Best AR-10 Barrels (.308 and 6.5 Creedmoor Barrels Reviewed)

The AR-10 rifle is the high-caliber cousin of the AR-15. It’s a spectacular platform for the high-powered .308 and 7.62 NATO rounds. Like the AR-15, the AR-10 is almost infinitely buildable, and there’s a huge aftermarket for the AR-10. You can buy just about everything you need to put together the perfect rifle. One popular upgrade that gun owners like to make is to replace the barrel. With today’s guide, we will walk you through the Best AR-10 Barrels for all kinds of shooters.

If you are interested in more upgrades, check out our review articles on the Best 308 muzzle brake and Best AR-10 Lower Recievers.

Our Guide to the Top 6 AR-10 Barrels

Not all AR-10 barrels are equal. Factors such as twist rate, overall length, and barrel weight can have a significant effect on accuracy. Also, these factors change the practical applicability of the rifle. Are you building a carbine or a long-range target gun? These sorts of questions can help you find the ideal barrel. Here are six of the best AR-10 barrels available today.

History of The AR-10

When Eugene Stoner originally designed the AR-10, it was purpose-built for military 7.62mm M-80 ball ammo and a 20.8-inch barrel. The buffer system was designed for that combination. The AR-10 buffer was 5 3/16″ (5.188″) long and weighed 5.4 ounces. The use of a carbine buffer tube wasn’t considered. The three basic patterns of .308 ARs: SR-25, Armalite, and DPMS all have carbine variants. There is no standard, but we now have a lot of options to come up with the right match.

AR-10 vs. AR-15: What’s the Difference?

Many firearms enthusiasts have trouble choosing between the AR-15 and the AR-10. What’s the difference, and why choose an AR-10?

The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America today, and for a good reason: it’s durable, easy to use, and extremely effective. The ubiquitous AR-15 fires the .223 Remington cartridge, and many fire the visibly identical 5.56 NATO round. The .223 and 5.56 NATO cartridges are relatively small, and though effective, don’t pack the ‘punch’ many people require.

The AR-10 is functionally and visually similar to the AR-15, and some parts are interchangeable. The primary difference is that the AR-10 fires a larger .308 Winchester or 7.62×51 NATO round. It’s essentially an M14 in an AR-15 shell. People who are comfortable with the AR-15 platform will immediately feel at home with an AR-10, and vise versa.

Why Choose an AR-10 over an AR-15?

There are a few notable advantages to purchasing an AR-10. Some areas prohibit the use of AR-15 rifles for big game hunting, as lawmakers decided that the .223/5.56 NATO cartridge isn’t sufficient for large animals. The AR-10 can sometimes circumvent these restrictions, as the .308 round is one of the most popular deer hunting cartridges available.

Additionally, .308 has ballistic advantages over .223 and 5.56 NATO. When comparing the rounds side-by-side, it’s easy to see why hunters trust the .308 over the .223 and 5.56 NATO round.

The .308 is essentially a shortened 30-06, and some .308 ammo can be extremely good for accuracy. Compared to .223, the .308 round has significantly more ‘bang’ powder behind a much larger bullet. If you want maximum stopping power in the AR platform, you’d be best served with an AR-10.

Physical Differences

The AR-10 and the AR-15 differ in size and dimension. The AR-10 fires a much larger and more powerful round than the AR-15. This means that the AR-10 receiver is noticeably larger than the AR-15 receiver. The easiest way to tell the difference between an AR-10 and an AR-15 is to look at the magazine well.

The AR-10 magazine well appears noticeably longer than the AR-15 mag well, making the profile of the rifle unique to its smaller cousin. Here are some other clues to tell the difference between the AR-10 and the AR-15.

AR-15 rifles

• Much more common and rifle barrels are often 2 to 6 inches shorter than AR-10 barrels

AR-10 rifles

• Mag wells appear elongated
• Appear ‘beefier’ overall compared to AR-15 rifles
• Rifles often use shorter and wider magazines

Additionally, AR-10 barrels tend to be longer than most AR-15 carbines. With the exception of the M16-style AR-15 with a 20-inch barrel, most AR-10 rifles you see will appear a touch lengthier. This is because the vast majority of AR-10 barrels are either 18 inches, 20 inches, or 22 inches long, whereas AR-15 rifles often come with 16-inch barrels. The barrel of an AR-10 is usually slightly thicker as well.

How to Choose the Best Barrel Upgrade for your AR-10

So, how do you choose the best AR-10 barrel for your rifle? First, consider its application. Are you a hunter? Do you compete with your rifle, or do you want a solid and standard replacement for your current barrel? If you ask yourself these questions, it’ll be easy to find the best AR-10 barrel upgrade for you.

Best AR-10 Barrel for Hunters

Choosing the best AR-10 barrel for hunting requires careful consideration of weight, length, and accuracy. In a perfect world (where you drive right up to the deer blind), barrel weight wouldn’t matter much. But in reality, there’s a good chance you’ll need to lug your rifle around quite a ways. Most AR-based rifles with iron sights also work with optics, but hunters may never use the iron sights alone. This is why hunters often prefer barrels with non-sight gas blocks. Finding a match-grade barrel with an integrated gas block and without iron sights is easy, as most hunting barrels omit the front sight entirely. This makes it easy to mount scopes and other optics without a front sight post getting in the way of your sight picture.

That’s why a hybrid like the Criterion rifle-length AR-10 barrel is an excellent choice.

 

Best All-Purpose AR-10 Barrel

What makes an ideal all-purpose AR-10 rifle barrel? Generally speaking, it should be high-quality, easy to clean, corrosion-resistant, and not too heavy or light. In essence, the all-purpose AR-10 barrel is anything better than a factory barrel.

The Brownells AR-308 carbine barrel fits this description well.

It’s available in three common barrel lengths (16 inches, 18 inches, and 20 inches), mid-weight, and relatively easy to install. It comes from the factory with a gas block and a front sight post, which means you’re ready to shoot with or without optics. Overall, it’s a well-rounded barrel that’s as close to plug-and-play as it can get.

Advantages of Upgrading your AR-10 Barrel

What are the advantages of upgrading AR-10 barrels? Swapping barrels isn’t as easy as replacing a grip or a handguard, but it can have a drastic effect on your gun’s performance and improve your shooting skills.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider swapping out that old factory barrel or upgrading it from the start.

Replacing a Worn Barrel

Bullets and hot gasses traveling at 2,000+ FPS can do a number on a barrel. Over time, barrels wear out, and they’re often the first part of a gun that needs to be completely replaced. Criterion states that .308 AR-10 barrels last between 5,000 and 8,000 rounds, and 6.5 Creedmoor barrels last between 3,000 and 6,000 rounds. It seems like a lot, but it’s really not. Here’s an example to consider.

Let’s say you go to the range twice per month and shoot about 100 rounds each time. That’s 2,400 rounds per year and could be nearly half of your barrel’s average lifespan. Over time, round count adds up, and it’s easy to dismiss declining accuracy and reliability.

If you shoot regularly and you’ve used the same barrel for a few years, chances are it’s due for a replacement. The benefits of replacing a worn AR-10 barrel are immediate and dramatic. The accuracy of your rifle will improve, and so will its reliability.

Improved Accuracy

The 308 was developed by Winchester back in 1952 and continues to be one of the most popular hunting rounds on the market. If you are hunting or shooting a match the .308 has the accuracy, low price, high power, and long-range you need.

Most commercial .308 ammunition fires a 150-165 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of nearly 3,000 feet per second. With soft point or polymer tipped bullets, the cartridge is capable of taking all but the biggest game with one well-placed shot. You’ll also find full metal jacket rounds for sale in bulk providing a less expensive alternative to feed your .308 ARs.

If you own an entry-level AR-10, you may be missing out on a lot of accuracy. With the right barrel, your existing rifle could match a custom-built match gun. What’s the point of precision training if your rifle won’t cooperate? Adding a match-grade barrel in .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor is the most dramatic step you can take towards improving the inherent accuracy of your rifle, with or without iron sights.

Are AR-10 and AR-15 Barrels Interchangeable?

Many parts of the AR platform are interchangeable between the AR-10 and the AR-15. The barrels are absolutely not one of them. AR-10 and AR-15 rifles fire vastly different cartridges, and most parts of the action are unique.

AR-10 Barrels and Carbine Compatibility

The two rifles fire different sized ammunition.

• The AR-10 usually uses .308 and 7.62 NATO ammunition, which is a member of the 30-caliber family. This is a full-size rifle round and considered high-powered.
• The AR-15 uses smaller (but effective) .223 and 5.56 NATO ammunition, the casing, and bullet of which is significantly smaller than .30 caliber.

These barrels cannot be interchanged as neither one would fit. The .308 AR receiver and bolt are longer than an AR-15 to accommodate the longer .308 cartridge. The careful balance of length of the carrier, the amount of travel required, the length of the buffer, and the compressed length of the buffer spring determines if and how well your rifle functions. I can recommend some solutions, but with all these variables, some experimentation is required. In fact, you might need more than one buffer and spring combination if you plan to change uppers or ammo.

Because the amount of bolt travel required for the .308 AR is longer, you cannot use an AR-15 carbine buffer with an AR-15 carbine buffer tube on a 308 rifle. You must have a specifically designed spring and extra short buffer.

Finding the correct buffer and spring will result in a high-functioning rifle with extended service life.

A lighter buffer to reduce lock time and increase cyclic rate while a heavier buffer will keep the rifle in battery slightly longer reducing bounce and transfer more inertia to the bolt providing reliable chambering when dirty. Adjusting buffer weights can accommodate different ammunition or reducing the recoil impulse. A heavier spring with a properly tuned gas system can often yield a faster, lighter impulse that feels almost like an AR-15, very easy to clear or load.

Interchangeable AR-10 and AR-15 Parts

You’re in luck if you have boxes of AR-15 parts laying around—some AR-10 and AR-15 parts are indeed interchangeable. You can purchase these parts and swap them between your guns using the same tools as well. Here’s a list of these interchangeable parts.

• Safety selectors
• Buttstocks and buttstock assemblies
• Magazine release buttons
• Magazine release springs
• Triggers
• Bolt catch roll pins
• Buffer detents
• Disconnectors
• Disconnector springs
• Hammers
• Hammer springs
• Pistol grips
• Reviewer extensions

You can find compatible and interchangeable parts for the AR platform in virtually any gun store. Plus, re-using some of these parts from your previous builds can save a significant amount of time and investment.

Improve the Accuracy of Your AR-10

Are you dissatisfied with the groups you’re shooting with your AR-10? Sub-MOA performance is well within the capabilities of a well-built AR-10, so there’s likely a problem somewhere in the system. AR-10 rifles should be extremely accurate, even past 500 yards (depending on your barrel, optics, and experience).

Experimentation will allow custom tuning of any given rifle. Here are a few tips to improve the accuracy of your AR-10.

1. Replace the Barrel and try different springs and buffers

   Springs and buffers are cheap and they can keep your rifles healthy and happy. Replacing the barrel is an excellent and relatively easy way to improve the capabilities of your AR-10. Thicker barrels are ideal for target rifles, as they deform less from heat and tend to hold tighter groups. Plus, new barrels reduce accuracy loss from worn rifling, pitting, and other age and use-related issues.

2. Upgrade.308 Springs and Buffers

   Springs and buffers are cheap and they can keep your rifles healthy and happy. Original manufacturers .308 AR springs and buffers spring should offer good performance over a wide range of configurations, but if you have any reliability issues, why not check a different buffer weight or spring? This alone can yield truly optimized performance, particularly for rifles without an adjustable gas block

   In selecting a spring for your rifle, install a heavier spring if you feel the buffer head fully compress and bottom out while firing the weapon. If the bolt carrier will not lock back reliably on the last round fired, even when completely gassed (in the case of an adjustable gas block), select a lighter spring.

3. Dial-in your iron sights

   Are you running iron sights on your AR-10? If so, when was the last time you spent an hour or two sighting it in at long ranges? Iron sights work very well, but many people never get them dialed-in and adjusted just right. A few hours at the range and some patience can get your iron sights in competition condition.

4. Invest in premium optics

   Iron sights have their limitations and don’t offer the hair-splitting accuracy of precision optics. If your AR-10 has a Picatinny rail system, consider upgrading to a high-quality optic such as a scope or an ACOG. It’ll need to be dialed-in as well, but a competition-grade optical sight system can extend your accurate range well past 500 yards.

5. Practice Regularly

   Shooting is a skill that takes years to develop, and even the best shooters find their skills fade with time. It’s essential to hit the range regularly. Over time, your ideal AR-10 platform will become second-nature, and muscle memory will make your shooting more accurate.

Conclusion:

All-Around Best AR-10 Barrel

What constitutes the best AR-10 barrel upgrade? The answer depends on what you need it for, so I chose what I believe to be the best all-purpose AR-10 barrel available on our list. When it comes to finding the right balance for everyday shooting, I considered weight, ease of installation, and material quality.