I know a lot of you guys on this forum have fab-10 and other CA ar type rifles so you may be a little biased . I want an ar but obviously we are stuck w/ fixed mags which means you gotta break it open and load from the top like an SKS everytime. So should I still spend the effort and $ for an ar-15 that doesn't really behave like one? How do you guys like yours?

IMHO, if you decide to stay in Kali, it's nice to have Fab-10.
If you are leaving Kali anyway, just don't waste money on such Kali-only stuff.

For practical reasons, get a mini or SU.  An SKS is faster than a FAB

The FAB-10 was great... when it was the only thing on the market.

You can get one with a more reliable magazine, that costs less now, if you trust a Hesse product Other side benefit if that the HEsse can be converted to normal if you ever leave the state.

Personally, I would say if you don't have an M1A, get one first, then get a KaliAR..  The Vulcans I have are okay, but nothing like my real ones or my M1A.  Breaking them open to load gets old, fast.

I' love everything about the M1A, except for the price tag

Its fun till you have to reload.

Quoted: Its fun till you have to reload. us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/41afea2dz9e6eba1f/8d7e/__sr_/44a4.jpg?ph6s.DDBw_T1VTVb

A stinkin Red X!  So tell us all, how the heck do you reload a stinkin Red X?

"Breaking them open to load gets old, fast."

read that one again. let it sink in. $1000 for something you are going to hate after a few trips to the range.


IF you get one for god sake don't try to turn it into an m4 type rifle.

Quoted: I' love everything about the M1A, except for the price tag

Honestly, if you shop around an M1A will cost very close to a complete Cali AR that is built up with quality components.

Vulcan Stripped Lower: $265
Bushmaster LPK:  $65
Collapsable Stock(cheapie): $80
Quality Upper (I like LMT A4): $650ish
Rear Sight (LMT BUIS):  $120

That's $1180, My M!A Socom16 was $1340 brand new.

My thought is, yeah, you could build it for a bit cheaper, but why skimp and possibly have problems?  I actually spend alot more on the couple collapsable stocks for my ARs and got good ones.  

After the rifle is paid for shooting costs are about the same, I've been getting cases of Aussie 7.62 for about $20 more than the going rate of Q3131A, but the M1A is really nice to shoot, and accepts magazines, including the ones I had before the ban. :)

Anyone know a good source for an M1A in NorCal? I'm south of Sac. I looked at a local shop's carbine yesterday. The price was almost $1575.

Quoted: Anyone know a good source for an M1A in NorCal? I'm south of Sac. I looked at a local shop's carbine yesterday. The price was almost $1575.

I got mine eary this year at a "Springfield Sale" at Reed's in San Jose.  Springfield reps were in house and they were discounting all things Springfield.  About 3 months later they had their Annual Sale, but the prices on them were a bit higher.

I'd either wait for a sale, or find an FFL with good transfer fees and get one off the internet from someplace like gunsamerica.com.