After several years of working on too many ( literally hundreds) of M14 type rifles, and helping design the M14.CA Blackfeather alloy stock ( which helps the M14 rifles achieve the modularity, balance, and improved ergonomics and handling of the AR family) , I finally invested in another AR 10.
IRUNGUNS had the DPMS LR308B 18" HBAR rifles on sale for the unbelievable price of $ 699 US. I coukd not pass this deal up, so I ordered one. It arrived last week and I was VERY impressed with the fit and finish. Unlike my three previous DPMS built R25 rifles, my new LR308B came with not-so-horrible trigger job. About 6 lbs, with bumpy creep, but better than many other factory AR triggers. UNFORTUNATELY, when I went to clean up the creep and lighten the pull, I discovered that the DPMS factory had stoned right through the tough chocolate to the softer creamy caramel center of the usual AR trigger and hammer surfaces. Less than 20 rds and I could see and feel wear .... and that was before I cleaned things up. Oh well ... this rifle deserves a Geiselle trigger, so I will make do till I can source a better trigger.
Pulled off the A2 butt, and added on an M14.CA butt plate and fiam wrap to the buffer tube. Bolted on a Burris 3-9 scope, zeroed in at 100 yds, and shot the first five rounds of 168 gr Nosler HPBT for group ... into MOA. Nothing to brag about ...except this was done using a block of wood for the front rest, and socks filled with dirty laundry for rear bags.
I redid the factory single stage trigger to ALMOST feel like a two stage ...if you consider smooooth creep as the first stage, and a solid stop with about 2 lbs extra to break as the second.
Lucked into a genuine Harris bipod with swivel for $25 at a gun show last Sunday. Locked that bipod down solid on the short free floating hand guard. Looking forward to seeing how the LR208B shoots now that it is properly set up.
I am amazed at how much VALUE this rig produces. MOA or better out of the box, and with a better trigger and off a bipod, probably SUB- MOA. I know my last three R25 type rifles were all MOA or better. In one case, one of my R35s shot 5 out of 8 factory loads MOA or better ... and that included some antique factory .308 Win 200 gr Silvertips.
Gotta love the ammo versatility and inherent accuracy of the DPMS AR 10s.
Great deal indeed ... best bang for the buck available in Canada for a .308 semi auto.
While the Norinco M305/M14 rifles have always been another great value, the prices have been creeping up and are very close to what I paid for my LR308B. And with the Norinco 14s, while the QC has improved significantly over the years, and I have seen some of the new ones that were excellent right out of the box, I like the better built in ergonomics, modularity, and accuracy that you get with the AR family. By the time you mount a scope and upgrade an M14 to mimic an AR10, you are probably spending more. But of course, here in Canada the M14s are NOT restricted ... still legal for hunting and range use with no paperwork involved.
Here are a few pics ...
my old R25 beside an M14.CA modified Blackfeather M305. The AR10 was the inspiration for the Blackfeather alloy stock.
And my new LR308B. ALMOST thecway I like it.
Future plans include a replacement trigger, a compensator, a Burris PEPR mount, a higher power tactical scope, and a much lighter midular free floating handguard.
Generally, since a lot of the parts are not easily interchangable, we use the AR10 Moniker for Armalites product, and LR 308 for DPMS, both of which are excellent rifles. Always wanted o get into M14's M1A's, etc. but never did. Read your posts on another forum, Holy Smoke, where did that hornets nest come from? I have always been fascinated by the original AR10's and what could have been if the US had adopted them.
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