There was a minimal amount of side-to-side play in the adjustable stock and even less play in the LAR-15 NSP’s two-piece polymer handguard. The stock locked firmly in all four length-of-pull positions. Magazines also inserted easily, locked firmly in place and dropped free when the magazine release was pressed. In addition, the bolt locked open every time on an empty magazine. The bolt never failed to go back into battery when the handle was drawn back and released. The charging handle and bolt operated smoothly and locked up tightly. Later on I field-stripped it and thoroughly checked its exterior and interior, looking for scratches, tool marks, uneven lines, burrs, sharp edges and any other signs of poor manufacture. The exterior looked good and all of the safeties and controls worked well when I picked the LAR-15 NSP CAR up at the Florida Gun Exchange. Having a straightforward functional design is good, but a rifle also has to be well made. Overall, the NSP is a very easy rifle to work with, which is just what the average shooter needs. The front sight is hand-adjustable for elevation, which is much easier than having to use a sight adjustment tool, and the rear sight is adjustable for windage. They are held securely in place by spring pressure, and when folded, they sit low enough so that a scope can be mounted above the rear sight. The flip-up sights are more substantial than many other polymer sights. This made it much easier to shoot precisely from the bench. I was impressed with the stock’s diagonal bottom edge, which fits like a conventional stock in a rifle rest. The buttstock offers six adjustment positions and a wide cheekpiece. It has permanent Picatinny rails on the top and bottom, and two short rail segments are included for mounting lights and/or lasers on the sides. The polymer handguard, magazine, buttstock and flip-up sights are produced to RRA’s specifications. To keep the NSP light, RRA makes substantial use of polymer in its construction. In addition, the magazine release, safety selector and bolt release all operate crisply and positively. That is quite good compared to the 7-pound triggers on many other ARs. The carbine’s two-stage trigger breaks cleanly at 4.5 pounds. The LAR-15 NSP’s fire control system is also top-notch. Even though 5.56mm NATO loads don’t kick much, the brake’s recoil reduction is noticeable when shooting quickly. The muzzle end has a Rock River Operator muzzle brake that is very effective. RRA states that the rifle will deliver 1-MOA accuracy with appropriate loads, which is very good since the NSP does not have a free-floating handguard. The barrel is also hand-lapped at the factory so it doesn’t need to be broken in. The non-free-floating, 16-inch barrel is fluted to dissipate heat and help reduce weight. There’s also a rail on top of the gas block that will accommodate a front sight or a miniature light/laser. The flattop upper has a full-length Picatinny rail for mounting optics. The upper and lower receivers are forged from mil-spec 7075-T6 aluminum that is then hardcoat anodized. RELATED STORY: Livin’ LARge: The Rock River Arms LAR-9 RifleĮven though the NSP isn’t a fancy gun, it’s well made and h as some nice features.So, for the average user, simpler is better. To be fair, piston-driven guns do run cooler and their chambers stay cleaner, but most homeowners and police officers are unlikely to fire a thousand or more rounds without cleaning their guns or letting them cool off. Piston systems also need to be disassembled and cleaned, making maintenance more complicated. They’re weighed down with bulky quad-rails, heavy piston-driven gas systems and all sorts of accessories that often increase these rifles’ overall weight by at least a couple of pounds and make them decidedly muzzle-heavy. Many of today’s high-end ARs are just the opposite. Both are lightweight, well balanced, have a straightforward manual of arms and are easy to take apart and maintain. The NSP is a no-nonsense gun just like the M16 I qualified with in 1966. Combine all of this with RRA’s reputation for reliability and accuracy, and you wind up with a lot of gun for the money. On the other hand, this “no-frills” carbine is not a stripped-down gun that will need major modifications to mount accessories. This rifle has just about every feature someone would want without being weighed down by extraneous bells and whistles. The new LAR-15 NSP CAR from Rock River Arms (RRA) is a well-made and competitively priced AR carbine that’s bound to attract interest in today’s crowded AR-15 market. RRA outfits the lower with its NSP Overmolded pistol grip as well as a two-stage trigger with a 4.5-pound pull.
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