Cut straight to the chase: I only fired 85 rounds through the gun today but so far its making me wanna sell my FAL.
Thats the short version, now lets get into detail.
Took the PTR-91 to the range. Control ammo was some battle pack SA that you can see here in this photo. (I was gettin’ my Oleg on!)
So, load up a few mags and fire five shots for effect at 50 yards. The 100m setting is a crappy v-notch so I started off with the 200m diopter. As expected, it shot high. Unexpectedly, it was waaaay high.
First group was at the top of the paper, but grouped nicely. Got out the OEM HK adjustment tool, took a few minutes to figure out how to work it, adjusted sights, looked perplexed, RTFM, tried again, and then fired the second group. Point of impact was lower. Did this until it was where we felt it should be.
Satisfied with the 50 yard shooting we moved off to 100 yards. New target, new adjustments. Initially the thing still shot high so we cranked the drum to the bottom of its range and were rewarded with most of the shots being in the red.
In the photo above you can see on the rightmost target that things started of high but after some adjustments they were all dropping right where they should be. That was using the crappy v-notch by the way. Other aperatures would have given better sight pic but they would have also been less telling since they are calibrated for distances further than 100 yards. So, my last five shots landed (mostly) in the red and I was pleased. Now, lets slap a scope on the HK91 fire a group and then transfer the scope/mount to the PTR and do the same. Again, all of this is with mil ball.
Put away the magnifying glasses kids, its a Leupold lower-end tactical with target knobs and set for 10x. ARMS mount. Clamped onto the PTR just fine.
The good Captain, who graciously brought his gen-u-ine HK for this trip, shot the group on the left of the left most target. I shot the group on the right side of that target. Its worth noting that althoguh we shot the same ammo, when the scope was switched over to my rifle I had a major POI shift. I was holding at the bottom edge of the paper, kids! Windage was perfect but elevation???? Well, 10 clicks of MOA got it closer to where it should be. Thats a five shot group, btw….two rounds in one hole in there.
Performance? Didnt bobble a single round. All fed perfectly and all went bang. Swapped buttstock assemblies with no problems. Slings interchanged as expected. Percevied recoil may have been less with the PTR but that may be because the recoil spring is newer. The HK91 shot today is about 20 years old.
My impressions? Keep in mind I only fired 85 rounds but I had absolutely zero problems, accuracy was better than what I expected and the trigger was a little better than the HK91. I think that with mil ball ammo its accurate enough for minute-of-badguy out to a good distance. I think with a bipod, some good handloads and a decent optic it may perform quite well. I have alot of confidence in this rifle after todays performance.
Worth the money? Well, if youre getting HK reliability, 100% interchangeability with HK parts, and HK durability for 1/2 the cost then, yeah, its worth the money. Its definitely worth it from a ‘glad I bought it’ and ‘Im confident in its abilities’ point of view. I suppose its possible I got a better-than-average rifle but if this is representative of your average PTR then I would say that its an excellent choice for the person who wants a .308 MBR for less than an M1A or DSA FAL. Plus, mags are cheap, cheap, cheap.
Gotta throw another 500 or so rounds through it to make sure its not just ‘new gun energy’ (much like new relationship energy when your brand new relationship seems perfect and wonderful..).
Good day at the range. I like this rifle alot and can recommend it on what I’ve experienced thus far.
EDIT: Yes, thats a short length of bicycle tire tubing on the pistol grip. Theres a seam from the mold thats probably gonna rub my hand the wrong way so i added the ‘Glock Pachmyer grip’. Makes it less slick too.
Hey, is that the Deer Creek range east of Missoula? If not, it sure looks like it.
I dunno how you figured that out from some minor background but…yeah, thats it.
18″ or 16″ barrel on the PTR-91?
Grrrrr….
(gets up and goes to get tape meeasure)
18″ not including flashhider
Heh. I like the concept of the 16″ carbine, but that extra 2″ sure does make the ballistics nicer.
Niiiiice, glad someone tried them out, I’ve seen the PTR’s around but wasn’t so sure about them. Glad to hear it worked slick.
Suuuuuuu-WEEEEEET!
I want one for sure now (unless you want to sell your FAL for cheap!).
Any impressions on this vs. an Armalite AR-10?
I’ve had both, just not at the same time.
I’ve liked them both. The AR-10A2 was just like a slightly bigger AR. Nicely accurate, mild recoil. The PTR was a little odd, me being used to the AR platform and all, but performed equally nicely.
That sounds pretty much like my opinion of my PTR-91a1. The heavy barrel makes it feel a little front heavy, but it’s not unmanageable. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it was one of the last BAN guns they built. If the flash hider was removeable and it would take a bayo I would really, really like it instead of just really liking it.
Hmm…. I wonder if it’s ban-state legal… might have to sell it to a restricted location and buy a proper one for me.
Have one here as a photo prop. Might have to buy it after all…
Your photos look great.
How does the HK sight adjustment tool look/work?
So now you want me to ditch my two FALs?
I liked Captain Insano’s HK (apart from the weird cocking handle), but I feel very comfortable with the FAL family!
Oh, and when I leave this god-forsaken place I am buying my friend Eddie’s Belgian import FN-FAL. Because I can. I think he will let me have it for much less than the going price too.
awesome, I love that range! I spent a lot of time out there after class testing out reloads and doing the Wednesday night uspsa practice. Definitely the best range I’ve ever belonged to. No I’m lucky enough to have my own range the I build here on my ranch, but I always liked chatting it up with the regular shooters at Deer Creek.
I’ve been a fan of the HK 91 since the late 60 when I 1st got my hands on one in Germany. Right now w/HK mil surp mags being as cheap as they are I’d say the TCO is in favor of the PT 91 vs AR 10 or FAL. Wont last long though, anyone w/brains can do the same math I did.
1. Hey, that first pic is especially well done! I am impressed.
2. The relationship is still perfect and wonderful. FYI.
When I had Rich at CGW Guns build my FAL carbine I wanted a 16″ barrel. He told me that the shortest he would make a FAL was 17.5″, which is what we settled on.
Apparently FALs cycle erratically when built shorter than that. So I kept reliability and better ballistics.
Cuts down on Muzzle flash too. I HATE muzzle flash.
Good report, great weapon.
Typically German – robust, clever, and expensive. however, its going to be nigh impossible to change the elevation on the rear sight without it.
I appreciate the range report. Where there any problems dropping the magazine from the well without pulling it out?
Man, that is a pretty rifle.
Shot from a bench most of the time so I hadnt noticed. However, I was shooting the uber-lightweight aluminum which dont seem to drop nearly as ready as the built-like-a-tank steel mags.