First Look: DPMS LR-308

My first hunting rifle was a Savage Arms 30-06. I enjoyed the .30 caliber round so much I began to search for a semiautomatic rifle that fired a .30 caliber projectile. While on my search I became very knowledgeable about the .308 caliber and experimented with several rifles chambered for the caliber. I would like to mention that this includes the 7.62x51. I understand that they are different in their own ways, but to save both time and space I will say now when I say .308 I mean both .308 and 7.62x51 and vice versa.

Anyway, while looking for the perfect rifle to fit my preferences I went through the French MAS and the CETME until I saved the money to pick up an AR-10 style rifle. This particular rifle was a DPMS LR-308, although the barrel said it was chambered for 7.62x51, and it had a 16” barrel with an A2 butt stock. The upper receiver was a flat top with a dust cover and forward assist. It was also equipped with a detachable carry handle. The barrel was equipped with a Yankee Hill Machine flip-down sight and a UTG quad-rail fore grip.

The rifle was a personal build from the floor up, as I learned it is much cheaper to go that route with an AR-10 style rifle. What I would like to brag about in regard to this rifle is its felt recoil. Anyone who has fired an AR-15 can attest to the lack of recoil in these firearms and the LR-308 is no exception to this trait of AR style rifles. Going “Rambo” with this rifle was nowhere near unpleasant and the weapon never went off target while firing. There is one negative thing to shooting the .308 from these rifles and that is the slightly loud bang that emerges from the barrel. Its slightly louder than shooting 5.56/.223, but the added noise, to me, is music to my ears.

The firearm had zero problems while firing, no FTFs or FTE’s. It shot from a Polymer Magazine and a C-Products Magazine, both 20 rounds, with both functioning flawlessly through every shot. This firearm, obviously, functioned just like an AR-15 with the only noticeable difference being the sound it makes and the size of the hole it puts in the target. The spent cases looked just as they should after being shot: perfect. There were no dent or nicks left in the casings that other semi-automatic .308s leave on the spent casings.

The difference in price for the rifle is also noticeable, but having a reliable semi-automatic rifle that shoots the .308 round is just about worth the price you pay. This was my second AR build, the first being a 6.8, and it is still amazing to me how simple they are a build and maintain. When looking into the .308 market in the future I will most likely start with the LR-308 design first.