AR-15

Every AR-15 since the original has relied on a pair of takedown pins to hold the upper and lower together. The X-Ordnance X1-15 drops them entirely. Its patented quick-release system lets the rifle be fully assembled or taken apart in seconds, with no traditional takedown pins to push out or get stuck.

Most camo rifles get their pattern from a factory machine. The DB15 Swamp Stalker gets it from a stencil, a steady hand and a lot of patience. Diamondback Firearms built this 5.56 NATO rifle as a Sports South exclusive, and the finish is made of precision-cut stencils, hand-laid patterns and individually sprayed Cerakote layers. The idea is a rifle that stands out at the dealer counter and in the field. "The Swamp Stalker finish is built the right way," says Diamondback COO Alicia McCabe, and she adds that the attention-getting paint sits on top of the DB15 foundation.

The Strike AR Rapid Bolt Deploy Lever provides a streamlined interface for true ambidextrous operation. The upgrade attaches to an existing mil-spec bolt catch paddle via a secure two-screw installation and adds an easy-to-reach lever for fast right-hand bolt releases.

Midwest Industries is most likely known for its various handguards, most notably its AR-15 and AK handguards. Today, with the massive amount of mission diversity that is necessitated by modern warfare, the ability to reliably mount a significant number of various accessories to a handguard is a greater demand for rigidity and adaptability for AR-based weapons. The need for increased rigidity in handguards has been recognised. Several companies have stepped up their game to facilitate these needs, and Midwest was also paying attention.

The Global War on Terror has been protracted, seeing its reach stretch to every major part of the world. As this global conflict has progressed, so too have tactics and technology, culminating in a new and frightening blend of technology and tactics never before witnessed. Regardless of the advancements, warfare comes down to taking and holding territory and denying it to the enemy. This necessitates troops on the ground, and a soldier requires a rifle. Advancements in day and night combat have led to a variety of accessories needed to take and maintain the advantage. The use of multiple optics, lasers, lights, and other technology has integrated itself into the rifle. These additional requirements have equated to weapon platforms that can facilitate their use, but also support long-term use in the worst conditions.

In general, Bosnian defense manufacturers are not very well known in the US. But there is one important exception – AC Unity, a company from the town of Goražde, known to US and international customers for its polymer magazines for AK, AR-15, and MP5s, which TFB reviewed several years ago.

WOOX has introduced the Vigilante Beavertail Grip, a handcrafted AR-platform grip combining premium walnut with an integrated polymer beavertail. The grip is handcrafted in Italy from American Claro walnut and features laser-engraved grip texture. The beavertail extension is engineered from high-strength technopolymer and provides an integrated reinforced design for control, stability, and comfort. The grip maintains an ambidextrous, symmetrical design compatible with AR-15, AR-10, M4, and M16 platforms.

When companies introduce new AR-15 charging handles, we usually see that they redesigned the actual side handles by changing their length, shape and texture, making them ambidextrous, more ergonomic or merely aesthetically different. Haga Defense took a 180-degree (or rather 90-degree) different approach; in their new Saraid Top Notch AR-15 charging handle, they deleted the side handles altogether, replacing them with a single vertical handle. According to the company, this design choice is made because the standard side protrusions cause gear snags, interfere with forward assists, or complicate manipulations near optics and slings.

“The One Horse,” or simply One Horse, who we had on the podcast earlier last month, is bringing its Express Series down to pistol length with two new 10.5-inch 5.56 models, the Express Pistol MLOK and Express Pistol Quad Rail. Both carry over the same factory-installed Atrius Forced Reset Selector setup that defined the original 16-inch Express Rifle, which matters more than it sounds. An FRS is a drop-in part on paper, but if you’ve ever tinkered with one as I have in a number of different rifles, “timing” or tuning it correctly against the buffer weight, gas system, and shelf geometry is where a lot of DIY installs go sideways. One Horse is fitting, timing, and testing the whole system- selector, fire control group, gas system, BCG, and buffer- at the factory before it ships, rather than leaving that process to the end user, which can often be a frustrating lesson in tolerance stacking.

Reload speed is often a geometry problem as much as it's a training/repition one, and XTech Tactical thinks it's found a cleaner solution than the billet flare kits that have dominated the category. The new X-Flare 556 and X-Flare Digital are glass-filled nylon magwells built specifically for true Mil-Spec AR-15/M4 lowers, promising a funnel opening 1.75 times larger than what a stock lower offers. Installation is only supposed to take a few minutes and typically skips pulling the trigger guard or grip entirely. Sonic-welded steel inserts handle the fastener loads, and the whole unit reportedly adds only about an ounce - all for $40. The Digital variant builds on that base with a customizable marking surface for caliber ID or personalization, which I’m a huge fan of.

The weight race for AR platform receivers just shifted, and this is of interest for anyone who’s running & gunning a lot. 1791 Industries is introducing its LiteRaider line of ultra-lightweight uppers and lowers built from Metal Matrix Composite, a material engineered to sit 33 percent lighter than aluminum while matching the strength profile of 7075-T6. That's not a marketing-thin claim; it's built on an actual material science play, one that could reshape how builders approach the sub-eight-pound rifle conversation.

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Jeremy Hammons and Drew Markel, the founder and co-owner of One Horse, a brand-new 100% American-made AR-15 manufacturer out of Brownstown, Indiana, with a little bit of pedigree from Anderson Manufacturing, which recently shut its doors for good. Today we'll dig into the One Horse origin story, what their current lineup looks like, including their new One Horse Express, and where the company is headed next in this constantly changing market. Please give a warm welcome to Jeremy and Drew!

Photo Of The Day: When precision matters and the clock is against you, a solid rifle-optic pairing becomes non-negotiable. The Schmeisser Pro Hunter, dressed in Flat Dark Earth with its 18-inch barrel and .223 Remington chamber, paired with the Schmidt & Bender 3–18×42 META scope, represents exactly that kind of no-nonsense approach to distance work. This is one of Europe’s finest AR-15s, with one of the best optics.

For 25 years, Daniel Defense has built a reputation on the kind of hardware that ends up in special operations kits. To mark that milestone, the company is reaching back to one of its rarest chapters, a handguard so obscure it borders on myth. The GL/SSC, short for Grenade Launcher/Sound Suppressor Capable, was a slightly shortened version of the legendary RIS II rail, purpose-built for 12.5-inch barrel setups while retaining full M203 grenade launcher mounting capability.

Three brands walked into a gun store. The result is one of the more complete truck gun packages to hit the market in a while. VKTR Industries, Exigent Defense, and Shark Coast Tactical have teamed up on a bundle they're calling the Kentucky Truck Gun, an exclusive collaboration available only through Shark Coast.

I have never really been a huge piston-driven AR-15 fan. The extra weight, complexity, and lack of real benefit for me as a fairly low-volume civilian shooter left me convinced that a well-built direct impingement rifle still offered the best balance for people like me. So when Franklin Armory offered to send out one of their OPS-16 rifles, I figured it’d be another chance to reaffirm my somewhat anti-piston-AR stance. This fairly new rifle is intended to be used with Franklin’s Binary system, but I’ve decided to abscond with the BFS and instead review the standard, 16-inch 5.56 rifle configuration, which uses a low-profile, self-regulating Osprey Defense piston system that aims for cleaner operation and suppressor compatibility without the usual adjustments or swapping out of other components.

VKTR Industries is making its patented ambidextrous lower receivers available as stand-alone products for the first time, opening them up to shooters who previously could only get one by purchasing a complete VKTR rifle. The VK1 Complete Lower is now available to dealers, distributors, and the law enforcement market.

“Okay, What do I do?” When you can’t nuke the xenomorphs from orbit, it’s time to pull out your M41A Pulse Rifle equipped with the Manticore Ripley Rail. (over/under pump action 30mm grenade launcher sold separately)

Magpul has announced the release of a new color option, Modified Coyote Brown (MCB), across a selection of its existing AR-platform accessories. First shown earlier this year at SHOT Show 2026, the new finish is now available on multiple products through Magpul’s website and retail channels.

Welcome back to TFB’s   Small Business Spotlight! In this weekly column, we take a look at small firearm-related businesses. Today’s company is Mountain Man Defense, a manufacturer of AR-15 pattern rifles from Billings, Montana.

Sturm Ruger & Company has announced a new 250th Anniversary Series of firearms, marking the United States semiquincentennial with a range of limited-production models. Each firearm in the series is marked “Made in the 250th Year of American Liberty,” echoing Ruger’s earlier Bicentennial commemorative releases from 1976. The lineup spans multiple product families, including the 10/22 rifle, LCP MAX pistol, Ruger American Gen II rifle, Mark IV 22/45 pistol, Super Wrangler revolver, and an AR-pattern lower receiver.

Rock River Arms has introduced a new Retro A1 Carbine SBR, a short-barreled rifle built around a classic AR-15 configuration with modern manufacturing. The new model features a 10.5-inch chrome moly barrel with a CAR-length gas system and is chambered in 5.56 NATO/.223 Remington. It is built on the company’s forged LAR-15M lower receiver and paired with an A1-style carry handle upper, maintaining a traditional fixed-sight setup.

The modern shooter can be relegated into two primary categories: the professional and sports shooter. There is a bifurcation between the two groupings based on effectiveness in combat vs functionality for competition. The Forward Operating Grip (FOG) by Contour Tactics looks to blur the lines of both with a product that has a place in both worlds.

Steen Defense introduced its long‑requested MCRC (Multicaliber Combat Rifle Compact), a compact 5.56×45mm NATO carbine developed as a reinforcement weapon for users who do not primarily serve in front‑line combat roles. Intended for police and military personnel who need more capability than a service pistol or submachine gun can provide, the MCRC is said to fill a niche few manufacturers address in this caliber and size category - at least within Europe.

What sets the Omni Buster apart from some competitors is that the gas mitigation is truly ambidextrous. Breek Arms specifically calls out that it works "without relying on unidirectional features that favor a single shooting orientation." A lot of suppressor-ready charging handles on the market redirect gas effectively for right-handed shooters, but leave lefties dealing with the same problem from the other side. If Breek's design actually delivers symmetric gas management, that's a meaningful differentiator.

Folding stocks on rifles have been both misused and misunderstood for decades. While the AK possesses one of the most iconic folding stocks, the AR15 has long suffered from an inability to yield. Folding the stock has been the unobtanium of the AR world since its conception. No longer, Dead Foot Arms has found the secret to folding under pressure, but without compromising form or function.

Wilson Combat is expanding its WC-15 line of AR-15 pattern rifles with the addition of the new Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR). This rifle is advertised as a purpose-built platform engineered for shooters who demand accuracy, reliability, and refinement in every shot. Let’s take a look at the specs and features of the new Wilson Combat Designated Marksman Rifle.

In the world of AR15s, the sky truly is the limit with almost endless options for every budget. As of the time of this writing, there are complete rifles available online starting at $349.99. With such a wide variety of pricing, looking at some of the most expensive options can seem wild. I never understood why the HK line of rifles was drastically more expensive than other options on the market. I decided to take the plunge and purchase one so we can find out what the buzz is all about with this German tank of a rifle. Let's take a closer look at the Heckler & Koch MR556 A4 rifle.

The AR-15 has become the most prolific modern rifle in America—and for good reason. Its modularity, accuracy, ergonomics, and proven track record make it a top choice for self-defense, competition, and professional use. But among all the possible configurations, there’s endless debate over which build is truly “best.” There is personal conjecture from both professionals and content ninjas alike. Today is an examination on the original modern-day patrol carbine, the MK12 SPR; more than a precision weapon, the SPR is the do-all shooter; the SPR is the multi-tool of ARs.

Magpul has some new releases for 2026, including additional color options. Unlike past years, Magpul is not announcing as many new items at SHOT but will be announcing them over the course of the year as they are ready to be released. So while there are a few things to go over today, you will have to stay tuned to see what Magpul is dropping later in the year.