewer chances of mechanical failure. Like a revolver. And that is a handy feature to have if you are alone, relying on your rifle, for hunting or survival or defense.

Unlike Caleb, I'd prefer the original .308 concept. But his .223 idea almost fits in with my carbine desires. I'd prefer that carbine in a pistol caliber I already have.

As for MY version of the Scout. My requirements are simple.
  • .308
  • iron sights as backup to a scout scope mount
  • left handed bolt
  • decent quality (pretty much ok with any middle of the road)
  • rugged as a milsurp, but not super heavy. (Copper specified 6 kilos [correction: 3kg], but I'm not that picky)
  • costs around $1000


Now, thanks to Caleb, I want to be able to feed it from an M1A magazine. Perhaps not a 20 rounder, but a 10 round magazine in a bolt action would make that Scout Rifle as good or better than any other bolt action ever fielded by any army.

My fantasy bolt action is just that, a fantasy. A bolt action pipe dream. I could have a rifle made to these specs, but it will cost more than $1000. I can get some flavor or left handed Remington and have iron sights added.

There is probably a SAKO or CZ or Remington out there that comes close, but nothing really gives me that spark to acquire it. And Savage 10 might best hit my price point. Maybe that's the attraction of the Scout by Steyr. Cooper's marketing of same made it sound most desirable. And he talked down the other verisions and clones to make me hesitate.

And now, as I mentioned, I want it to take a common magazine. And I sorta want that .223 version Caleb dreams about, too, now. Dammit.

[And I'd jump on this Aussie '5th Generation' Enfield in .308 with BOTH feet if it came in lefty! Oh my goodness. They even use M1A magazines, with aperture sights and provision for a scope... MUST investigate further.... {if there is even RUMOR of a lefty: WANT!}]

6 comments:

Earl said...

My problem with military magazines is that they get in the way, unless they are only five to seven round ones, but then the AR's 15s to 4s have pistol type grips and that is often in the way so it doesn't matter that much.

Sigboy said...

I have some more ideas on my blog.

Bob said...

Cooper specified six pounds, not kilos. Six kilos would put the rifle at over 13 pounds.

lordjim said...

The AIA Enfield is on lots of folks wish list, mine especially. I've already told Mrs. Lordjim that I'd sell several rifles to get a hold of that one. I'm fairly sure there aren't any of them in .308 in the US. Several of them in 7.62x39 that accept AK mags are floating around but none in .308 that I know about. Check out the surplusrifle.com enfield forums for updates on them.

Anonymous said...

A CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62 x 39 is one of the things towards the top of my list right now. It is light and handy, and in a proper rifle the ol' soviet mainstay is a pretty decent cartridge-- pretty much the equivalent to a .30-30, which makes it enough for 200 yds or so. More than enough for medium game and social work. Add to that the (relative) cheapness of surplus ammo, and better recoil characteristics compared to .308, and you have a pretty good package. Right now it looks like they only offer the .223 in lefty configs, but it is certainly possible that a 7.62x39 might come on down the road.

But the thing I lust after more than just about anything else, a modern day De Lisle carbine in the form of an integrally suppressed 527 Carbine in 7.62x39. Need to start saving those pennys...

-Michael

GunGeek said...

What I have been begging for for a long time now is a typical semi-auto hunting rifle (like the Remington 7400, for instance) that shot .223 and took AR mags. The closest thing is the Mini-14 and that just isn't quite close enough.

For regular hunting, you can get a 5 round magazine that is very unobtrusive, but if you really want to spray and pray you slap in a 30 rounder.

And, yet, it isn't one of those scary evil black rifles that morons keep trying to ban. Without banning it by specific make/model, it couldn't be banned without banning a whole flock of other average everyday rifles.

Plus, they'd be California legal (at least I'm pretty sure they would be but I haven't kept up on the laws there since I left the state) and would sell by the truckload there.

I'll bet you someone would even come up with an aftermarket stock that would make it look all nice and scary with lots of rails and such for those folks that went for that look.