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presents

FIREARM REVIEW,
August 2001:

 
 

 
Rock River Arms Elite Tactical Law Enforcement Carbine
Law Enforcement Tactical Elite Carbine
Type:  Gas Operated Self Loading Rifle
Caliber:  5.56x45mm
Capacity:  10, 20, and 30 round detachable box magazine
Sights, front:  Elevation adjustable post
Sights, rear:  Fully adjustable aperture
Length: 7.5"  Height: 5.5" 
Barrel length:  16"
Weight (unloaded):  8 lbs.
Suggested Retail Price:  $995
Rock River Arms Standard A2
Standard A2 Rifle
Type: Gas Operated Self Loading Rifle
Caliber:  5.56x45mm
Capacity:  10, 20, and 30 round detachable box magazine
Sights, front:  Elevation adjustable post
Sights, rear:  Fully adjustable aperture
Length: 7.5"  Height: 5.5" 
Barrel length:  20"
Weight (unloaded):  40.2 ozs., loaded
Suggested Retail Price:  $925
INTRODUCTION
Normally, CRUFFLER.COM firearm reviews are done in an impartial and fair manner.  To the extent possible, review subjects are approached without bias or prejudice, and are assessed purely on their own merits.  Normally, that is.  In the interest of journalistic integrity we have to admit that this was not the case with this month's review.  We tend to be very traditional when it comes to rifles. (Editor's note:  Read that "hidebound.")  We like receivers made of steel and stocks made of wood.  We like bullets that weigh at least 140 grains and have impressive terminal ballistics out to 2,000 meters.  Rifles have barrels between twenty-seven and thirty-one inches, short rifles have barrels between twenty-two and twenty-five inches, and carbines have barrels between seventeen and twenty inches.  So, when a CRUFFLER.COM staffer suggested that we review AR-15 style rifles from Rock River Arms, the editorial responses ranged from derisive to hysterical.  Nevertheless, our intrepid staffer continued undaunted, as evidenced by the subject of this review.  The results were both surprising and educational.  But we're getting ahead of ourselves, so let us set the stage properly. . .

ROCK RIVER ARMS
For those new to AR-15 style rifles, it's tempting to automatically dismiss those manufactured by Rock River Arms.  After all, the company isn't  part of the Colt-Bushmaster-Armalite triumvirate that accounts for the majority of AR-15 style rifles made and sold in the United States.  Doing so, however, is at best ill advised, as the company's products bring to bear the efforts of some of the most experienced and skilled machinists, engineers, gunsmiths and designers in the industry today.  Located in Cleveland, Illinois, Rock River Arms is owned and operated by brothers Mark and Chuck Larson.  Between them, the Larsons have almost half a century of gun making experience, with emphases on both semiautomatic pistols and gas operated self loading rifles.  Indeed, the brothers' collective resume reads like a who's who of the American precision firearms industry!

Between 1981 and 1991 the Larsons worked at Springfield Armory, Inc., where Mark was the head armorer.  From Springfield Armory, the Larsons went into partnership with Les Baer to form Les Baer Custom, and produced some of the finest custom 1911 style pistols that have ever been seen on the US market.  Parting ways with Les Baer in 1993, the Larsons began to build AR-15 type rifles for  Eagle Arms in Coal Valley, Illinois.  At around the same time, they began their own venture, Tolerance Plus (the name was later changed to Rock River Arms), producing custom 1911 pistols.  The Larson brothers severed their connection with Eagle Arms in 1997 when that firm moved to Geneseo, Illinois.  At the same time, Rock River Arms began to build AR-15 style rifles, with a commitment to producing the highest quality, most accurate AR's on the market.

AR Rifles
Working within the basic design confines of the M16/AR-15 family, Rock River Arms uses the highest quality materials, the most modern construction and assembly techniques, and an intimate engineering knowledge of the rifle to produce an impressive firearm.

Every major component of a Rock River Arms AR starts out as either bar stock or a forging.  Upper and lower receivers are made from forged and milled mil-spec 7075 T6 aluminum alloy that is then hard anodized to a surface hardness of 70 on the Rockwell scale.  Lower receivers are held to extremely tight tolerances to ensure compatibility with the widest range of uppers possible.  But that's just the start of the process.  After final machining, each receiver is carefully polished to remove dings, scratches, and other small imperfections left over from the forging and milling processes.  Once polished to a perfect mirror sheen, the receivers are then sandblasted and sent out for anodizing.  This polishing step is unique, and is why minor receiver imperfections, such as those normally found in front of the magazine well, are not encountered on Rock River Arms guns.  Smaller parts, like the bolt stop, safety, and trigger components are investment castings made from 8620 steel that are case hardened to between 89 and 92 Rockwell.

Every Rock River Arms rifle features a 1:9" (1:8" in the DCM competition rifle) button rifled barrel made by Wilson Arms.  All barrels are made from high grade chrome-moly steel.  Each barrel is air gauged prior to assembly, and any that do not meet the most stringent criteria are rejected.  While the chambers of the rifle and the carbine that were the subject of this review were cut to SAAMI .223 Remington specifications, in the future all carbines will feature chambers cut to 5.56mm NATO specifications.  After installation, the barrel's feed ramp is highly polished and contoured into the upper receiver, thus eliminating the common " step" between the barrel extension's feed ramp and the upper receiver that is found on most AR type rifles.  As a result of these ministrations, Rock River Arms claims significantly improved reliability with all types of 5.56mm ammunition.
 
 

Other unique Rock River features are the use of the "star safety" and a standard two stage match trigger. The star safety, which derives its name from the star burst type knurling found on the cone-shaped tip of the selector lever, was modeled after a four position military safety.  What makes it unique is the combination of meticulously engineered and highly polished camming surfaces, a slightly deeper detent groove, and the mechanical advantage offered by the  lengthened selector lever.  The result of this combination is a selector that is significantly smoother and easier to manipulate than the standard military safety.

Likewise, the two-stage trigger demonstrates similar attention to engineering detail.   Military M16 triggers, and most AR triggers are of the single stage 

Rock River Arms Star Safety
"Star Safety" Selector Lever
variety; there is no movement of the trigger in response to pressure from the firing finger until the sear is tripped and the rifle fires.  This is in marked contrast to the "two stage" pull.  In a two stage trigger mechanism there is a short amount of lightly resisted trigger travel, or "take-up" (the first stage) prior to reaching the point where further pressure will trip the sear.  At that point there is a perceptible increase in the pressure necessary to fire the rifle ( the second stage).  Most military rifles prior to the 1960's were constructed with two stage triggers.  And with good reason.  The two stage mechanism allows for a much more predictable and consistent let off, which in turn is conducive to greater accuracy.  Match shooters are all too aware of this, and as a result, a number of manufacturers are offering "drop-in" replacement two-stage triggers for AR type rifles.  Typically these trigger sets cost between $125.00 and $200.00.  A match grade two stage trigger is standard on all Rock River Arms rifles.

Another Rock River Arms feature is the mid-length handguard found on the LE carbine.  This handguard design is closely modeled on the standard A2 handguard, but is of a length between that of the long rifle handguard and the short  CAR type handguard.  The mid-length handguard is fully heat shielded and offers a number of advantages, the Most important being the provision of an additional few inches of sight radius (rather than limiting the sight radius on a 16" barrel to that of an 11" barreled gun).

If there is one feature which is especially striking and stands out in terms of usefulness, common sense, and applied innovation, it has to be the Tactical Carry Handle Assembly.  The LE carbine's upper receiver is of the

Tactical Carry Handle, attached
Tactical Carry Handle, Affixed to Upper Receiver
Tactical Carry Handle, detached
Tactical Carry Handle, Detached From Upper Receiver
flat-top variety with an integral Picatinny rail for the mounting of scopes and other accessories.  In order to permit the use of standard rifle sights with this configuration, a detachable version of the standard M16 carry handle is normally fitted, giving rise to an "either or" dilemma.  Rock River Arms has given the shooter the best of both worlds.  A specially designed sight assembly, machined from the same 7075 T6 aluminum alloy as the upper and lower receiver, and anodized to the same 70 Rockwell surface hardness, is fitted.  The rear of the assembly is fitted with the standard military carbine adjustable sight, while the portion forward of the sight is another Picatinny rail.  The height of the rail has been very precisely planned to coincide with the optical collimator (red - dot) sights favored by law enforcement and many shooters (an Aimpoint sight's red dot sits precisely atop the front sight).  In the event that the electronic sight becomes inoperative, the shooter can instantly switch over to the rifle's iron sights without having to remove the optics.

Between the extra care lavished upon each rifle during assembly and the many "extras" that are standard on their rifles, Rock River Arms has attracted an impressive customer array.  Among the groups and organizations that use Rock River Arms rifles for matches and competitions are the US Navy shooting team, the US Marine Corps Reserve shooting tram, the US Air Force shooting team, and the North Carolina Army National Guard shooting team.

PRODUCT REVIEW
Given the rifles' many features and the impressive user communities that have selected Rock River Arms products, we were more than a little curious about the guns.  Our curiosity getting the better of us, we ordered a pair of the guns, a Standard A2 configuration rifle and a Law Enforcement (LE) Mid-Length Tactical Carbine.  The A2 rifle was fitted with a 20" heavy barrel, the carbine with a 16" heavy barrel.  As an aside, civilians can purchase rifles that are identical to the LE carbine with the following minor differences:  No bayonet lug, the collapsible stock will be permanently pinned in the open position, and the muzzle brake will be permanently affixed.  Of these, the only visible difference will be the bayonet lug.  There is no difference in performance.  A few days later the BBT bearing the rifles arrived.

External Inspection
The rifles were very thoughtfully packaged, each coming with one magazine (ten rounds for the A2 and a restricted thirty-rounder for the LE carbine), a Rock River Arms catalog, a limited lifetime warranty, and a copy of the US Marine Corps Technical Manual for the Rifle, 5.56mm, M16A2 (TM 05538C-23&P/2).  Rock River Arms' determination to go the "extra mile" was evidenced by the care taken in packaging:  Each cardboard carton had a number of baffles cut to ensure that the rifle would be motionless during shipment, as well as supplemental packing material.  The housing cartons were shipped inside a form fitting cardboard shipping sleeve.

To say that we were initially impressed with the quality of the fit and finish of the rifles would be a dramatic understatement.  In fact, the telephone conversation we had with Rock River Arms to confirm receipt of the rifles went like this (and no, we're not making this up):
 
RRA: "Hello, Rock River Arms, this is Gay speaking."
CRUFFLER.COM: "Hello Gay, this is Adam Firestone from CRUFFLER.COM."
RRA:  "Oh hello Adam!  Did you receive the rifles yet?"
CRUFFLER.COM: "Yes, they came in today.  The staff asked me to call you and tell you that you're not getting these rifles back, and that we're running away with them to Bolivia.  In fact, right now one of us is on another line booking passage to La Paz.  And we're all changing our names.  I'm going to be Adano Crufflero.  Ahh, poop.  I just told you that, I can't use it!  Well, either way, you're never going to see these rifles again, unless it's in some CNN broadcast from South America.
<Brief Pause>
RRA:  "I take it that you were pleased with the rifles then?"
CRUFFLER.COM: "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

In all seriousness the rifles had the most perfect fit and finish that we'd ever seen on an AR.  Like AR style rifles from other manufacturers these guns had a black anodized finish.  But that's where the similarity ended.  Unlike the other rifles which have a very matte, very flat, and rough textured finish, the receivers on the Rock River Arms guns had an extremely smooth texture with a surface finish that can best be described as black satin.  This finish was matched on the triggers, magazine release buttons and safeties.  The Wilson Arms barrels were finished in a dark gray, almost black, phosphating that differed just enough from the receivers to offer an aesthetically pleasing contrast.    The barrel finish was matched on the bolt stop, muzzle brake (on the LE carbine) and magazine latch.

A technical inspection yielded similarly positive results.  There was no perceptible play between the upper and lower receivers, and loaded and unloaded USGI magazines from six different contractors (Colt, FN, Cooper, Sanchez, Adventure Line and Parsons) readily locked in place and dropped free when the magazine release was depressed.  Safeties moved very smoothly through their entire arc of motion without binding or overtravel.  Headspace was perfect, with the bolts closing easily on a SAAMI .223 Remington GO gauge and not even coming close on a NO-GO gauge.

Shooting the Rock River Arms Rifles
Much to our chagrin, we could find nothing to complain about.  After all these were AR type rifles, and as defenders of the CRUFFLER faithful, we weren't supposed to like them, right?  Hoping that the range test would offer another chance for the rifles to fail, we packed them up, and headed off to the NRA range in Fairfax, Virginia.

Ammunition
We brought along several types of ammunition with which to test the Rock River Arms guns.  The selection included:

South African military 55 grain FMJ
British Radway Green military 55 grain FMJ
South African PMP commercial 55 grain FMJ
Israeli IMI 55 grain FMJ
US military M193 55 grain FMJ
Spanish Santa Barbara military 62 grain FMJ
Wolf commercial 55 grain FMJ
Barnaul commercial 55 grain FMJ

Accuracy
The rifles were fired for accuracy with iron sights at the range's maximum distance of fifty yards.  The target was a one inch orange dot on a three inch black center.  As we'd feared, both the rifle and the carbine proved to be outstandingly accurate.  While there was some deviation in point of impact based on the ammunition used (e.g. the Wolf ammunition would consistently shoot about an inch below and half an inch to the left of the other types), overall group sizes were surprisingly consistent, varying between 1.25" and 1.5".  Given that none of the testing staff are match shooters, that the cartridges fired were either military surplus or inexpensive commercial "blasting" ammunition, and that we were using iron sights, these results are impressive, to say the least.

To gain a better idea of what these rifles were doing, think of the old carnival game "Shoot Out the Star."  In that game the contestant uses a pneumatic tommy gun to shred a paper target with a red star on it.  If the star is completely obliterated with one magazine's worth of BB's, the contestant has won the prize.  Once sighted in, we were able to consistently obliterate the one inch orange dot from the target with one thirty round magazine, there being left only a ragged hole about an inch and a half in diameter where the dot had been.

Recoil and Ergonomics
Recoil?  What recoil?

One of the blessings of the 5.56x45mm cartridge is its capability to deliver very high performance with a minimum of recoil, making rifles chambered for the round extremely pleasant to shoot.  In this regard both the rifle and the carbine performed exactly as expected.  Recoil was further dampened by the heavy barrels fitted to both guns.  These rifles will certainly NOT fatigue the shooter due to recoil.

However, the 5.56mm still causes a discernible muzzle rise which requires the shooter to reacquire the target between shots, thus increasing the time between shots.  This time lag can be critical in both competition and law enforcement situations.  In other words, the greater the degree to which muzzle rise and movement can be eliminated, the more rapidly the next shot can be delivered.  This simple relationship has given rise to a burgeoning market in muzzle brakes for AR rifles.  Some of them work, and others are simply steel tubes with slots and holes cut in them that are fixed to the muzzle of the rifle.  Rock River Arms has developed a brake that works extremely well, which was fitted to the LE carbine that we tested. (Editor's note:  Richard Cutts would be very impressed!)
 

The brake  is roughly cone shaped and screws on to the threads at the end of the barrel.  From the attachment point the brake has a shoulder which increases in diameter until the brake is approximately 3/8" greater in diameter than the barrel, at which point the brake is cylindrical for the remainder of its length.  The central axis of the brake is bored through with a smooth hole that is a few thousandths of an inch larger in diameter than the bullet.  As the bullet leaves the muzzle, it enters the first of two expansion chambers in the brake.  The first expansion chamber contains three large chamfered vent holes (one on top, and one on either right or left side) that intersect at right angles the brake's central bore through which the bullet is traveling.  As the bullet clears the vent holes, the high pressure propellant gasses are forcibly vented up 
Rock River Arms Muzzle Brake
Rock River Arms Muzzle Brake
and to the sides.  By forcing these gases to change their direction of motion ninety degrees, a large part of the upward and rearward thrust is abated.  As the bullet and the remaining gases enter the second expansion chamber, the gases are again diverted ninety degrees, but this time through smaller ports bored around the circumference of the brake.  The thrust forces generated by the circumferential boring act to neutralize one another and help to keep the brake and muzzle stationary.

This brake works.  Through an entire thirty round string, motion of the sights relative to the target was virtually nonexistent, allowing for an extremely high rate of very accurate fire.  Currently the brake has been submitted for approval to the BATF.  Once approved, it will be offered on civilian rifles and carbines as a permanently attached muzzle fixture.
 
Rock River Arms Collapsible Buttstock
Rock River Arms Collapsible Butt Stock - Note pivoting swivel, reinforced buffer tube housing and angled buttplate
Another feature found on the LE carbine was a collapsible buttstock.  However "evil," or "tactical" they may look, we're not especially big fans of collapsible stocks.  They tend to be uncomfortable, and are usually so different from the feel of a standard fixed stock that  they effectively require the shooter to learn to shoot two different guns.  This was not the case with the collapsible stock on the LE carbine.  It is a proprietary design that addresses many of the problems and shortcomings of the standard M16/CAR-15 collapsible stock.

The buttplate is angled in the same way as the M16A2 buttplate instead of being vertical like the CAR stock.  The top of the stock is made significantly wider and is reinforced with molded corrugations.  Not only does this make the Rock River Arms buttpiece stronger and more durable than that of the CAR, but it 

emulates the feel of the top of the M16A2 buttstock, ensuring that a shooter familiar with the standard rifle will be able to replicate the cheek to stock weld as well as the "feel" of the rifle while shooting the carbine.  The Rock River Arms offers six position adjustment (as opposed to the CAR's 4 positions), including an extra 3/4" length of pull for shooters with longer arms.  Finally, the Rock River Arms butt dispenses with the uncomfortable upper sling bar and replaces it with a pivoting sling swivel akin to the one found on the standard buttstock that allows the shooter to take full advantage of the side mount forward swivel supplied with the carbines.

Reliability
Short of unsafe actions that would have gotten us (justifiably!) removed from the range, we tried everything we could think of to get these rifles to malfunction. We wiped the bolts and carriers virtually dry of lubrication.  We allowed the guns to free recoil.  We fired them canted to the right and to the left and upside down.  We purposely used our worst magazines.  And we were dramatically unsuccessful.  Through more than 500 rounds apiece, neither rifle experienced any failures to feed, fire, extract, or eject.

IF I HAD MY  'DRUTHERS . . .
It would be pretty hard to improve on the rifles' performance, design, or construction.  However, there are some additional variants we'd like to see added to Rock River Arms' product line.  Perhaps our biggest objection to the current crop of AR rifles on the market today is their weight and balance.  When compared to an AR-15 or an AR-15A1, the current crop of rifles seems both overweight and unbalanced.  While unquestionably better suited for long range precision shooting and the needs of law enforcement, the modern rifles lack the balance, easy carriage and rapid handling qualities of the earlier versions.  When introduced in the early 1960's, the AR-15 was the ideal lightweight tactical carbine.  The fact of the matter remains that this niche remains unfilled on the commercial market.  Consequently, we'd like to see a civilian version of the Law Enforcement Mid-Length Tactical Carbine with the following features:

16" A1 contour 1:9" barrel
Choice of A1, A2 or pinned buttstocks
Muzzle brake

Conclusion
The Rock River Arms rifles we tested were exceptionally well made, accurate to a fault, and extremely reliable.  They also represent a significant value, offering as standard features found only on other manufacturers' high end rifles, costly options, or as expensive aftermarket custom parts.  Indeed, the Rock River Arms' guns offer the most "bang for the buck" of any entry level AR rifle available.

Now let's get down to brass tacks -the meat of our review.  We're Crufflers, remember?  Our idea of "state of the art" is a FAL chambered for the 7mm Optimum, and our idea of the ideal rifle bears an uncanny resemblance to a Vz24 in 7mm Mauser.  So the fact that we've got a biased opinion about intermediate cartridges and the mass produced metal and plastic carbines that fire them wasn't helping the Rock River Arms guns.

Despite this bias, and the fact that we were rooting against the rifles, we could find nothing to complain about.  But it's more than that.  Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we really liked these rifles.  More so than any new rifle we've fired in a long time.  If you're in the market for an AR style rifle, then we strongly recommend that it be a Rock River Arms gun.

Now about that flight to Bolivia. . .

And now, our Buy-O-Meter rating for the AR rifles from Rock River Arms:
 

 

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