Diamondback DB10P 308 Pistol Review
Diamondback DB10P Gears Rating
The DB10P is a fire-breathing dragon and is a literal blast to shoot. The gun looks great, comes with excellent furniture, and has been very reliable. My only complaint is that the gun is fairly picky when it comes to accuracy as it prefers certain loads. I would still recommend this gun though, no doubt about it!
Where To Buy The Diamondback DB10P
Diamondback DB10P First Impressions
To be honest, I had no idea companies were making 308 AR pistols. So, when Diamondback offered to send the DB10P out for review I was excited. After picking it up from my local FFL I went home and gave it a good once over. Upon inspection, the first thing I noticed was how light it was for an AR10. The fitment between the upper and lower was also great (I hate receiver wobble) and the handguard felt solid. The Magpul K2 grip is one my favorites and the Gearhead Works Tailhook Mod 2 is an excellent pistol brace. I really appreciate it when manufacturers include quality furniture on their guns. However, I did notice that the gas block set screws were not dimpled. Many manufacturers do not do this but it is something that I like to see, especially on a beast of a gun like this.
When I popped the receivers apart I inspected the BCG and was satisfied with the staking on the gas key. The castle nut also had a very solid stake job and I was definitely confident that the gun was well put together. So, I lubed it up with some Cherry Balmz and mounted a red dot. Before hitting the range I did some dry firing and I was pleasantly surprised by the trigger. It is definitely a mil-spec trigger but it had a nice smooth pull with a very positive reset. Now it was time to see hit the backyard range and see how this thing shoots. But I would be a liar if I said I was not a bit nervous about how loud the gun would be. I mean it is a 13.5″ 308 pistol!!
Diamondback DB10P Setup
The DB10P setup with the S3 red dot and an AR500 sling.
There really is not a lot to talk about with the setup of the DB10P. It came as a complete pistol so I did not even have to pin the upper and lower together. But it needed an optic and I had a Stykra S3 red dot sitting in the safe so I mounted it up. I planned to do most of my shooting within 100 yards so it would meet my needs. But I knew that when it came time for accuracy testing I would need a more precise optic. So, I mounted another Styrka in an Aero Precision Scope mount and set it aside for the accuracy testing.
I also added an AR500 Economy Sling since the DB10P is chunky and I wanted the extra support of the sling. Besides the optics & sling, there really was not anything needed to get the DB10P range ready. But I like certain creature comforts like M-LOK rail panels and a handstop. So I also added a set of Slate Black Industries rail covers and their handstop. The final change I made came a few months into my testing with the addition of a Radian Raptor charging handle. The factory handle worked fine but as I said I like certain creature comforts and the Raptor is hard to beat!
**Author’s note: DO NOT BUY Styrka optics. Their company has gone out of business and they are no longer servicing their products.
Diamondback DB10P Specs
Here are the specs directly from the product page on Diamondback’s website:
-CALIBER: 308 WINCHESTER
-BARREL: DIAMONDBACK BARRELS 308 PISTOL, MID-LENGTH: 13.5″, MEDIUM, 4150 CrMov, BLACK – NITRIDE
-TWIST: 1:10 RH
-GAS SYSTEM: MID-LENGTH GAS SYSTEM
-BCG: SHOT-PEENED, MAGNETIC PARTICLE INSPECTED MIL SPEC 8620 CARRIER
-UPPER: A3 FLATTOP FORGED 7075 T-6 ALUMINUM, T-MARKED
-LOWER: FORGED 7075 T-6 ALUMINUM (DIAMONDBACK BLACK GOLD LOWER) W/ ENHANCED TRIGGER GUARD
-HANDGUARD: DIAMONDBACK 13″ M-LOK RAIL
-GRIP: MOE-K2 GRIP
-BRACE: TAILHOOK MOD 2
-MAG: GEN M3 PMAG 20RD
-SIGHTS: NO SIGHTS
-MUZZLE DEVICE: DIAMONDBACK CNC MUZZLE BRAKE (5/8 x 24)
-TRIGGER: STANDARD TRIGGER
-WEIGHT: 8.2 LBS
-LENGTH (STOCK COLLAPSED): 31 1/8”
-LENGTH (STOCK EXPANDED): 33 3/4”
Diamondback DB10P Field Test Results
100yd hits on steel using a red dot on the DB10P.
Now unless you have been living under a rock you are probably aware that there is an ammo crisis! Prices are through the roof and the selection of 308 ammunition at my local shop was very limited. I was able to get 400 rounds of Magtech M80 ball that I planned to use for the bulk of my testing. My first time firing the DB10P I definitely flinched…this thing is loud! Between the short barrel and the muzzle brake, there is some stout concussion. But I eventually got used to it. Within about 10 shots I had the red dot zeroed. So, I started shooting the various steel targets on my range. And let me tell you, this thing knocks the hell out of the steel targets even with the 13.5″ barrel. On my first range day, I shot about 200 rounds and the DB10P ran like a sewing machine.
After that initial range trip, I checked all the handguard and gas block screws and everything was still nice and tight. So, I loaded up the last 200 rounds and headed back out to my range. Just like last time the DB10P ran like a sewing machine albeit a very loud, fire-breathing one. The recoil is definitely noticeable but I had no problem doing double taps and target transitions. After shooting up all my M80 ball I loaded up a mishmash of hunting rounds and shot 4 more mags through it. Again, no issues, and all the brass was landing around 3 o’clock. I know that 500 rounds is not a huge round count but the DB10P was reliable throughout my testing. Now it was time to test the accuracy of this beast!
Diamondback DB10P Accuracy & Velocity Results
I do all of my accuracy testing from an MTM K-Zone rest and a very stable table. Since I was only running a 1-6x optic I chose to shoot the majority of the groups at 50yds to get a better approximation of the Diamondback DB10P’s accuracy. All groups are 5 shots and I allowed the barrel to cool in between strings of fire. Here are my results:
Diamondback DB10P Accuracy Results
- Remington Hog Hammer 168gr- 0.438″
- Remington HTP Copper 168gr- 0.521″
- Barnes Vortx 150gr- 1.074″
- Federal Power Shok 180gr- 1.075″
- Federal Fusion 150gr- 1.14″
- Federal Non-Typical 150gr- 1.274″
- Hornady Full Boar GMX 165gr- 1.372″
- Hornady Superformance SST 150gr- 1.485″
- Hornady American Whitetail 165gr- 1.501″
- Winchester PowerMax Bonded 150gr- 1.703″
- Remington Accutip 165gr- 1.86″
- Silver Bear Soft Point 140gr- 2.135″
- Reaper Controlled Chaos 145gr- 2.282″
- Hornady American Whitetail 150gr- 2.373″
- Magtech/CBC M80 Ball 147gr- 2.835″
Remember, these groups were shot at 50 yards so that means with the preferred load the DB10P can shoot right around 1 MOA. But with most of these loads, it was a 2-3 MOA gun. Keep in mind that the majority of these loads were hunting rounds and that I did not shoot any match grade ammo…because I could not find any! Some people may not be happy with this level of accuracy but I do not mind. I plan to hunt with the DB10P this fall and I have no concerns about accuracy. As you can see, it really liked the Remington Hog Hammer load, so I bought every box I could find. Hopefully, I can test its effectiveness out on a large whitetail this November.
Diamondback DB10P Velocity
For my velocity testing, I used a Caldwell Chronograph and shot from a distance of 10 feet. Due to limited ammo availability, I only tested the 168gr Remington Hog Hammer. Here are my results:
- 2439 fps
- 2446 fps
- 2437 fps
- 2430 fps
- 2431 fps
- Avg: 2436 fps
After calculating the average velocity I plugged it into Shooters Calculator along with the ballistics coefficient. According to the data, the DB10P & Hog Hammer combo will still have 1000ft/lbs of energy out to around 350 yards. The bullet will be traveling around 1700fps which is still above the minimum expansion velocity (1500fps) according to Barnes. Therefore, I am very confident in the lethality of the 13.5″ 308 barrel at any distance I may encounter while hunting.
Diamondback DB10P Pros
- Affordable, especially for AR10’s
- Reliable throughout my testing
- Quality, comfortable furniture
Diamondback DB10P Cons
- It’s loud, very loud when shooting
- Fairly picky when it comes to accuracy (see above section)
- Barrel isn’t dimpled (probably needed on this beast)
Final Thoughts On The Diamondback DB10P
Some people might ask “why would you want a 308 pistol?” To which I would respond, “why not?” I really enjoyed testing out the Diamondback DB10P and plan to keep putting it to the test. There is also a strong chance it will accompany me into the deer woods this fall. I do plan to make a few changes, primarily the addition of an adjustable gas block so I can tune it for my Q Thunder Chicken. As I said, this thing is very loud and there is not a chance I would take a shot at a deer without a silencer on the end of this fire-breathing dragon. But putting the loudness aside, the DB10P has proven to be a reliable and affordable AR10 pistol. If you are looking for something different to spend your stimulus check on definitely give the DB10P and Diamondback a look!
via Gear Report at https://gear-report.com
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