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Doug Howlett

6 Accessories to Deck Out Your AR-15

AR-15 outfitted with a SilencerCo Specwar suppressor on its muzzle.
AR-15 outfitted with a SilencerCo Specwar suppressor on its muzzle.

One of the most thrilling aspects of owning an AR, besides shooting it, is dressing it up in a way that eeks out every extra ounce of its performance. Make your badass black gun even badder looking — and performing — with these six accessories.

Light on its toes, the ATI forend is made of Type III anodized, 6061 T6 aluminum and weights only 9.3 ounces.
Light on its toes, the ATI forend is made of Type III anodized, 6061 T6 aluminum and weights only 9.3 ounces.

ATI 15-inch Forend with FS8 Nose Cone & Rails

This versatile, yet super sturdy eight-sided free-float forend is made of Type III anodized, 6061 T6 aluminum and weights only 9.3 ounces. Rails can be mounted at 45 degrees around the circumference of the forend for maximum accessory positioning. Meanwhile, the wicked nose cone anchors into any corner, door jam, fence or surface for improved accuracy and stability. ($160, atigunstocks.com)

From buttpad to pistol grip, the ATI Strikeforce Package will help you keep a firm grip on your AR.
From buttpad to pistol grip, the ATI Strikeforce Package will help you keep a firm grip on your AR.

ATI AR-15 Strikeforce Package

This package includes addresses the rear of the rifle with six-position, collapsible buttstock with the Sure-Grip nonslip removable Scorpion Razorback buttpad, ergonomic Sure-Grip textured pistol grip, adjustable (and removable) cheek-rest for better cheek-to-stock weld when aiming, a laser-etched buffer tube and comes equipped with a sling swivel stud and slot for a tactical sling if that’s your preference. ($110; atigunstocks.com)

Crimson Trace Rail Master laser will keep your AR spot on!
Crimson Trace Rail Master laser sights will keep your AR spot on!

Crimson Trace Rail Master

Available in red or green laser versions, the Rail Master attaches quickly and easily to any Picatinny rail and boast versions that partner with LED lights to form one compact, easy-to-use unit. Users can choose between five operation modes: light and laser, laser only, light only, laser with strobe light and light in strobe only. Activation is done quickly and easily with a tap-on/tap-off feature. ($149-$269; crimsontrace.com) [Available with discount at gundigestore.com.]

SilencerCo Specwar suppressors keep ARs silent and deadly.
SilencerCo Specwar suppressors keep ARs silent and deadly.

SilencerCo Specwar

A well-made suppressor makes shooting so much more enjoyable without degrading accuracy and if you can cough up the change needed to get your federal permit to own one, they will be worth the money. SilencerCo’s Specwar sound suppressors are available for 5.56 and 7.62 rifles and attach easily via their included Trifecta RS flash hider. The unit attaches and detaches quickly and features a tapered shoulder designed to improve accuracy and repeatability. ($800/5.56 & $900/7.62; silencerco.com)

Aimpoint Micro H-1 keeps your AR sighted in, no matter the circumstances.
Aimpoint Micro H-1 keeps your AR sighted in, no matter the circumstances.

Aimpoint Micro H-1

A super versatile sight, the Micro H-1 is also super compact to fit on anything, including AR rifles. The red-dot sight is fully waterproof and features ACET technology for 50,000 hours of constant-on operation, two dot sizes in 2 or 4 MOA, is nonmagnifying and parallax free and attaches using an integral Weaver-style mount. Twelve settings permit use in any lighting situation. ($606; aimpoint.com)

TruGlo Tru-Brite Xtreme Illuminated Rifle Scope gives a lot bang for the buck.
TruGlo Tru-Brite Xtreme Illuminated Rifle Scope gives a lot bang for the buck.

TruGlo Tru-Brite Xtreme Illuminated Rifle Scope

Want a great little 3-9x scope with an easy-to-see illuminated reticle and that won’t break the bank. The Tru-Brite Xtreme boasts a dual-color illuminated reticle that adjusts between red and green in low-light conditions. It can also be used without illumination. Windage and elevation are fingertip adjustable with a zoom at the 9 o’clock position for better ergonomics and quicker adjustment. ($150; truglo.com)

This article appeared in the July 15, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

9 Scopes that Go the Distance

Leupold VX-6 3-18x.
Leupold VX-6 3-18x.

With nearly three-quarters of the American adult population requiring some sort of vision correction, if you’re reading this, odds are, you are or will one day be among that crowd. Even people, who have enjoyed perfect eyesight their entire lives, will tend to require reading glasses as they age. With such high numbers of sight-affected individuals out there, there’s no question, good optics are essential for many shooters when it comes to achieving accuracy even at relatively short distances. Put a target out beyond 300 yards, and even for a person with 20/20 vision, making a pinpoint shot at a small target area without the aid of a quality scope becomes tricky. Fortunately, as the desire of shooting enthusiasts and competitors (and of course our law enforcement and military) have wanted the ability to reach out to the maximum performance limits of their rifles, optics companies have kept right up. Following are some top long-range choices that will help you reach right out there regardless of your budget.

Burris Eliminator III 4x-16x-50mm.
Burris Eliminator III 4x-16x-50mm.

Burris Eliminator III 4x-16x-50mm

Features of this sleek laserscope include the X96 reticle designed to range any magnification out to 1,200 yards. Shooters can enter ballistic data straight into the scope, including the ballistic coefficient and can even easily adjust it for wind. ($1,499, www.burrisoptics.com)

Bushnell Elite Tactical 3.5-21x50 Extended Range Riflescope.
Bushnell Elite Tactical 3.5-21×50 Extended Range Riflescope.

Bushnell Elite Tactical 3.5-21x 50mm Extended Range Riflescope

The Extended Range Riflescope (ERS) boasts three reticle options, increased side parallax adjustment range and the new Z-Lok locking elevation turret with .1 mil clicks for rapid target acquisition. It’s compact too at just 13.2 inches long. ($1,950; www.bushnell.com)

Konus M30 10-40x52.
Konus M30 10-40×52.

Konus M30 10-40×52

Konus has added this long-range model to its M30 Series of tactical scopes and it features fully multi-coated optics, a 174mm mounting length, 1/10 mil adjustments, a 30mm tube, dual illuminated Mil Dot engraved reticle, turrets that are lockable and resettable to zero, a side parallax wheel and a lockable, fast-focus eyebell. ($750; www.konus.com)

Gun Review: TriStar Hunter EX LT Over/Under is Light in the Field and Wallet

Light, affordable, and balanced, TriStar’s Hunter EX LT is desirable field gun.
Light, affordable, and balanced, TriStar’s Hunter EX LT is desirable field gun.

TriStar Hunter EX LT is a light, affordable and functional over-and-under shotgun. The 12 gauge has everything you're looking for in a field gun.

For a number of shooters, to own a shotgun with the balance, clean lines and classic styling of a quality over/under shotgun remains mostly a dream due to their usual high price tag. TriStar’s Hunter EX LT (the LT is for lightweight) may change all of that with an MSRP of under $700.

The imported 12-gauge shotgun is chambered for 3-inch shells and is made of 28-inch steel mono-block chrome-lined barrels set on a stock of Turkish walnut with a soft semi-gloss finish. Stock and barrel come together at an aluminum alloy receiver for reduced weight that is reinforced with steel inserts for added strength.

The action locks up tightly with self-adjusting locking lugs for a sealed effect that keeps dirt and grime out. Selecting which barrel you want to fire first, as well as the safety, are all controlled from a single top tang switch.

Other features include extractors for quick shotshell removal and reloading, a ventilated top and mid rib, a fiber optic front bead sight, a single selective trigger and engraved receiver. The 6.8-pound Hunter model comes with five Beretta/Benelli-modeled choke tubes of Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified and Full. ($659; www.tristararms.com)

This article appeared in the February 11, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Handgun Review: Few Objections Over Custom Taurus Judge

Custom Taurus Judge, with jeweled trigger and hammer.
Taurus Judge decked out with the Aimpro Tactical's custom treatment.

Aimpro Tactical makes a unique handgun even more unique, customizing the Taurus Judge to feed smoother and look sharper.

When the Taurus Judge first popped on the scene sometime around 2007, the big bore wheelgun, capable of firing virtually every .45-caliber round ever developed as well as .410 shotgun shells, was regaled for its novelty more so than respected for its true intention: to create one bad ass defensive handgun. But regardless of what drove the initial interest in the Judge, the interest was indeed there, and has continued so that Taurus continues to add configurations to the line (there are now at least a dozen models of the Judge) that continues to garner plenty of fans—no small feat in this age of semi-auto handgunning.

Thus it is no surprise that when Taurus approached Aimpro Tactical’s Mike Shain about teaming up to develop a line of customized Taurus handguns, among the first models worked on was a Judge. For the one pictured here, Shain started with a standard Model 4510TKR-3B Judge with a 3-inch barrel, blued finish and 2 ½-inch chambering for either .410 or .45 Long Colt rounds. The revolver’s overall length is a compact 7 ½ inches for such a big bore gun and tips the scales at a mere 29 ounces. As standard, the model comes with fixed sights, including a fiber optic front sight.

“The Judge is such a cool handgun and has become so popular because shooters can mix and match the ammo. Some manufacturers are even making special rounds just for the Judge,” says Mike Shain, owner of Aimpro Tactical (aimprotactical.com) in Colorado. The company opened in 1995 primarily as a training and consulting business with Shain using his background in law enforcement as the driver. They soon moved into customizing and building special tactical Mossberg shotguns.

“I’ve been wanting to expand into the pistol and revolver area and the planets have finally lined up for us,” says Shain. With the Judge, Aimpro Tactical applied its performance package to the traditional double-action revolver offering.

First, they break the entire gun down and polish up and fine tune the double-action operation to make it as smooth as possible. The forcing cone on the barrel is recut to 11 degrees and the barrel is chamfered to 45 degrees. By chamfering the charging hole or chamber of the cylinder so that it blends better with the ejector star, loads feed much more easily, and quickly, especially when speed loading.

“It’s like reworking the magazine well of a semi-auto gun so it feeds better,” says Shain. The gun is then lubricated and functioned checked. As for the exterior of the Judge, Aimpro Tactical smooths out any hard edges on the gun, improving it for carry purposes and making it easier to draw. Applying a true custom flare, they also polish out the hammer and trigger and jewel them.

Custom Taurus Judge, fine tuned to feed soother.
Custom Taurus Judge, fine tuned to cycle smoother.

“When I grew up jewelling was the ultimate custom feature you could do to show a gun is high-end,” says Shain. “People just twinkle at the sight at a couple of jeweled parts on their gun.” This Judge is then refinished in Xtreme-Coat, an ultra-thin moly-based coating that resists corrosion and makes the revolver even more durable than in its standard finish. The coat resists wear from use and provides a flat, nonreflective finish favorable among the tactically minded shooters of today. The frame of the gun is finished in mil-spec OD Green, while the cylinder on this model is completed in matte black. The Hogue grips on this initial Judge are black as well, though buyers also have the option of getting Hogue grips in matching OD Green as well.

As for the sights, the gun boasts a fiber optic front sight on it now with the standard red replaced with a green to better match the gun. Shain is currently working on designing a new sight for future models that will include a yellow fiber optic front sight to match flat dark earth finished guns, as well as options of brass, tritium or white.

The Judge isn’t the only Taurus receiving Aimpro Tactical’s custom treatment. Already, Shain has worked on a package gun .357 Model 617, a semi-auto 247 and a .44-caliber Raging Bull among others. Taurus will market the customized handguns as exclusives through select distributors, but Shain says if somebody sees one like this, but can’t find it at their local shop or wants to customize a handgun they already own in a similar fashion, they can contact Aimpro Tactical and request them to work one up for them. The custom Judge here has a suggested retail price of $620, which translates into buyers actually being able to buy them in stores in the low $500s and possibly even around $450.

For shooters looking to have their Taurus’ custom worked, the package price for the performance work, the X-Coat finish and the jeweling runs around $225. Or pick and choose the work you want done at a la carte prices of $125 for the performance work, $125 for the X-Coat or $50 for the jeweling.

This article appeared in the March 11, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

True Story: Tough Range Safety Officers Gone Berserk

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Exposed: Overzealous Range Safety Officers
Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Overzealous Range Safety Officer?

I was wrong. I realize that. And I admit it.

Yes, I had technically, though unintentionally, just broken a rule.

It was a slow Sunday afternoon and for most of the shooting session with my wife and her father, we had been the only ones on the private access range.  When I was done shooting, I dropped the empty mag from my .45 and locked the slide open, checking once and then again that the firearm was clear. It was.

Keeping the firearm pointed safely toward the floor, I turned, took the two steps to the cart where my case was lying open and still pointed down, closed the slide and laid it inside. That's where I messed up.

A moment later, a large guy was tapping on my shoulder, identifying himself as an RSO (a Range Safety Officer) and explaining the scope of his authority. He told me they had cameras rolling at all times at the range and he could go back, look at the video and write me up for any infraction of the rules and bring me before the board. He didn't realize my father-in-law was the member, and I was simply a guest. I still wasn't sure of what I had done.

I'm sure veteran public indoor range users reading this are probably shaking their heads. They know where I messed up. That's right, I hadn't cased my gun inside the station.

It's a common rule at many public indoor ranges, which are often crowded, and must ensure firearms are always pointed in a safe direction-near universally downrange. It makes perfect sense, and I should've known as much, though I admittedly do most of my shooting on private property, at less crowded outdoor ranges with more space or at events where, while safety remains a priority, shooters are often switching between multiple firearms, either to actually shoot or to take photographs. In most of these situations, shooters aren't dealing with cased personal guns, but shooting firearms taken from a single table or area behind the line. The times I have shot at more crowded public venues, the only place I had to put stuff was inside the station, so casing and uncasing my handgun in the station was inevitable.

I honestly had never thought about it beyond that. I follow basic safe firearm handling practices by ensuring my gun is unloaded when not on the line and pointed in a safe direction at all times. The RSO's wife had been watching through an observation window at the rear of the range and alerted her husband. The dude chided me, noting in that moment I laid the gun in the case, it was technically pointed to the rear of the range. I politely listened. I hadn't cased the gun inside the station, so I made no arguments. I let the guy finish, thanked him for pointing out my mistake and finished cleaning up. We again spoke before I left and enjoyed a cordial conversation. He wasn't a bad guy.

But Are We Cutting Off Our Nose to Spite Our Face?

While you won't see this guy on the marketing materials for your local gun club, he's the reason many shooters don't want to join or renew, at least one study suggests.
While you won't see this guy on the marketing materials for your local gun club, he's the reason many shooters don't want to join or renew, at least one study suggests.

As I thought about it later though, had I been checking out the range as a prospective member, the incident might have put me off a little. My treatment hadn't left me feeling very welcome. I didn't mind the guy calling me out, but he could've done so by simply informing me of what I had done wrong and pointing out why it was an important rule to follow. I would've left feeling appreciative and better informed, not feeling like some reckless lug.

You can never be too safe, but spend any time at a range and it's a good bet we've all run into that overzealous RSO who treats his responsibility like he's running the Gestapo. It's a put off for sure and the type of intimidating behavior cited as a top reason in a Southwick Associates survey of why three out of four shooters don't belong to or frequent ranges.

More importantly, it's a teachable moment lost when a person is made to feel foolish, and quite possibly a chance squandered to make that shooter a safer, supportive member of the shooting community.

Has This Happened to You?

What do you think? Safety officers are tasked with keeping the range safe for everyone. It's a huge responsibility. But does this responsibility always demand gruff action regardless of the infraction or can the response be dialed down to match the situation? Have you had a similar encounter either as a shooter or as an RSO? If so, how was the situation handled? We'd love to get your thoughts. Share them on our Facebook page or leave comments below. Some of the best comments will be shared on the Community Page of an upcoming issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Doug-Sig

5 Reasons to Read Gun Digest Magazine

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5 Reasons to Read Gun Digest Magazine...

Doug Howlett, Editor-in-Chief of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Doug Howlett, Editor-in-Chief of Gun Digest the Magazine.

A note from Doug Howlett, Editor-in-Chief of Gun Digest the Magazine…

As firearms enthusiasts, each of us has a primary reason that brings us to the shooting table. For many it's self-defense. For others it's competition or to simply have fun. For a lot of souls for whom I am grateful—our nation's soldiers and law enforcement officers—it's professional. For millions of sportsmen, including myself, it's primarily hunting. Certainly, to hunt, has been my main impetus for being a firearms owner, but I have to confess, over the years, while my passion for the chase has not waned, my desire to shoot and write about and share information on a variety of guns with applications far beyond hunting has exploded. And It's been a glorious personal evolution, one that has opened my eyes and mind to so many incredible experiences and brought me in contact with some super talented and fascinating people.

What truly excites me, however, is the opportunity to interact with the readers of Gun Digest the Magazine and the visitors to gundigest.com, for in today's media world, each of us can play a part. This is certainly true in the shooting media, where the experiences and knowledge of many enthusiasts out there can sometimes rival that of a number of experts. Even if it doesn't, a particular experience can be shared with others to help all of us become better, safer shooters.

5 Reasons to Love the Newly Designed Gun Digest the Magazine

Have you checked out the new look for Gun Digest the Magazine that was rolled out in early 2013? Here are five reasons you should:

1. We've gone glossy and now look like a real magazine, not just some give-away tabloid at the local Quick Mart advertising happy hour specials and offering coupons to the local water park.

2. We've upped the coverage on hardware by providing more reviews on the latest guns, as well as spotlighting a broader range of shooting products and accessories. Our most recent issue hitting mailboxes this week focuses on tactical rifles with reviews on Del-Ton's DTI Evolution AR-15 style rifle, one that I personally got to shoot and am trying to get permission from the wife to buy (only if she gets to shoot it she says) and the ArmaLite AR-30A1 , one long-range tack-driving son of a gun. Issues in the coming months will feature coverage that will focus on shotguns, semi-auto handguns, hunting rifles and more. More gear coverage means you're more informed of what's available to make your shooting time more fun and productive.

3. We've got mad skills. Or at least our writers do and they want to share them with you. A number of Gun Digest contributors are firearms trainers and experts and they are happy to share that expertise with you. Want to learn to shoot better, read Gun Digest.

4. The pages are also filled with more great coverage and profiles on interesting shooters and experts, cool places to shoot, gun show event listings and even classifieds listing guns, accessories and other items for sale make Gun Digest one of the most unique and full-service firearms publications on the newsstand-or even better, arriving right in your mailbox. Tired of getting nothing but bills in your mailbox? Subscribe to Gun Digest and get that instead. We put out a new issue darn near every other week!

5. We don't just want you to read Gun Digest, we want you to be a part of it, too. Got a gun you've shot recently that you liked (or didn't)? Tell us what you thought and why. Same goes for ammo, gear, shooting ranges you've visited, you name it. Some of the best ways to learn more about shooting is from fellow shooters and Gun Digest welcomes your advice and insight in its pages. Doug-Sig

 

 

P.S. – Check out the offer below on a digital subscription to the magazine and let us know what else you want to see. Your comments could be highlighted on our website or even in the magazine. We'd love to hear from you. Again, we can be reached at gundigestonline@fwmedia.com.

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The Gun Digest Interview: Joe Wanenmacher

Joe Wanenmacher (left) with NRA Executive VP Wayne Lapierre (right).
Joe Wanenmacher (left) with NRA Executive VP Wayne Lapierre (right).

The Tulsa Arms Show is held twice a year and boasts more than 4,150 tables of guns—new, old and downright ancient—as well as shooting accessories, ammo, private firearms collections, wildlife and western art and even scrimshaw and decorative items. Laid end to end there is more than 6 miles of guns and exhibits. The show, to be held this year April 6-7 and again Nov. 9-10, has been around since 1955, and since 1968, the man behind its organization has been Tulsa resident and retired petroleum consultant Joe Wanenmacher, 78. The show brings in so much money and business to the local area, in 2009, the mayor of Tulsa made Feb. 5, Joe Wanenmacher Day—the honor made perhaps more impressive coming from a Democratic mayor who served on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns council. We caught up with Joe to get his thoughts on what it takes to build and run such an event and how it feels to have anti-gunner crosshairs placed squarely on gun shows around the country.

What first got you interested in firearms?
My dad was always a hunter and took me out at a young age and introduced me to firearms. Around Tulsa they had strip-mining pits, and as youngsters we would save up all of our bottles and jars and would put them in the water in bottom of these pits and shoot them. It was a great way to learn to shoot because you could see where your shots were hitting when you missed.

What was your first gun?
My first gun was a Mossberg .22. I liked it, but have seen a lot better guns since then.

Being around so many different firearms, do you have any favorites?
I’ve always been interested in guns. I would like to own them all, but I realized long ago that you can’t. I own a lot of different firearms, but my big interest now is in antique arms.

What is the coolest one you own?
The coolest gun I have is one maybe considered one of the first machine guns ever made. It was made in 1590. It’s a wheel lock; it has two wheel locks on it and shoots 16 shots. It shoots elliptical bullets that have a hole through them and works on a Roman Candle theory: You start the first one and it keeps on going until all of them are shot. That gun will soon be on display at the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va. It’s quite an honor to be asked to display it there.

How did you come to organize the Tulsa Arms Show?
The show started in 1955 as a club project for the Indian Territory Gun Collectors Association in Tulsa, Okla. I moved to the area in 1961 and joined the organization a couple years later. I was the world’s worst member. I never attended meetings, because I was more interested in shooting than meeting. When the secretary/treasurer left the group in 1968, since I was still among the newest and most gullible members, they elected me. That officer was in charge of organizing the show.

Was it as big then as it is now?
The first show I did we had 117 tables. Me and one other member were the only ones to show up and put them all out. After that, I decided this needed to be run more like a business. From 1955 to 1968, it never made it a profit, and it took me two years to turn it around and grow it into a 400-table show. Today, we more than 4,150 tables.

What makes this gun show so unique?
This isn’t just a local gun show. We have vendors and exhibitors from all across the country. It draws 83 percent of people outside Tulsa, and we’re now seeing third generation shooters coming to the show, which is really special.

Background checks at gun shows are a hot topic in the news today. What impact might background checks have on shows such as yours?
Right now, the laws are not being enforced to prevent purchases with the background checks that are in place. Any additional legislation will not prevent gun-related crimes. A universal background check on the surface sounds good, but there are many reasons why we should not have these checks. Most obvious is most people would not do it and it would make criminals out of many otherwise law-abiding citizens…it would ultimately lead to registration and that leads to confiscation. Every country that has started with registration has led to confiscation. Just look at Mexico where criminals have the guns, but very few regular citizens have them…Less firearms does not mean less crime, it means more crime.

This interview appeared in the April 8, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


Recommended Resources for Gun Collectors:

Gun value in the standard catalog of firearms.2013 Standard Catalog of Firearms, 23rd Edition

Standard Catalog of Military Firearms 6th Edition

Gun Digest 2013, 67th Edition

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AR-15 Review: Rock River Arms LAR-15

Do all ARs look the same? Not the RRA LAR-15. It stands out apart from others on the shelf but blends in out in the woods.
Do all ARs look the same? Not the RRA LAR-15. It stands out apart from others on the shelf but blends in out in the woods.

The Rock River Arms LAR-15 is one AR that is made to seriously hunt.

It’s a fair observation that hunters have been among the last groups within the shooting community to fully embrace today’s modern tactical rifle platform and indeed, among a proud contingent of traditionalists who love their bolt actions and smooth contoured stocks and receivers, the love has still yet to be showered upon the platform. But these attitudes are certainly changing, more and more everyday, led primarily by the growing contingent of predator and hog hunters among the ranks, who were quick to recognize the AR’s amazing utility and put its standard chambering—the 5.56/.223—to work on game for which the caliber is up to the task.

Indeed, familiarity breeds fondness, and after more than a decade of highly publicized deployments of our military; news footage of our men and women in uniform valiantly serving in action; adrenaline-fueled video games, television shows and movies in which ARs are visibly employed; and their respected performance among the high-volume, competitive shooting crowd and now simply by plinkers on the range who love the look and rapid-fire fun of the firearm, the tactical rifle has become as ubiquitous as the bolt-action .30-06 or the semi-auto 12 gauge.

RRALAR15-LeadWhile the classic gun designs used primarily for the field and forest for generations still do their job just fine and will always maintain an air of beauty and form-to-function timelessness, the increased interest in and use of ARs among hunters has spawned a plethora of expanded chamberings and design features made to appeal and serve this important segment of the shooting market.

On that front, Rock River Arms LAR-15 in either their WYL-Ehide or PRK-Ehide finishes certainly delivers—and in a way that is one part novelty, two parts practical and all pure design genius. After completing my first book on which I wrote about ARs, I jokingly quipped to my publisher upon looking at the page layouts that to the casual enthusiast, we could have virtually used only a handful of rifles to illustrate the hundreds of AR models covered because for the most part—except for a rail here, a muzzle attachment there or the stock used—they all looked pretty much the same. That’s where this Rock River Arms (RRA) model departs from the crowd. It stands out visually among its competition on the shelf or at the range, but blends in in the field where it should.

The LAR-15 Hunter boasts all of the features a true tactical rifle fan will want in an AR with RRA’s nod to quality and design infused throughout.

RRA LAR-15 Review. To begin, the LAR-15 boasts a 16-inch chrome-moly lined barrel shrouded in a free-floated, half-quad rail that allows for multiple attachments on all sides at the fore end of the rail, but a comfortable ¾-grip aft. I like this design as it provides the utility of a full quad rail, but won’t chew up ungloved hands, particularly during frequent fire, like full-radius uncovered rails might. The barrel is fitted with a tactical muzzle brake to reduce flip and further reduce recoil for quick on-point follow-up shots.

The 1:9 twist is a good choice as it’s capable of delivering standard 55-grain or even slightly heavier bullets downrange accurately, yet launches the lighter 40-grain bullets designed for varmints more accurately than a 1:7. The gun is guaranteed to print 1 MOA at 100 yards.

Additional features include an LAR-15 lower paired with an M-4 upper, both forged, a low-profile gas block, an RRA two-stage trigger with a Winter trigger guard, Star safety selector and an RRA Operator CAR six-position adjustable stock and comfortable Hogue pistol grip. A 10-round magazine is included.

What really separates this rifle from the standard AR is the anodized Ehide digital finish. The WYL-Ehide design mimics the fur of a coyote, while the PRK-Ehide is a precise image of a wild hog’s coarse hair. Unlike other many other camo finishes, these patterns aren’t dipped or a rolled on appliqué, but rather digitally integrated in the hard-coat anodized finish. The process makes the pattern much more durable and prevents it from chipping over time from rugged field use or wearing from harsh cleaning compounds.

It certainly gives the rifle a unique look from other ARs, which in an increasingly competitive market may not make as much a difference in the field as the gun’s shooting ability, as it will on the store shelf and in the company of other interested shooters clamoring to check out your new rifle.

The LAR-15 is only available in 5.56/.223, a great chambering for coyote-sized game and smaller, and certainly in use and adequate for dispatching hogs. But for the latter, I’d love to see a future offering in some slightly harder hitting options in perhaps 6.8mm SPC or 300 AAC Blackout. For now though, this gun will definitely hunt.

Rock River Arms LAR-15
Caliber:    5.56mm/.223 Cal.
Lower Receiver:    Forged RRA LAR-15
Upper Receiver:    Forged A4
Barrel:    16-inch Chrome Moly, 1:9 Twist
Muzzle Device:    RRA Tactical Muzzle Brake/½-28 Thread
Gas Block:    Low Profile Gas Block
Trigger:    RRA Two-Stage/Winter Trigger Guard
Safety Selector:    Star Safety
Handguard:    RRA Half Quad Free Float with 3 rail covers
Buttstock/Grip:    RRA Operator CAR Stock/Hogue Grip
Weight/Length:    7.6 lbs /37 inches
Accuracy:    1 MOA @ 100 yards
Included:    One magazine, RRA Case, Manual, Warranty
MSRP:    $1,480
www.rockriverarms.com

This article appeared in the February 25, 2013 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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