I just returned my .308 PSA upper after 6 months of trying to get it to work, they even paid for shipping. It was a POS. So now I am looking for one that will work. I have been looking at Aero Precision they look like a great deal but I am leery. What do you all suggest? I just want something that goes bang when I pull the trigger and cycles as it should.
I am curious, what issues did it have?
What other components in your build did it not play nice with?
There are tons of .308 uppers on the market now. 308 AR parts compatibility is a bit of a mixed bag, though. It can be done, just do your homework.
For me, I prefer factory guns when it comes to .308 AR’s.
What lower do you have?
I have a DPMS pattern lower.
What are you trying to accomplish with this project?
What role is it intended to fulfill for you?
I would like a gun that works, the last upper didn’t so I sent it back. If it proves reliable I will use it in multi gun matches and hunting.
Ok, so we’re talking about a shorter barrel, no more than 18", likely 16", lightweight, no frills, well-balanced .308 blaster with common AR controls that will handle well at a match, and double as a lightweight hunting package for medium-large game.
If you go the DIY route, the responsibility of making it reliable rests heavily on your shoulders, not anyone else, unless you buy a complete upper.
One big issue you’re going to need to consider is whether you brake it or not. A brake is pretty much standard at a lot of run and gun matches, but is not ideal for hunting if you have to make a quick opportunity shot.
That leads me to want to set the gun’s gas system and recoil system up balanced for reliability in the cold for hunting, which is going against a fine-tuned gun for matches where warmer weather and smooth cycling with less gas are ideal.
Whatever route you take, this points to a Mid Length Gas System at a minimum, preferably rifle length, even for a 16", ported and sealed correctly.
If it were me, and I had regressed backwards in time to the .308, I would probably get a DPMS GII donor gun, namely the Recon, and have the barrel re-profiled to a lighter weight contour, and go with a lightweight handguard.
Slap a solid 1-6 or 1-8x variable on it that can take 7.62 NATO semi auto abuse, with a reticle that lends itself well to Multi-Gun and hunting.
The other route would be to get an ArmaLite DEF10 16" Carbine, install a lightweight handguard, and furniture of choice, same optics approach.
Edited - My vote for the money is the aero precision. Mega would be the way to go but appears not compatbile with your lower.
I am looking for a complete upper.
Tagged. I’ll be building a .308 (maybe .338) federal over the winter.
It seems most of the newer rail systems are the low profile, and most uppers other than DPMS are the high profile. Hoping for some good input on this thread as I want to do my own build and not just buy a complete upper like the OP…
Anyone have experience with a U762 Upper Assembly from DRD Tactical. I like their take down feature, but if you but their barrel it’s a 1/12 twist. Most other .308 barrels are 1/10 twist. Shouldn’t matter if you don’t shoot the heavy bullets right?
If you want a quality complete upper that is compatible with a DPMS LR-308 lower, I would look at Fulton Armory.
They use Criterion barrels for their entry-level guns, and have been in the self-loader .308 business for a very long time. Their Liberator-L upper is pretty sick, although I would prefer a different handguard.
For the price, the Aero uppers do not seem like they can be beat at ~$110 for a upper. Even a generic DPMS upper is around that cost. I bought a complete Aero 308 set and liked it enough that I ended up getting two Aero uppers to go on my TM lowers. Even though the color and the fitment varied a bit, at half the cost of a TM upper, it was a easy choice for me.
Oh, and if the Aero sets were available at the time when I purchased the TM lowers, they all probably would be Aero lowers over TM lowers now.