In addition to amplified production by established AR15 companies, every rifle producer that has a pulse seems to be crafting some version of an AR-15 right now. 50 % of those rifles are direct-impingement types with the same solid design  envisioned by Eugene Stoner when it was first introduced more than 40 years ago.

Rock River Arms was founded 11 years back by two brothers, Mark and Chuck Larson, who worked out of a garage. It has developed progressively ever since as well as now employs over 90 people. Even though Rock River produces rifles for several govt agencies, the majority of their product sales are to the civilian market. Rock River Arms offers 50 or so versions of weapons, but customers can make up their own designs, utilizing a great number of components substitutions - sights, rails, stocks, barrel length and contour, and more. Rock River will additionally add accessories like flashlights and red dot sights. Rock River Arms is like an a la carte workshop for guns. Rock River doesn’t make numerous parts on site. Rock River designs and spec parts, then receive them, perform inspections, complete them, assemble them into weapons and ship them out. The Rock River Arms facility is actually complete with a buffing and blasting area, where raw forgings become completed parts. Rock River Arms is definitely a family business with the brothers Chuck and Mark Larson as well as their father and one of their sons working at the plant. Looking about the factory there were many boxes of rifle carrier groups, essentially the bolts of the rifles. Rock River Arms offers an almost countless number of chambering options for the basic AR platform. Once you own a lower half which consists of the stock and receiver, you can easily purchase upper halves (barrel, carrier group, and gas system) in all kinds of chambering and interchange them freely. There's even a company that offers a .410 shotgun upper half for the AR15 rifle.

Components are measured throughout the production stage. Components are tested for hardness. Once testing is finished the come together at the respective assembly stations. Care is taken with every step of the upper and lower assemblies. Uppers are matched with various barrels and lowers are assembles usually are assembled with National Match triggers at 4 lbs and various stock combinations.

All rifles are built to customers specifications and each lower and upper is unique

In the shipping area, parts come in, guns go out. There seems to be no end to the demand. Rifles usually are sitting on dealers’ shelves for a few days before they’re gone. For dealers that take deposits, guns never even make it to the shelves before they are picked up by a local customer or shipped out again.

Preparation for the firing test begins with the loading of magazines which is a full time job. The finisher snaps 20-30 rounds into waiting magazines in preparation for the final function test

Several times a day, assemblers and rifle testers load the Rock River vehicle with weapons and take all of them away to the range. Shooting from the back of the vehicle, every rifle with sights is sighted in, and then test-fired for function. Testers shoot at least two magazines through the fully automatic guns. Who says semi automatics aren’t accurate? With barrels provided by Wilson Barrel, the principal appeal of Rock River Arms rifles is that they shoot significantly better than marketed.

The fit and finish of the Operator 2 rifles are fantastic and undoubtedly a step above the regular, rack-grade, Parkerized mil-spec AR on the market currently, although they are slightly more expensive than those lesser grade types. The Operators upper and lower receivers fit together so securely I required a tool to work out the push pins. While the Rock River Arms Operators don't have pistons or monolithic fore-ends or flip-down rear sights, they have everything you need in an accurate, reliable semiautomatic rifle, at a price that in the past would have been unheard of. The Rock River Arms AR-15 Model BB2522 Rock River Arms is created with a 16 1/2" Chrome Moly barrel for accuracy, Rock River Arms Tactical Muzzle Break with exceptional signature reduction, Flip forward sight, Rock River Arm Quad-rail hand guard and much more... The Rock River Arms Tactical Rifle AR-15 BB2522 Operator 2 also features such excellent quality upgrades as rugged fixed rear sight and flip forward sight to give further longevity and cosmetic appeal. With the forward flip sight feature, the Rock River Arms AR-15 AR15 BB2522 Operator 2 is geared up for action to further incorporate a scope or red dot.

The Operator butts tock itself is a six-position CAR-type set up with watertight storage compartments and multiple sling connection points. The stock has a ribbed rubber butt pad that slides down with a push-button release to reveal the two storage compartments, sealed with O-rings. Each will hold either 2 AA batteries or 3 CR123 lithium batteries. As part of the package I had my selection of 4 rear sights: a traditional bolt-on A2 carry handle; a stand-alone rear sight; a RRA Dominator2 with an improved rail designed specifically for use with the EOTech Holosight; or the RRA tactical carry handle that features an elevated rail just below the level of the sights. The mil-spec magazines supplied with all Operator 2 Models are manufactured by NHMTG (Colt). For range work I equipped the Operator with a stand-alone rear sight behind an Aimpoint Comp ML2, and then tried the Operator with a Dominator2 rear sight from a friend combined with an EOTech 512 (AA battery model). For precision testing I used a Trijicon 4x32 ACOG with no sights.

You never know if you're going to like a gun until you shoot it, and I was very interested how well the RRA Tactical Muzzle Brake would work. It looked well-designed, not to mention cool, but that was no assurance it would really work. It worked unbelievably well. When engaging targets at 10 yards with the Entry Operator equipped with an Aimpoint, I found that under full recoil the Aimpoint dot relocated upward one inch on the target before dropping back down to its original position. This is exceptional operation from a brake. I then experimented with the Operator on some IPSC targets at urban engagement distances. With the help of the muzzle break, the muzzle did not move upward at all, even during rapid fire, I have to say, that the brake seemed to work really well. Between the efficient brake and the light trigger, how quickly I could hit targets inside 25 yards with follow-up shots was solely a test of how fast I could pull the trigger.



Load Muzzle Velocity (fps) Standard Deviation (fps) Group Size (in.), Black Hills 55-gr. SP  2,910  12  0.99, Black Hills 60-gr. V-Max 2,880  16  0.87, American Eagle 55-gr. FMJ  2,810  24  1.05, Black Hills Match King 69-gr. HP 2,780  21  1.03, Hornady 55-gr. V-Max  2,935  13  1.11, Black Hills 52-gr. HP 3,042  18  1.12

Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of four five-shot groups at 100 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages of three shots measured with an F-1 Alpha chronograph 12 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: FMJ, full metal jacket; HP, hollowpoint; SP, softpoint.

It is easy to get great groups from a below average rifle if it has a great trigger, but put a tack-driver with a gritty eight-pound trigger in anybody's hands, and they will be lucky to stay on paper. The Rock River Arms Operator rifles are not just inherently accurate (that's one plus to the AR design), they are equipped with quality triggers that enable the user to get the most out of them.

Rock River Arms AR-15 AR-15 Model BB2522 Rock River Arms Operator 2 has a list price of 1515.00. I ended up ordering it over the internet for much less. Many dealers in my vicinity wanted list price ... plus which did not set well with my financing plan. I purchased my Rock River Arms AR15 Model BB2522 Rock River Arms from Class 3 Weapons in Houston, Texas at a considerable cost savings. Rock River Arms is at the moment offering the Operator rifles as a package deal, with the rifle of your choice equipped with its National Match two-stage trigger, any one of four rear sights, a one-inch or 30mm Hi-Rise scope mount, two 30-round magazines and a case. These packages start at an incredibly economical price of $1,000 according to the RRA factory website. I ended up purchasing it online for much less. Most dealers in my area wanted retail plus which did not set well with my budget. I acquired my Operator from Class 3 Weapons in Houston Texas at a considerable savings of only $969.00 which included shipping. Depending on where you live your cost will fluctuate based on shipping and taxes if relevant. For the time being, thanks Rock River for a awesome firearm and keep up the good work. I am off to the area firing range to see what this power house can do again.


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