AR10 Opinions

[Archangel14]

Gents:

I'm interested in picking up a semi-auto in .308. What's the reputation of the reliability of the AR10? I seem to find mixed reviews. In particular, I saw a video by Mr. James Yeager on Youtube where he flatly claims that the AR10 is unreliable. Anyone have any thoughts on this issue?

oh, one other point: please do not recommend that I consider the FAL, I don't like the ergos. Thanks!

 

[MachIVshooter]

My Armalite 10A2C was great, and I've had no issues with my current DPMS-pattern 18" PSA build.



You should really consider an FAL, though.............

 

[jobu07]

I also have an Armalite. Fantastic rifle.

 

[G.barnes]

It's best to build or buy from a quality manufacturer. Dpms and cmmg work but they cut a lot of corners in the 308 platform. A good quality, going to run for a long time, lot of rounds your looking at spending around 1600 at the bottom end.

 

[maxxhavoc]

Here's my PSA - I had issues with >150gr loads due to a tight chamber/throat. PSA offered to fix it, but when 125gr TNT's grouped .75" reliably at 100 yards I decided I could live without heavier loadings since I prefer the TNTs for my handloads anyway. It has been just as reliable as any AR I have owned with that in mind.

 

[1stmarine]

Armalite makes solid guns and if a problem shows up they will fix it.
The best one out of the box is probably the LMT that is why Brits bought it, smarter than us with the so so and overprice knights.
the key to any AR is the internals that is the heart of the AR. Carrier group, barrel, trigger. the outer shell/brand is not so important as soon a the dimensions and tolerances are the correct ones. Also the firearm must be assembled correctly with the proper springs, buffer, etc...

I went the Mega billet route but many other billets will work just fine. But I went with a krieger heavy barrel and SI defense group. Also a Giselle like les baer uses in his tack drivers.
I have another one with an awesome light profile 18" barrel from ARP nitro carburized that I wanted for hunting. But in the end I end up hunting with the trusty saiga akm type in 308. More
guns/choices than game and opportunities to hunt I guess. LOL.

 

[TIMC]

Lots of very good ones out there, What's your pocket book look like? The sky is the limit with these rifles.

Love my F&D Defense AR-10, My favorite pig hunter at any range.

 

[Robert]

I am building one based on the DPMS pattern. I hope it iis half as reliable as my FAL.

 

[yzguy87]

Unfortunately not everyone's pockets looks like yours Tim!

I've only had experience with DPMS and RRA. Both were reliable on the bench. Never really crawled through any trenches with them though. RRA was crazy accurate.

 

[Archangel14]

How are DPMS products in the .308? I see a reasonably priced "GenII" rifle. I never handled a DPMS rifle, and my takeaway is that DPMS products have an "okay" reputation. But the skinny on the GenII is that DPMS took its time putting it together. Any opinions?

 

[TIMC]

I had one of the LR308 rifles from DPMS and found it to be a very nice shooting rifle for the price. You don't have to go high dollar for a good one, that is only a matter of preference.

 

[1stmarine]

I don't see any problems with the dpms Gen1 standard. There are light receivers and carriers out there than in the end are not very different in weight to the Gen2. We weight them side by side and no much difference. I am talking fluted receivers and carriers, simple tubes and light barrels profiles of course. So the weight can be fixed and there is an advantage being compatible with a well established standard that many makers adopted.

 

[jamesinalaska]

Ar 10

Once upon a time in a forest far, far away, I had owned and used an AR 10. I was single and had lots of money then so an AR10 seemed right at the time. It was an O.K. shooter but never could get it as accurate as a .308 should be. It was heavy too. Damned heavy, like over 10 pounds heavy when loaded. And maybe it was just my rifle but the fit between the upper and lower receiver was sloppy. I found that to be annoying in a $1000 rifle.

But it was my first .308 and I once took a porcupine and then a caribou with it and was so impressed with the performance I knew I would be a .308 fan forever . . . but the semi auto thing and all the magazines and the weight and the whole AR-Ego thing I decided I could do without so I sold it at a gun show (people generally had more money then) and bought an older, tang-safety, Ruger M77 in .308. I just adore my M77 and I know I will be giving it to my son when he is of age. I could care less about the AR. It was be great for war but to big and unwieldy for anything else, including home defense.

 

[Cal-gun Fan]

M&P 10. Lightweight, super accurate, 100 percent reliable.

 

[Archangel14]

Once upon a time in a forest far, far away....

Brother, you may have just talked me out of an AR10.

 

[Grunt]

I have 3 AR-10s, all Armalite B series, the kind that takes the steel magazines. I haven't used any of the original Gen 1 series of converted M-14 magazines with my rifles and have only had Gen 2 mags since I started down the AR-10 road. All three of them, the AR-10B Carbine, AR-10A4 rifle and the AR-10 SASS have all been 100% reliable right out of the box. I went through the factory recommended break-in process for accuracy reasons but even with everything new and tight, there were no functional problems whatsoever.
Oh, and as far as Mr. James "Brave Sir Robbin" Yeager goes, I guess when it comes to being "unreliable" well, I guess he's an authority on all things "unreliable" as well as an authority on wind sprints and playing hide and seek!

 

[saitek]

.308 ar

my lar8 from rockriver shoot's like a dream !

 

[TIMC]

Once apon a time far far a way, I owned a nice bolt action .308. I loved that rifle and had taken many cute furry creatures of the forest with it. It kept my freezer full and me with that warm and fuzzy feeling at night.
One day we were overrun by the evil hord, the swine threatened to change the landscape and ruin our crops.
While out skipping through the forest and telling stories about my lovely light weight bolt action rifle a large hord of the evil crop eating, hole digging swine showed themselves, I was able to drop a few with my trusty bolt action sidekick but alias as I fumbled through my pockets for reload ammo most of the swine got away; so much for my trusty bolt action who was clearly not up to the task. I threw it to the side for the much better AR-10, now the evil swine are decimated and fall lifeless before it. My kingdom is now happy again, crops go unmolested princess's look favorably on me; oh yeah, I also have one heck of a lot of fun!

 

[Archangel14]

Once apon a time far far a way.....

I think you just talked me into an AR10.....

 

[Archangel14]

Oh, and as far as Mr. James "Brave Sir Robbin" Yeager goes, I guess when it comes to being "unreliable" well, I guess he's an authority on all things "unreliable" as well as an authority on wind sprints and playing hide and seek!

I don't understand this. Does Yeager have a funky reputation or something? By his videos, he appears somewhat experienced with firearms.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I don't understand this. Does Yeager have a funky reputation or something? By his videos, he appears somewhat experienced with firearms.

He offers his highly subjective opinions as fact in a very abrasive, insulting manner. Also a crass individual in general.

 

[Archangel14]

He offers his highly subjective opinions as fact in a very abrasive, insulting manner. Also a crass individual in general.

He's really down on AR10's, but also claims that he's never run a class where they don't fail.

 

[mooosie]

I have a bushmaster ORC 308 I bought for 1200 it looks great has never failed is plenty accurate and weighs about 7 and 3/4 pounds. I am told it is made by DPMS with changes bushmaster wanted like barrel length and weight but parts are interchangeable with DPMS

 

[HKGuns]

Below are three decent options in order of preference. Not all are proper AR10's. But they are the correct caliber and work well.

 

[Lord Teapot]

i was very close to buying an ar10, but i could not find a new one with a 20inch barrel or more for under 1300, and then a fnar popped up for under 1000, and i just went with it. slapped a nikon, and a cheap bipod/light for less than i'd be out the door with on the ar10s i saw.