On the other hand, they add a pair of critical dimensions to the receiver in an already crowded area just below the barrel extension. twist, stainless steelOverall Length: 36.5 in.Weight: 7 lbs., 14 oz.Stock: Rock River Operator A2Grip: Ergo SuregripLength of Pull: 13.5 in.Finish: Type III, hard coat, anodizedTrigger: RRA MatchSights: Adjustable, flip-upSafety: Selector, two positionMSRP: $1,370Manufacturer: Rock River Arms,309-792-5780, rockriverarms.com. He had nothing but respect for those Rock River rifles. The result is a super-reliable, mid-level AR with clean lines and solid accuracy, to boot. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. Another feature I really liked was the sealed battery storage area . Rock River's triggers not only have a lighter pull weight and crisper let-off, the hammer shape promotes excellent accuracy. Rock River Arms sent me a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle with a tan stock and 24-inch barrel for testing. However, its unclear if the FBI currently uses Rock River Arms rifles or not. With this in mind, we went to LaRue Tactical (www.laruetactical.com) for the exceptional LT104 30mm QD Lever Mount, $195. The Nylon 66, a relatively inexpensive rimfire with faux woodgrain, was the first successful synthetic-stock firearm. Theyve managed this because they make excellent guns. Every cowboy needs a revolver. needed for precision accuracy at exceptional ranges. The gun shot 1 inch overall, but without the inconsistent Remington ammo (1.52 in. The RRA's have had a very good reputation for high quality products at a good price. LaRue has a huge following in the sniper community, and our experience reinforced why this is the case. Their rifles are backed by a lifetime warranty, so you can be sure that your investment will be protected. Shooting the RRAGE was a pleasure it's lightweight, accurate, and it handles well. Rem .260 schmidt and bender. Im talking no slop, no gaps and excellent quality. Since we had so many choices, we decided to narrow the field by setting the following parameters: a barrel length between 20 and 24 inches long, constructed of stainless steel, and capable of shooting the most popular ammo weight of 50 to 55 grains. Flash forward to today. The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. Rock River Arms has been making their two-stage match trigger for more than a decade. My teammate, SFC Tung Nguyen, was a hardcore competitive shooter and offered to build me exactly what I wanted. Interestingly, Bushmasters directions require barrel cleaning after every 20 rounds, for the first 60 rounds, to ensure proper break-in. Depending on exactly what kind of gun you want, with all those myriad options I mentioned, you can spend as little as $900. Although the particular model tested for this review was a few years old and had seen plenty of use, it was still as tight as any gun I have shot. Shot it for the first time today. In 2003 they got a big government contract to supply the Drug Enforcement Administration with a bunch of AR-15 style guns. The fire control is Rock River's 2-stage trigger. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. Hard to imagine a city without a river, and this is Haarlem's. The waterway brings in air and light to the city. Most of our testers were competitive shooters, and they were very picky about what they liked, and didnt, on the gunsexactly what we wanted. To start, the Stag sported an ambi-safety, and produced the same complaints from righties that it interfered with their grip. The Freedom RDS is a fixed, 1X sight that includes a dual-ring, 34mm cantilever mount; $300. Re: Reasonable Accuracy from LAR-15 Predator Pursuit, Re: Reasonable Accuracy from LAR-15 Predator Pursu, Would love to see paper from a RRPP shooting .5 groups at 400yds. Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. I didnt know I was capable of shooting like that, and especially not after a mere dozen rounds. Gun Digest Editor, Luke Hartle, had a brand new gun he wanted reviewed, and he wanted it reviewed from the perspective of a fairly novice precision rifle shooter looking to get into the game. If youre willing to spend a little extra money, theyre definitely worth considering. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. If you are looking for an AR-15 that is built to last, then Rock River Arms is a great choice. Rock River Arms has a reputation for making high quality AR-15s, but they also have a reputation for being expensive. If you are looking for a high-quality AR-15, then Rock River Arms is a great option. If Stag used a vented forend to reduce weight, used a stock with more butt weight to balance the rig, and used a shorter barrel, this gun might have won. soft point; 5-shot string #2, Hornady American Whitetail, 170-gr. As a result, we went underground. The new 9mm suppressor can mount easily to any pistol barrel threaded x28 inches and doesn't compromise on sound suppression, gas blowback or recoil. Meet the all-new Taurus Judge Executive Grade, a revolver featuring a hand-polished satin finish, presentation-grade wood grips, a brass rod front sight and an exceptional hand-tuned trigger. All of these options bring the gun to a wallet-emptying $1994 retail price. The safety lever, on the other hand, while not ambidextrous, has a raised dome on the tail that makes it easier to manipulate. Well, not any more of an idiot than I usually feel like, I suppose I should say. Your prediction proved true, as we were besieged with other requests to visit additional limbs on the AR family tree: New caliber performance match-ups, more accessories testing, and national-match gun comparisons were just a few of the suggestions that popped up. The shorter stainless barrel gave us better balance in the heavy barrel category, allowing us to shoot off-hand with reasonable accuracy. The included magazine, which is specific to the .350 Legend, boasts a 10-round capacity. The accuracy increase gained by this hammer profile makes every other hammer shape irrelevant. If so, you may be wondering which manufacturer is the best. In the time since it reacquired the rights to the BAR-10/LAR-8, Rock River replaced the original charging handle with a more common design and refined the extractor for better performance. The barrel and trigger are certainly the two greatest contributors to the V2s accuracy, but Rock River gets the small things right that most others miss. Rock River Arms also offers a lifetime warranty on their products, which is another reason why they are considered to be high end. (You can unsubscribe anytime), Life is full of twists and turns good and bad and when you get a bad one, its a, Modification and customization are honored traditions among dedicated AR-15 fans. Rock River Arms' new Fred Eichler Series LAR-15 Predator joins a growing number of AR-platform rifles and carbines specifically configured for the serious coyote and bobcat hunter. At those temperatures, the molecules align with their neighbors. AR-10-style rifles, the Rock River Arms LAR-8 stands alone. We didnt have any problems with the gun operating at all, but I didnt expect any. This means that they will fit with most other AR-15 parts on the market. Billed as the LAR-15M, these rifles are familiar RRA fare, featuring the companys forged A4 upper and multi-caliber lower receivers, 13-inch extended free-float handguard, Operator CAR stock, and two-stage trigger. If youre already among the AR-cognoscenti then you probably already know general information about Rock River Arms and their line of LAR-15 rifles in particular. This often requires carrying guns through thickets of brush, and a rest, if available, is a handy tree branch. Additionally, RRA offers a lifetime warranty on their rifles. At 100 yards, my groups were a bit to the right, but I was just looking for groups so I didnt touch the scope. Perhaps the greatest praise was directed toward the side-cocking mechanism. One Magazine, RRA Case, Manual and Warranty Information. It also had an owners manual, assembly tool and lock. How does a company that makes AR-15 platforms stand out in a market thats flooded with product? Rock Rivers trigger has a lighter 3-pound pull weight and a very crisp let-off. Feb 16, 2019 748 . However, if youre looking for a cheap AR-15, there are better options out there. Subscriber Services. Ben Voss FN Product Manager talks about the new FN SCAR 15P ultra-compact rifle-caliber pistol at SHOT Show 2023. The overmold means minimal hand-slip when wearing gloves, and it makes the A2 grip more comfortable when shooting bare-handed. I acquired Federal and Hornady cartridges for the range test. The FALs feed lips are built into the receiver rather than the magazine itselfa feature that, in theory, should offer more reliable feeding. Last edited: Dec 29, 2021. Rock River Arms alone lists four different models in its catalog, and thats before barrel and option selections! The choice of the FN-FAL magazine offers some nice ergonomic touches, such as the ambidextrous bolt stop and magazine release, but it also makes for a significantly longer, bulkier and heavier .308 Win. Stags first entry into the varminter category sported an extra heavy 24-inch 416SS Shaw barrel that made the gun extremely front heavy, and a rifle you definitely want to shoot off the bench. Second is the bolt stop lever located between the magazine well and the trigger guard. Facing off in a handgun challenge featuring the smallest professional-grade enclosed red dot sight on the market, Eric and Tom put the Acro P-2 to the distance test by doing a walk-back challenge. I am by no means an expert on ARs, but I do know a bit about quality firearms. Despite being assembled and disassembled numerous times, we never lost zero on the rigs. Rock River Arms produces their own bolt carrier group (BCG), which is made from 8620 steel and features a nitride finish. The average velocity of the load from the Rock River was 2,728 fps. rifle. Best precision/Varmint/3-Gun Bravo Company (BCM) 18 Upper Decent quality, accurate, soft shooting $780 at Rainier Arms Jump to Details Best Budget Short Barrel Option Palmetto State Armory 10.5 Wallet friendly, decently reliable $329 at Palmetto State Armory Jump to Details Best Lightweight Upper Faxon ION Upper He pointed out how good the Rock River trigger was, so Ive had it in that rifle ever since. Like 3/8 to 5/8 of and inch accuracy for three shots. Although Ive shot a few, I didnt really know much about them until a couple of years ago. Loves Federal Premium 69g Match. He loved his Rock River rifle. For me, all cases extracted and landed at about 4 oclock relative to the muzzle. JBoomhauer Gunny Sergeant. The pistol grip is a Hogue rubber unit and the synthetic buttstock is a fixed Rock River Arms Operator A2 stock. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. The hammer in Rock Rivers trigger moves most of the mass to a location much closer to the trigger pin. The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. The Judge has been promoted! Are Rock River Arms worth the money? The muzzle is threaded 1/2-28 and comes with an A2 flash-hider installed. I have yet to find a Rock River rifle that wasnt extremely accurate, so its only natural to have a favorable impression of the brand. A normal throw lever found on an AR works fine for a right-handed shooter firing off the right shoulder. His shooting and hunting passions cover everything from traditional archery and big-game bowhunting to the latest in handguns, rifles, and reloading. Feb 2018 Solo. This handle received mostly positive reviews, although our female tester found it a little too large. The SCAR 15P is chambered for 5.56 NATO and, with its 7.5-inch barrel, is the most compact SCAR to date. According to Rock River Arms, the FBI has used their rifles in the past. Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. The Coyote is available in a 16-inch barrel "carbine" model or 20-inch "rifle" model, but I chose the Coyote Carbine because it's easier to wield in the woods. Nice. Putting a barrel through the cryogenic process at Rock River means the barrel is cooled down in steps until it reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. Overall, the reviews are positive. It really comes down to personal preference. I know several manufacturers that swear by the process and they all turn out highly accurate rifles, so there is something to be said for the treatment. Were not saying the gun was chopped liverit turned in an average of 1.2 inches over the many groups we fired with our three ammo selections. Ammunition for the .350 Legend was available, but he couldnt find anything for his .270. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. A few other features that lend the LAR-15M to hunting include the winter trigger guard, making the trigger more accessible when wearing cold-weather gloves; the Operator CAR stock, with its generous cheek weld and length-of-pull adjustability to accommodate clothing layers; and the overmolded A2 grip. An important accuracy check you can run on any AR without even firing the rifle is to separate the receivers and remove the charging handle and bolt. The Smith flash hider worked very well and the 1:10 twist ratio seemed perfect for the 165-grain Hornady TAP ammo. He was an agent with the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and a member of their tactical team. Rock River Arms (RRA) has a terrific reputation for turning out top-notch AR-15s and AR-10s chambered for a wide selection of cartridges, including the standard 5.56/.223, .204 Ruger, 7.62x39, 6.8 SPC, and the .458 SOCOM, a real thumper, if there ever was one. This one was the same. Generally, Rock River makes good rifles and pistols. Rock River Arms is known for being accurate due to the materials they use and the quality of their products. Accurate to 1 MOA, or about one-inch at 100 yards. Rock River Arms, Olympic Arms, MGI and Del-Ton (upper only). As for recoil, the .350 Legend cannot help but to be compared to its more famous straight-wall cartridge bruiser, the .450 Bushmaster. Here are the features to watch out for. First, is an ambidextrous magazine release consisting of two fenced buttons mirrored on both sides of the lower receiver. For that purpose, it chose the 20-round box magazine used in the FN-FAL, which was readily available and priced as low as $5 each. Users can access the storage compartment by depressing a button recessed into the ribbed rubber buttpad that slides it down and out of the way. Sadly, Nguyen was killed in action in Iraq later that year, so the rifle is particularly special to me and will always remain in my possession. Although it eliminated the brass deflector, we had no problems with the ejection pattern. And the BT-3 didnt disappoint. Thats one of the nice things about the platform. While the location and function of the trigger is identical to what Stoner and Sullivan originally specified, Rock River includes a two-stage trigger of their design, which is superior to the standard semiautomatic trigger found in most ARs. Federal Gold Medal Match delivered the . The last couple decades have seen a veritable explosion of new, modified, and hybrid platforms designed to meet just about any objective you can think of that involves propelling a projectile downrange. The other guns were so strongly right-handed that having an available left-handed model is a big plus for southpaws, which we too-often forget in our evaluations. The two-stage trigger allows for perfect control and a clean break. All three exceed the Rock River .75" factory accuracy guarantee. Rock Rivers triggers not only have a lighter pull weight and crisper let-off, the hammer shape promotes excellent accuracy. Scopes, guns, boots and other tactical stuff in-between. Performance of Rock Rivers new ATH V2 was exceptional. Not only did I get to learn even more about the platform, I got to shoot his Rock River Arms LAR-15 as part of the test sequence. We should all get a little more practice shooting off our weak shoulder. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. No matter what load we tried, it lagged behind the guns in our test. Be it new tactics for hunting or customizing your firearm - we cover it all! Top accuracy honors came from three flyweight varmint loads. The monolithic receivers and . accuracy in the Standard Operator, and our testing, at least with match ammunition, was consistent with that claim. The trigger is an RRA two-stage unit that was very crisp and predictable. Its an aggressive little thing that, should you run out of ammo to fend off a charging beast, could be turned into a defensive tool in its own right. After our article on Compact AR Carbines (October 2007) and a related article on AR-15 Adjustable Stocks (March 2008), some of you warned us that we had opened Pandoras Box. About the only thing someone might complain about is having to wait for a few weeks to get a custom gun they order from RRA. This is topped off with Rock River's .308 A2 flash hider. There is a reason almost all of the so-called match triggers available today have a hammer shape very similar to the one found on this Rock River. Its much easier to shoot with this trigger than with a standard variant. Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer became famous for being intensively involved, along with many of Haarlem's women, with fighting the spanish, who laid siege to the city. If youre looking for a reliable AR-15 manufacturer, Rock River Arms is definitely worth considering. resulting in 1.5-MOA accuracy at 100 yards. This is not due to any sort of apathy or ingratitude, but more a result of limited perspective. I look forward to hitting the range again, and Im certain that I wont need to burn through too much more ammo before this rifle and I approach the -MOA mark together. Billed as the LAR-15M . The Rock River Arms Advanced Half Quad fore-end leaves the barrel free-floating for improved accuracy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The safety lever also sported a rounded knurled knob for easy activation. Contrary to what youll find on the internet, most rifles are not capable of this kind of performance with factory ammunition. Last but certainly not least, the trigger was the most impressive part of this rifle. The adjustable buttstock will interchange, as will the trigger and safety mechanisms, but that is about it. The rear half of the fore-end is rounded and smooth for a comfortable hold, while the front half has four rails that provide plenty of space for mounting accessories. This allows the hammer to move faster (once released) and still get positive ignition of the cartridge without generating a ton of reticle disturbance. The barrel's twist rate is one turn in nine inches. InterLock; 5-shot string #2. So, if youre looking for a cheap AR-15, Rock River Arms probably isnt the best option. Of course, all of this comes at a price but if youre looking for an AR-15 that will serve you well for many years to come, then the Rock River Arms is definitely worth considering. This was a tough test to judge: Four varmint/predator rifles from Bushmaster, Fulton Armory, Rock River, and Stag Arms went head to head, and only minor differences separated them. In comparison, the standard AR trigger has most of its mass as far away as possible from the pin about which it rotates. If a bullet enters the rifling crooked, accuracy will always suffer. Its balance and weight will suit both the bench blaster and the predator hunter. Our friends at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas, graciously granted us permission to use the stores 100-yard shooting tunnel. Rock River Arms produces some of the most reliable and durable AR-15s on the market today. Rock River Arms is a popular option, but is it the right one for you? pullStock: black synthetic fixed Rock River Arms A2 Operator; length of pull, 14"; drop at heel, 1/2"; drop at comb, 1/2"Overall Length: 42" Weight: 10 lbs., 3 ozs.Accessories: owners manual, one 20-round magazineSuggested Retail Price: $1,720. That said, if you dont have to lug it very far, it has a lot of unique features that make it enjoyable to shoot. Fulton Armory is one of the top providers of M1, M1a, and M14, competition guns, and Clint McKee (the owner) and Walt Kuleck (sales manager) have also written books on firearms, including The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide, The M14 Complete Assembly Guide, and The AR-15 Complete Assembly Guide. This makes them some of the most accurate AR-15s on the market. The Rock River Arms R3 Competition Rifle is designed for and has the feel of a competition rifle, yet the same platform is spot-on if your hunts require a lot of walking or if your predator sets demand exceptional accuracy out to the limits of the cartridge along with the ability to make fast follow-up shots. Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. Colt Model 1861 Special Musket: What's Its Value? Rock River Arms is considered to be high end because of the materials they use and the quality of their products. They also like the companys commitment to customer service. Rock River Arms is considered to be one of the most reliable AR-15 manufacturers because of the materials they use and the quality of their products. Testing. So got a brand new Rock River Arms Predator Pursuit in .223. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? The handguard on the ATH V2 is ideal for a general-use rifle. Being M-LOK compatible, you can fit whatever railed accessories you like or keep it clean. The barrels Rock River use come from the Connecticut-based company, Wilson Arms (wilsonarms.com). The design was licensed to Bushmaster, and during the course of about three years, the company built and sold several thousand rifles. Leupold's new Freedom RDS Black, i.e., "red-dot sight," is shown on Rock River's LAR-15LH pistol. The A4 also featured a Hogue-style grip, which received no negative comments. The .223 Wylde chamber has a tight .224-inch freebore that keeps bullets especially long 69- and 77-grain types from yawing in the chamber prior to engaging the rifling. RRA offers two AR-platform rifles chambered in .350 Legendblack phosphate or stainless-steel barrels. Overall, we found its price (a little more than half that of the Fulton gun), the extras, and its performance at the range ranked it as a Best Buy. Rock River has been around for a long time and they maintain a devoted following because they continue to use quality components while giving attention to the details. The gun arrived in a plastic carrying case, with a safety block that can also used to remove the takedown pins attaching the upper and lower assemblies. This was a gun that transformed itself on the bench. Bergara BXR Review: Is the Bergara BXR the Best Rifle for Hunters?