Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
While AR10s have existed since Eugene Stoner himself designed them for Armalite in the late 1950s, they haven’t seen many revolutionary design changes. Components, accessories, and materials have gotten better, but the platform has remained relatively the same. That is until POF designed a new sub-6 pound .308 rifle packed with proprietary and patented innovations. The main intriguing design change I found was the reduction in the size of both the receivers and the BCG. These are nearly the size of a standard AR15, and quite smaller than that of AR10s which helps the POF Rogue shave some serious weight.
Table of contents
The Rogue showcases a Revolution DI BCG, a forged receiver set, a stainless steel match-grade barrel, an ambidextrous selector, a Renegade rail, and an oversized heatsink barrel nut.
POF Rogue AR10 Specifications:
OAL (Collapsed): 34 in
Weight: 5.9 lbs
Rifling: 1:8
Barrel: 16.5 in
Trigger: Single Stage 4.5lb
Furniture: MFT
Receiver Finish: Black / Patriot Brown
Handguard: 14.5” MMR
Muzzle: Micro-B
Out of the Box
Patriot Ordnance Factory ships the Rogue with a single Magpul 20-round magazine, the owner’s manual, and a POF sticker. The BCG comes coated with packing grease which should be wiped down before use. Then just lube it up with whatever gun oil you prefer to use.
BCG
What I find to be the most unique feature of the POF Rogue is the proprietary Bolt Carrier Group. Featuring a nickel-coated roller cam pin head, the Nitride heat-treated carrier actually rolls inside the channel of the upper receiver. This dramatically reduces friction and increases the service life of the upper.
The stainless-steel gas key is secured with a staked screw. It is also dovetailed into the carrier which makes the assembly quite rigid. POF designed it to reduce carrier tilt which increases reliability while reducing wear on internal components. Aiming to reduce friction and corrosion, the Rogue utilizes a nickel-plated bolt, extractor, and a chrome-plated firing pin.
The whole bolt carrier group is shrunk down to keep the same overall length as a standard AR15 BCG. As seen in the picture below, it more resembles the BCG of an AR15 rather than that of an AR10. This allows the upper and lower receiver to be shrunk down, decreasing weight and the overall size of the platform.
Receiver Set
The POF Rogue boasts both upper and lower receivers constructed from forged 7075 T7 aluminum. This material is known for its strength over rolled aluminum plate. The decision to omit the forward assist not only further reduced the overall weight of the rifle but also minimized the machining needed during its production. This results in cost savings that are passed on to the customers. Additionally, the lower receiver of the Rogue is equipped with titanium takedown pins. These offer a combination of lightweight design and robust performance.
Both the upper and lower receivers of the Rogue showcase machined pockets that reduce wall thickness while simultaneously enhancing aesthetics. This innovative feature not only contributes to weight reduction but also eliminates the need for skeletonization, a feature that can introduce additional dirt and grime into the system, compromising reliability. By opting for machined pockets instead, POF ensures a cleaner and more dependable operation. The Rogue is designed with standard AR controls, featuring a left-handed bolt catch, a right-handed magazine release, and ambidextrous safety. These familiar controls provide users with a comfortable and familiar interface, while also ensuring compatibility with a wide range of AR platform accessories.
READ MORE: Ultralight .308 – The POF Rogue: SHOT Show 2020
POF Rogue Trigger
The Rogue uses a single-stage, non-adjustable, drop-in trigger. POF states that it “boasts a solid 4.5-pound pull weight” but I consistently measured it to be right at a crisp 3.5-pounds. When using this trigger, there is no slack or takeup, so the trigger is always right on the “wall.” When pressing further, there is no creep resulting in a clean break. The reset is extremely short and puts the trigger right back on the wall, ready for the next shot. For an AR10, this trigger is perfect.
The trigger, disconnect, and hammer are all machined from “American A2” steel and Nitride heat-treated to a Rockwell 70 hardness scale. This increases the corrosion resistance as well as the ultimate strength. The trigger pins are held in place by custom-fit stainless steel KNS Precision™ Anti-walk Pins. The lower receiver is also machined to have a larger trigger port for easier use with gloves.
Handguard
While remaining lightweight, the Renegade Rail System from POF is built for use. It features M-LOK® slots at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, a full-length top Picatinny rail, as well as a 4-slot Picatinny rail section at the bottom forward edge of the rail. A nice touch is the external QD mounts on the left and right sides of the rail. Over long periods of use, QD locks machined into aluminum rails will wear out, but these external mounts can be swapped if necessary and protect the integrity of the rail.
POF Rogue Barrel
The Rogue’s 16.5″ match grade 416R stainless steel barrel utilizes a 1:8″ rifling and relatively thin contour. Coming with a 5/8×24 TPI threaded barrel, the Rogue uses the lightweight Micro B muzzle brake. This rifle features a midlength direct impingement gas system with a non-adjustable gas block. However, after some issues which I will explain later, I received the Rogue with the Dictator adjustable gas block. Aiming to be a polite citizen, I quickly attached a Silencerco Hybrid to the rifle to avoid any excess noise pollution. Suppressor use is also ideal for hunting situations, which I put myself in multiple times with this rifle.
A unique feature of the barrel system is the patented oversized heat sink barrel nut. This is three inches long and completely encompasses the chamber and throat area of the barrel. Machining fins into this barrel nut increases the surface area for quickly cooling the barrel, and utilizing an aluminum nut dissipates heat 17 times quicker than steel while remaining lighter.
The barrel also features POF-USA’s patented E2 duel-extraction technology which consists of four small channels cut into the walls of the chamber. According to POF, this allows “a small amount of gas pressure to push against the neck of the spent case. This pressure assists in extraction by breaking the seal between the chamber and case as well as pushing the spent case to the rear as the extractor is pulling to the rear. This removes a tremendous amount of work that would otherwise be left up to the extractor.”
Charging Handle
POF includes an ambi charging handle with the Rogue. The levers are slightly hooked forward which provides a great finger catch. Throughout my testing, it has operated smoothly and without issue.
Buffer Tube
While buffer tubes aren’t typically a point of interest, POF added a few creative features to make theirs run better. The aluminum anti-tilt buffer tube features “carrier cradle” extensions to make sure the BCG is always supported even when it is forward in battery. It also features three drain holes.
POF Rogue Accuracy
Looking to see how precise the POF Rogue is, I figured it was time to shoot some groups. Groups were shot prone and I got 1.00 MOA with Hornady Whitetail 150gr InterLock, 1.81 MOA with Hornady Precision Hunter 178gr ELD-X, and 2.01 MOA with Hornady Superformance 168gr ELD Match. All of those are acceptable for a 6lb ultralight gas gun.
POF Rogue Performance
Throughout my review, I encountered two issues that I believe were both linked back to the BCG. The first one was that the BCG was quite tight in the upper receiver where it should have been able to move freely. This in turn led to my second issue of the BCG getting stuck at the rear of the upper receiver near the bolt catch when shooting. Since this rifle doesn’t have a forward assist, I had to use a piece of brass to pry the carrier forward.
I immediately contacted POF as just a normal dude (I made no mention of working on a firearm review) and went through the warranty repair process after speaking to a representative on the phone, they ended up swapping out the buffer tube, upper receiver and even added the Dictator adjustable gas block at no charge after hearing I wanted to shoot suppressed and trying to make up for my troubles. After about two and a half weeks, they shipped back out the rifle for me. While it was not encouraging to have these issues right out of the gate, I was happy to see how POF took care of me even when I made no mention of my position as a writer for a firearm review.
Field Testing the POF Rogue
After getting the rifle back in hand, it shot fine both suppressed and unsuppressed. Recoil is slightly more than that of heavier AR10’s. However, I much prefer carrying the lightweight Rogue when hiking miles out in the field. Stalking up on wild pigs with this rifle and a Kopfjager K800 carbon fiber tripod felt much easier than with the AR10 I had been using for years. Also, not that anyone would be doubting it, but 308 paired with this 16″ barrel and Hornady ammunition has more than enough velocity to take down game. I spent two nights hunting with my buddies over at Black Sheep Outdoors. We were then able to get on wild pigs both nights and put the Rogue to work.
Summary
Throughout this review, I had the opportunity to test the Rogue by firing over 350 rounds with and without suppressors. In comparison to the AR10 I had been using for years, the lightweight design made for much easier hikes when approaching pigs. Featuring many patented and innovative solutions, this rifle is purpose-built from the ground up. Even though I had some issues that needed to be addressed, after being broken in, it ran great. I am a big fan of the design and innovative features. The MSRP for the POF Rogue is $2097 for the black model, and $2231 for either the Patriot Brown or Olive Drab variations.
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I was actually eyeing one of these a few weeks ago at my gun dealer. he had a black one and i was shocked how light it was. i’d be using primarily for hog hunting and the accuracy seems more than adequate for the 50-100 yard shots i’d be making. I think I’m going to buy one now after this review reassured me it’s a quality product.
I would like to see some target shooting results. “Only accurate rifle are interesting.”
Very, very nice, but too expensive for me. I’d like to see some innovations that would lighten an otherwise standard DPMS .308 (lightening cuts in the bolt carrier, mag well and fore end, thinner barrel, lighter gas block and muzzlebrake, etc.). BTW I didn’t notice anything in the article about increased recoil, which I am sure is a factor with this rifle. I’m thinking maybe a 7mm08 or .243 or 6.5 might be a better combination? Stay safe.
the Ruger sfar which is new for 2023, is now your budget friendly, lightweight ar10 which also comes in 6.5cm.
POF has 6.5 too, its a top quality gucci gun but still worth every penny if you can afford it.
Has anyone endurance tested this light weight AR? Like run 10,000 rounds through it? I also noticed that it did not like heavier bullets. Does it need a different twist rate on its barrel?
Resolve these issues and I will be very interested.