The Daniel Defense DD5V1 is the latest contender in my AR10 search. At 3k it is a bit pricey. But you get a lot with that. At 8 lbs it is the lightest AR10 I have seen. The ambi-controls include a bolt catch on the right side as well as left, which I really liked the look of in hickock45's Colt video. It has a 2 stage trigger, which I have never used, but only hear really good things about. It is also direct impingement, which will be nothing new to me as my Sig M4 is the same. The Daniel also comes with a hard case made for it to fit into, which is also nice.
Right now the nearest contender is the Sig 716. It clocks in about $700 cheaper. But it is also a lot heavier, and uses a gas piston instead of direct impingement. I don't have a real opinion of GP vs DI. Both seem to have their advantages and disadvantages. But I am already familiar with dissembling and cleaning a DI rifle, and not a GP. So that tends to lean me toward the Daniel Defense.
The Sig has a 4 position, adjustable gas valve that seems nice at first. But I have read a lot of accounts of people having issues with having it set to the wrong position and having jams because the pressure was off. What is right or wrong seems more dependent upon the brand of ammo you are using, rather than whether you are using a suppressor, etc... So that looks like a two-edged sword to me.
I think the Sig only has a 1 stage trigger. Not necessarily a drawback for me. My M4 has one, and I have always found it to be smooth.
So the Daniel is looking good. It comes with an M-Lok or Keymod handguard. So I will have to choose. I don't really have an opinion on them. The M-Lok is a Magpul product, and they are an industry leader, so that might be the most prudent choice. But I think I like how the Keymod looks better. I don't really plan on hanging grenade launchers or flashlights from my barrel, so it is not a deal-breaker either way.
Optics are another thing to think about. I love the Eotech on my M4.
It makes doing this ridiculously easy. But there are some other interesting optics out there. The
Trijicon 42mm Reflex looks good. I have also been seeing a lot of scopes that dial down to 1x and act like a red dot in that mode, but can also go out to x4 or x6. I think Hecate would love one of those.