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Thread: your first semi-auto centerfire rifle

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    Senior Member randyt's Avatar
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    Default your first semi-auto centerfire rifle

    I was thinking about this the other day, seen a lot of first rifle threads but don't remember any first semi-auto rifle threads. In Kentucky I would carry a couple rifles in the rack that went over the back window of my pickup truck. I remember thinking that it would be neat to have a h&k 91 to stick in that rack. I figured the old boys sitting on the bench in front of Wilson's dry goods would have got a kick out of it. Back then owning a h&k was about as far away as a million dollars, it wasn't going to happen.

    Anyhoo, my first high powered semi-auto rifle was a sks. I picked it up at a show in east Tennessee, probably in 1990 maybe 1991. I never had much use for a semi-auto but if it goes bang all is good. Come to think of it other than my father's camp carbines, I have not owned a commercial centerfire semi-auto rifle.
    so the definition of a criminal is someone who breaks the law and you want me to believe that somehow more laws make less criminals?


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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    After being in the service and firing numerous semi/full auto rifles I did not have a great compulsion for fast firing rifles for three decades or more.

    I was always on more of an accuracy search and the semi-auto platforms did not offer a base for that search.

    I found an SKS at a ridiculous low price a couple of years back, bought it and played with it for a year. People say they are more accurate than an AK. People are wrong!

    It shoots as good as my Winchester 94, so I took it hunting.

    More have followed but we are not keeping count. I buy them now just to pi$$ off TPTB. Every time that background check goes through they need to hear a little bell ring.
    Last edited by kyratshooter; 09-03-2015 at 07:58 PM.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

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    Senior Member Desert Rat!'s Avatar
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    HK SL-7 308 carbine got it in 1979 probably the best gun I have in my opinion, never had a FTF or FTE, love it.

  4. #4

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    Remington Model 742 Woodmaster in .30-06. Because someone was selling it cheap and I didn't have a .30-06.

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    Senior Member DSJohnson's Avatar
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    Remington Model 81 in 300 Savage. My father got it in a trade when I was about 13. I had been wanting a Savage Model 99 real bad for several months because a friend of mine got to use the one his dad owned and I thought it was so much cooler than my 30/40 Krag that had been cut down into a "Sporter". I talked my father into letting me buy it from his store. He had $85 on it and I got him down to $75. I had to "work off" $40 of that because I did not have that much in cash. I sold that gun the week before I joined the Navy for some insane reason. It was a great rifle, very accurate and I used it to successfully take 4 Oklahoma Whitetails and many coyotes. It had a Redfield peep sight mounted on the back of the receiver. Great rifle.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Stared hunting with my FIL back in the 60's after DW an I got married.
    MF was always working for the DNR ...so was tied up during hunting season.

    FIL was a disabled paraplegic vet, but loved the out doors, and hunting.

    One of the rifles he bought back when was the Ruger .44 mag carbine, had a scope....and used it a couple of years...and had a bad habit of trading them in for low money...and buying a new rifle.
    I got wind of this and offered to buy it for the same money they would have given him in trade.
    So I was the proud owner of the carbine....till MF saw it...and decided with his bad eyes, and getting old.....this little Ruger carbine might be just what the DR ordered.....

    Didn't get it back for many years when he passed.

    I had always hunted with a single shot, bolt gun or my favorite at the time a Winchester '94....so when I got it back.....and hunted with it at 17 degrees below zero...and wouldn't chamber a round.....I quit using it myself, so DW could hunt with it.
    Has been passed on to DD (and maybe GS)....so has been around a while and has taken a few deer.

    Ironically, the rifle that my FIL was going to trade it in for early 1970's......Remington 742 30-06..... has found it's way into the safe from him.... to a BIL... to me.....

    Yeah, got caught up in the MBR Black rifles movement AR's... and a Yugo SKS for cheap and fun......But still a bolt and SS guy.

    Not gonna count the Ruger 10/22's and Marlin Mod 60's....and M&P .22 toys....
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    Senior Member DSJohnson's Avatar
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    Hunter,
    I love hunting with a single shot also! This one is great if I am hunting from the back a of a horse or if it is going to be a short walk. It weighs 11.9 pounds empty but man is it a sweet shooter.
    Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

    Randy I did not really mean to hijack the thread it is really Hunters fault.

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Good Lord we jumped back from semi-autos to single shots in one swell foop!
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Back to the OP, My first and still my favorite is an Auto Ordinance M1 Carbine. Not the biggest thing in the world, but so much stinking fun to shoot.

    Pretty much a bolt guy myself.
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten

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    Senior Member Old GI's Avatar
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    My first was a loaner from the Army; M1. Followed by two more loaners; M14 and M16.
    When Wealth is Lost, Nothing is Lost;
    When Health is Lost, Something is Lost;
    When Character is Lost, ALL IS LOST!!!!!!!

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  11. #11
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kyratshooter View Post
    Good Lord we jumped back from semi-autos to single shots in one swell foop!
    LOL...Apparently I have been having that effect on people lately........Being a feebler minded Geezer and all.....LOL

    DS, That is gorgeous...why not start a thread on that beauty....and discuss the virtues of art forms.....and more pic's.

    Then everyone can get back to the spray and pray offerings.
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
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    Fist semi auto was an SKS and the second one was an SVT40.

    Up in Canada they were talking about banning both because the far left "thought they looked scary" so I rushed out and bought one of each. Turns out they tried to push it through but they would of made instant criminals out of a few million law abiding civilians so they decided it was best to keep the guns non-restricted so they could keep gouging us for taxes each year.

  13. #13
    Woodsman Adventure Wolf's Avatar
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    Remington 750 Woodmaster. It isn't the most unique rifle, but it does the job.

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    First, as with Old GI, was a "loaner" from Uncle Sammy, the late, great, M1 Garand. The next was a pristine Remington 742 .308 Win. With a 4x Weaver 'scope, it was very accurate and took down Mule deer with no problem at all.

    S.M.
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  15. #15

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    Mine was also a sks traded my uncle for it made out with a really good deal. I refinished the stock and it looks real nice but damn is that a terrible trigger mabey I can work on it

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Don't mess with an SKS trigger.

    It just barely works when it is horrid and does not work at all the closer one gets to acceptable!

    (an ask me how I know moment)
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

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    Quote Originally Posted by kyratshooter View Post
    Don't mess with an SKS trigger.

    It just barely works when it is horrid and does not work at all the closer one gets to acceptable!

    (an ask me how I know moment)

    Okay, I'll bite. how do you know?

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Just when you get the sear, which is a rectangular block of steel, polished down to the point where the trigger smoothes out you have reduced the length of the sear to the point that it will no longer release the hammer.

    The design is just plain weird and not fun to play with.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

  19. #19
    Senior Member DSJohnson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kyratshooter View Post
    Just when you get the sear, which is a rectangular block of steel, polished down to the point where the trigger smoothes out you have reduced the length of the sear to the point that it will no longer release the hammer.

    The design is just plain weird and not fun to play with.
    I only had to buy two trigger assemblies before I accepted this truth <-------slow learner

  20. #20
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    My first semi-auto was a Ruger 10/22. I'd have to get the receipt but around '78 maybe. Shotguns were all I used from the '60s and some of them were single shot. I was eating back then, not prepping. If I would have had a semi auto frog gig I would have been in heaven. First center fire was my RRA in 5.56.

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