Cheapest rifle

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https://reddit.com/link/1ccb9ev/video/xfewjoox3iwc1/player
Please watch the video before continuing.
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I think we can all agree that too much money (senators if you're reading this please disregard) is being spent on wildland fire operations and operators. There is also a lot of confusion in relation to the GS payscale (too many levels to count). My plan will reduce the amount of money going to personnel wages and salaries by bringing everyone to an equal playing field. The standard firefighter will be a GS-3 while the module lead, an FFT1 (trainee), will be a GS-3 step 2. I know some greedy people out there claim that they can't afford life on a GS-3 salary, but that is what overtime is for. Furthermore, as a two-time GS-3, people can just live at home with their parents during the off-season and then they wont have to pay for rent or food.
This plan also targets the removal of expensive stuff like the use of retardant drops and C-sawyers. Planes and smokejumpers will become obsolete except in some cases (like flying a big plane over the fire to boost morale and get sick insta videos). Smokejumpers have been proven ineffective (2million+ acres burned last year, what were the smokehoppers doing?) and take too long to train. Instead of individuals jumping out of planes, a 10-person capacity module is lifted by helicopter (if too heavy we can get two helicopters) and dropped via parachute nearby a blaze. The module will then get out and do normal fire stuff like dig and cut to put the fire out.
I looked into the math behind this and determined that we can scale this up, so for really big fires we can just have multiple modules dropped. These modules can also act as really big fire shelters (they have space shuttle heat panels on them) which increases safety over current produces and reduces the need for safety zones. After the fire is out, the helicopter(s) come back and pick up the module by a tether once everyone is buckled into it. Each module will come with 5 life straws (saves money, people can share) and a bolt-action rifle of whatever gun is cheapest (the 10-man groups will hunt for food, saves money on MREs).
Pricewise the module should be cheap. Since we no longer go to the moon or do space stuff NASA should have a lot of spare heat panels laying around. We can also just get the cheapest contractor to make them as well.
Had to reupload due to video issues, couldn't find how to fix it in the little book with the cool helicopter compass on it.

Hey guns,
I've been shooting with my Shadow 2 for a while now, mostly doing IPSC, precision shooting, and defense training. Recently (since 2020 tbh), I've been considering adding a rifle to my setup. It's not that I'm a prepper or anything, but the situation in Ukraine isn't too far from Austria, and the 2020 attacks in Vienna have had me thinking about personal security.
I'm based in a rural area near Salzburg, about 15 km outside the city. The terrain here is hilly with a lot of forests, lakes, and open fields. The view distance can be up to 1.5 km, so I need a rifle that can cover at least 600 meters, whether for defense or for spotting.
Here are my questions for the community:

1. Caliber: What would be a good caliber for a rifle that can handle both medium and long-range shooting? It doesn't have to be the cheapest, but I need something I can afford to train with. Ideally, it should also be accessible in case of a more severe situation.
2. Barrel Length: Given my rural location, I'm looking for a rifle that's practical for both long-range shooting and possibly for shorter distances when moving through small villages. What's a good balance for this?
3. Optics: What kind of optics would you recommend? I'm thinking about a scope for longer ranges, but would a red dot or magnifier be useful for closer encounters? Should I consider night vision or thermal?
4. Reliability: Which manufacturers are known for producing reliable rifles? If I'm in a situation where I need to use it, it has to work without fail.
5. Other factors: What are other factors which needs to be considered when chosing a rifle?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions! I hope I never have to use the rifle in a serious situation, but I'd like to be prepared just in case. Looking forward to hearing your recommendations!

So, as an Austrian, i am limited to 2 semiautomatics or handguns, as well as rifle mags of 10 rounds and pistol mags of 20. but no more! I shot enough competitions to qualify for an exception. So i can get 3 more! And decent mags!
Now, what would your recommendations be? For now i have an Arex delta L i use for competition shooting, home defense, and i could use it for IPSC production. I also have an IWI Zion short barreled AR15 and a drop in conversion kit for 22lr. Other than that a 22lr bolt action rifle, a Mosin, a No5 mark1, and a K31.
I was thinking: i want a metal frame handgun. The ones i was looking at (and could handle in person) were a CZ sp01 (which i could get the conversion kit for), the beretta 92x performance (i liked the size and i like berettas in general, but the slide is really hard and feels a little weird for me to pull), a tanfoglio stock 2 (which apparently has conversion kits for 45 acp, which i have hardly any use for other than power factor), and an Arex alpha. Now that alpha is not only the cheapest one of them, it also feels amazing in my hand, and operates really smooth. There are no conversion kits i know of, and it feels a little like a waste to use another one of my precious slots on the same manufacturer when there is so much variety out there. The reason i’m hung up on those 22lr conversions is that there are many smaller events for 22lr pistols going on around me and that’s obviously another thing i could do.
Ok next one: i was thinking of getting a PCC for competitions, and was looking at a saiga (we get the russian ones imported) which would be fun because it operates like an AK without me having to get an actual AK. Obviously a CZ scorpio EVO 3 is an option, but €€€ as fuck. And they dont seem to have the short one anywhere that i like more. I dont really want to get an AR9 even of there are obvious benefits of transferable skill, because i could insyead just get a 9mm upper for my AR15 (which would be about 1500€ but i could register it as an accessory to the Zion.
If i wanted to still get an AK, i would have to look really hard because it’s all polish ones and they dont look exactly convincing. The Gucci ones are nowhere in stock.
A semi auto shotty would be cool for IPSC, and i would go for a mossberg 940 JM (because that’s whats avaliabe other than turkish garbage). Pump action shot guns are illegal, i would need to work on that for another year to get that exception.
Last would be a revolver, as those are the only pistol class i could actually play in. As much as i adore the rhino, i understand the issues. Taurus revolvers are so NOT COMPATIBLE with my hands that i actually started bleeding trying one out. smith an wessons are prohibitively expensive here. i found that the ruger gp100 might be what i want but i couldnt fire one yet.
your input is much appreciate friends! thank you!

Yesterday I took an 8 hour defensive shotgun class with an instructor in my state. I won't name the instructor or the range I was at because it will make me easily identifiable. I'm writing this post for informational purposes, to reaffirm some things we already know, and to maybe share some things that I learned. Possibly to get sweet, sweet imaginary internet points. I'm not going to go over everything in detail and I'm going to just flat out skip things so if you're wondering "how did this take 8 hours?" There was a lot of shooting and I'm not typing everything.
The requirements for the class were simple:

• A defense shotgun - pump or semi auto.
• A way to store extra ammunition - Side saddle, shotshell cards, dump pouch, your pockets, whatever.
• 180 rounds of 12 gauge ammunition - 60 buck 60 bird 60 slug
• Eye/ear pro

What did I bring?

• Mossberg 590A1 9 shot I bought it after reading this post. The only changes I made to the gun were enhanced safety and a Streamlight Protac HL-X with modified tail switch.
• 100 rounds Winchester 7.5 shot game and target heavy lead loads 1200 FPS
• 100 rounds Fiocchi Home Defense 9 pellet buck shot 1250 FPS
• 60 rounds Federal Low Recoil rifled slugs
• Eye/ear pro

Slings: A sling was optional but nobody showed up without a sling. Let me get this out of the way right now. A sling was in no way essential to the drills we were performing or skills we were learning. The only purpose that sling served was to hang that gun off our body in between drills and while listening to instruction. Having a 7lb empty shotgun hanging off your body for 8 hours will test your endurance. I've heard or read someone's opinion that if you have a sling on a shotgun you've never trained with your gun. This class and the first shotgun class I ever took both had slings on the equipment list. The only drill we did where the sling was in the way was when we transitioned from strong side to weak side. I probably need to adjust my sling in some way to make it better.
Slug Zero. We zeroed our guns with slugs at 25 yards. This took all of 10 minutes. Most of our guns were already zeroed or in my case I knew my holdovers and just didn't mess with my sights. There was a guy who had a Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol. I don't specifically remember the slugs he was shooting but they were 1650 FPS and for some reason they would not cycle in his gun. His gun was not new to him, saying he's shot at least a few hundred rounds out of it. It would cycle whatever ammo the instructor gave him just fine. The test for this was load student's round in the tube, then instructors round. Instructor's round cycled and the gun picked up the student's round just fine. Load two student rounds and the gun stovepiped or something.
Bird shot: We shot bird shot to show how bird shot patterns and then discussed while nobody wants to be shot with bird shot let alone anything else, it is not ideal for home defense. An interesting take away from the bird shot lesson is that one guy who is a trap shooter brought trap loads that had really tight patterns at close distances like 5 yards. All of us were pretty surprised but I didn't think to ask what those loads were. Shooting bird shot is fun.
Buck shot: Some people brought the cheapest random buck shot they could find. Some people brought Federal Flight Control, some people bought whatever said "Tactical" on it. We patterned our shot at various distances, did a walk back drill to determine the effective distances of our buckshot out of our barrels. The Fiocchi I was shooting was minute of man (all pellets inside the silhouette, no flyers) at 30 or 35 feet. This was good, but also I don't have hallways that long in my house. I had a buddy in the class shooting the same ammo out of his Mossberg 500. The shot patterned differently for him and he was only minute of man to about 20 feet or 25 feet. The lesson? The same shot will pattern differently out of different barrels.
Slug Transition: Transition from buck/bird shot to slugs. There were two lessons here, technically 3. The first two were different ways to transition from shot to slug. After that we put that into practice with putting a round of shot through the torso of the target and a slug through the head. Slug transitions are far easier with a pump gun than they are with a semi-auto based on what I saw from the few guys running semi autos.
It was probably about this point in the day where that guy with the A300 had his charging handle shear off. His gun is going back to Beretta. IDK if he had another gun or if he borrowed one from the instructors or if they were able to rig it somehow but he finished the class.
4 boxes: I'm sure there's a proper name for this drill but there were 4 numbered sheets of paper, one in each corner of the target (1-4) and not in the same order for everyone. The direction was to put the corresponding number of rounds in each paper. Four targets, 10 rounds. We were reasonably close in distance here so much that for a few people you could see the wads from their shells also hitting the target making it look like for example the #3 target had six rounds in it instead of 2.
Shooting Steel: The last drill for the day. Slugs on 1/3" size IPSC silhouettes. Slightly bigger than an A zone but definitely smaller than C zone is I think how the instructor put it. This was a walk-back exercise. Each shooter took a handful of slugs and we got progressively further back ending at 50 yards. Everybody rang steel at 50 yards, if not the first shot then the second shot.
Conclusion: Shooting shotgun is fun. Defensive shotgun is not the same as 3-gun. Semi-auto is different from pump. Everything requires a different set of skills. I need to shoot more. I should either take this class again or take another shotgun class.

Hi
I am thinking to try reloading for the sake of reloading and, of course, better accuracy, cost optimization, etc. As someone who never reload a single round, may I ask to check if the math checks out on the cost side? Thank you
Round: 308 Win
Equipment/tools: let's assume it all was give to me for free
Time: free
As an example, I used 150gr bullet and H335 powder. Cost for components:
- bullets: 0.3$ to 0.6$ (and up, sky is the limit)
- powder: 64$ per 1lb; this is about 160-170 loads (41-44gr) - let's say 165 loads; .39$
- large rifle primers: 0.25$ to wild .8$
Total so far: .94$ to 1.79$ and that's without brass and taxes (and maybe shipping)
Brass estimate is .30$ assuming 5x reuse
It seems I am looking at 1.25 to 2.09$ per round with reloading based on today's prices. This is pretty much inline with factory ammo I can get. (keeping in mind that I am looking at cheapest factory vs loads custom to my rifle).
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But still, the cost seems crazy high for reloading. Please, highlight the math mistake I made, please.
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thanks

Hey folks,
I recently got into precision Rimfire. In February, I decided that I love my ARs and tactical/LARPing type shooting, but I wanted to drive tacks. And I wanted to drive far away tacks. I wanted to be accurate, and I didn't want to pay $1+ to feed a centerfire. So I found Precision Rimfire.
I get very long winded so I will keep it short as best I can.
I didn't have anything particularly suitable, so I went the Basic Bitch route and bought a CZ457 Synthetic (My reasoning: It was the cheapest model I could find), a used Area419 30 MOA rail, a Bushnell Match Pro 6-24x, Warne Rings (Because ExpertVoice discount), Harris bipod, and Schmedium Gamechanger.
Anyways, that was late February. I "practiced" every weekend, sometimes both days, making the 3 hour round trip to my range. I sat at a bench, and shot groups at 50y. Then 100y. Then I stuck some steel and clays at various distances. I would dial the range into my scope, shoot the steel a few times or break the clays, and then move on (This is relevant later).
I signed up for the Sheepdog Warrior Rimfire 1 with Shiffy13. I think I mentioned the match in a post, so he messaged me letting me know he was signing up. Awesome guy, had a great time hanging with him on Sunday and hope to do it again soon
I get to the range, and I am lost as fuck. There are people in sponsored jerseys, people with rifles more expensive than some of the cars I've bought, everyone knows each other, etc. I awkwardly stand around the zero range until someone insists I take their spot and use their shooting mat to get ready. Awesome interaction #1
Lay down, take some shots at 50y. I did not practice prone, and have no idea if my rifle is throwing fliers, or if I am just nervous. I also shoot a target around 250y to check my velocity/dope since I don't have a chrono. It seems close enough and I don't plan to win, plus I felt bad taking up time and space from other people, so I moved on.
Blah blah blah, we start shooting. First stage is tires and 5 positions. Buzzer goes off, I walk up, throw my bag down, plop my rifle on top, and holy shit am I unstable. Shooting off a table with a bipod and rear bag is so different than shooting off a prop. I don't do great, but my squad is awesome. Another new friend of mine advises me to keep my strong side knee up and use that to support my elbow/arm to steady the rear of my rifle. Also to wedge my rifle into the bag more, not just place it on top.
Next few stages go ok, here's what I learned:

• Plan your strategy

Yes that sounds obvious, but it's more complicated than you might think. You picked your positions. Great. But are you too short and will need to stand on your tiptoes? Are you too tall and need to hunch down? The position of your rifle is great, but can you get your body behind it and get your head in the right place? If you need to go prone, can your entire body lay straight? If you're on gravel, are you prepared to support your entire upper body with your bare elbows? IYKYK, but it reminded me of those Goddamn m249/240b linkages turning my elbows to ground beef

• Practice positions

You've perfected your eye relief at the range. Rifle in front of you, rear bag, you're driving tacks at all distances. How's your eye relief when you're prone? How about at a weird angle because of a prop? Also, learn the props. If you have a barrel perpendicular to you, where do you put the rifle? My first thought is to center it, but the center is the most pliable. Towards the rim has much less flex. Stuff like that

• Shoot at different distances. Quickly

You set up your targets. You range them. You check your DOPE, dial it in, and hit your target. You hit it a few times. Then you move to a new target, range it, dial, and shoot. Have you ever used your reticle holdover? The middle of a match is not a good time to have to learn, because you may not have time to dial.

• Learn your scope

More zoom means more accuracy, right? If I can see the target better, I can hit it better! You take aim at your target 150y away at 24x power. Impact! Now you need to hit the target 50 yards away. Where the fuck is it? All I see is dirt and grass, really close up. Get used to using a lower zoom so you can acquire targets faster. A throw lever will probably be in my near future

• Do you know what revving out means?

I sure didn't. Shot a stage that ended on 265y. Next stage was 100y. My DOPE is 1.8mils at 100y. Check my scope, the turret says 1.8. Let's do this.
Where the fuck are my shots? I can't see splash. No one else can see splash. They tell me I must be going way over the berm. How? I'm at 1.8 mils! I hear someone say "Are you revved out?" but that means literally nothing to me.
I was at 11.8 mils. After a stage, bring your scope back to 0.

• Get the gear you need, but you don't need as much as you think

I want a Garmin. I want a Kestrel. I want all sorts of shit, but I never felt limited. You need a rifle, scope, mags, ammo, and a bag. Anything else, you can likely borrow. These people are so friendly and so helpful. I did have to borrow a chamber flag though. I mentioned it to the Match Director, and some guy in a jersey immediately handed me one. I later watched the 2023 Regional Championships and saw him, so he's definitely someone. Awesome Interaction #2
Edit: I do wish I had a DOPE card holder, but taping a piece of paper to my scope cap worked fine. Unfortunately the stage notes I wrote were double sided, so when I tore off Stage X's distances, then threw it out after, I realized Stage Z's were on the back, so I had to check Strelok and make new notes.

• Know the rules

My shooting background is National Guard, tactical LARPing, and one 3-Gun event. But mainly 'defensive'. That won't fly in PRS (I don't know about NRL). Your bolt needs to be open to move. I get the safety aspect, but I have always trained to be ready to shoot before I move. That took conscious effort to remember. It even seemed like they wanted the bolt back to transition, even if you're standing in the same place
I think that's everything I can think of right now.
As I was leaving, I embarrassedly shove my rifle in the shitty, tiny Plano case I got off Amazon years ago. I really have to angle it perfectly and force the clips because it barely fits length and height wise, and should be like an inch wider because of the big scope and bipod. I started to walk away when an older guy said "Can you show me how you put your rifle away?". Oh fuck. What did I do wrong? I'm going to open the case and he's going to tell me how I just endangered someone's life or something. I show him.
He tells me he likes my case, how so many people have Pelicans, and Apaches, but they're huge and bulky. A pain to carry, when all you need to do is put it in your car's back seat. I was so relieved
All in all, I had a great time. Technically I came in first, but there were only 3 people in the non-SenioJunioLady Rimfire Production class. But hey
I think that's all I have right now, but I am happy to answer questions (Even though I am a cherry new guy). I feel like I learned a ton. Everything people have told me is true, getting to your first match will teach you more than 100 hours at the range, YouTube, browsing Reddit reading about PRS when you're supposed to be working... Etc.
Thank you all for all your help and putting up with my stupid questions the past 2 months!

You want quick light cash while your out in the zone? Here are some tips I’ve don’t to effective kill mutant of various price quickly and effectively. 1. When killing swarm enemies make sure to kill the enemies with a general area of easy reach to quickly loot their sellable parts. 2. When fighting specific mutants a shotgun of higher quality is required for example the chimera it is an essential tool to either possess a protecta or a mp153 with 8 round mag extender. Chimeras are ambush predators mutants with a high health pool so be vigilant as area normally spottings of chimeras will frequent their appearances but be aware it’s a general location and they can move position. The bears attempts of attack are out maneuvering the chimera or seeking high ground to shoot it. A medium target is pseudo giants same applies but usually more liberal with its damage sources. Expanding rounds in a rifle can kill but the most effective use is a shotgun shell. (These are also the cheapest options). For the snork enemy to not need to constantly heal in cqc or in an open area bait the snorkel into leaping. You can spot this by the lurch either forward or backwards prior to an attack. As for blood suckers in the likes of minstrel, shotguns are the most effective as they are cheap and highly effective on both common and boss variety ients. As for a more light approach to the shotguns kit either a saw off with effective damage or a pistol running expanding rounds will suffice.

Our ancestors came from the star looking for a better life. When they found Niorus, they found what they wanted: a lust-rich world full of resources and wildlife to hunt. Some of their wildlife hunted them and forced us to adopt them. But that was long ago. Now, we have mastered the stars. That is what the legends tell us.
For some reason, that was all Captain Juster Sonett could think of. First, the ship had come out of hyperspace with no ID and failed to communicate that the planet's defense grid had shot it down. They were on the edge of alliance space, so it was presumed to be just some pirates who went too close to the grid.
His team of six was on their way in a shuttle, and we were seated in the alliance's color: blue and white power armor. The shuttle could hold fifteen powerful armor soldiers and thirty lightly armored soldiers.
“Two minutes to touchdown.” The pilot's voice comes over the coms. “Acknowledged,” Sonett replied
Two minutes later, the shuttle turned around so the door would face the down ship. As the door opens, the point man, Staff Sergeant Dougly Tayly, scans the area with his plasma rifle, ready to take care of any threat. After a minute, he gives the all-clear sign. They step out with their rifles ready, and their training and experience are evident in their every move. Their HUD display only picks up one life sign on the ship.
The ship they were approaching was unlike anything they had ever seen. It was a small fighter designed for two but capable of being operated by one. Its hyperdrive was modest, but its design and logo were utterly alien. The vessel was a large disk, cradled in two hands and surrounded by a field of stars. The seven land masses on the disk were unlike any known planet in the sector, adding to the mystery and intrigue of the situation.
“What kind of pirates are those people?” his second in command, Kathle Bellee, said, her voice tinged with curiosity. 'Their energy reading is coming up as cobalt. Since when are pirates this primitive? Even the cheapest pirates still use Vukralt; it’s much more efficient.' She continued, her interest piqued.
“We know all that,” Snoett replied, shooting her a look even though she couldn’t see it. He signaled to the two trailers to get the med pod from the shuttle.
They go to the cockpit, and there is one female
“It's human,” Snoett said.
She had red hair, a slim chest, and closed eyes.
“She unconscious,” Believe said.
Her light green uniform wasn’t pressurized with a patch with the same logo on the ship. Her helmet was clear with a rebreather attached. All Alliance suits were pressurized for backup in case the cockpit became unsealed, and their helmet had built-in rebreathers. The more they investigated, the stranger it became because no pirates used this. Her nameplate wasn’t in standard but an older dialect that hadn’t been spoken in over seventy-five years. It read Jula Mire on her leg hip was a pistol. The pry opened the cockpit, and Snoett grabbed the gun.
“It's a thrower,” Snoett said as he emptied the clip of the rounds from the pistol and the chamber.
At that time, the med pod was being used. Snoett and Tayly carefully removed her from the cockpit and placed her in the pod. They were putting on the rebreather mask on her. They closed the pod, and medical gel began to fill it. Depending on her injuries, which didn't look too severe, the gel should be enough to heal her or keep her alive.
After what they had just seen with the ship, it was an unremarkable walk to the shuttle. The pod was placed in the left front corner of the shuttle, with a pod holder locked. Snoett then told the pilot that they were right to depart. Seconds later, the door shut, and they lifted off. Tayly stayed by the pod to check if she would awaken to answer questions.
Halfway through the flight back, Tayly noticed her eyes were darting around in an attempt to get her bearings. She muffled her sounds to talk, but they could not hear her with the voice speaking turned off. He quickly turned it on at the hook in the translation as he signaled for the captain to come.
The captain walked over and took off his helmet. She gave him a good look over, and then her eyes were fixed on the scar under his right eye.
“You should see the Lacvin who gave me this.” He said with a chuckle.
“You’re human.” She replies.
“Yes, we are, Ms. Mire.”
“I’m Lieutenant Jula Mire of the Earth Commonwealth in search of our lost colonies.”
His eyebrows rise at the mention of Earth. Every child had been taught that Earth was a planet far away from here. But it was thought to be more of a myth than anything else. Plus, going from what they have seen, it would be more primitive than them.
“Earth is a myth, so where are you really from.”
“I know it has been a long time since we contacted you. Much of our knowledge has been lost between civil wars and whatnot, and you seem to have an intact knowledge bank. I have to report this.”
“You're not reporting anything. You’re a prisoner of the Niorus Alliance.”
“They will come looking for me then. They know I was scouting the Vadopia sector.”
He laughs at the fact that Earth is coming. There was nothing to fear from them.

1. Aa-ma type. 

2.Ma type. 

3.O type. 

Hello everyone,
Not sure if people here are interested in deacts over firing guns but I figured id ask.
I'm looking to basically purchase a deactivated gun, photograph it for work reasons, then move it on again and trying to find the most cost efficient route of doing it in the UK. I've tried emailing a couple of sellers but they either dont rent or their prices aren't worth it at all.
I've also tried getting in touch with the Leeds Armory's Film, Game and Media Enquiries, but they dont seem to respond even though we're a legitimate business enquiry! Besides, it would be far easier for us to do it with deactivated guns regardless.
So does anyone have much experience selling deactivated guns and have any idea what the best way might be to move it on for a fair price? I was thinking of listing them on Gunstar for £100 or so off the cheapest price you'll find online but unsure if its worth the hassle with all the legal requirement stuff.
Either way I was thinking maybe someone who works at a company that sells/buys deacts might see this and be interested, or perhaps someone here might have some ideas.
Currently looking at selling a BM59 Rifle, IZH18 Single barrel shotgun.
I would sell my Mosin 1943 sniper with PU scope but its old spec so I cant sadly.
Any ideas or advice massively appreciated!
Cheers!

I've been yesterday to a gun store. I know I'll buy AKSA S4 as my 1st shotgun and which pistols to get (I'm definitely getting that Limited Golden CZ Shadow 2, SIG M17 or M18 [unless they bring back Berreta 92FS in stock] and SIG P322 + Suppressor just for fun, maybe my dad will learn how to shoot with it) but even after trying around 7 ARs in the store I still don't know which one to get. What I tried yesterday:
- POF Renegade+ 16" (there was a lot of lower-upper play, I could see them move) - POF P415 Edge 16,5" (looks really cool, my favourite so far) - PWS MK116 MOD 1 (I like this rifle and heard a lot of good opinions but it seems like PWS has some problems with the rifle's finish, there were some minor scratches on a brand new rifle and I've seen yt videos with similiar problem on others brand new units, I know the gun will get scrtaches after few trips to a range but I expect it to look perfect out of the box especially at this price point) - Haenel CR223 12,5" (seemed very well built, 0 play between upper and lower, looks very similiar to HK M416) - Faxon Combat 14,5" (never before heard about this manufacturer but rifle seemed alright and light) - SIG M400 Tread 16" V2 (very short rail only on top, I didn't like that the handguard had basically no rail on it) - PSA JAKL (I really liked this one but price is much higher than in US, it's closer to 2000$, basically matching the PWS price point, looks cool as hell especially with that FDE camo it looked like ACR from MW2, trigger is nice but gun seemed really heavy compared to others, nonetheless cool af weapon).
They (RP Arms) also sell DDs and BCMs but were currently sold out so I couldn't try them however they're even more expensive so I would pass on them, that POF Edge is already on the the pushed border of my budget.
Which one of the guns above would you buy for yourself? I just want the most reliable, best out-of-the-box experience where I can just slap an optic, grip, suppressor and have some fun without worrying about anything breaking, malfunctioning etc. Faxon, SIG and PSA were the cheapest out of these 7, the rest had similiar but higher price point. If there aren't any known issues or problems with POF and Haenel I'm leaning towards these two the most. Why am I considering more expensive rifles for recreational shooting? Because I'll be recreationally shooting almost everyday. I don't want to build anything myself. Not only getting a separate uppers and lowers here is pretty hard but most of them aren't even available. I need something ready out of the box. Please don't recommend other rifles/brands, this isn't the USA, we don't even have the 10% of all the models available in your country.

I'm sure this quite a debated topic by some. And I've thought to explore it too. Both MS have their good points and bad points. And honestly, I really like both the GM II and Hi-Zack. So I'm not going into this with favoritism, just data. This is gonna be long, so you may wanna get some coffee with a bit of whisky in it before going over this breakdown.
Starting with the GM II. It's basically a rehash of the original design, but with all around upgrades and lighter weight. The negative aspects of this being that it's basic design is so similar to the original GM that Federation pilots had little faith in the GM II. The unit's weight was also not much better than the GM Kai it replaced. Early Federation MS were also known for having lower aeroframe strength unless reinforced or made from stronger materials like Gundarium. The GM II also had fewer variants than the prior models. And this is in part because it was all around more advanced than most, but mainly because the GM II was deployed years prior to the next major war. And the Federation was in heavy financial recovery from the losses from both the nuclear attack on the Naval Review, and the Titans eating up their funding. So development of variants for the GM II was not made a priority.
The GM II also lacked it's own variety in weapons when compared to past models, as it's standard loadout can be considered dull, yet effective as it usually just carried the same beam rifle, until relegated to rear guard use anyway. All other weapons it can use were designed for other MS. The backpack of the GM II incorporated an additional sensor that made it's sensor system better, but it also made it unable to mount a second beam saber on the backpack like the original GM and GM Kai could. Some commander units of past base GM models were allowed to have two beam sabers. Examples being GMs piloted by Kamuna Tachibana and Hugues Courand. The latter of which took on a team of Zeon MS that consisted of at least three Zakus and one Dom without his commander GM, and still won.
The variants of the GM II that were made, were also little better, or too little, too late. First is the GM II Maria Shield Co variant. It's kinda better. It's basically like a slight Kai type bodily modification with a mask on it's face. Slightly improved, but not a much better machine. Similarly, the reboot of Advance of Zeta, there is shown an MS listed as the GM II, but with even more GM Kai type features. These may be prototypes of a possible Kai model GM II. Built either by remodeling a GM Kai with GM II parts, or by incorporating GM Kai inspired parts into a GM II. Either way they look like improved models with currently unchanged model numbers.
Next on the variant list is one currently listed as the GM II Kai. But I recall was previously called the GM II Interceptor online, and even mistaken for a Nemo for some time. This unit appears to be a remodeled GM II that incorporates a slightly more streamlined design possibly based on avionics of the Nemo, and a new more powerful snail-shell-like backpack for rapid deployment and interceptions that possibly even had greater acceleration and power than that of the GM III. However, I think the unit was flawed. It clearly is carrying a beam spray gun, and not a beam rifle. This implies it's generator was unchanged, and cannot use a standard beam rifle with so much power rededicated to it's mobility. This is ironically a problem shared by the high mobility space type non-canon SD Gundam G Generation variant of the Gundam EZ8, which had vastly increased mobility at the expense of it's main generator being put under a much heavier load. So the EZ8 High Mobility Custom carries an improved beam spray gun similar to that of the GM II Kai Interceptor. So it's implied that the GM II Kai's generator is pushed to it's limits. Additionally, this variant of the GM II seems to have only been made after the GM III. Making it both already obsolete and nearly redundant from the time it was launched. But since the Federation had such a surplus of GM IIs, it's no surprise they'd try other modifications after the GM III's release in order to make better use of existing MS with low cost modifications. Which brings me to the next one on the list.
Next variant is the GM II Semi-Striker. This was not a good example of a variant, and barely qualifies as one. If anything, it's actually slightly weaker as it's adaptability has been lowered. It has increased weight thanks to the reproduction Striker armor on the shoulders, that's not even functional as reactive armor. And the unit's thruster system is otherwise unchanged. It ironically would have been smarter to put Zeon style spiked pauldrons like those of the Hi-Zack on it instead. The Semi-Striker doesn't even seem properly optimized for ground combat, as there wasn't any modifications to make it lighter or improve it's thrusters. All that was really done was it's OS was altered for close combat, making it slightly more reactive physically. But the unit had balance issues, if the translated source material is correct. Basically, the unit was likely cobbled together at Torrington for the sake of just building something different. However, it held it's own in combat against the Efreet Schneid before having it's cockpit stabbed. But the unit was left in an otherwise repairable condition. And may have been fixed for later use.
There is also a manga only version of the GM II called the E type, which was literally just a GM II with expanded skirt armor fitted for ground use.
I've heard of an aquatic GM II that's another new variant. But I've only heard of this on a comment on youtube, and have not seen any material on it.
While not a GM II variant, the Wagtail IIex used GM II arms since the original Wagtail II lacked spare parts. But the unit also used the backpack of the GM III. Which is ironic.
Yes I know there's also the Tyrant Sword GM II. But that's a different timeline.
Some GM IIs used by the AEUG are known to have been painted with the Nemo's original colors. This was possibly to make it harder for Titans pilots to distinguish an old model from a new one. But otherwise, there was no performance difference.
Now on to the good points of the GM II. In translated source material, the GM II's reliability is stated to be overwhelmingly high. It was a very cost effective MS, and over 10,000 of them were built. They were sturdy and reliable. They also had the most powerful main generator of their time among Federation mass produced MS. However while their mobility was well rounded, they did not have the speed of other models. That said, the GM II is almost never credited with it's ability to hover on the ground thanks to the sub-thrusters in it's calves. Which allowed it to hover for short periods of time in a comparable manner to the MSA-003 Nemo. Some try to say the modifiability and frame versatility of the GM II is low. But this is simply not true. It was easily converted to the GM III, which was not only a movable frame conversion, it gave a GM II frame Gundam MK-II level performance while also being able to utilize existing parts. And while not information seen on the wiki anymore, old info stated the original GM had a 10% parts difference in the ones used in space VS the ones used on the ground. The GM II did not have this issue as it was ready to go in almost any environment due to it possessing technological refinements from various prior GM models.
The GM II also offered similar performance for lower cost when compared to the GM Quel. Which partly led to the Quel's early retirement from the front lines. And while the GM II's personal weapon loadout could be considered dull, it was armed standard with beam weapons. Which pretty much trumps all else in effectiveness. And when beam weapons were not available, it could use weapons from pretty much any previous GM model, and sometimes even ones from newer models. The GM II's improved beam saber was no slouch either. As it's improved emitter and output gave it not only more cutting power, but a more fearsome appearance as well. The beam rifle of the GM II seems like a production version of the rifle used by the RX-78-2 Gundam at first glance, but is technologically based on the old beam spray gun. That said, this rifle was heavily favored for it's usability and fast recharge time. However, it did not use replaceable e-pack technology. But there was an improved model that corrected this, and the further improved model made for the GM III seems to use e-pack technology.
Though stated to have been developed from the GM II. The Nemo doesn't use much from the GM II, other than some basic design data, beam rifle and head vulcans. The Nemo's actual internal design was more based on the Delta Gundam's Movable Frame. It's likely because of this that we never see GM II parts used on a Nemo, or the opposite. They are simply not compatible without heavy modification.
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Now onto the Hi-Zack. Initially considered a masterpiece of engineering by combining Federation and Zeon technology, it's long term performance was sadly disappointing. While the Hi-Zack possessed high reliability, ease of repair and maintenance. It's cheapness made it a problem child in the long run. Yes in terms of thruster specs the Hi-Zack is faster than the GM II. But it has to be. Mainly because the Hi-Zack is THICK! It's body mass is very wide, right down to the feet. Which makes is a bigger target. Which is something I've noticed is almost never spoken of when comparing it to the GM II. And while the Hi-Zack's empty weight is lower than that of the GM II. In order to have that empty weight, you'd have to remove it's fuel, backpack, shoulder shield, spiked shoulder pauldron, and leg thrusters. Making it's empty weight spec pretty much redundant compared to the GM II. The GM II by comparison has a much slimmer profile than the Hi-Zack. And because the Hi-Zack uses a shoulder shield and spiked pauldron instead of shoulder armor with built in maneuvering thrusters, it needs an early version of the binder system on the backpack to improve AMBAC in space. However, these binders were likely of no particular use on the ground, as binders are usually used to provide additional AMBAC motion in 0G. And thus only add weight to the Hi-Zack when operating on Earth. If the binders were modified into beam saber mounts or sub-thrusters, or both, their usage in all environments would not only be more justified, the backpack could have been used on other MS.
The Hi-Zack's cheapness is also a double-edged sword. It's lower cost by basing most of it's systems on first generation Zeon technology made it's compatibility with beam weapons low. The Hi-Zack's main generator in order to cut costs as much as possible, combines Federation standard generator technology with Zeon's fluid pulse system that was developed for the older style generators originally designed before the One Year War. Rather than simply use the same Zeon based generator as the MS-11 Act Zaku that was already an excellent hybridized design, and had already been mass produced by the Federation, they bodged together a new hybrid based on a mix of new and old parts that were initially incompatible, and didn't see it as a problem. This was like building a Volkswagen that used some parts from a Chevrolet. And resulted in a generator with a seemingly fine output of 1428 KW, as soon as a load was put on this generator, it's output likely became unstable and dropped. For an example, sometimes you won't know if a car battery has gone bad unless you do a load test after recharging it. A battery with a normal test can seemingly read power levels in acceptable tolerance. But if you connect a load tester to one, it simulates the output of a starter motor and shows how the battery handles the load on a meter. And if the battery goes from reading full power to dropping dramatically, then you have a problem. The Hi-Zack's generator has a very similar issue. Imagine an engine with 1428 horsepower on turnover. But as soon as you put the car into a higher gear, the output soon drops 30%. Making it more like 1000 horsepower. That's basically the Hi-Zack's generator in a nutshell. It's basically an MS that performed at it's best when not equipped with any beam weaponry.
The generator of the old GM Ground Type had an output of 1150 KW, and was barely enough to handle both beam sabers and a beam rifle. And some sources I recall stated it even needed tweaking to handle a beam rifle too. The generators of MS-09 Dom type MS during the one year war could barely handle beam weaponry after being tweaked to handle a beam bazooka with it's own built in generator. Zeon technology of the OYW had to raise to higher outputs so their fluid pulse based generator systems could power beam weaponry. And the Federation government thought it a good idea to base the Hi-Zack on this technology simply because it was cheap.
When Anaheim Electronics was contracted to manufacture the Hi-Zack, they did not bother to fix the generator problem either, and manufactured it just as they were told to do so. So the Hi-Zack could only carry one beam weapon at a time. And couldn't even use it's own beam rifle to it's fullest capability. Making said rifle's higher output than the GM II's rifle wasted on the Hi-Zack. This may also explain why the Hi-Zack's rifle had replaceable e-pack technology when the GM II rifle didn't. The Hi-Zack's generator simply didn't have the load capacity to properly recharge a beam rifle like the GM II could.
I've heard that Anaheim later created a fix for the generator problem. But it's questionable how quickly it could have been implemented before the Gryps conflict ended. The Hi-Zacks used by Re-Zeon were renovated with better technology. Said technology was likely based on either Axis designs, or data brought by Titans remnants who joined their ranks.
Due to cutting cost by using fluid pulse technology in the cheapest way possible, the Hi-Zack has exposed cables in many places on the body. Which are easily damaged. The ones on the arms are particularly problematic as they're in one of the more easily damaged areas. And when damaged, lower the overall functionality of the unit. Even recoil from using heavy weaponry would have the potential to damage those cables. Zeonic had corrected this sort of design flaw years before the Hi-Zack was ever designed. Some variants of the Hi-Zack even corrected it. Like the Hi-Zack Custom, the Hi-Zack Keraunos, and even the Hobby Hi-Zack.
Despite the amount of base weapons made available to the Hi-Zack, most of them were not beam weaponry. The Hi-Zack also lacks vulcans in the head. I've seen people argue about the Hi-Zack being armed with missile pods. And while these are dangerous weapons, they still pale in comparison to beam weaponry. Older GM units also had no problem using hand carried missile launchers. If anything, this was just used as a cheap ranged weapon for the Hi-Zack to use in hit and run barrage tactics on ships and other large targets. Don't get me wrong, it's still cool. Especially in the game Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. However after expending all their missiles, these launchers are just dead weight. And they're located in a problematic area, as being mounted on the side skirts so close to the arms can interfere with their movement. And I've not seen any info saying they can be jettisoned after expending all ammunition.
The Hi-Zack's thick body type means it's sturdy. So it's big body leaves a lot of room for customization. Sadly this can also put in a more unwanted role. Such as the first variant I'll detail, the EWAC Zack. It is a useful variation as a recon unit, and possibly even as a communications relay. But it's combat ability and mobility were lowered. And it's top-heavy design made it far less useful on Earth. Making it best utilized in space.
Next we have the HZ Hi-Zack used by Re-Zeon. An all around improved model that has the option of a newer backpack based on the Marasai, or an improved version of the original backpack. Internally it's been renovated with more advanced technology. Making it a decent performance upgrade. However they are not for ace pilots as the base design was not changed much. It is unknown if the internal technological updates are based on Anaheim technology, or Axis Zeon technology. However it's Marasai backpack option implies possible relation to Anaheim tech since many former Titans joined Re-Zeon, and brought their technology with them. But Re-Zeon also had access to Axis Zeon and former Federation technology too. And unlike other Zeon factions, they had no pride issues about using Federation MS. Which overall makes the internal upgrades of the HZ Hi-Zack currently a mystery.
Next is the Hi-Zack Keraunos. This unit fixes some of the design flaws of the standard model. And even gets a new head, twice. But otherwise has no other discernable qualities.
Next we have the Hi-Zack Cannon. An ill fated variant that barely saw use. It's cannon backpack was not originally designed for it, as it was originally made for GM type MS. And it's armaments otherwise barely differ from the normal Hi-Zack. Other than this, the unit actually only has additional armor on the chest. In a way, the Hi-Zack Cannon is almost lame compared to the old Zaku Cannon Zeon developed and the Federation had reproduced. The Zaku Cannon's design was older and had fewer thrusters, but still had excellent firepower thanks to it's reliable tried and true weaponry. The Hi-Zack Cannon by comparison is more like a Hi-Zack Half-Cannon as it wasn't modified as a dedicated unit. But rather a hastily prepared one that wasn't developed further. It's only redeeming qualities were that it had more thrusters than the Zaku Cannon, making it more adaptable. But in space cannon units of that type were not particularly helpful after the OYW, as shown by the fact that the GM Cannon II moved on to beam cannons instead of shell firing ones. Shell cannons are more useful on the ground due to the recoil. Which makes the Hi-Zack Cannon a machine that lacked relevance when compared to the standard Hi-Zack. So it's no wonder the cannon variant wasn't mass produced.
Moving on to the Hi-Zack Custom. This unit did away with the binders entirely, and has a slightly slimmer profile. Most of the power cables were internalized, and some of the new armor is made of Gundarium Alloy. And it's mobility is comparable to the Marasai. Sadly this improved Hi-Zack was too little, too late. And ended up being used most by the Republic of Zeon at Side 3. Which is a shame because it was an excellent medium to long range unit.
Next is the Hi-Zack Vanargand. A real badass in it's own right. But a very unusual design. It has extra feet attached to it's own feet. Which is not only weird, it's stupid because it only adds weight and the additional feet are slimmer than the Hi-Zack's own feet. Imagine wearing shoes only on the bottom of your feet that are narrower than your actual feet. The design would have been better if new feet entirely were built. That's my only gripe about the Vanargand though, as it's a very dangerous high mobility unit that would look like a monster coming at you. You'd hardly be able to tell it's a Hi-Zack either. Internally though, the Vanargand needs supplemental generators just to handle these modifications with the Hi-Zack as the base unit. And because of this weakness, it cannot carry a beam saber too. And aside from it's thruster mobility, it's close combat ability is likely quite low. So not even a heat blade is carried. That said, I do not deny the logic of using the Hi-Zack as the base machine because of it's sturdy design for the testing of the new parts. But the mass production of the Asshimar likely kept flight capable units like the Vanargand from being developed further.
Zeon forces who captured Hi-Zacks did modify them for both heavier and lighter variants. Though neither are particularly noteworthy.
Lastly we have the Hobby Hi-Zack. Converted for civilian use, it retains it's overall performance. Though it's resemblance to the Zaku has increased. Some parts of the body are also clearly modeled after the Hi-Zack Custom. It was marketed as a sports Mobile Suit. But was possibly still battle capable.
Though not a Hi-Zack variant, the Wagtail IIex was said to have been fitted with a Hi-Zack's backpack for a time before receiving a GM III backpack. And with this backpack's output and reliable design, I find it stupid to not have been used on other MS, including the GM II.
Now for a what-if variant. I find it stupid in general the Hi-Zack was not equipped with a heat saber. But imagine if it was? It could have had a variant based on the MS-07 Gouf. I always thought of something like that being called a Go-Zack. Would have been great in ground warfare, and could have been built on the same production line.
Now instead of a variant, I have details on a questionable predecessor. Ever heard of the Zaku Speed? It's a transformable Zaku from an 80s manga called MS Generation. And various parts of it's design bear a remarkable resemblance to the Hi-Zack. If the Zaku Speed is somehow canon, then it may be the actual father of the Hi-Zack. Though in reality it's likely a Zaku that the artist of the manga referenced the design of the Hi-Zack for.
Now for the good points of the Hi-Zack. As I said before, it's sturdy. So it can handle being turned into a high thrust unit without frame modification. Were it not for it's problematic power output, it could even be made into a full burnian unit. It's armor is not weak, but not overly strong either. The Hi-Zack carries more fuel than the GM II. But it has to because of it's increased mass. The Hi-Zack has a decent assortment of weapons. Including it's own version of the Zaku's 120mm machine gun made with newer technology, making it slightly more effective. The Hi-Zack's beam rifle is also based on Zeon technology from Pezun. But updated for replaceable E-Packs, which to my knowledge no other mass production beam rifle had at the time. However this beam rifle was introduced somewhat late, and seems more like it had been made for the Marasai. However Act Zakus in the EFGF had them. So that model rifle was quickly distributed. Two Hi-Zacks can also combine their power to fire a mega launcher as well. And thanks to the Hi-Zack's body type, it can pull off powerful ramming attacks.
Unfortunately while the frame and body modifiability of the Hi-Zack is high, it's generator modifiability is low without a complete overhaul of it's entire electrical and fluid pulse system, and possibly a total replacement of it's generator too, which the Hi-Zack custom may have done. That said, I have a personal theory that Anaheim Electronics used the base frame and production line of the Hi-Zack to produce replica Zakus and Gelgoogs for Zeon remnants. It's already confirmed Anaheim made reproduction MS for anyone who paid. Even crazed Zeon loyalists decades later. These replicas were made using newer technology. And Anaheim already had the Hi-Zack's production line. So it's frame and parts would be easy to use in making replica MS. While I can't call this fact, Anaheim would be stupid not to do this.
While units like the Marasai were developed from the Hi-Zack, and use primarily Zeon features, the Marasai changes far too much. So much so it likely doesn't share many parts with the Hi-Zack at all other than the exposed cables and mono-eye systems since it has a completely different frame and Gundarium construction. It's reliance on fluid pulse technology was probably lowered for the sake of improving performance and preventing the same flaw as the Hi-Zack had. The Marasai also moved the cables on the arms underneath the armor. A design the Hi-Zack should have used to begin with. However the Marasai's prototype, the Rosette likely did use many Hi-Zack parts, if not maybe even the Hi-Zack's base frame, as it's body type was very similar to the Hi-Zack, and is the link between the two designs.
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Result: With all that information laid bare, it's initially almost impossible to choose a better unit between the Hi-Zack or GM II. The key deciding factors were what MS they were directly developed into, and their service careers. And the GM III settled it. The GM III was so good that not only did Anaheim copy it's technology for the Nemo Rimes, the GM III performed excellently for decades with various upgrades, and it shares some parts with the long standing Bar GM. The Marasai cannot attest to this as it was not built as sturdy as it looked, and it was steadily an abandoned design, while the GM III was not. The GM III was not only faster and more well rounded than the Marasai, it proved the versatility of the GM II platform it's built up from. And has a few variations, as well as some of it's parts being standardized in other MS.
Both the Hi-Zack and GM II ended up in the hands of pirates and third party groups. However the GM II was easier to upgrade with contemporary parts. How do I know this? Well not just because of the GM III. But because of the GM Sniper Custom and GM Night Seeker. The Sniper Custom even when 30 years old, achieved modernized performance through routine upgrades without changing it's exterior. Two old GM Night Seekers were upgraded with pre-production Jegan technology in UC 0090. Meaning the old base GM Design is astoundingly compatible with newer technology. The GM Sniper Custom and GM Night Seeker both share the same base frame as the good old vanilla GM. So it only stands to reason a similarly upgraded GM II would handle itself fine.
The Hi-Zack on the other hand would need such a total overhaul on the inside that most seemed to just leave them as they were. And in UC 0096, no Hi-Zacks were seen in the Zeon Remnant ground forces. They had two Marasais, at least one Zaku Mariner, and a possible replica Zaku Cannon of Federation manufacture. But no Hi-Zacks. And the Sleeves only seemed to have an EWAC Zack in their space forces. Mind you those guys even had an old MS-05 Zaku 1 on active duty. But no regular Hi-Zacks. You'd think the Hi-Zack would be a very common MS in Zeon Remnant forces. But it's not. And yet not only was the GM II still operating, it was almost as common as dirt. You'd think the Sleeves would have had a whole squad of Hi-Zacks around. Or at the very least used their parts. The Hi-Zack's backpack would have been good if applied to newer MS like the Geara Doga. It would have both increased thrust and AMBAC. But no one seems to do this.
Additionally, the cheap fluid pulse system used in the Hi-Zack was growing ever more obsolete. I question if units like the Geara Doga even had it. You don't need a fluid pulse system to have exposed cables. Said cables just help to simplify the electrical systems and improve power flow, as well as being easy to replace. And the technology of the Geara Doga was sampled by the Oldsmobile Army to create the RF Zaku. Which has exterior power cables that do literally nothing. They're just props on the Mobile Suit to secure it's appearance to look like a Zaku. And the RF Zaku is much lighter because those cable parts aren't real. So if fluid pulse technology became that redundant, I don't see the Hi-Zack's long term use looking so good. Until maybe the Dust Era anyway. But by then no operable units may remain. Some potentially salvageable units were at the abandoned Jaburo base. But were destroyed by a nuke that hit the area in the UC 150s.
So in the end the overall victor has to be the GM II for it's long term reliability and usage.

Not zeroed just 10 shots of each pellet aimed rested at dead centre H&N field target trophy faired best, Crossman fairly good and the cheapest H&N exite econ II were great plinkers. The most expensive the air arms diablo field performed poorly in my rifle. These have also all been used with a break barrel and the H&N field target trophy fit really snug. 14 cm targets

This will upset some but as if I care. I own many ARs and other rifles and love them all. I just love shooting and hunting in general (not much more to do up here in Alaska).
I recently put together a JAKL, bought the upper and used a lower I had with my preferred accoutrements as I’m not in love with the plastic stock most full builds come with.
The more I shoot it the more it grows on me and I find myself wondering why(besides price and customization) we find ourselves as a gun culture always praising the AR, a 60ish year old design.
I have a box of random .223 and 5.56, a true smorgasbord of the cheapest and worst ammo known to man I keep in the garage for range fodder. A lot of the ammo is Winchester crap that had had light primer strikes in all my rifles (besides my BCM with the enhanced reliability trigger, a 7lb pull though).
As you know to clear a failure to fire with an AR it requires you to do some rifle manipulation to reach the charging handle but with the JAKL the charging handle is so easy to get too. I’m able to maintain a cheekweld and even keep my sight on target.
The only issue I’ve had with my rifle is it doesn’t like gen 3 p mags but that’s no issue as I like dura mags anyway,
Even cleaning the rifle is a lot easier as it runs a lot cleaner, only getting notable carbon on the piston rod like in my AK.
I know only time will tell if this rifle is “battle proven” but every time I pull the trigger is puts a freedom pill down range and when it doesn’t it’s faster to clear.
Maybe someday as a gun community we will start appreciating weapons built in this decade. Start appreciating the advancements in ergonomics and functionality.
But till that day a hand full of us will be enjoying the fruits of modern engineering and I’m okay with that.

Hi all,
Looking for an air rifle to take down varmint (coons) that have been damaging property. I'm still in the process of doing research but I also wanted to ask this subreddit.
Use case is under 30 yards, leaning .22 or bigger, sub $500, somewhat quiet, and PCP powered (no break barrel, although I could probably save a lot of money if I got the Umarex Syrix / Surgemax Elite...might convince myself to go this route since the current PCP options I'm looking at are around double the cost). I don't mind a bolt-action, like the Umarex Fusion 2 which is very affordable but doesn't seem powerful enough (Airgun Detective got an average of 610 with Crosman Premier 7.9 grain) - wish this one could work out because it can also be converted to HPA to avoid the negatives of CO2.
Below are my current options, and would appreciate any thoughts!
Expensive

• Umarex Gauntlet (880 fps in .22) - sold out at my retailer (hoping they’ll restock), and hear great things but would have to get the G1 since the G2 is out of my price range right now I hear this is pretty quiet, but maybe the differences compared to the options below aren’t significant.
• Air Venturi Avenger (900 fps in .25, 930 fps in .22) - hear great things about this one like that it can be tuned (externally adjustable regulator). Have the option to go with either the .25 or .22. The .25 has more stopping power but fewer pellet options - I don’t think this would be a big deal though.

Less Expensive

• Umarex Origin (1000 fps) - heard this subreddit say good things, and I can get the package with the hand pump, which is nice.
• Diana Stormrider (900 fps) - the cheapest option (if it comes back in stock), and I hear great things about it.

Maybe the play is to get the Diana Stormrider and save up until I can get the G2 in .25 or .30 (having 2 rifles in the future is always nice), although the Avenger in .25 and Origin seem like solid options.
Appreciate any advice, thanks!
​

Hey guts, I'm looking for help on choosing an upper.
Option1: psa sabre. Radian ch, microbest bcg, surefire warcomp, geissele mk14 13.5 rail fn chf 14.5 barrel
Option2: daniel defense. Radian ch, Radian blem e-bcg, surefire warcomp, dd ris ii 12.5, dd chf 14.5 barrel
Option3: Sig. Mcx spear lt 16 upper.
These are theoretically listed cheapest to expensive. This is being built as a general purpose rifle topped with an lpvo, and eventually have access to suppressor. While the price varies, the cheaper I can get sooner. These are three upper I am content with owning and trusting. Just wanting second opinions