Z-Michigan
Member
OK, please note this is a micro-review. It is based on my opportunity a week ago to handle an ACR for a couple minutes and put one 30-round mag through it at short range, standing, without any ability to judge accuracy. This is the opposite of a comprehensive review.
Background: an instructor shooting at a local 2-gun match brought along several guns including his ACR on loan/demo from the manufacturer. It was a coyote tan model with the folding/collapsing stock but the plastic handguard (not the aluminum quadrail type handguard). Anyone who wanted could handle and shoot it, no particular targets and distance of approximately 15 yards. When I got to handle it first it had had at least 200 rounds through it in 5-10 minutes, and later on another 100+ rounds in another <5 minute period.
Handling comments: It feels very solid and like a quality piece. Weight is just a little heavy - definitely lighter than many .308 rifles, and definitely heavier than the M4gery I was using in the competition. The folding/telescoping buttstock is absolutely terrific and should be sold for any gun that could accept it - by far the best folding buttstock I've seen. It felt very solid overall, and while I don't like the idea of a mostly plastic rifle, the plastic used seems excellent in stiffness, appearance, and overall feel.
Ergonomics: the grip angle and general relationships are OK but nothing special. The safety selector is tiny, way too small - usable but too small, and it seems to be plastic. The charging handle was mounted on the right side for some reason, and was awkward in that position, but most right-handed people would mount it on the left side and I expect it would work fairly well set up that way.
Shooting impressions: recoil is mild to moderate. There was nothing at all remarkable, good or bad, in the way it shot. As noted I had no way to test accuracy. It was 100% reliable in my single mag and as far as I could see with everyone else's usage. The handguard was quite warm but OK to hold when I shot it, but 5 minutes later after several more mag dumps it was too hot to hold for more than a couple seconds at the most. It probably had 300 rounds through it in 15 minutes at that point, so almost any gun would be really hot under such conditions.
The tan color on this gun is interesting, with an orange cast. It probably makes sense for field use, but it's an unusual color.
Overall impression: this is a pretty good gun for $1000, and a steal for $600. At the current asking price of $2100+, I continue to laugh. If you own a decent AR-15, you aren't missing much. If you own a high-end AR-15, the only things you might be missing are the folding stock and caliber change capability, and that's it. For what it's worth, I have shot a Robinson M96 a fair bit, and I would consider the M96 to be superior in most ways, including weight, recoil, and ergonomics.
Background: an instructor shooting at a local 2-gun match brought along several guns including his ACR on loan/demo from the manufacturer. It was a coyote tan model with the folding/collapsing stock but the plastic handguard (not the aluminum quadrail type handguard). Anyone who wanted could handle and shoot it, no particular targets and distance of approximately 15 yards. When I got to handle it first it had had at least 200 rounds through it in 5-10 minutes, and later on another 100+ rounds in another <5 minute period.
Handling comments: It feels very solid and like a quality piece. Weight is just a little heavy - definitely lighter than many .308 rifles, and definitely heavier than the M4gery I was using in the competition. The folding/telescoping buttstock is absolutely terrific and should be sold for any gun that could accept it - by far the best folding buttstock I've seen. It felt very solid overall, and while I don't like the idea of a mostly plastic rifle, the plastic used seems excellent in stiffness, appearance, and overall feel.
Ergonomics: the grip angle and general relationships are OK but nothing special. The safety selector is tiny, way too small - usable but too small, and it seems to be plastic. The charging handle was mounted on the right side for some reason, and was awkward in that position, but most right-handed people would mount it on the left side and I expect it would work fairly well set up that way.
Shooting impressions: recoil is mild to moderate. There was nothing at all remarkable, good or bad, in the way it shot. As noted I had no way to test accuracy. It was 100% reliable in my single mag and as far as I could see with everyone else's usage. The handguard was quite warm but OK to hold when I shot it, but 5 minutes later after several more mag dumps it was too hot to hold for more than a couple seconds at the most. It probably had 300 rounds through it in 15 minutes at that point, so almost any gun would be really hot under such conditions.
The tan color on this gun is interesting, with an orange cast. It probably makes sense for field use, but it's an unusual color.
Overall impression: this is a pretty good gun for $1000, and a steal for $600. At the current asking price of $2100+, I continue to laugh. If you own a decent AR-15, you aren't missing much. If you own a high-end AR-15, the only things you might be missing are the folding stock and caliber change capability, and that's it. For what it's worth, I have shot a Robinson M96 a fair bit, and I would consider the M96 to be superior in most ways, including weight, recoil, and ergonomics.
