Shoot On Editor-in-Chief Rob Reaser is a lifelong outdoorsman, former magazine editor, columnist, and contributing editor to numerous national publications in the automotive and outdoor segments. Either way, its clear that Rock River Arms is a reputable company with a history of providing quality products to law enforcement agencies. At those temperatures, the molecules align with their neighbors. InterLock; 5-shot string #1, Hornady American Whitetail, 170-gr. The Nylon 66, a relatively inexpensive rimfire with faux woodgrain, was the first successful synthetic-stock firearm. For testing purposes we selected three mid-range bullet weights with different price points: The Remington Express 55-gr. The gun shot 1 inch overall, but without the inconsistent Remington ammo (1.52 in. In parts of the South, varmint hunters are calling in foxes, coyotes, bobcats and other predators. If that gas tube moves when the bolt carrier comes forward, the carrier key is hitting the gas tube. . Contrary to what youll find on the internet, most rifles are not capable of this kind of performance with factory ammunition. In truth Spaarne is canalised and hard to tell which bits of water are canal and which are river. The Standard Operator has a 20-inch, cryo-treated chrome-moly barrel. My experience with Rock River AR-pattern rifles hasnt involved round counts like my friends, but theyve been just as positive. The design was licensed to Bushmaster, and during the course of about three years, the company built and sold several thousand rifles. The two-stage trigger allows for perfect control and a clean break. The Rock River Varmint A4 sported a heavy bull 416SS air-gauged barrel, but it was only 20 inches in length. If so, you may be wondering which manufacturer is the best. So, what do people think about Rock River Arms? Feb 2018 Solo. Rock River has been around for a long time and they maintain a devoted following because they continue to use quality components while giving attention to the details. The side-cocking module deserves a little more explanation. All that inertia transfers to the back of the bolt carrier when the hammer slams home. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. The reset on the trigger was smaller than I expected, so it allowed for very quick follow-up shots. We chose this lefty model to balance the group, assuming left-handed shooters would prefer a gun set up for them. Another feature I really liked was the sealed battery storage area . The barrel's twist rate is one turn in nine inches. The really nice thing about Rock River Arms is that you can order this specific rifle custom-made to your taste and requirements; youre not stuck with a rifle only to purchase your favorite parts later. Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. The bolt remains open after the last round is fired, but the shooter releases it by hitting the traditional bolt-release lever or tugging backward on the side-cocking module. Several of our bolt-action shooters didnt have an issue with the Stags weight, since they lugged guns heavier than our test model. The Judge has been promoted! Firearms dont get much more iconic than John Moses Brownings legendary Auto-5 semi-auto shotgun, affectionately called the Humpback for its distinctive drop at the rear of the receiver. My first task was to get acquainted with the rifle. The guns manufactured for these uses also have this same variety in their construction. The LAR-15 X-Series X-1 Rifle in .223/5.56mm from Rock River Arms is available at a manufacturer suggested retail price of $1,450.00 and $1,500.00, depending on the stock and color option (Black and Tan). The LAR-8 Standard Operator, reviewed here, also incorporates a number of ergonomic improvements, including an ambidextrous bolt stop and magazine release. The gas block has two setscrews that hold it in place, and the contour is Rock Rivers heavy match. Far from what youd call a heavy match barrel on a bolt-action rifle, the barrel on the ATH V2 has almost a straight contour and measures three-quarters of an inch at the muzzle. Although inexpensive and reliable, the FAL magazine presented a number of design challenges, such as dimensions and feed angles that differ from AR-style magazines. We quickly found that choosing four guns to test wasnt going to be easy. Get a fairly basic model as an introduction and rest assured that when you want to geek-out later, youll be starting with a quality platform. With this in mind, we went to LaRue Tactical (www.laruetactical.com) for the exceptional LT104 30mm QD Lever Mount, $195. The A4 had a winter trigger guard, which allowed gloves to be used with the gun. For my scope, I wanted something powerful and sharp. Those of our fathers generation, on the other hand, usually gravitated toward bolt action hunting rifles of the Remington 700 or Winchester model 70 flavor. Federal Gold Medal Match delivered the best group, which measured 0.81 inches. Well, not any more of an idiot than I usually feel like, I suppose I should say. Winchester seized this opportunity to develop an entirely new cartridge that would fall within these parameters while utilizing manufacturing efficiencies to keep production costs down. The barrels Rock River use come from the Connecticut-based company, Wilson Arms (wilsonarms.com). There will probably be a slew of hunters this year who end up walking out of their go-to sporting goods retailer with empty hands and long faces because their standard ammo is not to be had. Accuracy with the rifle was commendable. Rock River Arms is a popular option, but is it the right one for you? Rock River has also correctly set up the gas system where the rifle is neither under- or over-gassed. The barrel and trigger are certainly the two greatest contributors to the V2s accuracy, but Rock River gets the small things right that most others miss. The reason is that the base price for the FAR15 is $900, and every gun is bench built, so each shooter can pick and choose the options he can afford. Of course, all of this comes at a price but if youre looking for an AR-15 that will serve you well for many years to come, then the Rock River Arms is definitely worth considering. Rock River warned us that the guns upper and lower fit tightly together, and that was indeed the case, requiring some extra force even with the supplied tool. Even the two lefties in were impressed with this feature. But the Rock River Arms guns have a very solid reputation for reliability. Rock River Arms is considered to be high end because of the materials they use and the quality of their products. The increased profile of the unit makes it easy to locate, engage and manipulate with the left hands index finger when firing off the left shoulder. Rock River Arms produces some of the most reliable and durable AR-15s on the market today. But Im lucky. Rock River Arms is considered to be one of the most reliable AR-15 manufacturers because of the materials they use and the quality of their products. Metallurgists indicate that the extreme temperatures eliminate the stress imparted on the metal from cutting the chamber and contouring the barrel profile. For testing, we fitted the rifle with a Leupold 1.1-8X 24 mm CQBSS using steel 34 mm rings. For that purpose, it chose the 20-round box magazine used in the FN-FAL, which was readily available and priced as low as $5 each. The tight adherence to exacting tolerances of their chamber dimensions and the stress-relieving effort are two of the big contributors that I credit for this brands reputation for accuracy. Lower Receiver: Forged RRA LAR-15 Upper Receiver: Forged A4 Barrel: 16-inch Chrome Moly, 1:9 Twist Muzzle Device: RRA Tactical Muzzle Brake/-28 Thread . Best precision/Varmint/3-Gun Bravo Company (BCM) 18 Upper Decent quality, accurate, soft shooting $780 at Rainier Arms Jump to Details Best Budget Short Barrel Option Palmetto State Armory 10.5 Wallet friendly, decently reliable $329 at Palmetto State Armory Jump to Details Best Lightweight Upper Faxon ION Upper Learn how your comment data is processed. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, New for 2020: Rock River Arms BT-9 4.5" Pistol, New for 2020: Rock River Arms LAR-15M 350 Legend, NRA Gun of the Week: Rock River Arms BT9 R9 Competition, NRA Gun Of The Week: Rock River Arms Assurance-C, Product Preview: Rock River Arms M1911 Mainspring Housings, 7 Simple Follow-Through Tips to Improve Your Accuracy (Right Now!) While the location and function of the trigger is identical to what Stoner and Sullivan originally specified, Rock River includes a two-stage trigger of their design, which is superior to the standard semiautomatic trigger found in most ARs. We selected this scope for several reasons. While they may be on the higher end price-wise, many feel that they are worth the investment. Many people believe that Rock River Arms is worth the money because of the quality of their products. R3 Competition - Rock River Arms The fluted stainless-steel barrel pretty much proves that you dont need a bull barrel to achieve precision on a rifle. http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Group_21.JPG, http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Group9.JPG, http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Group_3.JPG, Accuracy International 6.5 Creedmoor SA barrel, Ballistic advantage 18 inch fluted SPR barrel. Spaarne (Haarlem) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Tripadvisor I like shooting rifles its fun and its challenging but I certainly dont feel as though Im capable of producing the level of accuracy todays precision rifles are capable of delivering. Given that the .350 Legend cartridge is intended for hunting applications out to 250 yards, the LAR-15M is ideally suited to the task. Kenau and Ripperda Monument - Tripadvisor SIG Sauer P322 Rimfire Pistol: First Look, Non-Lethal Personal & Home Defense with Byrna, Range Tested: EAA Girsan Pistols & Shotguns, New for 2023: Christensen Arms Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR), New for 2023: All-American RIA 5.0 Sporting Pistol, New for 2023: FN Rush 9Ti Pistol Suppressor, New Big Bore Pistols for 2023: FN 510 Tactical and FN 545 Tactical, New for 2023: FN SCAR 15P Rifle Caliber Pistol, First Look: Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum Revolver With 10.5-Inch Barrel, New-for-2023 Taurus Judge Executive Grade 410/.45 Colt Revolver, Smith & Wesson Equalizer and the Brand New M&P 5.7 Pistol. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Their AR-15s are made with forged aluminum receivers, chrome lined barrels, and MIL-SPEC parts. (Photo by Mark Fingar) December 07, 2021 By Craig . After mounting the scopes, each gun was given a good general cleaning, carefully lubricated, trigger pull weights checked on a digital gauge, and then it was off to the range. New For 2022: Rock River Arms All Terrain Hunter Its much easier to shoot with this trigger than with a standard variant. Joe Kurtenbach, Executive Editor of Gun & Ammo, and John Myles from Smith & Wesson discuss features of the Equalizer 9mm micro-compact pistol and new-for-2023 M&P 5.7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLDPl0rguAE, Pelican Case Foam Cutting: How to Cut Perfectly Every Time. The Rock River Arms R3 Competition Rifle is designed for and has the feel of a competition rifle, yet the same platform is spot-on if your hunts require a lot of walking or if your predator sets demand exceptional accuracy out to the limits of the cartridge along with the ability to make fast follow-up shots. This is not John Waynes revolver it is a modern work of art! We didnt have any problems with the gun operating at all, but I didnt expect any. Need Help?service@guns.comCall (866)582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com. Billed as the LAR-15M, these rifles are familiar RRA fare, featuring the companys forged A4 upper and multi-caliber lower receivers, 13-inch extended free-float handguard, Operator CAR stock, and two-stage trigger. Putting a barrel through the cryogenic process at Rock River means the barrel is cooled down in steps until it reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. This gun is also available with the same components in the right-hand Model 6, and we believe our comments about the left-hand configuration will apply to the Stag gun set up for right-hand shooters. The match grade trigger (what RRA calls their two-stage) was very smooth and crisp. needed for precision accuracy at exceptional ranges. Accurate AR-15 Rifles: Buy the Fulton Armory, Rock River Guns Having shot both cartridges in AR platform rifles, we must agree. Well it's me and I cheaped out on a scope and have a $200 Nikon on an expensive gun. I have yet to find a Rock River rifle that wasnt extremely accurate, so its only natural to have a favorable impression of the brand. The 16-inch barrel is certainly maneuverable in the brush, and with its 6.8-lb. The SCAR 15P is chambered for 5.56 NATO and, with its 7.5-inch barrel, is the most compact SCAR to date. Although it appears to be just an AR clone, few parts are interchangeable. At the time, both AR-10 and SR-25 magazines were scarce and expensive, so Rock River designed its own AR-10-style rifle around a more abundant and affordable magazine. The hammer in Rock Rivers trigger moves most of the mass to a location much closer to the trigger pin. He asked what I was shooting, and then said, Well, thats funny. And the BT-3 didnt disappoint. twist Overall Length: 36 in. The majority of Rock River Arms parts are mil-spec, including the receivers, barrels, handguards, and more. Gun Review: Dead Accurate Rock River Arms BT-3, AR Basics: Initial Diagnosis Of AR Gas System Issues, New AR: Springfields SAINT Pistol Goes .300 Blackout, Shadow Systems DR920 P And L Review: Full-Size Fun From The Factory, Smith & Wesson EQUALIZER Review: Crafted For Carry, Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical Review: Stretching Your Dollar Long, 8 On-Target Concealed Carry Insurance Options (2022), 10 Affordable Double-Barrel Shotgun Options (2022), Best AR-15 Options For Any Budget And Buyers Guide (2022), Best Concealed Carry Handguns For Women (2022). If youre looking for a reliable AR-15 manufacturer, Rock River Arms is definitely worth considering. Nice. Whether you are looking for a basic AR-15 or a fully customized weapon, Rock River Arms is a great choice. Re: Reasonable Accuracy from LAR-15 Predator Pursuit, Re: Reasonable Accuracy from LAR-15 Predator Pursu, Would love to see paper from a RRPP shooting .5 groups at 400yds. Fluted Stainless Steel Bead Blasted Fluted Stainless: +$35.00. Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer became famous for being intensively involved, along with many of Haarlem's women, with fighting the spanish, who laid siege to the city. At 100 yards, my groups were a bit to the right, but I was just looking for groups so I didnt touch the scope. Were not saying the gun was chopped liverit turned in an average of 1.2 inches over the many groups we fired with our three ammo selections. This attention to accuracy is especially evident in Rock Rivers new model, the Advanced Tactical Hunter V2 (ATH V2). The deep-freeze cryogenic process that each barrel receives removes any stress imparted on it during the manufacturing process. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. About the only thing someone might complain about is having to wait for a few weeks to get a custom gun they order. Rem .260 schmidt and bender. This process alone will add another $30 to $50 dollars to the $1325 price tag. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. Guys from my grandpas era (at least in my area of the Appalachians) seemed to cling to the classical deer rifle forms, led prominently by the Winchester model 94 lever action. Bergara BXR Review: Is the Bergara BXR the Best Rifle for Hunters? Perhaps the greatest praise was directed toward the side-cocking mechanism. I acquired Federal and Hornady cartridges for the range test. Reasonable Accuracy from LAR-15 Predator Pursuit Stags first entry into the varminter category sported an extra heavy 24-inch 416SS Shaw barrel that made the gun extremely front heavy, and a rifle you definitely want to shoot off the bench. Newer models are sporting a more robust Hogue grip. Best AR-15 Complete Upper Receivers - Pew Pew Tactical Their AR-15s are some of the most durable and reliable on the market, and they offer a lifetime warranty on their products. Accuracy: 1 MOA @ 100 yards Included: One magazine, RRA Case, Manual, Warranty MSRP: $1,480 www.rockriverarms.com. At each temperature step, Rock River will let the barrels soak at that temp for a specific period of time. Also, it digested everything we fed with nary a malfunction. For me, all cases extracted and landed at about 4 oclock relative to the muzzle. Our friends at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas, graciously granted us permission to use the stores 100-yard shooting tunnel. AR-15s tend not to fit standard gun cases when set up with the high mounts required to clear the charging handle, and still provide a solid sight picture. The accuracy increase gained by this hammer profile makes every other hammer shape irrelevant. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. soft point; 5-shot string #1, Federal Non-Typical, 180-gr. Ive had this rest for more than 15 years and its still my favorite. It broke cleanly at 4 pounds, 4 ounces and exhibited no creep or stacking. One of the challenges of introducing an all-new cartridge is getting rifle manufacturers to chamber for the new round. The LAR-15 NM features a stainless heavy match barrel with a 1:8 twist. There are several candidates that also would have worked from other manufacturers such as DPMS, Bushmaster, Armalite and others, but we had to pick one and wanted to see if RRA's reputation would hold up. weight, the rifle is an easy carry when outfitted with a quality sling. I was neither hot nor cold about the Hogue over-molded grip. I picked the SIG Optics Tango6 5-30X56mm riflescope with an illuminated MRAD/MOA reticle, and I mounted it on a SIG base and rings. After installing and zeroing a TRUGLO Omnia 8a suitable optic for this firearm platformI set up for ballistic and group size evaluation. Fulton Armory is one of the top providers of M1, M1a, and M14, competition guns, and Clint McKee (the owner) and Walt Kuleck (sales manager) have also written books on firearms, including The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide, The M14 Complete Assembly Guide, and The AR-15 Complete Assembly Guide. Rock River Arms guarantees one-m.o.a. Rock River Arms produces their own bolt carrier group (BCG), which is made from 8620 steel and features a nitride finish. Classic Browning Light Twelve Auto-5 Review: Busting Clays With the Old Humpback Shotgun. The rest of the ATH V2 compliments the barrel work. Rock River Arms alone lists four different models in its catalog, and thats before barrel and option selections! They quickly earned a reputation for making excellent guns and components. He pointed out how good the Rock River trigger was, so Ive had it in that rifle ever since. The company has created a unique, so-called Star safety selector switch that is both fast and positive. Review: Rock River Arms ATH V2 - Guns and Ammo Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. Usually, there is about a -inch gap that will shred the knuckle of the shooters middle finger if they fire a couple hundred rounds (or more) in a day. It was a fixed power, so we didnt have to worry with testers fiddling with the magnification, and inadvertently affecting accuracy scores. Rock River Arms has been around since 1996 when brothers Mark and Chuck Larson founded the company in Cleveland, Illinois. Caleb Giddings, Marketing Manager at Taurus, introduces the all-new TaurusTX 22 Compact. All three exceed the Rock River .75" factory accuracy guarantee. The Rock River Arms BT-3 is a .308 modern sporting rifle, featuring Rock River Arms billet upper and lower receivers, fluted 20-inch cryogenically treated stainless-steel barrel, Rock River Arms .308 A2 flash hider, Magpul PRS stock, Hogue rubber over-molded grip, new lightweight M-LOK compatible 17-inch aluminum floated handguard with MS1913 top rail and a Rock River Arms 2-stage trigger. Rock River Arms guarantees one-m.o.a. 0608-Fulton-Armory-FAR-15-Predator-Varmint.pdf. There, review done. Loves Federal Premium 69g Match. All of these options bring the gun to a wallet-emptying $1994 retail price. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. Select Grip. Rock River Arms has a reputation for making high quality AR-15s, but they also have a reputation for being expensive. There are a lot of opinions out there, but when it comes to accuracy, the Rock River Arms AR-15 is often lauded as one of the best. People appreciate the quality of their products and the fact that they offer a lifetime warranty. A big reason that these rifles shoot so well is the barrel. Its an aggressive little thing that, should you run out of ammo to fend off a charging beast, could be turned into a defensive tool in its own right. Rock River Arms is known for being accurate due to the materials they use and the quality of their products. It seems almost every manufacturer out there is turning out some version of this genre. Gun Review: Rock River Arms LAR-8 Elite Operator - Gun Digest Rock Rivers winter triggerguard solves this problem. We knew from the moment we hoisted this bad boy out of its case where Stag Arms had invested its money. Item Number Description Select Price. This makes them some of the most durable and reliable AR-15s on the market. With the LAR-8, the choice of the FN-FAL magazine created the opportunity for a pair of significant ergonomic improvements. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry the guns prices at the time of the original review. I wanted to do this as by the book as possible, so waiting for calm winds was my only option. Leading the charge is RRAs Operator muzzle brake. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. Once they hit 300 below zero, theyll bring the barrels up (also in steps) to 200 degrees above zero. The RRA ATH comes with an. It retains the original direct-gas-operating system, as well as the multi-lug rotating bolt and cylindrical bolt carrier of the original design, but the guns internal and external contours and dimensions have been extensively modified to accept FN-FAL-pattern magazines. If youre willing to spend a little extra money, theyre definitely worth considering. But the Rock River Arms guns have a very solid reputation for reliability. Since we had so many choices, we decided to narrow the field by setting the following parameters: a barrel length between 20 and 24 inches long, constructed of stainless steel, and capable of shooting the most popular ammo weight of 50 to 55 grains. Certainly not, considering the quality. Select Barrel. Every cowboy needs a revolver. This is a .350 Legend. Turned out, he had just bought that rifle for deer hunting and got a youth version because it was the only one in stock. VMAX ($40/50). Rock River Arms also offers a lifetime warranty on their products, which is another reason why they are considered to be high end. Which brings me to my point. Here, deer hunters were often restricted to using shotguns, muzzleloaders, or handguns chambered for straight-wall pistol cartridges. Several high-quality triggers exist today that will hold up under the harshest conditions yet allow for more accuracy and faster follow-up shots. The LAR-8 Standard Operator is reliable and accurate, and its fine trigger makes it easy to shoot well. Rock River Arms Rock River cured a couple other standard AR failings with parts they developed in-house. This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar, 2022 Yestactical.com We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. So, when I was tasked to review the new Rock River Arms BT-3 .308 Modern Sporting Rifle, I decided to meet the challenge head-on. However, we can say that Rock River Arms is a great option if you are looking for a high-quality AR-15. The rear half of the fore-end is rounded and smooth for a comfortable hold, while the front half has four rails that provide plenty of space for mounting accessories. We got a quartet of guns that matched these specifications from Bushmaster, Fulton Armory, Rock River Arms, and Stag Arms, along with some options they felt the varmint/predator hunter would like. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. We also found the left ejection pattern did not bother righties. resulting in 1.5-MOA accuracy at 100 yards. Not everyone likes to shoot off both shoulders, but those who do are familiar with how difficult the selector struggle is. I shot five-round groups at 100 yards with Remington 168-grain BTHP, Lapua 167-grain BTHP, Hornady 168-grain A-Max, Hornady 155-grain TAP A-Max, Hornady 110-grain TAP Urban, and Federal American Eagle 150-grain BTFMJ ammunition. The crosshairs bounce all over the place. When asked about maintenance, he responded with, I like to shoot it, but I let the armorer take care of it. Each rifle he was issued was carried for about a year and typically saw 20,000 rounds before replacement with a new one. Performance of Rock Rivers new ATH V2 was exceptional. The company says on their website that most orders for built guns will take 60 to 90 days. Meet the all-new Taurus Judge Executive Grade, a revolver featuring a hand-polished satin finish, presentation-grade wood grips, a brass rod front sight and an exceptional hand-tuned trigger. . . One Magazine, RRA Case, Manual and Warranty Information. REVIEW: Rock River Arms R3 Competition Rifle | Shoot On The author grouped and chronographed Black Hills' 77-grain 5.56 OTM ammo with impressive results. The ATH V2 comes with an 18-inch, stainless steel, heavy match barrel. Sights: folding front post attached to the gas block, Picatinny rail for attaching opticsTrigger: two-stage; 4-lb., 4-oz. The .223 Wylde chamber has a tight .224-inch freebore that keeps bullets especially long 69- and 77-grain types from yawing in the chamber prior to engaging the rifling. Later on, 9mm joined the party, as did 300 BLK. When the carrier key hits the gas tube, that disturbance travels down the tube and into the barrel. That is amazingly accurate, and far more accurate than most people are capable of shooting a handgun. Remington 700 accuracy international AX chassis package. The case length hits the 1.71-inch mark with an overall cartridge length of 2.26 inches. If Stag used a vented forend to reduce weight, used a stock with more butt weight to balance the rig, and used a shorter barrel, this gun might have won. I decided I wanted calm and shade: Spring in Arizona is often unpredictable and weather varies from wet and soggy 60s to hot and steamy upper 90s. The lightweight handguard is comfortable and has enough M-LOK slots to add whatever accessories you might need or want. Although it eliminated the brass deflector, we had no problems with the ejection pattern.