Useless Rifles We All Love

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • calicojack

    American Sporting Rifle
    MDS Supporter
    May 29, 2018
    5,348
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    For many of my firearms, the purchase starts out with "I really don't need this but ..." and then I come home with it.

    Some notable useless rifles I own and love.

    A Ruger American bolt gun in 7.62x39. This is a round that, let's face it, drops like a rock compared to many other calibers I could have picked for a bolt gun. Even so - I like it.

    An AR9. Why would anyone buy a 9mm / 45 ACP / 10mm PCC? The whole reason 5.56 NATO was invented was to have an intermediate rifle caliber that is handy to shoot. The PCC is a step backwards; but I still like it. I may even build a 45 ACP version this coming year.

    M1 Carbine; there's another rifle that's not really good for anything. It's better than a handgun, that's about it. Might work for home defense. A real rifle like an AR would be better. I suppose you could hunt deer with it. I wouldn't. That being said, they are a hoot to shoot.
     

    Slackdaddy

    My pronouns: Iva/Bigun
    Jan 1, 2019
    5,850
    Stay out of my mind LOL,,,
    I have a mini-30 (7.62x39),, and expressed desire to get a Ruger American in 7.62x39 to compliment the Mini. My son in law reminded me the 7.62 is the limiting factor in the equation. And the Bolt Action 7.62x39 would gain me nothing over the Semi-auto.

    For many of my firearms, the purchase starts out with "I really don't need this but ..." and then I come home with it.

    Some notable useless rifles I own and love.

    A Ruger American bolt gun in 7.62x39. This is a round that, let's face it, drops like a rock compared to many other calibers I could have picked for a bolt gun. Even so - I like it.

    An AR9. Why would anyone buy a 9mm / 45 ACP / 10mm PCC? The whole reason 5.56 NATO was invented was to have an intermediate rifle caliber that is handy to shoot. The PCC is a step backwards; but I still like it. I may even build a 45 ACP version this coming year.

    M1 Carbine; there's another rifle that's not really good for anything. It's better than a handgun, that's about it. Might work for home defense. A real rifle like an AR would be better. I suppose you could hunt deer with it. I wouldn't. That being said, they are a hoot to shoot.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    For many of my firearms, the purchase starts out with "I really don't need this but ..." and then I come home with it.

    Some notable useless rifles I own and love.

    A Ruger American bolt gun in 7.62x39. This is a round that, let's face it, drops like a rock compared to many other calibers I could have picked for a bolt gun. Even so - I like it.

    An AR9. Why would anyone buy a 9mm / 45 ACP / 10mm PCC? The whole reason 5.56 NATO was invented was to have an intermediate rifle caliber that is handy to shoot. The PCC is a step backwards; but I still like it. I may even build a 45 ACP version this coming year.

    M1 Carbine; there's another rifle that's not really good for anything. It's better than a handgun, that's about it. Might work for home defense. A real rifle like an AR would be better. I suppose you could hunt deer with it. I wouldn't. That being said, they are a hoot to shoot.

    You can't hunt deer in Maryland with an M1 carbine. Not enough muzzle energy. That said, in plenty of other states people hunt deer with one. Most soft points in them expand really well. About as effective as a .357 magnum out of a rifle. A lot more effective than a .357 out of a pistol. Sure its about a 50yd rifle, but guess where most deer in Maryland are shot from? :)

    If I had more than my one, I could see an M1 being a nice little ranch rifle for varmints, yotes, etc. At least to about 100yds.

    PCC, cheap shooting. If you have a suppressor it makes even more sense. Sure you can suppress a 300BO really well, but a 9mm 147gr or even 150-160gr suppresses super well also, and got a lot more bullet diameter to it, even if it is lower BC. A nice 250gr 45acp loaded to +P out of a PCC through a suppressor is going to SMACK whatever it hits.

    IMHO, a subsonic load out of a PCC with a suppressor within about 50, 60yds is a better option for varmints than a 300BO with a suppressor. Sure a 22lr subsonic out of my 10/22 with a suppressor is going to tumble a ground hog just dandy, but even an off the shelf 147gr 9mm is going to smack one a hell of a lot harder. Let alone a bog standard 230gr 45acp.

    Reloading 9mm and 45acp is easier than .223/5.56. Also cheaper. Before the pandemic hit, I could get components to reload 9mm at about 11c a round at the cheapest (plated bullets) in bulk. 45acp about 16c a round.

    223 runs/ran about 23c a round. 300BO about the same for a subsonic load (I am going with NOT lead, but plated or jacketed here and no matter the calculations, 9mm is going to be cheaper than 300BO as there is less mass to the projectile).

    Commercially loaded ammo was around 16-18c for 147gr 9mm and 25c or so for 45acp. .223 was still about 26c a round mostly for brass cased stuff. Okay, about 20c for steel, but you could get 9mm steel cased 1-2c cheaper and 45acp about 3-4c cheaper also.

    So 45acp was ballpark the same price, but 9mm was still quite a bit less shooting in volume.

    Even with todays prices, it is cheaper to reload 9mm or 45acp than .223/5.56

    And easier...You can reload most 9mm and 45acp cases a dozen times or more before they start getting totally trashed. Possibly not ever even needing to trim them. 223 you might have to trim every 2-3 reloads. Need to lube cases, etc. Just a lot more work.

    Anyway, I really want a PCC at some point. On the fence on 9mm or 45acp. Ideally I'd love something that is light, but with the heavy bolt most have....

    Means I am eyeing up the CMMG with their radial delayed blowback. Sadly I am also miserly as heck and I just don't know that I can bring myself to spend $1000 or so just to get that, when I can build or buy many a 9mm PCC for $500.
     

    135sohc

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 27, 2013
    1,157
    PCC's got started as a 'cheaper' way to go pew pew pew.. The good old days when 9mm could be had for 15-17 cents/round reliably and plenty was to be had. Or for the d!cksuckle states like here that don't want you to have handguns so they throw as many obstacles in the way as legally possible. A pcc is a very viable alternative in that scenario.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Stay out of my mind LOL,,,
    I have a mini-30 (7.62x39),, and expressed desire to get a Ruger American in 7.62x39 to compliment the Mini. My son in law reminded me the 7.62 is the limiting factor in the equation. And the Bolt Action 7.62x39 would gain me nothing over the Semi-auto.

    Might be more accurate.

    I've been toying with a Howa Mini or Cz527 in 7.62x39. I like having a semi and a bolt gun in each rifle caliber I own. Then again, 7.62x39 might just stay SKS only for me. Bolt gun makes a lot more sense when I am reloading for it. I've got some components for 7.62x39 and I am getting dies. Just because. But I've got plenty of steel cases ammo piled higher and deeper. Not sure I really NEED to reload for it. So not needing to chase cases isn't that big a deal in the caliber and if I get the hankering for some sweet bolt action I can just shoot something in .308 or 6.5G and looking for a .223 bolt gun at some point.
     

    CodeWarrior1241

    Active Member
    Sep 23, 2013
    827
    Lutherville
    I'm 2/2.

    Have a Howa Mini 7.62x39 that I love, and an AR9-V which is also pretty awesome.

    In the AR9's defense it takes CZ mags which I have many of, and it really is massively handy, more so than a 5.56 version would be.

    Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,667
    Not Far Enough from the City
    Reasons aplenty for why people make purchases. Nobody ever bought a 7.62x39 in any form, an M1 carbine, a PCC, a .300 BO, a .30/30 lever action, or most other offerings generally, for maximum ballistic capability.
     

    cogcon

    COGCON
    MDS Supporter
    I bought a CZ527 in 7.62x39 from another member on the forum. I just liked the look. I also have a Marlin Camp 9 and a Ruger PC40. One day I may get down to a single caliber for both handguns and long guns, but not quite yet.

    The other reason is practicle. If the grabbers ever ban scary AR and AK platforms that have not been tragically lost in boating accidents, I wanted to make sure I had other alternatives at my disposal.
     

    Pale Ryder

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 12, 2009
    6,234
    Millersville
    1000 yd wonder guns. Practically no place in Maryland to make the most of it. If I were to buy say a 6.5 C it would not be because it great for long range.
     

    mauser58

    My home is a sports store
    Dec 2, 2020
    1,757
    Baltimore County, near the Bay
    I see a few at least that chose the rifles chambered in 7.62x39. I know many younger kids and girls using this caliber to deer hunt because of the lower recoil. My sons used SKS rifles to deer hunt with when young. I built a Mauser small ring rifle chambered in the round for them also. My grandkids use them now.
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    useless guns

    My first bolt gun is a ruger american ranch 7.62x39 and it still remains my favorite bolt action to shoot. Relatively soft shooting, and it shoots more accurate than any other x39 gun I have. In fact, the mini-30 is in the other side of the spectrum of the accuracy curve, where the only common factor is that they share the same mags.

    As for useless guns, I got a remington model 7 in .243 with a youth stock that my dad bought me during my youth hunt days. Sighted it in once, shot great, but I have since outgrown it in its current configuration.
     

    calicojack

    American Sporting Rifle
    MDS Supporter
    May 29, 2018
    5,348
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    Here's an interesting observation; I contacted a local FFL to inquire about consignment sale of my 7.62x39 RAR and another bolt gun. He said "the 7.62x39 rifle will sell quickly, not so sure about the other one". That gave me pause to think.
     

    Topher

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 8, 2008
    4,817
    Fredneck
    I have a 1919 tripod mounted .30 Cal Browning Machine gun in Semi-Auto that has been rechambered for .308.
    Unless the zombies attack, it is simply for having a good time with my buddies... I saw it and had to have it!
     

    mauser58

    My home is a sports store
    Dec 2, 2020
    1,757
    Baltimore County, near the Bay
    Here's an interesting observation; I contacted a local FFL to inquire about consignment sale of my 7.62x39 RAR and another bolt gun. He said "the 7.62x39 rifle will sell quickly, not so sure about the other one". That gave me pause to think.

    I have many calibers in my AR15s. One is the 7.62x39. One reason was ammo was readily available and cheap. I have so many spam cans of it still.
     

    Norton

    NRA Endowment Member, Rifleman
    Staff member
    Admin
    Moderator
    May 22, 2005
    122,856
    The 2 irrational chubbies I've had were:

    -NEF Handi-Rifle in .500SW Magnum, or by extension a Big Horn Armory 89 in the same caliber. Just because it starts with a 5.

    -A .44 magnum lever gun with a suppressor. I shot one at a now-defunct shop on the shore and you could hear the bullet impacting the berm, it was so quiet.
     

    Buster Brown

    Active Member
    Aug 11, 2019
    311
    Southern MD
    There's something amusing about shooting a Ruger bolt action in 7.62x39 and getting 1moa for .20cpr. Its a good cheap way of practicing fundamentals and is pretty fun suppressed as well.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,930
    Messages
    7,259,485
    Members
    33,350
    Latest member
    Rotorboater

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom