Rock River Arms

[DEVDEER]

Hello all. I need some help. I am interested in buying a Rock River Arms Custom rifle. I dont know much about them only what I have read. Is there anyone who has one or more and can give me a litttle insight on their rifles. Thanks in advance.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Do you have any specific questions? I have one that I like quite a bit. If you insist on having the absolute closest to real milspec you can get, they probably aren't the best choice. They are good rifles, they just don't do everything quite the way some would like. They do offer a midlength gas-system which I like a lot.

What are you looking for in a rifle?

 

[Ghost Walker]

Well made! Vacuum forged receivers like the other, 'big name' rifles. You can get a magnafluxed chrome-lined barrel if you want one. (It'll last longer but will, also, degrade accuracy.) I'm running a Colt now; but, if I pickup another AR, it'll probably be Rock River.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

They aren't bad, what will you be using it for?

 

[10-Ring]

I have had a RRA middy for almost a year now & have had nothing short of perfect reliability & unbelieveable accuracy -- even w/ me shooting it!

 

[Cougfan2]

I have a 16" RRA upper on a Bushmaster lower. I would rate the RRA stuff on par with Bushmaster. Not the absolute best, but definitely good quality.

 

[Nhsport]

I own 3 or 4 different brands and the RR is right up there . (I shoot my RRNM service rifle more than all my other ARs together!)
The real trick with an AR is to sit down and have a talk with yourself to try and identify just what you expect this rifle to do and taylor it for that use.

 

[inherentical]

I have a Rock River Arms Entry Tactical that came with a canted front site and the j spring broke the first time I took it out shooting. No questions asked repair with a turn around time of less than a week. The customer service alone is worth it.

My next AR-15 will be a Rock River Arms, too.

 

[ssr]

I took mine (also have Colt, Bushmaster, Armalite, etc) to a 3 day tactical course this summer and it ran a couple thousand + rounds over the three days, lots of varied shooting, and varied ammo, and it never malfunctioned, shot great. I totally trust it.

 

[quicktime]

I just bought a 20" RRA varmint while I was home. I only got to shoot about thirty rounds through it but it shot great no complaints.

 

[Bullet]

I’ve got a RRA Varmint A4 rifle with a 20-inch barrel. With my hand loads I’m getting less than 1½ inch 5 shot groups at 300 meters. I really like mine but if I was buying today I think I’d go with the 24-inch barrel (more bullet speed) but mine sure shoots great. No problems at all. I bought mine here –

http://www.rbprecision.com/

 

[ftierson]

All you need to do is to check the most recent BATFE statistics on firearms production to realize that Rock River Arms has become one of the largest manufacturers of ARs in the country...

And there's a really good reason for that happening...

I'm very happy with the RRA guns that I have...

Now, if they can only get that LAR-8 to me pretty soon...



Forrest

 

[JonB]

Ditto what everyone else said. I have an ELite CAR a4 middy - love it.

 

[TOU]

These do sound like great rifles. I too am about to get and AR but want a mid-length. I have limited my options down to the Armalite and the RRA...I would love to have your input as to why not the Armalite and why the RRA. I will say the down side on the RRA is if I want a chrome-lined RRA, the wait is is about 10 weeks...yuck!

Thx in advance.

 

[Powder_Burn]

I handled a 16" Varmint A4 with Wilson barrel recently. Fit and finish were good and the price was right. Guaranteed to shoot 3/4" MOA out of the box too.

Here are some references to help you shop and compare:

34 Ways to Cut Corners on Manufacturing an AR15:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=243382

AR Comparison Chart (Focuses on M4 style rifles but still useful)

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

+1 with pretty much what everyone else said. I've put about 2000 rds through CAR 15 so far with 0 malfunctions(except one that was my fault).

 

[M2 Carbine]

I've got a National Match RRA.
The last couple days I've been trying a couple different loads.

This is typical of yesterday and today was better with a Sierra bullet.
I think the rifle is worth keeping.

 

[MyRoad]

I will say the down side on the RRA is if I want a chrome-lined RRA, the wait is is about 10 weeks...yuck!

I have a 20" SS bull barrel Varmint, and I was thinking about getting a second upper, maybe a mid-length. Gave them a call to verify current expected timing and they said that its more like 12 weeks wait now...

 

[jpwilly]

RRA's a nice but a Colt is the best. RRA, Bushmaster, DPMS etc all nice COPIES but not many differances. I personally looked at them all too then purchase the DPMS variety and have no regrets.

 

[DEVDEER]

Thanks for all the help

Thank you to everybody for all the help on the RRA rifles. My Local dealer started to carry them I am going to talk with them tomorrow. This site is the BEST. So much knowledge in one place.

 

[Gila Jorge]

Go to AR15.com and talk with Steve the RRA rep who frequents the board..
he is very helpful and will answer all your questions....I have had occasion to
call RRA and the folks there are great to deal with...did I mention I love my new RRA 16in tactical rifle I got out the door for 995 plus tax...oh, it had the removeable handle with peep sight and picatinny rail...to which I added Warne QD rings and a 3-9 Nikon Monarch...lovely rifle...now if only they would build me a 243 with a stainless 24inch barrel....

 

[damyankee]

RRA middy, hogue grip, m85, chrome lined, lefty mag catch and safety, tac stock. 0 malfunctions of any kind, accurate. Get one, all my Vet buddies LOVE it. Already ordered a 6.8 SPC upper and mags

 

[Rokman]

I am very happy with my midlength Elite Car a4. It is my first so I can't compare with others.

 

[Lonestar.45]

I think RRA is on par with Bushmaster, Stag, and some others. Quality stuff. That said, I'd do some research and look around (and handle a bunch) before buying. One thing about RRA is that most all of their barrels are HBAR. Myself, I prefer a lighter weight barrel, either Govt profile, or superlight. CMMG makes some nice govt type profile and lightweight profile barrels. Bushmaster has govt and light profiles, and Sabre has a nice govt profile midlength.
If you still want an RRA, try PKFirearms.com, they have a nice selection of in stock RRA's, as well as some Stag, DPMS, Bushmaster, and others. Good luck.

 

[mmike87]

I have two and both have run perfectly. However, there are some cut corners on these rifles as the above chart clearly shows.

This does not mean that the rifle is junk or that it will ever fail or have a problem. A lot of the things "skipped" on these (and most commercial) AR's are essentially insurance to help reduce the chance of a future failure. Fortunately, most are easy to fix after the fact.

1) Stake the castle nut - costs nothing if you own a spring loaded punch
2) Properly stake the bolt carrier keys. RRA staking is a joke, like most other AR manufacturers. Also spend $4 and upgrade the extractor spring, insert, and add the O-Ring.
3) Get a Milspec receiver extension and ditch the commercial one. The threads are shallower on the commercial tubes, and although the metal is technically thicker they are weaker overall because of this.
4) Get a replacement BCG from a company like Bravo Company that has high quality bolts that are MP tested and properly staked. Use this BCG as the primary, and keep the RRA BCG as a backup. You should have a backup part anyway, so why not spend a couple extra bucks and get one that's 100% and run that primarily? It also features the upgraded extractor spring, insert, and O-Ring.

None of these things are overly expensive. You should have a spare bolt at least regardless of whether you buy a Colt or an Olympic AR. So you really shouldn't even count this expense as "extra" ...

Also note that the RRA rifle's barrel profile is HEAVY. My two 16" RRA rifles are more front heavy that my custom 18" rifle, and that rifle has a 12" rail on it the other two have 6 and 9" rails. I am going to have the barrels re-profiled to make them lighter.