The recently revived Watchtower is diving back into the American firearms market space in 2026, and it’s doing the most American thing a gun maker can do: churning out quality AR-15 models.
Watchtower previously offered the Type 15 rifle, but the company wanted something with more upgraded features for the modern shooter in the new Raider15. There’s a full-length handguard that sports anti-rotation QD cups, plenty of M-LOK slots, and a full length of top Picatinny rail.
The Raider15 is fully ambidextrous, including a right-side bolt catch/release. The quality stocks come from B5 Systems, and the guns ship with Magpul MBUS flip-up sights.
Watchtower plans to have two rifle lines within the Raider15 family. The standard Raider15 will host an A2 “birdcage” flash hider, a chrome-lined 4150 stainless-steel barrel, and an ALG trigger. The Special Duty models will host a suppressor-ready muzzle device based on Dead Air’s KeyMo system. They will also offer a cold-hammer-forged barrel and a Geissele SDC trigger group.
The Raider15s are entirely redesigned, rather than being built on the older Type 15s. They are meant to be service-ready and robust right out of the box. They are also covered by Watchtower’s lifetime warranty.
