Wes, any reason you went with larue over GAP? Are there any features of the Obr/tOBR that you prefer over the gap10?
I have a GAP Hospitalier with Surgeon action in .243 that may be my most accurate rifle of all time, so I'm well acquainted with GAP's quality.
My initial turn-off concerning GAP gas guns was the Armalite magazines they used way back when they started making them. Nothing more. But, that was enough. Never considered one past that. Of course, now they use M-110 pattern stuff, I understand. Good.
My only first hand exposure to GAP gas guns was not favorable. A good friend ordered two of them, one in .308 and the other in .260, both with custom digital camo paint jobs. The guns were just beautifully turned out, cosmetically, but neither would run reliably at all. The accuracy just wasn't there, either.
The BCG in each was pretty plain and rough, just a standard Armalite level of quality. But, the feed ramps … I have files with smoother textures. The barrel was a Bartlein, and as usual flawless inside, otherwise. But, you could cycle a M118LR round through the action of the .308 and the open tip would be just mangled. Plus, two deep scratches down the bullet from the corners of the feed ramps. Think bullet concentricity with commercial ammo could remain intact while undergoing such abuse? It's no wonder they would not shoot, in spite of the Bartlein barrel.
I have a bit of experience hammering gas guns together. Frankly I was horrified by what I saw, because I knew how much my buddy had paid and how long he had waited for these two. I simply could not believe it. These rifles were returned. Needless to say, my friend was quite deflated, and he has a long-standing, very positive relationship with GAP. He still refers to these two rifles as his "jam-o-matics". In short, these were nothing more than than amateurish gas gun builds with a world class barrels and paint jobs, feeding from sub-standard magazines.
These rifles were delivered just after the first Obamanation, in 2009. Maybe they got rushed out the door a little too quickly. And even the best of manufacturers can and do make occasional mistakes. Obviously, from the glowing reports people post on this website about their own experiences with GAP-10's, such problems are now fixed - or at least not publicly discussed.
I've always been enthused by the idea of a real rifle caliber in a gas gun. I've built up a few AR-10's, myself, and that's where I learned to not like their magazines. Or their uppers, lowers, BCG's. I've been through several SR-25's, to include two Mk 11 Mod 0's, and four LMT MWS. Sold 'em all. Military rejects, I figured. I do sometimes wish I'd kept my 1993 vintage SR-25, though, because it's likely that Eugene Stoner once breathed the air in the room where it was assembled. Live and (sometimes) learn.
I bought one of the first Larue OBRs in .308, and one of the first PredatARs, as well. Both werewere gorgeous, ran like tops, and shot well; plus, they exhibited a standard of fit, finish, and attention to detail I'd never, ever seen in any gas gun - (gulp) my own work included.
The OBR was sold to make room for the ergonomically superior P'tOBR. Here's the P'tARin an old Photo. It now has a NF 2.5-1x42 NXS with side focus and T-1 in offset mount.
I never really got accustomed the ergonomics of the OBR with A2 or standard carbine stock resulting from the greater drop to the comb, but I was able to work around the issues with a Magpul PRS stock and its adjustable cheekpiece. Now, I even like using a PRS. (Several other .308 rifles share this greater drop to the comb compared to an AR-15, to include the GAP, POF, LWPR, etc.) You find it easy to make compromises when you have a rifle that reliably shoots SO well, suppressed or unsuppressed. Never underestimate the importance of the magazine that feeds the beast. The Larue mags are tops, IMO.
I much preferred the way the PredatAR handled, compared to the OBR. At only 8 pounds, naked, it feels like a regular AR-15 - until you load it, at least. The P'tAR would shoot almost as well under field conditions (not the bench) for me as the 2 pound heavier OBR, just using 2/3 the magnification (2.5-10x24 NXS on the P'tAR vs 3.5-15x50 NXS on the OBR). While on the surface, this is a good thing, the net result for me was I could not figure out into what niche the P'tAR fit best. Was it a precision gun, or a fighting gun? I ended up running a scope AND an Aimpoint T-1 on it, simultaneously. It's my idea of a one-gun arsenal.
Like everybody else who had handled both the OBR and the P'tAR, I wanted an OBR barrel in a P'tAR. And like everybody else, I was sure I thought of it first. At this point, the story of how long that took to happen is an unhappy tale and doesn't need telling again. But, I got what I wanted, finally.
The shorter one, above, is the 6.5 CM candidate. The 18" P'tOBR "Field Grade" shoots fine as it is.
The first five shots on paper, with BH 168 SMK:
Then tried M118LR:
I was having a good day!
Best group to date, with Hornady 155 AMAX TAP:
