The perfect .308 AR

[daddyusmaximus]

I put together the perfect .308 AR. I've posted photos of if before, but I haven't yet explained the build. I also got help with it during the build on the .308 knowledge thread, so to all who chimed in... thanks.

Now keep in mind, when I say that it's the "perfect .308 AR", I mean it's the perfect one... for me.

I was looking to get into a .308 because I wanted the better terminal ballistics of the heavier round.

What I didn't really need, was the increased range.

This was to be a defensive combat carbine. It was to be "defensive" in nature, it's not one I would need to reach out long distances, at least not in my area, (Indiana woods, and farmland) I just wanted something with a bit more oomph than the 5.56, or should things go real bad, have the ability to punch through cover better.

I did still want to keep it in as small, and light a package as I could. I like a patrol carbine, not a full on sniper rifle.

On the other hand, I've seen guys go way too far with the "smaller is better" theory when building 10" .308 pistols and the like, that though probably fun to play with, would pretty much cut the .308 off at the knees.

I tried to make a decent compromise, and I'm pretty happy with the result.

Receivers... Aero Precision with their LPK
Barrel... BA Hanson 14" with pin-and-welded Warcomp
Rail system... Midwest Industries
Scope... Primary Arms 1-8 with the ACSS reticle
BUIS... Troy with tritium
BCG... Lantac enhanced
Recoil system... JP Captured
Trigger... Geissele SSA-E
Furniture... Magpul CTR stock, MOE grip, MVG M-LOK
Weaponlight... Surefire M300 Scout Light
Leftover ambidextrous safety that I can't remember where I got...
Leftover scope mount... same deal... just happened to work out well.

Anyway, the end result is the rifle is a bit heavier that the typical AR (as expected being a .308) but still very easily carried as a patrol carbine. In fact, the 14" barrel matches up with the larger .308 receiver so well, it's not really any longer than a 16" 5.56 AR.

I lose some velocity, and power going down to 14", but not so much as going crazy, and doing the full on SBR 10" thing. It still packs a lot more punch than a 5.56. It's very controllable too. Not sure if that's because I'm a big dude (6'1" 280) with 28 years of Army experience, or the very effective Warcomp (probably both) but I like it. I like it a lot. I really like the ACSS reticle too.

I've only managed to take it out a few times since it's completion, but it's been 100% reliable in those times so far. Hoping it will stay that way. The BA Hanson barrel is supposed to be a 1" guarantee of accuracy. Well, I've seen close to that, but I haven't seen that. At least not yet. Not gonna say I got a dud though because it's probably me, but it's close enough that I'm not gonna complain. Besides, we all have this "every single gun must shoot 1" groups" mentality these days, and for a patrol carbine just being close to that is great in my book. Especially in the hands of a mid 50s retired half cripple.

Also of note is the barrel twist. It's a 1/10. Everyone makes barrels in 1/10 these days for the heavier rounds. I got my hands on a stash of the 130 gr Federal T762TNB1 made for the Army's short barrel SCAR project as I figured a short barrel round would do well in my little 14"gun. but turns out it's quite expensive to find an AR barrel in 1/12 twist... It shoots the heavier rounds better. However, at close ranges, it's still plenty accurate.

[dpb1776]

Sweet build


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[fedupflyer]

Is that a 3 prong flash hider?
When shooting suppressed, I hate those things as they sound like a tuning fork.

[CoryCop25]

Very nice set up! I may need to start a similar project.
That a SF Warcomp. It doesn’t “ring”.

[daddyusmaximus]

That's a Warcomp. It does in fact ring, if I bang it up against something, yet no ring when shooting... go figure.

[LMT Shooter]

Very nice rifle, I've been wanting to get a MWS with the 13.5" lightweight barrel for similar reasons as you stated.

[RobertTheTexan]

I put together the perfect .308 AR. I've posted photos of if before, but I haven't yet explained the build. I also got help with it during the build on the .308 knowledge thread, so to all who chimed in... thanks.

Now keep in mind, when I say that it's the "perfect .308 AR", I mean it's the perfect one... for me.

I was looking to get into a .308 because I wanted the better terminal ballistics of the heavier round.

What I didn't really need, was the increased range.

This was to be a defensive combat carbine. It was to be "defensive" in nature, it's not one I would need to reach out long distances, at least not in my area, (Indiana woods, and farmland) I just wanted something with a bit more oomph than the 5.56, or should things go real bad, have the ability to punch through cover better.

I did still want to keep it in as small, and light a package as I could. I like a patrol carbine, not a full on sniper rifle.

On the other hand, I've seen guys go way too far with the "smaller is better" theory when building 10" .308 pistols and the like, that though probably fun to play with, would pretty much cut the .308 off at the knees.

I tried to make a decent compromise, and I'm pretty happy with the result.

Receivers... Aero Precision with their LPK
Barrel... BA Hanson 14" with pin-and-welded Warcomp
Rail system... Midwest Industries
Scope... Primary Arms 1-8 with the ACSS reticle
BUIS... Troy with tritium
BCG... Lantac enhanced
Recoil system... JP Captured
Trigger... Geissele SSA-E
Furniture... Magpul CTR stock, MOE grip, MVG M-LOK
Weaponlight... Surefire M300 Scout Light
Leftover ambidextrous safety that I can't remember where I got...
Leftover scope mount... same deal... just happened to work out well.

Anyway, the end result is the rifle is a bit heavier that the typical AR (as expected being a .308) but still very easily carried as a patrol carbine. In fact, the 14" barrel matches up with the larger .308 receiver so well, it's not really any longer than a 16" 5.56 AR.

I lose some velocity, and power going down to 14", but not so much as going crazy, and doing the full-on SBR 10" thing. It still packs a lot more punch than a 5.56. It's very controllable too. Not sure if that's because I'm a big dude (6'1" 280) with 28 years of Army experience, or the very effective Warcomp (probably both) but I like it. I like it a lot. I really like the ACSS reticle too.

I've only managed to take it out a few times since it's completion, but it's been 100% reliable in those times so far. Hoping it will stay that way. The BA Hanson barrel is supposed to be a 1" guarantee of accuracy. Well, I've seen close to that, but I haven't seen that. At least not yet. Not gonna say I got a dud though because it's probably me, but it's close enough that I'm not gonna complain. Besides, we all have this "every single gun must shoot 1" groups" mentality these days, and for a patrol carbine just being close to that is great in my book. Especially in the hands of a mid 50s retired half cripple.

Also of note is the barrel twist. It's a 1/10. Everyone makes barrels in 1/10 these days for the heavier rounds. I got my hands on a stash of the 130 gr Federal T762TNB1 made for the Army's short barrel SCAR project as I figured a short barrel round would do well in my little 14"gun. but turns out it's quite expensive to find an AR barrel in 1/12 twist... It shoots the heavier rounds better. However, at close ranges, it's still plenty accurate.

Just when I think I'm going to chill on my builds for a while I see something that either inspires me or reminds me of a project that I've had on the shelf too long. This does both!!

It's an outstanding build with some quality parts and you should be proud of it. I would like to get some input from you on a couple of parts.
1. The Lantac enhanced BCG - what performance or "enhanced" functionality do you see this BCG giving you? The best BCG I've ever had my hands on was my LMT MWS BCG, it was an amazing BCG. For my other 308 builds, I've either used BA BCG's or in my last build a Toolcraft 308 BCG. It works as designed, but doesn't bring any additional functionality to the table.
2. JP Captured spring - I'm not sure if you have shot another AR 308 to compare it to, but do you believe it's reducing felt recoil? One of my goals if...well WHEN I build a shorter barrel 308 will be an attempt to mitigate some of the recoil without impacting reliability both short term and long term. What factors influenced you to go this with this buffer system?

Again, I just want to tip the hat to you brother. You've always put really solid builds together and this is no exception. I agree with you on the purpose - I won't be building a short barrel 308 because I want to ring the 1000yd gong. I will build a short barrel 308 because I want a bigger hammer that's more maneuverable and usable in tight spaces. I also agree with you on the weight thing. I've never been a fan of the uber lightweight AR's or guys bitching and moaning about how heavy their AR is. That said, I did end up selling my MWS because with a can, and running drills with it, my left shoulder was just killing me for days afterwards. So when I built my current 16" 308, I did pick up a Troy carbon fiber MLOK rail. I haven't seen any negatives of using that rail, but I also know that it's not as sturdy as that built like a tank MWS monolithic system. But it was a compromise that I was willing to live with. Thanks for taking time to respond, look forward to you input.

[daddyusmaximus]

Just when I think I'm going to chill on my builds for a while I see something that either inspires me or reminds me of a project that I've had on the shelf too long. This does both!!

It's an outstanding build with some quality parts and you should be proud of it. I would like to get some input from you on a couple of parts.
1. The Lantac enhanced BCG - what performance or "enhanced" functionality do you see this BCG giving you? The best BCG I've ever had my hands on was my LMT MWS BCG, it was an amazing BCG. For my other 308 builds, I've either used BA BCG's or in my last build a Toolcraft 308 BCG. It works as designed, but doesn't bring any additional functionality to the table.
2. JP Captured spring - I'm not sure if you have shot another AR 308 to compare it to, but do you believe it's reducing felt recoil? One of my goals if...well WHEN I build a shorter barrel 308 will be an attempt to mitigate some of the recoil without impacting reliability both short term and long term. What factors influenced you to go this with this buffer system?

Again, I just want to tip the hat to you brother. You've always put really solid builds together and this is no exception. I agree with you on the purpose - I won't be building a short barrel 308 because I want to ring the 1000yd gong. I will build a short barrel 308 because I want a bigger hammer that's more maneuverable and usable in tight spaces. I also agree with you on the weight thing. I've never been a fan of the uber lightweight AR's or guys bitching and moaning about how heavy their AR is. That said, I did end up selling my MWS because with a can, and running drills with it, my left shoulder was just killing me for days afterwards. So when I built my current 16" 308, I did pick up a Troy carbon fiber MLOK rail. I haven't seen any negatives of using that rail, but I also know that it's not as sturdy as that built like a tank MWS monolithic system. But it was a compromise that I was willing to live with. Thanks for taking time to respond, look forward to you input.

Thanks for the kind words. Quite the opposite I got what I was not leaving my Mausers in their original factory, unusable to my old eyes. condition...

1. The "enhanced" part of the Lantac, is supposed to be that is delays the unlocking a bit, and softens up the recoil impulse. It is also supposed to work very well when suppressed, keeping more of the gas out of your face.

2. The silent captured recoil spring kit is supposed to A. help with the annpoying "twang" of the spring. Some rifles do this more than others, and I've just been wanting to try it on a build, so this was it. B. I got the kit with 3 different springs in case I needed to tune it a bit. I was wondering how it would run with the 14" barrel, and the Lantac. Turns out I haven't had to change it. I suppose I could to see if it's any better than it is now, but I liked the way it runs, and it's been 100% reliable, so I just left it as it came. My guess is that both Lantac, and Ballistic Advantage did their job right on their products, so the standard spring just worked.