Ordering an M, humbly requesting some advice from those in the know.

3180 Views 89 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Spazmann, 5 h ago

Spazmann

Discussion Starter · 5 mo ago

Hey all. I recently found the XCR-M lineup and it's what I have been looking for, for a very long time. I was previously going to get a SCAR or a Noveske N6, but not anymore. I digress.

I am overwhelmed by the choices available. I've chatted with Robarm a bit on IG/email, but still am unsure how to configure mine out. I will be ordering as soon as I can figure out a few bullet points. Perhaps those of you with an M would kindly give some advice? T'would be very much appreciate.

Use case: Standard battle rifle activity. Lots of off-hand suppressed use (suppressed with Dead Air Nomad most of the time). Some bench resting/prone shooting supported. Split drills, reloads, the general tactical stuff. I want something versatile and not particularly specialized for JUST off-hand use, or supported shooting. The ideal setup would be something that does both well. Going with a 16" barrel. I am stuck on the following points...

1. Heavy vs light contour barrel. My suppressor as configured is 17.5 ounces (Nomad-30 with key mount). Does hanging 17.5 oz off the end of a light barrel really cause substantial drooping and POI shift?

2. Mlok vs Keymod upper. I don't plan on mounting much, and it appears the keypad uppers are "sleeker" and lighter. But how much lighter? I have both systems in AR rifles and like them both. I don't really have a preference. I'm also stuck on standard VS Mini upper for the same reason. I think I like the visuals of the mini more, appears to be more proportionate looking.

3. GB2 vs GB3. Would be suppressed more than 50% of the time. Probably all of the time.

If any of you could touch on these points, and/or give some suggestions, I would be super grateful. THANK YOU. This is driving me nuts.

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Sean K.

· #2 · 5 mo ago

Spazmann said:
Hey all. I recently found the XCR-M lineup and it's what I have been looking for, for a very long time. I was previously going to get a SCAR or a Noveske N6, but not anymore. I digress.

I am overwhelmed by the choices available. I've chatted with Robarm a bit on IG/email, but still am unsure how to configure mine out. I will be ordering as soon as I can figure out a few bullet points. Perhaps those of you with an M would kindly give some advice? T'would be very much appreciate.

Use case: Standard battle rifle activity. Lots of off-hand suppressed use (suppressed with Dead Air Nomad most of the time). Some bench resting/prone shooting supported. Split drills, reloads, the general tactical stuff. I want something versatile and not particularly specialized for JUST off-hand use, or supported shooting. The ideal setup would be something that does both well. Going with a 16" barrel. I am stuck on the following points...

1. Heavy vs light contour barrel. My suppressor as configured is 17.5 ounces (Nomad-30 with key mount). Does hanging 17.5 oz off the end of a light barrel really cause substantial drooping and POI shift?

2. Mlok vs Keymod upper. I don't plan on mounting much, and it appears the keypad uppers are "sleeker" and lighter. But how much lighter? I have both systems in AR rifles and like them both. I don't really have a preference. I'm also stuck on standard VS Mini upper for the same reason. I think I like the visuals of the mini more, appears to be more proportionate looking.

3. GB2 vs GB3. Would be suppressed more than 50% of the time. Probably all of the time.

If any of you could touch on these points, and/or give some suggestions, I would be super grateful. THANK YOU. This is driving me nuts.

Light profile if you're going to be doing 'tactical stuff'. The weight difference is noticeable. Adding another #+ via a can is going to make an already heavy gun heavier (obviously).

Keymod is going away. I prefer the thinner profile and much more positive engagement of the accessories....but the industry and RA are going away from it due to customer demand (largely due to Crane tests which don't really apply to the XCR since it's a much thicker handguard than AR configurations). KM is only a few ounces lighter...the bbl difference is a much larger percentage of weight. RA won't even make the new "mid length" Garand Thumb handguard in KM; already asked.

I have both mini Ms and standard. All depends on personal preference and weight savings. The Mini is obviously lighter.

I prefer the Type 3 b/c there's more adjustment and is IMO a better design.....I have the Type 2 on my 16" HBAR. Nothing wrong with it....it's just a bulkier system and isn't as simple in terms of design.

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Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #3 · 5 mo ago

Thank you tons for the reply!
So sticking that can on a light profile barrel is likely fine right? I’m not going to be trying to achieve award-winning groups, but I want it to hit what I’m intending it to.
I’m probably going to end up going with the mini Mlok upper and GB3 if it’s good with a can. I guess I can order other upgrades at a later date if needed.

Sean K.

· #4 · 5 mo ago

Spazmann said:
Thank you tons for the reply!
So sticking that can on a light profile barrel is likely fine right? I’m not going to be trying to achieve award-winning groups, but I want it to hit what I’m intending it to.
I’m probably going to end up going with the mini Mlok upper and GB3 if it’s good with a can. I guess I can order other upgrades at a later date if needed.

I'm probably not the one to ask. I have two cans, but I don't run them all that often.

Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #5 · 5 mo ago

I think I had an epiphany. XCR-M mini MLOK with 16" heavy barrel and GB3. I'll send the barrel off to ADCO for fluting (or see if Pac Nor here in town can do it) and save a little weight with less worry of thin barrel problems. I think I'm going with that. Best of both worlds approach. Would look sweet too.

I just REALLY like that mini look with the 16" barrel. The photos in this review really take my breath away. The proportions, oh my. He says it's a standard but doing some research on Robarm, it appears that he has a mini with a light 16" there. VIDEO: Testing the Relatively Unknown Robinson Arms XCR-M Rifle

Sean K.

· #6 · 5 mo ago

Spazmann said:
I think I had an epiphany. XCR-M mini MLOK with 16" heavy barrel and GB3. I'll send the barrel off to ADCO for fluting (or see if Pac Nor here in town can do it) and save a little weight with less worry of thin barrel problems. I think I'm going with that. Best of both worlds approach. Would look sweet too.

I just REALLY like that mini look with the 16" barrel. The photos in this review really take my breath away. The proportions, oh my. He says it's a standard but doing some research on Robarm, it appears that he has a mini with a light 16" there. VIDEO: Testing the Relatively Unknown Robinson Arms XCR-M Rifle

Careful....ADCO wasn't doing fluting last I checked....but that was a few years back now....maybe they started again, but they had too many nit-pickers complaining about the finish or where the flutes were laid when they didn't specify exactly what they wanted....the hassle drove Steve (IIRC) to say fuck it.

And yeah...that's a mini upper..not a standard.

roflcopters

· #7 · 5 mo ago

I have a standard 20"
Currently waiting on a mini 14.5

My POU is brush gun for bears etc. I'd suggest the gb3 for the finer tuning. If your going to be humping the gun a lot, get the light profile. If it doesn't meet your accuracy expectations you can always get a heavier barrel later to swap on. You'll see poi shift with both contours with a can mounted, it's usually not much though.

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Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #8 · 5 mo ago

Sean K. said:
Careful....ADCO wasn't doing fluting last I checked....but that was a few years back now....maybe they started again, but they had too many nit-pickers complaining about the finish or where the flutes were laid when they didn't specify exactly what they wanted....the hassle drove Steve (IIRC) to say fuck it.

And yeah...that's a mini upper..not a standard.

Well, that would make sense. I couldn't find the fluting option on their site when I was looking a bit ago. I ended up pulling the trigger on the one I mentioned a few minutes ago. Mini, 16" heavy, Mlok, FAST3, GB3.

Man these are sexy rifles. I wish I would have found them years ago. Better late than never, I suppose.

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Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #9 · 5 mo ago

roflcopters said:
I have a standard 20"
Currently waiting on a mini 14.5

My POU is brush gun for bears etc. I'd suggest the gb3 for the finer tuning. If your going to be humping the gun a lot, get the light profile. If it doesn't meet your accuracy expectations you can always get a heavier barrel later to swap on. You'll see poi shift with both contours with a can mounted, it's usually not much though.

I grabbed the GB3 version, mini with the 16" heavy barrel. I may ask them to change it to a light barrel, or just flute it like my original plan and have a middle of the road solution with cool aesthetics. Not sure. I like the look of the light barrel better, I'm sure the fluted would be cool also.

roflcopters

· #10 · 5 mo ago

Start asking around now for someone to flute it, or maybe ask Robinson if they are aware of anyone that can do it.
I'll be posting some targets after my barrel finishes break-in

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Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #11 · 5 mo ago

roflcopters said:
Start asking around now for someone to flute it, or maybe ask Robinson if they are aware of anyone that can do it.
I'll be posting some targets after my barrel finishes break-in

I just called my local SOT/FFL in town here and he charges $100 for straight fluting and $50 for cerakote. Wouldn’t need to pay for shipping. He’s a very skilled gunsmith that has been doing it since before I was corporeal. He does very clean work. I’ll likely just have him do it. There’s also a world class barrel shop in town that might do it for me, but they typically don’t touch autoloaders. Either way it’ll happen. I’ll ask robarm also.

Chowwow

· #12 · 5 mo ago

Spazmann said:
So sticking that can on a light profile barrel is likely fine right? I’m not going to be trying to achieve award-winning groups, but I want it to hit what I’m intending it to.

According to my friend who is a gunsmith, a heavy profile barrel is recommended for suppressed shooting to maintain accurate groups; with a light profile barrel, it will flex more and have a greater POI shift between suppressed and unsuppressed. Furthermore, that POI shift will get worse as you continue shooting and heat up the barrel. Personally, I've seen the POI shift when I suppress my light profile 5.56 -L, not a huge deal because I get that with my .308 MDRX when suppressed too; you can zero your scopes to account for the initial POI shift. The issue is I have to adjust my aim more and more as I put more rounds through my -L at that configuration, the first few rounds aren't too bad but I notice more and more drop by the second or third mag of rounds. It's why I ordered a heavy profile 5.56 barrel from RA to try to mitigate this. So if you do a lot of suppressed shooting and typically shoot while resting on a bench or lying prone (like my lazy ass) then a heavy profile barrel would be best. Otherwise, a light profile would be fine if you have to travel a lot with your -M and only shoot suppressed occasionally.

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Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #13 · 5 mo ago

Chowwow said:
According to my friend who is a gunsmith, a heavy profile barrel is recommended for suppressed shooting to maintain accurate groups; with a light profile barrel, it will flex more and have a greater POI shift between suppressed and unsuppressed. Furthermore, that POI shift will get worse as you continue shooting and heat up the barrel. Personally, I've seen the POI shift when I suppress my light profile 5.56 -L, not a huge deal because I get that with my .308 MDRX when suppressed too; you can zero your scopes to account for the initial POI shift. The issue is I have to adjust my aim more and more as I put more rounds through my -L at that configuration, the first few rounds aren't too bad but I notice more and more drop by the second or third mag of rounds. It's why I ordered a heavy profile 5.56 barrel from RA to try to mitigate this. So if you do a lot of suppressed shooting and typically shoot while resting on a bench or lying prone (like my lazy ass) then a heavy profile barrel would be best. Otherwise, a light profile would be fine if you have to travel a lot with your -M and only shoot suppressed occasionally.

Good deal. I was under that impression initially also. The only other gun I’ve ever suppressed has a 7.94 inch stainless HBAR, so this isn’t a situation I have experience with. I’m going to stick with my heavy barrel and have it fluted, if I hate it then I’ll order a skinny barrel.

Sean K.

· #14 · 5 mo ago

Spazmann said:
Good deal. I was under that impression initially also. The only other gun I’ve ever suppressed has a 7.94 inch stainless HBAR, so this isn’t a situation I have experience with. I’m going to stick with my heavy barrel and have it fluted, if I hate it then I’ll order a skinny barrel.

Personally, I think fluting is the way to go. Post up if you find someone to do it....when I looked, most places wouldn't touch the XCR to flute b/c they'd have to make a jig for it and it's uncommon (though simple in terms of the bbl design).

I'd flute my 16" HBAR -M and likely my HBAR X39 bbl too.

Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #15 · 5 mo ago

Sean K. said:
Personally, I think fluting is the way to go. Post up if you find someone to do it....when I looked, most places wouldn't touch the XCR to flute b/c they'd have to make a jig for it and it's uncommon (though simple in terms of the bbl design).

I'd flute my 16" HBAR -M and likely my HBAR X39 bbl too.

I’ll definitely share no matter what. I really like the look of fluted barrels so I’m leaning that route for sure. I’m sure if my local guy did it, it would be very old school. I’m talking by hand on a Bridgeport in a vice or with a dividing head. He does everything by hand. He turns out some amazing stuff doing things that way though. Walking into his shop definitely makes it clear that technology is not a priority. Going through the eform 4 process with him was fun.
On a related note, I imagine it’s easy to get the gas block and everything off of the M barrel for ease of fluting? I also thought about sending my Keymo brake to Robinson for timing and torquing. I’m not sure what’s recommended for torquing muzzle devices on without damaging anything. I’ve got AR vice blocks but that obviously is irrelevant here.

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Sean K.

· #16 · 5 mo ago

Spazmann said:
I’ll definitely share no matter what. I really like the look of fluted barrels so I’m leaning that route for sure. I’m sure if my local guy did it, it would be very old school. I’m talking by hand on a Bridgeport in a vice or with a dividing head. He does everything by hand. He turns out some amazing stuff doing things that way though. Walking into his shop definitely makes it clear that technology is not a priority. Going through the eform 4 process with him was fun.
On a related note, I imagine it’s easy to get the gas block and everything off of the M barrel for ease of fluting? I also thought about sending my Keymo brake to Robinson for timing and torquing. I’m not sure what’s recommended for torquing muzzle devices on without damaging anything. I’ve got AR vice blocks but that obviously is irrelevant here.

Nothing wrong with manual machining.....provided the person doing it is skilled as your guy seems to be. It's definitely a dying art though.

Yep....these rifles are about the easiest I've ever seen to work on. I think I had one block that was really tight...but even so, I didn't have to use a shop press to get it off like I've done so many times on AKs.

I wouldn't send your brake to RA to time/torque. All you need is a set of rubber or plastic softjaws.

joshobean

· #17 · 5 mo ago

I just acquired and shot my XCR-M this week. Softest shooting semi-auto 308 I've ever had the privilege to test.

On the barrel, I will say I'm very glad I went with the light profile. To me it also doesn't look skinny. I compared to my DSA SA58 FAL and it's noticably thicker. Granted my barrel is the 18.6 but I would have no qualms using a suppressor. I'd only get the heavy profile if it was solely for bench shooting personally. Good luck in your quest!

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Bret

· #18 · 5 mo ago

joshobean, Did you get the color matching scope mount from Robinson or somewhere else?

joshobean

· #19 · 5 mo ago (Edited)

Bret said:
joshobean, Did you get the color matching scope mount from Robinson or somewhere else?

Its a UTG Accu-sync OD green mount, almost a perfect match color-wise. Believe I picked it up from Amazon. I had it and the Tango6 on a .458 SOCOM AR. Hadn't shot the AR yet as I haven't taken the ammo plunge. I've got a Razor 1-10 I'm going to likely put on the XCR long-term, but slapped on this combo while I wait for a mount to arrive for the Razor (ordered over the weekend).

I don't normally do cheaper brands like this, but I'm impressed with the Accu-sync mounts. I put another 80 rounds through today, and the optic is holding zero. I have another Accu-sync mount I hunted with 3 years on a 6.5 Grendel SBR AR. Also no issues over several years of field use. These mounts have a ton of horizontal bars and just do not budge when tightened down. I will say I do use a little blue loctite, as I do with pretty much all my scope mounts.

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Spazmann

Discussion Starter · #20 · 5 mo ago

joshobean said:
I just acquired and shot my XCR-M this week. Softest shooting semi-auto 308 I've ever had the privilege to test.

On the barrel, I will say I'm very glad I went with the light profile. To me it also doesn't look skinny. I compared to my DSA SA58 FAL and it's noticably thicker. Granted my barrel is the 18.6 but I would have no qualms using a suppressor. I'd only get the heavy profile if it was solely for bench shooting personally. Good luck in your quest!

Man that’s gorgeous, congrats. I ended up ordering a mini with a 16” heavy barrel, OD green. Such an awesome looking setup. I’ll get more barrels I’m sure, so I’m not too concerned about the weight.
So you’re loving the M, eh? No regrets? They told me “2.5+” months out, which I imagine will likely be more. How long did you wait for yours? I’m just hoping to see mine before any AWB BS passes. I know it’s unlikely, but don’t want to get complacent.

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