Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. They also like the companys commitment to customer service. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Rock River Arms is a popular option, but is it the right one for you? Remington's Nylon 66 semi-automatic .22 LR rifles have grown from 1950s bargain buys to 21st century collectors darlings. The design was licensed to Bushmaster, and during the course of about three years, the company built and sold several thousand rifles. I like the RRA star safety selector, which rolls nicely under your thumb (for right-hand shooters). Rock River Coyote Carbine Review | An Official Journal Of The NRA Here are the features to watch out for. 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. 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. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. Once they hit 300 below zero, theyll bring the barrels up (also in steps) to 200 degrees above zero. One of the challenges of introducing an all-new cartridge is getting rifle manufacturers to chamber for the new round. . Review: Rock River Arms ATH V2 - Guns and Ammo For everyone else, then: Rock River Arms got into making AR-15 rifles back in the late 1990s after years of doing custom work on 1911s. Rock River Arms All Terrain Hunter (ATH) Semi-Auto Hunting Rifle: New 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. 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. Later on, 9mm joined the party, as did 300 BLK. The 18-inch barrel that Rock River chose to install has a 1:8-inch twist and features a mid-length gas system. While you might not associate the AK-47's cartridge with accuracy, out of an AR-15 the 7.62x39 mm can produce tiny groups. One I especially like is the winter triggerguard; its oversized and creates an opening large enough for a gloved finger. Several years ago, I was visiting with a good friend of mine when the discussion turned to the guns he carried on duty.. 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. About the only thing someone might complain about is having to wait for a few weeks to get a custom gun they order. Rock Rivers winter triggerguard solves this problem. I acquired Federal and Hornady cartridges for the range test. (stock extended) Weight: 5 lbs., 11 oz. Keep in mind that, although I dont shoot a lot of long guns, Im a professional firearms photographer and I recognize quality and attention to detail when I see it. This handle received mostly positive reviews, although our female tester found it a little too large. 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 Flash forward to today. In 2003 they got a big government contract to supply the Drug Enforcement Administration with a bunch of AR-15 style guns. 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. Testing. 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. Here's a full review. You must log in or register to reply here. And I know that he also respects my knowledge about other guns, meaning that I didnt feel like some kind of idiot by asking him to give me a run-down on basic ARs some time back. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. We chose No. 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. This is not due to any sort of apathy or ingratitude, but more a result of limited perspective. This gun is also available with the same components in the right-hand Model 6, and we believe our comments about the left-hand configuration will apply to the Stag gun set up for right-hand shooters. Kenau and Ripperda Monument - Tripadvisor This is topped off with Rock River's .308 A2 flash hider. Our testers felt that the gun had the versatility to shoot prairie dogs off of a rest, but was light enough to tote through mesquite thickets in search of coyotes. 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. 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. The BCG also has a properly staked gas key to ensure reliability. And if youve ever waded into some of the online forums devoted to things-AR, you know just how bewildering it all can be. . The FALs feed lips are built into the receiver rather than the magazine itselfa feature that, in theory, should offer more reliable feeding. Are you in the market for a new AR-15? Sometimes, the innovation has been led by the firearm, sometimes by ballistics requirements, sometimes to fill a specific niche that ends up having wider application and acceptance beyond its original intent. The ATH V2 will continue that proud tradition. Shot it for the first time today. 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. Even with only 16 inches of launch, the .223's velocity averages 2900-3000 fps. Federal Gold Medal Match delivered the . The LAR-8 Standard Operator is reliable and accurate, and its fine trigger makes it easy to shoot well. The gun shot 1 inch overall, but without the inconsistent Remington ammo (1.52 in. Join our Mailing list for special perks and updates from Shoot On. AR-15s tend not to fit standard gun cases when set up with the high mounts required to clear the charging handle, and still provide a solid sight picture. Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. This website contains many older reviews. In the hands of a skilled rifle shooter, the groups from this rifle will shrink dramatically. The included magazine, which is specific to the .350 Legend, boasts a 10-round capacity. My buddy had a significant amount of experience on several of them, so I value his opinion of the platform. 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. This allowed us to position the scope well above the charging handle, yet remove the scope for transport, and re-attach it via two quick-throw levers. Still, the balance of the gun kept it from receiving our highest mark. 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. Besides helping with accuracy, the lapping makes it easier to clean the barrel. The construction and fit of the rifle are among the best Ive seen in years. The crosshairs bounce all over the place. We also found the left ejection pattern did not bother righties. When asked about maintenance, he responded with, I like to shoot it, but I let the armorer take care of it. Each rifle he was issued was carried for about a year and typically saw 20,000 rounds before replacement with a new one. Rob has a troublesome habit of pulling guns and things apart to see how they work; occasionally, he manages to get them back together With its plug-n-play simplicity, environmentally adaptive technology, and low-profile desi. The increased profile of the unit makes it easy to locate, engage and manipulate with the left hands index finger when firing off the left shoulder. ), it would have shot gaudy numbers. Rock River Arms Standard A2 (.223 / 5.56) 20" Barrel But that was the point: Im a proficient pistol shooter and, as a professional firearms photographer, I know guns as well as anyone. The A4 also featured a Hogue-style grip, which received no negative comments. 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. A pair of horizontally opposed internal tunnels for holding spare batteries creates a full contour buttstock that is compatible with a solid cheek weld. Rock River Arms uses barrels from a variety of manufacturers, including FN, Criterion, and Wilson. JavaScript is disabled. Shoot On Editor-in-Chief Rob Reaser is a lifelong outdoorsman, former magazine editor, columnist, and contributing editor to numerous national publications in the automotive and outdoor segments. We felt the Giessele trigger was the best out of all the guns tested, but was also the hardest name to pronounce. The published bullet diameter for the .350 Legend is .357 inches. 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. Interestingly, Bushmasters directions require barrel cleaning after every 20 rounds, for the first 60 rounds, to ensure proper break-in. If you are looking for an AR-15 that is built to last, then Rock River Arms is a great choice. The Nylon 66, a relatively inexpensive rimfire with faux woodgrain, was the first successful synthetic-stock firearm. The safety lever also sported a rounded knurled knob for easy activation. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. 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. We were shooting iron sights only and the gun shot better than I can, in terms of accuracy. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. Once the rifle is fitted, the barrel is lapped and additional touches made to ensure superior workmanship, accuracy and quality set all Rock River apart from other AR-15 manufacturers. When the carrier key hits the gas tube, that disturbance travels down the tube and into the barrel. I decided I wanted calm and shade: Spring in Arizona is often unpredictable and weather varies from wet and soggy 60s to hot and steamy upper 90s. You have entered an incorrect email address! The rifle follows the AR-pattern designed by Eugene Stoner and Jim Sullivan very closely. Its Rock River Arms business model and today Guns.com reviews the Rock River Arms LAR-15. The stock also has flush cups compatible with quick-release sling swivels, including one at the wrist and one at the toe. The case length hits the 1.71-inch mark with an overall cartridge length of 2.26 inches. 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. I wanted to do this as by the book as possible, so waiting for calm winds was my only option. Once the barrels get to Colona, Illinois, Rock River finishes the chambering job and then cryogenically stress-relieves the barrel before mating it to an upper receiver. I didnt know I was capable of shooting like that, and especially not after a mere dozen rounds. 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. Welcome to Shoot-On.com - The outdoor and shooting industry's premier source of up-to-date news, media, entertainment and new product information. As for recoil, the .350 Legend cannot help but to be compared to its more famous straight-wall cartridge bruiser, the .450 Bushmaster. 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. It really comes down to personal preference. Rock River Arms originally designed and patented the system back in 2005. The side-cocking module deserves a little more explanation. We got a quartet of guns that matched these specifications from Bushmaster, Fulton Armory, Rock River Arms, and Stag Arms, along with some options they felt the varmint/predator hunter would like. The Rock River A4 won some points from us when we uncrated it to find a blue plastic breakdown case with foam storage areas for extras, like scopes. This might sound ridiculous, but not to the keen ears of a 'yote. This process alone will add another $30 to $50 dollars to the $1325 price tag. Full Member. It felt comfortable to the shooters, settled in nicely for repeat shots, and turned in a second best 0.940-inch overall average group. 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. At one . Smith & Wesson Model 586: Reviewing A .357 Revolver With Class. Gun Review: Rock River Arms' LAR-15 Operator III All of these options bring the gun to a wallet-emptying $1994 retail price. 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. 49865 Leupold QRW 30mm Quick Detach Mounts for a robust, portable mount. Sights: folding front post attached to the gas block, Picatinny rail for attaching opticsTrigger: two-stage; 4-lb., 4-oz. He asked what I was shooting, and then said, Well, thats funny. The fire control is Rock River's 2-stage trigger. Every cowboy needs a revolver. . Overall, Rock River Arms is a good brand that makes high quality AR-15s. Their rifles are built to last and their customer service is second to none. Our friends at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas, graciously granted us permission to use the stores 100-yard shooting tunnel. 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. Depending on exactly what kind of gun you want, with all those myriad options I mentioned, you can spend as little as $900. The BT-3's furniture includes a Magpul PRS stock and Hogue rubber over-molded grip. This handguard is very comfortable in the hand while still leaving plenty of attachment options for any accessories the shooter might want to employ. Theyve managed this because they make excellent guns. The rest of the ATH V2 compliments the barrel work. We selected this scope for several reasons. Winchester touts the .350 Legend as, The Worlds fastest straight-wall hunting cartridge, with energy exceeding that of the .30-30 Win, .300 BLK, and .223 Rem and 20% more penetration than the .243 Win. Rock River's LAR-15LH Pistol is accurate, compact and now left-handed. However, we can say that Rock River Arms is a great option if you are looking for a high-quality AR-15. resulting in 1.5-MOA accuracy at 100 yards. Also included were an owners manual, two-stage trigger assembly and adjustment procedures, lock, maintenance instructions, 25-meter zeroing target, and break-in instructions for the stainless barrel. It weighs 10.2 pounds empty and is 43.5 inches long. 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. 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. The RRA's have had a very good reputation for high quality products at a good price. Gun Review: Rock River Arms LAR-8 Elite Operator - Gun Digest And since then, they have continued to be one of the major manufacturers of AR-platform guns and parts. Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. In parts of the South, varmint hunters are calling in foxes, coyotes, bobcats and other predators. The bare shelves at Bass Pro were a shocking sight, and a testament to how difficult it can be to find ammunition these days. Accuracy is the average of five, five-shot groups from a rest at 100 yards. 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.          Email *, Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Shoot On. This makes them some of the most durable and reliable AR-15s on the market. Epic 22 Pocket Pistol: The Beretta 71 Jaguar. Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. My best 5-shot group was with the Hornady TAP Precision 155-grain A-Max Law Enforcement Ammunition, measuring .935 inch. 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. We spent the better part of two days recording data in what Bass Pro employees affectionately call the Dungeon. Our time there also allowed us to schedule testers to come in and fire away, including a young lady who broke away from her teachers job to school us, by posting the second best group of 0.49 inch in our tests. The other gun barrels come lapped from the factory and do not require this break-in procedure. . That changed several years ago when Michigan decided to allow the use of straight-wall cartridges in .35 caliber or larger with case lengths ranging from 1.16- (minimum) to 1.80-inch (maximum). 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. 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. 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. A big reason that these rifles shoot so well is the barrel. Rock River Arms LAR-8 Standard Operator - An Official Journal Of The NRA InterLock; 5-shot string #2. If youre looking for a good, dependable AR at a reasonable price, I dont think you could go wrong with a Rock River Arms product. When we took the Bushmaster to the range, some of positive feelings dissipated when bullets started flying downrange. More load testing is definitely on the menu. K-Mart Classics: Remingtons Nylon Rimfires Engineered To Last. The A4 had a winter trigger guard, which allowed gloves to be used with the gun. AR-15 Review: Rock River Arms LAR-15 - Gun Digest The Freedom RDS is a fixed, 1X sight that includes a dual-ring, 34mm cantilever mount; $300. When I formed my frame of reference for hunting rifles in the early 1980s, there was something of a generational overlap going on. He fired tens of thousands of rounds each year, which made me curious about what firearms he used and how they fared. JBoomhauer Gunny Sergeant. In comparison, the standard AR trigger has most of its mass as far away as possible from the pin about which it rotates. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed. 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. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Its a direct-impingement (DI) rifle manufactured to all the standard dimensions. The average velocity of the load from the Rock River was 2,728 fps. Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. There are several candidates that also would have worked from other manufacturers such as DPMS, Bushmaster, Armalite and others, but we had to pick one and wanted to see if RRA's reputation would hold up. At 100 yards, my groups were a bit to the right, but I was just looking for groups so I didnt touch the scope. The Smith flash hider worked very well and the 1:10 twist ratio seemed perfect for the 165-grain Hornady TAP ammo. The rifled features billet aluminum upper and lower receivers. He loved his Rock River rifle. This one was the same. This gives the hammer considerable inertia. needed for precision accuracy at exceptional ranges. SIG Sauer P322 Rimfire Pistol: First Look, Non-Lethal Personal & Home Defense with Byrna, Range Tested: EAA Girsan Pistols & Shotguns, New for 2023: Christensen Arms Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR), New for 2023: All-American RIA 5.0 Sporting Pistol, New for 2023: FN Rush 9Ti Pistol Suppressor, New Big Bore Pistols for 2023: FN 510 Tactical and FN 545 Tactical, New for 2023: FN SCAR 15P Rifle Caliber Pistol, First Look: Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum Revolver With 10.5-Inch Barrel, New-for-2023 Taurus Judge Executive Grade 410/.45 Colt Revolver, Smith & Wesson Equalizer and the Brand New M&P 5.7 Pistol. I use the term "good" loosely because it really is subjective. One of the things that makes the Rock River Arms so accurate is its attention to detail and craftsmanship. Rock River Arms RBG-1S Rifle: Full Review - RifleShooter For true fans and students of the gun, we certainly live in a time when many among us may not fully appreciate the incredible diversity of firearms and ammunition at our disposal. The combination of barrel weight, the proprietary process used to manufacture the barrel and the mid-length gas system makes for one of the lightest recoiling and most accurate AR-pattern rifles Ive tested.