The ATH V2 comes with an 18-inch, stainless steel, heavy match barrel. This makes them some of the most accurate AR-15s on the market. 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. Metallurgists indicate that the extreme temperatures eliminate the stress imparted on the metal from cutting the chamber and contouring the barrel profile. The bare shelves at Bass Pro were a shocking sight, and a testament to how difficult it can be to find ammunition these days. Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. 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. I am by no means an expert on ARs, but I do know a bit about quality firearms. Like 3/8 to 5/8 of and inch accuracy for three shots. Since the freebore area only surrounds the bullet when a cartridge is chambered, variation in brass thickness causes no trouble. Full Member. We had planned on getting 10X scopes, but SWFA had shipped all they had to the Army for their Designated Marksman Program. Rock River Arms ATH V2Type: Gas operated, direct impingement, semiautomaticCartridge: .223 WyldeCapacity: 20 or 30 rds.Barrel: 18 in., 1:8-in. 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). 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 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 A4 had a winter trigger guard, which allowed gloves to be used with the gun. Guys from my grandpas era (at least in my area of the Appalachians) seemed to cling to the classical deer rifle forms, led prominently by the Winchester model 94 lever action. Later on, 9mm joined the party, as did 300 BLK. The Rock River also turned in the tightest group in our test at 0.57 inch with the Black Hills Ammo. 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. The safety lever also sported a rounded knurled knob for easy activation. In fact, many experts believe that it is THE most accurate AR-15 on the market. However, its unclear if the FBI currently uses Rock River Arms rifles or not. Bergara BXR Review: Is the Bergara BXR the Best Rifle for Hunters? The fire control is Rock River's 2-stage trigger. It really comes down to personal preference. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. Less obvious and more vexing, the FAL wont work with an AR-10-style bolt stop. It was comfortable, but I prefer a little bigger grip. He has also authored and co-authored several DIY gun building books. The RRA's have had a very good reputation for high quality products at a good price. The rifles they were issued were manufactured by Rock River Arms, and were carbine variants in similar spec to the U.S. militarys M4. Once we began firing, we took the time to swab each barrel after each ammo change to ensure carbon build-up did not influence the guns accuracy with the new ammo. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? Their rifles are backed by a lifetime warranty, so you can be sure that your investment will be protected. His shooting and hunting passions cover everything from traditional archery and big-game bowhunting to the latest in handguns, rifles, and reloading. To start, the Stag sported an ambi-safety, and produced the same complaints from righties that it interfered with their grip. This allows the hammer to move faster (once released) and still get positive ignition of the cartridge without generating a ton of reticle disturbance. On a grid target, accuracy lives up to the Rock River Arms' claim of 1.5 MOA at 100 yards. | Its much easier to shoot with this trigger than with a standard variant. Whether you are looking for a basic AR-15 or a fully customized weapon, Rock River Arms is a great choice. If that gas tube moves when the bolt carrier comes forward, the carrier key is hitting the gas tube. All Rights Reserved. If you are looking for a high-quality AR-15, then Rock River Arms is a great option. And if youve ever waded into some of the online forums devoted to things-AR, you know just how bewildering it all can be. Another feature I really liked was the sealed battery storage area . 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. We were somewhat constrained in our ammo choices due to a lack of enough rounds of ammo to run our tests properly. On the other hand, they add a pair of critical dimensions to the receiver in an already crowded area just below the barrel extension. A pair of horizontally opposed internal tunnels for holding spare batteries creates a full contour buttstock that is compatible with a solid cheek weld. Accuracy is the average of five, five-shot groups from a rest at 100 yards. According to Rock River Arms, the FBI has used their rifles in the past. 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 . AR-10-style rifles, the Rock River Arms LAR-8 stands alone. When we took the Bushmaster to the range, some of positive feelings dissipated when bullets started flying downrange. Elsewhere, we also found the two-stage trigger to be quite good in our test firing, much better than their standard trigger in our tactical carbine test in October 2007. This handguard is very comfortable in the hand while still leaving plenty of attachment options for any accessories the shooter might want to employ. When I dress Western, nothing beats the classic good looks of my Smith & Wesson (S&W) 586 .357 revolver. 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. Save my name and email to use for future comments. Velocity is the average of 10 shots recorded by a Shooting Chrony chronograph 10 feet from the muzzle. The Rock River Arms X-Series LAR-6.8 AR-15 is specifically designed for this bigger brother to the 5.56 NATO. 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. Bushmasters Varmint Special Model PCWVMS 24-9SS featured a 24-inch-long 1:9 twist heavy sporter stainless barrel, not a bull barrel like those found on the other guns in the test. Rock River cured a couple other standard AR failings with parts they developed in-house. 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. I shot five-round groups at 100 yards with Remington 168-grain BTHP, Lapua 167-grain BTHP, Hornady 168-grain A-Max, Hornady 155-grain TAP A-Max, Hornady 110-grain TAP Urban, and Federal American Eagle 150-grain BTFMJ ammunition. All three exceed the Rock River .75" factory accuracy guarantee. But that was the point: Im a proficient pistol shooter and, as a professional firearms photographer, I know guns as well as anyone. 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 is not John Waynes revolver it is a modern work of art! . 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. Besides helping with accuracy, the lapping makes it easier to clean the barrel. 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. rifle. 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. VMAX ($40/50). twist Overall Length: 36 in. They have to improve quality, offer customized options and mark it all at a fair pricesounds like the ideal business model, but no its not. The result is a super-reliable, mid-level AR with clean lines and solid accuracy, to boot. His best 100-yard group was .38 inch. To some, a varmint hunter is someone who blazes away at prairie dogs and other such small targets from a rest. There are a lot of opinions out there, but when it comes to accuracy, the Rock River Arms AR-15 is often lauded as one of the best. My buddy had a significant amount of experience on several of them, so I value his opinion of the platform. Theyve managed this because they make excellent guns. The dimensions of the barrel extension are different, and the bolt carrier and charging handle are both longer. Regardless, youll get a gun with a fit and finish better than most AR rifles available on the market right now, even at a significantly higher price. Our friends at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas, graciously granted us permission to use the stores 100-yard shooting tunnel. 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. This is not due to any sort of apathy or ingratitude, but more a result of limited perspective. models. The Rock River Arms RRage Carbine 's straightforward construction and choice of components allows Rock River Arms to achieve a very reasonable MSRP of $759.99, and real-world prices will. It is 11 inches long, so it covers the mid-length gas system and has sections of M-Lok cut into the sides and bottom. These guns can quickly become complex, so I greatly appreciated the furniture being so user-friendly. Many people believe that Rock River Arms is worth the money because of the quality of their products. This often requires carrying guns through thickets of brush, and a rest, if available, is a handy tree branch. We found it an excellent choice for extreme accuracy testing, plus it was a designated tornado shelter to boot. Billed as the LAR-15M . OK, I wanted a scope that would make me look good and the Tango6 certainly didnt fail me in that regard. Item Number Description Select Price. The side-cocking module deserves a little more explanation. I was neither hot nor cold about the Hogue over-molded grip. We felt the Giessele trigger was the best out of all the guns tested, but was also the hardest name to pronounce. Despite being assembled and disassembled numerous times, we never lost zero on the rigs. The handle was a palm swell adjustable pistol grip, which featured a large base that can be adjusted via a hex wrench to set the proper trigger pull angle. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. There, review done. A big reason that these rifles shoot so well is the barrel. This might sound ridiculous, but not to the keen ears of a 'yote. 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. They offer a variety of barrel lengths and profiles to choose from, so you can find the perfect one for your needs. The LAR-8 Standard Operator, reviewed here, also incorporates a number of ergonomic improvements, including an ambidextrous bolt stop and magazine release. The Standard Operator has a 20-inch, cryo-treated chrome-moly barrel. See below for more information. Time warp? Rock River's LAR-15LH Pistol is accurate, compact and now left-handed. While they may be on the higher end price-wise, many feel that they are worth the investment. Are you in the market for a new AR-15? It weighs 10.2 pounds empty and is 43.5 inches long. Rock River Arms sent me a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle with a tan stock and 24-inch barrel for testing. Federal Gold Medal Match delivered the . Learn how your comment data is processed. Accuracy with the rifle was commendable. The barrels Rock River use come from the Connecticut-based company, Wilson Arms (wilsonarms.com). Ive had this rest for more than 15 years and its still my favorite. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? Generally, Rock River makes good rifles and pistols. We didnt have any problems with the gun operating at all, but I didnt expect any. For testing, we fitted the rifle with a Leupold 1.1-8X 24 mm CQBSS using steel 34 mm rings. The RRAGE carbine has a lightweight, 16-inch, chrome-moly barrel that mikes 0.772 inch at the muzzle. The LAR-15 NM features a stainless heavy match barrel with a 1:8 twist. Minuteman. Leupold's new Freedom RDS Black, i.e., "red-dot sight," is shown on Rock River's LAR-15LH pistol. The fluted stainless-steel barrel pretty much proves that you dont need a bull barrel to achieve precision on a rifle. Rock River Arms has been making their two-stage match trigger for more than a decade. However, we can say that Rock River Arms is a great option if you are looking for a high-quality AR-15. The gun shot 1 inch overall, but without the inconsistent Remington ammo (1.52 in. The deep-freeze cryogenic process that each barrel receives removes any stress imparted on it during the manufacturing process. The author grouped and chronographed Black Hills' 77-grain 5.56 OTM ammo with impressive results. And not only are their guns excellent, theyre actually very reasonably priced. We chose this lefty model to balance the group, assuming left-handed shooters would prefer a gun set up for them. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. 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. The guns manufactured for these uses also have this same variety in their construction. Rock River Arms originally designed and patented the system back in 2005. They've been producing 5.56mm and 7.62mm models since the beginning of their AR-15 manufacturing, and that's pretty standard. I acquired Federal and Hornady cartridges for the range test. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989.          Email *, Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Shoot On. Additionally, RRA offers a lifetime warranty on their rifles. New Shooters Guide: What Is a Pistol Caliber Carbine? An exceptionally volatile Texas spring brought a series of gusty winds, heavy rain, the occasional hailstorm, and a few tornados thrown in for good measure. If youre looking for a reliable AR-15 manufacturer, Rock River Arms is definitely worth considering. A four-pronged Smith Enterprise Vortex flash suppressor is threaded to the muzzle. You have entered an incorrect email address! Most of our testers were competitive shooters, and they were very picky about what they liked, and didnt, on the gunsexactly what we wanted. 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. Although it eliminated the brass deflector, we had no problems with the ejection pattern. 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. It's absolutely sufficient for . weight, the rifle is an easy carry when outfitted with a quality sling. Im talking no slop, no gaps and excellent quality. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. Colt Model 1861 Special Musket: What's Its Value? While dimensional specs play to the geek intrigue, the real value of the .350 Legend is its ballistic performance and shooter experience. Rock Rivers trigger has a lighter 3-pound pull weight and a very crisp let-off. Rock River Arms, Olympic Arms, MGI and Del-Ton (upper only). Our mission is to provide readers with compelling content that is both relevant and valuable to the modern outdoorsman/shooter. It's outfitted with a 20-inch fluted and cryogenically treated stainless-steel barrel. For testing purposes we selected three mid-range bullet weights with different price points: The Remington Express 55-gr. We quickly found that choosing four guns to test wasnt going to be easy. 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. Loves Federal Premium 69g Match. The tight adherence to exacting tolerances of their chamber dimensions and the stress-relieving effort are two of the big contributors that I credit for this brands reputation for accuracy. Oh, you want more? As a rifle-shooting newbie of sorts, I wanted a scope that would mitigate my lack of rifle shooting experience. The chamber is 5.56mm NATO, so it will work fine with .223 Remington ammo, too. The hammer in Rock Rivers trigger moves most of the mass to a location much closer to the trigger pin. RRA offers two AR-platform rifles chambered in .350 Legendblack phosphate or stainless-steel barrels. Dependable. In particular, they liked the Magpul stock, side-charging handle, and target handle. 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. accuracy in the Standard Operator, and our testing, at least with match ammunition, was consistent with that claim. The barrel's twist rate is one turn in nine inches. What the fuck is going on here? One of the challenges of introducing an all-new cartridge is getting rifle manufacturers to chamber for the new round. A Cold War era classic with smooth lines, a legendary back story, and an exotic-sounding name, Beretta's Model 71 was definitely a mouse that roared. Scopes, guns, boots and other tactical stuff in-between. No other stainless barrel options are offered, although Bushmaster does have a 4150 chrome-moly vanadium steel version of this gun called the Bushmaster Varminter. And almost all guns are built for a specific orderit is rare that youll find a new one for sale someplace. The gas block has two setscrews that hold it in place, and the contour is Rock Rivers heavy match. Far from what youd call a heavy match barrel on a bolt-action rifle, the barrel on the ATH V2 has almost a straight contour and measures three-quarters of an inch at the muzzle. The adjustable buttstock will interchange, as will the trigger and safety mechanisms, but that is about it. Rock River has also correctly set up the gas system where the rifle is neither under- or over-gassed. Rock River Arms (RRA) has introduced a new AR-style rifle to its lineup, designed specifically with the modern hunter in mind, with the new All Terrain Hunter (ATH). Well it's me and I cheaped out on a scope and have a $200 Nikon on an expensive gun. Several have stepped up to the .350 Legend plate, and one of the most recent is Rock River Arms. Rock River Arms guarantees one-m.o.a. The RRA LAR-15 is a quality gun, in just about any configuration you can come up with. Gun shoots better than I do because for 5 I just to an inch and know it is me. Having shot both cartridges in AR platform rifles, we must agree. The accuracy increase gained by this hammer profile makes every other hammer shape irrelevant. However, I always thought they were a good platform, but I was more than a bit intimidated by the myriad options, terms and manufacturers.