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The only thing cooler than a retro AR15 build is a retro AR10 build. Or so Brownell’s hopes . . .

Brownell’s newest old rifle is their first complete rifle for sale: a faithful recreation of Eugene Stoner’s iconic AR10. Faithful as in period correct in every detail.

The new old rifle comes with the charging handle on top of the receiver — just like Mr. Stoner’s original design.

It’s available in 1950’s-era brown furniture. The bayonet lug? Yeah they looked just like that. 

You can also buy the black furniture used on later models.

The carry handle is as the carry handle was.

The retro rifle’s charging handle feels much sturdier than the current AR10 charging handles. And just as sturdy — and no sturdier — than the original.

The Dutch style open three prong flash hider looks authentic. Because it is.

You want a period correct Argentinian style closed three prong flash hider? Just tick the correct box.

AR’s have evolved. The retro AR10’s charging handle will get hot quickly. The Dutch flash hider will make a weird sound. You can’t mount an optic on the gun. Its barrel isn’t free floated. Brownell’s Brown Bess AR10 won’t even take Magpul Pmags.

Its flaws are absolutely perfect and have aged as well as CIndy Crawford’s. I forgot to mention the Brownell’s AR10 costs around $1,500. Sorry, typewriters are hard work.

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39 COMMENTS

  1. Yay, something the ATF will ban in 6 months for being a “machine gun” thanks to this new rule they’re gonna make and NRA has stabbed us in the back with.

        • Most of the time yes.

          I apologize.

          I just can’t seem to get a break, (I would rather not talk about it but let’s just say I had a serious life threatening illness and was in the hospital when Las Vegas happened).

          I’ve felt powerless as I watch all of our “friends” sell us out, and the man we voted for to stop more stupid and unconstitutional regulations basically give the ATF the power to ban semi autos outright, while at the same time trying to find motivation to recover from a serious illness, and the weight gain from not being able to excecise, and having to get back into a routine after months of recovering.

        • I know nobody gives a damn if I’m having issues in my personal life but I also have no other place to vent my frustrations about the state of affairs in our once great country, nobody else I know IRL is as passionate about the 2A as most people here.

        • DoomGuy:

          Obviously I don’t know your situation. But for what it’s worth, from someone who has gone through some dark days and nights also, an observation or two from what you wrote.

          You haven’t given up. You might be pissed off about your situation, but you don’t sound resigned to it. That means you can make it better. Be angry, embrace it, and use it. And it can get better. I can’t promise it will, only that if you are taking control of it and doing everything you can, if it does get better, it’s because you’re helping make it so. And that, my friend, can be truly uplifting when you see it happening.

          And, to state the obvious, this wouldn’t be as interesting a place without you.

      • It happens player, I understand. Eventually you’ll find the bottom of the hole you’re in…then you’ll have no choice but to look up. Get well buddy.

    • Cheer up. Supposedly CMP is receiving over 100,000 m1 garands from the Philippines and Turkey. Video at the firearm blog has a lady from CMP talking about it. Thank you President Trump!

    • Well a Slide Fire stock is as much a machine gun as a Sig Brace is a stock.
      After all removing a spring that results in better “simulated” sustained fire, a bumpstock equipped firearm should be reclassified as a semi automatic. Of course it’s not going to result in some screwed up regulations and laws when some madman uses on on a bunch of people.
      Nothing beats a machine gun when firing into a crowd, but now you have a semi automatic that is just as effective, so what did you expect?

  2. Bob Brownell’s, we having found this firm an excellent supplier to Dad and me beginning back just after WWII. J. A. “Red” Wyatt, Wyatt-Power Custom Rifles, Remington Recommended Gunsmith, Kosciusko, Mississippi USA!
    BROWNELL’S: Reliability in an age of UNReliability!!!!!!!

  3. So far this (and the rest of Brownells line of”vintage” ARs) is the most exciting thing about SHOT as far as I’m concerned.

  4. While I am more excited about their M16A1 offering I can certainly see the appeal of their AR-10. I am sure they will all sell like hot cakes.

  5. Not particularly faithful for a “faithful” recreation. The front sight post is the biggest offender, but that furniture is a long shot from Bakelite, too.
    That said, still cool there’s a bit of a retro renaissance. I may have to look into their receiver sets.

    • I actually want one of these in black, and I don’t consider it faithful. It looks like fun, and not without practicality. I actually want to do an accurate 601 build at some point. I don’t think Brownells is putting Nodak Spud out of business anytime soon.

        • They are using Nodak for everything on their M16A1s but the barrels (which Brownell’s screwed up originally, drilling the gas port through to the other side). Also the carry handles aren’t right and won’t work with scope mounts (not sure if they ever addressed this).

        • They are NoDak raw forgings. NoDak, per it’s website, doesn’t make the lowers and uppers for Brownells. They just supply the raw forgings.

    • YES! I am excited that Brownell’s is doing this… but with all the other attention to details, why did they skip the AR-10’s obvious front sight post?? It’s like they couldn’t properly tool it in time, or somebody fell asleep at the wheel… something. I mean, the furniture you can gloss laquer and paint and get an authentic look up to speed relatively easily. But that front sight post is gonna scream “please replace me” to anyone who pines after the old AR-10 rifle.

      Normally, I don’t give a hoot about cosmetics on firearms. But the whole point of retro replica rifles is to faithfully recreate the parts… and it the front sight post is all modern and too wide a slice of pizza.

      While I am bitching– which doesn’t dampen my excitement for these, btw… it’s just that if you’re gonna go all the way with retro replicas, the nit-picking is a fundamental part of the process– anyway, I wish they had put the “Auto” select-fire notch on the M16 rifles. It can be dead and inert obviously, but just for the replica look and spirit. And a couple other itty bitty things… a faux roll mark, for instance… maybe incorporating the actual Serial# and maker’s name in an artistic way that filled out the retro look “Property of” and all that.

      But, all said… great first effort, and priced not insanely (…Franklin, in the corner wearing a dunce cap…). And I expect to see this sort of thing crossing over into all kinds of beloved firearms. Honestly, Colt could’ve literally saved their company if somebody there had a bold vision like Brownell’s.

      Be safe.

  6. It sounds like I’m the only person who is completely disinterested in this and the retro ar15’s

    I don’t get it, but, to each his own, I suppose

    • Not painful, but if you don’t have a very effective muzzle brake on it, or have a good grip, it’ll climb for the sky like a Glock 18.

    • Heck I wasn’t ready for the muzzle climb on a 5.56 the first time. But I handled it better than others. Never fired an AR10 full auto, but I’d like to… But not for long, that would get expensive.

  7. “Faithful as in period correct in every detail.”

    Another blog writer who knows nothing about what he us talking about.

  8. Doom Guy, if you are above ground it is a good day.

    When you survive a napalm strike on your own position and watch the 7 surviving enemy walk away without a shot fired, it changes your outlook.

    Stop the news. Realize what you can control and what you can not. Whose laws do you obey?

    Just live your life. Don’t mess with me, I will let you live. Put me in a life or death situation, I am the most dangerous MF of earth. I have had 43 years of life I was not entitled to. Do you feel lucky punk?

    The enemies of the 2A will self destruct. Have faith and Box Breathe!

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