Check out the R.E.P.R. at LWRC: https://www.lwrci.com/p-480-repr-20.aspx
Buy one on GunsAmerica: /LWRC + REPR
The LWRC R.E.P.R. 20-inch rifle, right side.
Sometimes visceral reactions are surprisingly on-target.
About a month ago, I stopped by my FFL to pick up an LWRC R.E.P.R. A couple of other folks were there finishing up a gun purchase, so I opened the R.E.P.R. box while I was waiting. The contents immediately became the center of attention. The other customer asked to check out my new loaner toy and, manipulating the bolt, he remarked, “It’s like butter cream!” I’m not exactly sure what butter cream is, but I would have to agree. When someone works the action on the LWRC R.E.P.R., they immediately smile. It’s as smooth as silk, or maybe as smooth as butter cream.
LWRC R.E.P.R. 20-inch barrel, left side.
The R.E.P.R. (pronounced “reaper” as in the grim type) is called the Rapid Engagement Precision Rifle. You have to admit that R.E.P.R. sounds much more badass, right? R.E.P.R.’s are all about .308 / 7.62x51mm, so they’re as serious as the name implies. You can get them with either 16” or longer 20” barrels more suitable for longer range duty. The uppers are swappable, so you can easily move between configurations. As they’re sold separately, I requested the 20-inch barrel version, because, well, faster bullets!
We’ll take a detailed tour, but for now, just know that the LWRC R.E.P.R. is a gas piston gun, with some custom tweaks. From a design goal perspective, the apparent overriding imperative is to make this a reliability boss. Yes, it’s accurate enough and feels like “butter cream”, but I suspect the LWRC team is only truly satisfied when it will run in any environment.
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The LWRC flip up sights are outstanding.
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The spiral-fluted barrel reduces weight by 20% and speeds rate of cooling.
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I spent some time at the Cambridge, MD factory and learned more about LWRC’s design goals for the R.E.P.R. product line. They’re after the top of the market and make guns for folks who want the very best in terms of attention to detail and overall product quality. It shows, both in the attitudes of the people and finicky inspection processes at all stages of manufacture, assembly, and finish.
At the risk of making a poor analogy, consider different market segments for cars. Some customers simply want a vehicle that will get them to work and back, and don’t value anything beyond that. That group would be perfectly happy with a $15,000 or $20,000 car that gets them from point A to point B. Others value, and will pay for, the total luxury experience. Whether they buy a BMW, Mercedes, or Aston Martin, they’re paying top dollar for all the subtle quality features. There’s something satisfying about that sweet and soft “click” when closing a door on one of these vehicles. If you’re the type that values quality engineering both seen and unseen, then LWRC rifles might be for you.
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While it appears seamless, the full-length rail is actually two pieces.
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The non-reciprocating bolt handle doubles as a forward assist.
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The Quick Tour
From the front, you’ll first see an A-2 style birdcage flash hider. Nothing fancy here, so I assume the LWRC folks know buyers are going to instantly customize the muzzle with their brake, flash hider, or suppressor of choice.
The 20-inch barrel is spiral fluted, and gorgeous. While it looks exceptionally cool, the real purpose is to create more surface area for faster cooling during rapid fire. It’s cold hammer forged with a 1:10 twist rate.
The bolt carrier and bolt are nickel-boron coated. They’re easy to clean, although they don’t get very dirty in the first place. The coating also includes built-in lubricity.
The front hand guard is 12.5 inches long and is modular, allowing you to add rail segments anywhere along its length at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions. The top of the hand guard rail is a seamless continuation of the receiver’s Picatinny section.
The upper and lower receiver of my sample rifle were both Cerakoted in a flat dark earth color. The quality of the finishing job is stellar.
Bolt catch and release controls are on both sides of the receiver. As the bolt handle is on the left, I found it easier to operate the bolt catch to hold open using the right side control. I still found myself using the bolt release on the left side using my support hand.
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LWRC teases you a bit by printing the third “happy switch” icon, but this is a semi-automatic rifle. Much of their business is LE and military, hence the full auto markings.
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Pre-threaded holes in the hand guard allow attachment of Picatinny rail segments only where you want them.
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While not visible, the R.E.P.R. has a forward assist. Simply push inwards on the bolt handle and press forward. I never had to use it, so just know it’s there.
The magazine release button is traditional, and on the right side only. The R.E.P.R. comes with a Magpul twenty round magazine which easily drops free with a press of the release button.
The bolt carrier group is nickel-boron coated. It’s a light to moderate gray color and easily wipes clean, although there is not much grime in that area anyway owing to the piston design. Hot and dirty gas never makes it that far back into the action to muck up the works.
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The flip up sights are outstanding. The rear sight has a rotating box housing small and large apertures.
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I used this Caldwell adjustable bipod for much of my shooting.
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The Piston System
As previously mentioned, this is a gas piston design. More specifically, it’s a short-stroke, self-regulating system. The LWRC folks made the piston operating system choice in the hope of achieving big-time reliability in ultra-harsh environments.
Unlike a traditional AR-type rifle, the R.E.P.R. uses a non-reciprocating bolt handle on the left side of the receiver. It’s operation of this, and the internal carrier and bolt, that feel like butter cream. This was perhaps my favorite feature of the rifle. I really don’t like the normal AR-type charging handles. I find them small, and generally in the way of any magnified optics you might use. They’re also difficult to operate without making some changes to your shooting position.
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When you remove the upper section of the hand guard, the entire gas system is exposed.
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You can take the entire gas system apart for maintenance without tools.
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The charging handle on the R.E.P.R. allows you to keep your firing hand in position as you can drop a magazine with your firing hand index finger. Without shifting your cheek weld, you can easily find and operate the charging handle with your support hand. This system has the added advantage of preventing that soothing “hot gas in the face” benefit when using a silencer, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The rifle has a two-setting gas knob for normal and suppressed use. It’s easy to turn with your fingers, but there’s a hole, so if things are dirty and stuck, you can use a .308 cartridge as a lever to rotate the valve. There’s also a gas block tool included in the box. It appears that LWRC has simplified the adjustment options recently. Previous versions of the R.E.P.R. had four positions for the gas adjustment: off, suppressed, normal, and adverse. Current rifles only have normal and suppressed settings.
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The piston cup (not shown) slides over the gas port.
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The piston cup drives the operating rod (not shown here) to the left in this photo.
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Access to the piston system for maintenance is easy. You’ll notice two thumbscrews in the three and nine o’clock positions at the front of the hand guard. Loosen these a couple of turns, and the top of the rail section simply lifts off, exposing the entire length of the gas system. The thumbscrews are captive, so you won’t lose them. With no tools, and in seconds, you can take apart the gas system and access the piston cup and operating rod for cleaning. According to LWRC, the optics or lasers mounted on the removable rail section will maintain zero through rail removal and installation.
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The operating rod stays clean enough as little if any gas makes it that far.
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Like everything else, the magazine well is perfectly finished and Cerakoted.
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Aftermarket Extras
Considering the MSRP of $3,950, you’d expect quite a bit of premium gear on this rifle, and there is.
The stock is a Magpul Precision Rifle/Sniper (PRS) and is adjustable for length of pull and height of comb. Both adjustments are accomplished with inset dials. They’re sticky enough to stay in place once you make the desired adjustments. The base of the stock has a Picatinny rail segment molded into the polymer for attachment of an optional monopod. This rail segment is protected by a sliding cover which I find moderately annoying. I’ve used this stock system on two different rifles, and with both, I was constantly sliding the cover back into place. I’d quickly toss the cover and leave the rail segment exposed all the time to lose this minor annoyance. You’d lose the cover soon enough anyway.
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The horizontal dial on the stock raises the cheek piece.
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The “fixed” Magpul stock still offers length of pull adjustment.
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Magpul also provides an MOE+ grip for the R.E.P.R. This is a best of both worlds approach to grips. The body is hard polymer, but there is a softer rubber overmold for grip. The bottom of the grip is all polymer, so it won’t catch on clothing or gear. It’s also compatible with the Magpul Storage Core system so you can insert dedicated storage modules for batteries, spare parts and even lubricant.
The trigger is a Geissele SSA 2-stage model. It’s absolutely a match trigger and makes deliberate, precise shots easy. The take up stage is factory set for 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, and the second stage requires an additional 1/2 to 1 pound press to break the shot. My personal preference is for a single-stage trigger on this type of rifle, but it’s just that – a personal preference. I totally get why the R.E.P.R. comes with a two-stage trigger as the 20-inch model is billed as a sniper model.
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The bolt release and catch levers are ambidextrous, while the magazine release is only on the right side.
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The R.E.P.R. comes with a Magpul MOE+ grip.
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The R.E.P.R. also includes a really nice set of flip up iron sights. The LWRC Skirmish front and rear sights are beautifully engineered. They open manually for speed, but require a button press to close. If you have to use them, they’ll stay in the up position until you’re done with them. The sights and housings are made from 7570 Aluminum and 4140 Steel for durability. No plastic here. The contact surfaces and ball detents are even hard-chromed for corrosion resistance and smooth operation. While I feel slightly weird rambling about back up sights, they’re really impressive. Oh, when folded in the down position, they’ll be just about ½-inch tall, and most likely out of the way of most any optic.
There is one included magazine – a Magpul LR-20, which holds, as you might have guessed, 20 rounds.
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The R.E.P.R. has a two-stage Geissele trigger.
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Rail segments are included that can attach at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions.
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Shooting the R.E.P.R.
The gas system has two functioning modes, regular and suppressor. In all the shooting I did with the R.E.P.R., I estimate I used the system about half and half between regular mode with no suppressor mounted, and silencer mode.
In the suppressor gas mode, with a suppressor attached, gas volume into the system is reduced. The suppressor provides additional back pressure to help function the gun, so there is no need for the normal amount of gas power.
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The gas adjustment has two settings: normal and suppressed. The two thumb screws release the top of the hand guard for access to the gas system.
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The box contains two rail segments and a sling attachment piece.
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Upon getting my hands on this rifle, I immediately removed the birdcage flash hider and installed a SilencerCo / SWR Specwar muzzle brake. That works like a champ on its own to reduce recoil, but the real beauty is that it serves as a rock-solid mount for the SilencerCo Specwar 7.62 suppressor.
I shot this rifle, a lot, in the suppressed configuration with the gas system set accordingly. Nothing exciting happened. That means that the rifle continued to function perfectly with a variety of .7.62 ammo ranging in weight from 155 to 178 grains. The other and better part, of nothing exciting happening, was that I didn’t once get a face full of hot and filthy gas. When shooting a traditional AR-10 or AR-15, and many other piston rifles, you get a taste of burnt gunpowder with every shot. Trust me, it’s not “good til the last cup” like Maxwell House coffee. The R.E.P.R. had no such issues. Nice. One more observation about the suppressor mode gas setting. Ejection was tame. Brass came out with noticeably less enthusiasm, projecting a couple of feet to the side. You could really see the difference in system operating pressure.
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I did a lot of shooting with this SilencerCo / SWR Specwar 7.62 suppressor mounted. Function using the “suppressed” gas setting was flawless.
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Gas key? Nope. The operating rod smacks this cup to drive the bolt and carrier.
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During this evaluation, I had the opportunity to try out the new .308/7.62 magazines from Brownells. They’ve been making 5.56mm NATo magazines for about 10 years, and you can’t beat the value. They’re reasonably priced, and just work. Now, Brownells also makes .308 magazines that fit DPMS-pattern or SR-25 style rifles. These mags are straight body and compatible with existing magazine pouches and carriers. Made of aluminum, they include a time-tested follower design, that combined with the dry film lubrication and stainless steel spring, make them work. The 20-round models sell for $19.99. Just like the 5.56mm AR-rifle magazines, these worked flawlessly with all ammo types I tried.
Velocity
I did most of the shooting with the LWRC R.E.P.R. using five different loads ranging from 155 grains to 178 grains. To get a feel for actual accuracy from the R.E.P.R., I set up a Shooting Chrony Beta Master Chronograph 15 feet downrange and fired groups to measure average velocity. I did the velocity shooting on a fairly moderate day, for my home anyway. Temperature was “only” about 95 degrees at my 15 feet above sea level range.
Black Hills Match BTHP .308 Winchester 175 grain, 2,528.0 fps
Hornady Match BTHP .308 Winchester 178 grain, 2,546.7 fps
Federal Premium Gold Medal Match BTHP .308 Winchester 175 grain, 2,560.3 fps
Federal Premium Law Enforcement Bonded SP .308 Winchester 165 grain, 2,597.7 fps
Doubletap HP Boat Tail Match .308 Winchester 155 grain, 2,736.3 fps
Accuracy
The R.E.P.R. was optimized to shoot projectiles on the heavier side of the 7.62mm spectrum. LWRC recommends bullets heavier than 168 grains for best accuracy, but the rifle will function just fine with lighter bullets. If you want to use the ammo the rifle was designed for, get some M118LR Match ammunition with 175-grain Sierra Match King bullets. Federal Premium’s Gold Medal Match 175-grain ammo is a great substitute.
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The best ammo performer in the R.E.P.R. was Federal Premium’s Gold Medal Match 175-grain.
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I actually got better groups at longer distances. Maybe the bullets finished stabilizing after 100 yards?
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The R.E.P.R. comes with excellent iron sights, but for accuracy testing, I mounted a Hawke Optics Sidewinder Tactical IR. This is a fixed 10x scope with a mil-dot reticle. It’s perfect for a gun like this as magnification is enough to reach out to 1,000 yards if you want, and the fixed mil-dot reticle allows for near-infinite hold over options for any variety of ammo. Of course, you can easily range targets of known size also using the mil-dot system. The extra bonus of this optic is, that if all else fails, you can use it as a club. It’s meaty.
Over a couple of different outings, I shot the R.E.P.R. at distances ranging from 100 to 300 yards, always using .308 ammunition on the heavier side, 165 grains and higher.
I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of accuracy. On one hand, the R.E.P.R. is a meticulously constructed rifle, with the smoothest action I’ve ever experienced on any semi-auto. On the other hand, the R.E.P.R. is a piston driven design, and piston guns aren’t known for maximum accuracy. The barrel is attached directly to the gas system and operating rod. While the bullet is long gone by the time these parts start moving around, their presence will almost certainly affect the way the barrel vibrates and flexes during each shot.
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I did all the accuracy testing with a Hawke Optics Sidewinder Tactical optic. the 10x mil-dot reticle scope was plenty for the useful range of this rifle.
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The R.E.P.R. will shoot lighter 150 and 150-grain ammo just fine, but you’ll get better overall performance with the heavier 165-grain and up loads.
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The chart here shows my actual group size results with different types of ammo. Considering these, and other groups I shot, the R.E.P.R. hovered in the 1.5 minute of angle range for with ammo that it “liked.”
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The R.E.P.R. is built for heavier .308 / 7.62 rounds like these Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 175-grain loads.
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I did about half of the testing using a bipod and the rest using this Blackhawk! Trident shooting rest.
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Would I have liked to have seen better accuracy? Considering the price tag, yes. But the R.E.P.R. wasn’t designed with small groups as its primary objective. It was designed to work, without fail, basically forever, and regardless of environment. My informal 1.5 MOA accuracy observation means the R.E.P.R. is more than accurate enough for a decent shooter to hit a 12-inch plate at 800 yards every single time.
Summing Up the R.E.P.R.
I’d love to see better accuracy from the R.E.P.R.. If I’d had more time, I would have built various hand loads to see exactly what I could get out of this rifle.
The action of the R.E.P.R. is the slickest I’ve ever worked with, by far. When you work the bolt, you’ll feel nothing but butter cream. No torque, no stops and starts, and no friction. It feels like the action operates on perfectly shaped and lubricated ball bearings. You’ll also notice the extreme attention to detail in construction. Every single part, inside and out, is perfectly machined and mates smoothly with its neighbors. You’d be hard pressed to find a better example of how to make a beautiful rifle.
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I used the brand new AR-10 magazines from Brownells. They functioned perfectly and provided a lower profile. Still holding 20 rounds, they’re not as tall as the included Magpul 20-round magazine.
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For the longer range shooting, I used a Kestrel 4500 AE wind meter with AE ballistic software built in to get correct bullet drop and wind adjustments.
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Factory Specifications
Caliber: 7.62 NATO
Barrel: 20″ [50.8 cm]
Rifling: 1:10” RH
Weight: 11.25lbs [5.10kg]
Length: 40.5-41.5″ [102.9-105.4 cm]
Sights: LWRCI™ Skirmish Back-Up Iron Sights
Action: Patented LWRCI™ short-stroke piston operation
Gas Block: 2-position adjustable for normal to suppressed shooting
Trigger: Geissele SSA 2-stage trigger for precision shooting
Muzzle Threads: 5/8×24
Muzzle Device: A2 Birdcage Flash Hider
Colors Available: Black, Flat Dark Earth, Olive Drab Green, Patriot Brown
MSRP: $3,950.00
Check out the R.E.P.R. at LWRC: https://www.lwrci.com/p-480-repr-20.aspx
Buy one on GunsAmerica: /LWRC + REPR
I\’ve been playing with the CSASS for several weeks shooting 550 rds. Topped it with a 4×16 Nikon. Preliminary testing has showed a strong dislike for 168 gr. Match bullets no matter the seating depth….even way out single loaded. Five shot groups ran 2 – 3 MOA out to 500 meters. Shot up a couple of hundred pulled 147 ball..little better than the 168\’s maybe 2 MOA consistently. All of my powder has been H-4895 with Federal LR Match primers and 1996 Lake City Match brass…then, I hit the gold mine…155 gr Sierra TMK\’s with 44 grains of H-4895. While not super great at 200 meters…say 2 and 1/2\”, the groups did not have the funneling effect out to 500 where I was consistently able to keep 5 shots into 3-4\” on the 500 meters ram.Gonna use it for our half scale silhouette benchrest match at our club in Atglen, Pa.Oh, by the way…ZERO failures to feed or fire. Love it…. makes the guys with the $500 Bushmasters a bit jealous.———6
I did my research and ended up purchasing the LWRC-REPR 20. I am a former police sniper and have put thousands of rounds through various types of rifles. I can tell you in all honesty that the LWRC is one of the best weapons I have ever fired. It is extremely accurate and user-friendly. I use a Tango Down bipod and Leupold MK-4 8.5×25 scope.
With proper shooting mechanics this rifle is as good or better than most.
For those who don’t like the price, don’t buy it.
The gun is flawless in operation – I have never had a jam or other malfunction. It is extremely accurate in single shot and rapid target engagement.
For those complaining about the ten round mags – if you can’t hit it in 10 – then perhaps you are in the wrong business.
Good article/review. Thankfully I bought even after reading the comments from the keyboard warriors.
Im good. About the most fun rifle I own. And I have a few. Long range scope. Only problem is the scope is so long it is kinda in the way of the charging handle. Gotta get an extension.
It got broken in right. First ten shots, wait till the barrel cools in between. Then a thorough cleaning. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.
So many rifles get ruined barrels by some joker going out on the first day and rapid firing a couple of boxes of ammo. I been around about seventy years and have seen it happen.
Id put mine up against one of these $6500.00 custom rifles up to about 350 yds.
I always liked the phrase, “Beware of the man who only owns one rifle.” I didnt adhere to it but it makes sense. Hell, you can only shoot one rifle at the time anyhow. Back in the day my go to was a 45/70 lever gun.
Carry on folks.
I spent the money on the REPR 20 and glass ( Leupold Mk-4 8 1/2 x 25) and I can honestly say it was worth every cent. The accuracy is incredible! I like the two stage trigger and intend to put a Compensator on the end with a blast dispersion tube.
Great gun! If you can afford it, treat yourself!
Sounds like a bunch of hens. Target shooters buy what you can afford and have fun
May be a few will understand what I am trying to say
I can tell you what I do know
WAR ZONE with the ENEMY SHOOTING AT YOU have THE BEST GUN YOU CAN HAVE PRAY FOR NO JAMS AND DON’T RUN OUT OF BULLETS and HOPE YOURS FIRES FASTER THAN THEIRS SO YOU CAN COME HOME ALIVE Have fun do what you can to help others who don’t shoot as much as you do or don’t have the money to spend
As you can tell I don’t text much and I am not a English Major. BE SAFE
Please I don’t argue so PLEASE DON’T TAKE THIS WRONG
dave
Sound like a bunch of hens. Each situation is different Bolt AR SEMI Target or War Zone I am not here to argue You buy what you can afford what you feel good with. I can tell you a fact when your getting SHOT AT. You want the best Dam Gun in your hands you can get and pray it don’t jam or run out of bullets. Some of you might understand what I am trying to say but I am not an English Major. I wish you all Have Fun Shooting. Depends on What At What Reason. I don’t write much so please I don’t want a fight if I said something wrong Forgive
STRANGE THAT LWRC NOW HAS A 2 POSITION GAS REGULATOR ON THE REPR BECAUSE THE 4 POS WAS A BAD DESIGN AND FROZE DURING SHOOTING AND YET THEY SAY ITS NOW SIMPLIFIED, FUNNY THE NEW CSASS HAS A 20 POSITION REGULATOR AND IT WORKS FLAWLESSLY OR SO THEY SAY…..
Obviously this Obama boy needs a hi point because the repr is just not the firearm for him! Lmmfao!
I think the bullets stabilizing after 100 yards is false. Bryan Litz still has yet to prove that that is actually true.
Why I will never touch one!
1. Piston guns weigh nearly a pound more than their direct gas counterparts.
2. They are not as intrinsically accurate as direct gas guns because there are more moving parts positioned directly over the barrel.
3. Piston driven guns are often $ 3-500 more per firearm.
4. No Mil-Spec or otherwise, for AR-15 styled piston guns. Each manufacturer uses a different and a proprietary system.
If the piston operating system breaks, the only way your going to get parts is the manufacturer, meaning higher cost and less parts availability. The only way things will be Mil-spec for these types of firearms is if the military adopts them which probably never will happen do to cost and in the field repair short comings!
5. The biggest reason not to buy one, this company is it is based in a gun unfriendly State!
You’re an idiot…
1. You’re wrong, their not that much heavier. Only a few oz difference. I have piston and DI rifles.
2. Wrong again. I would put any of my lwrc rifles against any of my other ARs and lwrc is just as accurate or better.
I would even put my REPR up against a lot of bolt actions.
3. Finally you got one right! Yes piston rifles cost more but like the car inalagy in the article said. You get what you pay for 😉 don’t be a cheap ass!
4. Yes you have to go to your manufacturer for parts. But if you buy a quality gun like LWRC it’s not going to be breaking on you. And for some strange reason of it does manufacturers should stand behind their product.
5. Biggest reason for buying one besides having a superior firearm… It’s made in AMERICA!
Well this article showed me I’ve either finally grown up or I’ve finally gotten old, I looked at the pictures and the price tag and said ” Who actually needs this”? Not me, I have a sweet Savage bolt gun that will do anything this one will do just not as fast, So I guess it’s old age because I really don’t need on, no use for one and I doubt I’d get a woody from shooting it. That said, you buy one, bring it to the range and offer to let me crank off a few rounds and I’ll do it and smile as I hand it back.
It’s like looking at a 6 foot 130 pound blond with a perfect body, she looks wonderful but I can’t afford her and likely couldn’t do her much good, but the ride would be sweet.
I thought the exact same thing Tripwire….lol…and also I’m not that impressed with it’s shot groupings in the pics.
I think that’s just opperator error. I have shot one of these and was able to put 5 consecutive shots in a quarter size grouping at 300 yards
Indeed.
Mine jams continuously. My LWRC M6a runs perfectly. Very frustrating given the price and quality of the parts.
dollar for dollar I’ll keep my M1A………..and FYI a used Porsche will outlast a majority of these new cars.
I’m taking it that your accuracy results were shooting of the bi pod attached off hand. If not for the price that is a bit off. My home made 308 with 20 inch a Black Hole Weaponry barrel shoots less than 1 moa at 100 yards with many different weights of ammunition esp the reloads! An expensive gun cabinet firearm!
Thanks for a great review on this firearm. I am not a great shot so to me all these MOA discussions while informative probably wouldn’t mean that much to me. What I’m more interested in is reliability. It would seem to me that no matter how good the groups are it’s not going to do you much good if your Wal-Mart special jams up on you when the bad guys are trying to shoot your tally wacker off. That’s why I always try to buy the best that money can buy. This guns seems to fill the bill for me.. Now that I’ve paid off the Roll’s I think I’ll get me one.. 🙂
I’m not a competition shooter, I’m just an average Joe infantry Marine who enjoys a nicely built accurate weapon system. My brother recently purchased a repr with the 20′ barrel. In my opinion, after launching a few rounds down range this did exactly what I expected and wanted it to do. I would love to have had this with a 12 in barrel in Afghan. Accurate at the ranges I would more than likely use it and accurate at the more extreme distances for those annoying hide and shoot rats we see. A tad pricey but I think it’s pretty stellar. Maybe a bit cheaper I’ll find myself owning one
I dont know why there is so much negativity, the review touched on the important aspects and told the truth as was seen by the shoter. my determination of the review it was presented with the facts as he saw them, I will stay away from this gun and keep reading your coments as experienced by you.
Having a AR-15 and a HKG3, only the trigger work with a polisher cloth on the G3 I have 3 groups at 500 yards. The AR not so good. Together didn’t come close to 4ooo.oo
A gun that costs that much scratch must shoot better. I can appreciate it being smoooth as silk but if they don’t improve the accuracy then I doubt most serious shooters would invest. I most certainly would not. I have a SR-25 that shoots well under .5 MOA and it was worth the big bucks to get it.
Yeah The SR-25 is the better rifle. KAC has been building the best .308 ARs for a long time. The DPMS Gen 2 .308s aren’t far behind either. I know a few years ago people may have scoffed at DPMS but this new gen 2 .308 rifle is “as advertised”. I’ve shot the REPR, OBR, SR-25 and others on my quest for a light-weight reasonably priced 308 AR style rifle and I think the DPMS is just as good as the high end rifles for sure.
I have an LWRC REPR with an unfluted 20″ barrel and four position gas block. I shoot with an Advanced Armament suppressor with the gas system off. Scope is Nightforce 3.5-15 FFP. Cartridge is 168 grain Gold Medal Match. Here’s some representative results with 3-shot groups, the first number is the two closest shots, then the next two closet and finally the extreme spread. 400 yards, 3/4″-1 3/4″-2 1/4″, 500 yards, 1/2″-3/4″-1″, 600 yards, 3/4″-1″-1 3/4″, 700 yards, 1/2″-2 1/4″-3″, 900 yards, 3″-3 1/2″-6 1/2″, 1,000 yards, 1 7/8″-6″-6 1/2″. All of these groups were shot using B-27 paper targets which I have retained and the 600 and 700 yard groups were witnessed and signed by my shooting buddy. All shooting was done on a 1,200 yard desert range outside of Las Vegas, NV in the prone position utilizing a Harris bipod up front and an Accu-Shot monopod on the back. I also have a Les Baer .308 that doesn’t shoot anywhere near this gun.
This is exactly why I shoot at least 5-shot groups unless I’m testing a hunting rifle. I got some pretty impressive faction of an inch groups at 100, 200, and 300 yards with the REPR when I only looked at two and three shots. Some of the pictures in this article show that, but you’ll see flyers when you go to 5 shots. With some guns, the “flyer” is the first shot from a magazine that’s “manually” charged into the chamber. Other times, it happens with later shots in the string. As this is more of a “high volume” rifle, I wanted to see larger numbers of shots in a group to get a feel for what it really does.
Good comment on the SCAR. This is a Mercedes .308 battle rifle.
1.5MOA is my tuned M-14 territory.
Wonder how a Armalite AR-10T compares
to the LWRC.
Have to look that up.
I have a refurbished KAC SR25 I basically got it for half price. I traded two sticks for it so really didn’t cost me anything out of pocket. It has a 20″ 5R barrel and after hundreds of rounds learned a few things, You really have to have all your ducks in a row, 308 AR’s are very unforgiving of poor marksmanship fundamentals. You cant shoot them like a bolt gun or get lazy. I can let a friend shoot my rifle and turn the .75 five shot group I just shot into a 2.5″ group. Also my rifle loves 150 grain bullets, 168 and 175 don’t shoot as well in my rifle…(so far) $4,000 for that rifle is a lot of money, those groups are unacceptable considering the price and competition. Plus im not a piston fan.
I’ll pass! I’m saving my money for a Rolls Royce. I’m kidding, of course, but I’ll be damned if I’ll pay $4.000 for a rifle. What does LWRC think we are, the Count of Monte Cristo? There’s .308 AR style rifles out there that are half that price, and they shoot as good or better than the LWRC, with less problems! I’m putting my money on real butter cream! I also don’t like the state where they manufacture their guns. They can’t even sell their guns in Maryland, unless they downsize the mags! Maybe if they move their operation to a gun friendlier state, they might sell a couple of rifles at that price. I heard their company is about to fold anyway! Thanks, but no thanks!
for that price I will keep my vepr and 7n1 ammo it’s just as good and under a grand
Hmmmmm….. with this MSRP I’ll go for an HK762!!!
I cannot understand for the life of me why companies such as this one and others who charge 2-4K for a rifle can get away with it. They show there rifles being used in SpecOps and behind ultra tacticool advertisements that look nice until you read the price. SpecOps don’t have to pay for their rifles out of their own pocket. We do. I’d rather spend the money on ammo and range time. This is the reason why you will never see me with anything from Wilson, Les Baer, LWRC, or even some of the Daniel Defense weapons. If you are a rep from one of these companies and are reading this, you should be ashamed. 3/4 of the population cannot afford your glorified bullet launchers. Do you get it?
Oh Quit your Whining. I cant afford this, I cant afford that. Your entire complaint about this rifle is that it costs to much for your wallet. Then DONT buy it, just quit your whining.
Oh Quit your Whining. I cant afford this, I cant afford that. Your entire complaint about this rifle is that it costs to much for your wallet. Then DONT buy it, just quit your whining.
I am quite sure this firearm isn’t you! Sounds like a hipoint is your cup of tea!
Although it looks rather neat with the side charging handle, etc., I wouldn’t have a long gun that couldn’t shot sub moa. Granted, my bolt guns (Colt 2012 & AR-31) are sub moa which is normal for quality bolts. My S&W M&P A10 is even more accurate than this flash gun. I would like to have side charging on all my AR type weapons but that can be remedied for a few hundred bucks from Gibzz. They do work nice and have one on my 6.5 Grendel. That being said, you can get a far more accurate long gun for about one third of what this one is. Just look at the Ruger Performance Rifle in 6.5 Creedmore.
LWRC ARE A NICE FIREARM, BUT PISTON SYSTEMS ARE STILL VERY POOR SHOOTERS.
I WOULD PREFER, A LES BAER MONOLITH, THAT WILL COVER A DIME OR LESS FOR ACCURACY.
ONE THAT CAN SHOOT A .5 MOA ALL DAY LONG.
FOR THE MONEY OF HIGHER END RIFLES, THERE IS NO REASON TO BUY ONE, IF IT IS NOT SUB-MOA ON PAPER. OTHER WISE JUST BUY A DPMS FOR A QUARTER LESS THE MONEY.
I have the 16″ version and with my hand load of 178gr AMAX, 41.1gr IMR4895, winchester brass, federal primer, seated a 2.800 will shoot .3-.5 at 100.
it took me a lot of rounds to get the REPR to group because of the recoil… The REPR kicks a little harder than any other 308 i have shot. after i put on a battlecomp babc and a Geissele SD-E, and learned how it liked to be shot (stiff shoulder and lot of follow through) my groups started getting tighter. It does not like a rest at all. I do most of my load development with a lead sled FCX. Just changing from sled to bags was a noticeable improvement.
The things i don’t like about the REPR is its weight and how the gas is discharged. I wish the gas system would eject gas through the hand guard so it was easier to clean. Its not to much of a problem to remove the upper section of the handguard and scrape the carbon and then run over it with a brass brush, but it could be a little better.
LWRC’s customer support is awesome! i called a couple times because of accuracy problems and they were always supportive and explorative. Never once did they tell me I was the problem, which was the problem…
what everyone seems to miss is that the REPR is not designed to be a bench shooter. It is a battle rifle. It is designed to shoot 10s of thousands of rounds and never miss a beat. you are paying for the fit, finish, reliability, and ruggedness of a top of the line battle rifle. This type of a rifle is not for everyone, but comparing it to a DPMS or M&P based solely on advertised accuracy is very narrow minded.
would like to know the suggested list price and who sales them. probably can not afford one but a nice gun
It’s funny how so many with a beer budget ridicule the fellow driving by in the purchased-for-cash Rolls
Why don’t you buy Beemer also. Hell you are gong to need two cars if you buy British junk…or is it British anymore.. you go right ahead…snicker…snicker…Because one of em will be in the garage getting fixed…
BMW has always been a German make, not British. But don’t let a little thing like facts get in the way of posting your opinions.
Yeah moron neither is the RR since it was sold to some Asian corp. but the thing is they both suck, just like the other overpriced POS the LWRC.
I’d bet a dollar that you have never driven a BMW or shot a LWRC. But hey, you don’t need to have any experience to know what you’re talking about on the net, right?
No sport, I took pride in rebuilding American sport cars like first gen Camaros and Novas to out perform those bling cars and embarrass those with more money than tech know how.
And my $750.00 PA-10 suits me fine.
Enjoy your safe princess…
Yeah who cares if it’s an over priced POS with poor functionality so long as it has the right brand and looks cool cause that’s what counts right?
Yeah who cares if it’s an over priced POS with poor functionality so long as it has the right brand and looks cool cause that’s what counts right?
$3995.00 for a standard AR-15 H-Bar with a lot of Geedunk of questionable use is pretty costly. Many companies have lots of Arnold Schwarzenegger \”Terminator\” add on items to make the gun sexy but it is no more then painting flames on your car and adding spinning hubcaps and loud pipes.
$699.00 and you have the initial gun. The stocks and rails and geedunk are synthetic items and pretty cheap. None of that changes the fact that they are all 10 round guns in California. So you have $3295.00 to play with and spend on hundreds of dress up items. A price of $1295.00 is more appropriate as to value of this gun. It is pretty hard to make a tack driver out of this gun.
Nate the center section of any 308 is more than $700.00 so to say you can build one for a few bucks more shows you shop in Walmart
No, that’s incorrect, you can buy an upper and lower receiver and bolt/bolt carrier for about 500.
For the price, and simply in general, 1.5 MOA accuracy is unacceptable, except I suppose for people who care more about the “coolness” factor rather than performance. No thanks. The only thing a 1.5 MOA (or worse) rifle will “reap” is ammo, for follow-up shots. Sounds like a Ruger Mini-14 would be the ideal stable-mate to this thing. OTOH, is the author qualified to test for accuracy?
For the price, and simply in general, 1.5 MOA accuracy is unacceptable, except I suppose for people who care more about the “coolness” factor rather than performance. No thanks. The only thing a 1.5 MOA (or worse) rifle will “reap” is ammo, for follow-up shots. Sounds like a Ruger Mini-14 would be the ideal stable-mate to this thing. OTOH, is the author qualified to test for accuracy?
$3995.00 for a standard AR-15 H-Bar with a lot of Geedunk of questionable use is pretty costly. Many companies have lots of Arnold Schwarzenegger “Terminator” add on items to make the gun sexy but it is no more then painting flames on your car and adding spinning hubcaps and loud pipes.
$699.00 and you have the initial gun. The stocks and rails and geedunk are synthetic items and pretty cheap. None of that changes the fact that they are all 10 round guns in California. So you have $3295.00 to play with and spend on hundreds of dress up items. A price of $1295.00 is more appropriate as to value of this gun. It is pretty hard to make a tack driver out of this gun.
You act like you know what you are talking about, but you clearly don’t. There are no AR-15’s chambered in 7.62×51. There are no “standard” H-Bar AR’s with a gas piston operating system. Additionally features such as a non-reciprocating side charging handle, free-float modular handguard, etc… are functional enhancements. To equate them to flames on a paint job again confirms that you really don’t know what you are talking about. Yes it is a bit pricey, but there is no way you or anybody else could build a 7.62×51 gas-piston AR style rifle with even 1/2 the quality parts this one has for $1295 – at least not if they want to stay in business. And what the heck does the magazine capacity restriction in California have to do with anything? Do you think this is a California-exclusive or something?
(facepalm) I don’t understand the impulse to denigrate things you can’t afford. Only a mouth breather would sit at his keyboard and poo on a rifle he hasn’t seen in person let alone shot. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
My DPMS Gen 2 Recon is just as accurate as this rifle and it only cost $1400. I’ve also shot the LaRue OBR along side of the DPMS .308 and I couldn’t squeeze anymore accuracy out of it either. My opinion: The price of the REPR and the OBR is ridiculous, both are made for people who have more money than sense.
If you ever handled an LWRC you would understand how much craftsmanship goes into these weapons. I don’t own one but a friend does and the difference between LWRC and others is noticeable, not just in the fit and finish but also the functionality of the weapon. The article comments are spot on for an awesome company building fantastic weapons.
Butter Cream is the frosting on Red Velvet. 😉
Let us know how reliable it’s been at 1000 and 5000 rounds. Otherwise…meh. The SCAR 17 is cheaper and just plain works.
I can let you know how reliable it is at 10,000 rounds: very. The accuracy also markedly improves after only a couple hundred rounds and I easily print moa groups out to 500yards (the farthest I get to shoot regularly) with 175 SMKs.
An overpriced safe princess built in a State known for it’s extreme anti gun policies and severely restricted gun laws.
I pass…
Sad but true, you can not sell this LWRC gun, at any price, in Maryland to the Citizens that made it—until you cheat it out with a 10 round mag. It is why Beretta had the intestinal fortitude to leave and move South to Freedom to build their semi-auto black rifles, etc., and the price is far more competitive (no MD labor union – political donation fund surcharges?).
Good review. How does the non reciprocating charging handle / Fwd Assist function work?
Thanks
Hey Will – That was kind of cool, and I didn’t even catch it until (gasp!) I read the instructions 🙂
With the bolt in its resting position, you press the knob in towards the receiver, then push forward. It will move a 1/4 inch or so forward, forcing the bolt into battery. Kind of a nifty design.