Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308

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11 years 5 months ago #24582 by OTTOBOTZ
Replied by OTTOBOTZ on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
I am planning on purchasing 308 in the AR/LR plat form. I am torn as to which one to go for. I plan on spending $1200 to $1800. I plan on hunting Boar/White tail/mule deer with this rifle and do a lot of plinking and long range shooting with it. Problem is which would be the best for the job.

Which would have the better options and accessories for it, regarding the AR and LR plat form as well as reliability:
DPMS LR 308 24' SS
S&W M&P 10
Armalite AR10

I really like the Colt LE901, but the price is a bit much.
Thanks for any help.

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11 years 5 months ago #24586 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
Armalite gets my vote for reliability, lifetime guarantee, and customer service. :usa:

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11 years 5 months ago #24590 by SOC
Replied by SOC on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308

jtallen83 wrote: Armalite gets my vote for reliability, lifetime guarantee, and customer service. :usa:


:I-agree:

Had both, now I only own Armalites for anything 308 and larger.

I have never had a problem finding parts for customizing Armalites. However I have only looked at high end parts such as, Larue, Troy, PRI, PWS, Surefire, Geissele etc.

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11 years 5 months ago #24614 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308

OTTOBOTZ wrote: I am planning on purchasing 308 in the AR/LR plat form. I am torn as to which one to go for. I plan on spending $1200 to $1800. I plan on hunting Boar/White tail/mule deer with this rifle and do a lot of plinking and long range shooting with it. Problem is which would be the best for the job.

Which would have the better options and accessories for it, regarding the AR and LR plat form as well as reliability:
DPMS LR 308 24' SS
S&W M&P 10
Armalite AR10

I really like the Colt LE901, but the price is a bit much.
Thanks for any help.

As Cowboy says, think of the mission first, and then make your choice based on what it is. Carrying a 24 inch bull barrel of any manufacturer around in the back country chasing deer or boar is going to wear you out unless you are top condition. Consider a shorter or lighter barreled model if you are going to do that. AR 10's have the best reliability rep simply because the S and W is too new to have a track record, and the DPMS initially had magazine problems which the PMag rectified. I have never seen an exhaustive side by side test of them. I am guessing they are all accurate enough for what you want to do. If you ask me I probably would say Armalite, Lizardette would probably say DPMS, and Libertarian would say RRA LAR-08. Because that is what we each know and use. Get your hands on all of them and handle them at least if you can't shoot each, before you make up your mind. They all make a good product.
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11 years 5 months ago #24662 by Lizardette
Replied by Lizardette on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
I do like my DPMS.

The reason I have it isn't because of extensive research though. It's because it was the cheapest .308 I'd ever seen.

Never had problems with DPMS magazines. In fact, the only real problem I ever had was with broken extractors. Any function problems that come up have been fixable with cleaning.

That said, I've never heard anything good about DPMS customer service. In fact, I once heard that a DPMS representative told a dealer that the commercial market, for them, was "fishing money". That is, they get everything they need to stay in business from Government contracts and the civilian market is just pocket change to them. This was second hand, but from the person it was said to first.

I was really turned off by that.

Their pattern of rifle does seem to have an advantage in that more manufacturers are using it. If you want a 1:10 twist barrel, it looks like pretty much every DPMS has it. If you want an Armalite with a 1:10 twist, it looks like the AR10T, Super SASS, and National Match ( I WANT ONE :drool:), are your only choices. They're good choices. There are just fewer of them.

A cursory examination seems to show that there are more DPMS LR rifles in your price range (at MSRP) than Armalite rifles. Actual market prices are usually lower though, so your mileage may vary.

Is that confusing enough? ;)
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11 years 5 months ago #24664 by SOC
Replied by SOC on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
$1,300

AR-10T 24" SS

www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=345533968


$1,400

AR-10TU Magnum 300 RSAUM 20" SS

www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=345656614
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11 years 5 months ago - 11 years 5 months ago #24665 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Re: Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308

Hot Lead Zapper wrote: Yes,

Some shooters may take barrel break-ins up to 100 rounds fired cleaning bore every two shots after the first twenty.

Necessary, I can't say for sure, but it does not hurt...!

To make the process easier I use the bore snake. It does not require breaking down the rifle to clean the bore from general foiling. Simply drop the bore snake muzzle first will keep foiling from the upper receiver from interring the chamber. Then I use a typical cloth patch and cleaning rod with Shooter's Choice Copper Remover followed with a dry cloth patch. Don't pull either wet or dry patch back through the bore. Always remove patches from the open chamber before remove cleaning rod. It only takes a few seconds to complete the process.
www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=42500/psize=...uct/VIPER-BORE-SNAKE
www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=13902/psize=...oduct/COPPER-REMOVER


This is a great write up on Break in:

BREAK-IN & CLEANING:



"With any premium barrel that has been finish lapped -- such as your Krieger Barrel --, the lay or direction of the finish is in the direction of the bullet travel, so fouling is minimal compared to a barrel with internal tooling marks. This is true of any properly finish-lapped barrel regardless of how it is rifled. If it is not finish-lapped, there will be reamer marks left in the bore that are directly across the direction of the bullet travel. This occurs even in a button-rifled barrel as the button cannot completely iron out these reamer marks.

Because the lay of the finish is in the direction of the bullet travel, very little is done to the bore during break-in, but the throat is another story. When your barrel is chambered, by necessity there are reamer marks left in the throat that are across the lands, i.e. across the direction of the bullet travel. In a new barrel they are very distinct; much like the teeth on a very fine file. When the bullet is forced into the throat, copper dust is removed from the jacket material and released into the gas which at this temperature and pressure is actually a plasma. The copper dust is vaporized in this plasma and is carried down the barrel. As the gas expands and cools, the copper comes out of suspension and is deposited in the bore. This makes it appear as if the source of the fouling is the bore when it is actually for the most part the new throat. If this copper is allowed to stay in the bore, and subsequent bullets and deposits are fired over it, copper which adheres well to itself, will build up quickly and may be difficult to remove later. So when we break in a barrel, our goal is to get the throat “polished” without allowing copper to build up in the bore. This is the reasoning for the "fire-one-shot-and-clean" procedure.

Every barrel will vary slightly in how many rounds they take to break in For example a chrome moly barrel may take longer to break in than stainless steel because it is more abrasion resistant even though it is a similar hardness. Also chrome moly has a little more of an affinity for copper than stainless steel so it will usually show a little more "color" if you are using a chemical cleaner. Rim Fire barrels can take an extremely long time to break in, sometimes requiring several hundred rounds or more. But cleaning can be lengthened to every 25-50 rounds. The break-in procedure and the cleaning procedure are really the same except for the frequency. Remember the goal is to get or keep the barrel clean while breaking in the throat with bullets being fired over it.

Finally, the best way to tell if the barrel is broken in is to observe the patches; i.e. when the fouling is reduced. This is better than some set number of cycles of "shoot and clean" as many owners report practically no fouling after the first few shots, and more break-in would be pointless. Conversely, if more is required, a set number would not address that either. Besides, cleaning is not a completely benign procedure so it should be done carefully and no more than necessary."

www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm
Last edit: 11 years 5 months ago by OleCowboy.
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11 years 5 months ago #24666 by magi
Replied by magi on topic Re: Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
This is good.......

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11 years 5 months ago #25229 by OTTOBOTZ
Replied by OTTOBOTZ on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
I happened to visit a local gun shop. Got to handle a few AR 10s and a couple of LRs.

It made my choice even harder. I do like the Armalite, 20" barrel and forward assist and the life time warranty is to die for.

The DPMS felt heavier and more bulky. The forward assist was awkward. Price was a few $100 dollars less.

The sales person told me that the new Armalites can take any kind of mags with no issues. Is this true?

Also they had a Bushmaster BR10. Looked a lot like the DPMS. Same forward assist. And was cheaper than DPMS. Anyone has experience with this rifle?

Since I was looking the way of a AR/LR I still got some more questions. The plan is to have a rifle to hunt with, and capable of reaching out to 800 yards with good accuracy. Also will be able to accept upgrades with out killing the pocket book, maybe even an upper change or barrel for a larger caliber just to have options. It would be nice to be able to shoot mil surplus ammo to match grade to hunting bullets.

The Armalite was a 1:11.5" twist and the DPMS was 1:10". Will this affect accuracy among different weighted bullets? Also I believe one was stamped 7.62NATO and the other was .308. Will this have an impact on what I want to accomplish with the choice i make for what I want? Also, can I shoot either one in either rifel? I read the .308 are rated at a higher pressure and can shoot both, but the 7.62nato can't handle the pressures of the .308. Is this true? And another issue is which is better and will last longer, a stainless barrel vs. A chrome moly lined barrel? Does this affect accuracy?

I tought a DPMS 24" SS, cut to 20" with a threaded barrel for a comp and muzzle break for an option would be ideal. Then I feel in love with the Armalite and their warranty, but both of them only had 16" barrel. How easy would it be to swap barrels on the AR10? A bull barrel fluted and threaded would be ideal and a 20" barrel would be optimal for carry.

Thanks for y'all's input on trying to help me decide.

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11 years 5 months ago #25231 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Armalite's AR-10 vs, DPMS LR-308
I'll take a shot at a couple of your questions.

You get what you pay for. The cheaper rifles have cheaper uppers you can swap, I'm not sure what they have for anything bigger than the .308, there has to be some. Armalite made a 300 remington saum, there was one for a good price listed on this sight, if you use the search or just browse the alternate calibers section on the site you'll find it.I'm sure you'll find lots more info there on what is available for Armalite. They tend to get the nod around here.
The newer A model of AR-10's will take the Pmags, I haven't heard much feedback on them yet but I know our members can answer the specifics on that.
You can get days worth of information on Armalites here as well as on their website, www.armalite.com/
I have a basic AR-10 flat top with forward assist and a 20 inch barrel, it loves 150 gr military surplus, makes it look like I can shoot!
Do some reading on the forum here about barrel lengths, I don't think you give much up on the 16 in., nobody complains about accuracy, many say they are better.
Several of your questions, like twist rates, always seem to spark healthy debates. You'll find lots of info here if you search twist.
Best of luck and enjoy the new rifle whatever you decide! :usa:

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