2024 308 Carbine options?

[nick84]

Will echo others' SCAR experience. I got a couple hundred rounds of 'familiarization fire' on the Mk17 some years ago; it was enough to make me never want to own one. Later on, when the optic breakage issues became public, my reaction was along the lines of, "wow, shocking." It was the worst recoiling weapon I'd ever shot, but I chalked it up to the light weight. I also hated the reciprocating CH. I had assumed that FN had improved it since, but do not have current knowledge. As long as FN refuses to warranty suppressed use, I doubt I'll ever give it a chance.

That said, pretty sure Knights is still the king of the AR10 hill, but for the price they're currently commanding, as well as the fact that it feels like they're perpetually out of stock everywhere, there's other good options.

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but it seems like building an AR10 is a lot less scary than it used to be also. I see more and more homebuilt large frames popping up on the socials. If I wanted another .308, I'd strongly consider this route.

[HKGuns]

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but it seems like building an AR10 is a lot less scary than it used to be also. I see more and more homebuilt large frames popping up on the socials. If I wanted another .308, I'd strongly consider this route.

No offense, but I'd say you are wrong. There is literally a thread a week on the Hide where some ding dong has screwed up building his AR10. It isn't as plug and play as the AR15 which leaves plenty of opportunity for dunder-heads to do their thing, then whine incessantly about how MFG X should do this or that different.

That said, if you pay attention and purchase your components wisely, even I managed to do it correctly on the first try. Go Figure.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

I have a SCAR-17, a MR-762, FAL, Hk-91, etc. The SCAR isn't particularly hard recoiling. I certainly never noticed anything. I did notice that it was super handy to carry. I have owned my current one for 8+ years and I have yet to bust an optic. Now I have typically had Nightforce or Acog optics, no junk. My SAR-3 (a Greek HK-91) did manage to bust my Aimpoint M4 (nicely fixed by Aimpoint). I really don't understand all this recoil talk with regard to the SCAR. I will say different people are more recoil sensitive than others, but I feel like I would notice if it was remarkable.

I have been running a Surefire Socom for most of the 3+ K I have through the gun so I guess I am just lucky.

[MadAngler1]

I like my Daniel Defense DD5V3. Great rifle. Zero issues using a Surefire SOCOM RC2 762K suppressor.

IMG_9756.jpg

[MadAngler1]

I have a SCAR-17, a MR-762, FAL, Hk-91, etc. The SCAR isn't particularly hard recoiling. I certainly never noticed anything. I did notice that it was super handy to carry. I have owned my current one for 8+ years and I have yet to bust an optic. Now I have typically had Nightforce or Acog optics, no junk. My SAR-3 (a Greek HK-91) did manage to bust my Aimpoint M4 (nicely fixed by Aimpoint). I really don't understand all this recoil talk with regard to the SCAR. I will say different people are more recoil sensitive than others, but I feel like I would notice if it was remarkable.

I have been running a Surefire Socom for most of the 3+ K I have through the gun so I guess I am just lucky.

+1 about SCAR 17 recoil. Never understood the complaint, and I run a SOCOM flash hider on the end of mine. I have over 3000 rounds through mine now (2012 mfg, Belgian). Zero issues other than the lack of a shoulder on the barrel to mount suppressor adapters/flash hiders effectively.

Having said, the DD5V3 is slimmer and handles better. With the newer lower back pressure cans, DI isn't the disadvantage it was with the older Surefire, AAC and Dead Air cans. Still, my DD5V3 runs great with a RC2 K can.

[1168]

Those of you with traditional large-frame AR homebuilds, not POF/SFAR, have y’all posted about the weights of these critters? Reading through this thread, I looked up a couple of the newer complete rifle options and parts, and the advertised weights seem less than I remember. If those are to be trusted, it looks like I could assemble a 6.5CM for about a pound of weight penalty over a similar 5.56 gun without going crazy.

I saw a FAL posted; it was really good in its time, but I don’t think it modernizes all that well. It’s one of my favorite foreign weapons, in out-of-the-box form.

[Defaultmp3]

Those of you with traditional large-frame AR homebuilds, not POF/SFAR, have y’all posted about the weights of these critters? Reading through this thread, I looked up a couple of the newer complete rifle options and parts, and the advertised weights seem less than I remember. If those are to be trusted, it looks like I could assemble a 6.5CM for about a pound of weight penalty over a similar 5.56 gun without going crazy.

My 16" SR-25 CC upper with a home-assembled lower (LMT MARS-H, BCM Grip Mod 1, Magpul UBR GEN2) came in at ~8 lb fully assembled, but with no accessories (no rails, mounts, optics, mag, etc.). I was surprised that it was noticeably lower than the weight listed on the KAC website, despite it using a UBR GEN2 rather than the lighter STR; perhaps KAC's listed weight included the rail, BUIS, and empty magazine.

[JediGuy]

Like 5.56, the weight of the barrel determines the weight of the gun.

[1168]

Like 5.56, the weight of the barrel determines the weight of the gun.

The more I think about it, the more I see that you’re right. Bbl weight is selectable for purpose, so it doesn’t really count. 7.62 silencers are heavier, but that’s not always true anymore. The receiver set is heavier, but the difference is marginal because alloy. The RE/ H3 buffer assembly is equal to an A5H2 on a M4. Ammo, well, that’s apples and oranges. Glass is selectable for purpose. That just leaves the BCG as the largest factor in weight difference vs 5.56. Can’t be huge. I’ll weigh one and see sometime soon.

I think with equal weight barrels, half a lb to a lb of weight penalty, naked, would make sense, in theory.

I’m contemplating putting together an Aero gun as a SBR with a 14” Bbl chambered in something like .260, 6.5CM, .277, or 7-08. As an experiment, like asking out a lady that is obviously nuts, but has red hair. A bad decision that could be fun for a while. I feel like ~8 lbs naked is pretty achievable. Call it a K-Mart XM7, or KM7 for short haha.

[Defaultmp3]

That just leaves the BCG as the largest factor in weight difference vs 5.56. Can’t be huge. I’ll weigh one and see sometime soon.

I think with equal weight barrels, half a lb to a lb of weight penalty, naked, would make sense, in theory.

Typical AR-15 BCGs are ~11.5 oz; typical AR-10 BCGs are over 19 oz, so close to half a pound of difference. An Aero Precision M5 receiver set is 24.7 oz, while an AP milspec forged receiver set is 15.25 oz (an AP AR-15 billet set is 17.8 oz), so again over a half pound of difference. So that right there is one whole pound. Even barrels do have a different weight between large frame and small frame, even if about the same overall profile; for a Criterion hybrid profile, the .308 Win barrel is consistently close to half a pound heavier than the .223 Wylde in the same length (looking at 16", 18", and 20"). For a 13" Centurion Arms M-LOK CMR, there is a 4.7 oz between the large frame and small frame.

So I think you're looking at 1.5 lb penalty pretty easily if you're trying to like-for-like on the design between a small frame and a large frame, if you're going to do an equal profile barrel rather than equal weight. You could certainly get the lightweight parts instead of the more standard parts on the large frame and bring it back down to weight, if you really wanted, e.g., V7 has a ~6.25 lb .308 Win 14.5" gasser, but then a corresponding V7 14.5" small frame is ~4.5 lb.