Review of ACR thus far (not full review yet)

[EngineerJet 191]

As the title says this will not be a full review as will be explained below.

 

So I took it out to Ft. Dix range and like a giddy school girl I couldn't wait to put rounds through it. Unfortunately I forgot my zero-ing targets so I couldnt really zero it to my liking but it seemed to already provide good center of mass shots at 50 yards without me messing with the sights. However as sighting issues are virtually the same with any rifle, I'll end that part here and focus more on the ACR.

 

Feel:

This gun is slightly heavy but I don't really notice it when firing. The recoil is fairly light and easy to stay on target. The bolt catch and release start becoming second nature since I already have B.A.D. levers for my other AR's. Very intuitive while keeping hands on fire control, as advertised to death, but still relevant. Another plus about the ACR really is the fact you can strip this thing bare and i mean BARE without the use of tools. The retaining pins were stiff when I first got it but by now I can fully dismantle this thing without fear of ripping my nails out. Though I did not have any troubleshooting issues that would make this feature shine, it still worth noting in my opinion.

 

The return to zero barrel:

I'm sure a lot of people are wondering, does the barrel actually return to zero? Well I tested just this, I took 5 shots at the same point, took off the barrel (hot after 5 shots) laid the barrel aside and then put the barrel back on to fire another 5 shots at another point. I didnt get to get a picture before the target was annihilated by my other toys but my initial results were very promising. The grouping from both before and after were generally in a consistent pattern relative to my point of aim (I used a scope just for precision). So is it combat effective if you for some reason had to use it right after ratcheting your barrel on? You betcha! (I will do a much more detailed review in the future). Note about the barrel, for us AR owners who always have a less than easy access to cleaning the chamber, this ACR makes cleaning the barrel that much better as you can just pop the barrel off and have full access to the bolt chamber. Overall this gun shot well, returned to zero as well as I could eyeball,recoil was barely there, fed and shot my wolf ammo with no issues, until... well... keep reading.

 

The disaster:

This is why it is not a full review and this is where crap hit the fan and I got a little overzealous. So I locked the bolt back, inserted a full mag and dumped a handful of sand in the action. First shot, no problem, fired second, still going well, fired third, failure to eject, racked the bolt back to eject and feed next round and fired, still good, then click. The bolt won't move and charging handle is stuck. I immediately know whats wrong. The casing is stuck due to the sand getting between the casing and the chamber. Officially out of commission for the rest of the day. Not happy but I learned a lesson. This thing is rugged, but the amount of sand I put into an open bolt and chamber, I'm not even sure an AK would have functioned through. Got home and wiggled the bolt back and took out the barrel. Dropped some oil on the casing and let it seep through and it popped out no problem. Gave the gun a good clean and its back in action now.

 

I dont really have a lot of pics, but to satisfy the pic nazi's here is the first and only pic of my ACR in action.

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Sounds promising

[Maksim 1,504]

you purposely dumped sand in the action? =)

 

Its not an AK. =)

 

JK. i give you props for the balls to do that. I felt the rifle at a few shows and really like it.

 

As consumers we should be thankful we have so many great choices.

 

Rob arms XCR's, Remington ACR's, Sig 556's, Hk's, FN Scar's, and countless amount of piston driven AR's.

[Blcklightning 11]

Nice review. :handgestures-thumbup:

[DevsAdvocate 112]

I'll wait a few years until the price goes down.

[Shane45 807]

You put it into an open chamber? :shock: Havent seen a test done quite like that before. How did recoil feel compared to your AR's?

[EngineerJet 191]

Recoil felt pretty much the same as my ar's, not really more or less in my experience. The heavy gun does make it seem a little less though i think.

 

as for the price, you may not have to wait a few years. Some people are already picking these up for around 1800-2000, compared to 2600-2700, so this may fall under your price range sooner than you think.

[DevsAdvocate 112]

My price range for this would be about $900-$1200 tops. It will be a long while if it ever gets down to there.

 

Besides, I have my two dream Middys I want to build!

[bbk 188]

Thanks for sharing your experiences so far (looking forward to the rest!). I have to admit that I need to wait to hear more about the ACR before I really fall in love with it. Being poor has afforded me the opportunity to NOT buy more AR stuff ( )-- so, instead of getting a middy or SPR, I'm looking at the ACR or SCAR as future investments. Your info will definitely help me come to some conclusion.

 

ETA: What is the weight if you have that available? And the barrel returning to zero is pretty darn awesome.

[mikeyboyeee 66]

Good stuff Ray.

What was your brother shooting?

[EngineerJet 191]

he was shooting his DPMS as usual. when he gets a job he's gotta get himself a real AR... (flame suit on)

[Guest]

he was shooting his DPMS as usual. when he gets a job he's gotta get himself a real AR... (flame suit on)

 

 

what makes a DPMS not a "real AR" i have a DPMS AR10 and it is really accurate.. shoots well.. cycles well.. zero issues thus far?

[Shane45 807]

I do not care for DPMS AR15's. They have earned a sub par reputation. That is not to say there arent good DPMS AR's out there. This is a generalization.

 

HOWEVER, in the 308 line I find them to be MUCH better rifles compared to the 5.56 line. Not to sound like the hair splitting internet wanker but a DPMS 308 is not an AR10, only an Armalite is an AR10. Its kind of like saying my Toyota FJ is a great Jeep. :shock:

[autoxnyc 4]

Nice review.

 

So I take the ACR is ok to have in NJ as long as the AWB evil features(bayo lug, folding/tele stock, flash hider) are defeated? I guess the SCAR would be too since it's not explicitly on the ban list?

[Guest]

INot to sound like the hair splitting internet wanker but a DPMS 308 is not an AR10, only an Armalite is an AR10.:shock:

 

AR 10 is basically an AR series rifle chambered in 308... while it may be true that only an Armalite is an "AR10" it is far easier to say "DPMS AR10" than "DPMS AR type rifle chambered in 308"... "AR10" has really (IMO of course) come to mean any AR series rifle chambered in 308.. is it slightly different than your jeep analogy... as the workings of a DPMS 308.. Armalite AR10... and any other AR series rifle of that caliber are all going to be pretty similar.. A Toyota FJ and a "Jeep" are really not all that similar.. they don't really even look similar.. so the comparison is kind of not so good.. the reality is MANY items specific name goes on to later describe large groups of objects.. Kleenex for example.. Kleenex is ONE specific item, BUT society has decided to use it to describe MANY different companies items that are all the same as Kleenex..

[EngineerJet 191]

heh, i knew i was gonna catch some flak for that. I always joke around with him because some DPMS has been known for some bad quality control. That is not to say your DPMS is bad, but his has poor mill marks in places and the tolerances have slightly erroded at a quicker pace since he has owned it so don't be so quick to jump at the chance to defend your brand X of AR... lol

[EngineerJet 191]

The only naughty item on the basic ACR is the flash hider. If you have an FFL by you with a licensed gun smith who is willing to take the flash hider off and pin a brake on before transferring it over to you then you are golden.

[autoxnyc 4]

The only naughty item on the basic ACR is the flash hider. If you have an FFL by you with a licensed gun smith who is willing to take the flash hider off and pin a brake on before transferring it over to you then you are golden.

 

I thought it comes with a folding stock?

[EngineerJet 191]

The basic configuration has a fixed stock. The enchanced version is the one you are thinking about.

[autoxnyc 4]

The basic configuration has a fixed stock. The enchanced version is the one you are thinking about.

 

Got it. thanks.

[CageFighter 236]

can you put the fixed stock from the "basic" model on the "enhanced" model? does it fit?

[Cylinder Head 22]

can you put the fixed stock from the "basic" model on the "enhanced" model? does it fit?

 

Yes, the guns are made to be modular, especially with other ACR parts.

[KpdPipes 388]

he was shooting his DPMS as usual. when he gets a job he's gotta get himself a real AR... (flame suit on)

 

 

what makes a DPMS not a "real AR" i have a DPMS AR10 and it is really accurate.. shoots well.. cycles well.. zero issues thus far?

 

DPMS is hit or miss when it comes to QC, especially on internal parts Damage. Muck liek anythign else you get some that work Perfectly for the life of the rifle, and others than wont work out of the Box. I recall a few years ago they let out HUNDREDS of rifles with Out-of-spec Disconnectors. It would fire one round, then Lock the rifle up. They made good on it, but when you put the parts side-by-side with a good one the difference was visible, and there have been a lot of other problems . I dont trust their internals, so i wont put any in any of my rifles. There is another big player that did a run of barrel parking..then didnt hang them to let the parking agent drain...and it etched the rifling out of half the barrel. Looking down the barrel is freaky..lands and grooves on one side...smooth metal on the other. I just bought an ATI lower from paul a few months back. I'll never buy another, the Pistol Grip Screw hole wasnt fully drilled or tapped (My OWN fault for not checking it before I took it)..only took a couple of minutes for me to fix, but the point is, I shouldnt have had to. I wont Knock anyone for their choices but make sure they have the information available to make a good informed choice.