.308 AR build - feasible?

[NcongruNt]

I don't have any semi-auto centerfire rifles, and would like to do something about that. As built rifles are incredibly expensive and hard to come by right now, I've been toying around with the idea of building an AR-type rifle in .308. Most of the info I can find deals with .223/5.56 AR builds, so I thought I'd ask.

How feasible is a build like this? I am looking to build something similar to the DPMS LR-308, with some differences in sighting and barrel. I am looking to build over time, starting with a receiver and adding on over a period of a few months to spread out the cost. I'd like to be able to shoot with iron sights starting out, then moving to some sort of optics later on. I'd also like to have a non-carbine barrel - something like 24" in length. Accuracy and reliability are my prime specs, and not so much weight. I don't want a purposely weighted barrel, but have no need to spend more for lighter components.

Does anyone have any recommendations or resources to point me to? One of the big concerns I have right now is magazine compatibility. Since the AR-15 market uses a standard mag for pretty much everything it seems pretty easy there, but it doesn't look the same for a .308 rifle. I would like to be able to get a hold of mags relatively easily.

Thanks in advance.

[Excaliber]

I don't have any semi-auto centerfire rifles, and would like to do something about that. As built rifles are incredibly expensive and hard to come by right now, I've been toying around with the idea of building an AR-type rifle in .308. Most of the info I can find deals with .223/5.56 AR builds, so I thought I'd ask.

How feasible is a build like this? I am looking to build something similar to the DPMS LR-308, with some differences in sighting and barrel. I am looking to build over time, starting with a receiver and adding on over a period of a few months to spread out the cost. I'd like to be able to shoot with iron sights starting out, then moving to some sort of optics later on. I'd also like to have a non-carbine barrel - something like 24" in length. Accuracy and reliability are my prime specs, and not so much weight. I don't want a purposely weighted barrel, but have no need to spend more for lighter components.

Does anyone have any recommendations or resources to point me to? One of the big concerns I have right now is magazine compatibility. Since the AR-15 market uses a standard mag for pretty much everything it seems pretty easy there, but it doesn't look the same for a .308 rifle. I would like to be able to get a hold of mags relatively easily.

Thanks in advance.

Building a .308 lower receiver is no harder than one in 5.56 - it takes about an hour.

Unless you have access to the several somewhat costly tools you'd need to build the upper receiver, you're better off purchasing that as an assembled and tested unit.

The DPMS and AR-10 guns both use proprietary magazines that don't interchange with anything else. The DPMS magazines run around $40 - $50 each if yu can find them. If easy access to magazines is critical to you, you might consider a Springfield Armory M1A in one of their several variations, or an FAL variant with lots of cheap magazine sources. You can buy a fully built M1A for not much more than it would cost you to build a DPMS LR-308 or AR-10.

DPMS, Brownell's, and Bravo Company are all good sources for what you'll need to build your gun.

[flintknapper]

I don't have any semi-auto centerfire rifles, and would like to do something about that. As built rifles are incredibly expensive and hard to come by right now, I've been toying around with the idea of building an AR-type rifle in .308. Most of the info I can find deals with .223/5.56 AR builds, so I thought I'd ask.

How feasible is a build like this? I am looking to build something similar to the DPMS LR-308, with some differences in sighting and barrel. I am looking to build over time, starting with a receiver and adding on over a period of a few months to spread out the cost. I'd like to be able to shoot with iron sights starting out, then moving to some sort of optics later on. I'd also like to have a non-carbine barrel - something like 24" in length. Accuracy and reliability are my prime specs, and not so much weight. I don't want a purposely weighted barrel, but have no need to spend more for lighter components.

Does anyone have any recommendations or resources to point me to? One of the big concerns I have right now is magazine compatibility. Since the AR-15 market uses a standard mag for pretty much everything it seems pretty easy there, but it doesn't look the same for a .308 rifle. I would like to be able to get a hold of mags relatively easily.

Thanks in advance.

You might want to locate a stripped lower right away (or at least get on a waiting list). It took about a month for me to get mine. We built up my brothers lower this past weekend, but it will be 6-8 weeks before his 6.8 upper comes in, and probably 3-4 months for my .458 (due to parts becoming scarce).

At some point...this will all die down, but not in the next few months IMO.

Building your own lower is easy enough, the upper takes some tools and know how. As Excalibur said, it would be best to order an assembled upper if you haven't messed them before.

[CJATE]

i have the same questions,

would one use the same lower for .308 as one would use for .223?



i figure I can't aford to cut paper with a 223 might as well shoot deer with a 308, either way I will build one.

[boomerang]

I'm pretty sure they are different size lowers. There's a half inch difference between .223 and .308 in OAL.

[flintknapper]

i have the same questions,

would one use the same lower for .308 as one would use for .223?

i figure I can't aford to cut paper with a 223 might as well shoot deer with a 308, either way I will build one.

No!

The lowers are different sizes.

[WarHawk-AVG]

i have the same questions,

would one use the same lower for .308 as one would use for .223?

i figure I can't aford to cut paper with a 223 might as well shoot deer with a 308, either way I will build one.

No!

The lowers are different sizes.

+1

The .308 AR-10 is MUCH more rugged and built differently....plus hold up a standard .223 Magazine and a .308 Magazine...sorry just wont fit in the mag well!

You might be able to find a AR-15 style lower for around $100, a AR-10 lower...good luck finding one for under $300!!

But to have a well built AR-10...and you will grin from ear to ear from every shot!

[Charles L. Cotton]

Didn't Bushmaster or RI build an AR-10 that used FAL mags? I always thought that was a great idea.

Chas.

[RECIT]

The AR-10 lowers are high dollar compared to the AR-15. Good luck touching an AR-10 lower for less than $300-400 right now. And an AR-15 lower for less than $250.00. Actually on gunbroker all they AR-10 lowers are $450 and up. Complete buy it now for $650. Ouch...