Rock River Arms is rolling out a new, budget-friendly, competition-oriented AR chambered for 5.56 NATO. It’s built to be lightweight where it needs to be and heavy where it counts.
Called the 3G, the new AR-15-pattern rifle joins the RRAGE series. It’s a straightforward build with a 16-inch heavy HBAR-profile barrel and a slick-sided extruded upper receiver and matching handguard.
The standout feature of the 3G over other RRAGE rifles is the full-length M-Lok handguard. It’s a minimalist design with only a short 12-o’clock rail at the rear for overhanging accessories and a short forward section for a front iron sight. It also comes standard with a RRA single-stage trigger.
“This new handguard is M-LOK compatible to provide custom accessorizing and is designed to blend smoothly with RRA’s proprietary extruded aluminum flat top upper,” said Rock River in the announcement. “The combination delivers an upper assembly with clean, matching contours that is visually appealing and has a smooth, monolithic-style profile for quick, snag-free sling transitions.”
Like the original RRAGE Carbine, the 3G is tuned for middleweight and lighter ammo with a 1-in-9 twist barrel and short carbine-length gas system. And like virtually all entry-level and competition rifles, the 3G is “optics-ready” with no factory optics or sights.
Since most competitive shooters have a specific type of optic or sights in mind, it makes more sense for Rock River to leave them out of the package and let the user decide what they would like to install. The same can be said for muzzle devices although the 3G does come with a factory birdcage flash hider installed.
The 3G also comes with a typical A2-style pistol grip and buttstock. Again, these low-cost components do the job, keep the overall price down and are simple and easy for shooters to swap out if they want something less basic.
The extruded upper receiver has a dust cover assembly and a slight shell deflector but no forward assist. Forward assists also add a bit of cost, weight, and complexity and aren’t particularly necessary on competition rifles.
The weight-savings tweaks add up, and the 3G only weighs 6.5 pounds unloaded. That’s just a quarter-pound more than the original RRAGE carbine with the addition of a full-length handguard.
See Also: RRA Jumps Into Entry-Level Market: RRAGE Full Review
The handguard shares the same lines with the upper receiver neatly matching the rail. In addition to the M-Lok slots for accessories, the handguard has forward and rear quick-detach sling points on both sides to accommodate any number of different sling styles.
Rock River bundles the 3G with a single 30-round magazine where available and carries an $820 MSRP. In-store and online pricing is usually less by a comfortable margin. Existing AR owners who like the upper can buy it separately for just $325 including the bolt carrier group and charging handle.
With the ever-increasing demand for AR-15-style rifles, the RRAGE 3G is an easy, affordable option for new shooters and existing owners looking to put another rifle in the safe.
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