You heard me. I'm contemplating getting a second PTR-91.
Why? Two reasons. One, I've had enough guns go down on me that I always believe in having a spare. Two, they now come from the factory with a flapper magazine release, which is a big improvement. (My current PTR is down with our own JesseL to get converted.)
I briefly contemplated getting a Ruger SR-762. I like the way the gun looks, I like the way it feels, and despite the fat barrel it handles nicely. But...it's almost seven hundred dollars more than the PTR-91. I'd have to buy all new magazines, too. Also? Something about the PTR that I like. To paraphrase General Kalashnikov, "my rifle is also a club". It has a certain ruggedness, in that you feel like you could bash a Communist with it and not worry about breaking anything (except his Marxist skull).
The only thing I'm going back and fourth on now, is do I get the PTR-91 FR or the A3R?
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/component/virtuemart/shipping-rifles/ptr-91-a3r-308-rifle-detail.html?Itemid=0The A3R has a barrel the same profile as the G3 infantry rifle and the commercial HK91. It's the barrel profile I have on my current PTR.
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/component/virtuemart/shipping-rifles/ptr-91fr-308-rifle-w-paddle-mag-release-detail.html?Itemid=0The FR has the heavy-profile barrel and the modular handguard, which allows for attachment of rail sections (which would be handy for attaching a sling swivel to the right side of the weapon).
From Atlantic, the two rifles are within a hundred dollars of each other. $999 for the A3R and $1035 for the FR. Both have the paddle magazine release. Atlantic frequently sells out of these, but they're always back in stock. One gets the impression that PTR sells every one of these that they can produce.
The handguard and the barrel thickness are the only differences between the two.
The two compared.
So yeah, that's my dilemma. Heavy barrels are all the rage with AR-type rifles of every sort. Even the M16A2 barrel is considered skinny; a lot of .308 ARs have bull barrels (including the SR-762). There are advantages, of course, but I'm wondering if, in this particular rifle, it's worth the trade-off. The regular G3 has good balance, and I wonder if a somewhat heavier tube might screw it up.
I've not been able to handle a heavy-barrel PTR-91, so it's just speculation right now.
Thoughts?