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

6K views 92 replies 10 participants last post by  ethereal killer 
#1 ·
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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#2 ·
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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#3 ·
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.
 
#5 ·
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
 
#6 ·
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.
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
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.
 
#17 ·
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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#20 ·
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.
 
#19 · (Edited)
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.
 
#21 ·
I waited 9 months for mine. I would expect your wait will be similar.

I love the rifle so far, only about 120 rounds through it though. Reasonably accurate with ball ammo, soft shooting (for 308), lighter than I expected, best controls to me if any rifle I own, super tight lockup of upper and lower receivers, good 2-stage stock trigger.

If I was to nitpick anything, there were a couple of very minor finish blemishes on the upper receiver close to the ejector pad. Kinda like a raised piece of metal in one spot and feels rough to touch in that area. Cerakote job overall is great though, and you really don't see unless you're looking closely.

What I do strongly dislike are the plastic sights. They look and feel like airsoft quality. The rear sight on mine had it's adjustment knob broken in the wrapping, but I'd read here those sights were bad and didn't expect much.

Overall with my small experience I'm very happy I waited and expect this to be a lifelong part of my collection. It's very unique, I'd never held or seen one until this.
 
#22 ·
I waited 9 months for mine. I would expect your wait will be similar.

I love the rifle so far, only about 120 rounds through it though. Reasonably accurate with ball ammo, soft shooting (for 308), lighter than I expected, best controls to me if any rifle I own, super tight lockup of upper and lower receivers, good 2-stage stock trigger.

If I was to nitpick anything, there were a couple of very minor finish blemishes on the upper receiver close to the ejector pad. Kinda like a raised piece of metal in one spot and feels rough to touch in that area. Cerakote job overall is great though, and you really don't see unless you're looking closely.

What I do strongly dislike are the plastic sights. They look and feel like airsoft quality. The rear sight on mine had it's adjustment knob broken in the wrapping, but I'd read here those sights were bad and didn't expect much.

Overall with my small experience I'm very happy I waited and expect this to be a lifelong part of my collection. It's very unique, I'd never held or seen one until this.
That’s good to know. I’m okay with waiting for it, I just hope it’s still legal when it arrives, lmao. That’s pretty much what I’ve heard, it’s kind of a best-kept-secret. Not much notoriety, but a phenomenal gun. I can’t wait. If the plastic sights and the blem is the worst of it, I can get on board for sure. I’m going to swap those for something else anyway (probably something akin to 45 degree offsets with an ACOG), and I’ll eventually scratch it myself. It’s going to get used. I’m very excited to meet it.
 
#29 ·
FYI I ordered mine in September 2022. RobArms told me expect 3-4 month wait, and even reaffirmed that they would have all orders on book completed by end of year 2022. I just checked with them yesterday and my barrel hasn't even been sent off for chrome yet. So at least another 1-2 months most likely for me.

But I plan on running keymo as well. YHM Turbo K w/ keymo attached to a dead air flash hider.
 
#30 ·
Good luck with that wait! I hope it finds itself in your hands soon. As for me, I am okay with the wait for now. I will probably be chomping at the bit in a few months.
On a related note, people crap on keymo because of the weight, but I think it's the slickest thing since snot on a doorknob. It definitely makes up for the weight in sheer utility and stupid-proof lockup. Weight schmeight. I am over six feet and over 200 pounds. I lift whole humans as part of my job. I care not about a handful of ounces. I probably won't even care about the heavy barrel on the M. I tend not to "notice" weight unless it's obnoxious. I went airsofting recently with my plate carrier full of AR500 3+ plates and forgot that I was wearing it after five minutes. Not trying to brag about being a tough guy, but I don't have a problem with hefty kit typically.
 
#40 ·
I will give Rob Arms credit for responsiveness via email. They've responded within 2-3 days anytime I've had questions about my order or just checked in to see the status. It sounds like the hangups are with the barrels, being manufactured and then having to be sent out to chrome lining.

Hopefully mine will arrive in March. Still waiting for them to contact me for payment (even though I received an email saying they would contact me for payment soon).
 
#44 ·
I ordered an XCR-M in .308 in the following configuration:

Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Font Screenshot


I ordered on August 1st, 2022 and I got an email from Robinson that the -M was 2 weeks from being ready to ship on February 2, 2023. I asked if they were sure (because we all heard of such promises before) and they assured me that it really was almost ready, so I paid full price for it. I finally got the Fed Ex notice that it was being shipped March 8 and it should get to me next week. A 7 month wait is comparatively short considering all other wait times I've heard of, though there are many people out there who would be pretty peeved to have $2700 tied up while waiting another month for a rifle to ship. I am a patient man however, and I feel pretty lucky anyway; I honestly didn't expect to see it until the end of this year. I ordered the -M as I did to beat out a potential AWB 2023 from being ratified anytime soon. We are all now witness to the fact that Robinson Arms at least works faster than Federal legislation.

Thoughts on the -M when I get it into my hands. Though it's likely the first thing I'm going to do with it is tear it down and get measurements on that lower.
 
#45 ·
They (RA) just emailed me and asked if I wanted to switch to a stainless barrel instead of a chrome moly barrel because they have a completed stainless one in my same profile (16” heavy) and apparently it would ship out in a few weeks, as opposed to months.

should I switch to the stainless barrel and get the rifle super soon, or should I stick to the standard chrome lined one? Probably a silly question as I can always order another barrel.
 
#51 · (Edited)
So who's yellow and got an XCR-M last week? This guy:

Wood Air gun Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory



The set included the manual, the pair of BUIS, one mag, and the value priced bag that fits the rifle after folding the stock.
Air gun Sleeve Bag Trigger Luggage and bags


So after waiting a month after paying for the rifle, the -M was shipped to my FFL without a hitch. The rifle was nice and greasy from the factory and seemed good to go out of the box. At seven months wait, I honestly think it was the shortest wait time I've heard of for one of these barring the ready made ones on inventory. Serial number was XM06*** range; if they are in sequential order, there are indeed not that many -Ms out there!

I'll post more pics in a separate thread one of these days after I have it kitted out. I think I'll keep the FAST 3 stock this time and get around to making a 1913 adapter for it, so the stock can be used in other rifles. Off to work I go.
 

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#52 ·
So who's yellow and got an XCR-M last week? This guy:

View attachment 16182


The set included the manual, the pair of BUIS, one mag, and the value priced bag that fits the rifle after folding the stock.
View attachment 16183

So after waiting a month after paying for the rifle, the -M was shipped to my FFL without a hitch. The rifle was nice and greasy from the factory and seemed good to go out of the box. At seven months wait, I honestly think it was the shortest wait time I've heard of for one of these barring the ready made ones on inventory.

I'll post more pics in a separate thread one of these days after I have it kitted out. I think I'll keep the FAST 3 stock this time and get around to making a 1913 adapter for it, so the stock can be used in other rifles. Off to work I go.
That’s dope, congrats!! I haven’t heard from them since I told them to go ahead with the stainless barrel, but I’ll report back if I do. Hoping mine gets here soon, I’d love to fondle it!
On a related note, how did you like the fit and finish? Pretty amazing like everyone has said?
 
#53 ·
Today, they told me that the receivers have been sprayed, and they just need to cerakote the barrel and finish assembly, and shipping would likely be next week. I won't hold my breath, but I hope its true, that would be very cool, and a very short turnaround.

On a related note, I am itching to buy some accessories and I have heard that the plastic BUIS they send with the gun are trash. Can anyone confirm this, and/or recommend a set that works really well with the XCR-M? Historically, I have gone with troy BUIS but am not afraid to try something new. I don't love the magpul pros for the price, and would rather have something metal than plastic.
 
#55 ·
Today, they told me that the receivers have been sprayed, and they just need to cerakote the barrel and finish assembly, and shipping would likely be next week. I won't hold my breath, but I hope its true, that would be very cool, and a very short turnaround.

On a related note, I am itching to buy some accessories and I have heard that the plastic BUIS they send with the gun are trash. Can anyone confirm this, and/or recommend a set that works really well with the XCR-M? Historically, I have gone with troy BUIS but am not afraid to try something new. I don't love the magpul pros for the price, and would rather have something metal than plastic.
I've read the sights are made by Fab Defense....so not trash. You can get Tritium posts for them too apparently....

I can't stand Troy's politics, but they are the only game in town for micro height sights now.
 
#68 ·
Concurrently with my -M I had a set of parts I ordered for the -L, among the parts was a spare Competition-length upper. Just last week, RA told me off hand that the parts were ready but the upper was still being processed (after saying it would take 4 months to ship). I was given the option to move the upper into its own order and pay to have the more important -L parts shipped to me, an option which I took. Just got the notice that the parts were being shipped, so 7 months (less if I left out the upper) for a bunch of BCGs and pistons for the -L. Better late than never.
 
#74 ·
I’m planning to order a couple sets of spare parts for this thing, I should probably get on that before I forget. Hopefully spare parts aren’t needed very often for these. I’m drawing from zero experience, are there any parts on an XCR that seem to wear out or break first, anyone know??
 
#71 ·
jealous! Glad it's better than expected.

Rob Arms is giving me the run around. Whoever replies to the sales email is "out of the office until next Tuesday". On Facebook, whoever responds to their messages told me "the welder was out with an eye infection". Even though I was told my gun was built and ready to ship last week, it still has yet to actually ship and who knows if it's even finished. Their phone number just goes straight to voicemail. Really disappointed right now.
 
#72 · (Edited)
As promised, here are some glamour shots. I spent some time going over and around and through this weapon, and man. I see what you guys love about these things. The term “Swiss watch” comes to mind. A very burly, elegant, sinister Swiss watch. The attention to detail and machining is impeccable and absolutely top-notch. I appreciate little touches like the tiny delrin cap they put over barrel nut so it wouldn’t mess the lower up when it clamshells. They obviously used a lot of brain power thinking this thing up. I have zero regrets! Glad to officially join the club!
Air gun Trigger Grey Gun barrel Wood

Air gun Trigger Wood Grey Gun barrel

Air gun Trigger Machine gun Gun barrel Wood

Air gun Trigger Wood Machine gun Gun barrel

Wood Trigger Gun barrel Machine Metal
 
#75 ·
I've killed a couple extractors around 8k on Ls, but that was with the old rubber extractor spring. Anything built in the last few years will have the new extractor. It's hard to say, I have most of the small bits just in case, but haven't had to dip into them yet. Check ejector nuts (hand tight) and witness mark them.
I witness mark just about all the screws and inspect occasionally.
 
#76 ·
I've killed a couple extractors around 8k on Ls, but that was with the old rubber extractor spring. Anything built in the last few years will have the new extractor. It's hard to say, I have most of the small bits just in case, but haven't had to dip into them yet. Check ejector nuts (hand tight) and witness mark them.
I witness mark just about all the screws and inspect occasionally.
Ooh good idea, thank you. Hey, on a semi-related note, I saw on another post that you (I believe it was you) mentioned that there was a third party selling rubber butt pad replacements? Looking at mine today, I was thinking that it would be easy to swap for rubber if I found one with the same hole spacing… Any ideas? I don’t imagine it takes an industry-standard butt pad, that would just be too convenient.
 
#77 ·
Alex said they still have some rubber butt pads, just make sure you specify you want RUBBER, I ordered some and got sent the new plastic instead. If you search the forum you should find the 3rd party source, but they lack the nub that keeps the stock from bumping into the receiver when folded
 
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