KILLING THEM SOFTLY

Desert Forge Arms Helps Us Tame the AR-10

- Tom Marshall

This build stemmed from the most primal of gun-owner temptations: “I don’t have one of those. I should probably get one.” In this case, one of those was a 7.62x51mm AR. While the author has a standard stable of 5.56mm ARs in varying configurations, a heavy hitter with some extended-range capability was missing from the safe. But we didn’t want just any AR-10 type. The idea was to create a gun that shot as soft as possible for caliber while maintaining accuracy at distance.

We started with an Aero Precision builder’s kit — receiver set and handguard. We then added a 20-inch stainless steel Criterion barrel. These feature rifle-length gas systems and M118LR-spec chambers, in order to optimize performance with heavier loads.