Re: What is the 'Glock' of .308's?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: carbinero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't think the Glock of 308s exists quite yet.
For just reliability, reasonable price, and now, sure: FAL.
But as far as universality/ubiquity (in the USA), I think the LMT is up-and-coming, and that particular AR platform will dominate the market (KAC/DPMS/etc). Also yet to be seen is Colt's new vapor-308.
I just haven't heard of FALs issued with LE, nor seen any significant numbers at gun ranges or gun shows, and the market just doesn't proliferate. DSA dominates, and there just isn't demand for more companies to jump in...as opposed to what Glock has done with the "wonder-nine" revolution.
So I think the answer to your question TBD a few years hence.</div></div>
Because at the end of the day, there's a far, far, far larger market for a highly-reliable, durable, and customizable $500 handgun than there is for semi-auto .308s. Vanishingly few law enforcement agencies have ever decided to issue semi-auto .308s to patrol officers, and even amongst SWAT teams 5.56 or 9mm will be found to be far more prevalent outside of a sniper role. There are only a few models available (Saiga, CAI's CETME, perhaps CAI's IMBEL FAL) that can come close to the $500 price point, while most of the others run well over $1k, which puts them outside the range that most people will spend. .308 Win/7.62 NATO costs more to shoot, has more recoil, holds fewer rounds, and generally has fewer accessories available to it than .223/5.56. For all of these reasons and more, both the civilian and LE market has shifted towards 5.56. I don't think we'll ever see a single .308 semi that achieves great enough market penetration to be colloquially known as "GLOCK-like" in distribution or popularity.