Since the introduction of the light weight and compact AR Platform in the late 1950’s recoil mitigation and accuracy have been something of a sore spot for the end user. The original design was purpose built for long walks in some very unfriendly environments with bad guys waiting behind every bush. The warfighter had to be able to engage rapidly and not be worn out from lugging around their rifle for hours on end. That’s right folks: size does indeed matter! However, it did not come without a price. Until now that is…
RECOIL MITIGATION:
Due to the less than great construction of the Mil-Spec AR receivers, builders have tried everything under the sun to reduce the recoil and muzzle rise. Longer and heavier barrel profiles, Buffers, and every latest and greatest widget possible. These items are only masking the real problem. Movement.
ACCURACY:
As with recoil management, accuracy also faltered in the original concept. Pencil thin barrels with less-than-ideal twist rates and less than modern internals were used because of weight and availability. The warfighter was more concerned with neutralizing the threat and going home rather than being pinpoint accurate. In the LE and Civilian world however, accuracy becomes the focus because of liability. Without a solid foundation, you are missing your target.
A NEW HOPE:
When it came down to designing our Evolve Series of rifles we understood all of pitfalls of Stoner’s original design. We started at the foundation; the receiver set. Conventional Mil-Spec “Style” receivers all have one issue and that is fit and poor tolerances. The infamous “Battle Rattle” occurs usually after break-in and is more than just an annoyance as you are running a stage or walking to your deer stand. That wobble is affecting BOTH recoil and accuracy. As your receiver set loosens up over time the travel path of the internals changes. I use the analogy of comparing the 2011 to most striker fire pistols. The 1911 and 2011 are the most accurate and smoothest shooting because of how their slide is fit and moves in a linear motion along the frame. Conversely, the striker fire’s tolerances and slide movement leave a lot to be desired in both categories. There’s a reason US Marhsall Service SOG is now running them instead of the “Other Brands”.
Our R.A.C system and near 1:1 tolerance, eliminates the slop, and essentially make our upper and lower receivers one single unit once locked. This system ensures that the motion of the bolt carrier is linear and consistent, causing the recoil to be a straight line and reducing muzzle rise to near zero. In addition to RAC, we understood that both barrel and profile and quality were important. We tested A LOT, of barrels from multiple manufacturers and finally found one that did what we wanted for our clients and customers. We are achieving sub-MOA accuracy, with little to no recoil all while weighing in less than others in our class.
SUMMARY
The days of conventional Mil-Spec are gone. Innovation is taking over allowing the end user to purchase everything they are searching for without having to upgrade everything down to the safety selector. We pride ourselves on this principle and will continue to innovate and design based on the feedback of our users!