I’m looking to buy my first 308 AR. I’m looking for something quality. I’m aware of PWS since I have a 5.56 from them and I’m aware of KAC because… well, KAC. Are there other brands I should be looking at? Of these two (or others), what is considered the “best”?
My uses are generally short range <300 yards shooting.
Without knowing your budget, we can only guess, and throw out our favorite brands.
If you have $4200, the KAC ACC is about THE absolute top of the line in .308’s. If your budget is $1800, that changes things.
I would look into KAC, LMT and Larue. Between the three of them there will be something that suits your budget and needs.
I have a mk10 308 from SOLGW ive been very happy with. Its a heavy precision type config, but they have a variety of builds based on what your looking for.
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Savage is coming out with a 308 that looks very promising
I just bought a PWS MK216 last month. I like it so far. Plus the customer service has been quick to respond to my questions.
KAC CC or PC is what you want if you have the coin.
I would also suggest taking a look at the POF-USA Revolution too.
Depends heavily on budget and application.
Under 300 can cover a lot of ground as far as use.
How much you plan to shoot per year is also a significant factor. If you are going to shoot over 2,500 rounds per year of decent ammo, the math favors a long-life system (higher initial investment), but if you are going to be under 1k per year, or have a low performance requirement, then you can go with a low-cost option to little detriment to your experience.
I like gap, kac, Lmt and LWRC (I don’t have a pof or jp.), but for resale and GP, either a ECC or EMC used May be something to consider. Even used, they aren’t cheap.
The only large frame AR’s I have any experience with are a LW barreled Larue OBR and a LMT MWS. The Larue was an accurate rifle but we would get a lot of popped primers and stuck cases on longer strings of fire. ML didn’t want to address the issue so that rifle was sold rather quickly with full disclosure. I bought a used MWS last fall. Shooting 168gr FGMM I shot 15 5 shot groups and it averaged roughly MOA with the cl barrel. 15 5 shot groups from an 18” SS barrel has averaged roughly .75 MOA also with 168 gr FGMM. I say roughly because I don’t have the on target software. The SS barrel is more consistent as it heats up than the CL.
I know its not a high round count but I’ve shot about 300 FGMM, almost 500 168 gr magtec, and a couple hundred or so hand loads. So far no stuck cases or any other malfunctions. POI shift when swapping barrels has been consistent. 1.5 moa elevation and 1 moa windage. I did this 3x just for kicks to see if it was repeatable.
The only gripe I have is that the p-mags and Lancers I have don’t drop free.
I’m a big boy, the weight doesn’t bother me.
If you’re patient, ~$2k will get you a used MWS.
Should have picked up a South American LMT MWS for $1799. That was a hall of fame deal. I wish I would have bought two.
When was this… I would have bought two and blamed the 2nd on the upcoming election.
There are getting to be more options through a wider price range, but some of them are newer so they isn’t a ton of data on them. Of course KAC is considered top-tier (quality, performance, price, etc). LMT is proven quality, many options, and a great value. M&P10 has been around for a while. Then you have Larue, DPMS, and maybe another one or two in which I have no interest. Newer offerings from Sons of Liberty, American Defense, Daniel Defense, Centurion (in future), and BAD (if you’re into it) are worth checking out. It’s not an impossible task to build your own with some research, and there are plenty of options this route. Then there is also B&T APC308 (13”, 14.5”, 18”), Scar 17, and CZ Bren II 308 if piston guns with controls similar to an AR platform interest you.
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Sent you a PM with a good idea for you. 
I made a recommendation on an LMT MWS that I’m personally familiar with.
https://lmtdefense.com/firearms/mlkmws
New mws’ @ $2299 kinda ends the discussion IMHO
So, that’s basically the old MWS with MLOK minus SOPMOD stock and 2-stage trigger? Awesome price! And I just spent $1k on a MARS-H lower.
Yeah. Hoping the prices of used quad railed ones fall into the $1500 range
I run the MWS and SR25. Both solid performers. The MWS was uber reliable before I started dicking with it and modifying it, and then spent a decent amount of time and money trying to get it to run optimally again. However, out of the box it was good to go. If I had to choose one over the other I’d give the edge to the SR25 primarily due to the noticeable weight savings, especially if doing a lot of hiking with it. Performance-wise they’re about equal in terms of reliability and accuracy, and the MWS does have the advantage of being able to quick change barrels and having a sturdier monolithic upper chassis. It’s like trying to choose a favorite between your kids. It’s great to have options.