I can’t really explain why I have wanted to try an AR-10 pistol out but it’s been a long time coming. It’s something about having such a hard-hitting round in a compact package. Let’s be honest, I know some of you are going to say I’m insane for wanting a short 308 AR pistol. I get it, you’d have to be a drunk mad man to own something so concussive in such a small package. All of those are probably valid but don’t jump to conclusions just yet. For the longest time, I kept going back and forth between building an AR-10 pistol and buying one ready to go out of the gate. After looking around for a few months, I came across the Type-A’s 10.5 308 AR pistol. I gave them a call and we figured out a gun that would work for my needs.

Specs

Barrel

The Type-A 308 pistol is 30″ when measuring the overall length. It comes equipped with a Law Tactical GEN3 Folder. With the folder installed it brings the overall length of the gun to 22 inches. The 10.5 also comes with a match grade 416R 1:10 twist stainless steel barrel with a 30 position gas block to tune it for various loads or suppressed fire. Their barrels are guaranteed for sub-MOA accuracy. After calling the company, Type-A says they hand fit every barrel to the upper receiver to improve accuracy.

Trigger

Some of the other features I really like on the Type-A is the Raptor charging handle that comes standard. The 2 stage trigger is also done in house. I decided to test the trigger weight and the gun had an average weight of 3.45lb with a 1.55lb reset weight. Coming straight from the factory with an upgraded trigger was a definite plus.

308 Hybrid Upper/Lower REceiver

So there are two different types of 308 platforms traditionally and Type-A uses a mix of both to try and save on weight. I was really interested in their design when first hearing about it. Traditionally, there are Armalite styles and DPMS Style 308 rifles. What Type A did was take the Armalite style lower which is lighter than the DPMS and then cuts the lowers to accept SR-25 style magazines. This gives the best of both worlds of more common magazines and a lighter gun. Their 308 carrier is proprietary and they run a REM polish to add in lubricity and cleaning.

Another pretty cool thing Type-A did was give me the option to pick out what color Cerekote I wanted on my gun. They said the first color was free which typically is an extra charge when ordering rifles or AR pistols. I thought it was interesting they anodize everything prior to Cerekoting. They did mention they also lightly abrade so it lightly wears to the anodizing and not to the raw aluminum. Basically in simple terms, they try to make their finishes as best as they possibly can. Not many companies do that and I thought it was an interesting note.

Standard Parts

The standard model comes with an SB Tactical SBA3, but after requesting they installed an SBA4 on the pistol instead. The SBA4 offers more stability to me and it’s my personal preference. I thought it was cool they were flexible and offered to swap out braces for me. The Type-A 308 pistol comes with a B5 Systems Type 23 P-Grip pistol grip installed on it that is simple yet comfortable in the hand. Type-A also installed a short throw safety lever as standard on every 308 which is a nice upgrade I won’t have to spend money on replacing down the road. Another feature that comes standard is a SilencerCo ASR Brake for the 308 instead of something like an A2 Birdcage. Every bag comes standard with a Savior Equipment soft case range bag which is a nice extra in my opinion.

Type-A Rifle’s Price

There are several small details that really add to the overall fit and finish of the gun to make it feel polished from the factory. The MSRP on this 308 AR pistol is $3,099.99 which isn’t cheap by any means but the level of quality shown to be in the rifle does help explain the high cost. Now I know some of you may be wondering what you can do with a 308 pistol like this and there is some real-world uses for this gun that ill elaborate here in a bit.

Range Time

Indoor Range

Heading to the range for the first time with this gun, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from it. I grabbed a SilencerCo suppressor chambered in 7.62 and decided to try it both suppressed and unsuppressed. I was nervous to shoot the 308 pistol unsuppressed at first because I was expecting a fairly substantial concussion. The first range session was at a local indoor range to just get a rough zero on my Vortex Razor and test the gun out. The gun was loud since I was in an indoor range but it wasn’t punishing or unbearable by any means. The gun performed flawlessly both suppressed and unsuppressed with regular Hornady Black 168gr ammo. It was really nice to have an adjustable gas block so the gun wasn’t over gassed at all which made it a very enjoyable experience.

Outdoor Range

The ASR Brake does a great job controlling muzzle rise and felt recoil. I was really impressed with how the trigger felt while firing the gun. The 2 stage trigger had a clean take up with a defined wall and a light crisp break. The trigger reset was short and positive with an audible click as well. In the next two range sessions, I had a chance to shoot at a distance and test out the gun with some dynamic drills.

The overall accuracy out of a short 10.5″ barrel was impressive and I was very happy with my overall group patterns. I was averaging .75 inch groups at 100 yards with 150gr SIG Sauer ammo and Hornady Black 168gr. I shot a number of different ammo from military surplus ammo, SIG Sauer 150gr all copper rounds and Hornady Black 168gr A-Max ammo. All cycled flawlessly and out of the 1,200 total rounds I’ve put through the gun so far its been 100% reliable.

Overall Thoughts On Type-A’s 10.5 308 AR Pistol

So the big question is why have such a short barrelled 308? Whether it’s a phenomenal self-defense rifle or truck gun either would be a fantastic option for the AR-10 pistol. I mainly purchased this gun for its potential as a great hog hunting set up with a Vortex Razor 1-6×24. With the ability to be quickly suppressed and its overall small package with the Law tactical folder, I think it would be an excellent gun for pig hunting in Texas as well as Florida. I know this may not be the type of gun everyone wants, but it’s such a fun experience to shoot.

The fireball from certain 308 rounds loaded hot is such an addictive experience that you can’t help but love the gun for its capability. Even though it may be unconventional, this AR-10 pistol is one of my favorite guns to shoot and own just because it has a feeling of character. Let me know what you guys think of shorter 308 rifles and pistols in the comments below. Is it a waste or do you think it has merit like hog hunting and defense? If you have any questions about my Type-A AR-10 pistol or any questions in general feel free to message me on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe ou there!

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