Here is mine. This is one of the dreaded Century FALs, which are generally regarded as rubbish by FAL enthusiasts. To make matters worse, when I first got the rifle, thick crusts of rust covered portions of the gun as a result of barn duty for a number of years. Amazingly, after scouring the rust off, cleaning the years of dirt and dust accumulation, fixing the issue with the take down lever, and replacing some missing parts, and replacing the atrocious plastic furniture with a cheap Aussie wood set, I discovered a decently accurate and reliable rifle, even if it has Century stamped on the side...

Anybody else keep a beater around?

I like that. There's something about guns with wear on the high edges that's always appealed to me.

Here's mine. It started out as a Swiss Model 96/11 rifle, and was sporterized in the 1950s by cutting back the stock, setting the barrel back about 1 1/2 inches and rechambering to 308. I got it at a gun show in the late 60s for the princely sum of $22.50. Getting it drilled and tapped, fitting a higher front sight and acquiring a Lyman 48 rear sight was approximately three times that. It didn't shoot very well until I discovered the groove diameter was .311" instead of .308". 311" hunting bullets shoot very accurately as do cast bullets sized to .311". It's the sort of rifle you can throw in the back of a pickup and it won't be damaged; any mistreatment won't hurt it, yet it is powerful and capable of accurate, rapid shooting. It's one of the last rifles I'd get rid of.

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Mine was a 1951 Winchester Model 94 in .30-30...the quintessential truck gun, but my oldest son had his eyes on that for a long time, so it went eventually to him.

I've replaced it with this...a Rossi Model 1892 in .45 Colt with a 16-inch barrel. I've posted this before. I know, I know...it doesn't look beat up, and it really isn't...yet. But, it's my current truck gun, and while I don't intentionally try to abuse my firearms, this one will eventually show that it has been used as a "knock-around" truck gun, just like my 1951 Model 1994 did.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I like Schmidt Rubins. I've slugged close to a dozen 96/11s & 1911s and never found a groove diameter over .308". They're supposed to be .307", presumably plus tolerance. Most of the conversions to .308 were free bored to lower .308 Win. pressures down to 7.5x55 pressure. I've owned a few conversions and installed receiver sights on all of them. Working around the free bore is the biggest draw back of the conversions for bullet casters. Did you slug your barrel or read that it is supposed to be .311"? Cast bullets that are a little larger than standard jacketed bullets often group tighter but I'm wondering if the larger jacketed bullets aren't just piloted through the free bore to arrive at the rifling better aligned. On all but one of my conversions cutting off most of the original chamber left part of their original barrel serial number. The exception was rebarreled with a U.S. 1903 barrel. Does yours retain part of its original barrel serial number?

I don't even have a picture of ours. A Bubba'd Savage 99 in 300 Savage. Muzzle cut (still has saw marks), stock too short. Good camping rifle=better than a 30-30 or a handgun.

Here's mine, a Norinco AK, a Mak 90 from the mid eighties.

It isn't too ugly, but it is my all purpose 30 cal rifle.


Before they got hard to get the barrel got chopped to 21" with an AK-74 style muzzle brake. The scope is a Russian 2-6x over the Romanian fixed 4x. The hammer was replaced with a Tapco item to reduce the trigger pull some.

7.62x54R in a semi automatic is awesome.

LOL like MulePacker......I try not to end up with a "beaten".........."truck gun"

My "Utility rifles" at the cabin was a 20" Rossi 92 in .357 magnum in the 1980s..... I traded up to a Winchester Trapper (16") in the early 90s; removed the stupid safety and added a Skinner rear barrel peep/ghost ring sight.

About 2 years ago ...... got a stainless Ruger 77/357 w/synthetic stock in .357 magnum.... added a Skinner rear sight and fiber optic front blade...... and a Weaver 1-3x20 scope.
In Pa. you can't have a loaded long gun in a vehicle or ATV..... so the Ruger's 5rd detachable magazine is a real plus.

My "grab and go" rifle is a Ruger "NRA" Mini-14 (16.1" barrel) ..... hogue ghillie stock ;another Weaver 1-3x20 scope and a mix of Ruger factory 5rd(1) 10 and 20 round magazines.

The 10 round magazines, Ghillie green stock and non tactical scope presents a real low profile "black gun"..... with 10 rounds of .223 ready to go

The one that travels with me the most is a Swede 94 that had already been Bubba'd when I picked it up in '88 for $78 (or something like that). I put on a peep sight and shaped the stock some more to fit my needs. It's a great rifle.

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Now go make God proud...

Its nice to see a thread close to my heart. A gun with honest wear is a thing of beauty. Mine at this point is a 99 Savage that the stock has been broken and glued and nailed back together. The bluing is mostly missing and it has character in spades. The most adventures I had with a handgun was with a Smith & Wesson I bought that had been forgotten about in a toolbox. All the shine was off this gun. In the decade I used it, it was often duck taped to the handle bars of a 4 wheelers.

So far I can't even give over half of the posters credit for knowing what a surplus beater rifle is. Hint: if you tied up over $100 in it before about 2000 it does not qualify and if recently acquired over $150 doesn't qualify.

This of course is an opinion, not held by myself. My idea of a beater can be quite expensive but must have bruises, dents, dings, loss of bluing, and most important, it must have history. My Colt Woodsman is a user gun, the stocks are beat up and the finish is gone on wood and metal. Numerous dents are in the metal itself. This gun has the been there, done that, and have the scars to prove it, look about it. It has been more places and done more things than about any gun I have ever owned. Since it has no bluing left, and the grips have no finish and the checkering is beat flat, it qualifies as a beater. Its monetary value is in excess of the $100 figure and its sentimental value is in excess of what Bill Gates can afford. My opinion of beater has nothing to do with value.

So if it costs over $150 it doesn't qualify? Or under $150?

I'm confused? I have plenty of better rifles but to me they are all better rifles

Knock around beater rifle? I don't have one I could call that.

Ok my unissued $59 Chinese Norinco SKS. My dealer buddy sold me one at his cost when they were first imported. It even came with a free case of ammo too. They were trying to jump start the sales of the sks
when they were first imported in this new to our shores Russian caliber. These sks's are reliable as throwing a rock they never jam, fail, stove pipe. They function flawlessly. The sks unissued in the box with all the goodies and a 1440rd case of 7.62x39 fmj surplus ammo for $59 makes me wish I bought more.

You should look for a Swede m94 stock set with metal. The last one I picked up ran me $350. I restored two bubba m94's so far.
Thank god that bubba never did anything to the barreled receivers. I love my Swedish blondes.

.30-30remchester,
The first word in the title is "Battle." I could agree if your well worn gun had military heritage, but even the OP's FAL doesn't qualify as a beater compared to a couple of the rifles I've taken deer with.

Arik,
This: if it costs over $150 it doesn't qualify. See Cyrano's rifle. Erich's is border line. Fact is, Erich's is pretty good looking, just inexpensive.

So, with this logic, the Norinco SKS I have from the 90's would qualify, yet the same rifle purchased on today's market would not qualify based on price... that makes no sense.

As I remember it; these all came with the "Janet Reno" thumbhole stock. Is that conversion done to yours now legal?
Jim

I was curious about the same thing. That would be a handy little set up.

It's been legal since 2004.

You are kinda correct, I think. The title refers to battle OR beaters as I read it. The title left me believing it could be either beater or battle. But I have been wrong a lot lately. That is according to my wife of course. I buy and use only the best quality anything. There are some of us that just use our high dollar items as everyday items and get them scarred up. But if we are talking military only I feel the price still doesn't matter. My beater military is a well used 1903 Springfield. It has a lot of character marks from use. It is still well over the $150 price range. It is still nice to see others beaters. Do you have one to share?

I guess I don't understand.......

OP ended with "knock about gun"....


To me that 's a gun that go with you "most of, or all the time"...you are out and about on a horse,Jeep, truck, ATV, or SXS..........today's equivalent of the "saddle gun" of the 1880-90s....... exemplified by "MulePackers" post above or Erich's "one that travels with me the most" is another.

Mine are purpose driven to where I "Knock about" (Pa.'s Laurel Highlands) and backup/support my "woods carry" .357 revolver. That being said my Rossi, IIRC, ran me less than $200 in 1979/80.

To others it seems to mean a "inexpensive", military surplus rifle; which are the "knock about gun" in most 3rd world countries..... just watch the nightly news! LOL

To each their own..................................

Sorry about the confusing title. I was poking fun at the FAL for being a Century and the tendency for people to get all "this is my battle rifle" when describing their firearms. It's not something I'd take to battle, I don't think I'll ever see a battle, but it is a gun that I use as a all-around tool for my purposes.

Mostly, I just wanted to see what others used for utilitarian purposes, military in design or not. Like I said, I didn't mean to be confusing or cause any umbrage.

Thank you to all who posted picks of their own, or described what their utilitarian rifles are.

You can see your thread fired up a decent level of interest and discussion, forindooruseonly; nice job!

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Now go make God proud...

Eric can see you bumming around the "high desert"...... with that Swede and a 4" 38/44....... wearing a Fedora...... looking the Eldorado.

BTW...... never seen a William sight that mounts on the right side of the receiver?????????

forindoor........ a .308 seems to meet the "needs" of Oklahoma

mine is a marlin camp carbine in 9mm. takes s&w 59/69 mags... sun of a gun to clean, but don't have to often. zip for recoil, common caliber, and a cheap tru-glo red dot makes it a tack driver out to 100 yds. wish i had the 1911 mag version, but the price tag on it stinks if you can find one. my second choice is my remington 760 gamemaster in .308. more money to shoot, but awesome fun pump gun.

I love the OP's FN, that thing has class.

My beater would be this NASCAR Enfield 2a1, sporterized (it came chopped by the importer, sold as a 'tanker'). Shoots pretty well, I like it.

Here's a pic from before I refinished the stock:

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Now go make God proud...

Had a Williams on the Rossi (younger eyes) but really like the Skinner on the Trapper and Ruger........ more robust....... for a knock about

My utilitarian rifles are AKs and FAL

Does this VZ24 or 1903 Springfield qualify?

The VZ24 qualifies. Not too long ago Big 5 Sporting Good was selling them for $60 and most of theirs had more bluing left.

What would Cabelas price a deteriorated but other wise original condition 1903 at?

Boys, what constitutes a "beater" is not a question to be taken lightly. This is a question that affects the lives of far more members than "What is the best bear cartridge?"

"This is one of the dreaded Century FALs, which are generally regarded as rubbish by FAL enthusiasts. To make matters worse, when I first got the rifle, thick crusts of rust covered portions of the gun as a result of barn duty for a number of years. Amazingly, after scouring the rust off, cleaning the years of dirt and dust accumulation, fixing the issue with the take down lever, and replacing some missing parts, and replacing the atrocious plastic furniture with a cheap Aussie wood set, I discovered a decently accurate and reliable rifle, even if it has Century stamped on the side..."

Now that looks like a rifle I could love, almost as much as an M1. Using iron sights effectively is now pretty much just a fond memory. Never got an FAL although I thought about it a few times. A friend of mine has one, and I may have to borrow it to play with now..

Like the photos; downloaded them for possible screen savers!

Many multiples of what I have in it.

I too like a weapon with some character to it. This is my first CMP Garand, a VAR barreled Dane return with 6-digit serial and lockbars. I think it holds up the well worn battle rifle banner quite well.

Not really a beater, but I picked up an m92pv pistol for a camp gun. Thinking about making it an SBR with a folding stock. Not sure I want to go through the necessary federal rigamorole though. I might, because I think it would be fun to shoot with a stock...

Oh yeah...gotta love the Inch Pattern SLR !

I used to have a Century FAL. Man what a disgrace that was. Century should be ashamed for hacking on them like that.

For those that don't know there are 2 types of FAL. The metric, used throughout Europe and S. America. And Standard, used by commonwealth countries like UK, Australia, India. ... Very few things between the two actually interchange. What Century did was use an Imbel metric receiver that they hacked to fit standard parts kit onto, with some parts also hacked to fit. Mine was the Imbel lower with a mix of Australian and Indian parts. Often there were problems in cycling.

Now I have an Argentinian FAL and low and behold it runs like a scolded aple

I am a milsurp collector so I guess one or two of my trade fodder guns would qualify. I have a scoped and sportered VZ-24 in one of those fake Steyr sniper rifle stocks. Bore looks horrible but I think it shoots OK. I have a couple of Turk Mausers in short rifle form I should shoot one day, although one of them is a rare-ish 1905 carbine rebuild, so it might not be truck gun material.

For a semi, I'll let you know if the 7.62 NATO MAS 49/56 with an adjustable gas valve runs well. That is a great go to weapon. A bit handier than a FAL, faster sights and even uglier.

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Release the Kraken

I think my .303 Jungle Carbine is a good candidate. It was cheap enough (as in, it was a gift from a friend). It's accurate, fast-handling and shooting, reliable, and an old war horse to boot.


P.S. and edit: I had a scope on this little carbine for a while but decided I needed at least one iron-sighted rifle around so I took it off - but it showed me the accuracy potential of these old soldiers. I've shot several 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" 3-shot groups at 100 yards with it using my handloads with both 150 grain spitzers and 175 grain roundnose bullets. Have also killed several deer with it while it was wearing the scope.

My "beater" rifle is the budget AR-15 I assembled myself. It's built with a generic lower. CMV barrel, no chrome lining. Any old full-auto BCG. I don't abuse it, but I don't get OCD about keeping it spotless. I just take it to the range and shoot it.

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-John

K22fan: It's a puzzle to me, too. My barrel has no serial number, unless it's under the wood; I didn't look there. It just has the usual assortment of Swiss cross, BP joined and B stamps. I'd always heard they were 308 but in desperation, since it was inaccurate, I slugged it. It measured .311". I didn't really believe it, so I slugged it again: .311". About three years later, doubt grew in my mind so I slugged it a third time: .311". My mike's a Stanley and pretty accurate so I believe the reading, the more so as the accuracy improved greatly when I used .311" bullets in it. I have no problem with slugging the barrels of other guns. I posted this on the Swiss rifle forum, and they didn't want to hear it.

Mine is freebored about the same distance the barrel was set back. It doesn't seem to hurt acuracy too much. I have to watch pressures: that long, skinny forepart to the bolt will arch a bit and give you sticky extraction when the pressure is too high. I keep it low in my handloads andf I shoot lots of cast in it.

I had it drilled and tapped, and put a Lyman 66 peep on it. I shot it twice over the National Match Course, all the way out to 600 yards. Shot Sharpshooter scores with it. I wanted to put a Lyman 48, but the crossbar of the 48 is thicker and came in contact with the top of the receiver when the point of impact at 100 yards was still 6 or so inches above the aiming point. Finally someone offered higher front sights, so people could cut them down as they wished. I got one and left mine just as it was, and have a little clearance between the top of the receiver and the arm of the 48.

I don't know who did the conversions, but they all seem to be the same so I presume they were done by one factory. Once, in the 1960s, I visited a gun store that had two GI rifle racks; 40 rifles, all M1911 conversions.

Because of the similarity of the work and new caliber stamps I believe large batches of Swiss 1911s were converted to .308 by a distributor or distributors. However, an old gunsmith I used to use told me he converted individual 1911s for customers during the 1960s. Incidentally, he said he forgot to free bore one then could never get its owner to bring it back to have that done. The owner was having great success with it without the free bore. To keep them inexpensive most conversions retained the issue rear sight. Installing the barrel with the issue sights at 12 O’clock positions the remaining half of the barrel serial number above the left side of the stock ahead of the receiver ring. Looking at the picture of your whole rifle it appears to have an issue rear sight base. My guess is that the gunsmith had to replace your original barrel and rather than buy a rear sight he installed the original sight on the replacement barrel. I can’t think of any other explanation for either its unusually large groove diameter or the absence of the first half of the barrel serial number. At a glance Swiss rifling looks like 4 groove U.S. 1903 rifling, 25% lands and 75% grooves. What does your rifling look like?

I fired one of my 1911 7.5x55mm rifles in a couple of traditional position matches. They started offhand at 200 yards and finished prone at 600 yards. I don’t remember my scores but I did very well and was not handicapped by the rifle. It wore a Redfield receiver sight with an adjustable Merritt aperture and a silver soldered on higher front sight. Every thing other than the sights was still as issued. Its stock was beat up but its bluing was still very good. Not counting the sights it cost $65 approximately 1981.

First guiding principle: Life is too short to shoot ugly guns.

That said, my "beater gun" or the gun I grab when I need a long gun depends on the circumstances. For hunting, or anything over 300 yards, I grab one of my two Mausers in 30'06. Either will do. Both shoot sub-MOA. Both use the Leupold 3-10X40 with their Boone and Crockett reticle.



If I'm in need of firepower rather than surgical accuracy, then I grab my Para FAL, cased with 5 extra loaded mags. No, scoping the FAL is not an option. It goes against the guiding principle.



Keith

cprher....... now that's an FAL I could get into........

Have you ever needed that "more firepower"?...LOL

My Cabin gun(s) actually go out and about with me........cus Coyotes are always in season in Pa. .....well that's my story and I'm sticking to it LOL

"As I remember it; these all came with the "Janet Reno" thumbhole stock. Is that conversion done to yours now legal?
Jim"

It's no different than another other folding stock AK you can buy today.

I also nearly forgot my Mosin carbine with my bubba job on a seperate stock:

My mix master KISS build. BCM 16 inch light weight barrel and upper, Colt M4A1 carry handle, Cav-Arms MkII lower, DPMS LPK, FN BCG.



My truck gun. Yugo AK on a non-RPK receiver.

I dont do trunk guns because they can be stolen and because i sometimes have to travel to a neighboring state where it would be illegal. However all my woods or knock around guns are in 7.62x39 with detachable 30 round mags. I don't like using bolt action rifles for this purpose because they are bigger and slower to reload. Besides in the woods you can't see past 50 yards anyway so it's not like I'd need to take a 300 yard shot

My grab and go hunting rifle for life here in the south:



Old pic that's been posted before but it's a Marlin 336 in .30-30 which as said is great for that usually less than fifty yard viewing distance. The bluing looks like it's in far better condition than the pic would have you think and while I do maintain the finish on the wood it's still full of nicks and dings. I just prefer the extra weight of the 336 to the 94.