A New Player

But as we walk the range our jaded eyes occasionally spy something that gets our attention. Something that makes us pause and think, “Okay ...that’s kinda neat” — exactly our reaction when we saw the new RRAGE carbine in 5.56 NATO from Rock River Arms. In a sea of black anodized “me too” rifles, this one floats apart.

To give credit where it’s due, Rock River products already stand out in the AR scene without gimmicks. The company is guaranteed to build firearms that are both reliable and accurate, having proven it over the last two decades among black gun enthusiasts and LE agencies nationwide. No matter the platform or the flavor, these two objectives bear out in every RRA product we’ve tested — from the entry-level LAR-15’s to the more purpose-driven configurations and calibers.

So when the company presented us with an early production model of the RRAGE and explained how it represented an exercise in creating the absolute lowest-possible-priced Rock River AR-15 — while adhering to the company’s core mandate of “reliable and accurate” — we extended the benefit of the doubt. Plus, the thing just looked cool and therein lays the second hook.