G3 > AR

[Vonz90]

This is not an AR bashing exercise. I have an AR and like it. I carried an M4 in my trips to tax free land and all that and when I was really shooting them a lot; I was pretty good with them.

That said, I went to the range with the younger son on Saturday as he wanted some trigger time on my AR (16 inch barrel with mid-length sights/hand guards) as he prepares for his trip to Boat School in a few weeks. He was doing most of the AR shooting, but I jumped in and shot about 50 rounds or so in spots. I was also shooting my G3 (a clone made from an FMP kit by the late great Todd Groves of Ohio Rapid Fire which is stock except that the trigger has been reworked to about 3#). (Both rifles are on my Avitar pic.)

Comparing one to the other back to back, wow what a difference there is. I was shooting sitting but unsupported for both at ranges from 25 out to 100 yards. Every string the groups for the G3 were half or better than that of the AR. It was probably mostly me, but the G3 is just a much easier rifle to shoot accurately to me. It centers out nicely when I point it, it feels right as I hold it and I just don’t have to think about it that much. Shooting the AR accurately is work, a lot of that because the thing just never feels right on my shoulder.

This is not a unique situation for me. I first bought an AR to practice with when in the reserves I had to qualify with an AR and my scores sucked compared to what I was used to when I qualified with an M14. That worked and all and they came back up, but it is work.

[Aesop]

4" of bbl. and about 8" of sight radius makes a difference too.
Apples to apples would be to compare an A2 to the G3, instead of the M4gery.

That being said, I play with a .308 far more often, mainly because it would come in handier for killing trucks (or their drivers) potentially pointed at me than anything that the .223 would accomplish. But the weight on my back means I only carry about 60% of the ammo load on a stroll down south.

[D5CAV]

The G3 is my favorite battle rifle.

I have never had a failure to feed or failure to fire.

The magazines are the second best ever designed (1st being the AK 47 mags).

The sights are quick, rugged and well designed.

The trigger is heavy but crisp, helping accuracy.

It is solid and rugged in construction.

The only downside is the safety, which is not convenient, even for my oversize paws. Presumably Germans have bigger hands than mine.

[Darrell]

I had a PTR, it would eat anything and had decent accuracy. It also had bad ergonomics and kicked like a mule. I sold it for about twice what I paid for it, so I liked it.

[HTRN]

It also had bad ergonomics and kicked like a mule.

They also mangle brass due to that fluted chamber..3

[Vonz90]

I had a PTR, it would eat anything and had decent accuracy. It also had bad ergonomics and kicked like a mule. I sold it for about twice what I paid for it, so I liked it.

I love the ergonomics. The G3 fits me like a glove. If course I'm a big 6'1" blond Kraut - so I was probably who the had in mind when the designed it.

[Highspeed]

I love the ergonomics. The G3 fits me like a glove. If course I'm a big 6'1" blond Kraut - so I was probably who the had in minx when the designed it.

You do know that the first model was designed for the Spanish "army" who wanted a reduced load 7.62 so their "soldiers" didn't get nasty bruises on their shoulders from firing it ?
This is an army, who when allied with the British during the Peninsular War, had never fired anything other than blank cartridges and basically ran away in battle because the sound and recoil of their own guns scared them.

So it was actually designed for a bunch of lazy, cowardly paella eating faggots, rather than Germanic lords of battle

Nice rifle though, wish I still had mine...

[Darrell]

It also had bad ergonomics and kicked like a mule.

They also mangle brass due to that fluted chamber..3

Yeah, I thought of mentioning that as well. Since it shot steel cased okay, I didn't worry about it.

[Vonz90]

I love the ergonomics. The G3 fits me like a glove. If course I'm a big 6'1" blond Kraut - so I was probably who the had in minx when the designed it.

You do know that the first model was designed for the Spanish "army" who wanted a reduced load 7.62 so their "soldiers" didn't get nasty bruises on their shoulders from firing it ?
This is an army, who when allied with the British during the Peninsular War, had never fired anything other than blank cartridges and basically ran away in battle because the sound and recoil of their own guns scared them.

So it was actually designed for a bunch of lazy, cowardly paella eating faggots, rather than Germanic lords of battle

Nice rifle though, wish I still had mine...

Funny thought, I see you think highly of your neighbors there. The G3 was adapted from the CETME, but Herr Heckler and Koch were former Mauser engineers who had been working on the STG45, which is what they based the CETME on.

Of course, it would have been an oddball Spanish thing except that FN would not license West Germany to make the FAL (AKA the G1) so they had to look around for another option and ended up setting up HK with a fat contract for the G3. I'm thinking FN regretted that move in hindsight.

I find it interesting that all of the 7.62 NATO rifles are quite good. FAL, M14, G3, CETME - I would use any one of them.

[Denis]

... FN would not license West Germany to make the FAL...

The folks in Herstal were just a mite pissed off that their factory had been commandeered by the Wehrmacht during WWII... There is still palpable anti-"boche" sentiment in the east of Belgium - just go to a local football match between a French-speaking and a German-speaking village, and listen to the insults fly...