Self Defense

Maxim Defense MD:10L

By: Chris Mudgett

Premium quality minus the premium price tag

America’s Rifle, the 5.56mm AR15, has been figured out. All manufacturers, both large and small, can build — or in many cases assemble — the platform with components varying in quality; some are more accurate and offer higher grade materials and workmanship, but — in our experience — virtually all of them will function reliably.

Quality AR10 platforms, or, more importantly, AR10 platforms that function reliably, are not as prevalent as one may expect, certainly not at a sub $2,000 price point. The AR10 code is a tougher nut to crack.

The MD:10L has an impressive list of features for a sub $2,000 AR10. Premium components up front include a 16-inch spiral-fluted barrel and slim 13-inch M-Slot/M-Rax (M-LOK compatible) handguard. Factory accessories include a Magpul MVG vertical grip and MBUS folding sights front and rear.

We recently received an AR10 chambered in .308 Winchester from Maxim Defense called the MD:10L (L for “Light”). Maxim Defense is best known for short AR15-based Personal Defense Weapons (PDWs) in 5.56 NATO and .300BLK. These platforms typically have very short barrel lengths, in the 5-inch range, and are direct impingement. Creating a +/- 5-inch barreled direct impingement AR15 that reliably functions using different qualities of ammunition is no small feat. That requires engineering, not simply parts assembly. Given Maxim Defense’s successes within the PDW market, we became more optimistic about the performance possibilities of the MD:10L and its sub-$2,000 price point.

Unlike Maxim Defense’s other firearms, the MD:10L is affordable — especially considering it’s a large-frame AR10. This rifle is equipped with premium components where it truly matters — components not found in some of the competitor’s offerings — while cost savings were achieved where they do not. An example of this is starting at the muzzle end; the MD:10L features a standard A2 flash hider in place of a more expensive flash hider or compensator. While there’s a strong chance that the purchaser will replace the factory muzzle device, we are actually fans of the A2. Its flash performance is exceptional, and with rock-solid suppressor interfaces like B&T’s NATO A2 mount, this flash hider continues to be a dual-use flash mitigator and functional suppressor mount.

Controls are all Mil-Spec, with the exception of the excellent flat-faced Blackout Defense Zero Trigger. One Magpul PMAG 20 twenty-round magazine is included with the rifle. Cerakote finish options include the black on our test rifle, bazooka green, flat dark earth, and sniper grey.

Just behind the flash hider is a premium feature that does, in fact, matter. The MD:10L comes equipped with a spiral fluted 16-inch (18-inch in 6.5 Creedmoor) barrel that has been done right. Done right means the deep flutes are for more than just catching eyes at the gun counter. Instead, these flutes extend nearly the entire length of the barrel to not only promote faster cooling times but also pull a noticeable amount of weight out of the barrel, leading to a far more balanced platform. A nice, skinny, free-floating 13-inch M-Slot/M-Rax (M-LOK compatible) handguard covers these spiral flutes and is of functional length with usable rail space. We think this configuration is nearly ideal, as it allows for solid ergonomics and the right length for effective field-supported firing positions. This handguard also provides good lock-up and rigidity and compliments the lines of the lower receiver, demonstrating good attention to detail on Maxim’s part. If you’ve never heard of M-RAX accessories, they are a more functional version of Magpul’s M-LOK products and are far easier to use. Thanks to spring-loaded screws, M-RAX accessories remove the mounting frustrations and complications of the M-LOK system — simply push the screw in with a standard hex tool and rotate 90 degrees to engage the locking lugs, and that’s it.

Out back, Maxim Defense outfits the MD:10L with a Magpul MOE SL-K six-position buttstock and rubber-overmolded MOE+ handgrip. Both are excellent components, but the author would have preferred a buttstock that provided a longer length of pull.

The bolt carrier group is standard AR10, while an ambidextrous Radian Raptor charging handle is a nice upgrade. The Raptor is a favorite of ours, as the ergonomics are spot-on, quality is second to none, and the handle serves as a gas buster when the rifle is equipped with a traditional suppressor.

The magazine well is STANAG and comes with one Magpul PMAG 20LR magazine. Controls are not ambidextrous, but this is not even close to being a deal breaker on an AR10 priced at sub-$2K. Remember what we said about premium where it matters and standard components where it doesn’t?

Riding in the upper receiver is a standard AR10 bolt carrier group, manually operated via an upgraded Radian Raptor-LT ambidextrous charging handle.

A Magpul MOE+ rubber over-molded pistol grip is a very nice addition to this rifle and provides excellent purchase in all weather conditions, and the grip angle works well with this full-length rifle. Another Magpul addition, the MOE SL-K buttstock rides a six-position Mil-Spec receiver extension. While subjective, we don’t exactly love this stock and find the length of pull it provides is a little on the short side for a large-frame AR that is destined to pull at least some precision rifle duty. If this were ours, the stock would immediately be lobbed into the gear bin and replaced with a standard-length MOE SL.

Leupold’s top-shelf Mark5 HD 2-10x30mm — mounted in a Leupold Mark AR aluminum one-piece optic mount — was used throughout testing and proved a great match to the range and versatility of the .308 Win. MD:10L.

The heart of every rifle is the trigger. Again, Maxim Defense did not skimp on this feature and equipped its MD:10L with a very nice (and very light) flat-faced Blackout Defense Zero Trigger. A light and crisp trigger goes a long way towards wringing out the mechanical accuracy of a rifle and enhances the practical accuracy as well.

The MD:10L shined during our performance testing. Not only was it one hundred percent reliable across all of the loads it was tested with, but the level of accuracy it demonstrated did nothing but exude our confidence in the platform. Best groups were achieved using Hornday 165-grain SST Superformance ammunition, printing a five-shot group of 0.89 inches at 100 yards — exceptional performance from a 16-inch AR10, again, priced under two thousand dollars. Black Hills 175-grain Match was close on its heels with a 0.95-inch best group. Groups may or may not have tightened with a higher power optic, but we felt Leupold’s Mark5 HD 2-10x30mm (www.leupold.com) was a very practical optic for this platform, one that would likely find a permanent home on this rifle for its shear versatility.

Sub-MOA 100-yard performance came with relative ease during bench testing. The best five-shot group, pictured here, measured 0.89 using Hornday 165-grain SST Superformance ammunition (although the wrong box is pictured.) Higher magnification levels could have possibly led to even better results.

Looking back at our initial reservations regarding the performance versus cost ratio regarding AR10 platforms, given Maxim Defense’s achievements with known-to-be-finicky platforms and barrel lengths, it should not have come as a surprise the MD:10L would function flawlessly. If you’re in the market for a sub-8 pound 7.62 NATO semiautomatic rifle that has the ability to reach out and touch those longer-range targets without breaking the bank, look no further than Maxim Defense’s MD:10L. See it at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Maxim Defense; Tel.: (239) 580-7800; Web: www.maximdefense.com