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. Let me put this out there right away: Im not a rifle shooter by trade. We encourage you to also support these organizations as we continue to fight for our fundamental rights. Generally, Rock River makes good rifles and pistols. 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. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. 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. We quickly found that choosing four guns to test wasnt going to be easy. The Rock River Arms BT-3 is a .308 modern sporting rifle, featuring Rock River Arms billet upper and lower receivers, fluted 20-inch cryogenically treated stainless-steel barrel, Rock River Arms .308 A2 flash hider, Magpul PRS stock, Hogue rubber over-molded grip, new lightweight M-LOK compatible 17-inch aluminum floated handguard with MS1913 top rail and a Rock River Arms 2-stage trigger. Federal Gold Medal Match delivered the . The Rock River Star selector makes that process more intuitive and does it without the expense of purchasing an ambidextrous switch. Federal Gold Medal Match delivered the best group, which measured 0.81 inches. They've been producing 5.56mm and 7.62mm models since the beginning of their AR-15 manufacturing, and that's pretty standard. This often requires carrying guns through thickets of brush, and a rest, if available, is a handy tree branch. Two Stage Varmint Chrome Two Stage Varmint: +$35.00. The rifle I tested was chambered in .223 Wylde, meaning that it can shoot both .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm (NATO) ammunition. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Take any AR with this trigger and watch what happens to the crosshairs of a magnified optic during dry fire. One tester felt the handle should be black to reduce glare, because his ADD caused him to focus on the neat little handle running back and forth. If that gas tube moves when the bolt carrier comes forward, the carrier key is hitting the gas tube. A normal throw lever found on an AR works fine for a right-handed shooter firing off the right shoulder. My experience with Rock River AR-pattern rifles hasnt involved round counts like my friends, but theyve been just as positive. 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 . Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. This is not John Waynes revolver it is a modern work of art! Several have stepped up to the .350 Legend plate, and one of the most recent is Rock River Arms. Here, deer hunters were often restricted to using shotguns, muzzleloaders, or handguns chambered for straight-wall pistol cartridges. And the BT-3 didnt disappoint. Several high-quality triggers exist today that will hold up under the harshest conditions yet allow for more accuracy and faster follow-up shots. 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. These guns can quickly become complex, so I greatly appreciated the furniture being so user-friendly. We should all get a little more practice shooting off our weak shoulder. 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. This one was the same. As for recoil, the .350 Legend cannot help but to be compared to its more famous straight-wall cartridge bruiser, the .450 Bushmaster. However, its unclear if the FBI currently uses Rock River Arms rifles or not. The stock also has flush cups compatible with quick-release sling swivels, including one at the wrist and one at the toe. (stock extended) Weight: 5 lbs., 11 oz. Next, we researched scopes and settled on the Super Sniper 16X42 Model SS16X42, $300, a brand marketed and manufactured to the specifications of SWFA, a large distributor of most major brands of optics (www.riflescopes.com). Which brings me to my point. We also found the left ejection pattern did not bother righties. If you are looking for a high-quality AR-15, then Rock River Arms is a great option. Subscriber Services. In fact, they even have a testimonial from an FBI agent on their website. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This gives the hammer considerable inertia. Newer models are sporting a more robust Hogue grip. Their rifles are backed by a lifetime warranty, so you can be sure that your investment will be protected. Shot it for the first time today. All Rights Reserved. Chris Johnson, FN Senior Product Manager, walks us through two new FN striker-fired pistols at SHOT Show 2023: the FN 510 Tactical, chambered in 10mm Auto, and the FN 545 Tactical, chambered in .45 ACP. Their gun arrived in a plain cardboard box, with no gun case, just the gun sandwiched between two sheets of foam, along with a set of tools and directions for the Geissele trigger, and a modified version of their The AR-15 Complete Owners Guide.The FAR-15 inside was a striking gun, complete with a Magpul, PRS Precision adjustable sniper stock, $245, which provides exact cheek-weld and LOP adjustments. Winchester seized this opportunity to develop an entirely new cartridge that would fall within these parameters while utilizing manufacturing efficiencies to keep production costs down. RRAGE LAR-15 Type: Direct-impingement, semiautomatic Cartridge: 5.56 NATO Barrel: 16 in., 1:9-in. His best 100-yard group was .38 inch. The first three shots with Remington 168-grain BTHP factory ammunition at 25 yards showed that I was 3 inches low and 1 inch to the right. On a grid target, accuracy lives up to the Rock River Arms' claim of 1.5 MOA at 100 yards. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. InterLock, Burris Veracity PH Rifle Scope: Drop Compensation for the Masses, Why You (Yes, You) Need Next-Level Firearm Training. I like the RRA star safety selector, which rolls nicely under your thumb (for right-hand shooters). Every cowboy needs a revolver. Learn how your comment data is processed. The 16-inch barrel is certainly maneuverable in the brush, and with its 6.8-lb. After mounting the scopes, each gun was given a good general cleaning, carefully lubricated, trigger pull weights checked on a digital gauge, and then it was off to the range. Now for 2022, the company ups the game for hunters with the introduction of the All-Terrain Hunter (ATH), a mid-length rifle that stands tall in the field of AR-platform hunting rifles. In lieu of the standard charging handle, the side-cocking module replaces the bolt cover and fits into the side of the gun by machining away the brass deflector. But the Rock River Arms guns have a very solid reputation for reliability. It made all the difference in my performance. The deep-freeze cryogenic process that each barrel receives removes any stress imparted on it during the manufacturing process. Anyway, I was lucky to have someone I could turn to for information. Remington's Nylon 66 semi-automatic .22 LR rifles have grown from 1950s bargain buys to 21st century collectors darlings. Head to the range this week with American Rifleman staff as they discuss a trim little repeater from Savage Arms that comes chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge. The bolt remains open after the last round is fired, but the shooter releases it by hitting the traditional bolt-release lever or tugging backward on the side-cocking module. 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. The Judge has been promoted! It is ambidextrous as well and can be activated with the trigger finger.          Email *, Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Shoot On. My best group this go-around was 1.443 inches. The two-stage trigger allows for perfect control and a clean break. However, the standard selector lever can be a struggle when a right-handed shooter moves the rifle to the left shoulder and tries to work the selector with the index finger. He asked what I was shooting, and then said, Well, thats funny. Item Number Description Select Price. Every rifle is hand-built with precision in mind, and this definitely shows in the quality of their products. What the fuck is going on here? The LAR-15 X-Series X-1 Rifle in .223/5.56mm from Rock River Arms is available at a manufacturer suggested retail price of $1,450.00 and $1,500.00, depending on the stock and color option (Black and Tan). Bergara BXR Review: Is the Bergara BXR the Best Rifle for Hunters? Minuteman. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. Rock River Arms is committed to the protection of your Second Amendment Rights and is a proud supporter of the ISRA, SAF, FPC, NSSF, and FFL-IL. 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. Good value. The fluted stainless-steel barrel pretty much proves that you dont need a bull barrel to achieve precision on a rifle. This will cause the occasional flyer when shooting groups because the other end of that gas tube is attached directly to the barrel. If youre willing to spend a little extra money, theyre definitely worth considering. . It really comes down to personal preference. This came in very handy when we decided to go ahead and test the .223 cartridge for BBTI last year. This is not the first time Ive tested a Rock River rifle with their stainless-steel match barrel, so I was not surprised when group averages hovered near MOA for five shots at 100 yards. Colt Model 1861 Special Musket: What's Its Value? In particular, they liked the Magpul stock, side-charging handle, and target handle. Although it eliminated the brass deflector, we had no problems with the ejection pattern. The handguard is RRAs own design, and I like it for its smooth simplicity. 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. 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. Using several surplus FN-FAL magazines as well as the one provided with the rifle, there were no failures to feed. Aside from being a superb cartridge for deer, hogs, and bear, the .350 Legend and rifles so-chambered, such as the Rock River Arms LAR-15M, may be among the few firearm/ammo matchups in stock this seasonat least for the next month or so. Or if you already have some idea of the various fancier accessories you might want, you can order it that way to start with, and trust that youre getting lasting value for your investment. Most of our testers were competitive shooters, and they were very picky about what they liked, and didnt, on the gunsexactly what we wanted. One of the challenges of introducing an all-new cartridge is getting rifle manufacturers to chamber for the new round. The fire control is Rock River's 2-stage trigger. Knowing first-hand the accuracy reputation of RRA rifles through many weve tested for Shoot On and looking at the ballistic performance of the two cartridges tested for this evaluation, I must conclude that neither load hit this particular LAR-15s sweet spot, although the Hornady American Whitetails performance would absolutely get the job done. Time warp? Rock River, like Fulton, also offers many options to customize your gun, and even offers four different models if the A4 isnt your cup of tea. By signing up you agree to Guns.com's Rock Rivers manufacturing experience, however, made that a non-issue. This was often the first rifle stuck into the tender hands of my generation, being readily available, easy for a youth to carry, and familiar territory to operate since all of us had plenty of muscle memory built-in from our childhood adventures with Red Rider BB guns. Its a direct-impingement (DI) rifle manufactured to all the standard dimensions. The LAR-8 Standard Operator, reviewed here, also incorporates a number of ergonomic improvements, including an ambidextrous bolt stop and magazine release. Rem .260 schmidt and bender. Those of our fathers generation, on the other hand, usually gravitated toward bolt action hunting rifles of the Remington 700 or Winchester model 70 flavor. He had nothing but respect for those Rock River rifles. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. 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. Despite being assembled and disassembled numerous times, we never lost zero on the rigs. This rifle is fed by a 10-round AICS-pattern detachable box magazine. For me, all cases extracted and landed at about 4 oclock relative to the muzzle. Well, not any more of an idiot than I usually feel like, I suppose I should say. 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. When it comes to comparing Rock River Arms to other manufacturers, there is no clear winner. The reason is that the base price for the FAR15 is $900, and every gun is bench built, so each shooter can pick and choose the options he can afford. Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. It's absolutely sufficient for . Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. Our testers said the Bushmaster was handsome and svelte at 8.84 pounds, due to its lighter-weight barrel, and a vented, free-floated forend that included a sling/bipod stud mounted. 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. There will probably be a slew of hunters this year who end up walking out of their go-to sporting goods retailer with empty hands and long faces because their standard ammo is not to be had. There, review done. No matter what load we tried, it lagged behind the guns in our test. One I especially like is the winter triggerguard; its oversized and creates an opening large enough for a gloved finger. So, when I was tasked to review the new Rock River Arms BT-3 .308 Modern Sporting Rifle, I decided to meet the challenge head-on. However, if youre looking for a cheap AR-15, there are better options out there. Accuracy with the rifle was commendable. To some, a varmint hunter is someone who blazes away at prairie dogs and other such small targets from a rest. Rock River Arms earned their reputation by manufacturing some of the most accurate and reliable semi-auto rifles for the law enforcement and civilian markets. Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. Rock River Arms also offers a lifetime warranty on their products, which is another reason why they are considered to be high end. 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. SAAMI Accepts 30 Super Carry As New Standardized Cartridge, SHOT 2022: Federal Premium Announces 30 Super Carry Cartridge, Remington Introduces New Model 597 Rifles. Eric Poole and Tom Beckstrand test the Aimpoint Acro P-2 against one of red dot sights' biggest myths: distance. 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 RRA ATH comes with an. In the hands of a skilled rifle shooter, the groups from this rifle will shrink dramatically. The two lefties in the test felt they might have improved their performance, but for the handle that felt it was installed backwards, or as another tester described it like trying to hold a prickly pear. Southpaws should order any handle but this one if they decide on the FAR15. Certainly not, considering the quality. The rifles they were issued were manufactured by Rock River Arms, and were carbine variants in similar spec to the U.S. militarys M4. I shot this rifle within my skill level, and I think I shot it well. Other accoutrements included a target-gray stainless barrel ($35), a tac-latch on the charging handle for easier access when a scope is used ($20), a pre-installed Harris bipod ($80), and a side-cocking module ($125). Even with only 16 inches of launch, the .223's velocity averages 2900-3000 fps. The rest of the ATH V2 compliments the barrel work. When I dress Western, nothing beats the classic good looks of my Smith & Wesson (S&W) 586 .357 revolver. One of the challenges of introducing an all-new cartridge is getting rifle manufacturers to chamber for the new round. Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. Ammunition for the .350 Legend was available, but he couldnt find anything for his .270. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? Our advicemake your decision and your move now. As I said, this was a well-used gun and I knew the owner wouldnt tolerate any problems. You have entered an incorrect email address! Get a fairly basic model as an introduction and rest assured that when you want to geek-out later, youll be starting with a quality platform. The second part of our testing took place under blue skies at the Arlington Sportsmans Club, one the largest private gun clubs in Texas with over 1300 members and offering a full range of shooting opportunities (www.arlingtonsportsman.com). It took me a bit of time to properly install and set up my scope and rifle for both length of pull and eye relief, but once I had it, I was ready to roll. 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. This is a difficult question to answer. The general idea was that high-velocity ammunition was deemed incompatible, for safety reasons, in areas of flat terrain and denser populations. RRA offers two AR-platform rifles chambered in .350 Legendblack phosphate or stainless-steel barrels. InterLock; 5-shot string #1, Hornady American Whitetail, 170-gr. They also like the companys commitment to customer service. The Rock River Arms Advanced Half Quad fore-end leaves the barrel free-floating for improved accuracy. The Varmint Special included a standard A2 stock with a trapdoor, and added two half-inch scope riser mounts attached to the receivers front Picatinny rail. At each temperature step, Rock River will let the barrels soak at that temp for a specific period of time. See below for more information. We chose this lefty model to balance the group, assuming left-handed shooters would prefer a gun set up for them. Give a Gift A four-pronged Smith Enterprise Vortex flash suppressor is threaded to the muzzle. The chamber is 5.56mm NATO, so it will work fine with .223 Remington ammo, too. The lightweight handguard is comfortable and has enough M-LOK slots to add whatever accessories you might need or want. Here's what it's like to shoot this classic scattergun.