Some rifles stick in your memory. The Adams Arms 6.5 Creedmoor P3+ Small Frame Rifle with the 24-inch barrel is one of those for me. I’m Lance Rankin, and I run Western Sport here in Roanoke, Texas, where I’ve been building and working on ARs for a long time. I got my hands on this rifle when it debuted at SHOT Show 2018, shot it on the range there, and came away impressed. Here’s what made it worth talking about then, and what you should know if you run across one now.
What the P3+ was
The P3+ was the top of the Adams Arms P-Series lineup, a large-frame AR chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and built for long range precision work. The headline combination was the Adams Arms micro adjustable short-stroke piston system paired with a 24-inch carbon fiber wrapped barrel from PROOF Research. That barrel is the reason the whole rifle weighed in at just 8.8 pounds. An AR-10 with a 24-inch tube usually feels like carrying a fence post. This one didn’t.
Piston operation on a precision gun is a debate all by itself, and I’ve written a full comparison of DI versus piston ARs if you want the deep dive. The short version: the piston keeps the action cleaner and pushes less gas back toward your face, which matters more than you’d think when you’re spending a whole afternoon behind a magnified optic. The P3+ ran a five-position adjustable gas block, so you could tune it for different loads or suppressed shooting.
The build sheet
Adams Arms didn’t cheap out on the supporting parts. The trigger was a flat-faced AR Gold with a pull around 2.5 pounds, which is genuinely nice and not something you usually got from the factory at this price point. Furniture was a LUTH-AR stock with an adjustable cheek riser and an Ergo rubber grip. Muzzle control came from an American Precision Arms brake.
The controls were fully ambidextrous: charging handle, safety selector, and bolt release. Left-handed shooters got a rifle that worked for them right out of the box instead of after a parts order. The free float forend carried M-LOK slots on three sides for bipods and accessories, with a full-length Picatinny rail up top for your scope. Sensible, modern layout, nothing gimmicky.
Shooting it at SHOT Show 2018
We shot this rifle at its SHOT Show debut and filmed it. The video below is from that trip. What surprised me most was how easy it handled for a 24-inch large-frame gun. The weight savings from the carbon fiber barrel changed the whole character of the rifle. Recoil in 6.5 Creedmoor is soft to begin with, and the brake and piston system made follow-up shots quick.
Should you buy one today?
Here’s where I have to be straight with you. Adams Arms has changed ownership more than once since 2018, and I can’t vouch for what the current company produces or supports. If you find a P3+ on the used market, the rifle itself is well built, but factor in parts availability before you pay collector money for it. Piston components and the proprietary bits are the concern; the barrel, trigger, and furniture are all standard aftermarket parts that are easy to service. I covered our long history with the brand in my Adams Arms and Western Sport post if you want more background.
And if what you really want is a 6.5 Creedmoor AR-10 built to your spec with current production parts, that’s work I do in-house as a Type 07 FFL. Take a look at my custom 6.5 Creedmoor AR-10 project to see how I approach one of these builds. Questions about a used P3+ or a fresh build? Email me at [email protected] or call the shop at 817-393-4000.
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
