Rock River AR15 Question

[benEzra]

Oh .. too bad.. I wish I would have researched more about those other companies before I push the buy button, but oh well.

No, you did fine, particularly in the current market. You'd have paid through the nose for a Colt LE model.

Note that most people who admire the Colts (and I'm certainly in that category) are speaking of primarily Colt's "law enforcement" models, not their "peon" models. The latter are certainly not inferior in build quality, but lag in the features department. Colt doesn't sell non-LE-marked rifles with all the features you can get on a Rock River, LMT, etc, unless they've changed recently.

Still, there is so many people I talk to who swear by their RRA and tell me Colt is an inferior gun. Maybe they are not using the higher end Colts.

See above. I have handled a Colt Sporter 20" HBAR (non-LE model) and would rather have a 16" midlength Rock River. Also, the Rock River trigger is considerably better than the Colt's.

Again, in terms of build quality, all Colts are top notch, but not all Colts have the nice features that the 6920LE and such do.

Also note that if you are concerned about "The Chart", you can always buy a brand new Lewis Machine & Tool bolt carrier assembly for $130 or so in the future to drop into your Rock River carbine, and that will take care of the important differences between a RRA and a Colt in the reliability department while still giving you the really nice RRA trigger. Most of the other differences between a RRA and a Colt (parkerizing under the front sight base, milspec buffer tube, etc.) don't appreciably matter.

 

[mr.scott]

People also tell me
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I have talked to some people
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others told me
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I was told
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I have heard
Who are these people that you're talking to?

The people that say this are typically the ones that can't afford an AR to begin with and try to justify their purchase of a cheaper weapon.

 

[FlyinBryan]

See above. I have handled a Colt Sporter 20" HBAR (non-LE model) and would rather have a 16" midlength Rock River. Also, the Rock River trigger is considerably better than the Colt's

this mirrors my opinion on that particular matter.

i owned a colt model 6700c match target rifle (which is a 20 hbar) and feel the exact same way, i much prefer my 16" bushmaster.

 

[Kentucky]

i owned a colt model 6700c match target rifle (which is a 20 hbar) and feel the exact same way, i much prefer my 16" bushmaster.

I too would prefer a 16" Bushmaster or RRA to a 20" HBAR from Colt. 20" is just too close to rifle size/weight for a 5.56 carbine.

And OP, dont sweat your purchase at all. Just because something is not the best doesnt mean it is junk. (Unless we are talking Hesse/Vulcan and IMO Model 1.) Any AR is better than no AR and in today's market that is even more true. Follow rob_s instructions for how to tweak it to more closely match the milspec, then start worrying about more important stuff, like do you have enough ammo/mags for the zombie hordes

 

[FlyinBryan]

i actually got that colt brand new in the early 90s for 800 dollars.

i think it weighed about 11 lbs.

 

[4Freedom]

Thanks for the responses.. I feel much more confident about my purchase. It isn't easy getting any good deal on guns these days and wait times are endless.

I look forward to the new RRA member of my family. I now have four decent rifles and will have lot of fun learning how to shoot them.

My next mission is to find some good holographic/laser type sights. Thinking about a Trijicon..mmh

i actually got that colt brand new in the early 90s for 800 dollars.
think it weighed about 11 lbs.

Wow, a big daddy, like my LR-308.

 

[rob_s]

Very first thing to check on the RRA is the extractor spring/insert. I've seen 3-4 recently that had a squashed insert. If it's deformed, shoot me a PM and I'll put an extractor upgrade kit in the mail to you.

 

[athensguy]

I just got a new AR-15 that's mostly RRA. It's a RRA stripped lower and a RRA complete upper with a DPMS LPK due to it being the only LPK they had. It's my first EBR. After doing lots of reading after purchasing it, I think I ended up pretty well. The upper is the Mid-Length A4 with Chrome lined barrel.

http://rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=266

The gas keys are staked, it has F-type front sight, and M4 Feed Ramps. Those are some of the nitpicky things that people complain about some of the M4geries not having. I don't have very many rounds through it, it's hardly broken in, so I can't attest to its durability.

 

[pdowg881]

So whats the wait time for Rock River parts? Not complete rifles. Lower receivers or parts kits etc?

 

[benEzra]

So whats the wait time for Rock River parts? Not complete rifles. Lower receivers or parts kits etc?

Right now, they've stopped saying, because they are so swamped. From their website:

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm

 

[4Freedom]

Very first thing to check on the RRA is the extractor spring/insert. I've seen 3-4 recently that had a squashed insert. If it's deformed, shoot me a PM and I'll put an extractor upgrade kit in the mail to you.
__________________

Thanks, I appreciate your help. How do I look for this problem? I am not experienced with guns , so I am not sure how I will determine this problem. Should I pay the gunsmith I am having the gun transferred to, to examine it, or is it simple to do it myself? Is the extractor upgrade kit you're talking about not too expensive? Is it a cheap replacement?

 

[rob_s]

It's just a small step more than field stripping the gun. Separate the upper from the lower, remove the bolt/carrier group from the upper, remove the bolt from the carrier. That's normal field stripping for cleaning.

From there, all you have to do is push in slightly on the extractor and the extractor pin will slide out easily. You'll see a spring and an insert under the extractor. If the insert is crushed, or if it happens to be blue, let me know and I'll send you a new spring and insert for free.

this is what the insert should look like (the black one on the left) and this is what the extractor, spring, and insert will look like when removed from the bolt (on the right).

Here's more detailed instructions on stripping down the bolt.

 

[4Freedom]

Thanks rob for your help, it is most appreciated. I will let you know when I get it if there is any problems.