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I'm ecstatic about this new KT RFB rifle, so I wanted to share some thoughts on it
After scouring through my local town, I finally realized the only way to get one was through gunbroker.
Paid 1850$ (msrp 1880$) not including shipping and transfers, it is the gen2 18inch model, somewhere around 48xx serial range. After receiving it and shooting a few rounds, I realized the money was definitely worth it.
Things that I noticed and researched:
Gun handles very well in the hands. Although it is an 8lb rifle, the bullpup design seemed to put the weight right ontop of the pistol grip, making it feel lighter than it actually is. Gun is remarkably compact, especially for a 7.62x51mm rifle. Overall length seems to be only a little over 2ft, but feels much smaller. As from the pictures, you can see it is easily maneuverable even in something like a car.
Being a lefty, part of the reason I was attracted to the RFB was the fully ambi design. Everything from the bolt release, mag release, and charging handle was all easily accessible from both sides. Most importantly, it utilizes a forward ejection system. Although first skeptical about possibilities of obstruction and failures to eject, disassembling the gun showed that the shells are actually kicked out by the momentum and recoil of the bolt carrier group. From this, I don't really see how anything short of hammering a rock into the chute would be sturdy enough to jam the mechanism. The charging handle reciprocates. Although I normally dislike such features, the chamber is completely sealed and has no sideways ejection port to peek into. This makes the position of the charging handle and bolt the only way to determine the position of the bolt, and what's going on in the chamber in the case of malfunctions. With no direct access to the chamber without dropping the mag, I also think it is valuable for forward assisting, and overall "jiggling" to try and clear jams.
Material quality seemed to be quite nice. Although there was a ton of plastic, the milled and stamped parts were from 4130 and 4140 steel construction. The nickel boron bolt carrier was also quite nice. The gun also seems to have a second layer of steel ontop of the receiver group, which was quite nice. It's somewhat comforting to know there is an extra layer of steel construction to protect your face from the bullpup design in the case of a bad malfunction. The trigger was also remarkably crisp and tight, especially for a bullpup. The gun uses FAL mags, but can insert them vertically without rocking them in. All my surplus FAL mags seemed to fit just fine.
Notable Negatives
The gas adjustment is far too adjustable (45 or so settings). The gun is as far from being operator proof. I spent roughly an hour searching online on how to do a proper adjustment process. Undergassed, the gun effectively becomes a bolt action. However, what seems to be more dangerous is overgassing. I could see how someone might just leave the gun overgassed because it cycles without any issues, but doing so literally smashes the receiver against the back of the recoil springs after every shot. The recoil becomes hilariously rough when overgassed. I could see how leaving a gun on such a setting could destroy it.
In addition, the bolt carrier group seemed to occasionally "catch", and prevent itself from going into battery after dropping the bolt. Although this may just be a break in issue, I decided to investigate, and smoothed out the sharp edges of the extractor lifts and frame elements. Afterwards, the gun functioned perfectly. Browsing the forums, quality control issues seem to be scarily prevalent compared to other manufacturers, like S&W or HK.
Shooting:
When I took it to the range, it cycled and fed reliably without a single malfunction from the 150 rounds of 147grain south african surplus 7.62, and 175grain .308 (I adjusted the gas system for the surplus 7.62, and did not need any tinkering for the 308). Recoil was bafflingly light, especially compared to a standard battle rifle like a PTR-91. The RFB seems to run fine dry without lubrication, but I guess that is expected of a piston gun.
tl;dr
Pros
-full length battle rifle barrel with a full power cartridge in a platform smaller than an SBR (assuming the stock is extended).
-great ambi accommodations, fantastic ejection mechanism
-common mags
-extra built in steel plate for shooter protection incase of malfunctions
-reliably cycles even poor quality ammo
-great accuracy
-piston system, can run dry; low maintenance
-good construction material
-easily manipulated reciprocating charging handle
Cons
-dangerously adjustable gas system... definitely not operator proof, potential to destroy the gun if the operator doesn't know what's going on
-gun needed tinkering/break-in before it was 100%
-so much plastic
-gen 1 model had some reported deficiencies in receiver integrity and weld strength.
-extremely low production. The highest serial as of now seem to be in the 7xxx range... meaning roughly only 8000 have been produced over the course of 5 years from its original 2009 release date. Not to mention only a portion of these are gen 2 models.
From my perspective, the RFB is not a gun for someone new to firearms, or someone not interested in understanding the inner functions of how it works... it's by far not a "grab and go" gun. However, with some knowledge and setup, the RFB is a fantastic firearm that reliably operates with minimal maintenance.
I highly recommend the RFB if you can find it!
After scouring through my local town, I finally realized the only way to get one was through gunbroker.
Paid 1850$ (msrp 1880$) not including shipping and transfers, it is the gen2 18inch model, somewhere around 48xx serial range. After receiving it and shooting a few rounds, I realized the money was definitely worth it.
Things that I noticed and researched:
Gun handles very well in the hands. Although it is an 8lb rifle, the bullpup design seemed to put the weight right ontop of the pistol grip, making it feel lighter than it actually is. Gun is remarkably compact, especially for a 7.62x51mm rifle. Overall length seems to be only a little over 2ft, but feels much smaller. As from the pictures, you can see it is easily maneuverable even in something like a car.
Being a lefty, part of the reason I was attracted to the RFB was the fully ambi design. Everything from the bolt release, mag release, and charging handle was all easily accessible from both sides. Most importantly, it utilizes a forward ejection system. Although first skeptical about possibilities of obstruction and failures to eject, disassembling the gun showed that the shells are actually kicked out by the momentum and recoil of the bolt carrier group. From this, I don't really see how anything short of hammering a rock into the chute would be sturdy enough to jam the mechanism. The charging handle reciprocates. Although I normally dislike such features, the chamber is completely sealed and has no sideways ejection port to peek into. This makes the position of the charging handle and bolt the only way to determine the position of the bolt, and what's going on in the chamber in the case of malfunctions. With no direct access to the chamber without dropping the mag, I also think it is valuable for forward assisting, and overall "jiggling" to try and clear jams.
Material quality seemed to be quite nice. Although there was a ton of plastic, the milled and stamped parts were from 4130 and 4140 steel construction. The nickel boron bolt carrier was also quite nice. The gun also seems to have a second layer of steel ontop of the receiver group, which was quite nice. It's somewhat comforting to know there is an extra layer of steel construction to protect your face from the bullpup design in the case of a bad malfunction. The trigger was also remarkably crisp and tight, especially for a bullpup. The gun uses FAL mags, but can insert them vertically without rocking them in. All my surplus FAL mags seemed to fit just fine.
Notable Negatives
The gas adjustment is far too adjustable (45 or so settings). The gun is as far from being operator proof. I spent roughly an hour searching online on how to do a proper adjustment process. Undergassed, the gun effectively becomes a bolt action. However, what seems to be more dangerous is overgassing. I could see how someone might just leave the gun overgassed because it cycles without any issues, but doing so literally smashes the receiver against the back of the recoil springs after every shot. The recoil becomes hilariously rough when overgassed. I could see how leaving a gun on such a setting could destroy it.
In addition, the bolt carrier group seemed to occasionally "catch", and prevent itself from going into battery after dropping the bolt. Although this may just be a break in issue, I decided to investigate, and smoothed out the sharp edges of the extractor lifts and frame elements. Afterwards, the gun functioned perfectly. Browsing the forums, quality control issues seem to be scarily prevalent compared to other manufacturers, like S&W or HK.
Shooting:
When I took it to the range, it cycled and fed reliably without a single malfunction from the 150 rounds of 147grain south african surplus 7.62, and 175grain .308 (I adjusted the gas system for the surplus 7.62, and did not need any tinkering for the 308). Recoil was bafflingly light, especially compared to a standard battle rifle like a PTR-91. The RFB seems to run fine dry without lubrication, but I guess that is expected of a piston gun.
tl;dr
Pros
-full length battle rifle barrel with a full power cartridge in a platform smaller than an SBR (assuming the stock is extended).
-great ambi accommodations, fantastic ejection mechanism
-common mags
-extra built in steel plate for shooter protection incase of malfunctions
-reliably cycles even poor quality ammo
-great accuracy
-piston system, can run dry; low maintenance
-good construction material
-easily manipulated reciprocating charging handle
Cons
-dangerously adjustable gas system... definitely not operator proof, potential to destroy the gun if the operator doesn't know what's going on
-gun needed tinkering/break-in before it was 100%
-so much plastic
-gen 1 model had some reported deficiencies in receiver integrity and weld strength.
-extremely low production. The highest serial as of now seem to be in the 7xxx range... meaning roughly only 8000 have been produced over the course of 5 years from its original 2009 release date. Not to mention only a portion of these are gen 2 models.
From my perspective, the RFB is not a gun for someone new to firearms, or someone not interested in understanding the inner functions of how it works... it's by far not a "grab and go" gun. However, with some knowledge and setup, the RFB is a fantastic firearm that reliably operates with minimal maintenance.
I highly recommend the RFB if you can find it!