Recently, Ive been looking to purchase an AR or AK style riffle with self defense in mind, in the event of an economic collapse or a "Katrina" type situation. Initialy I was looking into a 5.56 carbine, but a relative of mine is in need of some cash and offered to sell an Armalite AR 10 (aprx 6-7 yrs old and 1000 rounds max through it) they offered to sell the said riffle two 10 Rd mags and two 20 round mags and 1000 rounds for 1500 bucks.
My questions are:
I this a fair price? I'm not looking for a "deal" as I'd be helping out a relative, but I don't want to spend alot more than everything is worth
What I'd like to do is put a set of after market sights (possibly diamond head, im not fan of standard AR sights) and a folding stock. I have read this gun is designed more for longer range shooting, long range accuracy and good stopping power is a plus, but my goal is to have a riffle that can be used for self defense at less than 100 yards. Asside from it being hevier than a 223 riffle, is there any reason this gun can't serve the said purpose?
That is a steal of a deal!
Mags are about $40 a piece.
The Armalite AR-10 rifle is the best of the AR's available as far as quality goes.
1000 rds of ammo will set you back $500 to 1K depending on what type and brand.
1000 rds through an Armalite is nothing.
$1500 for a rifle, mags and ammo is a very good deal, indeed. You cannot put a folding stock on an AR-type weapon because of the gas system. Upon firing, the bolt and bolt carrier recoil against a buffer/buffer spring housed in the receiver extension, more commonly referred to as the buffer tube.
If the Armalite in question has a fixed buttstock, you can replace it with is a collapsing buttstock.
.308/7.62 will work as a self-defense round, with a couple of caveats. At 100 yds or less, the round dumps significantly more kinetic energy into the target than 5.56. It will have much more perceived recoil, which will slow down follow-up shots/transitioning to a new target. The larger round makes shooting indoors a bit more problematic since you have to deal with much more muzzle blast and noise as well as over penetration issues (You shoot at a bad guy/gal in your house and miss, the round goes through the walls and winds up hitting an innocent in another room or someone outside the house.)
Thanks for the info, I think I'll go with it. Sorry, I mis spoke, I'm aware its a collapsing stock. What all is needed to convert the stock? Does that modification negatively effect reliability or accuracy?
What all is needed to convert the stock? Does that modification negatively effect reliability or accuracy?
First, ensure the parts you buy/order are for an AR-10. There's some cross-pollination from the AR-15 side of the house, but always check and make sure. You will need a carbine-sized receiver extension, castellated nut, receiver end plate, carbine-length buffer spring and a carbine buffer.
Since you have a 20" barrel with a full length gas system, ensure the buffer is marked H3 on the face. This buffer is heavier than standard and helps prevent bolt bounce and rocketing.
TOOLS: An AR wrench, 2 large flat tip screwdrivers and red loctite.
There's no loss in accuracy. But the rifle will be noticably nose heavy. You'll also notice an increase in perceived recoil. Both of these are caused by the amount of mass removed by the replacement of the fixed stock.
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