Garrows dev reborn: RRA 17hmr AR15

[carbonbased]

https://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=2349

Improved roller-lock ball bearing design. One commenter says when he removes the bolt on his original Garrows, the ball bearings fall out. He goes on to state that this new design seems to have captured ball bearings.

Sounds like a fun little gun for shooting crows and other varmints. Only thing that is a little unknown is how it works with suppressors. The RRA guy says they haven’t done much testing in that regard.

 

[Frankr]

If the bugs are worked out and it shoot as good as my 457 barrel then I’m in.

Wish it had a left handed charging handle like the foxtrot Mike upper for when you’re prone shooting.

 

[carbonbased]

I just really hope it works great with a suppressor as I shoot 100% suppressed.

 

[nikonNUT]

Interesting. I've been eyeballing a Franklin FA17-X (.17WSM) as an alternate critter gitter. Now I have to ponder.

 

[obx22]

Wondering how the upper will hold up in the ball bearing recesses area? Steel upper or inserts? It would seem that a ball shape would deform the alloy in short order.

 

[carbonbased]

Wondering how the upper will hold up in the ball bearing recesses area? Steel upper or inserts? It would seem that a ball shape would deform the alloy in short order.

The existing Garrows 17hmrs ARs that were made before they shut down seem to be holding up fine. There must be some steel inserts in there.

 

[nikonNUT]

So legit question...
Why would I want this over the Franklin Armory FA-17 or -17X in .17WSM? Dead round aka .224 Valk? Better accuracy? I am genuinely curious. I know the FA is about $600.00 more so there is that.

 

[carbonbased]

So legit question...
Why would I want this over the Franklin Armory FA-17 or -17X in .17WSM? Dead round aka .224 Valk? Better accuracy? I am genuinely curious. I know the FA is about $600.00 more so there is that.

I don’t rightly know. Ammo cost and availability might be one reason. WSM seems to be going for $1.00-$1.50/rd on ammoseek, with two suppliers. 17 HMR is about 21-30cents with scads of suppliers.

WSM is quite a bit more powerful.

Me? I would use a centerfire 17 Hornet instead of a 17 WSM. Even faster and better quality ammo. Might be hard/expensive to find a gun chambered in 17 Hornet, however, as CZ exited that market when they killed off the 527 model. Not letting mine go!

17 HMR is like a harder hitting 22LR to me. Cheap, fast, fun. But I’m not a huge HMR fan, as I’d prefer to shoot 1050fps subsonic 22LR with a can for good measure. Varmints don’t know what hit them!

But HMR has a place. Pigeons, crows, stuff out there a bit is easier to hit and kill with HMR vs 22LR.

 

[nikonNUT]

I don’t rightly know. Ammo cost and availability might be one reason. WSM seems to be going for $1.00-$1.50/rd on ammoseek, with two suppliers. 17 HMR is about 21-30cents with scads of suppliers.

WSM is quite a bit more powerful.

Me? I would use a centerfire 17 Hornet instead of a 17 WSM. Even faster and better quality ammo. Might be hard/expensive to find a gun chambered in 17 Hornet, however, as CZ exited that market when they killed off the 527 model. Not letting mine go!

17 HMR is like a harder hitting 22LR to me. Cheap, fast, fun. But I’m not a huge HMR fan, as I’d prefer to shoot 1050fps subsonic 22LR with a can for good measure. Varmints don’t know what hit them!

But HMR has a place. Pigeons, crows, stuff out there a bit is easier to hit and kill with HMR vs 22LR.

That's kinda what I thought. All the "sane" prices I have seen for 17 WSM are OOS and I agree whole heartly about the .22. Got the Tippmann running great and with SS HPs it's too much fun wacking critters! Especially with a thermal!

 

[carbonbased]

Got the Tippmann running great and with SS HPs it's too much fun wacking critters! Especially with a thermal!

That’s an AR 22LR, right?

 

[nikonNUT]

That’s an AR 22LR, right?

Yes, sir.

 

[steve123]

I don’t rightly know. Ammo cost and availability might be one reason. WSM seems to be going for $1.00-$1.50/rd on ammoseek, with two suppliers. 17 HMR is about 21-30cents with scads of suppliers.

WSM is quite a bit more powerful.

Me? I would use a centerfire 17 Hornet instead of a 17 WSM. Even faster and better quality ammo. Might be hard/expensive to find a gun chambered in 17 Hornet, however, as CZ exited that market when they killed off the 527 model. Not letting mine go!

17 HMR is like a harder hitting 22LR to me. Cheap, fast, fun. But I’m not a huge HMR fan, as I’d prefer to shoot 1050fps subsonic 22LR with a can for good measure. Varmints don’t know what hit them!

But HMR has a place. Pigeons, crows, stuff out there a bit is easier to hit and kill with HMR vs 22LR.

I think along the same lines.

22rf for general plinking, target, and long range.

22 mag just because I had one as my first firearm at 12 years old, and had wanted a HK300 since the 70's, so I bought one almost a decade ago. Cool vintage gun, reliable, and hit hits hard too. Doesn't do bad at long range either.

I bought a 17hmr shortly after it came out but sold it after a year. Not much energy out there a ways and harder to spot misses.
But all rimfires have poor-ish SD which works against vertical at distance and no match grade 17 HMR or 22mag exists.

Long story short after trying quite a few varmint round centerfires as a 40 year experiment I settled on 5mmFBI wildcat. Basically a 20-221FB AI and low SD. Has so many advantages I get tired of listing them all and so does the 20 Vartarg.
5mmFBI is 3760 fps with 32's out of a 21.5" barrel. If I used AA2200 it'd be 3850 fps or so.

5mmFBI reduced load below next to 22rf. I ended up at 2730 fps.

 

[Frankr]

17hmr and 17hm2 are amazing rounds out to ~125-150 yards for hunting small game imho.

Ground squirrels and prairie dogs are sure fun with a 17.

Kids shoot the 17’s better because they’re flat shooting compared to .22 lr and they explode when things are hit.

This upper is on my short list if it works suppressed well and is accurate.

 

[supercorndogs]

17hmr is great for shooting in areas where you don't want bullets to carry far. I don't use it much but I see it's utility. Its a lot easier to hit pdogs for 150y than 22lr.

 

[carbonbased]

17hmr is great for shooting in areas where you don't want bullets to carry far. I don't use it much but I see it's utility. Its a lot easier to hit pdogs for 150y than 22lr.

If you can sneak up on them, popping them with 22LR subsonic (1050fps) segmented CCI with a suppressor is effing golden lol

 

[Frankr]

17hmr is great for shooting in areas where you don't want bullets to carry far. I don't use it much but I see it's utility. Its a lot easier to hit pdogs for 150y than 22lr.

Yep, farmers and ranchers here locally like the 17hmr near their wheel lines and center pivots. Less likely to get a ricochet it seems.

I wish the 17hm2 would have come out first though. It doesn’t get the love it deserves. Mine will hang with my 17hmrs 80-90% of the distance but for less than half the cost of the other ammo.

 

[Ernest 5.56]

So legit question...
Why would I want this over the Franklin Armory FA-17 or -17X in .17WSM? Dead round aka .224 Valk? Better accuracy? I am genuinely curious. I know the FA is about $600.00 more so there is that.

I thought the FA was a cool gun but never could understand why it was so absurdly expensive