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Remington's R-15 VTR .204 Ruger
Like many shooters, I knew it wouldn't be long before Remington introduced an AR-15-style rifle after it was acquired by Cerberus Capital Management, the company that also owns Bushmaster.
By Greg Rodriguez
We were right, but Remington went in a unique direction right off the bat--for AR makers, anyway--aiming its new R-15 VTR line of AR-style rifles squarely at American varmint and predator hunters.
The R-15 VTR--short for Varmint Tactical Rifle--is available with a fixed stock and a choice of an 18- or 22-inch barrel; it is also available in a collapsible-stocked configuration with an 18-inch tube. All are available in .223 Remington or .204 Ruger.
The 18-inch-barreled, collapsible-stock version, which Remington calls the Predator Carbine CS, is the model I toted on a Utah predator-calling expedition in early December 2007. It was chambered for the .204 Ruger round, and it is the subject of this article.
Like all R-15 VTR rifles and carbines, the CS starts with a forged, aircraft-grade, 7075-T6 aluminum upper and lower that are finished in Advantage Max-1 HD camo. An A2-style pistol grip is standard, as is Remington's new single-stage trigger, which broke at 4 pounds, 6 ounces on my review sample. The trigger had a bit of take-up and minimal overtravel.
Untitled Document
REMINGTON R-15 CARBINE CS |
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| MANUFACTURER |
Reminton Arms Co. Inc.
870 Remington Dr.
Madison,
NC 27025
www.remington.com |
| MODEL |
R-15 Carbine CS |
| PURPOSE |
Varmints |
| ACTION TYPE |
Semiautomatic |
| OPERATION |
Direct-gas-impingement |
| MAGAZINE TYPE & CAPACITY |
Detatchable, five rounds. Accepts all standard AR-15 magazines. |
| RECIEVER MATERIAL |
7075 T6 aluminum |
| CALIBERS |
.204 Ruger (tested) and .223 Remington |
| BARREL LENGTH |
18 (tested) and 22 inches |
| SIGHTS |
None; flat-top upper has a Picatinny rail |
| METAL FINISH |
Realtree Advantage Max-1 HD camo |
| SAFETY |
Single-sided |
| TRIGGER TYPE |
Single-Stage |
| PULL WEIGHT |
4 pounds, 6 ounces |
| STOCK TYPE |
M-4 style, six-poistion collapsible (tested) or fixed, A2 style |
| STOCK FINISH |
Realtree Advantage Max-1 HD camo |
| SLING STUDS/SWIVELS |
Fized Studs |
| WEIGHT EMPTY |
6.75 pounds (as tested) |
| OVERALL LENGTH |
33.25 inches to 36.25 inches |
| ACCESSORIES |
Lockable hard case, owner's manual |
| MSRP |
$999 |
In keeping with its "Carbine CS" designation, the CS has a collapsible, six-position, M-4-style stock. But unlike the mil-spec M-4 version, Remington's has a conventional sling-swivel stud that I much prefer for ease of sling mounting over the mil-spec stock's integral loop.
The CS also has a relatively thin 18-inch, fluted barrel that measures just 0.68 inch at the muzzle. The barrel is free-floated under an aluminum handguard, which also conceals the carbine's low-profile gas block. The handguard has four, 2-inch-long cooling slots around its circumference both fore and aft. Mine came with a single sling-swivel stud, but it has a pre-drilled hole for mounting an extra stud to facilitate mounting a bipod. The handguard also has screw holes at the 6 and 9 o'clock positions for mounting accessory rails for those hunters who like to clamp lights, lasers, or other such tactical accessories on their carbines.
The upper receiver has a Picatinny-spec, flat-top rail for scope mounting. For my Utah hunt, the test rifle was equipped with a 2.5-10X Nikon Monarch, but after the hunt, it arrived at my office with only a set of scope bases and Warne rings. So in preparation for my testing, I mounted a 3.5-10X 42mm SII Big Sky scope from Sightron. The Sightron scope was bright and clear, tracked perfectly, and held its zero throughout my testing.
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