Video: Rainier Arms First Complete AR, the Urban Carbine (RUC)

Rainier Arms has long been known for their quality and high-performance AR uppers and lowers, as well as being a great supplier for a bunch, and we mean a bunch of great competition and tactical parts and accessories.  Funny enough, they’ve never made a complete AR, but this year seems to be the year for all kinds of innovative and unique guns, and ARs in particular.

And we’ll be damned if Rainier Arms isn’t stepping into the AR arena swinging.  If you were saving up for a mid-range AR with a bunch of goodies from the factory, no matter what other brand or brands you were considering, you’d better have a look at the RA Urban Carbine.

First off, let’s talk quality.  The whole thing is mil-spec, which shouldn’t at all be a surprise.  But the bolt carrier is rated for M16s, which is to say, full-auto, even though this is a civvy-legal carbine, and it uses an H buffer.  All just extra headroom for wear.  Speaking of gun laws, the barrel is a compact 14.5 inches long (with a 1:7 twist for heavy ammo).  It’s not a short-barreled rifle thanks to a pinned Rainier Arms Xtreme Tactical Compensator.  It also features extended M4 feed ramps.

It has an enlarged Gun Fighter charging handle, a mid-length gas system, and a 12-inch Evolution free-floating handguard that also acts as a heatsink.  The Evolution handguard features a full-length flat top rail and three forward Picatinny rails for accessories, and has a built-in quick-detach sling mount built in.  Riding along the rails is a set of Diamond Head backup iron sights, which are extremely fast and very accurate.  Speaking of fast, it also uses a Geissele OEM trigger.

Finish off the furniture is Magpul’s latest MOE+ pistol grip, which is similar to the MOE with a rubber composite exterior for extra grippiness, and a Vltor iMod Carbine buttstock.  It comes with one 30-round translucent Lancer magazine.

All said and done, it costs $1600.  Wait, except not, because to celebrate the thing, they’re charging just $1300, and on top of that, the first 100 order will get an upgraded trigger, with a Geissele SSA trigger.  Seriously, we don’t know how they’re even making money on ’em.

Like we were saying, 2011 seems to be the year for ARs, (neverming the 1911) and they just keep getting hotter.  For your enjoyment, a review of the Rainier Arms Xtreme Compesator: