PTR-91 GI Model information?

[JesterGrin_1]

I have been looking at the PTR-91 GI Model and was wondering if anyone here has any experience with said rifle and there thoughts on the platform and or another model that may give a better as they say bang for the buck?

[NuJudge]

I have one. How good it is for you depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to shoot in formal Service Rifle matches, it is not the rifle for you, but the Service Rifle rules may be changing. Magazines are cheap for it, but most everything else will be expensive. Mine is very hard on brass, much harder than my brother's very similar HK91. I have found mine to be extremely reliable with decent ammo. Groups for me with good quality ammo are on the order of 2.5 inches at 100 yards.

I have a lot of experience with 7.62x51 Battle Rifles. The M1 and M1A are best for reloading in 7.62 (they are kindest to brass). All but one of the FAL rifles I have had were really hard on brass, tearing the rim backwards on extraction. I have only recently acquired an AR10, and it seems kind to brass.

If you get a PTR91 GI, send the trigger group to Bill Springfield for a trigger job. He did a trigger job on the trigger group from my PTR91 GI and C93, and they went from horrible to fairly decent.

There is lots to read on these rifles in the HKPro forum, under their Clone sub-forum.

[Artful]

Ah, NuJudge you do know you have to adjust your FAL for the ammo used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDIASnwvC3c

Properly adjusted the FAL will not bend/damage cartridge rims.

[5 RING]

Art you beat me to it. as for the PTR-91 if its anything like the Cetme i had any brass fired out of it was done for. never had a failure with it, so thats a plus. i would steer you towards a M1 or FAL, just because they are better made and balanced the the Cetme/HK designs. just my 2cents

[reed1911]

As others said, depends on what you expect out of it. If you can shoot (honestly here okay) Sub-MOA groups out to 300+ yds (so that would be a group smaller than 3" at 300yds) then no it is not for you. If you can shoot and hit a man sized object out to 800ys, yep it will do. It is based on a battle rifle design and made to function as such. That means that what you get in absolute shootability, fast manufacture, and inexpensive is giving up some of the accuracy. For most shooters it is enough. It will not make little bitty groups but it will lay down accurate fire fast and keep running with a whole assortment of loads.

For the money if you can get one under 800.00 is would be a good deal. If you have to buy new at 1000.00 I would look more toward a used AR10. They are available for that price and a whole lot more/better gun than the PTR. I have and regularly shoot both and the AR wins hands down, but at a higher price tag.

[MtGun44]

That is a US built clone of the HK91/G3. I have used the HK91, very reliable, very accurate
rifle. Hard on brass, but absolutely 100% reliable in my experience.

PTRs have a good reputation, but I have not used one of their, but should be a good one.
Dead simple design, too.

[Tackleberry41]

It depends on the rifle how much it damages brass. My CETME gets them on the rim, not a big issue. My HK33 puts a dent right in the middle of every one, so are junk. There are brass deflectors that will solve this.

One usual problem w the G3 is the trigger, not much can be done, I have read there is somebody who can do a good job if sent off to them. Other than that your typical heavy military trigger. Scope mounting has always been an issue w these rifles.

I have found my CETME to be a good cast rifle tho. I figured might have to change a part inside so it would cycle, but they way 'overgas' the rifle. I know their not gas operated, but 'overdelayedblowback' doesn't sound so good. Mine cycles 200gr cast w 4198 with ease, and doesn't fling the brass to the next state. Have not tried any cast in the 33 yet.

[MtGun44]

Dented cases are NOT junk by any means. Run them through the loading dies,
the work and shoot just fine, no issues at all. Port buffer clips on and stops
the dents, but they are cosmetic only, IME. Pretty ugly, though.

[MtGun44]

Dented cases are NOT junk by any means. Run them through the loading dies,
they work and shoot just fine, no issues at all.

[Bulltipper]

+1 on the Bill Springfield trigger job, he does a good job with the HK91 fire control group. My HK91 dents the brass a bit but doesn't render it totally unusable. I tried the brass buffer but it caused type 2 malfunctions...

[barnetmill]

I have a PTR 91 and I am interested in using milder loads with cast bullets. I have about two 5 gal buckets full of a lot of match .308 brass empties from the estate of a former NRA highpower shooter and a lot of saved berdan brass (I know how to reload berdan cases). Gun does throw the German nato spec cases a long ways. The rifle appears to be quite accurate for my purposes, at least 3 moa if not a lot better and the trigger is not bad.
I want lower velocity loads so that I can use recovered range lead with a minimal of hardening being needed. I normally use the AK a lot and plan to practice and use the PTR 91 in the same manner. At least half the shooting will be at thirty yards only with a strong emphasis on ambidextrous combat shooting. Requires a lot of ammo. The .30 cal rifles do a better job of turning cover into concealment, but .308 seems to cost a fortune these days. I still can purchase 7.62x39 cheaper than I can reload practice ammo so I do not plan to reload training ammo with it.
There was a time when I found that .32 acp bullets used in 30-06 GI cases will function in an M1, but I cannot find them readily at a cheap price and powder is as we all know not cheap these days, cast bullet loads seem to make sense.

[NuJudge]

Ah, NuJudge you do know you have to adjust your FAL for the ammo used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDIASnwvC3c

Properly adjusted the FAL will not bend/damage cartridge rims.

I wish that were true. I have five of them. Only one is kind to brass. I have tried everything with the rest of them: stronger piston springs, pistons smaller in diameter, stronger springs in the butt recoil system, you name it. The only kind one was a Century L1A1.