Here is a little information that I gathered over the past year. By no means am I an expert, but I have successfully built 2 guns (one is mine and the other is my sons) that shoot VERY accurately. In fact, one is so good that I am going to try and enter some competitions this coming year.
I built my AR10 because I wanted what I want on it. If I bought an assembled gun, I would have to buy the parts I wanted and then switch them out. Since I was on a budget of less than $2k, I didn’t see anyone with the specs I wanted. Now, if you aren’t comfortable building, then buy one already assembled. I was going for precision, so I went with quality parts. What I am saying is that you probably want to stay away from PSA for precision. I’ve not shot their 6.5cm barrels, but I’m leaning towards they are not nearly as accurate as Ballistic Advantage or any quality barrel makers.
If possible, hold out until Black Friday sales through Christmas.
There are two patterns for AR10 platforms. DPMS and Armalite. DPMS is the least expensive and the most popular.
Aero precision has a great name and that is one of the reasons I went with them. However, anything that has an E in it is enhanced and this is where it can get tricky with them. For example, an M5E1 is enhanced. What that means is that you are limiting yourself to the handrails that they sell. They have modified (enhanced) how the rail attaches to the upper receiver. I went with the M5 upper since it is not enhanced and I wanted a different rail. On the enhanced M5E1 uppers, you will see an enlarged barrel nut.
Aero Builders kits. You will find them on Aero’s site. They have some great sales here at times. The M5 series are AR10’s and the M4 series are the AR15 series. If you shop around at the other resources I have provided at the end of the post, at times you can get uppers and lowers, etc. cheaper.
https://www.aeroprecisionusa.com/
Upper receiver. You are after a DPMS pattern if you do not want to break the bank. I cannot remember if Aero Uppers are High or Low Profile. I want to lean towards High. However, you might want to contact them before you buy a handrail because it does matter. I went with the Aero M5 series.
Lower receiver. Honestly, I would stay with Aero if you buy an Aero upper because they are well made and if you plan on using an Aero upper and BA barrel, you should not have any problems. Another thing about Aero lowers is that the takedown pins are slightly larger so beware of this if you are buying any pins other than Aero.
Rails. Do not buy cheap ones. Ideally, you want rails with anti-roll tabs which will keep the rail from rotating. The tabs or anti-roll may not always be “visible”. Midwest Industries is who I like, and they have anti-roll built into the inside of the rail where it attaches to the upper receiver. In order to get a good rail, you are going to probably spend $150-$250 unless you find a good sale then you can get some between $100 - $150. Of course, you can go overboard if you want. Spikes tactical, Aero, Bravo Company, and other companies make good products. I went with Midwest because I wanted a longer rail than 15”. Aero’s rails are good. If you don’t mind a 15” rail and you want to get a deal, then the Aero builders sets are a great way to go. One reason I wanted an 18” rail was for shooting off barricades. That additional 3” can come in handy to keep your barrel off the barricade. And, I like my bipod a little more forward too.
https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/
Barrel. Again, you get what you pay for. I like Ballistic Advantage which is a subsidiary of Aero Precision. Other good barrels are Proof Research, Krieger, and Faxon. There are more, but BA is the least expensive and I’ve had great results. Joe Jones from Curtis Tactical talks highly about Krieger barrels. I am considering a Faxon barrel for my next build or when I burn up the one I have. You might want to check into a +2 barrel which is supposed to help mitigate some of the over gassing issues.
Bolt. You want something that is rated for high pressure as it is my understanding that not all AR10 bolts are. So, be careful when buying a .308 bolt. I bought an Aero Nitride BCG and it is "rated" for 6.5cm. And, if you switch barrels, you need to switch out your BOLT. Since I was using an Aero upper and BA barrel, I went with the Aero BCG. One thing with bcgs is that ToolCraft makes many of them in the business. Companies just stick their logos on them and charge you more. I have a couple of ToolCrafts and so does a good friend, and I’ve has zero issues out of them.
You need to have the bolt and barrel matched up. The best way to do this is to buy them both from the same manufacturer. It is my understanding that if you buy quality products, this is not as big of a deal.
Gas block. I first bought an Aero gas block that was not adjustable. Then, when I encountered my “issues”, I went with an adjustable gas block from JP Enterprises. I talked to a person at JP and my gunsmith, and they both said that it isn’t really an issue not having the adjustable gas block, but… I will be better off with one. If you order the one from JP, they will assemble your gas tube and block for a mere $12.
https://www.jprifles.com/buy.php?item=JPGS-8
If you have any questions about troubleshooting, etc., call the fine folks at JP Enterprises. They spent about 90 minutes on the phone with me and I purchased the gas block and the silent capture spring as a result of our conversation. I was hesitant to buy the silent capture spring until I handled one this past spring at the NRA convention and all I can say is WOW! Now, would I put it on all of my AR’s? Probably not for the price. However, an AR10 is pretty hard to charge, and it helped with that somewhat.
Triggers. I bought a CMC single stage 2.5lb straight trigger and I love it. You can find them between $130 & $150 on a good day. Everyone is different when it comes to triggers, so get what you like. I personally like single stage because if my finger is on the trigger, I am ready to shoot and don't like any creep.
Lower Parts Kit. You can buy about any LPK you want, but again, since I was building Aero, I went with Aero. One thing to note is that their takedown pins are really a must because for some reason, very few will work with their lowers.
Mag release. Of course, you can use the standard mag release that comes with the lower parts kit, but what fun would that be? I am a huge fan of Odin Works and I bought one of their mag releases. Actually, I have them on a couple of guns.
https://www.odinworks.com/XMR_GEN_III_p/acc-xmr-3.htm?1=1&CartID=0
Charging handle. Make sure that you get an AR10 charging handle. I go with names like BCM, Odin Works, Radian, or any big name. I usually shop at
primaryarms.com for this kind of stuff. I like the extended charging handles because if you don’t, you are going to struggle with getting a hold of a small one with any type of options. My son is dealing with that right now.
Muzzle brake. Zro Delta is the muzzle brake I use. I bought the Gen 1 for about $80. Look around and you might be able to find them. The Gen 2 looks cooler, but I did not want to pay an extra $100
https://www.buyzrodelta.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=160
Magpul PRS Gen 3 stock. You can find these about anywhere. I use several sources, but I think I bought mine from Optics Planet for around $180.
Great places to shop:
https://www.schuylerarmsco.com/
https://www.primaryarms.com/2+Charging-Handles/MCategories+AR-308
https://www.strikeindustries.com/shop/
https://www.armorally.com/
For Barrels
https://www.graniteridgeoutfitters....-on-SALE-Use-Coupon-Code-MOA_c67.htm?page=all
https://www.armorally.com/shop/ballistic-advantage-6-5-creedmoor-premium-series-22-heavy-barrel/
https://buygunstuff.com/barrels/ballistic-bbl-6-5cm-22-rifle-1065.html
Be sure to add any good places to shop. Also, if you have anything to share about building an AR10 platform, that would be appreciated because I know that I am not an expert and still have much to learn. I only shared this information because I have seen a few posts on AR10 builds. They can be tricky, but if you do your research AND buy good components, then you will reduce the number of potential issues. Honestly, I didn’t think that it was too difficult to do. There is a little more finicky than with an AR15, but not enough to not make me want to build one. And, with two successful builds… there will be more in the future.
