Most shooters love the design of the PTR battle rifle, but not everyone can justify their price tag, which typically retail for $1,000 or more. Enter Century Arms. The low-cost gun manufacturer and distributor introduced the C308 Sporter a few years ago to get people into the battle rifle game. But with the reputation the company has (and not all of it good), is the Century Arms C308 worth your time and money?
I'm a little biased here because I bought the C308 Sporter before the restrictive California gun laws cracked down on semiautomatic rifles with soon-to-be violating features, which include a pistol grip, collapsible stock, detachable magazine, and a flash hider. Supposedly, these new gun laws prevent terrorism, but they mostly just hinder the enjoyment of California shooters. Anyways, to ever have a chance of owning one in our commie-owned state, I had to bite the bullet.
If I were to go back, I'd probably just pony up the dollars to get a genuine PTR. However, gun stores completely ran out of their "featured" semiauto rifle inventory, so the Century Arms C308 was the best I could do. For what it is, I think a lot of people would be happy with the platform. The C308 Sporter is a beast, no doubt about it. More than likely, it will get people's attention. However, the novelty of owning a 7.62 NATO battle rifle gets quite old.
The number one reason is weight. The Century Arms C308 is heavy AF, as the kids like to say. Now, you feel like a bad ass when you whip this beast out, but after holding it for just a few magazines, it wears on you. So you can pretty much get the idea of "going Rambo" at the range out of your head -- lugging around the C308 Sporter is an intense workout, and not really that enjoyable.
One workaround to the weight issue is to use this as a long-range weapon. Unlike the hit-job reviews that shooters do on the Century Arms C308, I found the platform to be quite accurate, even with cheapo, steel-case Tulammo. The problem is the trigger. It creeps like hell, almost to the point where you need to shoot the gun with two hands just to get good control throughout the process.
Finally, you have the inherent recoil of the 308 Winchester round. I personally don't care too much about recoil (I shoot a 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum, after all!), but other shooters may not like it. And despite the weight and the factory muzzle break, the Century Arms C308 kicks like a mule, and it will at least cut you or leave a minor bruise.
I think perceived recoil is greater on this gun than a "regular" 308 Winchester rifle because the butt stock is a cheap, plastic piece-o-crap. Still, the C308 Sporter lets you know that you're dealing with something powerful, so that's a plus in my book.
Overall, I think people will like shooting the Century Arms C308 -- it's fun, it's accurate, and it's cheaper than a PTR. However, the novelty does wear off after a while, and I don't find it that practical. Don't buy this as a primary gun but rather, something to purchase when you've got more important firearm needs met.
I really liked your post, well written.
They are cool looking guns but like you said the trigger sucks along with the ergonomics of the safety and fluted chambers makes me want to buy an AR10 or M1A instead.