Recommendations for a .308 AR ?

[Littlelebowski]

I've shot DPMS 16" 308 and the LR308. Both were very impressive. I plan on buying a LR308 very shortly.

[longshot]

I'd like to see that report as I have not had any breakages whatsoever even with hot loads.

[Rana]

I'd like to see that report as I have not had any breakages whatsoever even with hot loads.

How many rounds you at?

Again, I would like to see an "independent" study myself...

[DocGKR]

Unfortunately none of the current 7.62 mm AR's run reliably, including the AR10 and SR25/Mk11/M110.

It was reported that the very expensive, highly touted SR25K "Battle Rifles" purchased for SOF use did not prove particularly durable or reliable in combat conditions and were withdrawn for service rather quickly. Many folks who have deployed with SR25/Mk11/M110 have not had kind things to say about their durability. One well known SOTIC instructor has written the following:

"The first SRs had serious function problems and mag problems. They broke at the worse possible times and were not user friendly to fix once broken. The newer Mk11s are almost as bad but have a better rep function wise and the mag problem seems to have been fixed. The guys are shooting the crap out of the weapons and using it more as a battel rifle than a sniper rifle. The manual states that only 25 to 50 rounds should be fired form teh weapon per day. That is being violated badly and the weapons are paying for it. The SR was never designed to be a super precision sniper rifle and it is not. Even if Knight is now claiming the same in his SASS BS. I have seen too many not make it through our course and the ones that do require almost daily maintenance to continue. I have seen the SASS and I predict that they will start having trouble wiht the weapon as a sniper rifle within the year that it is first issued in mass. Say this time next year. The first to go will be the stock extension mechanism which is as flimsy a pice of crap that I have ever seen. As far as lost accuracy and range on the old versus new, none that I know of as the old had crappy range and accuracy and the longer barrel did not enhance already lousy. Sniper versus DM, one shots a priority target and the other bangs away at everyone, oh like a rifleman."

[Littlelebowski]

I can point you to a Marine that was very happy with his SR25 and it was reliable enough for the Battle of Fallujah which was reliable enough for him.

[Littlelebowski]

Read this

[SHIVAN]

I believe Rana, and DocGKR are speaking about sample sizes above one.

Rana is more likely speaking from the aspect of several weapons fielded in some branch of special warfare, and DocGKR is probably speaking from the benefit of having seen reports on topic covering multiple units and myriad weapons.

While singular success stories are much appreciated, please remember that we have some unique members on this forum with a very wide range of experience.

[Littlelebowski]

I do realize that. There's plenty of 8541s who've used the weapon over at LRI that all say the same thing. Perhaps they got a good batch....

[SHIVAN]

I do realize that. There's plenty of 8541s who've used the weapon over at LRI that all say the same thing. Perhaps they got a good batch....

It could also be a matter of expectations, fire schedule, etc.

Many of the complaints I read about regarding the SR-25 (and other 308 AR's tested by DoD) involve the inability to fire more than X rounds every X minutes without having issues.

Which is fine while shooting it for groups on a bench or at the range, but not so hot while trying to suppress a horde of BG's precisely at distance.

I used to think it was BS too, as I can run my AR-10's pretty hard and not choke them up. However, the complaints and stories persist - from people at the very tip of the spear.

There's got to be something to it.

[Littlelebowski]

Yeah, I doubt they're lying also. I'll bring it up over at LRI. Kinda of curious as to see if they suffer from first shot stringing like 5.56 ARs do. You know, when the first shot is off of the rest of the group, cold bore or not? Our gunsmith attributes it to feeding issues.