[Rapier]

-The gun I am looking at is around $2,100 new. Is this a reasonable amount?

**The AR 10T sells for $2,000 plus dollars new. But you can find discounts on the web. Armalite is the best, then Eagle (a division of Armalite) and then the rest. The AR 10T is not cheap and is rated as the best of its class for competition.

-Now, onto some questions I have been thinking about. If I get the .308, can I change the upper to a different cartridge later?

**Yes, several companies make uppers. The only catch is the bolt, it must be headspaced for each upper or you will need a bolt for each.

-I didn't see any with the .260 round, so I will guess that the upper for that comes from a different manufacturer.

**Armalite does not offer a 260 at present, based on the info on their site. Many folks offer the 260 and the chambering is one of the best for 1000 yard. My 260 upper is built on an Armalite upper receiver that is marked 243.

-However, I was thinking about getting the .300 SAUM and possibly the .223 upper at a later date? Will the .223 work with a base from the .308? Are the bottoms the same among the AR-15 family of guns or do they differ.

**The 223 will not work in the AR10T without serious modification. The bolt face is much to large, the recoil system is heavier than the 223, the magazine is the same size as the M-14. The AR10 does not take the standard AR15 magazine size. The 300 SAUM is available from several builders and requires a beefed up recoil system as I understand. There are some folks building bigger bore ARs than the 300.

-I just received the Sportsman Guide catalog and saw a ton of high capacity mags in there for the AR-15. Will these work in the AR-10(T) and are they universal among the AR-15 style of guns?

**No, The 10T comes with two 10 round mags. But, you can buy 20 round mags for the AR 10. The rifle is heavy to start with, at 10 1/2 pounds, without sights or ammo. It is not something that you would want to run around with in the woods all day.

-Regarding the trigger on the AR-10(T), I thought I read that it was set at 4.5 lbs. Is that correct? While a bit heavy for me, I think I could live with it. If I cannot live with it, could a smith reduce it to 3 lbs and make it smooth?

** You asked about detractions. The trigger as it comes from the factory, even though listed a a national match trigger, requires some work, in my opinion. You can have the trigger smoothed and lightened or replaced with a better aftermarket trigger. Yes it is about 4.5 lbs.

**You did not ask, but I will tell you. A long time ago, about 40 years now, I had an M-14 with a scope, issued to me for social purposes. I did like the 14 at the time, but things change with technology. Today, for social work, I would not trade the AR for two 14s. Oh, that 500 yard group was shot in about 12 seconds, with the first round hitting the left eye, just off the bridge..... seeing the muzzle flash in the scope, what a rush of memories.