Best AR-10 Rifles Reviewed

Published by 
MaxBlagg
Last updated: 
January 3, 2024

Best AR-10 Rifles Reviewed

Irrespective of whether you’re planning to buy an AR-10 rifle for your hunting trips or for your security requirements, the AR-10 is an excellent precision rifle that is worth the investment.

Product

Image

Price

Windham Weaponry R16FTT-308

windham 308 ar-10

DPMS Oracle 308

DPMS Oracle 308 ar-10

R.E.P.R. MkII from LWRC International 

Lwrc Repr Mkii ar-10

Daniel Defense DD5V1 

Daniel Defense ar-10

Review of the Best AR-10 Rifles

So, the question is, which AR-10 rifle is the best?

There are several arms manufacturers in the market that produce the AR-10 rifle and it can be quite difficult to decide on the one that is most suitable for your requirements. So, in our article, we have discussed some of the features of the top AR-10 rifle models available in the market that will enable you to make your choice easily.

Windham Weaponry R16FTT-308

windham 308 ar-10

Founded by Richard Dyke, the former owner of Bushmaster firearms, Windham Weaponry produces high-quality rifles that are also very affordable. The weapons produced by Windham Weaponry are not just imitations of other AR-10 rifle designs but have been innovated on the original design.

The main difference between the AR-10 made by Windham Weaponry is that it has a polymer lower, which makes the AR-10 lightweight. In fact, the weight of the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-308 is just around 7.5 lbs. The polymer lower also helps to cut down the cost of the rifle, which makes it a good budget buy.

Additionally, the R16FTT-308 has a 16-inch barrel equipped with a birdcage flash suppressor. The rifle offers superior handling thanks to the adjustable 6-position, M4 style buttstock, improved grip and oval handguards that are synonymous with AR model firearms.

Furthermore, the R16FTT-308 is not equipped with sights of its own, but the gas block features rails which allow you to add a front iron sight. Alternately, you can also attach a red dot sight or scope to the upper receiver of the rails. The R16FTT-308 is also equipped with a 20-round polymer magazine.

Pros and Cons of the Windham Weaponry R16FTT-308

Pros

Cons

  • The R16FTT-308 is the lightest rifle on the list.
  • The rifle includes a 20-round magazine.
  • Polymer lower may not be liked by everyone.
  • M4-style stock and oval handguards give a classic look to the rifle but in terms of the handling, they are not very ergonomic.
  • Rifle does not come along with iron sights.
  • DPMS Oracle 308

    DPMS Oracle 308 ar-10

    If you are on the lookout for an inexpensive budget AR rifle, which is high in build quality at the same time, then the DPMS Oracle 308 is an excellent option. The DPMS Oracle 308 is manufactured by DPMS Panther Arms, which is renowned for producing good-quality budget rifles. 

    Additionally, the Oracle line from DMPS Panther Arms is their most budget friendly line of rifles and while they don’t usually introduce too many fancy upgrades, the guns are pretty affordable too and DMPS are the market leaders for AR-10 rifles. 

    Furthermore, the DPMS Oracle 308 is a simple AR-10 rifle that uses P-Mags. The Oracle 308 features an HBAR pattern 16-inch barrel made of chrome moly. The gas block and flat-top upper receiver of the rifle are railed and are ready for backup sights and optics. The trigger, standard stock, grip and handguard are basic yet functional. 

    Moreover, the end of the handguard has an A2 birdcage flash suppressor. The rifle has an A2 style grip, however, the buttstock is DMPS’s design that is similar to other types of adjustable buttstocks. The lower receiver of the Oracle 308 rifle is made from T6 billet aluminum and it has a normal AR-15 style of firing controls.

    Also, the rifle does not come with iron sights but comes with a metal magazine which holds 10 rounds of ammunition. 

    Pros and Cons of the DPMS Oracle 308 

    Pros

    Cons

    •Since the DPMS Oracle 308 is the most common AR-10 rifle pattern, it has the largest customization options. 

    •Lightweight rifle. 

    •Most inexpensive rifle on the list

    •The rifle does not come along with iron sights. •Magazine included along with the rifle holds only 10 rounds

    R.E.P.R. MkII from LWRC International 

    Lwrc Repr Mkii ar-10

    LWRC International manufactures high-performance rifles and offers complete firearms, as well as, parts that enable you to build your own firearm or upgrade your existing one. The Rapid Engagement Precision Rifle (or popularly known as R.E.P.R) is an AR-10 rifle which is designed in a way that makes the precision rifle idea more adaptable and flexible.

    The idea of a precision rifle is that it enables you to engage targets from very far — maybe hundreds of yards or more. 

    Furthermore, the R.E.P.R. MkII rifle is suitable for extreme range shots but can also be used for close range targets, which makes it ideal for hunting and for use in competitions. The R.E.P.R. MkII uses a short-stroke self-regulating gas piston system to drive the action, which has been fine-tuned to maintain precision. 

    Also, the R.E.P.R. MkII offers sub-MOA accuracy, which essentially means that you can achieve groups of less than 1-inch at 100 yards when using good quality ammunition. The adjustable gas block of the rifle enables you to tune the AR-10 to your specific load. The rifle is equipped with a 20-inch long barrel which has a spiral flute for cooling and rigidity. 

    Moreover, the handguard of the R.E.P.R. MkII has a full-length rail and is ventilated and the rest of the furniture is made of high-quality Magpul polymer. The rifle has a Geissele SSA 2-stage trigger and a 20-round polymer magazine and iron sights. 

    Pros and Cons of the R.E.P.R. MkII 

    Pros

    Cons

    •Offers high accuracy. •Includes high-quality iron sights.•Quite a heavy rifle. 

    Daniel Defense DD5V1 

    Daniel Defense ar-10

    Daniel Defense is quite popular for producing high-quality firearms that are very well engineered. The DD5V1 rifle has a cold forged 16-inch barrel. The rifle makes use of direct impingement in order to load the next round in the chamber. However, many of the features of the DD5V1 makes it an extremely fine rifle. 

    The DD5V1 has a lower made of high-quality polymer, which makes the rifle very lightweight. The forearm of the rifle is not attached to the barrel nut but bolts to the upper receiver instead. The length of the upper receiver is 15 inches and it is ventilated, which keeps the barrel of the rifle cool and it also has a top rail along the whole length. 

    The rifle has a barrel extension instead of a barrel nut, which helps to decrease the tension on the barrel and helps to increase precision. The DD5V1 rifle has ambidextrous controls and a modular charging handle. It is equipped with the high-quality Geissele SSA 2-stage trigger. The DD5V1 is equipped with a Daniel Defense Superior Suppression device. The rifle has an upgraded grip and buttstock. Overall, the Daniel Defense DD5V1 rifle is an extremely reliable and accurate AR-10. 

    Pros and Cons of the Daniel Defense DD5V

    Pros

    Cons

    •The rifle has ambidextrous controls and charging handle. •Trigger is match quality. •Upper receiver of the rifle is completely redesigned for greater accuracy and reliability. •Rifle comes with upgraded high-quality furniture.•Iron sights not included with the rifle. •Lower of rifle made of polymer, which may not be to everyone’s liking. •Magazine that comes with the rifle holds only 10 rounds.

    What Are AR-10 Rifles? 

    The AR-10 rifle was developed in the late 50s by Eugene Stoner for ArmaLite. The AR-10 was used as a battle rifle, but only a few numbers were produced at the time. Today, the AR-10 is the weapon of choice for security service operations, sniper support and long-range shooting in law enforcement and for hunting sports. 

    The AR-10 rifle is very similar to the extremely popular model, the AR-15. However, the AR-10 is chambered, which makes it compatible for use with 0.308 Winchester or 7.62x51mm NATO rounds and it can shoot a much longer range for more than 600 yards compared to the AR-15. 

    Key Features of the AR-10 Rifle 

    • Extremely lightweight construction • Ammunition is magazine-fed • Semi-automatic rifle • Gas piston operated • Hardware is air-cooled • Shoulder-fired • Firing pin is spring-loaded • Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and 0.308 Winchester

    The AR-10 rifle has a gas-operated piston that essentially means that the rifle is cycled by a gas piston system which makes use of pressure from gas that expands to fire every shot. The AR-10 does not have the auto sear, found in fully-automatic rifles and so, is considered a semi-automatic rifle. The rifle is chambered and can accommodate 0.308 Winchester or 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges and so, it makes use of a long upper receiver and long magazines. 

    Most of the smaller components of the AR-10 such as the action spring, buffer and receiver extension can be interchanged with the AR-15, which also has similar parts. The AR-10 is a very versatile rifle and can be customized and built by making use of parts from various manufacturers. 

    What to Consider When Buying an AR-10 Rifle 

    What to Consider When Buying an AR-10 Rifle 

    High-Quality Parts 

    Trigger 

    Long-range rifles need triggers that are high in quality and ones that will not fail when fired. Triggers are usually single-stage or 2-stage, although, 2-stage triggers are the one most preferred by professionals, single-stage triggers are sufficient for entry-level rifle models. 2-stage triggers have a slack and a break phase and this makes them different from single-stage triggers. The slack is the beginning of the trigger pull and the break phase is when the shot is fired, where the rifle’s trigger spring breaks

    Barrel 

    The long-range precision of the rifle can be affected by the quality of the barrel. The barrel length, as well as the material, play a very important role in the shot accuracy. While chrome-lined rifle barrels are more long lasting when compared to stainless steel, they are not very precise and are not match grade. Stainless-steel barrels are match grade but are not long lasting and they become less accurate when the stainless steel begins rusting. 

    Barrels made of nitride steel, a combination of the features of stainless-steel and chrome-lined barrels are long lasting and match grade. 

    For long-range shooting, longer barrels offer better accuracy when compared to shorter barrels. A rifle with a barrel length of 20-24 inches is ideal for long-range shooting, 18-20 inches for mid-range and 16 inches for close-range shooting

    Scope 

    For long-distance shooting precision, optics are essential and there are a wide range of scopes available for AR-10 rifles. However, only a few of them work best for .308 rounds. To maximize performance, a high-quality AR-10 rifle needs a high-quality scope. 

    Accessories 

    Most of the parts of the AR-10 rifle are customizable and replaceable and although they can be got from various manufacturers, it is important to understand that there are certain models which may need proprietary parts for them to work properly. 

    Performance Quality 

    Weight 

    The weight of the rifle affects the level of comfort of the shooter. Typically, it is better to opt for lighter rifles compared to heavier ones to prevent muscle strain. Usually, gas rifles are lighter compared to piston rifles; however, the weight of the rifle is mainly determined by the material of the various parts of the rifle. 

    Range 

    The actual shooting range of the rifle may differ from the marketed shooting range. This is mainly due to the fact that the shooting range of the rifle depends on how well the rifle’s parts work together. For instance, a rifle with a shorter barrel has a shorter range of accuracy compared to longer barreled rifles. Also, the performance of the rifle is affected by the quality of the ammunition used. Powder ammunitions leave behind residues that are difficult to clean and make the rifle perform inaccurately and sluggishly. 

    Accuracy 

    The accuracy of the rifle depends on the achievable range of the rifle. If your rifle does not achieve an effective range of 500 yards or more, you may not be able to hit a target that is more than 500 yards away. The optics utilized with the rifle also affects the shooting accuracy. Some models of scopes work better with certain variants or models of rifles while others deliver average aim irrespective of the model you use it with. 

    What’s not to love about the AR-10 rifle? It is among the most versatile rifles out there and a great joy to shoot with. The AR-10 rifles are among the best in the particular niche and are ideal if you are looking for a gun to shoot with if your target is very far away. 

    If you are looking for: AR-15 barrelshow to remove an AR-15 stock, and collapsible stock vs fixed stock, we also have them for you. 

    Sources: 

    Reviewster 

    The Gun Zone 

    Armalite AR-10 

     

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