I am going to buy a Smith & Wesson M&P 10 Sport .308 Winchester 16in Black Semi Automatic Modern Sporting Rifle.


This is the first time in semi auto, I am buying a gun that not in 5.56. What should I know and/or do before I buy one?

You might read some of the posts below about proprietary parts. The 7.62 mm version of the AR isn't like the 5.56 mm where everyone's parts are the same.

Run away. You are entering a quagmire of lack of standardization and poor performance. The AR-10 was tried, and failed, many moons ago. Subsequent attempts at a .308 AR have not been entirely successful. I would recommend a different platform for .308.

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Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

Buy some PMAGS for 7.62, get some ammo, lube it up and go shoot it. It’s a great gun and you’ll love it. I certainly like mine.

They’re heavy. Especially with a 20 round magazine . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

My first AR platform was a 10. Made by Panther Arms and the posts about lack of standardization are quite true; one must be careful about compatibility. Mine gets my handloads and it sports a 16 inch barrel so velocities generally are lower than you'd expect from your 22 inch barrel bolt action.

The post about being heavy is also true although it's always intrigued me that the original Stoner design in 7.62 was/is a real lightweight. They're unicorns now but Jerry Miculek can be seen playing with one on you tube.

I have not done much parts swapping on my AR-10 other than a much improved trigger. I have plenty of high powered rifles and my Panther Arms just may be the most accurate of them all - something I never would have dreamt of. I broke it in according to strict label directions - it's a pain but probably worth it. It has accounted for quite a few feral hogs on our place and the bonus is sometimes I drop more than one from a sounder. Quick reloads are a bonus. Recoil is light.

I don't regret purchasing it even though it doesn't see much use these days. Not a prepper but it seems the ultimate "when then SHTF" grab. In my inventory it's the closest thing to light artillery especially with a high capacity magazine (I bought a five round for "everyday").

Bryan

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Ordnung muss sein
SWHF #789

What platform would you recommend? I previously owned a Springfield Armory M1A1. It was a great shooting but heavy gun. I sold it due to ammo costs. I am thinking of a 308 again. Maybe a M1A1 scout?

If you are going to shoot a lot, I’d probably buy an M1A. If you just want to toy around with it, like I do and most everyone else I know who owns one, I’d buy something economical from one of the major manufacturers that will not be here today/gone tomorrow and you can reasonably expect to get service from, should you need it.

Most AR10s are pretty heavy, similar to an M1A depending on model. Ruger makes a lightweight one. Mine has been decently accurate, but it doesn’t get used much.

If you got rid of a previous gun because of ammo cost, why bother with another one? Ammo costs more now than ever. Pretty expensive to shoot much, unless you are one of the fortunate ones who has the luxury of the taxpayers footing the bill.

If you are buying it for the bench, your mind is in the right place, although it won't be the most accurate .308 you've ever fired. If you want it for hunting, you'll soon find it is much too heavy for anything except sitting in a fixed stand a short distance from where you parked.

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Pisgah

I have a friend in Alaska who swears by the S&W M&P10 for both reliability and portability. He also likes the similarity of parts and functioning to the AR15 / M16 platform with which he is familiar from his military days.

Maybe points to consider en route to your ultimate decision.

A Ruger SFAR is AR15 light, but proprietary.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

I would love to buy a SOSCOM M14 .308 But its not in my budget.

Sold a highly accurate AR-15 for money to purchase an Armalite AR-10.
Used to carry my AR-15 in a cloth gun case strapped to my back.
Right away I knew I had made a mistake, the thing was just too heavy bouncing around the trails on a quadrunner.
I wouldn't even think of packing one around on foot these days, especially with a heavy scope mounted on top.

GW, the first thing you should do is ignore the AR-10 haters.

“Heavy”, and “too heavy” is not a standard unit of measure. So I’ll give you a standard unit of measure: a 16 inch ArmaLite AR-10 with a base and a Leupold 1.5-5X scope, a Limb Saver recoil pad, a muzzle brake, and a loaded 10 round mag weighs 11 pounds on the nose.

^That rifle recoils very little. I have no means to measure recoil.

If I sit down at the bench at 100 yards and shoot 4, five shot groups, 2 of the groups will be just under an inch and 2 will be just over an inch. That’s with the Leu 5X scope and some carefully crafted 175 grain Sierras and Varget.

The newer ArmaLites take PMAGs. Not sure about the S&W. But I’m willing to bet that they do as well. The guns don’t break. I don’t know anything about going down rabbit holes.

AR-10s are fun to shoot. They hit hard. I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy yours as immensely as I do mine.

You might check out PSA PA-10 other wise known as a AR-10 - before buying the m&p model

Yourcan buy and ship to your home there 18" nitrite barreled upper with there gen 3 upgraded features for $449 - sku:516551303786 .

Then pick the lower you want from PSA gen 3 lower complete in several variations but the SKU:5165491092 would be a quality option . for $230.

If you just feel the need for a some version of a AR10 buy away But I would consider the Ruger 20" hunter in 308 . Have a better trigger and it still uses magul mags for high cap need and it is a sub moa rifle for those long shots the AR-10 won't do . for street price of 850 bucks .

Not as ammo waist full as an AR can be but a more accurate package that can still be fired quickly . A bolt action rifle carry's easily on a Boonie Packers Safari Sling across your chest even hands free but ready to raise and fire or in heavy cover under your arm one hand controlling the rifle . Also cost way less than an M&P-10.

I don't recall anyone here saying they hate AR-10'S, but the guy here asked if there is anything he should know before purchasing one and about a dozen to one here mentioned the weight.

Nothing bad to say here. It's a good rifle and lives up to good reviews. Pretty accurate.

Well, let's do it this way then. The M&P10 Optics Ready further unadorned weighs 128 ounces. The M&P15 Sport II Optics Ready further unadorned weighs 104 ounces. I mentioned a M&P 10 with a loaded 20 round mag. I'm gonna guess (without accuracy, just spitballing) that 20 rounds of .308 is at least 2-3 ounces heavier than 20 rounds of 5.56.

We're almost two pounds "heavier . . . "

Physics tells us that it recoils very little because it is "heavy."

I own and carry both rifles. Take that for what you will . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .