Brought home my new RRA LAR-15 Midlength Carbine! (pictures)

[idakfan]

First I'd have to say when I first saw it and held it I thought it very ugly. I gave it a visual inspection and being a bit worried since I've never owned/fired/handled an AR15 before I looked on the side of the rifle that has the Forward Assist and noticed the safe/fire engraving but no selector. Uh oh! Panic struck me momentarily and then I looked at the other side of my rifle and in relief found the safety selector.

Anyways I brought it home and dissassembly was quite straight-forward and after handling it for an hour or so I now find it absolutely gorgeous!

Observations:
1. This rifle weighs the same as a stamped receiver Romanian AK
2. The collapsable stock is very nice, all the way collapsed makes a very indoors freindly carbine
3. The bore is small! .223 for ya
4. Ergonomics are very nice, especially mag release
5. Learned Forward Assist doesn't close bolt-hold-open, a separate part does this

Questions
1. What parts of the Bolt Carrier Group do you lube?

If anybody else is looking to buy an AR15 and is unfamiliar with the weapon system here's a good thread:
What to do when my new AR15 arrives?
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=157665

 

[Shear_stress]

Hey! That's my rifle.

Actually, mine doesn't have the multiple finger grooves on the grip. Anyway, I love the way it shoots. Nice to have a bit of extra sight radius compared to an M4.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

Screw the "sight radius" issue,

I have come to realize AR-15's just rock That Much More with as much of the barrel covered as possible. I came to this conclusion after seeing Zak Smith's free-floated suppressed M4 ...

 

[f4t9r]

I have the same gun bought last week
very impressived with it !!!!!!
I pulled the bolt out and put very little oil on it, use quality ammo and put a couple hundred rounds to break it in.

 

[Hoploholic]

Just clean everything with breakfree and wipe off the excess. You should not need to lube any more than that. Make sure that the chamber is dry before firing. Nice looking carbine.

 

[DMK]

Nice looking rifle! I love midlength carbines. They just look so balanced.

Yea, that bore is small after playing with 30 cals. But you'll respect the accuracy of the platform once you start getting used to it. And if you use the right ammo, it is a fine self/home defense weapon.

Be sure to check out the equipment exchange on www.ar15.com if you need anything like mags or whatever. It's like a huge online gunshow of AR stuff! (but with better prices)

 

[idakfan]

A question for you guys

I look forward to shooting it in a week or so.

Observation:

It looks to me that after emptying a 30rd mag and the bolt-hold open engages the "charging handle" will shoot back hitting one in the face if they're using the AR15 with stock all the way collapsed.

Am I correct in this?

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

Ummm, No. That only happens if you screw up the install.

AR-15's have a non-reciprocating charging handle. Unlike the AK, when an AR fires, it's charging handle should be held by a spring-loaded hook on the left rear of the charging handle.

To get this malfunction, it would require you to leave out the spring loaded-hook on the charging handle that keeps it held to the upper...

I lost the pin that holds the charging handle's hook in place on my AR-15, and I still didn't get hit with the charging handle when I fired it..

PS-It's fixed now(A paper clip cut flush to the holes )

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Nice rifle!

The "Information" section on AR15.com has several articles that are worth checking out, especially for newbies to the platform, including a number of military manuals in PDF format.

 

[Farnham]

I just gotta say "nice rifle!" cause I got one just like it!

You'll love it, just don't go lube crazy. I use a drop or two of Tetra grease on the bolt carrier "worn" surfaces, and that's it. Too much CLP in there makes mine gum up some.

S/F

Farnham

 

[DMK]

It looks to me that after emptying a 30rd mag and the bolt-hold open engages the "charging handle" will shoot back hitting one in the face if they're using the AR15 with stock all the way collapsed.

If fact, one of the ways taught to shoot an AR16/M16 most accurately is to press your cheek up against the stock and stick your nose right up against the charging handle ("nose to charging handle"). This ensures that your eye will always be in the same place in relation to the sights and help you keep your sight picture consistant... for tiny little groups of tiny little holes.

 

[forquidder]

Price

Is $800 for that Rock River NIB a decent price? I found one in a local gunstore at that price.

 

[Coronach]

NIB?

Not bad at all, depending on the variant.

Mike

 

[idakfan]

That's why I love TheHighRoad

AR-15's have a non-reciprocating charging handle. Unlike the AK, when an AR fires, it's charging handle should be held by a spring-loaded hook on the left rear of the charging handle.

To get this malfunction, it would require you to leave out the spring loaded-hook on the charging handle that keeps it held to the upper...

I lost the pin that holds the charging handle's hook in place on my AR-15, and I still didn't get hit with the charging handle when I fired it..

PS-It's fixed now(A paper clip cut flush to the holes)

I'm glad to know this! I like the rifle even more now.

Nice rifle!

The "Information" section on AR15.com has several articles that are worth checking out, especially for newbies to the platform, including a number of military manuals in PDF format.

Thanks for the link, I'll do lots of reading and save my newbie questions.

I just gotta say "nice rifle!" cause I got one just like it!

You'll love it, just don't go lube crazy. I use a drop or two of Tetra grease on the bolt carrier "worn" surfaces, and that's it. Too much CLP in there makes mine gum up some.

S/F

Farnham

Appreciate the heads up

If fact, one of the ways taught to shoot an AR16/M16 most accurately is to press your cheek up against the stock and stick your nose right up against the charging handle ("nose to charging handle"). This ensures that your eye will always be in the same place in relation to the sights and help you keep your sight picture consistant... for tiny little groups of tiny little holes.
DMK

Like I said, I like this rifle even more now that I can safely use it with the stock all the way collapsed!

Thanks for all the replies guys, been a great help.

 

[El Tejon]

I've always had good luck with Rock River weapons.

I prefer the fixed stock, but that's just me.

Keep your weapon medium wet. Hit those holes in the bolt hard. Do not use CLP as said earlier it will gum up.

Slip2000 is outstanding as it is aqueous based; it is what I recommend. For heavy use, as in a class, I use Kellube.

 

[Commissar Gribb]

I generally clean and then lube my carrier with rem oil. spray and wipe. Never given me any problems.

 

[Hoploholic]

Hundreds of thousands of military small arms will tell you that you are wrong El Tejon. Leaving a weapon sloppy and wet is a good way of causing a malfunction though. If you don't get a hydraulic pressure failure in the chamber, all the debris collected by the excess lubricant will get you sooner or later. Nonething personal, but your advice is just off base.

 

[Risasi]

Cleaning...

Hmm,

I see there is more than one way to clean an AR.

I got a RRA Car-4 myself. Personally I clean mine by dumping in so much CLP is starts bleeding out every orifice. The barrel, the bolt carrier, the lower.

In fact this past year I've been so lazy I usually just splash a load of CLP in the lower, dump a bunch in the upper. Slap the bolt closed, dump a bunch down the barrel. Then I stand it up on it's butt end, and let it set anywhere from a day or two, to next time I take it shooting.

The actual cleaning is mostly just running a patch or two down the breech end of the barrel, and wiping the upper dry. I leave a little residue on the internals, not much. Not because I plan it, because I am lazy.
The barrel I always get dry usually till I don't see any signifigant amount of grime or oil on the patch. Maybe 1-2 patches wet, and another 1-4 patches dry and I'm done.
And I leave all the lower internal parts a little wet. I never clean the gas tube, I never clean the bolt lock area, I just wipe it all down. Usually takes me less time than it took to type this.

It's also pretty rare I get a jam, in fact I don't remember that last time.