I've had the itch to do more iron sight shooting. I've been thinking about picking up a "National Match" type rifle, something like this:

https://www.rockriverarms.com/...splay&category_ID=76

An A2 style accurized rifle with a good free floated barrel, match trigger and nice iron sights.

I think Compass Lake and White Oak, Fulton Armory are also on the list.

Do you all have any suggestions for a really good out of the box rifle like this?

Edit: I guess I could also just build my own too.

Thanks!

What's your price range?

Does it have to be an AR, or would you consider something in .30 caliber?

There are also National Match M1As, M1 Garand, M1903s, etc.

Years ago, I bought a White Oak A2 National Match upper after a bunch of research. It ultimately came down to two things - first, a stellar reputation for quality, and second, that they double-pin the rear sight. The double-pinning means they add two hardened steel pins for the sight to ride on as it is adjusted, which is supposed to improve repeatability a lot.

I haven't shot it a lot, but it is beautifully put together and has shot great the few times I've shot it.

I built an A2-style lower with a Geissele High Speed National Match trigger to pair with it.

I’ve always had a soft spot for that type of rifle. Even in basic training when we had M16’s vs the M4 we switched out to in AIT when my unit got new rifles I really liked shooting the M16 a lot more.
I’ve thought about making an M16 A2 clone with a spare lower I have laying around

quote:

Originally posted by matai:
I've had the itch to do more iron sight shooting. I've been thinking about picking up a "National Match" type rifle, something like this:

https://www.rockriverarms.com/...splay&category_ID=76

An A2 style accurized rifle with a good free floated barrel, match trigger and nice iron sights.

I think Compass Lake and White Oak, Fulton Armory are also on the list.

Do you all have any suggestions for a really good out of the box rifle like this?

Edit: I guess I could also just build my own too.

Thanks!

a friend bought an identical rifle 12 yrs ago at Perry,
RRA had a great deal on them,


he , like me, does not get to shoot matches much anymore, but did convert it to a flat top with scope ,


it shoots very well,


I have a Compass Lake A2 upper with Kreiger barrel,

low mileage as well, but shoots very well,

when I do get to shoot, it is short course , so either my homebuild irons gun, or a Bushmaster that I scoped get the exercise,


if I were buying new, I would go White Oak, or CLE,

RRA would be in the running,

When I went to basic at Fort Knox this time around, I was issued an FN M16A4. It had the removable carry handle and adjustable stock. I loved that rifle.

I like the flip up rear sight, and could shoot out to 300 meters all day in the prone unsupported.

I have always liked the M16A2 variant and have always wanted to get a heavy or National match so I could shoot iron sights with it. I really wanted to see what i could really do and if I could do anything past 300 meters.

White Oak and Compass Lake dominate the service rifle catagory with RRA coming in third. The A4 variant will allow you to shoot irons or optics. There are other NM rifles like the 1903, M1, and M1A, but they are much much more expensive to build and shoot. Also, the AR dominates current service rifle matches to the extent that all the others are pretty much relegated to their own specific matches.

Tomorrow's "National Match" style rifle"

I built this one several years ago to shoot in Service Rifle matches, then we got a new High Power director, moved our matches to Saturday (I work Saturdays) and then started having matches dedicated to "real rifles" like the the M1 or M1A, even a Mauser match ... So it mostly sits in the safe.

Anyway, it's mostly stock except a JP medium contour cryo'ed barrel, bolt & carrier and silent buffer spring, a RRA float tube under the handguard and RRA 2-stage match trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by Belgian Blue:
Tomorrow's "National Match" style rifle"

That'll be interesting, do you just guesstimate your zero by looking down the picitinny rail?

quote:

Originally posted by Belgian Blue:
Tomorrow's "National Match" style rifle"

If it's only offered in 308, no way will it bump 223 from the top banana position in competition.

Maybe, if it is ever offered in 6.5 Creedmoor. Which is unlikely. Better yet for competition, 6 Creedmoor or 6 Dasher. Which really won't happen.

223 AR-15s will be the ticket for awhile.