Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

[bassani]

What is your opinion on the best parts/components if you were putting together an AR-10. I'm asking owners primarily of AR platforms primarily as they have gone through the trials and tribulations (headaches) but welcome all input.

Thanks for your opinions

 

[GlockandRoll]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

What are you going to primarily do with it?

 

[bassani]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

well
I'd like it to be a "precision" rifle that i could use for competition but also for hunting if i so please

was thinking at least an 18" barrel

 

[mkollman74]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

Gonna build for sure? Lots of good precision large platform ARs out there. A build could be fun tough.

 

[bassani]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

want to see what the components cost and then figure out which platform has the best liked parts and crunch the numbers to see if its worth even trying to put one together

 

[dlxcupid]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

Add all those parts up, you can get yourself a GAP-10, OBR or any other custom build from a top smith for probably less. You figure a upper/lower about $600, barrel another $700, BCG $350, muzzle device $200, trigger $300, handguard $400, stock $200, gas system $100, other little shit another $100+. Lets not start with tools too. Then you have optics. You add shipping from 5 different places and/or tax. You do the math.

You can spend $3k easily on buying parts for a build. You can also put together one for $1k. It all depends on your budget.

You can get a brand new DPMS SASS for just shy of $2k, I've seen them for $1700 brand new. They're heavy but most of them are shooters.

A GAP-10's starting price is $2600, OBR is $3k, PredatAR is $2500. You'll get excellent customer service if anything should go wrong and you'll definitely have a higer resale value vs selling a home brew.

Hope that helps.

 

[gnfiter3]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

Any reason I don't see more Armalite SASS systems recommended?

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

When Armalite was producing their Eagle Arms branded uppers and lowers it was affordable to build imo. Especially if you caught their Christmas sale. And even though Armalite's magazines work, they're the sole source.

Even though there's no mil-spec .308, DPMS is the more compatible of the two brands. When you price out components it doesn't make sense. You're looking at 400 - 500 just for a complete upper receiver, not assembly. So that's no handguards/rail/f.f. tube, no gas block, tube, pin, and no barrel. A lower w/ just lpk and a good trigger is the same if not more. No buffer tube, buffer, spring, nor stock.

You're better off buying "whatever" and replacing the trigger (maybe) and a barrel eventually if you're on a budget. If you have 2.5 - 3k to begin with, you can buy something that is really accurate to begin with. If you put that money into a build and it doesn't meet your expectations, where are you?

Going rifle to begin with (or vice versa) and then deciding to go carbine will cost you. Replacement barrels of good quality start at 450, etc. And then if you run into any problems you're on your own with the troubleshooting. The strangest thing I never hear of with .308 ARs is about bolts. Seems pretty common to replace your bolt when you rebarrel an AR15, but I never hear that mentioned when it's their older brother.

 

[338RUM runner]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

Just my .02. Get a Rock River Arms LAR 308 Predator HP and be done with it. They shoot better than most of us do.

 

[EaZeNuTZ33]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

I picked up a CMMG 18" .308 from CDNN to have as a fun .308 plinker. Once I put decent glass on it, I was surprised to find it shot well under MOA with Federal GMM 168gr ammo. I've somewhat tranformed it into my "budget OBR" for long distance shooting. The tighest 5 shot group so far was just over .5" with Federal GMM....75-1" with Hornady and Black Hills is easily done, while Federal GMM is usually between .6-.75" consistently.

So far, we've been able to use it with 168gr Hornady AMAX and 168gr Federal GMM on a smaller than real life steel silhouette at 865 yards with one miss out of 30 rounds, and no misses on a 17" round steel gong at 700yds, and no misses on a 14" square steel gong at 500yds.

Not saying its as good as an OBR (I have a 556 OBR, and its not)....but it has been a great, accurate gun on a budget that I couldnt build it for! $1400!

If you take what I have in the rifle...I could sell it all and start over with an OBR with no sights and a stock change to something other than the standard A2!
$1400 for CMMG
$1126 for Bushnell HDMR 3.5-21x50 Tremor2 reticle
$190 for LaRue Harris BRM-S combo
$260 for LaRue OBR scope mount
$235 for Geiselle SD-E trigger
$95 for extra Magpul PMags (gun came with 2)
$30 for Accuracy1st shooting bag

TOTAL $3336....and a good portion would be on top of an OBR pricetag anyways.

 

[MaximumVelocity]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

I'm currently building an AR10. It's a 20" marksman setup and we still have some wrinkles to iron out but here is what I've run in to so far.

At first, there seemed to be some feeding issues. Cycling by hand, a few of the rounds would not chamber all the way. This was a combination of what I believe were two separate issues. The first issue was the buffer. I pulled out the buffer and ordered Slash's heavy buffer. This correction would finally allow the rounds to chamber by hand. You might want to think about that if you have chambering issues. Also, every once in a while, the bolt will not make solid contact with the head of a round. It will stop just shy. I haven't had a chance to test yet but the bolt I chose is the JP enhanced bolt. This is a great bolt but the extractor spring is very stiff. I think this spring is so stiff, we are stopping before the extractor grabs the round during cycle. I have a DPMS bolt on hand and noticed the extractor spring there is a little more forgiving. So, I'm going to swap the springs and see if we can eliminate that issue.

Just a couple small things to keep in mind when you decide what you want. My experience could save someone else a little time hopefully.

 

[caelumatra]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

I posted this on another forum from my Ar308 build


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This is what I used

Buffer spring
Buffer
RE
RE nut
Stock
Cheek riser...thing this is a pretty neat attachment. It shows on the website it installing into the CTR but I put it on my MOE no problem. Plus it came with Dillo Dust and it was AWESOME!
LPK I discarded the pistol grip as I hate it and put a tango down in its place. Without using the pistol grip and MOE bottom part (the name escapes me) you could probably get a custom LPK from G&R with only the parts you need
Upper/lower uses dpms thread patter for the rail and I managed to catch it on sale last Christmas for $499
BCG
Rail you'll have to check what your upper high is. there is a diagram there that will tell you what the dimensions should be for the low vs the high
Comp personal preference
Barrel


I also had my barrel dimpled by Marvin Pitts with nefarious arms and it lightened the barrel about...half a pound. Marvin was good to work with and he assembled the whole upper for almost nothing.
One thing I knew in the back of my mind when I was buying all these parts over last year, all the tools to assemble a 308 upper are NOT the same tools to assemble a ar15 upper. Duh me! But if you intend on doing this yourself you need a new upper receiver block, lower receiver block, and a wrench to put the compensator on. The standard ar15 barrel nut wrench will work for the barrel nut though. I think Marvin charged me like $20 or $30 for the assembly and the tools cost upwards of $100 so it was sort of a no brainer to have it put together for me

I'm sure you could find a few cheaper parts, but the Armalite stuff is about as cheap as I would dare go. I wouldn't skimp any lower than that or you're going to sacrifice quality </div></div>

But really, looking back at it and looking at the prices of the GAP or the MWS, or the upcoming SP901 which is <span style="font-style: italic">supposed</span> to go on sale this month for MSRP of $2129 or something....I can't say I would do it again. I've built several AR15s and it is fun to do, but I'm not sure I'd build a 308 again. Not really cost effective IMO. This build is $2300 or so and for the same or a little more you can get a good gun ready to go. As others have mentioned, Obr, MWS, GAP, PredatAR, SP901 whenever it hits.

I contacted GAP a while back and got a quote on a Rock barrel cut to 18", threaded for compensator, with a RE installed and it was around $800. That would have brought the build to $2600. An MWS with a Rock barrel can be had for $3400 on LMTs website so that IS a pretty substantial difference. But $800 for a barrel was more than I wanted to pay. Plus I was getting it dimpled for $250 making it over a grand just on the barrel

I'm happy with my build, just don't think I'd do it again. Sort of like the ar15 market right now. You can get a factory Colt for the same price as a built rifle if you build with BCM, LMT, DD quality stuff.

 

[bassani]

Re: Opinion ---- Semi Automatic .308 Best Components

thanks for the good info
It does seem that there isnt much by way of savings if you build rather than buy a reliable platform. Especially, considering some of the headaches people are having when building