Another quarantine project sees the light of day. Sudanese AR10.

[ApacheCoTodd]

I was banging about a safe today, and saw this languishing in a corner and thought; "If not now..... When?!?"

I bought the receiver on the whispiest of whims a very long time ago behind the nostalgia of borrowing these in The Lebanon in the day.

55gr M16s and CARs simply would NOT break block like the varying .30s others carried so a kindly group loaned us a passel of AR10s for a time. Let the block-busting begin!

I think those might have been Portugese though.

Anyhow, nostalgia made me buy this stripped re-production receiver when it crossed my path. The owner had no use for it and it was dirt-cheap.

Sat around for several years until a pal commented on me having it at a Reno show and knowing another fella trying to off-load a parts kit.

So, several years after buying the receiver I had all the bits.

Then, to assemble as a semi-auto-only rifle. With the licensing and permits at the time, I was seriously drawn to build a *delear's sample* select-fire but fortunately, sanity weighed in, it stayed semi-auto and that paid off as we eventually sold the company and licenses.

Then it goes to sitting for another pile of years until this Wuhan-inspire stay-cation hit!

Also - I had the good fortune to buy a pile of original waffle-mags back when few had use for them and no fakes were yet being made.

Todd.

 

[WestKentucky]

I like it a lot. Is it charged through the trigger shaped doodad in the “handle”

 

[Gordon]

That's very Kewl!

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I like it a lot. Is it charged through the trigger shaped doodad in the “handle”

Yup, aside from engaging it there rather than the *T* handle, the charging is quite the same.

There were some 5.56 versions made with it as well.

Todd.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I see Brownells sells a version.

Don't know who's making them but if I didn't already have this, I'd buy one of those behind the same nostalgia.

https://www.brownells.com/firearms/...ro-rifle-308-7-62-20in-barrel-prod115389.aspx

Todd.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

Whats the brass disk on the butt? Reminds me of a swedish mauser.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Whats the brass disk on the butt? Reminds me of a swedish mauser.

Yup - an armorers'/arsenal marker disc though some speculate that it might have been an attaching pint for a side-sling to compliment the front side-mounted sling swivel.

Todd.

 

[bannockburn]

Todd

Super nice D.I.Y. build! Looks a lot like the new Brownell's BRN-10 Retro Rifle.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Todd

Super nice D.I.Y. build! Looks a lot like the new Brownell's BRN-10 Retro Rifle.

Thanks.

Yup, I saw theirs. If I didn't have mine or if theirs had been a Portugese version, I'd certainly buy one.

Todd.

 

[bannockburn]

Definitely like the look of the full length hand guards of the Sudanese model versus the half hand guards of the Dutch contract.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Definitely like the look of the full length hand guards of the Sudanese model versus the half hand guards of the Dutch contract.

I saw one (or more) of the Portugese in Africa that had a rather FALO FN looking affair up front of abbreviated wood and a better heat shield.

Looked a lot more finished that the standard, short-guard AR10s. Might even have had wooden butts but then, some of the brown polys presented almost as having a wood-like grain too.

Memory fails me on the butt stocks.

Todd.

 

[FL-NC]

Interesting

 

[CapnMac]

Per Karl Kasarda, the Brownell's furniture is in a modern polymer and not the allegedly reinforced bakelite of the originals.
Eugene was pushing the tech limit a bit too far with the furniture, which is why so many "in the wild" have wooden replacements for the furniture. And, using wood makes the AR-10 handle about like a 4x4 fence post

Empty a mag pretty quick and you'll see why they moved the charging handle, too. Well, feel, that is.

 

[Gordon]

#1 whats it weigh unloaded. I just want to see if it is lighter than the "new" standard for AR10s which is around 9 pounds empty. I wonder as the barrel appears to be a pencil profile.
#2 does charge handle reciprocate ?
# does it take the "new standard" mags like a Magpul mag ?

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

#1 whats it weigh unloaded. I just want to see if it is lighter than the "new" standard for AR10s which is around 9 pounds empty. I wonder as the barrel appears to be a pencil profile.
#2 does charge handle reciprocate ?
# does it take the "new standard" mags like a Magpul mag ?

#1 Exactly 8 pounds, 14 ounces with 20 150 gr.
#2 No, the handles do not reciprocate as they are held in place forward by a spring detent shown below.
#3 That, I don't know.

Todd.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Per Karl Kasarda, the Brownell's furniture is in a modern polymer and not the allegedly reinforced bakelite of the originals.
Eugene was pushing the tech limit a bit too far with the furniture, which is why so many "in the wild" have wooden replacements for the furniture. And, using wood makes the AR-10 handle about like a 4x4 fence post

Empty a mag pretty quick and you'll see why they moved the charging handle, too. Well, feel, that is.

It was certainly an exercise in weight and physical dimensions taken a bit too far as far as the furniture is concerned.

I seldom saw them outright broken but what I saw a lot of was the either edges rounded significantly - which is acceptable - or, they frayed at the edges like a home made sock in a modern washing machine.

The charging handle was a clever though tactically unsound idea. It, and the lack of forward assist were the things most noted by us in Lebanon. It also mandated a very forward mounted scope on the 2-3 that had the old Colt/Armalite 3 or 4 powers on them.

Todd.

 

[Armorer 101]

When an AR breaks in half, it usually breaks at the barrel/upper receiver joint. I have had quite a few brought in held together by the sling. We referred to it a DXing an AR.

 

[gopguy]

I still have both of mine but they are safe queens I dont shoot. Parts are not all that plentiful anymore. Way back in the 1980s some kits came into the US. Problem was no receivers existed. ATF gave permission to a few firms to make receivers but these were made in small numbers. The rifles you see below are a Sudanese contract and Portuguese contract gun built on AFT approved receivers made by Central Kentucky Arms of Cynthiana KY (Green furniture) and Telko of Miamisburg Ohio. Both have serial numbers below 20. As noted earlier the cocking handle on top in the carry handle area.

Major Sam Pikula's, The Armalite AR-10, 1998, is the best work on the subject I have seen, but it is hard to find and out of print.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Pikula... good book.

I use Carbillo's tome quite a lot too.

If fellas bring me ALL the parts (NO ONE gets any of my parts!) in legal configuration, I build up and proof about one every five or so years.

Todd.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Yup - an armorers'/arsenal marker disc though some speculate that it might have been an attaching pint for a side-sling to compliment the front side-mounted sling swivel.

View attachment 907824

Assuming it's original to the buttstock, the disc is a Sudanese contract feature, not found on any of the other Hollywood or AI AR-10s. Here's one that showed up in Yemen in 2017.



The forend on your rifle is also the pre-Portuguese pattern, found on other Dutch-made rifles. Here's what the Portuguese forend/handguard looks like, a clamshell, half stamped steel and half composite:



There is also a second Portuguese version that incorporates a bipod.

For a good read on the AR-10, see the 2016 Collector Grade book: https://www.amazon.com/Armalite-AR-10-Worlds-Finest-Battle/dp/0889355835

I got my copy last year -- it's still available for around $75, which is cheap by Collector Grade standards. Here's a review from the Forgotten Weapons website: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/book-review-the-armalite-ar-10-the-worlds-finest-battle-rifle/

Ian also did a good summary of major AR-10 variations last year on Forgotten Weapons:



One of the least-known early adopters of the AR-10 were anonymous henchmen from the 1964 Jonny Quest episode "Pirates from Below":

 

[WestKentucky]

Assuming it's original to the buttstock, the disc is a Sudanese contract feature, not found on any of the other Hollywood or AI AR-10s. Here's one that showed up in Yemen in 2017.

View attachment 908503

The forend on your rifle is also the pre-Portuguese pattern, found on other Dutch-made rifles. Here's what the Portuguese forend/handguard looks like, a clamshell, half stamped steel and half composite:

View attachment 908504

There is also a second Portuguese version that incorporates a bipod.

For a good read on the AR-10, see the 2016 Collector Grade book: https://www.amazon.com/Armalite-AR-10-Worlds-Finest-Battle/dp/0889355835

I got my copy last year -- it's still available for around $75, which is cheap by Collector Grade standards. Here's a review from the Forgotten Weapons website: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/book-review-the-armalite-ar-10-the-worlds-finest-battle-rifle/

Ian also did a good summary of major AR-10 variations last year on Forgotten Weapons:



One of the least-known early adopters of the AR-10 were anonymous henchmen from the 1964 Jonny Quest episode "Pirates from Below":

View attachment 908502

Oooohhh.... shooting lefty

 

[DukeConnor]

I like it a lot. Is it charged through the trigger shaped doodad in the “handle”

after a couple rounds you will leave smoking skin on that doodad.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

after a couple rounds you will leave smoking skin on that doodad.

That's an interesting note.

In limited engagements, as long as you stayed away from sustained bursts. It didn't get too bad but could get quite noticeable.

Interstingly, it is the only full-sized, select-fire battle rifle that made sense to me other than a couple of FAL derivatives. It was almost perfect to determine and hold to a 3 or a 5 round burst as needed and very easy to hold on target. You could pick one particular block on a wall to out a lock or lock-set from across the street and keep the entire burst on the single block.

Get over there and lok-b-gone! Every time. That was NOT happening with M-16A1s. Another.... want a loop-hole in the wall you're about to defilade to? Heave in a burst and two things happen. You'll likely have a loop-hole and NO ONE will be near it when you get there. Another thing not happening with 55gr from and A1 or CAR.

One thing you learn early on is to ID the early magazines that either by design or in a conspiracy with a particular gun, do not hold-open.

In a couple few scenarios, we still had to use the mags but you excessively mark them and then use them LASTLY.

Aside from heat, my real problem was cracking my knuckles getting to it and drawing to cross-pressure to my knuckle while adrenaline fueled. You REALLY note that about a day and a half later. Also, ergonomically, the engagement sucks other than kneeling or standing.

Clever but still, a BAD idea all in all though early *T* handles had their flaws in composition and training too.

I've NEVER heard of an early top-hook breaking - let alone snagging.

Todd.

 

[gopguy]

Now you need one of these.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Now you need one of these.

View attachment 908786

Agreed.

I've had a couple of those but they went at a premium to guys for whom I built brown furniture rifles. Classically Portugese.

I'm still holding out for a black one.

Some day, it'll be sitting sad & lonely on a table or in a box at a gun show.

Todd.