The AR-10

Travis Bickle

Travis Bickle

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I have taken interest in the history of the AR-10 lately.
I have fired the C7 and C8 for some time now in semi and full auto with DND.
I am honestly not a huge fan of the platform for the current caliber.
However, I always saw the potential benefit of the platform with the 7.62 NATO caliber.
Compared to the other battle rifles of the day, the AR-10 was slim, weighed less (6.8 lbs unloaded!), much easier to control handle and manoeuver with.
Apparently it was plagued by a bad prototype barrel crapping out during a demo/torture test. They switched to a conventional barrel but the scene had sealed the fate of the rifle in the eyes of the people they sought to impress.
Seems like it suffered from a string of bad luck during intitial tests and demos and was never truly given a chance to develop into what could have become a bad ass rifle by any standard. It has a shady, checkered sketchy early production and sale history. The Portugeuese variants ended up being very reliable, very accurate and highly prized.
I've read that in the 60's some of the Portugal variants reached civilian markets like the US and Canada.
There were also US companies creating semi auto only receivers in the 60's through to the 80's and building AR-10's from parts of the originals for civilian market.
Did any ever make it to the Canadian market before the laws got uber ###?
I know Armalite makes newer AR-10B with rails and tacticool junk (they aren't based on the AR-10 but just upscaled AR-15's built to fire .308) etc but has anyone ever seen/fired/had any experience with or know anyone that actually owns one of the original style bad ass AR-10's?They would obviously be prohibited now or at the least restricted if it was a civilian semi auto variant.
I'm curious.
 
Working on this for a client. Armalite SASS upper, Cadex lower.

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Travis Bickle said:
Did any ever make it to the Canadian market before the laws got uber ###?
I know Armalite makes newer AR-10B with rails and tacticool junk (they aren't based on the AR-10 but just upscaled AR-15's built to fire .308) etc but has anyone ever seen/fired/had any experience with or know anyone that actually owns one of the original style bad ass AR-10's?They would obviously be prohibited now or at the least restricted if it was a civilian semi auto variant.
I'm curious.
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Theoretically a newly produced semi-only AR-10 (based off the original Stoner design) would be non-restricted, as it would not be an AR-15 variant. AFAIK, all of the AR-10's currently in Canada are 12.2 or 12.3 prohibs.
 
Damn you Farmboy!!! I'm still waiting for my SASS rail to arrive. :D

Theres board member with a couple of the original B's but I can't speak for him.
 
There's at least one incorrectly registered in BC, the only ones I can see being truly unrestricted would be the KLM guns, and the few that were built as samples in SA only.

ETA: I'm not sure how many KLM guns there were, but there were approx 50 made in California as semi auto.
 
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I figured it was a long shot lol
It's too bad the original design wasn't given a chance to develop.
I think they really could have become an awesome battle rifle.
I'd like to see Armalite do a reproduction line of the original AR-10 in semi-auto only.
As someone said it would not be restricted because it isn't an AR-15 platform or design.
I'm probably dreaming here but man, I would camp out overnight to be the first in line to buy one regardless of price :D
 
Is there a company currently producing a clone of the original AR10,
and what would be the logistics and costs be to setup production?
Reliable design, useful caliber for both hunting and target shooting, non-restricted too, I would definitely be interested in buying one.
 
I'd go for a semi-only repro of the Dutch AR10.

I saw one at the Kamloops Gun show (12.3) last spring, and I liked its stock and foregrip.
 
Travis Bickle said:
They would obviously be prohibited now or at the least restricted if it was a civilian semi auto variant.
I'm curious.
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Nope. Original select-fire guns are prohibs, but not be name, only because they are converted autos.

Any originals that may have left the factory as semis are NON-RESTRICTED so long as bbl is longer than 18.5 inches (all were longer).

I have said it 1000 times. If anyone (NEA - are you listening!??) made a new-manufacture semi-auto AR10, it would be non-restricted and sell like MAD. Particularly if they could do it in the $1000 range.
 
Travis Bickle said:
I figured it was a long shot lol
It's too bad the original design wasn't given a chance to develop.
I think they really could have become an awesome battle rifle.
I'd like to see Armalite do a reproduction line of the original AR-10 in semi-auto only.
As someone said it would not be restricted because it isn't an AR-15 platform or design.
I'm probably dreaming here but man, I would camp out overnight to be the first in line to buy one regardless of price :D
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The Armalite we know today is not the original company. I think its gone through two or three incarnations before today's company.

I am not sure, But I believe a certain US manufacturer of high end rifles has the original plans for the AR-10 tucked away somewhere.
 
evolture said:
What is the difference between the original semiauto AR10s and the new AR-15 offspring AR-10s?
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The upper and lower receivers are different from the AR-15 standard. The pistol grip is different. The bolt (although similar) is completely different. The furniture is different material and design. The rear sight was adjusted with a hoizontal dial set into the rear base of the carry handle. The weapon cocked from the top believe it or not.
When you see pictures of it, there is a curved trigger under the carry handle, that is the cocking handle you pulled back to #### the weapon. Which I think is much more practical than the awkward AR-15 bent wrist over hand lobster claw method. It also meant left or right handed shooters could fire it pretty much the exact same.
They were much simpler in design, less moving parts meant much higher reliability.
There's a video on youtube of a guy covering one in sand then dunking one in a box of of liquid mud a couple times then picking it up and firing about 4 full mags with no failure :eek:
The new Armalite "AR-10's" are literally just an AR-15 as we all know it chambered for 7.62 NATO/.308 Win.
They did a limited production a ways back of what they called an AR-10B as a "produced largely for collectors rifle" :confused: which was a semi auto only almost direct copy of the original (minus the bayo lug and the rear sights). They even had the earth brown furniture. These are the ones which would be non-restricted IF any made it to Canada or IF they ever decided to start up production again.
But all the ones being manufactured now are just AR-15 clones in 7.62 NATO/.308 Win.
 
They only reason people want them is for the NR status. If the AR 10/15 and AK were NR like they used to be very few of these new guns on the market would sell up here.
 
fireball said:
They only reason people want them is for the NR status. If the AR 10/15 and AK were NR like they used to be very few of these new guns on the market would sell up here.
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Hard to say really, I know I would be in line for an AR-10B ASAP regardless of wether they unrestricted the AR-15 style platform.
You can't make a statement so broad as this with any certainty.
I think it would sell very well if they could make them in sufficient numbers to lower the price.
The AR-180b2 was manufactured to the civilian market as the "poor mans AR-15" and was originally intended to be sold for $400-$600 while in production.
They only fetch stupid prices now because there aren't any more being produced but if they were at that price, I would buy one over a non-restricted Armalite AR-15 for $2k + any day.
Would the AR-10B be considered a restricted firearm if there were any in the country? It is not an AR-15 or variant same as the AR-180b2. It is not specifically named in the lists. It is not the same as an AR-15 or a variant of that weapon. The same reason the AR-180b2 is non-restricted.
If so I think they would sell like hot cakes IMO.
It's frustrating that they could produce such an awesome item which suits our firearms laws but they are an American company and obviously have to focus primarily on what their prime market demands would be (American civilians). Canadian firearm market would be a convenient after thought for sales if they ever contemplated starting production on the AR-10B again unfortunately :(
But a man can dream :D
 
We have a ton of them, and all the engineering drawings for the AR-10, AR-16 and several other E. M. Stoner designs.

Note not all the guns had barrels longer than 18.5"

Neat guns, if given a fair shake against the M-14 it would probably still be the main US Military weapon.
 
ColassalEntry said:
Its funny; everyone wants this and AR-180b's to be reproduced but no manufacturer f**king listens. Maybe copyrighted or something?
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The last company to hold the patent was the fairchild Aircraft Company, but it is long expired on the Ar10.

No legal reason not to produce one.

I know KAC hold a copy of the AR10 TDP, but I doubt they are giving it away for free.
 
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