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Looking for an AR in .243. Who makes these?

I am looking at Armalite because they are the only manufacturer I know of beside DPMS which I am not interested in.

Who else makes them? Which do you suggest based on personal experience.

Any reasons not to go with the .243? I chose this because I like the versatility of the .243. Wanting something with a little more energy than the .223 but not so expensive and loud as a .308.

I found a .243 upper. Is building an AR 10 lower much different than building an AR 15?

Thanks.


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Armalite also has a 10T heavy barrel upper in .260 Rem, which allows for a bit heavier bullets. I have so far found Armalite's stainless barrels to be excellent, not so sure about their steel barrels.

AR10's vary more than 15's do, as far as manufacturer dimensions. Noveske and Armalite are compatable, DPMS and Bushy differ.


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The receivers on the Armalite are made of 7075T6 aluminum, while the DPMS are made of 6061. Bushmaster/Remington do not specify which alloy they use in the .308 AR models but they do specify 7075 for the AR-15 (so does DPMS, BTW.) SO this leads me to believe that Bushmaster uses 6061 in their 308 ARs, unless somebody can point me to a Bushmaster link that says otherwise.

To me, that is a BIG differentiator, which is why my planned AR-10 build starts with Armalite receivers.

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Armalite and DPMS are just two to name a few for your big platform AR's. You can go the custom route and have a very nice firearm that will shoot bug holes guranteed. Look at Specialized Dynamics, Dedicated Technologies (DTech), and GAP just to get started naming a few. I just went through the same process. I am going with Specialized Dynamics. I have talked to Scott on the phone a few times and by email several times. He is building me a .260 that should be SWEET!!!!! I also have a 6.5 Grendel on the way built by him. All of these companies will build you a very fine 243. Good luck with whatever you choose

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Except you cannot use the .308 Pmags with an Armalite, is that correct? Forgive my AR-10/LR308 ignorance...

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Absolutely correct: From Magpul's site:

"NOTE: NOT compatible with Armalite AR-10, Noveske N6, Rock River Arms LAR8, FN SCAR 17S or any other rifles that utilize M14 type, FN FAL, or HK 91/G3 magazines."


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Going for a .243 WSSM instead would let you drop back to the AR-15 platform and gain ~200 fps. 6mm BR Norma also is good for the AR-15 but will cost you ~200 fps compared to the .243 Win.


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I thought the 243wssm was about the same as the 243Win, not 200fps faster.

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If you want an AR10 you have to buy it from Armalite because they are the maker of the AR10. If you want an AR pattern .243, you have other options, mostly semi custom.

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I just bought a used AR-10T in .243 with a 26" Rock bbl. First three shots were less than 1/2" at 100 yds. That was just for sighting in and with a run of the mil-spec trigger (I'm the third owner, previous owner took out the NM trigger, looking at several options now, leaning towards the Geissele HS match. I tend to like Armalite AR-10 platform guns over others. I don't know if it's near AR-15 mil spec aesthetics or their parkerization or what. I do jones for a p-mag that would fit instead of or in addition to the M-14 style. Are you listening Magpul??

Armalite still makes one in .243 win. Better decide right now what twist you want. Some of the long range crowd are going tighter twist to use the 107gr- 115gr pills. I've got a normal factory twist of 1/9 so I'll be limited to @100gr bullets.

Good luck.


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Originally Posted by TWR
I thought the 243wssm was about the same as the 243Win, not 200fps faster.



They are very very close in the same. But the main difference in the AR scheme of things is the .243 is the big platform AR and the .243 wssm is the AR-15 (small) platform.

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Understood, XL5 said that you could gain 200fps, that was what I was questioning.

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The WSSM has the same or slightly more case capacity, and an additional 5000 SAAMI max psi. Even Browning couldn't screw that up.


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Well, if we're talking factory ammo then yes I can see that.

But with the 243W case capacity of 52.8 grs and the 243WSSM at 53 grs, I just don't see the difference when one loads both to safe but like pressures. Trust me if Rem had chambered the 243wssm in their 7400 autoloader the pressures would be the same. In an AR-10, weight would be the only difference for a reloader.

Reason it stood out, I just got through dealing with all the options as it's time to rebarrel a 223wssm.

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Originally Posted by FTR_Shooter
The receivers on the Armalite are made of 7075T6 aluminum, while the DPMS are made of 6061. Bushmaster/Remington do not specify which alloy they use in the .308 AR models but they do specify 7075 for the AR-15 (so does DPMS, BTW.) SO this leads me to believe that Bushmaster uses 6061 in their 308 ARs, unless somebody can point me to a Bushmaster link that says otherwise.

To me, that is a BIG differentiator, which is why my planned AR-10 build starts with Armalite receivers.


Why do you care what alloy they use? I asked Jason at Quentin Defense about it. He told me that in a billet lower there was no reason to use anything other than 6061 T6. He said that 7075 was used in some AR 308 platforms that used FORGED receivers as it can be forged. He said that the strength is a non-issue as there are plenty of PLASTIC lowers out there! I thought that was a pretty compelling argument to use 6061.


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"AR-10 build starts with Armalite receivers."

Thats what I think too.

Last edited by Rusky; 01/06/12.

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Mine started with a POF lower.


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Mine started out DPMS .243 lr. Funny, I haven't changed a thing except the trigger.

Last edited by cheechako; 01/07/12.

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dennissinaz you do not have an AR-10, you have something built on a P308 lower. cheechako, you do not have an AR-10 you have something built on a LR-308 lower.

Only Armalite makes the AR-10.

Now dennussinaz, I have no clue who Justin at Quentin Defense is, and while I'm sure he's a nice guy, everyone has opinions and if he is selling billet lowers, then you can be sure he will say they are the best and there is no need for forged receivers.

This is the same thing we find with people who sell piston ARS when they say piston is the only way to go. Or people who sell hammer forged barrels, or people who sell cut barrels or people who sell button-rifled barrels. According to these people their way is the best, their product is the best and the others are not nneded.

If forged was not needed, why does DPMS offer all their AR-15 receivers as forged? I would think the AR-15 shooting the diminutive .223 Rem will certainly not need to deal with stresses greater than an AR-type rifle firing the much larger .308 Win.

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FTR, I�m no metal smith but, I�m pretty sure that all the forged aluminum parts are cheaper to produce. Forging is a process in which you take metal (in this case aluminum) melt it down and pour it into a mold, and then you take it out and machine it into what you want. That being said they can use scrap aluminum and that is why it is cheaper to produce also there is less machining with forged parts as opposed to billet parts.

I agree that when someone wants to sell you something they will tell you anything to get it done. (I.e. Billet parts are the best). What you are saying about Armalite is right also hence AR (Armalite rifle) but, the term has now morphed into a catch all phrase.

As far as which is the best, you would have to go to a metallurgy book and look up the properties of the aluminum I.E. 7075/6061 because those numbers mean how much pure aluminum is in the part, 70% 7%, 5% or 60%,6%, 1% along with other alloys that are in it (chromium, vanadium Ext.) Then determine what is needed for your purpose.

We won�t go into heat treating and the machining process as that will take a long time. Also my explanation on the numbers for the aluminum and alloys was short and to the point but by no means comprehensive. Have a nice night:)


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