Originally Posted By: billt460
A few other things I would mention with the .308 AR. If you stick with a DPMS / SR-25 type weapon, you'll have no trouble with magazines or parts. Bolt carrier groups, along with magazines, (Mag-Pul P-Mags), and charging handles are everywhere in the after market. I have the DPMS AR-10, and 2 Springfield Armory M1-A rifles. As well as 3 Ruger Mini 14's. And I prefer the AR over all of them.
As far as cleaning the M1-A. It is a PITA to take apart and clean compared to the AR. You have to be very careful not to get solvent or oil into the gas system. As it can get damaged by firing the weapon with any type of fluid in the system. And in some of the more expensive Super Match Models of the M1-A, they advise you not to remove the barreled action from the stock, unless it's actually necessary. This is because these rifles come glass bedded from the factory. And Springfield say's disturbing the action / stock bedding can have a negative effect on accuracy, by loosening things up too much. This makes proper cleaning an even bigger PITA. And all of the above also applies to the FNAR. Which is nothing more than a .308 Browning BAR with a plastic stock, and a box magazine attached to it. (Which are difficult to find, and ungodly expensive when you do).
Another thing with the M1-A, is you have to be careful with the type of ammo you shoot in it. It has the same action as a M1 Garand. And they don't like slow burning powders. The reason is because these type of loads will allow the action to cycle while it is under too much pressure. This can result in bent operating rods. You have to shoot loads that contain powders with mid range burn rates. There are companies like Hornady that make Garand and M1-A specific loads for these rifles. If you handload, you have to stay within these powder parameters, or it is possible to damage the rifles operating system. Many of the newer loading manuals list specific loads for the Springfield M1-A.
While there are some piston operated AR platform .308 rifles. Most of them are direct impingement gas operated. This allows a much broader spectrum of loads to be safely used. Without having to worry about the gun. In fact, I can't think of a single factory load that I would be concerned about shooting in a direct impingement .308 AR platform rifle.
There are so many nice .308 AR's currently available out there today, you can have one in most any type or configuration you want. From a short barreled carbine, to a 20" barreled long range target rifle, with high powered optics. And most anything in between.
Do you have the DPMS G1 or G2?
Has it been reliable?
A few other things I would mention with the .308 AR. If you stick with a DPMS / SR-25 type weapon, you'll have no trouble with magazines or parts. Bolt carrier groups, along with magazines, (Mag-Pul P-Mags), and charging handles are everywhere in the after market. I have the DPMS AR-10, and 2 Springfield Armory M1-A rifles. As well as 3 Ruger Mini 14's. And I prefer the AR over all of them.
As far as cleaning the M1-A. It is a PITA to take apart and clean compared to the AR. You have to be very careful not to get solvent or oil into the gas system. As it can get damaged by firing the weapon with any type of fluid in the system. And in some of the more expensive Super Match Models of the M1-A, they advise you not to remove the barreled action from the stock, unless it's actually necessary. This is because these rifles come glass bedded from the factory. And Springfield say's disturbing the action / stock bedding can have a negative effect on accuracy, by loosening things up too much. This makes proper cleaning an even bigger PITA. And all of the above also applies to the FNAR. Which is nothing more than a .308 Browning BAR with a plastic stock, and a box magazine attached to it. (Which are difficult to find, and ungodly expensive when you do).
Another thing with the M1-A, is you have to be careful with the type of ammo you shoot in it. It has the same action as a M1 Garand. And they don't like slow burning powders. The reason is because these type of loads will allow the action to cycle while it is under too much pressure. This can result in bent operating rods. You have to shoot loads that contain powders with mid range burn rates. There are companies like Hornady that make Garand and M1-A specific loads for these rifles. If you handload, you have to stay within these powder parameters, or it is possible to damage the rifles operating system. Many of the newer loading manuals list specific loads for the Springfield M1-A.
While there are some piston operated AR platform .308 rifles. Most of them are direct impingement gas operated. This allows a much broader spectrum of loads to be safely used. Without having to worry about the gun. In fact, I can't think of a single factory load that I would be concerned about shooting in a direct impingement .308 AR platform rifle.
There are so many nice .308 AR's currently available out there today, you can have one in most any type or configuration you want. From a short barreled carbine, to a 20" barreled long range target rifle, with high powered optics. And most anything in between.
Do you have the DPMS G1 or G2?
Has it been reliable?
