I was in the same position you are in a fews months ago.A new (quality) AR-10 will run you somewhere between $1200-$1500.Yes you can get them in any configuration you want,or add what you want later.You may find a quality one "used" for around $1000 but dont get your hopes up for a Great AR-10 in the $700-$800 range.I think DPMS were the lowset costs ones I found during my research,Ive heard good and bad about them.I ended up not getting an AR-10,good luck to you.

I'm wondering if I could even touch a .308 AR for near the price of a (lower priced) AR-15. I'm thinking $700-800 here. Can I get the .308 for that?

Secondarily, would I be able to get a 16" bbl and collapsible stock, or are most of the .308 variants longer barrell/fixed stock long range specific rifles?

The reason: I have an SKS that I like becuase it's 7.62. I want an AR and WILL have one someday, but I don't like the 5.56 as much (I like it a LOT, don't get me wrong) as the .308 or 7.62 round for quick put downs. I really want 1 CQB rifle, I guess.

I have trouble making decisions, you see, so I'd like an all encompassing rifle so I don't have to decide which one to shoot. (And I'd only have to buy 1 type of ammo).

joe

 

How about an AK of some sort,fun fun fun.Also you already have a SKS,same ammo.You could buy 2 GREAT AK's for the price of one decent AR-10.

 

Yep, magnumize is correct. The closest you could get would be to get the DPMS. Used AR-10's are not easy to come by, depending on what you want anyway. I looked for almost a year before finding what I wanted.

 

Just wondering,how much do you pay for your AR-10 mags?When I was looking they were for 1 hard to find and 2 kinda $$$.

Yep, magnumize is correct. The closest you could get would be to get the DPMS. Used AR-10's are not easy to come by, depending on what you want anyway. I looked for almost a year before finding what I wanted.

 

check out DPMS LR-TAC20, that thing looks kickass

 

When I went looking for a semi-auto in .308 I dug around for AR-10's for a long while and the fact is that a good one will run you, as said earlier, $1200-1500 at the entry level. So what's a reasonable guy to do? FAL, CETME, PTR-91 .. easily as good and far more available, better aftermarket parts availability ect..ect.. I went with a PTR-91 cause I've always wanted a HK-91, just couldn't ever afford the price tag. So I get the same gun with an American made lower and talk about a ton of fun!

.308 will set you back a lot further in the ammo cost, but yeah, they are just way too much fun. The AR is a great platform, but there are better for less.

 

I too am in the market for a AR-10 variant but most of them are pricey has hell. DPMS though are pretty reasonably priced.

I have seen DPMS .308 for as low as $800.

This one right here is only $855 buy it now price:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=82803198

I myself like this one:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=82604859

It is a .308 SASS set up and is about as cheap as it gets for an AR-10 variant. I have a friend that has a couple of DPMS rifles and he loves them. Their mags are only $35 while Armalite Mags are $50... and no the mags are not interchangeble (The AR10's are modified M14 mags).

 

I was afraid of that. I've looked into AK's, but I already have the semi-auto 7.62 covered. If I was going to go AK, I might as well stick with what I've got (cause it's probably good enough). But, I want an AR. I love them, want to personalize it, and I want something that will be on hand and ultra-reliable in case the SKS goes belly up. Thanks for the help, guys. I might look into in the future.

I guess I'll just stick with the AR-15 and find out a way to carry both at once so I don't have to decide.

joe

 

Anybody heard if RRA ever got their .308 AR off the ground? Last I heard they were still working out some teething problems.

 

...in case the SKS goes belly up...

unheard of.


You're right though, if you have a SKS, and are on a budget but still want other guns, you don't need an AK right away. The AK is lighter but the SKS is more accurate from what I've seen. Besides, you probably want a major cartridge anyway.

 

Had a DPMS LR-308B and sold it off as I personally started having alot of feed/function issues had to send it back, when I got it back it was better but not a 100 % so I sold it off for a SA M1A which after pushing about 2500 thru it in the last 2 months has been without a single failure of any kind if you shop around you may be able to find a used one for about $900
I really need to change the panther308 thing as I no longer own it

 

Mags for an AR-10 ain't cheap. You would be better off getting an M1A and you can find mags cheaper ( not as cheap as AR-15 ... be cheaper than say a DPMS mag ).

 

if you like the 7.62 round you could go with an ar in the shorter 7.62x39. one of them is on the "to buy" list.

 

I want a major round that will be accurate to a little longer distance than the SKS/7.62. From what I've heard, the SKS can only really be trusted to around 200 yds (I've heard that good marksmen can't shoot better than 3" groups at 100 yds with it, so I'd guess 200 yds would be pushing it). So, I'd like a major (ie common) caliber rifle (semi-auto) that will cover that range with a little more precision. The AR-15 is it, I think. So, I'll just save my pennies.

 

Anybody heard if RRA ever got their .308 AR off the ground? Last I heard they were still working out some teething problems.

didnt rra buy the plans for thier 308's from bushmaster,,the design that just wouldnt work for them??? they look like great rifles though..

 

Had a DPMS LR-308B and sold it off as I personally started having alot of feed/function issues had to send it back, when I got it back it was better but not a 100 % so I sold it off for a SA M1A which after pushing about 2500 thru it in the last 2 months has been without a single failure of any kind if you shop around you may be able to find a used one for about $900
I really need to change the panther308 thing as I no longer own it

As I read this thread I was kinda wondering about what people here would choose between an AR-10 and a M1A. Having an AR -15 now and loving the look of the M1A/Garand look I'd be inclined to go M1A? What does everyone else think?

 

I have had a couple of diffrent semi .308 (STG58 FAL, DPMS, etc..) and now I own a SA M1A yes it cost me about $1200 but in return I have a rifle that is of pretty simple design not alot of parts to break and built on the M14 Design (can't afford a real M14, Like I said I have pushed alot of ammo thru the tube with NO FAILURES!! of any kind with various ammo brands and it has a lifetime warranty from SA

 

i would personally go with an springfield before i got the ar-10

 

To summarize why the FAL should be your SHTF rifle (in No particuliar order):

1) 7.62 (to take down big game, and huge trolls, like the ones in "The Hobbit")
2) Cheap Mags
3) Not particuliar to Mags (whatever mag you get will work)
4) Will eat any ammo you feed it
5) adjustable gas system
6) Reliable as hell
7) easy to clean


I would go with an FAL before the M1A or the AR-10. M1A's are fun shooters but are hard to scope and the design just seems outdated to me, and I don't think it is as simple as an FAL. Just to have the right to scope an M1A will cost you about $200-$300. That is the amount you have to pay even before you buy the scope and rings.

I would also trust the FAL to be more reliable. You guys ever heard of "ol dirty"? He is an FAL in the FAL forum that is currently at 13,000 round count and his still not been cleaned and he is still just as accurate as the clean FAL's he goes up against. My experience my FAL has never jammed ever (with 20 round mags).

.308 AR's would appear to be the way to go, since AR's are very modular and the platform just kicks ass when it comes to ergos... but the mag prices are ridiculous and it seems some of the .308 AR's are particular to ammo. An FAL will eat any ammo it gets (since it has an adjustable gas system). My buddies AR-10 won't reliably feed South African. To me if a rifle can't reliably shoot surplus ammo, it will never be a designated SHTF rifle, just a range toy.

FAL mags are also only $5 a pop. Not just that but my FAL has never met a Mag it did not like. Even mags that in appearance appears to be unusable are totally reliable (like some I got from interordnance with big dents in them). My M1A seems to be very particuliar to mags. A mag can appear to be perfect in looks and function but yet for some strange reasson my M1A will reject it. My M1A only likes CMI USGI and T57 mags. These mags are $25 and $20 each respectively (cheaper in bulk).

 

Just checked out the FAL (haven't looked at them for a while) and holy CRAP!!! They've gotten expensive.

I looked on gunbroker and the cheapest one was $800. Nice weapon, no doubt. It still surprises me that they're so expensive now. I remember when the FAL sporter was $405.

It is something to keep in mind, though. Definately would make a great SHTF weapon.

joe

 

I find it funny. During the ban, mags for the M1A were running $50 each as well. That is ok it was said, get them here and there, and if you only get 4, you can reload them with strippers if need be. Now here we are 3 years later, and those same people are all over the fact that AR-10/DPMS mags are $50, and theirs are cheap, so buy the M1A for that reason.

If you have a weapon system that is reliable, and works for you, then overall what does it matter what a mag costs? I don't care if mags are free, if the weapon doesn't work with me, I am not going to use it.

 

FAL's have gotten expensive, you can get one from www.dsarms.com for about $1200 I am not sure if you can get the STG58 anymore the one I sold off was built on a FAC Rec and the rest was kit parts with the req american parts and yes mags are cheap but how many mags do you need, I can remember when you could buy complete bolts on Ebay and other surplus but the parts are drying up so youare left with $$ replacements.
As far as the M1A scope mounting I am putting a Burris Fullfiels II Tactical with med burris rings and a Sadlak Alum mount on mine for about $400 total yes I will have to use a cheek pad to use the mount but I can use the irons with the Sadlak
My suggestion to you is to handle some AR-10's, M1A's and FAL's if you can find the latter and see what fits you and your budget.

Good Luck

 

How about an AK of some sort,fun fun fun.Also you already have a SKS,same ammo.You could buy 2 GREAT AK's for the price of one decent AR-10.

Ak's are nice toys but most of us grow up and move on to real guns like the AR15 and AR10. The .308 far out classes the 7.62x39. To call them the same sort of fun is laughable. The 223 is a better choice than the 7.62x39 for that matter. Also most AK's are doing good to get 4 to 6 inches groups at 100 yards. A good AR15 or AR10 will easily do 1.5 moa and many are moa or better. I have all three guns in question. AK, A15 and AR10. The AR10 and AR15 are much better weapons when compared to the AK.
Pat

 

Ok, Pat... We're not talking UBER-SNIPER rifles, here. I recognize that the more you spend, the better it shoots. But for guys on a tight budget, we have to compromise to ensure that at least the basics of a CQB rifle are covered, which is why we're throwing around the 7.62x39 round and AKs/SKSs in the same sentence as the AR-15 and AR-10 and the .308 round.

We've settled that, for the money, the SKS/AK is the best compromise. If I can go the next step up, to AR-15, I'll be doing that. Then, sure as shootin', I'll get my 1.5 moa groups or better.

joe

 

Ok, Pat... We're not talking UBER-SNIPER rifles, here. I recognize that the more you spend, the better it shoots. But for guys on a tight budget, we have to compromise to ensure that at least the basics of a CQB rifle are covered, which is why we're throwing around the 7.62x39 round and AKs/SKSs in the same sentence as the AR-15 and AR-10 and the .308 round.

We've settled that, for the money, the SKS/AK is the best compromise. If I can go the next step up, to AR-15, I'll be doing that. Then, sure as shootin', I'll get my 1.5 moa groups or better.

joe

I understand what your are saying but I think he would be better off saving up for something nice.

Here are my black rifles.

GAP AR10

AR10 Carbine

Colt 6920

RRA 9mm

The AK
Pat