Reviews of the 18 Inch LaRue Tactical OBR (Optimized Battle Rifle) ????

[david walter]

I have a chance to buy one of these:

18 Inch LaRue Tactical OBR (Optimized Battle Rifle) Complete 7.62 Rifle | LaRue Tactical

Not much under retail, so I'd like to know what I'm getting before I spend the cash.

Better than the LMT MWS?

Better than the LWRC REPR?

Observations, comments and complaints?

Which would/did you get and why?

 

[elfster1234]

Lwrc is a gas piston... Other two are direct. All about the same in terms of accuracy. About 1moa, maybe a tad bit less than sub moa on average.

For me it would be a toss up between the obr and the lmt. Might be able to get a new lmt mws 20" for about 2500 bucks. My lmt mws is the only rifle in my collection to shoot sub moa all day long. Built like a tank and is heavy but what 308 AR isnt.

 

[jevan126]

Not many Larue fans here but I can tell you from experience it is a great rifle. I would put it in the same category as LMT but a lighter rifle and more accurate than a LWRC. But if you want something even more special take a look at a GAP-10 or a JP LRP-07. I have shot both of these and I own a JP LRP-07, IMO after shooting all 4 of these the GAP and JP are the two best semi-auto rifle I have ever shot. Have fun

 

[Pusher591]

By Larue fans he means, fans of Mark Larue. I'm not a big Mark Larue fan either but his guns and gear are top notch. Very consistent machining and tooling. His rifles are VERY accurate!

 

[JonLSU]

It actually weighs pretty much the same as the LM8MWS. The 16in LMT is 9.2 and so is the 16in OBR. Both are damn good guns. I just bought the LM8MWS with SS barrel, but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. Also have had an OBR on order since Jan. If the LMT lives up to my expectations the Larue will probably get cancelled.

 

[Chris@InterstateGuns]

No LRP-07 love from the OP? I'm trying to get rid of my LMT for one.

 

[GUNNER10]

better is subjective, end performance is pretty much going to be equal. before dropping 3500 on an OBR you should go to somewhere like rainier arms and sources the parts to build a laid out 308,

billit receiver set 600
gieselle trigger 250
noveske/krieger barrel 550
lower parts kit 100
handguard 350
stock kit 200
miuzzle brake 150
back up sights 250

your looking at around 2600 for a laid out 308 AR using the best parts at retail prices. now ask your self what do you get for the 1000 dollar plus premium you would be paying for the OBR, Mark is not some legendary gunsmith who hand fits each part to his rifles like a high end 1911. he simply has his CNC machines shit out parts like all the other AR manufactures and pays somebody to screw the parts together. Like somehow marks CNCmachines are better than Mega's or POF's or daniel defense, ect... if that premium is worth it thats up to you go for it.

there have been 4 or 5 MOA all day threads and OBR's continuously under-perform, routinely getting out shot by run of the mil AR's like DPMS or RRA, i just dont get it, there rifles have a reputation for accuracy but are getting worked by 1200 rifles with trigger jobs.

 

[bullseye13]

I have been more than impressed with my 20" OBR, and have never regreted spending the money for it. I have many upper lower combos including; Mega, Seekins, POF, Spikes, DPMS, and Bushmaster. The OBR is the cleanest, and nicest fitting AR I have, and it's a hammer. Is it "better" than any other AR platform? I wouldn't say that because it is very subjective. I would by another Larue in a second. That being said I would also love to own LMT, JP, and LWRC as well because they all are cool in thier own way.

For what its worth, I have been extremely impressed with Seekins. If I were going to build one, I would use there upper/lower with JP guts, Gissele trigger, Rainier arms raptor charging handle. Everything else, customize to your own liking.

 

[gunfreak101]

I have a 18" obr 7.62 and 5.56. Both the rifles shoot great and i would not hesitate to get one. I have shot lesser quality and i would pit mine up against a gap 10 any day.

 

[bullseye13]

I forgot to put a GAP 10 on my wish list too. I would like to own pretty much everything they make.

 

[K_4c]

Jp or OBR.... only two I'd be interested in buying again.

 

[USMAGator]

I've got an 18" OBR 7.62 and wouldn't trade it. It's a little heavy but handles nicely for it's weight. Mine has a CTR stock with RISR and it balances well, doesn't feel either front or back heavy to me.

If I was going to buy again, I might be inclined to get the LMT because I like the idea of being able to swap barrels easily, and with the OBR you're stuck with what you've got. With reloading I've gained an interest in shooting 260 or 6.5CM and it would be nice to have that option, as with the LMT.

better is subjective, end performance is pretty much going to be equal.


there have been 4 or 5 MOA all day threads and OBR's continuously under-perform, routinely getting out shot by run of the mil AR's like DPMS or RRA, i just dont get it, there rifles have a reputation for accuracy but are getting worked by 1200 rifles with trigger jobs.

Anyone capable of shooting 3/4moa all day with an MWS or OBR will be able to do so with a JP or GAP or DPMS that performs too. I believe that those threads have shown that shooter ability is more important than equipment....as they say, it's the indian, not the arrow. I've posted results in those threads and on a good day have averaged just a gnats ass under 1moa......and I'm a chemo patient whose resting heart rate doesn't fall below 120, hardly a competitive target shooter. There are better shooters out there who can beat my scores with ease with a DPMS or whatever else, and they could definitely beat me with my own weapon too.

I feel comfortable with the OBR and have never had so much as a hiccup from that weapon in function or reliability, I have never felt limited by it's accuracy potential, and I'm confident that if it goes tits-up then I can ship it back to Larue and they'll make things right. You'll almost certainly be happy with any of the brands you mentioned or the ones recommended, so good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[mdmorrow]

I own both a Larue 556 PredatAR and a GAP-10. I've shot the 7.62 OBR as well as the REPR. Between the GAP and the Larue, I'd say flip a coin with maybe a slight advantage to GAP. It was just personal preference for me. I liked the ability to customize the GAP and I've had excellent service from those guys. I also like the looks of the GAP more. I'm no big fan of Mark Larue but he has good people working for him.

 

[GhostFace]

better is subjective, end performance is pretty much going to be equal. before dropping 3500 on an OBR you should go to somewhere like rainier arms and sources the parts to build a laid out 308,

billit receiver set 600
gieselle trigger 250
noveske/krieger barrel 550
lower parts kit 100
handguard 350
stock kit 200
miuzzle brake 150
back up sights 250

your looking at around 2600 for a laid out 308 AR using the best parts at retail prices. now ask your self what do you get for the 1000 dollar plus premium you would be paying for the OBR, Mark is not some legendary gunsmith who hand fits each part to his rifles like a high end 1911. he simply has his CNC machines shit out parts like all the other AR manufactures and pays somebody to screw the parts together. Like somehow marks CNCmachines are better than Mega's or POF's or daniel defense, ect... if that premium is worth it thats up to you go for it.

there have been 4 or 5 MOA all day threads and OBR's continuously under-perform, routinely getting out shot by run of the mil AR's like DPMS or RRA, i just dont get it, there rifles have a reputation for accuracy but are getting worked by 1200 rifles with trigger jobs.

That's a huge +1 and sage advice!!! It's remarkable how some think a KAC, LMT or OBR is going to be magicly more accurate than anything else you can buy or put together with good parts. Nothing is wrong with any of those but it's not going to get 1/8th MOA accuracy. RRA, Armalite or DPMS will all shoot just as accurately as the the "Tier 1" rifles. Accessories, roll marks and finish is what you are paying for, is it worth an extra $1,000? Not to me but to others, apparently so...

 

[texag0842]

Only gas gun I would own again is a JP.

Sold my OBR and LMT for a JP and haven't looked back.

 

[346ci]

No LRP-07 love from the OP? I'm trying to get rid of my LMT for one.

No kidding here! For the money, JP or GAP!

 

[nfoley]

I had an OBR that was incredibly accurate, and shot another that was the same. Always shot under MOA for me, and usually around 1/2 MOA.
I think if I were to buy another 308 gas gun it would be high on the list. Would consider the JP as well as the GAP in the running.

 

[bluto77]

I have an 18" OBR 5.56. I had trouble getting it to group at first, but now I'm starting to get it figured out. Plus, I'm not the sharpest shooter in the world, so I had to work at it to get the groups down to Sub MOA. I expect improvement to continue down to the .75 MOA range. I will not be happy until it gets to that point. If you can buy any LaRue for a little less than retail, then I'd jump all over that. Go try it out, and if you don't like it for some reason, then sell it for more than retail. I'm thinking you meant to say the rifle was selling for more than retail though. I haven't seen any going for less. Here's some groups from elfster's 100 yd 6 group challenge thread. Part of my grouping problem was the ammo. Now that I'm using FGMM it really likes it. Can't wait to see what some hand loads will do. You should note that there are at least one group per target with some asinine "flyer". That's shooter error.

Here are some 3 shot groups from testing different ammo. Not the best indicator, but I like the .215" group!

better is subjective, end performance is pretty much going to be equal....... there have been 4 or 5 MOA all day threads and OBR's continuously under-perform, routinely getting out shot by run of the mil AR's like DPMS or RRA, i just dont get it, there rifles have a reputation for accuracy but are getting worked by 1200 rifles with trigger jobs.

You should read back through that thread that you like to refer to. Yes, there are a couple DPMS and a couple RRA's that seem to perform really well. Coincidentally they're owned by guys that consistently shoot lights out in the thread. I copied a list of the top 10. Heydogman has at least 6 or 7 sub MOA average targets. That's holding sub MOA average over more than 200 shots!!! I think Heydogman might be slightly offended if somebody said those results had more to do with the rifle and less with the shooter. Same for Boone, Twitchy, and Wagonpilot. They all had at least 4 or 5 targets that were Sub MOA. That's holding sub MOA over 150 shots. I'm sure it's their rifles though. Then there's Elfster. He has lots of targets posted, and he owns lots of different guns. Check him out on the 600 yard thread. He does well with his RRA and DPMS, he shoots lights out with this LMT.

Run through that thread and count the number of participants that were using a LaRue. There were 3. Besides mine, there were 2 other guys that each posted 1 target with their OBR. Both of them were sub MOA average, with one of them sitting at number 2 on the board.. And you can check out my "Get my OBR to group" thread to see that there was a problem with ammo, not the rifle, early on. I just started shooting prone, and just got a shooting mat from Midway yesterday along with a real rear shooting bag. I guarantee you I make the top 10 tomorrow. Not sure how you figure so many OBR's are "getting worked" in the thread. But I've noticed you LOVE to say that!!!

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="color: #FF0000"> ROUND2((((( 100 YARD !!! )))))SNIPER'S HIDE SEMI-AUTO BEST AVERAGE (TOP TEN) (average# is what really counts!):</span></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold">***#1 place: HEYDOGMAN, DPMS LR 24" SS BULL 6.5, (.522 AVERAGE), shot on (07/12/13), post on page5***</span>
#2 place: THEBELLY, PREDATAR 16'' 7.62, (.536 AVERAGE), shot on (08/03/13), post on page6
#3 place: BOONE3380, RRA VARMINT 24" SS BULL 5.56, (.552 AVERAGE), shot on (05/03/13), post on page2
#4 place: TWITCHY, BUSHMASTER VARMINT 18" SS SPR 5.56, (.6233 AVERAGE), shot on (07/15/13), post on page5
#5 place: WAGONPILOT, RRA W/JEWEL TRIGGER 24" SS BULL 5.56, (.653 AVERAGE), shot on (05/27/13), post on page3
#6 place: SEANHAGERTY, BCM/STAG 20" SS BULL 5.56, (.693 AVERAGE), shot on (05/22/13), post on page3
#7 place: ELFSTER1234, RRA EOP VARMINT 18" SS BULL 5.56, (.7086 AVERAGE), shot on (05/26/13), post on page4
#8 place: ELFSTER1234, LMT MWS 20" CL 7.62, (.7698 AVERAGE), shot on (06/16/13), post on page4 (M.E.O.C.W. gauntlet test target)
#9 place: WFJAMES22, LMT MWS 20" SS 260REM, (.834 AVERAGE), shot on (06/03/13), post on page4
#10 place: NAKAS, KAC SR25 EMR 20" 7.62, (.854 AVERAGE), shot on (07/19/13), post on page5

 

[RonboF117]

Among other weapons, we have 18" versions of both (5.56 and 7.62) in my company and they are very accurate rifles. Definitely not light, but very accurate. If you aren't shooting less than MOA, it's you or your ammo.

 

[elfster1234]

Just some interesting information after many many entries and many many bullets down range damn near 1year later to the date. I'm not saying anything good, bad, or different. I'm just posting the results. Notice my average & boone3380's average from round#1 and round#2 are damn near the same!:

FROM ROUND#1:
((((( 100 YARD !!! )))))SNIPER'S HIDE SEMI-AUTO BEST AVERAGE (TOP TEN) (average# is what really counts!):
*** #1 place: Overkill, 24" KREIGER BULL DPMS REPR .260 REM, (.31983" average), shot on (10/15/12), post on page#13
***
#2 place: dmpowder, 16" BULL DPMS SWEET 16 5.56, (.459" average), shot on (10/04/12), post on page#12
#3 place: Victory, 18" SPR NOVESKE 5.56, (.515" average), shot on (10/03/12), post on page#12
#4 place: Squin, 24" BULL GRENDEL LBC-AR .264 LBC-AR, (.5317" average), shot on (09/15/12), post on page#8
#5 place: Boone3380, 24" BULL RRA VARMINT 5.56, (.601" average), shot on (09/24/12), post on page#13
#6 place: Hunt1, 24" BULL DPMS 5.56, (.659" average), shot on (10/06/12), post on page#12
#7 place: Mcarnell82, 20" BULL RRA VARMINT 5.56, (.7173" average), shot on (09/10/12), post on page#5
#8 place: Jon Lester, 23" GAP 10 6 CREED, (.723" average), shot on (09/21/12), post on page#8
#9 place: Crashnrando, 18"MID BHW AR YHM UP&LOW 6x45, (.736" average), shot on (09/28/12), post on page#10
#10 place: Elfster1234 , 20"CL LMT MWS 7.62 , (.749" average) , shot on (08/26/12), post on page#1



FROM ROUND#2 (still going):
ROUND2((((( 100 YARD !!! )))))SNIPER'S HIDE SEMI-AUTO BEST AVERAGE (TOP TEN) (average# is what really counts!):
***#1 place: HEYDOGMAN, DPMS LR 24" SS BULL 6.5, (.522 AVERAGE), shot on (07/12/13), post on page5***
#2 place: THEBELLY, PREDATAR 16'' 7.62, (.536 AVERAGE), shot on (08/03/13), post on page6
#3 place: BOONE3380, RRA VARMINT 24" SS BULL 5.56, (.552 AVERAGE), shot on (05/03/13), post on page2
#4 place: TWITCHY, BUSHMASTER VARMINT 18" SS SPR 5.56, (.6233 AVERAGE), shot on (07/15/13), post on page5
#5 place: WAGONPILOT, RRA W/JEWEL TRIGGER 24" SS BULL 5.56, (.653 AVERAGE), shot on (05/27/13), post on page3
#6 place: SEANHAGERTY, BCM/STAG 20" SS BULL 5.56, (.693 AVERAGE), shot on (05/22/13), post on page3
#7 place: ELFSTER1234, RRA EOP VARMINT 18" SS BULL 5.56, (.7086 AVERAGE), shot on (05/26/13), post on page4
#8 place: ELFSTER1234, LMT MWS 20" CL 7.62, (.7698 AVERAGE), shot on (06/16/13), post on page4 (M.E.O.C.W. gauntlet test target)
#9 place: WFJAMES22, LMT MWS 20" SS 260REM, (.834 AVERAGE), shot on (06/03/13), post on page4
#10 place: NAKAS, KAC SR25 EMR 20" 7.62, (.854 AVERAGE), shot on (07/19/13), post on page5

 

[elfster1234]

and these are the past leaders from both boards FYI:


FROM ROUND#1 PAST LEADERS:
((((( 100 YARD !!! ))))) past leaders for average(what really counts):
- Nakas , 20" OBR 7.62 , (.795" average) , shot on (08/29/12) , post on page#2
- Heydogman, 24" BULL DPMS LR 6.5 CREED, (.815" average), shot on (09/22/12), post on page#8
- Nakas, 24"match KAC/KMC SR25 7.62, (.83" average), shot on (09/09/12), post on page#4
- Crashnrondo, 16" RRA MID w/YHM LOWER 5.56, (.842" average), shot on (09/03/12), post on page#4
- Line-of-Departure, 18" GAP-10 7.62, (.8534" average), shot on (09/07/12), post on page#4
- Temp9, 16" SPR BUILD AR-15 5.56, (.8735" average), shot on (09/12/12), post on page#5
- KevinB-KAC, 20" M110 SASS 7.62, (.9033" average), shot on (09/15/12), post on page#6
- JWP6114, 20" RRA 5.56, (.9165" average), shot on (09/07/12), post on page#4
- Lennyo3034, 22" M25 7.62, (.9848" average), shot on (09/14/12), post on page#6
- KevinB-KAC, 16"CL KAC SR-25 ECC Carbine 7.62, (1.0156" average), shot on (09/09/12), post on page#5
- CanSniper , 18"SS LMT MWS 7.62 , (1.05" average) , shot on (08/31/12) , post on page#2
- Cox380, 18" SPR AR-15 BUILD 5.56, (1.07" average), shot on (09/02/12), post on page#3
- USMAGator , 18" OBR 7.62 , (1.1386" average) , shot on(09/09/12) , post on page#4
- Robinc, 18" WOA SPR AR-15 5.56, (1.1968" average), shot on (09/03/12), post on page#4


FROM ROUND2 PAST LEADERS (STILL GOING):
((((( 100 YARD !!! ))))) past leaders for average(what really counts):
- JOHN_M44, DPMS/FULTON 22" BULL 7.62, (.879 AVERAGE), shot on (05/21/13), post on page2
- COACH4CHRIST, BRAVO/SPIKES LOWER 5.56, (.8975 AVERAGE), shot on (04/28/13), post on page1
- BLUTO51, RRA UPPER / LOKI NICKLE BORON BCG 16" HEAVY MATCH 5.56, (.904 AVERAGE), shot on (06/06/13), post on page4
- ELFSTER1234, DPMS 3G1 18" SS 5.56, (.9641 AVERAGE), shot on (07/20/13), post on page6
- USMAGATOR, OBR 18" SS 7.62, (.999 AVERAGE), shot on (04/27/13), post on page1
- RG IN IDAHO, LMT MWS 20" SS 7.62, (1.06 AVERAGE), shot on (04/26/13), post on page1
- SCRATHTHEJEEPGUY, CUSTOM BUILD 24" SS BULL .223, (1.036" AVERAGE), shot on (05/17/13), post on page2
- BM11, LMT MWS 16" CL 7.62, (1.116 AVERAGE), shot on (04/25/13), post on page1
- PMCLAINE, LMT MWS 16" CL 7.62, (1.65 AVERAGE), shot on (04/30/13), post on page2

 

[mkollman74]

My 18" OBR is a great rifle. Easily shoots under 1MOA from a bipod and rear bag. I am equally impressed with its reliability. My experience with it has been all good after I figured out how to drive it...

 

[elfster1234]

some even more interesting info.... these #'s are paired up from the 1st and 2nd shootout threads.. notice how these people pair up from the 1st & 2nd rounds!! very interesting!!. This is why I think my 6group, 5shot shootout is a fantastic test to show how far a person can push their own skill with the potential of their own rifle! mix in some reloading and I think this is amazing results with how close these two different threads pair up & are sooooo close. It is not always the rifle when it comes to 100yard shooting. Like I've always said when it comes to 100yard groups, it is 40%shooter, 40%rifle, and 20%ammo... The more you go out in yardage, the more the shooter skill increases with factors like mirage and wind blowing in different directions increasing the shooter% and decreasing the rifle% & where art and science come together in the middle:

Boone3380, 24" BULL RRA VARMINT 5.56, (.601" average), shot on (09/24/12), post on page#13
BOONE3380, RRA VARMINT 24" SS BULL 5.56, (.552 AVERAGE), shot on (05/03/13), post on page2

ELFSTER1234, LMT MWS 20" CL 7.62, (.7698 AVERAGE), shot on (06/16/13), post on page4
Elfster1234 , 20"CL LMT MWS 7.62 , (.749" average) , shot on (08/26/12), post on page#1
ELFSTER1234, RRA EOP VARMINT 18" SS BULL 5.56, (.7086 AVERAGE), shot on (05/26/13), post on page4

NAKAS, KAC SR25 EMR 20" 7.62, (.854 AVERAGE), shot on (07/19/13), post on page5
Nakas, 24"match KAC/KMC SR25 7.62, (.83" average), shot on (09/09/12), post on page#4
Nakas , 20" OBR 7.62 , (.795" average) , shot on (08/29/12) , post on page#2

USMAGator , 18" OBR 7.62 , (1.1386" average) , shot on(09/09/12) , post on page#4
USMAGATOR, OBR 18" SS 7.62, (.999 AVERAGE), shot on (04/27/13), post on page1


the only one that doesn't really match up is heydogman (although rather close with only .293 difference),,, he must be spiking his coffee with "ass kicking sniper 5000" on this next round:
Heydogman, 24" BULL DPMS LR 6.5 CREED, (.815" average), shot on (09/22/12), post on page#8
HEYDOGMAN, DPMS LR 24" SS BULL 6.5, (.522 AVERAGE), shot on (07/12/13), post on page5