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LAR-8 Elite-O. Just Ordered. (Advice: Handguard & Optics?)


GS455

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Hey all.  Brand new to this forum.  I stumbled upon it as I was considering/shopping for an AR in .308.  Great topics.  I wish there were more traffic.  Is this a new forum?

I have settled on a Rock River LAR-8 Elite Operator and the order has been in for 3-weeks. It will be delivered with an ACE Skeleton stock. My buddy had a set up like this as a .308 Bushmaster and it was a fantastic rifle to shoot. I’m not a precision, hand-loading, surgical, shot-every-five-minutes kinda guy. I’ll take a lot of time sighting in but I mostly scatter large and small steel plates and clays across 100-300 yards and like to plink away a mag or three at a time (usually MilSurp ammo). It’s not I’m bump or burst firing or anything but I can warm up a barrel.

1) HANDGUARD

I’ve never handled one of these. My buddy with the Bushmaster is warning me away from the Elite-O handguards. Says they are thick, unnecessarily weigh on the front end and are very slow to dissipate heat. I’m not mounting any tacti-cool stuff up front except the occasional use of a bi-pod. I may be able to amend the order with a different hand guard option for no charge. Anyone have any thoughts about this?

2) OPTICS

I have a Pride & Fowler Rapid Reticule RR800-1 on my M1A. It is an awesome scope. Now, I’m no 600 yd guy but I probably could be with this set up. By far the best glass I have and would probably get another for the LAR-8 (one day). I found a Trijicon TR21-R 1.25-4x (red triangle) I forgot about. A guy sold it to me years ago for a mini 14 years ago. I never “got” the red triangle and really wasn’t that “in” to shooting at the time. Paid $650 back then and I’m not gonna have dinero for another optic for a while. Can anyone advise for/against the use of this on my LAR-8? What’s the philosophy with the red triangle and how do you pick your hold-points when varying distances?

I suppose I could have ask these questions in two different posts but . . . what the heck . . . I like multi tasking.

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Welcome from Indiana brother GS455,got a Lar-8 Standard Operator m/20" barrel.I have shot to where I couldn't grab barrel yet handguard was comfortable.Heavy ..Yea not extrodinarily so but allows for a good grip.Waited about 4 mos. for it.They [RRA] has different handguard w/prices on the web site,don't know how that will affect you'r wait?I would assume that your into this for 3+weeks you would have to decide soon.A few of us here have RRA products,I like mine and for the features available on the rifle the value IMO is worth it. :)

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I never “got” the red triangle and really wasn’t that “in” to shooting at the time...Can anyone advise for/against the use of this on my LAR-8?

For what you say you want to do with the rifle, the TR-21 sounds like a good fit. When you're dialed down at 1.25x shooting short range stuff, use the triangle like a red dot - put the triangle center mass of the target and press the trigger. For longer range shots at higher magnification, use the tip of the triangle for more precision. It's kinda like a German #4 reticle in that respect.

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Yea I decided to leave the order as is.  They said it would bump it back a month.  The handguard is unique enough and I can't imagine throwing so much lead that fast I'm gonna burn it up.  Although I have been known to smoke my AK once in a while  ;D

Still not clear on how to "hold" the red triangle of the Trijicon.  If I sight it in at 50 or 100yds with the tip as center mass how am I gonna know how to hold for 200-300?

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Welcome GS455 (from the AWOL dude)!

I have an RRA EO and a Operator too.  While I haven't shot the EO as much as the standard Operator (the Freedom Machine), the handguard getting hot isn't an issue on either one.  Although after SEVERAL magazines in the 20", the receiver gets pretty warm to the touch.

Been pretty darn busy the past few months.  The last time I took out the EO (Liberty), it was to sight in an EOTech and a MagPul rear MBUS.  The triangles are cool but so is a red donut!

As an aside, I had to lower the front post on the stock gasblock front sight WAY low, so I no longer get a good cheek weld using the irons (plastics?).

Got the MagPul MBUS front to rail mount, hopefully it will square up nicely with the rear now.

Oh yeah...100% reliable on both rifles!

Jon

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  • 5 months later...

mine came in in roughly 7.5 months. i canceled my order a month and a half before. hope you have yours in hand soon!

I thought abut cancelling several months ago as I saw a nice low mileage one on GB for roughly the same price but I did not want to lose down payment.

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Stick with it man it is worth the wait. I took my 20" that has a half quad on it out yesterday and did 3 mag dumps in a row to prove to my buddies how much I have reduced the recoil on mine through my muzzle brake and heavy buffer. My half quad retained very little heat though out the day. If you are on a tight budget like me check out Fire Field scopes. I have one on mine (10-40x50 tactical). Cost me $200 and it retains zero better than my buddies $900 Leupold and another's $800 Vortex. My muzzle brake I got from amazon for $40 (shark style brake) works great. We went out yesterday and timed between shots, I was able to hit a 1'x1' target off a bipod at 500yrds yesterday at a second between shots with my setup.

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Stick with it man it is worth the wait. I took my 20" that has a half quad on it out yesterday and did 3 mag dumps in a row to prove to my buddies how much I have reduced the recoil on mine through my muzzle brake and heavy buffer. My half quad retained very little heat though out the day. If you are on a tight budget like me check out Fire Field scopes. I have one on mine (10-40x50 tactical). Cost me $200 and it retains zero better than my buddies $900 Leupold and another's $800 Vortex. My muzzle brake I got from amazon for $40 (shark style brake) works great. We went out yesterday and timed between shots, I was able to hit a 1'x1' target off a bipod at 500yrds yesterday at a second between shots with my setup.

id agree your on the home streach, i was more pissed at my LGS for their antics more then the fact that it was taking so long.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Nice mags,light.Took to numbering mags to indentify problem mag.Wouldn't mind a few more last I saw RRA had free shipping. <thumbsup>

No doubt!  They are a HUGE weight savings over the metal mags...unbelievable!

I had to file on mine to clear the bolt carrier with the last round...makes me think I know whats wrong with a couple of metal mags now too.

Jon

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