I am rather new to the AR10 world and want to buy my first.  I am going to use it for pleasure shooting and varmit hunting.  I know there are a bunch of different brands so I wanted opinions from your experience which is the best all around for the money I have to spend.  I would like to be around $2,000 on the gun, but if I can get a better unit for a few hundred more dollars I can add some.

I have ran some searches myself but most of them I find have some age on them.

Let me know guys

Thanks

I have enjoyed the DPMS GII Recon I have.  Had to change the handguard to lighten it up, but it is a nice small frame 308 rifle,  I run it mostly suppressed with no changes to gas system and it functions great.  I have shot a ton of Russian stuff, PMC, then some nice stuff through it, all with no issues.  Accuracy is very good, but only shoot steel(8" and 10" swingers) at out to 400Y or so, not for groups.

PSA has one for $700

Any specific reason to go AR10?  Larue is offering a pretty crazy deal on their 6.5 G upper (a build kit really) and you could easily have a top of the line rifle for $1,000-1,200.

For a $2K AR10 I'd go with HM defense.  I don't have their AR10 yet but I do have several of their pistols, rifles and uppers and they all shoot very well.  Only thing that's holding me back is I'm waiting on their 6.5 C and .243 offerings...which I heard they were trying to get out by hunting season but I think it will be more like Christmas.

Thought we were in the precision rifles forum

PSA is on sale for $479 and $579 gets you a ff rail.

ArmaLite.

OOPS

I would get a Savage MSR-10.

+1 for Armalite

Armalite was my original first thought, seems like there design was used for most other brands similar to the Glocks and other pistol manufacturers

I was looking at the Tactical 20"

DPMS and KAC are the more common pattern.

+2

Damn accurate and reliable plus you can get spare parts for them unlike some companies.  I have been extremely happy with all of mine but the only complaint that I have is a lack of full ambidextrous controls.

There is a new wave of small frame AR10s hitting the market, with Colt kicking it off with the Colt 901, then DPMS with the GII, then Adams Arms with a GII-compatible op-rod gun, then Mega with the SF-MATEN, then Savage with the MSR-10, then PSA with the PX-10.

The original production AR10 for the US market in 1959, the Colt AR10A, was supposed to be cranked out in high volume, but they switched the factory over to AR15 production after initial response from potential FMS customers.  The Colt AR10A was a small frame AR10 that Fairchild's ArmaLite had refined from the original albatross-framed prototype AR10s.

The Dutch produced the larger frame design, but made it very lightweight and manageable for an infantryman.

The Colt AR10A would have been an interesting rifle, but is the most overlooked, unknown AR10 variant of that era.  It had a roller cam, shorter BCG, almost AR15-length receivers with short tang behind the pistol grip, a different handguard, and features making it more close to the feel of an AR15, while still having the large mag well and larger diameters for the barrel, upper, BCG, etc.

With MEGA having yet to produce a production rifle, I don't know that I would put them so high on the list.

I'm thinking about getting one, but I'm really torn on it. I can't decide on if it will actually do what I want it to do, and that's semi decent long range shooting.

mega doesn't have any production rifle that i know of.


But they have  DPMS ar-308 receiver set, rails and barrels.  Seems they make top notch stuff

A 6.5 Grendel will get you out to 600 yards or so.  If you already have an AR I5 you can get one of these LaRue uppers and be good to go.  These uppers are extremely accurate.

These are outstanding in EVERY way ,Mine is a tack driver with good ammo , and 100% reliable with any 308 ammo . And is the softest recoiling 308 AR I have ever shot. It puts my Armalite AR10 that has the factory match trigger and free float tube on it . And this is the best price and service you will find . $1799.99
http://www.cflgunandtactical.com/POF-USA-P308-Gen-4-308-NP3-p/00604.htm

I don't really know mine sets in the safe and hardly ever sees the light of day. DPMS Gen I 16" It's nothing to write home about accuracy wise but it's reliable. I'm going to say the one you can mooch or borrow off a good buddy then send it home with him when your done.

The list is for order of chronological introduction to the market to the best that I've been able to track.

For varmint hunting, I would not use an AR10.  Just looking at features and company track record for the price range OP is looking in?

For Albatross-10 framed guns:  ArmaLite

For new small frame-10 guns: Savage MSR-10

The Savage has a lot of features that show they really did their homework, including cylinder adjustable gas (biggest problem with adjustable gas is carbon-welding, even happens to the FAL), low profile MLOK handguard, nitrided barrel, 2-stage trigger.  The only things I don't like on the Savage are the Blackhawk furniture, but furniture is replaceable (grip and stock).

ArmaLite (Coal Valley, Illinois ArmaLite, not the original Hollywood, CA ArmaLite from the 1950s) has the reputation of decades of engineering and lessons-learned on the AR10, but they were purchased in 2013 by Strategic Armory Corps and I've noticed some changes that depart somewhat from the ways they did things pre-2013.  There definitely has been a focus on 3-Gun rifles, but they still have introduced economy AR10s under the DEF-10 line, where you see a $1099 MSRP, which is killer for a company that has forgotten more about how to make these rifles run other than KAC.

I wish ArmaLite would have made a small frame of their own and combined their decades of engineering and manufacturing experience into the rifles.  For those that are still in the amateur/learning phase of looking at these rifles as basically all the same, let me relieve you of that misperception quickly by pointing out the just reamer selection alone can make or break a rifle for reliability and accuracy.

Then when you look at materials, critical dimensions, springs, mechanical engineering of the fit and articulating parts, extractors, bolt design, firing pin retention, etc., there are important difference in all of these areas between a company that has been doing it for 21 years, and one that hasn't.  ArmaLite worked out the bugs many moons ago.

I personally like the Savage fit, feel, and features, but have zero trigger time with them so far.  I do have years of trigger time with ArmaLites, and can't recall a single malfunction, although I have seen a bolt catch failure on an early gun that was run suppressed, with a custom upper chambered in another cartridge (6.5x284).

I'd start at Armalite. If I had the budget, I'd jump to Colt beyond that.

I really like my ARMALITE Defender-10

It's was $938 at grabagun

I added an M.I. rail, JP trigger, and BCM furniture...

Honestly,  I shoot my 6.8SPC more though.

Ruger SR762. Even runs Tula.

I bought an Aero precision upper with a 6.5cm Ballistic advantage barrel and a stripped lower. I'm in it a little over 2k with some JP parts, MBT, muzzle brake and SLR adjustable gas block. Most accurate and softest shooting rifle I own. Using all Aero parts you're probably looking around $1500.

LMT MWS with the stainless steel barrel in 18" or 20" is very accurate and reliable.  Prior owner here, loved it, miss that rifle.  Sold because I needed $$ at the time.

@LRRPF52

  what book is that ?

front of the trigger guard looks interesting...like it's spring loaded

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Add to the list the POF Revolution. It's op-rod though. Uses an AR15 carrier, so might be even shorter than a DPMS G2
https://pof-usa.com/revolution/

I've handled and went over the POF internals with Frank.  It's not an AR10, it's an AR15 chambered in .308 Winchester.

Receivers are the exact same length as an AR15, upper is one of his AR15 uppers, carrier is AR15 (push rod piston, not Stoner Expansion).

FCG is located about .6" to the rear so the mag well could move backwards and stay within AR15 lower receiver length.  Pistol grip ends up being located more to the rear for reference.

He said only 9 parts are different between it and his piston AR15s.

From TBR Vol I if I recall correctly.  Excellent book, well worth every penny.  There is so much info about the AR15 and AR10 that has been forgotten within the industry, that we are literally repeating many things that were already developed by 1959, now thought to be new.  Small frame AR10 is one of them.  Notice the roller cam, lower receiver shaping, etc.

THE BLACK RIFLE ?
Attached File


I have both, will have to look again
Love those books, especially vol.1

  ....and the new AR10 is amazing
Attached File

Full on Aero Precision. 6.5 creedmoor. Put an slr adjustable gas block on it and great sub MOA rifle.

Attached File

I can not say what the best stock "AR-10" is, at any price.
I can only say that I would be happy to put my DPMS GII Hunter (20"bbl) up against any (.308) gas gun.  Is it the best?  I don't know, but I will put $20 on it.  You might win with yours, but I would still place the bet.
That said, I would guess I would take the same bet if I had an Armalight (real AR).  
So do a lot of homework, look into all of the problem reports, and look at as many reviews you can.  In the end, I do feel that most American AR pattern rifles are of very good quality, and will make you happy.
If I were looking into one more "AR-10", I would do a DPMS again.  This time I might go with the SASS, although I do think it's a little on the heavy side.

AS

Now that LT is selling a complete rifle for $1,200...

I've been real lucky with my M&P10.  After align honing the upper and installing a Midwest handguard, I was able to get 1/2 MOA with a Nikon Monarch 3 3-12x40.  It likes 168 grain Federal Premium Gold Medal.

My suggestions in this thread were made before the recent introduction of the LaRue Ultimate Builder Kit for .308/.260/6.5 CM.

That is the most value for the money currently, hands-down.

You can choose barrel length and chambering, Cerakote color options, comes with MBT-2S trigger already, billet set, hard chrome carrier and bolt, Gasbuster charge handle, choice of muzzle device, with Tranquillo suppressor upgrade for $399.

I've never seen anything like it. Wish this option was available when I was in the market for AR10s.