AR10/.308 Owners: Best Make/Model, Please!

S

Sgt.Fathead

Moderator
Moving to the Great State of Texas soon and my wife would like an AR platformed rifle in .308 so here I am, former Marine, cover in hand, with just about zero knowledge of the AR10.

I'd like to hear from OWNERS, past and present, of ARs in .308 about the makes and models they like/dislike and why, Please.

Knowledge is power and as she is the light of my life and a little weary of her Savage 11 bolt action .308, an R she shall have! Many thanks.
 
One of the best is made in Texas by LaRue Tactical.
http://larueosr.com/

My 24"and 16" are based on Fulton Armory receivers with components from Armalite, DPMS and aftermarket.
 
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I have an Armalite AR10 that I bought new in 1999 and it is the most accurate 308 autoloader I have ever owned.

It shoots rings around all 3 of my M1A's.

That being said, it had a lot of problems reference feeding when it was new.

Most of these problems were magazine related (remanufactured M14 mags were used by armalite back then and they weren't the most reliable).

When I bought it it came in the A4 configuration, 16" barrel with integral rear sight assembly (loosely referred to as the "carrying handle").

I picked up 2 more uppers right after I bought it, a 20" in 243 and a 16" flat top upper they used to refer to as their "navy model" in 308.

All will shoot sub 1" and properly broken in are reliable hunting platforms.

Now, I really like my Armalite and have used it heavily for hunting and range shooting but if I were to buy another it I wouldn't buy from them.

You have to remember back in '99 Armalite was the only AR10 manufacturer in town, nobody else made them.

Armalite's magazines and uppers are proprietory (and expensive) and you can't swap those items out with any one elses.

Nowawdays there are several manufacturers of AR10 like rifles and some of them have parts compatibility between them (uppers and magazines etc).

If it were me and I was buying again I would find the paltforms that have compatibility between uppers and utilize PMAGS or some less expensive more reliable magazine.
 
This FAQ well answer a lot of your questions.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=62&t=378850

The magazine compatibility and cost is a non issue for me, Pmags run $20 and ArmaLite GenII's are $25. The older Gen I ArmaLite mags were counterfeited a lot, so there are a lot of substandard early mags. If it's build on a USGI body with a ArmaLite marked bottom plate you are gtg.

IMHO, Noveske makes the most accurate rifles, and ArmaLite makes the most robust rifles. ArmaLite is the only manufacturer to redesign the bolt stop and magazine catch for the AR10 platform. The others have retained the AR15 parts.

There's a lot of nice stuff on the used market at very good price points.
 
Just like any AR, decide on barrel length, stock style, sight options, handguard. Also, "AR10" is an Armalite product, proven by them in court. So if you want an Armalite rifle, sure, but there are others.

FWIW, I have a DPMS LR-308. It is heavy (11 lbs iron sights). So the options will lead you into weight. They can be had down a little under 8 lbs.

If you are in Texas, you might want to support LaRue, in Leander, but their 308 rifles are about $3000. If you want to prove your love, there ya go. :D Probably the most accurate, some are 0.5 MOA.

Lee
 
The market for AR-10 style rifles has really opened up in the last six years. DPMS started this whole mess but they are by no means the top player anymore. They do make a very accurate rifle for not much money however. I have seen their AP4 models for under $1K going used in good condition.
 
I've had a DPMS LR 308B for 5 years with about 2000 rds downrange. It is extremely accurate with my handloads (168 SMK, 41 gr IMR 4895, Fed Br & primer) averaging 3/4" @ 100 yds when I do my part.
In the 5 years, nothing has broken, failed or caused any problem at all. The magazines were trouble free even before being de-burred.
What more do you want from a rifle? Accurate, reliable and just seeing it makes gun fearing wusses wet their pants.

Roger
 
What more do you want from a rifle? Accurate, reliable and just seeing it makes gun fearing wusses wet their pants.
Click to expand...

Some people are always looking for more. 2K rounds is not a lot for an active shooter in 5 years. Some would shoot ten times that in a year. But, for what you are doing that rifle sounds ideal.
 
Good,cheap,fast,pick any 2.
The good news,you have choices.
Until I knew more,I would be cautious about the FAL mag/G-3 mag versions.
Time might prove me wrong,I suppose,but I just dont accept,at this point,my DPMS is going to fall apart on me while something with an exotic name and a double triple price tag is so tremendously better.that said,I do think an Armalite has some advantages.
Thing is,I chose a DPMS LR 308 L because it came in a package I wanted.I wanted free float,18 in bbl,light(7.9 lbs),the forward assist,and dust cover,a flattop,and a good trigger.I could only afford the $1200.Then I ordered it in Oct of 2008.Availability was an issue.
Under my circumstances,the DPMS was "Best",whatever that means.
Best is defined by what the customer needs.For me,11 lbs is not "best" For me,$3000 is not "best"
 
DPMS customer service has given me nothing but trouble. They sent wrong parts and then when they sent the right parts they were dinged up like they shipped them using bricks for packing material. I'll never buy DPMS again. That said, the Crusader Broadsword was the smoothest shooting .308 I've ever fired. The Battle Comp muzzle break gives it virtually no muzzle rise. I love it.
 
You could buy a Mega Arms MA-Ten receiver set and build the rifle however you want it, with either a DPMS/KAC or an Armalite pattern barrel and bolt carrier group. It uses all AR-15 parts for the lower receiver, other than the parts supplied with the receiver, and uses DPMS/Magpul type mags.

So if she wants a big heavy bench gun with a bull barrel you can build that; or if she wants a nice lightweight battle rifle you can build that... or anything else you can think up. Whatever floats her boat.
 
Lot of manufactures these days producing ar style .308's lot to choose from.I bought a DPMS AP4.308 6 years ago,originally I wanted a Armalite the only other company building .308 ar style rifle at that time.After a lot of research I decided on the DPMS it was half the cost of a Armalite.I have been very happy with the fast handling DPMS carbine AP4.308 and the accuracy from that 18" barrel amazed me.I have had no malfunctions from the DPMS in 6 years now and it's hard on whitetail :D
 
If you're gonna pop for a 3 grand AR, really should consider a Les Baer. I've been shooting his pistols for a while and love 'em. Now saving my coins for the new .308 Ultimate Match model Les Baer just introduced. Advertised as "Shockingly accurate" and factory guaranteed to do 1/2 M.O.A. right out of the box with match grade ammo. The test I've read show .3 inch at a hunderd. Not bad for a gas gun.

If your budget is around one grand, a DPMS will shoot great from I've always heard.
 
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned POF! They may be perpetually back ordered, but they are amazing rifles. IIRC Georgia Precision uses POFs as the base for the GAP 10.
 
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