https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBDqxTKKIIY
Patriot Ordnance Factory gave us a tour of their new rifles for 2015, the ReVolt and the War Hog. The ReVolt is a 50-state-legal manual action AR-pattern rifle in .223 or .308, and the War Hog is an AR-15 for hunting and competition, complete with artistic flair. Jaryd walked us through the features in the video above, and some photos follow. . .
The ReVolt has large knobs on either side of the charging handle, allowing you to easily cycle the action manually after every shot. It’s effectively like a straight-pull bolt action rifle. Advantages are a reduction in weight due to a lack of gas system components (and the carbon fiber-wrapped barrel), and 5o-state legality because it’s not a semi-automatic rifle. Disadvantages might include the asking price: $2,249 for .223 and $2,949 for .308.
There were actually a lot of manual action AR-15s at SHOT Show this year. I suppose a big advantage over a traditional bolt action rifle is the AR-platform modularity we all know and love. You can still use whatever standard AR barrel, grip, trigger, butt stock, controls, etc. that you desire. Of course, with the barrel I suppose you’d want one without a gas port drilled in it or you’d have to clamp on a small gas block just to block it.
We are planning on including one of POF’s 3-port brakes in the next muzzle brake shootout.
Even with extended handguards, POF’s gas piston systems (on their semi-autos, naturally) remain adjustable thanks to a window on either side of the handguard:
A bit of metal art adds some tusks to the War Hog:
Speaking of innovation, surprised I didn’t see an article regarding the theft at the Lantac booth at SHOT. Titanium bolt carrier walked away?
I hadn’t heard about that, but I’d guess there was a decent amount of theft. I was really surprised to see how many booths had stuff just on open racks. For instance, at the POF booth where this video was filmed, they had racks like you’d see in a retail store with hangers and literally dozens of their triggers plus lots of their other AR-15 parts out on them in retail packaging. Makes for a nice display, but they’re just on hangers with no locks or whatever and we’re talking small parts that retail for up to $300. That wasn’t unique or anything either… lots of booths were like this. Knife manufacturers often had knives just scattered around on top of display cases, etc. Anyway, I honestly think that in general the SHOT Show crowd is significantly more honest and has more integrity than the population at large, but there were still 64,000 attendees there and a LOT of temptation for folks who would pocket valuable items that aren’t being watched.
A lot of shows in Vegas are pretty impresive, even local gun shows would be good for ass hats with sticky fingers. At least Big green was safe, I can’t think of any thing anyone would steal from Freedom Group except ammo.
Ammo? Seriously? I’ve left more Thunderbot .22 on the shelf than I care to say. I’ll shoot nothing before I put that vile, filthy, poorly made crap in one of my guns.
Ummm Barnes??? Very good ammo.
Even better is simple upgrade back to a semi if you ever leave a restricted state. Two pins and instant semi, you already have the lower half.
I am intrigued by the comment about the manual action ARs being plentiful. I live in Cook County, IL in a suburb that has not exempted itself from the county-wide AWB. Frankly, the ban is openly ignored by many people outside Chicago and almost never enforced. (I have seen banned guns shot in shooting bays directly next to cops on a regular basis.). That said, I try to not push things and am interested in a manual AR. I had almost settled on the Troy PAR but am interested in a platform that could be readily switched to semi-auto with a new upper if I move. Any recommendations on a platform a little less expensive than the one that you reviewed?
You could build an AR. Put an adjustable gas block on with no gas tube and you can manually cycle with charging handle, after you move put in gas tube and turn up the adjustment on the gas block. You can probably build this for $500, 2 vet arms builds an upper with a neat charging handle, but back in that > $1500 price.
Thanks, Griz
Check your laws, are you “allowed” to have a hi-point carbine, probably better than single shot. Or may I suggest a Henry in a pistol caliber carbine. A .357 or .38 out of a 16 inch barrel scars the crap out me especially when you have 7+ out of lever action. And that Henry you would be spending about the same as a decent AR, and if kept up will retain value, hell if you were to move out of a ban state I would gladly trade a homemade budget AR for it. LOL
At range day, I shot a “bolt action” AR from Riverman Gun Works. Turns out they’re like 30 minutes from me, so I intend to go out there to tour the facilities and do some shooting with them, then hopefully borrow a rifle for a while to review it. The main selling point on theirs is caliber swapping. In about 30 seconds you can take the barrel off and replace it with a different one. The same bolt can handle a few calibers, but you can also swap that easily as needed. They do a bunch of calibers in the AR-15 receiver and a bunch in the AR-10 receiver. Coolest thing? I put a few rounds on a steel target at 160 yards, right in the middle. The owner then took the barrel completely off, put it back on, and I put a few more rounds right in the center of the same target. On the downside, it isn’t a whole lot less expensive than the POF pieces.
I know I saw 3-4 others but I don’t remember names. I’ll look through my photos to see if I find them. I can think of a couple ones like the Troy, MasterPiece Arms, etc that are “bolt action AR-15s” but don’t use normal lowers that could take a normal (semi-auto) upper later.
There are multiple ways to build it really inexpensively yourself, but if the law requires you to purchase a complete rifle that’s already in compliant form, that wouldn’t work. Otherwise, really any AR-15 upper out there can be made manual action by deleting the gas system. The bolt would stay locked closed and you’d have to rack the charging handle to eject the empty and chamber the next one.
Griz, I am a lawyer and have examined the AWB backwards and forwards. A lever action is definitely on my want list and legal. Ironically, the Hi-Point carbine is the gun that I see at the range most often next to law enforcement, but it is specifically banned by our AWB. Last year, I got a CZ 527 due to the cheap ammo. If Marlen was still producing quality stuff at a reasonable price, I probably would have gotten a lever action.
Hey JeffR, a solid less expensive option is the Rossi 92, which has barrel lengths available from 12″ (sold as a pistol) to 24″ and calibers 38/357, 44 Mag, and 45 LC. Lots of online stores have them available under $500.
I have just opened a small 07 FFL in Wonder Lake, IL building custom AR’s. I am actually working on a straight pull bolt upper right now that has the bolt handle further forward so you can charge the rifle without having to move your head every time you work the bolt and from both the left and right side. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. I can also send pics of my custom lightweight handguards and custom anodized rifles I have built. Brian.
[email protected] for info on custom rifles and pics!
A manual AR for 2200+ bucks. I solved that equation with a manual Ruger for 400 bucks. As for expensive mags. How many mags do you normally hunt with? I have a mag in the rifle and a 9 round buttstock cuff on the rifle. With one in the chamber that’s 14 rounds for a given hunt.
I’ve got that same butt stock 9 round sleeve on my 30/06, I’ve always wondered why 9 rounds? Not an even 10? When I got it I didn’t even realize then figured out and have been confused ever since.
These are very nice!
Fwiw, JP enterprises showed a manual pump action AR as well.
It on their YouTube channel.
Well we got straight pull, pump action, and bolt action ARs now. Might as well round it out and make lever action, revolver, Gatling, muzzle loader, percussion cap, flintlock, wheel lock, and matchlock ARs now. That actually might get cool…
Yeah gatling, even something like that kit that uses 2 10/22 receivers. That would rock.
You forgot break action. You could make an over and under in .22 and .410 – like the hard to find Stevens.
http://www.fourten.org.uk/mwsavage24.html
Brand slogan- “Making the old classics tacti-cool…”
Ok, j/k.
That would be just weird. 😉
Oh I had a good laugh. It would probably sell.
Here’s your black powder AR upper… http://www.cmmginc.com/product_p/50ba663.htm
Well damn…. There it is.
I would really like to see a TTAG review of the Proof Research barrels.
“Cry ‘Havok!, and let slip the hogs of war…”
the thing about hi-points carbines is somehow they missed being on the commander in chiefs banned list. this info came to me from a personal friend who is a shift commander in a sheriffs dept. in maryland. He has spent his entire career lift in Law enforcement including the Army. hi-point makes the carbines in 9mm,40, and 45.
Mag-pul makes a decent 16 round magazine for the .9mm.
Straight pull bolt-action? Isn’t that an assault bolt-action!? Anyways, also remember the Ares SCR rifle, which uses a conventional rifle grip but takes all AR upper receivers and uses AR magazines. You can also just buy the SCR lower now. The complete rifle by Ares is about $800. There are also other ARs with the FRS stock by Thordsen Customs.
Mossberg also makes the MVP rifle, which is a bolt-action .223/5.56 that takes AR magazines.
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