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RRA LAR-8 X-1, anyone got one?

Rock River Arms: LAR-8 X-1 Rifle / .308/7.62mm

So I'm looking at this and I see:
9.5 lbs with an 18" barrel and a no-rail forearm - that's heavy.
Still uses an FAL mag
Still has the impossibly long receivers, charging handle and carrier because of that FAL mag

Just curious, why the excitement, especially compared to the lighter and shorter DPMS GII models? I mean, the 24" bull barrel DPMS GII is 10 lbs, vs. 9.5 lbs for one of these with an 18" lighter profile barrel.
 
that is the only reason why I don't own a RRA AR in .308 yet = damn magazine issue!! damn it RRA!?? you need to fix this shit! if you don't give a shit about the mag issue and want something that will just down right shoot right out of the box for little money, then RRA is hard to beat.

anyway, yes... with the new dpms gen2 rifles coming out, depending on actual owner reviews from real life people on the hide = would put some serious consideration into the dpms gen2 (once you can get some real feedback from owners). If money is not an issue, then I would prob get either a JP, GAP, or LMT and call it a day. I'm really crossing my fingers for the DPMS gen2 recon and sass models because if they really do turn out to be shooters = ohhhhhh snap for the competition!!! only time will tell.




Rock River Arms: LAR-8 X-1 Rifle / .308/7.62mm

So I'm looking at this and I see:
9.5 lbs with an 18" barrel and a no-rail forearm - that's heavy.
Still uses an FAL mag
Still has the impossibly long receivers, charging handle and carrier because of that FAL mag

Just curious, why the excitement, especially compared to the lighter and shorter DPMS GII models? I mean, the 24" bull barrel DPMS GII is 10 lbs, vs. 9.5 lbs for one of these with an 18" lighter profile barrel.
 
Rock River Arms: LAR-8 X-1 Rifle / .308/7.62mm

So I'm looking at this and I see:
9.5 lbs with an 18" barrel and a no-rail forearm - that's heavy.
Still uses an FAL mag
Still has the impossibly long receivers, charging handle and carrier because of that FAL mag

Just curious, why the excitement, especially compared to the lighter and shorter DPMS GII models? I mean, the 24" bull barrel DPMS GII is 10 lbs, vs. 9.5 lbs for one of these with an 18" lighter profile barrel.

I own 3 LAR-8's. The mag thing (to me), is a non issue. I have multiple mags that function quite well. Sorting through used FAL mags, you'll get a bad one here and there, but those can be repaired or discarded. The RRA mags are OK, but I like the FAL's better. The guns themselves are awesome. Very affordable, accurate, and reliable. A pound here and there means very little to me. How many of you actually hike that much with a 20 rnd. .308 AR? Probably not many. It kind of turns into a specs contest.

I'm looking forward to this gun. Could be the "one gun". I think it will be the .308 version of the ATH Carbine. And THAT is saying something.
 
The FAL magazine isn't what makes the receivers so long, it's the combination of their ambi bolt catch/release and the mag catch assembly for the FAL mags, which adds a bit of length to the lower receiver.

Those of us that are into action-shooting and aggressive stalk hunting prefer lightweight guns, and this is the trend with the AR10 type rifles right now based on practical demands from a growing consumer base, not a cool factor fad driven by safe queens.

For a prone target gun, the weight probably helps a lot of people, but there is definitely a tipping point in the market leaning towards lighter guns, if it hasn't tipped already. I still think the ambi bolt catch/release design on the BAR-10/LAR-8 is the greatest feature of the guns, and would love to see it on the AR15 as well, without sacrificing compatibility with standard AR15 uppers.
 
The FAL magazine isn't what makes the receivers so long, it's the combination of their ambi bolt catch/release and the mag catch assembly for the FAL mags, which adds a bit of length to the lower receiver.

Those of us that are into action-shooting and aggressive stalk hunting prefer lightweight guns, and this is the trend with the AR10 type rifles right now based on practical demands from a growing consumer base, not a cool factor fad driven by safe queens.

For a prone target gun, the weight probably helps a lot of people, but there is definitely a tipping point in the market leaning towards lighter guns, if it hasn't tipped already. I still think the ambi bolt catch/release design on the BAR-10/LAR-8 is the greatest feature of the guns, and would love to see it on the AR15 as well, without sacrificing compatibility with standard AR15 uppers.

Yes, yes, and yes. I'm fine with FAL mags, but not with the length of the RRA design. I owned one briefly, and could not square myself with its length, even though I was already used to the gen1 DPMS .308 which isn't exactly small. Receiver length is a minus. Excess weight is a minus. If I'm going to deliberately buy a heavy gun, I want all the extra weight in the barrel and the part of the receiver that supports the barrel, where it may do me some good for accuracy or heat absorption.

And, still echoing, the market for 11lb+ benchrest .308 ARs is not very large, but the market for 7-8lb easy to carry .308 ARs could be as large as the market for $500+ bolt action rifles, a very large market indeed. And if the non-NRA hunters start buying semiautos in large numbers, that makes life even harder still for the gun banning politicians.
 
Well my friend got anxious... He wrote a e-mail to RR and they told him that they were waiting on parts, didn't say specific parts and tooling. They also told him that they couldn't give him a positive ship/build date. So I guess the 4-8 week date the lgs gave maybe wishful thinking.

I think I was just as bummed as he is, I wanted to compare it to my Predator hp when he got it...

Yup. They sell everything they make pretty fast, and it seems like production is always trying to catch up. That is why I queried here. Someone'll get one, and hopefully we can get pics and a report.

By the way I too have a Predator HP. It has been a good field gun. Not as light as a hunting bolt gun, but still, with a good sling, not bad. And VERY accurate.
 
Hope you've got better luck than I. I waited 15 months for a LAR8 before dropping the order. Ok, I ordered Dec 2012, so I expected some wait, but... Gave up last month and switched for a different 308 AR which I had in less than 2 weeks. I really do like the bolt catch on the RRA though.
 
I'd never order direct from rock river unless you want to wait forever and a year.... I always order my rock rivers from either gun broker or Kentucky gun company.
 
Bad news

So bad news today guys I emailed rra the other day I got a reply today saying currently their wait time on there 308 lar is a year or more...I'm gonna cancel my order.
 
but on the other hand good news I decided to buck up and ending up buying a POF gen 4 20" p308 and it comes in tomorrow I'm about dying with anticipation my buddy has a gen 3 and its a tac driver
 
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So I placed an order for a RRA X-1 LR-8 because it seemed like the most bang for the buck I was willing to spend. I also was told the 4-8 week timeline and if I wasn't messed around with by the dealer I went through I would have had it sooner. But needless to say, as soon as I got my hands on it, I was blown away by the look and functionality. I paired the gun with a Nikon M-308 riflescope because I would like to get better at shooting out to 600-800 yards and further when I can find the range to do so. I also intend on doing some big game hunting out in Colorado next year so I have some time to get used to it. Both the scope and the rifle were extremely easy to use at the range and I am definitely a "Green-Horn" when it comes to shooting rifles because I have predominately been a waterfowl and upland hunter. I was shooting the 150 grain bullets and cleaned the gun after every shot for the 1st 5. After that I fired 5 rounds consecutively and repeated the cleaning cycle twice and repeated that with a 10 round clip. I was shocked at how smooth this gun shoots and within 20 rounds I was shooting 3.5" groups at 200 yards.

Here is the YouTube link to my 1st few shots.




Rock River Arms X-1 308 - YouTube