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Rifles

Rock River LAR-47

Aaron got a close look at the Rock River LAR-47 at the 2012 SHOT Show.  Here are his thoughts on the rifle.

Rock River Arms (RRA) has become one of the hottest AR-15 rifle manufactures in the country. Brothers Mark and Chuck Larson founded the company in 1996, after spending about 15 years as armorers with Springfield Armory, Les Baer Custom, and Eagle Arms – where they worked on AR platforms.

The RRA LAR-15 rifles and 2-stage triggers have become synonymous with quality craftsmanship. It was that quality that led the DEA to award RRA a contract for patrol rifles back in 2003, beating out several of the “majors” rifles for the bid. That bid alone may have propelled RRA into the AR market spotlight at an early age when most weapon manufacturers are still trying to work out the bugs of their brand name. RRA has excelled at making excellent rifles, and the number of agencies and personal owners has increased accordingly.

Rock River LAR-47

Though they have experience building 1911 pistols, RRA has for years focused their attention solely on AR-15 rifle platforms.

That is until now!

At the 2012 SHOT SHOW Rock River Arms announced that in 2012 they will begin distribution of the RRA LAR-47 CAR A4 – a sweet combination of the AR-15 and AK-47 platforms that RRA calls “a match made in heaven”. I talked with RRA representative, Steve Mayer about this truly unique innovation in the rifle market.

Categories
Rifles

Rock River Arms LAR-15 Elite Comp: A Top Notch AR-15 Variant With Some Great Features Out Of The Box

Rock River Arms has introduced a new AR-15 variant: the LAR-15 Elite Comp. Guaranteed to shoot 1.5″ MOA, the Elite Comp features a number of very nice features, typically seen only on nicely upgraded AR rifles.

Chambered in 5.56 NATO (.223 Remington), the LAR-15 Elite Comp has a forged A4 upper with a 16″ chrome-lined barrel with a 1:9″ twist. The threaded barrel features an RRA Tactical Muzzle Brake standard.

Sighting is handled by the combination of a flip front sight gas block assembly and a PADS flip rear sight.

The trigger is a two-stage match trigger in a winter trigger guard. The front end features an RRA half-quad, free-float mid-length rail system. The pistol grip is an Ergo SureGrip.

The buttstock is my favorite: the Magpul CTR stock. The Magpul is fully adjustable, feels very good when the rifle is mounted and is designed in such a way as to prevent any inadvertent adjustment of the length.

I currently have a LAR-15 from Rock River Arms that I bought before they announced the Elite Comp. On my LAR-15, I installed the Magpul buttstock, the front flip-up sight/gas block, rear flip-up sight, and the SureGrip. All totaled, I paid more than what Rock River is asking for the Elite Comp.  So, I think the rifle package is a very good deal.  Also, my Rock River has run pretty well.  I don’t know who makes the “best” AR-15, but these Rock River rifles seem to be well built.

The LAR-15 Elite Comp ships with only one magazine. I would expect at least two magazines at this price point, but fortunately, new magazines are relatively inexpensive.  You can pick up Magpul PMAGs for less than $15 for example.

MSRP is listed at $1470, and advertised prices start very close to this number. Dealers are accepting orders now, and the Elite Comp is due to ship in the third quarter of 2008.