Recently, Rock River Arms launched a new series of firearms. The Operator 2 line consists of 3 distinctive types of Rock River Arms revered direct-gas-operated LAR-15 style rifles. They all share some common attributes, and the rifles take their name from the new Operator stock Rock River Arms has recently introduced. Rock River Arms started out constructing very nice 1911s, years before it was cool, the Corona, IL, company got into the AR-15 field. Its firearms were so perfectly made that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency selected Rock River to produce its issue firearms available currently as the LAR-15 Pro-Series Government Model.

Rock River Arms was founded eleven years back by 2 brothers, Mark and Chuck Larson, who worked out of a garage. It has developed progressively ever since and today employs over 90 folks. Even though Rock River produces firearms for various federal government agencies, the majority of their sales are to the civilian market. Rock River Arms offers fifty or so models of weapons, however shoppers can make up their own configurations, utilizing countless components alternatives - sights, rails, stocks, barrel length and contour, and more. Rock River will additionally include accessories like flashlights and red dot sights. Rock River Arms is like an a la carte workshop for guns. Rock River doesn’t make numerous parts on site. Rock River designs and spec components, then receive them, perform inspections, complete them, assemble them into rifles and ship them out. The RRA facility is actually complete with a buffing and blasting room, where raw forgings become completed parts. Rock River Arms is definitely a family business with the brothers Chuck and Mark Larson as well as their father and one of their sons working at the plant. Looking about the facility there were many boxes of rifle carrier groups, essentially the bolts of the rifles. Rock River Arms offers an almost countless number of chambering options for the basic AR platform. Once you own a lower half which consists of the stock and receiver, you can buy upper halves (barrel, carrier group, and gas system) in all kinds of chambering and interchange them freely. There's even a company that offers a .410 shotgun upper half for the AR15 rifle.

Components are measured and examined as they arrive in to the production facility and at various stages during production. Tested for hardness, testing is done all the way down to the flash hider. All of the little sub assemblies - sights, gas blocks, carrier groups, safeties, and so on -- come together at the stations where the upper halves and lower halves are put together. Once at a work station the gunsmith assembles the upper half of what will be a future complete rifle. The gunsmith takes special care to assemble the upper with the silver tube running along the top of the barrel which directs gas from the gas block to run the action. During the upper half assembly, the headspace gauges are used to check the dimensions of the chamber. The bolt of a rifle must close up over the green “go” gauge but not close over the red “no go,” which is slightly oversized. Cartridges can rupture, at times dangerously, in an oversized chamber. Rock River offers the choice of a standard trigger or a two-stage National Match trigger for serious target shooting. A two stage trigger is the favored style for military rifle competitions such as the famous National Match at Camp Perry, Ohio. Pulling a two-stage trigger, you feel slack as the trigger moves a short distance, then a light, clean break. The Rock River Arms gunsmith will check the weight of the trigger pull by hanging a 4 1/ 2 lb weight from the trigger. If the weight doesn’t trip the trigger, he will file the trigger sear to lighten the pull. Lighter trigger pulls are also available from leading Rock River Arms dealers. Lowers also come with options such as an oversized winter trigger guard, originally designed for police officers who needed to keep their hands inside warm gloves but still be ready to shoot in cold weather. Winter trigger guards work perfectly for winter coyote hunters as well. As the final pieces are assembled into a lower half of what will be the final rifle, this lower half could also be matched to an endless combination of barrel lengths, barrel contour, hand-guards and calibers.

Once uppers and lowers are joined to complete the final rifle configuration they are tagged and ready for test firing. All rifles are custom built according to customer specifications.

The shipping area is a flurry of activity. Parts coming in and rifles going out. A literal symphony in action as the Rock River arms factory pushes in raw components destined to become full rifles. Oddly enough, there seems to be no end in sight as the operation continues day after day.

Preparation for the firing test begins with the loading of magazines which is a full time job. The finisher snaps 20-30 rounds into waiting magazines in preparation for the final function test

Several times a day, assemblers and firearm testers load the Rock River vehicle with rifles and take all of them away to the range. Shooting from the back of the van, each and every rifle with sights is sighted in, and then test-fired for function. Testers shoot at least two magazines through the fully automatic guns. Who says semi automatics aren’t accurate? With barrels provided by Wilson Barrel, the primary appeal of Rock River Arms rifles is that they shoot significantly better than marketed.

Thanks to Rock River Arms AR-15 AR15 Model BB2522 Rock River Arms light-weight, it's simple and easy to haul and the Rock River Arms AR15 Model BB2522 Rock River Arms is even less complicated to fire. Produced with completely top-grade components and made to the strictest specifications, this Rock River Arms AR-15 AR15 BB2522 Operator 2 is exceedingly precise, long lasting, and reliable, and makes a terrific improvement to any rifle collection.

The Operator butts tock is a six-position CAR-type assembly with water tight storage compartments and multiple sling attachment points. The stock has a ribbed rubber butt pad that slides down with a push-button release to uncover the two storage compartments, sealed with O-rings. Each will hold either 2 AA batteries or three CR123 lithium batteries. As part of the package I had my selection of 4 rear sights: a traditional bolt-on A2 carry handle; a stand-alone rear sight; a RRA Dominator2 with an elevated rail designed for use with the EOTech Holosight; or the RRA tactical carry handle that features an elevated rail just below the level of the sights. The mil-spec magazines supplied with all Operator 2 Models are manufactured by NHMTG (Colt). For range work I equipped the Operator with a stand-alone rear sight behind an Aimpoint Comp ML2, and then tried the Operator with a Dominator2 rear sight from a friend combined with an EOTech 512 (AA battery model). For reliability testing I used a Trijicon 4x32 ACOG with no sights.

Now, I understand that even without brakes .223s just don't recoil all that much, especially when versus the bolt-action sporter-weight rifles chambered in big game calibers. That said, these weapons are designed for use in competition or self-defense, where rapid, accurate follow-up shots might sometimes be the difference between winning and losing. And in a self-defense situation, second place is not where you want to be.



Accuracy Results - Rock River Arms AR-15 AR-15 BB2522 Operator 2

Load Muzzle Velocity (fps) Standard Deviation (fps) Group Size (in.)
Black Hills 55-gr. SP 2,910 12 0.99
Black Hills 60-gr. V-Max 2,880 16 0.87
American Eagle 55-gr. FMJ 2,810 24 1.05
Black Hills Match King 69-gr. HP 2,780 21 1.03
Hornady 55-gr. V-Max 2,935 13 1.11
Black Hills 52-gr. HP 3,042 18 1.12

Rock River Arms AR15 Model BB2522 Rock River Arms Operator 2 has a list price of 1515.00. I ended up ordering it over the internet for much less. The majority of dealers in my area required list price ... plus which did not set well with my budget plan. I purchased my Rock River Arms Tactical Rifle AR15 BB2522 Operator 2 from Class 3 Weapons in Houston, Texas at a substantial cost savings. Rock River Arms is currently promoting the Operator rifles as a package deal, with the rifle of your choice equipped with its National Match two-stage trigger, any one of four rear sights, a one-inch or 30mm Hi-Rise scope mount, two 30-round magazines and a case. These bundles start at an incredibly economical price of $1,000 according to the RRA factory website. I ended up purchasing it online for much less. Most dealers in my location desired retail plus which did not set well with my budget. I purchased my Operator from Class 3 Weapons in Houston Texas at a considerable savings of only $969.00 which included shipping. According to where you live your cost will fluctuate based on shipping and taxes if relevant. For the time being, thanks Rock River for a awesome firearm and keep up the good work. I am off to the community firing range to discover what this power house can do again.

Rock River Arms,Springfield Armory XD,Rifle Silencer,POF USA