Price Check Please

[thedonn007]

Robinson Arms XCR with lightweight barrel, M4 stock adapter with magpul CTR stock, MI front and rear BUIS, Eotech 512 and Eotech 3X magnifier.

I might have found a deal and am looking to purchase, just wanted to get some thoughts on a good price for the package.

[4runner]

$450-475

[Roc Doc]

I don't know about the rifle itself, but the optics are close to a grand retail.

Have you searched gunbroker, calguns, etc.?

[spork2367]

I always wanted one of their M96's. I'm not sure why they stopped making them and started making that plastic piece of crap.

[thedonn007]

Originally Posted by Roc Doc

I don't know about the rifle itself, but the optics are close to a grand retail.

Have you searched gunbroker, calguns, etc.?

Yes, the rifle itself is about $1600 stock, optics are about $900 retail. I do not need the optics so If I sell them I should be in for about $1100 for the XCR.

[thedonn007]

Originally Posted by spork2367

I always wanted one of their M96's. I'm not sure why they stopped making them and started making that plastic piece of crap.

If you are taling about the XCR, it is not plastic. Only plastic on the XCR is the grip.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by thedonn007

If you are taling about the XCR, it is not plastic. Only plastic on the XCR is the grip.

I see. It just looks plastic-y on their website. The M-96 looked almost identical to the Stoner 63.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by spork2367

I always wanted one of their M96's. I'm not sure why they stopped making them and started making that plastic piece of crap.

I own both the M96 and an XCR.

The XCR is neither plastic, nor a piece of crap.

RA stopped production of the M96 for a number of reasons. Building the M96 was extremely laborious, requiring a lot of welding. The design was also limited, despite being aesthetically pleasing.

The majority of the XCR is CNC machined from aluminum. This allows machines to due the bulk of the labor instead of employees. The XCR is also more modular, and allows for a greater variety of modern "tacticool" accessories.


Say what you want about the owner of the company. He is a world-class retard when it comes to people-skills. But The XCR is a great entertainment gun. Would I choose it for the end-of-the-world-apocalypse-doomsday-ohmygod-we're-all-gonna-die gun? Probably not. But I also wouldn't give up and commit hari kari if that was the only gun I ended up with in that scenario.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by Sully

I own both the M96 and an XCR.

The XCR is neither plastic, nor a piece of crap.

RA stopped production of the M96 for a number of reasons. Building the M96 was extremely laborious, requiring a lot of welding. The design was also limited, despite being aesthetically pleasing.

The majority of the XCR is CNC machined from aluminum. This allows machines to due the bulk of the labor instead of employees. The XCR is also more modular, and allows for a greater variety of modern "tacticool" accessories.

I already corrected the plastic comment. From all the pictures I've seen, it's hard to tell what is plastic and what isn't. I know the M96 has a lot of welding involved. I liked the fact that it was steel and not aluminum.

Employee labor doesn't matter to me as the end user, as all the prices I've seen have not reflected any drastic reduction in the cost of production.

I believe the design of the XCR is more limiting however. The M96 had a top fed, and belt fed configuration (although I don't think it was ever actually sold). I haven't seen either of those with the XCR, and from the appearance, neither would be a practical or aesthetically pleasing. The M96 was also available in 7.62x51.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by spork2367

Employee labor doesn't matter to me as the end user, as all the prices I've seen have not reflected any drastic reduction in the cost of production.

Employee labor apparently does matter to you, as it made the M96 prohibitively expensive to manufacture at the price point required to sell it.

That's the number one reason it isn't available anymore.

I believe the design of the XCR is more limiting however. The M96 had a top fed, and belt fed configuration (although I don't think it was ever actually sold). I haven't seen either of those with the XCR, and from the appearance, neither would be a practical or aesthetically pleasing. The M96 was also available in 7.62x51.

I'm not sure how you figure that the XCR is more limited, because it doesn't have novelties like a top feed kit, or a belt feed kit. The fact of the matter is that it is available in more configurations and is able to interface with a greater variety of accessories than the M96 was.

I don't recall the M96 ever being available in 7.62x51, but Alex Robinson has shown off the 7.62x51 XCR. Supposedly it is ready for release last year.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by Sully

Employee labor apparently does matter to you, as it made the M96 prohibitively expensive to manufacture at the price point required to sell it.

That's the number one reason it isn't available anymore.

I'm not sure how you figure that the XCR is more limited, because it doesn't have novelties like a top feed kit, or a belt feed kit. The fact of the matter is that it is available in more configurations and is able to interface with a greater variety of accessories than the M96 was.

I don't recall the M96 ever being available in 7.62x51, but Alex Robinson has shown off the 7.62x51 XCR. Supposedly it is ready for release last year.

So you're telling me that they were selling the M96 at a loss, or never tried to raise their prices?

I doubt a small company like Robinson Arms is running robots to load their machines. What about the machinists they had to hire instead of the welders. Machinists make more money than someone doing simple TIG welding stainless like that. What about the overhead for the new high speed machining centers they needed for the aluminum? What about higher material costs? Have they sold enough guns to offset those costs. I doubt it.

Unless you have empirical proof otherwise, I would say they likely switched to the XCR because it looks more like what's on the market and what people want to see. It looks more advanced. Where as the M96 (named after the Stoner 63 prototype the M69W) looks almost identical to a rifle made 40+ years ago.

After looking back over their site it looks like the 7.62 version of the M96 must have been similar to the 7.62 version of the XCR...never really for sale.

I wouldn't consider a belt feed kit a novelty. And with the stainless receiver on the M96, you could have welded and bolted shit to it until your heart was content.

But, a lot of it comes down to personal preference. I just liked the look of the M96 better.

[thedonn007]

Originally Posted by Sully

I own both the M96 and an XCR.

The XCR is neither plastic, nor a piece of crap.

RA stopped production of the M96 for a number of reasons. Building the M96 was extremely laborious, requiring a lot of welding. The design was also limited, despite being aesthetically pleasing.

The majority of the XCR is CNC machined from aluminum. This allows machines to due the bulk of the labor instead of employees. The XCR is also more modular, and allows for a greater variety of modern "tacticool" accessories.


Say what you want about the owner of the company. He is a world-class retard when it comes to people-skills. But The XCR is a great entertainment gun. Would I choose it for the end-of-the-world-apocalypse-doomsday-ohmygod-we're-all-gonna-die gun? Probably not. But I also wouldn't give up and commit hari kari if that was the only gun I ended up with in that scenario.

What are your thoughts on the XCR? For whatever reason I have been itching for a piston driven 5.56x45 rifle that takes AR mags. The deal is almost too good to pass up.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by thedonn007

What are your thoughts on the XCR? For whatever reason I have been itching for a piston driven 5.56x45 rifle that takes AR mags. The deal is almost too good to pass up.

If it is a good deal, get it. The XCR is a great rifle and a lot of fun.

Alex Robinson is a world class douchebag, but his rifle is great. If I could only have one rifle, I probably wouldn't take it over an equivalent value in AR, but if you simply want to expand your collection with something fun, it's hard to go wrong with the XCR.

Be aware of the generational changes. The gas block has gone from requiring a tool to adjust, to being toolless. The trigger has been redesigned. And the lower has been updated to include an integral trigger guard as opposed to the AR style.

There have been other minor changes, but the two big desirable ones are the gas block and the trigger. Neither is a show stopper, and both parts are readily available from Robinson Arms, but it may help you make your decision.

[thedonn007]

Originally Posted by Sully

If it is a good deal, get it. The XCR is a great rifle and a lot of fun.

Alex Robinson is a world class douchebag, but his rifle is great. If I could only have one rifle, I probably wouldn't take it over an equivalent value in AR, but if you simply want to expand your collection with something fun, it's hard to go wrong with the XCR.

Be aware of the generational changes. The gas block has gone from requiring a tool to adjust, to being toolless. The trigger has been redesigned. And the lower has been updated to include an integral trigger guard as opposed to the AR style.

There have been other minor changes, but the two big desirable ones are the gas block and the trigger. Neither is a show stopper, and both parts are readily available from Robinson Arms, but it may help you make your decision.

Thank you very much for the information.

From the picture, the trigger guard does appear to be integrated into the lower.

From my research, the price of the package is such that if I were to buy the rifle new it would cost just as much as the entire package. In other words I would be pretty much getting the eotech 512 and magnifier for free.