Rock River Arms LAR-15 Review

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Seven Inch Barrel AR Pistol Is Best Truck Gun Made

Rock River Arm’s LAR-15 seven-inch barrel A4 Pistol with SBX-K Arm Brace is a fun pistol to shoot. Rock River Arms is a highly respected AR rifle and pistol manufacture. During my career in law enforcement, I have been issued several different AR style rifles. I have had and used, full-auto and semi-auto. I have tested several AR rifles for articles and for potential departmental purchases. Some were pieces of crap and others were just a fine rifle. What I require from my professional or personal AR, is when I pull the trigger it goes bang. The projectile goes down range and hits what I was aiming at. I require this to happen each and every time I pull the trigger.

You know it seems like every year there is a new company manufacturing some type of AR rifle and more recently the AR pistol. Many make a decent product. Some make an excellent product. Some of the established AR manufacturers even have declined in their quality.

Over the years I have come to my personal conclusion on the various manufactures of AR style rifles and pistols. For me, to start the selection process, I have three or four brands I totally trust. I trust them to shoot and function flawlessly. So, to focus on one rifle/pistol of my top four brands, I look to the accessories the manufacture offers for this product. If they have a good selection of accessories which will turn this rifle/pistol into a more custom fit for me, then I will select this product.

Rock River Arms is one of my top four manufacture of AR type rifles/pistols. Rock River Arm, hereafter referred to as RRA, has a vast selection of accessories from “Kits” to barrels to uppers and lowers. I can say they are the “one stop shopping” of the semi-auto AR style firearms.

RRA sent me one of their AR type pistols model AR2132 with SB Tactical SBX-K Stabilizing Arm Brace. In plane language this firearm is the LAR-15 7 Inch A4 Pistol. This pistol came in a nice heavy plastic case which makes for easy and safe storage.

On my first inspection of the RRA LAR-15 with a seven-inch barrel, I concluded this firearm is extremely well made. The quality and workmanship are just amazing. In looking this pistol over I was not, and still not, a big fan of the arm rest. This AR style pistol is my first to shoot and review. RRA sent me a red-dot type optical device as this model does not come with any type of sights. I mounted the sight and was ready to take it to the range.

On one of the warmer days in December, I took the RRA LAR-15 7 Inch A4 Pistol to the Oklahoma City Gun Range. First, I took the RRA LAR-15 7 Inch A4 Pistol to the rifle bench range even through it is a pistol. Club rules are stricter about rifle type pistols on the pistol range than say the AR type pistol on the rifle bench range. I fired several rounds at a Champion silhouette LEO B27 target placed at the fifty-yard line. The trigger pull was crisp with very little creep. Great trigger action. Once the red-dot type sight was adjusted on this pistol for the round to hit two inches high at fifty-yards, I was ready to do some testing.

Rock River Arms LAR-15 Test and Evaluation

Hornady sent me the ammo to test the RRA LAR-15 7-inch pistol. They sent me Frontier 5.56, 62 gr. FMJ rounds. I was told this is the ammo Hornady typically supplies the Untied States Military. I loaded up the single magazine which came with the RRA AR pistol. I start the testing at the informal range where one can shoot most anything you can carry out of your truck with the exception of full-auto weapons. As I consider the RRA LAR-15 7-inch pistol an in-close defense weapon and a perfect truck gun, I stepped out of my GMC pickup many times to see if I could clear the console, seatbelt and door. I had no problem in quickly coming out of my truck. Keep in mind you can’t just drag this weapon out as you would a baseball bat. This pistol does have some 90-degree angles and with the 30 round magazine attached, one can bang things around when extracting this weapon.

In this T&E I fired 100 rounds of the Frontier ammo. The ammo was flawless as well as the RRA LAR-15 7-inch pistol. I can say I really like the Frontier 62 gr. ammo. I only shoot 62 to 75 gr. bullets as I believe they have more energy to deliver and will penetrate better. I use the 62 gr. Frontier on coyotes and hogs.

I fired the RRA LAR-15 7-inch pistol using the armbrace and then not using the armbrace. I held this pistol at chest high out away from my body and fired fairly decent groups. At the fifty-yard line, I hit the silhouette eight out of ten times using this method. I believe I could make an aggressor think twice at taking a close aim at me while I am laying down some fire on them. I also fired the LAR-15 7-inch by holding it close to my chest and from the waist. All rounds were in the kill zone. If I was depending on this pistol in a professional setting, I would have to have considerable amount of practice before I would feel comfortable in its use.

Conclusion

The Rock River Arms LAR-15 7-inch pistol is a high-quality AR pistol. No doubt you could pay more for another brand but you will not buy better. I can say one could lay down some suppressing fire with this pistol. At this point in my professional life, I see no need for me to acquire an AR pistol. I have a deputy friend who just loves his Rock River Arms. I met some other gun club members who own some version of the AR pistol. They all rave about the concept. The Frontier ammo is some of, if not the best ammo one can buy. If it is good enough for our American Heroes, it is good enough for me.

If you have determined a need for an AR pistol, I would recommend you give the Rock River Arms LAR-15 7-inch pistol (model AR2132 with SB Tactical SBX-K Stabilizing Arm Brace) a strong look. Rock River Arms has many different models of the AR and even one which takes AK magazines (CAR A4 LAR-47). Check them out, it will be worth your time and save some money too. (Note: It is against Federal and State Law to remove the armbrace and replace it with a shoulder stock. Also, check your local laws to see if the AR pistol is legal in your State.)

Rock River Arms LAR-15 Specs

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO /.223 Caliber
LOWER RECEIVER: Forged RRA LAR-15
UPPER RECEIVER: Forged A4
BARREL: 7-inch Chrome Moly, 1:9 Twist
GAS BLOCK: Low Profile Gas Block
MUZZLE DEVICE: A2 Flash Hider / 1/2–28 Thread
TRIGGER: Single Stage
Trigger Pull: 7.9 pound
HANDGUARD: RRA Lightweight Aluminum Free Float, 6 Inch Extended Length, M-LOK Compatible
PISTOL GRIP: Hogue Rubber Grip
Arm Brace: SB Tactical SBX-K Stabilizing Arm Brace with Short Receiver Extension, (Long Extension Optional)
WEIGHT: 5.6 pounds
LENGTH: 24.75 Inches
INCLUDES: One Magazine, Manual and Warranty Information