Armalite AR-10 PRC in .260—Full Review.
The PRC 260 from Armalite delivers a high-end precision rifle in .260 Rem. ready for effective suppressor use.
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My introduction to the .260 Remington occurred about five years ago during a hog hunt with my friend from Mike’s Guns in Texas. Meeting up at his shop prior to the hunt, he let me spend some time with an AR-10 he built in .260 Remington. Using his rifles in .308 provided a solid comparison, and the .260 Remington was impressive. Especially when suppressed, it was softer shooting then some of my 5.56mm ARs. Trimming the gas a bit made it reliable, quiet, clean, and incredibly accurate. Testing a bolt rifle of his in the same round a bit later, the accuracy potential of the round became clear. Using some of his handloads, I produced several groups in the 0.20 inch range. But therein lay the problem; the need to reload. Factory match ammunition was all but non-existent at the time. Black Hills Ammunition loaded some in their premium line, but that was about it. Since reloading was not in the cards for me at the time, it was not something I pursued.
The rifle proved to be as capable with a suppressor as it did without, being reliable and accurate.
The author topped the 20-inch barrel off with an AWC Thor PSR suppressor.
ARs Chambered in .260 Remington
As evidenced by my early experience with an AR-10 in .260 Remington, it can be done. Most early rifles were custom built with a few factory rifles popping up on occasion. A few seemed to think it was harder to build an AR-10 in this caliber, but others never seemed to have the same issues, including Mike Brown of Mike’s Guns, or me. Having assembled a few over the last couple years they were easier to tune than similar .308 models in my experience. In an industry chock full of mythology, it was dismissed in my case. More often than not they are excuses to “not” do something. It was only a matter of time before demand outstripped any problems (real or otherwise) limiting rifle availability. Much of the demand was for an AR-10 that would work suppressed though, and that is problematic unless tuned solely for suppressed use. What we really needed was a rifle with a “shortish” barrel that allowed for use suppressed and unsuppressed without requiring re-tuning. It has been tried in the past with moderate success but it looks like Armalite has now taken that idea to a whole new level with the AR-10 PRC in .260 Rem.
The adjustable gas block sits underneath the hand guard. Note the short rail sections for accessories.
SPECS
- Chambering: .260 Rem.
- Barrel: 20 inches
- OA Length: 41.3 inches
- Weight: 11.4 pounds
- Stock: Magpul PRS
- Sights: None
- Action: DGIS
- Finish: Dark brown Cerakote
- Capacity: Variable
- MSRP: $3,560
Armalite AR-10 PRC 260
Armalite designed this rifle from the ground up to be a precision semi-automatic rifle. It’s not just a standard rifle with a precision barrel and chamber. Along with a match quality 20-inch stainless steel barrel, it includes a new gas block allowing for reliable transition between suppressed and unsuppressed fire. Working together with Surgeon Rifles and AWC Silencers, the AR-10 PRC 260 is a well-integrated purpose-built rifle designed with some serious thought.The rifle I received for testing was a very early production model and the company asked me to give them feedback on it. It starts with Armalite upper and lower receivers forged from 7075-T6 aluminum. The upper includes a forward assist, dust cover, and brass deflector. It houses a coated bolt carrier group using an AXTS Raptor Ambidextrous Charging handle. The barrel is 20 inches, heavy contour, stainless steel, and includes a Surgeon/AWC PSR thread-on muzzle break designed for the .260 Remington. It operates as a standalone break or an AWC Silencers THOR PSR can be added. Using a 1:7 twist rate better stabilizes bullets at distance given the relatively short barrel length. A proprietary gas block with a two position lever runs the rifle-length gas system. It is optimized for use with the PSR suppressor and can be accessed through the 15-inch hand guard without tools. Short rails sit at the front and back of the hand guard with a continuous top rail. Slimmer in the middle, it shaves weight and provides for comfortable hand holds. Threaded holes sit at the front of each short forward rail for sling stud use.
The rifle features a Cerakote dark brown finish that keeps it very low profile. Note the ambidextrous safety.
Testing
Burris Optics provided a new XTR II 5-25x 50mm FFP (First Focal Plane) scope for testing. Utilizing their SCR Mil Lined reticle provides ample lines for holding elevation or wind. It was mounted in a Larue Tactical PSR20 mount. Clarity on the glass is excellent and the reticle is comparable to any simple Mil lined reticle on the market. The vertical line has 20 mils graduated in half mil increments below the horizontal line. There are 5 mils above with the last two graduated in .10 mils. Extending on either side are 10 mils graduated in .2 of a mile for the first five where another .10 mils section sits for ranging calculation. The center section is lighted for 3 mils on either side and 6 mils below the center line. Dialed up to 15 power there were 11 mils available for holds with the entire horizontal line visible. Knobs are tactile with audible clicks at .10 mils per click and 10 mils per revolution. Numbers are easy to read. The XTR uses a zero stop that is easily adjusted. Loosen the screws, slip the knobs to zero and press firmly and re-tighten. Parallax adjustment sits on the right along with lighted reticle activation. There are 11 settings with “battery saver” steps in between each setting and a hard “off” setting at both ends. Scope covers that flip flat against the scope when open are included.
Burris Optics provided a new XTR II 5-25x 50mm FFP (First Focal Plane) for testing.
Tuning Your AR
With my having tested hundreds of ARs over the years, I have found that the vast majority are over-gassed. It’s required to allow base line customers the ability to use whatever ammunition they can find (often of very poor quality) and still have it run. The problem being is that when precision match ammunition is used, often loaded to higher velocities, these guns are harsh to shoot. It can also affect accuracy and reliability. For a weapon designed for “battlefield pickup” drills using whatever trash ammunition found on the ground that is fine. But precision ARs, especially those using DI (direct impingement) gas systems, benefit hugely from tuning. Having tuned dozens in various calibers, it makes a huge difference. It encompasses matching the gas delivered to the bolt carrier group with the mass of that group, coupled with proper spring tension and buffer use. It results in a softer shooting, cooler running, and more accurate AR. It means you cannot throw whatever reloaded ammunition you find on the ground in it though and expect it to work. You will need to stick to quality ammunition with similar pressure curves.
The rifle came with an AXTS Raptor ambidextrous charging handle.
Range Testing
I
expected this rifle to be accurate, what most interested me was how the
gas block worked using various bullet weights suppressed and
unsuppressed. I have often abandoned testing .308-based ARs with a
suppressor since they just don’t always work, no matter the suppressor. A
bit to my surprise, this rifle worked well, very well in fact!
Starting with some Nexus 136 Grain Lapua, it was fired without the
suppressor. Loud, as expected, recoil pretty well mitigated, significant
dust signature and brass was ejected smoothly at four o’clock. Moving
the lever over and attaching the PSR, the exercise was repeated with the
same results. Excess gas was minimal, brass ejection was in the same
place, only this time no muzzle blast. First round push was minimal and
it was softer to shoot than a couple of recent 5.56mm rifles tested. The
same process was repeated using Federal Gold Medal Match 143 grain SMK,
Gorilla 123 Grain SMK and Nosler 120 Grain Ballistic tip yielding the
same results. Using controlled fire, the brass ejection was consistent
with no failures to eject or return to battery. Rapid fire strings (five
rounds rapid fire) using the suppressor saw ejection walking forward to
about two o’clock but remaining reliable.
The Nexus load did extremely well, turning in groups as tight as .60 of an inch.
The Nosler load also did quite well, with a tightest group of .64 inches.
The stock that came on the test rifle was a Magpul PRS unit.
Other Considerations
The contour on this barrel is about as big as you can get and still get it to fit under a hand guard. Accuracy is the result, along with minimal recoil, but its no lightweight. Listed weight is 11.4 pounds, unloaded, with no scope. The barrel tapers so most of the weight is back towards the receiver, but it’s about the same weight as most precision bolt rifles. Remove the suppressor and it’s pretty handy. Most of my personal builds in 6.5mm use a 20-inch barrel and it’s the best compromise. Adding the suppressor does not make it unwieldy, but it does add about 7 inches after attachment of the PSR brake. Attaching the suppressor shifted the point of impact 3 inches low. Removing it returned to zero every time.
The PRC 260 rifle really held its own under testing by the author. It is expensive, but it really delivers.
Final Thoughts
Armalite built this rifle to be strong, accurate, reliable, and repeatable. They did an excellent job; not sure it has been done any better outside a straight-up custom build. There were no failures to function using PMAGS, DPMS and my Larue Tactical magazines. It’s billed as a precision rifle that “offers consistency in suppressed and unsuppressed configurations,” and that it does. I have tested custom rifles with similar consistency, but nowhere near as simple, nor likely as robust.To learn more, visit https://armalite.com/shop/ar-10prc-260308/.
