Building an AR with .308 cartridges is very popular, especially after the launch of ready-to-fire tips, 80% of the bottom has the chamber and complete kits for the .308. But the original AR-10 had very few, if any, aftermarket components, making it impossible to build to order. This does not apply to the commercial LR-308 platform release developed by DPMS Firearms. This guide explains the differences between the SR-25 cousin, the AR-10, and the commercial LR-308 platform. We also explain which configuration is best for a reliable and accurate rifle.
AR-10 and SR-25 rifle platforms
Today you can combine any AR-15 part from any manufacturer to complete a rifle, SBR or pistol – top and bottom always match, parts 80 ar10 kit work well with BCG and any .223 or 5 NATO, 56 NATO barrel is warranted. Suitable for any buyer. The same applies to gas systems. The same cannot be said for the AR-10 and its Knight’s Armament Company counterpart (also designed by Stoner), the SR-25.
AR-10 in short
The ArmaLite AR-10 preceded the AR-15. Eugene Stoner designed the .308 rifle in 1956, before reducing its size and caliber (making it the .223 Remington) in 1957 to develop the AR-15. Financial problems forced ArmaLite to sell both designs to Colt, who later supplied a smaller gun. to two US Armies. The Army adopted the .223 rifle and named it the M16. Colt also set aside the AR-10 and focused on producing the AR-15 for civilian sale only in semi-automatic configurations. When Colt’s patent for the AR-15 expired, the market exploded with new manufacturers. This is why the modern AR-15 is so universal in its design. However, the AR-10 design was still produced in relatively small numbers by ArmaLite and later Knight’s Armament.
SR-25 in short
Built specifically for NATO forces, the SR-25 (Stoner Rifle-25) is housed in the equivalent 7.62x51mm NATO instead of the .308 Winchester. The name was created by adding the “SR-10” and “AR-15”, indicating the rifle’s similarities to the original AR-10 and AR-15 platforms. Eugene Stoner designed the SR-25 and continued his work at Knight’s Armament throughout the 1990s after the AR-10 ArmaLite version with the M14 rifle fell out of favor for military service. Emphasizing magazine capacity and accuracy, Stoner developed a 20-round steel magazine and signed a contract with Remington to develop the MOA Lower Barrel Assembly.
SOCOM was interested in the rifle for these two reasons and eventually adopted it in May 2000 under the designations Mk 11 Mod 0 (Navy and Marine Corps) and M110 (Army). The SR-25 served in the Special Forces for over a decade before being replaced by the SSR Mk 20 FN.
AR-10 and SR-25 parts compatibility
Since the AR-10 design has so many iterations and the SR-25 puts more emphasis on interchangeability than the M-16 and the AR-10, trying to define parts compatibility between the two rifles is beyond my reach. However, most AR-10 and SR-25 parts are interchangeable.
DPMSLR-308 platform
Simply put, if you’re building a .308 AR, this is a platform you have to stick with. DPMS Panther Arms (Defense Supply Manufacturing Services) was founded in 1985 as a precision machinery workshop aimed at manufacturing parts for the US Army’s M203, M14, and M16 weapon platforms. As the company grew, the company began developing 19112 and AR-15 parts under a public Colt license. Finally, DPMS introduced its own AR-15 platform.
