Concept and Test Parameters
Everyone loves a good deal, and saving money on your purchase is especially important in the world of firearms. You need ammo to train – the most important part of owning a gun – and ammo costs money. Any money I can save on the firearm is more I can spend on accessories and ammunition. For this test, I wanted to see if cutting that cost comes at a price.
With our recent shipment of Radical RF-15s, I figured it was time to take one to the range. So, I planned a test. First, I would shoot a grouping with the rifle right out of the box. After establishing that baseline, I planned to simulate extensive wear and use. To achieve this, I would use a full-auto lower from 2 If By Sea Tactical and roll through nearly 1,000 rounds suppressed.
Related: Affordable ARs from Radical Firearms – RF-15 FDE and RF-15 SOCOM RPR
Once the rifle completed this accelerated firing schedule, I would shoot another grouping to check for any significant shift in accuracy. For comparison, I would shoot a grouping with my FN-15 SRP G2, which costs about three times as much as the Radical and has about 3,000 rounds on the barrel.
The Setup
I equipped the brand-new Radical RF-15 with an Eotech Vudu 3.5-18x scope on a Midwest Industries QD mount. While this is probably too much glass for this kind of rifle, it makes shooting a solid grouping effortless. I also added a Dead Air Lazarus 6 3D-printed suppressor can withstand the increased shooting schedule of full-auto fire.
For ammunition, I decided not to do anything fancy. While shooting a group is typically done with high-grade ammo, if you’re spending around $400 on the rifle, you’re probably not buying match-grade ammo. Standard range ammo will be the most common. With that in mind, I shot the groups with some Fiocchi .223 55-grain FMJs.
Related Review: FN-15 SRP G2 Offers Solid Value
On the FN 15 SRP G2, I attached a Griffin Armament RECCE 5K suppressor and a Vortex Viper HD 3-15x optic on a Midwest Industries QD mount.
On the Range
After bore-sighting the optic, I printed a group with the Radical RF-15, shooting from a sled. I was originally going to shoot a five-round group, but I thought I might have pulled a round or two, so I decided to make it 10. Sure enough, it may not have been me pulling the round, but rather a few flyers. Ultimately, the rifle printed a grouping around 3-4 MOA, which isn’t bad at all.
Next, I switched to the full-auto lower to accelerate the aging process of the rifle. At a steady pace, I worked through 950 rounds of full-auto fire in two days. I spaced this out because I was not trying to melt down the gun, just to wear the parts at an accelerated rate.
There were a few hiccups, but it was all just the rate of fire overrunning the bolt, which I expected. I shot a lot of the rounds with an Eotech EXPS sight to save the scope from enduring full auto, but I went back to the scope for the last 250 rounds or so and was impressed. Not only did the Midwest Industries mount go right back to zero, it maintained zero through the bouts of full-auto fire.
After about 950 rounds, full auto and suppressed, I shot another 10-shot grouping. Amazingly, I think I shot a better group the second time around. The rifle maintained a respectable level of accuracy, again grouping around 3 MOA.
To compare, I shot 10 rounds from the more expensive FN rifle, which printed a group a little over 2 inches. While it was better than the Radical, I still consider it a win that the Radical maintained accuracy after almost 1,000 rounds.
Results
Now, 950 rounds may not be a ton of ammo, but few people shoot anywhere near 1,000 rounds out of their rifles. On an accelerated schedule, shooting suppressed, this is a taxing load for an AR, so let’s sum up the results.
Accuracy remained close to the control group, which is the most important thing. Some might argue 3-4 MOA is hardly accurate, but let’s not forget the 1-MOA rifle is a recent concept. The M1 Garand and M14 were easily 3 to 6-MOA rifles, which was perfectly acceptable. Ammo is another factor to consider, and 3-4 MOA at 100 yards with cheap range ammo is more than acceptable.
So, the rifle shot well, but I was interested to see what kind of wear it showed after this test. Upon visual inspection by our lead gunsmith, Jesse, and me, the RF-15 appears to be in solid shape. The accelerated fire schedule did strip some of the finish off the upper, but the BCG and upper receiver seem to have typical wear patterns. Nothing stands out as being an issue other than being filthy from suppressed full-auto fire.
Final Thoughts
The moral of the story is that training is important. It doesn’t matter if your AR costs $400 or $4,000 if you don’t put in time at the range. If $400 is in your budget, and it saves you money that you can spend on ammo to train, be confident and get an inexpensive rifle.
If you can afford something more expensive and still train, then go for it. Either way, make sure to exercise your Second Amendment rights,and hit the range to master the craft.
