The Universal Exchange Rifle
Starting with the upper receiver, this is the serialized part that houses the action, bolt, and trunnion. The lower is comprised of the Xchange Fire Control Housing and a separate Xchange Magwell. The fire control housing accepts most AR-15 trigger groups and pistol grips, and it supports the folding stock. The rifles ship with TriggerTech triggers.
The interchangeable magwell has different modules that can accept different magazine patterns depending on the caliber chosen, including AK-pattern chamberings and magazines. An enlarged dot identifier system is used to make sure calibers match with magwells.
The Xchange Barrel Assembly can be removed with three torqued screws. Similarly, the M-LOK handguard has different length options and is easily swapped. PWS claims barrel changes experience only .5-MOA shifts. Because it’s a modified long-stroke system, the recoil impulse is relatively soft.
Rounding out the features: controls are completely ambidextrous, and there is a three-position adjustable gas system including a dedicated suppressor setting, and a newly designed PWS compensator to deal with recoil and muzzle rise. The 16-inch .308 rifle weighs in at 6.8 pounds, svelte for a large pattern AR-10 platform.
Pricing & Options
The UXR will start at around $2,500, and caliber conversion kits will be about $500. Conversion kits will include the barrel, gas system, bolt and magazine well. First guns should start shipping by the end of February.
Initial barrels and calibers will be a 16-inch .308, 16-inch 556, and a 14.5-inch .300 Blackout. Later, PWS will release kits for 6.5 Creedmoor, 6 ARC, 8.6 Blackout and 7.62x39. More conversion kits should come every quarter.
I’m super excited about this gun. I was able to shoot a pre-production version, and it performed well. If the full production rifle is as accurate and reliable as advertised, this may be the next must-have do-it-all gun.
