Inquiring about building an AR-10, from scratch

**PhilaShooter** · May 25th, 2010, 06:17 AM

I was looking at AR-10 not that long ago, I was turned off because of the negative things I had heard about them though and the price for a nice one was a little too high for me. I recently purchased my first AR platform, a Stag Arms 20" barrel, left handed. I have more of an appreciation for the AR platform now owning one and getting a better understanding of how one functions and what is needed to keep it reliable and running smooth.

While buying one already complete, from a good manufacturer is still too much for me to spend all at once, I am thinking if I can buy the parts separatly, and over time, it would actually be a plus as I could build it exactly how I wanted. There would still be a few things that I would require to have done by a certified gunsmith, such as setting the barrel and things like that, that require specific tools and precise work. Most of the things I could do on my own.

I was also thinking of buying a striped lower and putting it all together myself. Then maybe settling on buying a complete upper as it would probably be easier then trying to put one together with setting the barrel and all that, by the time I buy all the upper parts and pay a gunsmith to do the barrel work the cost would be close to the same as just buying it complete.

If anyone has any information or opinion on what parts and where I should get the parts needed it would be a huge help and much appreciated. I have been thinking about it for a while now and today I am going to do some extensive research as to who makes the parts I will need and what exactly I want to use. I'm thinking of starting with the lower since I am building that up on my own. So if anyone knows any good manufacturer's and/or websites that sell stripped lowers and the parts needed to complete it I am all ears

.

Again I appreciate any and all help and Thank you in advance.

**PhilaShooter** · May 25th, 2010, 01:43 PM

So far from what I have gathered from searching the web, is there are 3 main manufacturer's of the AR-10. Those are DPMS, Rock River Arms and Armalite. Then there are companies like CMMG and Tatical Machining, just to name a few I saw, that make lowers that are compatible with DPMS IIRC.

In searching it also seems each manufacturer's rifle is slightly diffrent and if I wanted to get a DPMS lower and marry it to a RRA upper that would NOT work, correct ??

Looking at those options I am leaning towards a DPMS lower and eventually upper since I have to stay with the same manufacturer but not 100% yet.

Does anyone have any opinion/suggestion on which manufacturer would be best, DPMS, Armalite or Rock River Arms ?? Also if there are any other manufacturer's I have not found yet and you know of to be top quality please let me know, thanks.

**aubie515** · May 25th, 2010, 04:21 PM

The DPMS variant is going to be the best choice because you will have more mag options with something compatible with DPMS.

There are quite a few companies starting to offer parts for the AR10 platform. Mega is going to be offering uppers/lowers as well.

The big issue with the AR10 platform is that there is not a mil spec, so every company can have proprietary parts.

It has been said that DPMS has changed their specs on their parts, so you must use their parts...so a lot of people are pissed at DPMS for a boneheaded decision.

If I were you, I'd get a 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC versus buying an AR10 platform. While the AR10 platform is very accurate, they are heavy mofo's. With the 6.5 or 6.8 you use your existing AR15 lower. The total weight will be significant compared to the AR10 rifle.

**PhilaShooter** · May 25th, 2010, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by aubie515

The DPMS variant is going to be the best choice because you will have more mag options with something compatible with DPMS.

There are quite a few companies starting to offer parts for the AR10 platform. Mega is going to be offering uppers/lowers as well.

The big issue with the AR10 platform is that there is not a mil spec, so every company can have proprietary parts.

It has been said that DPMS has changed their specs on their parts, so you must use their parts...so a lot of people are pissed at DPMS for a boneheaded decision.

If I were you, I'd get a 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC versus buying an AR10 platform. While the AR10 platform is very accurate, they are heavy mofo's. With the 6.5 or 6.8 you use your existing AR15 lower. The total weight will be significant compared to the AR10 rifle.

I am also favoring DPMS, I was checking out there website and all there diffrent variations. I have also checked out RRA as well. I like a lot of the DPMS options.

What I am interested in having so far is, a 24" barrel, free-floating quad rail, gas block w/rail, ambi saftey selector, Magpul PRS stock and as far as a lower, I am thinking the A3 flat-top because it has the dust cover, shell deflector and forward assist, as opposed to the snag-free design and smooth side look which has none of that.

One thing I am unsure of is the type of barrel I want or should get. They have the option of the Bull barrel, or the Flutted barrel. Does anyone know the advantages/disadvantages of these types of barrels ??

Also as you suggested going with the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC instead of the AR-10 platform....I was considering that but my reason for choosing the AR-10 in simply because of ammo. I already have 5 diffrent caliber rifles, 5.45, .556, 7.62x39, .308 and 7.62x54r. Not to mention 2 handgun calibers also.

If I am going to invest in another firearm I would really like to stay within those calibers, at least for right now anyway. While under going this project I am also trying to stock up heavily on ammo, I figure 4,000 to 5,000 rounds of each. By adding another caliber it would mean stocking up on that ammo as well, which isn't a bad thing but until I have a sufficent amount for each of the calibers I have now, I would rather wait to add anymore.

Another option would be to hold off on an AR-10 and just concentrate 100% on stocking up on ammo. Then 5-6 months down the road when I do have a sufficent amount I could grab a 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC and just stock up on that ammo then. That could be the way to go as I have heard some really good things about both calibers....maybe I'll look into those 2 calibers a little more before making my decision. If anyone has any insight on them I'd love to hear it, as far as pros/cons, the maximum effective distance they can be shot, ect..ect...

Thanks for your help aubie

**Tomcat088** · May 25th, 2010, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by PhilaShooter

I am also favoring DPMS, I was checking out there website and all there diffrent variations. I have also checked out RRA as well. I like a lot of the DPMS options.

What I am interested in having so far is, a 24" barrel, free-floating quad rail, gas block w/rail, ambi saftey selector, Magpul PRS stock and as far as a lower, I am thinking the A3 flat-top because it has the dust cover, shell deflector and forward assist, as opposed to the snag-free design and smooth side look which has none of that.

One thing I am unsure of is the type of barrel I want or should get. They have the option of the Bull barrel, or the Flutted barrel. Does anyone know the advantages/disadvantages of these types of barrels ??

Also as you suggested going with the 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC instead of the AR-10 platform....I was considering that but my reason for choosing the AR-10 in simply because of ammo. I already have 5 diffrent caliber rifles, 5.45, .556, 7.62x39, .308 and 7.62x54r. Not to mention 2 handgun calibers also.

If I am going to invest in another firearm I would really like to stay within those calibers, at least for right now anyway. While under going this project I am also trying to stock up heavily on ammo, I figure 4,000 to 5,000 rounds of each. By adding another caliber it would mean stocking up on that ammo as well, which isn't a bad thing but until I have a sufficent amount for each of the calibers I have now, I would rather wait to add anymore.

Another option would be to hold off on an AR-10 and just concentrate 100% on stocking up on ammo. Then 5-6 months down the road when I do have a sufficent amount I could grab a 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC and just stock up on that ammo then. That could be the way to go as I have heard some really good things about both calibers....maybe I'll look into those 2 calibers a little more before making my decision. If anyone has any insight on them I'd love to hear it, as far as pros/cons, the maximum effective distance they can be shot, ect..ect...

Thanks for your help aubie

*Takes a deep breathe, clenches fist, exhales* I'm not gonna say in this thread (or the other), what I should; because honestly, you're LUCKY that you haven't been thrown to the wolves. I'll provide some info in this post, although some of it will include a bit of a rant.

AR-10's are a fine platform, and getting to have quite a few options for some of them. Although nobody has standardized the platform, there are starting to be some trends that people are following. I don't know if this originally started because more people owned one particular brand of AR10 or what, but people started catering to some owners, and there's starting to be more of certain accessories for one particular platform over another. Some designers have designed platforms that have parts compatible with others. While this isn't "standardization", it's usually what eventually will lead to it, or one platform winning over over another. So look over your choices wisely, which ones share the same features, and that'll give you a good idea of what you may want to consider or favor a little more.

Building an AR-10 on your own has come quite a ways from where it was even a year and a half ago. In the past, you hardly had any options for parts or alternate designs. Lots of times if you wanted a particular platform, you had to purchase a full rifle and then tweak it from there. Now there's lowers, uppers and some different parts available. Keep in mind that magazines and certain pin sizes wlil vary among platforms, and may determine which one you prefer.

You also act like not having a dust cover, shell deflector, etc, is a huge advantage. There's quite a few reasons why you may NOT want those on an AR-10. Ever done much research on why the forward assist was added to the AR-15 in the first place? The dust cover was present on the original AR-10, but NOT the forward assist. I guess you really didn't know or research much that the AR platform was really for a 7.62x51mm projectile and NOT the 5.56. Since you're not familiar with REAL precision rifles, I guess you don't quite know how important your brass and load is. There's definitely reasons why guys who shoot AR-10's don't necessarily want a forward assist or brass deflector.

From all the jaw jacking in the previous thread, I figured you should known the capabilities, limitations, and many other features of the AR-10 platform. I find it interesting that you were so harsh on it in a previous thread, but apparently most of the information was "heresay" from other "internet sources". It's also interesting that if you have an FAL that is "every bit as accurate and more reliable", yet you still apparently are considering building an AR-10. There are a few (notice not a lot) of us who specialize in these particular types of weapons, barrels, accuracy, etc; one of those people being Aubie. From comments in previous threads, it would seem like you probably know all you should about the AR-10 platform and precision rifles. If you don't, you have already offended, pretended to know more than you do, or spouted off to the people on this forum that DO actually know about these rifles (Aubie included). I've shared all that I care to about the platform, but it's enough to help you out some. I'm a firm believer in the concept "You can't pour into an already full cup." Good luck getting all the info you want from most of the others, you may need it; oh and good luck sorting through the answers of the people that "pretend" to know, what comes around goes around.

**PhilaShooter** · May 25th, 2010, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Tomcat088

* I guess you really didn't know or research much that the AR platform was really for a 7.62x51mm projectile and NOT the 5.56.

From all the jaw jacking in the previous thread, I figured you should known the capabilities, limitations, and many other features of the AR-10 platform. I find it interesting that you were so harsh on it in a previous thread, but apparently most of the information was "heresay" from other "internet sources". It's also interesting that if you have an FAL that is "every bit as accurate and more reliable", yet you still apparently are considering building an AR-10. There are a few (notice not a lot) of us who specialize in these particular types of weapons, barrels, accuracy, etc; one of those people being Aubie. From comments in previous threads, it would seem like you probably know all you should about the AR-10 platform and precision rifles. If you don't, you have already offended, pretended to know more than you do, or spouted off to the people on this forum that DO actually know about these rifles (Aubie included). I've shared all that I care to about the platform, but it's enough to help you out some. I'm a firm believer in the concept "You can't pour into an already full cup." Good luck getting all the info you want from most of the others, you may need it; oh and good luck sorting through the answers of the people that "pretend" to know, what comes around goes around.

First I would like to say I was fully aware it was originally designed in .308. Eventually being scraped and going with 5.56 reviews have often said the new platform was not meant for .308, which is what I said previously. I also mentioned this was what I had heard, and did not know from fact.

Second, in the other thread I gave my OPINION on why a FAL would be a good fit for what the OP had in mind. Initially I never said anything bad about the AR-10 at all, just why I decided to buy a FAL instead. In fact I explained how I wanted to buy one but the price was too much for me at the time.

If you would have given your opinion as I did and said the AR-10 is much better because of this that ect...I could totally understand. You came at me and tried to "bash" my opinion ONLY because you did not agree with it. I returned the favor and offered some cons about the AR-10 as well. My WHOLE point was that ANY rifle, particularly the FAL and AR-10 since they were of topic, have pros and cons. I NEVER claimed to be an AR expert or anything like that. I also stated that from reviews I had read is where I got the information, also adding that it could very well be wrong. I was simply defending my opinion, something everyone is intitled to.

Me inquiring about them now has a lot to do with the other thread because I know there are many people here more knowledgable than me about the AR-10. It also struck a nerve because I have wanted one for a while. There were a lot of positive things said about the AR-10 from people who are far more experienced with it than me, such as yourself for one. I never claim to know more than anyone. I only offer my suggestions or opinions as to why I like or dislike something.

And yes I do have a FAL...does that mean I can't have an AR-10 ??? I also used to be HIGHLY against AR's in general. Being one of those "AK's are the best" people. After reading a lot about AR's and AK's on this forum and others, I decided to make that decision myself, I went and purchased an AR-15 and admit I think it's a GREAT rifle.

Bottom line I do like the AR-10 a lot, just as I like the FAL a lot, the AK, AR ect...and there are pros and cons about all of them. I don't claim to be an expert on ANY, just offer my opinion if asked.

I never doubted anyone's knowledge, just from what aubie515 said I have seriously considered his suggestion. If someone can explain something as well as him I have no doubt he knows what he is talking about.

Note he also did not bash me for my thinking of what I wanted, he merly and RESPECTABLY gave me suggestions that were in fact probably better options. Again I thank him for that. Even though you bashed me once again I will still take what insight you did give me positivly on the AR-10 and I thank you. If you choose not to help me there's nothing I can do about that other than hope next time someone has a diffrent opinion than you, you will not lash out at them as rude as you did to me.

EDIT: Just in case my ranting clouded what I was trying to get across. I do NOT doubt your knowledge of the AR-10 or anything else for that matter. In the other thread I was just trying to explain why I liked the FAL for what the OP had intended to use it for. I did go on the defensive when you bashed me but if I was wrong I can admit it and have no problem doing so.