Preview – 7.62 Full Metal Deathmatch

Photos by Kenda Lenseigne

Three AR-10 Carbines Go Head to Head to Head

Thanks to the Salesman-in-Chief, it seems like everyone’s got an AR-15. With a market awash in 5.56mm rifles, the next item many people will consider adding to their collection is its big brother, a 7.62 NATO version — because although the ammo is heavier and more expensive, by comparison it hits like the hand of an angry god. With that in mind, we assembled three of the best examples of the breed and compared them side by side to see which one might best fit your requirements.

Daniel Defense 7.62

First up is the newest of the three offerings, which may or may not be on sale by the time you read this. We got our hands on an early prototype DD7.62, so some of its features may change before its release to the public.

With that caveat in place, what’s not going to change is the way the barrel mates to the upper receiver, which is both patented and unique in the AR world. Using threaded steel inserts in the upper, a full-profile flange around the barrel extension is sandwiched by the rail system and clamped by four grade-8 bolts that pass through bosses on the handguard. By doing so, its bearing surface is increased by more than 40 percent compared to a regular barrel nut, and the barrel/upper interface is massively beefed up. The weakest part of that subassembly now becomes its strongest, reducing any influence that pressure on the handguard may have on accuracy.

Seekins Precision SP10

Seekins started out in the gun industry by making bottom metal and scope rings for precision rifles before branching out into ARs. It’s only natural, then, for them to incorporate both aspects of the business into their latest venture, the SP10. Taking cues from the proven iRMT upper receiver found in their small-frame guns, the SP10 features a massively reinforced barrel nut area that extends the Picatinny rail forward by four slots — as a bonus, the usual no go spot for mounting optics is eliminated. The 12 o’clock rail continues out 15 inches toward the muzzle and is triangular in profile, with a flat bottom surface to aid in shooting from packs or barricades. It takes some getting used to when used offhand — compared to the AR-15 version, this one is 3⁄16-inch wider. While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s enough to make us wish our digits were a bit longer.

Grey Ghost Precision Specter Heavy

Grey Ghost Precision (GGP) was spawned from the fertile minds at Tactical Tailor, in order to expand the work of their Grey Ghost Gear brand into the rifle market. The rifles themselves are built by Mega Arms (who coincidentally are just down the road in the Great Northwet) to GGP specifications. Their home base located just outside the gates of Joint Base Lewis McChord gave ample opportunity for real world testing by guys who use rifles for a living, and feedback from troops, SOF instructors, and competitive shooters was incorporated into the final design.

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