AR10

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abraves

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I am looking at getting an AR10 in 7.62/308. I have looked at the Sig 716i tread for $1400 I think. I won't be shooting crazy long distance and want something reliable. Do I need to be looking at other brands? I see others for under $1000 but don't know what I'm looking for. Thanks for any help.
 
I don't claim to be an expert, but here's some ideas:

Early AR-10 popularity, say, 90's and 2000's, there wasn't standardization.

So, you'll see the Armalite company releasing the Armalite AR-10B, which uses modified M14 magazines.
You'll also see guns like the Rock River Arms LAR-8, which uses FAL mags.

After they standardized the DPMS/SR-25 standard, most new guns use that. Unless they are made by the Armalite company(which now uses that standard of mag as well), they are not 'true' AR-10's(and Armalite isn't the real Armalite either, so...). However, I hear really good things about the Aero Precision AR-10.
 
I've shot an S&W M&P10 .Guy ran it in a class I was in. It was a muddy, rainy 35 degree day and he didn't have any issues. We easily shot 500 rounds that day. He was shooting steel case too.
I'd say that was reliable.
 
I have run a some different manufacturers and straigh from the box dollar for dollar I was surprised that a sub $1100 PSA 18” AR10 was damn hard to beat. It was pretty much this once … https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...ide-15-lightweight-m-lok-str-ssa-e-rifle.html … great trigger (Geissele 2-stage), my favorite barrel length (18”) for a balance between weight and velocity and great furniture (Magpul STR buttstock & freefloated MLOK rail) … I would not have changed out anything except a little better glass than was on it. We were using bulk ammo and it was probably 2moa. It was passed around all day and it didn’t miss a beat. Sure I’d love to have a DD5 or such but they go for $2500 plus.
 
I have a Palmetto State AR10. Shoots as good as any I have. BUT it sliced casings and had ejection issues brand new. Nothing a file and breech brush on a drill can’t cure. All 3 Palmetto rifles had the same issues. No deburring feed ramps in earlier guns. Hopefully they have addressed that.
 
If I remember correctly, I think Sig just filled a contract with the Indian Army for a select fire version of this rifle. So, this may not be as cheap as it is right now for long. I'm almost positive that Sig 716i Tread only comes in a 16 inch barrel; a .308 in that length produces a pretty good concussion with each shot. You may want to look for something with a longer barrel. The PSA gen 3 rifles have a pretty good reputation.
 
I bought this and have been pleased. Price was from 2015 when purchased.

Aero Precision M5E1 Complete Rifle, 18" .308 Stainless Steel Mid-Length Barrel​

$1360
 
IMO buy a complete rifle. Or at the very least a matched receiver set.

Theres basically two standards right now.
Round and angled.

Round or DPMS is more common and generally less expensive, Aero and PSA use round. Parts are generally compatible.

Angled or Armalight is less common and used by KAC, LMT, and Noveske. Parts are generally not compatible.
 
The Primary Arms and Vortex optics have become my go-to lineups. Between the glass clarity and warranty, you really are hard pressed to beat the bang for the buck, no matter which route you go with them. I have heard disappointing things about the new Vortex Sonora, but for $100+/-, what can you expect? If you’re not looking to break the bank, look at the Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44 lineup, or the Vortex Diamondback Tactical lineup (if you don’t need the illumination). Both can be had for <$300, and both have amazing glass clarity, parallax adjustment, and reticles for the money.
 
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I am leaning towards PA 4-14x44 illuminated. I just picked up a PA 1-6x24 for my AR15. I think I'm going to love the ACSS reticle.
 
Good choice. I just picked up another 4-14x44 for my new 6.8 build. This one has the HUD-DMR reticle, which would be great on your .308 as well. It’s actually more suited for .308/.223 but with the distances I shoot anymore, I don’t need the BDC out to 1,000.
 
My Sig 716 ran like a sewing machine but was heavier and less accurate than my PSA. But...my PSA chews up brass, pops primers, sometimes doesnt go all the way into battery, etc., etc., etc. I sold the Sig but still have the PSA. It came with a carbine butt stock, buffer tube and buffer. I changed all that out to 308 rifle parts and it works a lot better now. THe PSA was a 1st gen gun and I think they are up to Gen 3 now and probably have all or most of the bugs worked out but I still wouldnt buy one.
 
I had two DPMS one 308 and 260 rem, loved them but got rid of them...to heavy for me. Both was heavy barrels, and the 260 was over gassed(blow out the primers and would jam up the bcg).
 
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Windham Weaponry makes a great AR10 at a good price. After retiring from FN Manufacturing as a quality engineer I worked for PSA for a very short time. I will never purchace a PSA built firearm after seeing the things that I saw in their factory. I left PSA after only a few months because morally I could no longer feel like I was responsible for endangering people's lives. Stay away from PSA at all costs.
 
pinkbunny said:
I don't claim to be an expert, but here's some ideas:

Early AR-10 popularity, say, 90's and 2000's, there wasn't standardization.

So, you'll see the Armalite company releasing the Armalite AR-10B, which uses modified M14 magazines.
You'll also see guns like the Rock River Arms LAR-8, which uses FAL mags.

After they standardized the DPMS/SR-25 standard, most new guns use that. Unless they are made by the Armalite company(which now uses that standard of mag as well), they are not 'true' AR-10's(and Armalite isn't the real Armalite either, so...). However, I hear really good things about the Aero Precision AR-10.
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Ar10 means sr25 at this point
 
blanddrywall said:
A real ar-10? Where are you and when are you not home leaving the ar10 by itself?
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Nah, nah. The AR-10B. The true as in the company is "Armalite," which isn't really Armalite, and uses modified M14 mags, which aren't really AR-10 mags. :p
 
pinkbunny said:
I don't claim to be an expert, but here's some ideas:

Early AR-10 popularity, say, 90's and 2000's, there wasn't standardization.

So, you'll see the Armalite company releasing the Armalite AR-10B, which uses modified M14 magazines.
You'll also see guns like the Rock River Arms LAR-8, which uses FAL mags.

After they standardized the DPMS/SR-25 standard, most new guns use that. Unless they are made by the Armalite company(which now uses that standard of mag as well), they are not 'true' AR-10's(and Armalite isn't the real Armalite either, so...). However, I hear really good things about the Aero Precision AR-10.
Click to expand...

you are 95% on point.

Knights had the patent on the SR-25. The SR-25 design uses around 80% of AR-15 parts, to include the magazine catch. This is the "why" for all the dancing around magazines. Once that patent expired, DPMS was the first to build off the SR-25 design and caused the large frame industry to be what it is today.
 
So with DPMS gone, who builds an SR-25 design that's reliable? I keep eyeballing a M&P10, which is pretty much it's own thing from what I gather, but only because I got to shoot somebody else's gun in a carbine class a handful of years back. Not much different from the M&P15 I had at the time in either weight or recoil, but it sure hit the steel a lot harder. That experience is what made me decide to dump 5.56.
 
Timfoilhat said:
So with DPMS gone, who builds an SR-25 design that's reliable? I keep eyeballing a M&P10, which is pretty much it's own thing from what I gather, but only because I got to shoot somebody else's gun in a carbine class a handful of years back. Not much different from the M&P15 I had at the time in either weight or recoil, but it sure hit the steel a lot harder. That experience is what made me decide to dump 5.56.
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S&W has a great build.

Companies using Aero Precision parts do well, Stag Arms does well, HK 417 is nice.

PWS MK-2 is great
 
Fred said:
Could you tell us more about what you saw? I've been disappointed in PSA a couple times now.
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In short, PSA has ZERO quality control. The build rifles from parts bought in bulk from other manufacturers. Many times these parts are bought as reject parts from reputable manufacturers because they were not up to spec. The have absolutely ZERO people working in a quality control function. No parts or final assemblies are inspected by anyone. They do not check headspace runout or allignment of any part or assembly. AR style rifles were test fired one shot and if they didn't explode were deemed "good to go". What they call the "quality department" was a room where twelve older ladies wiped excess oil/solvent off of finished rifles and placed them in a box. This was a horrid manufacturing process to me. At FN we measured every part to the micron. We had quality checks after every seperate stage of production. It amazes me that PSA has not killed someone with their shoddy work. I'll spend the extra couple of bucks and keep my fingers, hands, and face.
 
CMMG puts out a good 7.62 ar. I owned one for a couple years and it was great, I think they call theirs the Mk3 platform and follows the DPMS pattern I believe.

At some point LMT will make some of the 7.62 bolts and I will finally finish my 7.62 AR build.
 
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