Thread: Straight pull rifles

Originally Posted by Rushy

It is just not the same. Five years gone by and I still miss these two every time I go to my safe.
Attachment 277151
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Apologies to the OP.

At least you have the memories! I missed out all together.

I had an arms officer from counties manukau around the other day, he said “Bring back the AR’s, let people have some fun”.

Fingers and toes crossed, even if we have to compete with them I’ll be all in.

Originally Posted by Beavis

Practicality wise, the AR type straightpulls are much better, but I get just wanting something. I've had a Utas 516 I got from Delta Mike a while ago, it's been really good. I've heavily upgraded it and use it as my main rifle.

How do you find the weight? I’m new to hunting and shooting. I went with a bolt .308

Now seeing this I’m thinking about a trade in.

Originally Posted by Isitmatt

How do you find the weight? I’m new to hunting and shooting. I went with a bolt .308

Now seeing this I’m thinking about a trade in.

They can be made very light weight. My one isn't now but I enjoy shooting it the way it is.

Originally Posted by Beavis

You just need to perish the thought of shooting being an affordable thing now. I've been told by some dealers that even if semi autos "came back" so to speak, the days of $1200 AR's are well behind us. Both the dealers in mind mentioned these days you would have to run a landed price of 2.5-3x the US street price, after shipping, GST, commercial rent, staff wages etc just to make it worth getting out of bed.

It's not so much that the guns are too expensive, it's just the local economy sucks. They seem expensive because the last time we could really have guns that looked like this, they were affordable. Compare it to the prices of new Tikka's, Leupolds etc. Everything has gone up since 2019. Heck, try and find .223 ammo for under $1 a shot now. You couldn't even handload it cheaper at today's component costs.

You're preaching but I don't wanna hear it nostalgia for the good old days is hard to kill.

With all of the wars on and greedflation atm the price of everything has shot up. my old box of winchester 243 was 52 bucks and now is 89 odd dollars.

I have resigned myself to doing less but better quality shooting. SPARC series and milsurp shoot. rather than just shooting at paper for the hell of it.

I mean once I eventually use all of my assorted crappy projectiles I will just get some really good, expensive hunting ones and be done with it, shooting a few deer a year with an expensive bullet is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

But back to the topic. have you had any issues with using your straight pull AR on public land??

Originally Posted by Beavis

There are straight pull Vz58's floating around the country. I used to have one but sold it to another member on here. WBP from Poland and Arsenal in Bulgaria make straight pull versions of their AK's. It wouldn't be a problem for anyone to bring them in, just need the money and motivation. I'd imagine most dealers and importers are looking to see which way the arms act blows before committing to anything else.

Practicality wise, the AR type straightpulls are much better, but I get just wanting something. I've had a Utas 516 I got from Delta Mike a while ago, it's been really good. I've heavily upgraded it and use it as my main rifle.

Yeap I'm just interested in commie block stuff and sad that we get straight pull AR's but no AK's or SKS... was looking at the Schmeisser SP15 but not paying $4k at gunshity. Might get a .223 UTAS. There is a Vz on trademe but the guy won't include the scope rail - do you know if the Vz rail will take an SVD POSP scope?

Originally Posted by Izhmash84

Yeap I'm just interested in commie block stuff and sad that we get straight pull AR's but no AK's or SKS... was looking at the Schmeisser SP15 but not paying $4k at gunshity. Might get a .223 UTAS. There is a Vz on trademe but the guy won't include the scope rail - do you know if the Vz rail will take an SVD POSP scope?

Couldn't say off the top of my head. You could just import a scope mount. They don't need permits.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

You're preaching but I don't wanna hear it nostalgia for the good old days is hard to kill.

With all of the wars on and greedflation atm the price of everything has shot up. my old box of winchester 243 was 52 bucks and now is 89 odd dollars.

I have resigned myself to doing less but better quality shooting. SPARC series and milsurp shoot. rather than just shooting at paper for the hell of it.

I mean once I eventually use all of my assorted crappy projectiles I will just get some really good, expensive hunting ones and be done with it, shooting a few deer a year with an expensive bullet is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

But back to the topic. have you had any issues with using your straight pull AR on public land??

No issues at all

Originally Posted by Beavis

I've had a Utas 516 I got from Delta Mike a while ago, it's been really good. I've heavily upgraded it and use it as my main rifle.

What's your effective range with that and upto what size game are you knocking over and are you running 223 or the NATO rounds, looks like it would be excellent on wallabies?

Originally Posted by Zedrex

What's your effective range with that and upto what size game are you knocking over and are you running 223 or the NATO rounds, looks like it would be excellent on wallabies?

Just running 73gr ELD's at 2650. The spiker in the photo was one of two I shot at 300m off a shooting bag parked in a Manuka bush. Every deer and pig and goat I've pointed it at has died on the spot. I can't ask for much more than that.

Originally Posted by Beavis

Just running 73gr ELD's at 2650. The spiker in the photo was one of two I shot at 300m off a shooting bag parked in a Manuka bush. Every deer and pig and goat I've pointed it at has died on the spot. I can't ask for much more than that.

Hmmm, how very interesting, maybe one of these with the drop in 22lr conversion would be a great replacement for my Rossi 22/10......

Originally Posted by Izhmash84

Yeap I'm just interested in commie block stuff and sad that we get straight pull AR's but no AK's or SKS... was looking at the Schmeisser SP15 but not paying $4k at gunshity. Might get a .223 UTAS. There is a Vz on trademe but the guy won't include the scope rail - do you know if the Vz rail will take an SVD POSP scope?

Before Canada banned them lots of guys were mounting POSP scopes and rails to their VZ's by using the existing crosspin holes in the receiver. I don't think it was terribly difficult.

Just shot my "new to me" 125 year old Winchester 1895 levergun in 30-40. It's been a while since I used a full power levergun (30-30 with a flat nose for tube mags is pretty anemic) or one with such a good trigger (I'm looking at you BLRs) but this thing rocks and is way better than any straight pull. Box mag allows Spitzer type projectiles and action is plenty strong enough for cartridges in the 2500 fpe ++ class. Bonus is there is plenty of extraction, just about all the "bigger than 223" straight pulls I've seen at the range or shot have difficulties with either extracting or chambering rounds.

If you want reliable straight pull actions above 223, I really think you need to look at maral or Blazer type rifles but they don't look so "cool" function over form though wins every time

I think you are right Marty Henry if you are buying a straight pull because it looks like a AR15 then well you are allowed to but - accuracy - quality of manufacture- resale - handling ohhh and even more accuracy should be the driving factors surely - if you can get both a rifle that looks cool if thats your thing and fits all of the above well great but if its only virtue is that it looks like an AR15 then sorry dont see the point

Originally Posted by Izhmash84

Yeap I'm just interested in commie block stuff and sad that we get straight pull AR's but no AK's or SKS... was looking at the Schmeisser SP15 but not paying $4k at gunshity. Might get a .223 UTAS. There is a Vz on trademe but the guy won't include the scope rail - do you know if the Vz rail will take an SVD POSP scope?

Speaking of UTAS VS Schmeisser, I had a UTAS 516 then changed to a Schmeisser later. I used both rifle for service rifle exclusively. I have to say the side charging handle, although it broke the authenticity of an AR15, it works very well practically for a straightpull rifle, especially when loading rounds while the round doesn't sit fully.

However I agree it is hard to justify $1500 difference to have another rifle which are 99% almost identical.