RRA LAR-15 police trunk rifle trade-in. Thoughts?

[CamoDeafie]

pull that rifle stock off that carbine and put a carbine stock on it,

It most likely came from RRA this way for DEA/LEO agency contracts/sales. Replacing the factory orignal setup for a far more common (BORING!! ) carbine stock would pretty much shoot any potential "coolness" out of the whole setup.

I mean.. yeah, not exactly uncommon at 5,000+ units of 16" carbines with A2 stocks but quite less common than the millions of 16" carbines with carbine adjustable stocks

Quick made up math, say theres 5 million AR15s, out of that 5 million, about 5,000 have the 16" and A2 stock configuration, maybe all have A2 fixed handles, maybe not; but thats still pretty much 1 in a 1,000 ARs that have that particular combo.... if theres 10 million ARs of all types, thats even smaller odds..... not uncommon, but not "everywhere" . Add to the fact that this particular one has the "restricted" engraving on it... it also would give it a cool factor moreso than yet another Anderson/PSA M4 build

 

[RVTECH]

Do you think I got a good deal?

I think so. A few years ago I passed on a similar rifle (and an LEO 'turn in ' as well) for $625 but it was in excellent shape and didn't look like it was ever out of the armory.

It was a standard A2 and I had been looking for an HBar so I passed on it but now wish I hadn't.

 

[Flopsweat]

A2 stock, A2 fixed carry handle upper OR the bog standard A3/A4/M4 flat top upper, 16" midlength gas barrel with FSB, matched barrel extension.... and get someone to 3d print a midlength A2 triangle handguard set with bosses for standard midlength heat shields.... OR if using M4/A3/A4 upper; the standard midlength round handguards.. and then add a copy of an Aimpoint sight, basically a carbine version of the USMC M16A4 or a retro A2 Carbine

 

[Certaindeaf]

.I won this rifle at a firearm auction site..

Code for bought?
Yea, leave it the hell alone and just shoot it. Put a carry sling on it if it doesn't have one.

 

[AshWilliams]

Code for bought?
Yea, leave it the hell alone and just shoot it. Put a carry sling on it if it doesn't have one.

Yeah, by win the auction I meant I offered $600 which was below the asking price and it was accepted.

I'm taking it out this Sunday and I'll report back.

 

[MichaelH]

If legitimately used by LEA then at $600 it's probably a bit higher quality rifle than anything similar you could buy new on the market at that price. LEAs tend to purchase no frills but higher quality rifles than the typical entry level budget AR type rifles. The caveat is if it's seen hard use you might need to think about some replacement stuff. Learn to take it apart and put it back together, how to clean it, appropriate lube (less than you might think) and learn what makes it run. Get basic tools necessary to do that too...it's not much a vise block for your upper and lower, an AR wrench, a bore snake and then basic hand tools (if you really get into it might need torque wrenches, and drivers and vise blocks for your upper and lower).

When I got my first rifle, not so long ago (not beginning to claim any sort of expertise), the things I really wanted to understand about how it worked are how the bolt carrier group and bolt fit into the operation, how they needed to be maintained, how the gas system works including buffers and springs, and how those parts impact the firearm. I'd disassemble the BCG and clean the bolt, firing pin, make sure the gas rings on the bolt are in good shape and that the bushing/ring under the extractor (sort of works like a spring) is also in good shape. The other option is to just go put a couple hundred rounds of various ammo through it and see how it runs and talk to someone who can help you troubleshoot problems. While I do like a free float rail because my monkey arms prefer a longer grip on the front of the rifle, history has shown that type of rifle is more than effective for what it's intended for. My vision is meh, but I find that iron sights are plenty accurate to hit whatever one might need to at a reasonable distance.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Learn it, Live it, Love it!
Nothing better then an Old School Retro'ish AR!


I was first Issued A-1's and then CAR-16 ( Basically a XM-177 with out the muzzle devise and funky optic) Commando's from Vietnam, Circa 1967, and fell in love with them, simplicity at it's finest! Our new carbines were basically Fixed carry handle A-2 uppers with the M-4 barrel type barrel ( Non M-203 cut), but with original Commando lowers and stocks, all refinished to like new! Hence my retro'ish Colt 607 build with all the upgrades we had in the service!

 

[GWS]

No can do.
It's got the integral carry handle looks like.

Not a problem I have two mounted on the handle. Just remove the rail mount which is screwed into the bottom of the ACOG

 

[Flopsweat]

Not a problem I have two mounted on the handle. Just remove the rail mount which is screwed into the bottom of the ACOG

Why would you want two ACOGS on there? Sounds unwieldy.

 

[AshWilliams]

Ok, so I took down the rifle today and did a thorough cleaning, nothing too meticulous but a good cleaning and lubrication of points outlined in YouTube videos. What I noticed is the external surface of the rifle had grime on it, the internals were relatively filthy, the barrel was fairly fouled, and there were no real signs of wear anywhere that I could see. Whichever LEO owned this rifle shot it a bit and never cleaned it. From a completely uneducated guess I'd wager maybe 1,000 rounds have been through it with no cleanings. I've included some shots post-cleaning for the SMEs to weigh in and offer their opinion on the state of the rifle vs the purchase price of $600.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it, but I did notice the trigger reset is not really a click but rather a pop. Tomorrow I'll take it out to Salmonberry and zero it in for a 32 yard zero.

 

[Member 34319]

ARs with plain Jane triggers are kind of like a pop when the reset. Not like a Glock click.

 

[AshWilliams]

ARs with plain Jane triggers are kind of like a pop when the reset. Not like a Glock click.

Thanks Reno.

 

[Member 34319]

I've included some shots post-cleaning for the SMEs to weigh in and offer their opinion on the state of the rifle vs the purchase price of $600.

Looks fine. Not much if any wear in my opinion. I'd say the gas rings and bolt lugs would tell more than surface wear.

 

[Flopsweat]

Ok, so I took down the rifle today and did a thorough cleaning, nothing too meticulous but a good cleaning and lubrication of points outlined in YouTube videos. What I noticed is the external surface of the rifle had grime on it, the internals were relatively filthy, the barrel was fairly fouled, and there were no real signs of wear anywhere that I could see. Whichever LEO owned this rifle shot it a bit and never cleaned it. From a completely uneducated guess I'd wager maybe 1,000 rounds have been through it with no cleanings. I've included some shots post-cleaning for the SMEs to weigh in and offer their opinion on the state of the rifle vs the purchase price of $600.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it, but I did notice the trigger reset is not really a click but rather a pop. Tomorrow I'll take it out to Salmonberry and zero it in for a 32 yard zero.

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View attachment 1047407

No wear, no corrosion. If the FCG looks like that and barrel and throat are good (from the looks of things they will be) you are good to go!

 

[gmerkt]

No, but how many factory 16" carbines are out there with the fixed stocks that aren't RRAs?

Below is a Bushmaster XM-15 E2S with fixed stock This has a 16 inch bbl. Cabelas had a rack full of these for sale right after I-1639 passed here. I don't know who the original owner was. I read somewhere they came from nuclear power plant guards but that may be apocryphal. By serial number, this one predates the Freedom Arms acquisition. It's marked BFI, Windham, ME. I also has the "restricted" markings on it. I believe it was made during "the Ban."

That plum colored finish on the lower is just how it came to me. In the 1970's, I owned German WW2 era guns that had some parts like that.

 

[gmerkt]

Cabelas had a rack full of these for sale right after I-1639 passed here.

Quoting my own previous post. When these were displayed in the rack at Cabelas, they varied in cosmetic condition. All of the ones I looked at appeared to have actually been fired very little. Keeping this in mind, I went down the rows of rifles and selected one that had the fewest scratches and scrapes. Mine has a few blemishes on the exterior; some were fairly well handled. They had rack numbers etched into the edge of the butt-plates.

I've been looking at the sales documents from when I bought it. Because just now I'm noticing that the serial number on the rifle does not match the serial number the Cabelas employees put down on the hand written sales order nor the machine register tape. At first I thought, "Uh-oh, they got somebody else's rifle serial number on my paperwork." But I've looked at my docs again. Including the hang tag that came with it. Which shows my actual serial number, but also an incomplete Cabelas "case" number of some kind. They got those two numbers switched around. So maybe that makes this gun untraceable now? Should I go back to Cabelas and try to have this corrected in their records? Would they be able to go back through two years of paperwork and find the docs? Would they even care? As it stands, they won't have a record as to disposition of this rifle.

 

[Flopsweat]

Quoting my own previous post. When these were displayed in the rack at Cabelas, they varied in cosmetic condition. All of the ones I looked at appeared to have actually been fired very little. Keeping this in mind, I went down the rows of rifles and selected one that had the fewest scratches and scrapes. Mine has a few blemishes on the exterior; some were fairly well handled. They had rack numbers etched into the edge of the butt-plates.

I've been looking at the sales documents from when I bought it. Because just now I'm noticing that the serial number on the rifle does not match the serial number the Cabelas employees put down on the hand written sales order nor the machine register tape. At first I thought, "Uh-oh, they got somebody else's rifle serial number on my paperwork." But I've looked at my docs again. Including the hang tag that came with it. Which shows my actual serial number, but also an incomplete Cabelas "case" number of some kind. They got those two numbers switched around. So maybe that makes this gun untraceable now? Should I go back to Cabelas and try to have this corrected in their records? Would they be able to go back through two years of paperwork and find the docs? Would they even care? As it stands, they won't have a record as to disposition of this rifle.

That's a conundrum all right. It sounds like you'd be risking stirring up more trouble than you're likely to encounter if you don't. But that assessment is just a guess, and it's based on the current laws and political climate, which as we are all painfully aware, are not static.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Quoting my own previous post. When these were displayed in the rack at Cabelas, they varied in cosmetic condition. All of the ones I looked at appeared to have actually been fired very little. Keeping this in mind, I went down the rows of rifles and selected one that had the fewest scratches and scrapes. Mine has a few blemishes on the exterior; some were fairly well handled. They had rack numbers etched into the edge of the butt-plates.

I've been looking at the sales documents from when I bought it. Because just now I'm noticing that the serial number on the rifle does not match the serial number the Cabelas employees put down on the hand written sales order nor the machine register tape. At first I thought, "Uh-oh, they got somebody else's rifle serial number on my paperwork." But I've looked at my docs again. Including the hang tag that came with it. Which shows my actual serial number, but also an incomplete Cabelas "case" number of some kind. They got those two numbers switched around. So maybe that makes this gun untraceable now? Should I go back to Cabelas and try to have this corrected in their records? Would they be able to go back through two years of paperwork and find the docs? Would they even care? As it stands, they won't have a record as to disposition of this rifle.

We took a used car for a 24. Hr test drive. Returned it the following morning, well in advance of "24hrs" elapsed.

They called my wife later that week, asking politely if we still had their car.
They weren't sure where it was.

Big Retailers aren't exactly run by NASA. I would imagine nobody cares.

 

[AshWilliams]

Took it out to Salmonberry this morning and it runs flawlessly. Thanks to @cigars for showing me the nuances of the AR.