AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

1
Ever since my brother bought a large agricultural property in Northern Michigan, this past summer; I have been accumulating parts for an AR -10 .308 caliber build. The main purpose of this rifle is so I can hunt whitetails on his property with a proper rifle cartridge. In Ohio, we are limited to Pistol caliber carbines and shotguns for whitetail firearm season hunting. In northern, MI you can hunt with a proper rifle cartridge. I decided on .308 Because of the many platforms it can be hosted on, and the wide variety of bullets and powders for loads. I really wanted a zastava m-77 .308 type “AK” but it wasn’t really practical with the proprietary magazines, etc. The AR-10 despite there being two types, is more practical for my use. I also wanted a semi-auto rifle vice a bolt gun as my shoulder is ruined from competitive swimming & triathlon. Anything that is heavy recoiling (like a sabot slug out of a 12 GA rifled barrel) becomes quite painful after a dozen shots. I also looked into the Ruger American Hunter in .308.

I’ve built several AR-15s at this point so how hard could it be?

I have slowly been accumulating Aero Precision parts for the most part. Finished up receiving Athe last few parts with Black Friday sales. The Spikes Tactical .308 lower parts kit did not include the springs and detents or take down and pivot pins. I did not know that spikes tactical ships their “stripped” lowers with these included (another google.) luckily I knew about the pins (which I ordered separately.) but not the springs and detents. However, these are common parts with the AR-15 and I had a spare lower parts kit to pillage. I found a chart as I was accumulating part of which parts are common between the two types of rifles. I also opted for an upgraded trigger in the form of a Rise Armament Rave 140. For me trigger control & feel, is one of the biggest components of accuracy and worth a little bit extra money on the component.

https://www.wingtactical.com/blog/what ... ar15-ar10/

Another tip I have found is those magnetic parts trays you get from Harbor Freight, the best $6 spent for an AR build.
Image
I found Lots of little quirks in my build last night; and there are almost no decent AR-10 videos on YouTube. The biggest difference are the locations of the takedown and pivot pins & how much more of a PITA it is to install the detent and spring on a AR-10 than an AR-15. Plus, every AR-10 lower brand is a bit different.


I was about to give up for the night with everything built except the front pivot pin; but I finally realized that I have this little tool I bought for installing AR-15 detents and that did it with a small hook tool. (I still ended up loosing one detent to inevitable detent entropy theory of the universe.)
Image
The funny thing is that it’s been a few years since I built an AR -15 and I forgot I had the tool.
Image
Next up is to locate large rifle primers…I’m not crazy about adding a new reloading caliber that requires almost all new components.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by INVICTVS138 on Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

2
I hope you're going with the more common DPMS standard.
No shade on bolt-action rifle lovers, but they hold zero interest for me.

I, too, have a tender right shoulder (bad posterior dislocation 19 years ago following a MC accident). I also opted for an AR-10, but a factory built one with wood furniture so it doesn't quite look like a "scary weapon of war". While, with a state-mandated muzzle break, it still has substantial recoil, it's nothing my shoulder cannot handle. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

3
YankeeTarheel wrote:I hope you're going with the more common DPMS standard.
No shade on bolt-action rifle lovers, but they hold zero interest for me.

I, too, have a tender right shoulder (bad posterior dislocation 19 years ago following a MC accident). I also opted for an AR-10, but a factory built one with wood furniture so it doesn't quite look like a "scary weapon of war". While, with a state-mandated muzzle break, it still has substantial recoil, it's nothing my shoulder cannot handle. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours!
Yes - Aero Precision is the DPMS standard. Seems like only a few are making the Armalite standard…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

4
INVICTVS138 wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 10:01 am
YankeeTarheel wrote:I hope you're going with the more common DPMS standard.
No shade on bolt-action rifle lovers, but they hold zero interest for me.

I, too, have a tender right shoulder (bad posterior dislocation 19 years ago following a MC accident). I also opted for an AR-10, but a factory built one with wood furniture so it doesn't quite look like a "scary weapon of war". While, with a state-mandated muzzle break, it still has substantial recoil, it's nothing my shoulder cannot handle. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours!
Yes - Aero Precision is the DPMS standard. Seems like only a few are making the Armalite standard…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Anyone but Armalite? (just a rhetorical question).
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

6
CowboyT wrote: Your magazines should be from MagPul. Those are the only aftermarket ones that are worth anything, and they are eminently affordable. The MagPul magazines are LR308-compatible.
I bought one of each - Magpul 10 rd & Duramag 10 round. They both seem to fit well, but I haven’t test fired yet to see how they feed. I need to get my hands on a 5rd for MI hunting regulations - but they seem harder to find. Overall, I’ve had really good results with Magpul AR - 15 P-mags so far. I’m not sure if Magpul makes a 5 rounder?

I also haven’t seen large rifle primer at all, as I begin to accumulate .308 loading components.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

7
Ah, hunting regulations. No, the smallest Magpul makes is a 10-rounder for the LR-308's. I get it; it's sort of a limited market since LR-308's themselves are a bit of a limited market. But it still seems a little odd, since 5-rounders are available for CETME/HK91's. If you're going to use this rifle for hunting, then first, good on you for using a modern sporting rifle for the purpose, and *SOMEBODY'S* got to make a 5-rounder for this rifle.

In the woods of Michigan, where my Dad was from, Grandpa would go out with his .38-40 or .30-30 and hunt. From what Dad tells me, the woods of Michigan typically don't call for longer than 150-yard shots, much like most of the East Coast; is this still true? If so, then I'm thinking a levergun might be an even better choice for hunting, given the state regulations.
"SF Liberal With A Gun + Free Software Advocate"
http://www.sanfranciscoliberalwithagun.com/
http://www.liberalsguncorner.com/
Image

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

8
Windham Weaponry provides 1 5-round mag with its .308 Hunter (my gun), but it's nothing but a 10-rounder with a pop rivet limiting it to 5.
Just get a metal 10 round mag and have a gunsmith mod it--smiths all over NJ did them by the 10's of thousands when our max dropped to 10 from 15 in 2018.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

9
Are their kits (on Amazon) for magazine limiters for .308 AR’s that don’t require rivets? Ah, here:
https://www.amazon.com/PMAG-Limiter-7-6 ... 138&sr=8-3

State hunting regulations are not the same as state magazine limit laws. You can usually legally hunt with a “temporary” physical 5-round limiter in a larger magazine and then remove it later when you are done.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

10
I found this:

https://www.ammosc.com/sr25-308-5rd-ss-magazines

I’ll get the limiters for the magpuls as well. I’ve had good results with magpul in the AR-15 platform.

As far as 100yrd + shots it’s an agricultural property a mile long with quite a few mown hayfields so 200 is not unreasonable. But generally, in the Michigan “woods” I’d agree a 100yrd shot is a long shot. I’m hunting from a ground blind and and basically my hike to the blind is all the walking I’ll do, so rifle weight isn’t really a concern. The AR-10 is decently heavy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

11
Ok a couple issues.

I was in a lunch rush at the State range; I was only able to zero my Rifle at 25 yards - for some reason the groups kept going left at 50 yrds so I need more time at the range to get it out to 100. I also forgot my binos so I was limited to my 1-4X scope & couldn’t see the shot falls at 50 yrds well. Plus I only had 10; 150 gr rounds. Both of my 10 rd mags functioned flawlessly for 10 rounds each.

I purchased a 5 rd Mag from Ammo Storage Components and the magazine will not stay seated in the rifle. Upon closer inspection it appears that the mag catch hole seems to be a bit smaller than the other two mags:
Image
I wonder on a $20 mag do I just go “bubba” on it with a file slowly until I get it to seat? Or just cut my losses?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: AR-10 build: How it started & how it went.

12
That's an easy file job with a machinist's fine file. It's just mild sheet metal.
When I got my Sub2000 back from the smith who had welded and pinned a cap over the threaded barrel, as required in NJ, the incompetent asshole had pushed the pin in too far and it was into the muzzle! One round and the barrel could have exploded and mushroomed! My dad had left me a set of machinist files and I took a half-round and gently filed the pin flush to the muzzle. And never looked back.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests