What separates the KAC SR-15?

[Kentucky]

I have noticed a couple of people mention that the SR-15 is the best option available for a combat AR. I will be coming into some $$ when I get out of the Academy and want to invest it wisely into a gun I have a couple of questions about the SR-15's.

- What features set them apart from a maker such as Noveske, or even LMT or BCM?

- How do these features contribute to enhanced reliability?

Also, if anyone has any personal experience with one of these rifles, I would be interested in hearing about it.

I am not interested in whether or not it is "worth" the extra money, I will decide that. I do not care if you think a bushmaster/RRA/DPMS/Stag/InsertYourBrand is just as good at 1/3 the price. I do not care if another custom rifle is more accurate. My main concern is reliability.

Thanks in advance!

 

[H2O MAN]

I have a friend/adversary that works for KAC.
He will chime in or give me some information that I will pass on to you.

 

[KevinB KAC guy]

As the other Kevin stated

We use several proprietary systems on our weapons, as well as common high end features.

Barrel - Colt Canada Cold Hammer Forged 1:7 MilSpec steel Chrome lined
E3 Barrel extension - the E3 barrel and bolt are exceptional stronger than standard 'square' lug bolts.
Bolt - enhanced reliability extractor, dual spring and pivots at the point of balance
- firing pin, altered shape, to thin so the cam pin web has a thicker base for increased strength on longer life.

KAC midlength gas system - longer pressure curve - softer recoil impulse, longer part life.

KAC 2 stage match trigger

KAC/LMT SOPMOD Stock - 6 position milspec buffer tube

KAC 600m BIS, E3 URX rail integrated front sight

The only pic I have available right now is one I modified for a Redi-Mod



I will give a little better explanation and pics tomorrow at work.

 

[Kentucky]

Thanks Kevin, I look forward to it. I have thrown away a lot of money in the past looking "just as good as" and "good enough" when they have turned out not to be. I am mostly running LMT's now and am pretty happy with them, but I have the itch for that one "keep it always, use it for anything, be buried with it" rifle. I REALLY want an SR-25 bad, but this is probably more practical for the time being.

 

[H2O MAN]

That is a sweet rifle



Kevin, Welcome to THR

 

[Wes Janson]

- What features set them apart from a maker such as Noveske, or even LMT or BCM?

- How do these features contribute to enhanced reliability?

Also, if anyone has any personal experience with one of these rifles, I would be interested in hearing about it.

I am not interested in whether or not it is "worth" the extra money, I will decide that. I do not care if you think a bushmaster/RRA/DPMS/Stag/InsertYourBrand is just as good at 1/3 the price. I do not care if another custom rifle is more accurate. My main concern is reliability.

KAC claims to have made some pretty interesting improvements to the AR platform, but before you jump the gun, you should remember the fact that it's still a fairly new model on the market, and it's not been sold in anywhere near the quantities that other commercial offerings have - which means there's a certain disparity in the quantity of user feedback in comparison. The SR-15 is doubtless a good rifle, but there are many other well-known, well-proven rifles on the market which have proven track records of reliability and quality. Just because something is the newest or the most expensive does not necessarily make it qualitatively better than a plain old 6920...and being an early adopter sometimes comes at its own costs. On the other hand, Knight's makes good products. It's your money.

 

[KevinB KAC guy]

While the SR-15E3 is somewhat new to the market - we have some good round counts on several early guns that went out to shooters. We have SR16E3 select fire government guns that the improvements where initial used on, and those guns we have gotten good feedback on from the entities using them.

For open sources SR15 users;
Jerry Barnhart is on his third barrel (he's got about 100,000 k thru the gun)

Chris Costa is on his second barrel. Travis Haley has aprox 80k thru ONE rifle that has the same barrel and bolt in it as the day it left the factory - it shoots around 2.5 MOA now

The barrel and bolt will last in excess of 20k -- which is not something anyone elses barrel and bolt will do, piston or DI.

The Ambo features where part of the US Army M110 SASS ECP's (Engineering Chnage Proposals) and they have been running fine in tortourous environments.

During a Larry Vickers 3 Day class I brought out several guns, and one former Marine is shooting the SR15E3


It is about the softest shooting carbine out there.


MSRP on the gun is $2207, yes, its higher than a lot of other systems, but we feel when you look at what you get, your getting a lot more for your dollar than other systems.

For reliability IMHO - PMAG's you cannot go wrong with them.

Prior to coming to work for KAC, I used a SR16 in Iraq and Afghanistan and I am sold on the performance of the system.