Archived Posts » 59,699,509
LAR Grizzly....... Any Personal Experience?
10/15/2011 1:48:04 AM
I know this has been asked before, but a search gave me no results
I have the opportunity to pick up a lightly used LAR Grizzly .50BMG for $2k [standard parkerized, with bi-pod]
I currently have a Ultralight AR upper that looks like this...
My setup weighs in at 21.5lbs, and it has recoil that is almost excessive, while AR50's I have shot have been a lot like 12ga and no big deal, I know this is fifty shooting, but it gets tiring quickly. I almost exclusively shoot one slow shot at a time, and almost always using surplus ball.
Handling the LAR it felt really well built (the upper feels ok, but not as well fit together as the LAR), and it felt more comfortable and ergonomic than my set up, I also enjoy that its shorter, and the trigger feels decent. The LAR is listed at 30.4lbs I would think this weight might make the LAR more reasonable to shoot.
The problem is that I haven't been able to find a lot of reviews on them, are they well built? How is the recoil using the AR uppers and the AR50 as a metric? (some say that it's excessive, others say that it's just like a 12ga just like the AR50...)
Both the LAR and my current setup are not supper accurate, I just enjoy shooting the .50..
So what say you who have seen them, used them, know those who own them, own them?
10/15/2011 10:55:13 AM
A friend bought an LAR a few years ago. It's not a bad gun, I've shot it. The one issue we did have, the first day we were taking turns on the gun, somehow we managed to break the firing pin. We don't know if it was bent previously (it was a used gun that he purchased), or if it was something that happened while we were using it. He contacted LAR and they did want the bolt and replaced the firing pin for free and sent it back.
He sold it and got 2 Barrett's which are spectacular.
He sold it and got 2 Barrett's which are spectacular.
10/15/2011 11:45:49 AM
Having shot the Griz... I personally feel that LAR needs to do some updates on them, first being the muzzle brake as it is just horrible and the felt recoil is punishing. Out of all the 50's that I've shot including AR15/50 upper conversions I would say that the Griz has one of the worst brakes. Being that it's a shell holder design there's not much you can do with the trigger, what you can do is stone the contact surfaces to make them smoother. I will say this IF YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, DON'T FUCK WITH A SHELL HOLDER TRIGGER!!! There have been a few mishaps in the past on shell holder type rifles, it was found that the owner decided to "adjust" the trigger and that led to a KB in their face! The owner of State Arms used to tell people that the trigger is right where it needs to be.
As for standards in felt recoil between the AR-50 and the Griz, the AR-50 can be shot all day long as the felt recoil is less then a .308. The Griz... you might shoot it about 5-10 times in a days outing unless you have a thick shoulder pad.
As for standards in felt recoil between the AR-50 and the Griz, the AR-50 can be shot all day long as the felt recoil is less then a .308. The Griz... you might shoot it about 5-10 times in a days outing unless you have a thick shoulder pad.
10/16/2011 8:28:50 PM
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
As for standards in felt recoil between the AR-50 and the Griz, the AR-50 can be shot all day long as the felt recoil is less then a .308. The Griz... you might shoot it about 5-10 times in a days outing unless you have a thick shoulder pad.
As for standards in felt recoil between the AR-50 and the Griz, the AR-50 can be shot all day long as the felt recoil is less then a .308. The Griz... you might shoot it about 5-10 times in a days outing unless you have a thick shoulder pad.
I've shot a few FCSA matches with mine and I shoot a lot more than 5-10 in one day, and I have never used a shoulder pad. I have not shot many other 50's, but I don't recall it being above and beyond any other. After owning it for 10 years, I decided to buy another brake for it, but have yet to try it out. I like mine, but it is hard to shoot off a bench with the type butt stock it has.
10/16/2011 10:15:45 PM
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
.... the Griz has one of the worst brakes.
.... the Griz has one of the worst brakes.
Was this with the old round style ported brake or the newer(current) double baffle brake?
This is what the brake looks like now
10/17/2011 7:23:09 AM
Originally Posted By imtheflash:
I've shot a few FCSA matches with mine and I shoot a lot more than 5-10 in one day, and I have never used a shoulder pad. I have not shot many other 50's, but I don't recall it being above and beyond any other. After owning it for 10 years, I decided to buy another brake for it, but have yet to try it out. I like mine, but it is hard to shoot off a bench with the type butt stock it has.
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
As for standards in felt recoil between the AR-50 and the Griz, the AR-50 can be shot all day long as the felt recoil is less then a .308. The Griz... you might shoot it about 5-10 times in a days outing unless you have a thick shoulder pad.
As for standards in felt recoil between the AR-50 and the Griz, the AR-50 can be shot all day long as the felt recoil is less then a .308. The Griz... you might shoot it about 5-10 times in a days outing unless you have a thick shoulder pad.
I've shot a few FCSA matches with mine and I shoot a lot more than 5-10 in one day, and I have never used a shoulder pad. I have not shot many other 50's, but I don't recall it being above and beyond any other. After owning it for 10 years, I decided to buy another brake for it, but have yet to try it out. I like mine, but it is hard to shoot off a bench with the type butt stock it has.
When I had my Bohica and had just gotten my new Ferret50 in this spring, I shot them and my LAR Grizzly (2006 production) side by side with the same ammo to compare. This was the post I made to indianashooter.com when I did the comparison, I may have posted it here, I can't remember:
LAR- 31lbs.
Bohica- 21lbs
Ferret50- 26lbs
I haven't weighed the Bohica and the Ferret50 side by side with just the upper. I imagine a pound of additional weight for the Ferret50 comes from the Magpul PRS on it, versus the A2 stock on the Bohica.
I normally have a limbsaver pad on the Bohica but I took it off since I haven't gotten the thicker pad for the PRS stock on the Ferret50, in the interests of keeping the evaluation as similar as possible. I was firing 647gr Winchester ball with 218gr of H50bmg.
I shot 3 cycles of 1 round from each gun, the LAR, Bohica, and Ferret50 in that order. Dave sent along thorough barrel break-in instructions, so I paused after each round to clean the Ferret50 as per the instructions. This round of shooting all three was to function check the Ferret50 and to side by side compare recoil. I haven't gotten the scope zeroed on the Ferret50 so other than the round hitting the berm, I don't know what kind of group it did.
Overall impressions: The LAR Grizzly Big Boar had the softest recoil of the three by far. The Ferret50 came in second with the Bohica a close third. I suspect if the gun weights were identical they'd all three be pretty similar. If I put the Bohica at a 10 as far as felt recoil force, then the Ferret50 would be a 9 and the LAR would be a 7. This scale is only relative to these three, not all guns.
The entire thread
10/18/2011 12:31:39 AM
Thanks for the input, I managed to weasel my way in to trying before buying so I plan to do a side by side tomorrow, I will report back as well.
Originally Posted By shibumiseeker:
Overall impressions: The LAR Grizzly Big Boar had the softest recoil of the three by far. The Ferret50 came in second with the Bohica a close third. I suspect if the gun weights were identical they'd all three be pretty similar. If I put the Bohica at a 10 as far as felt recoil force, then the Ferret50 would be a 9 and the LAR would be a 7. This scale is only relative to these three, not all guns.
The entire thread
Originally Posted By imtheflash:
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
Overall impressions: The LAR Grizzly Big Boar had the softest recoil of the three by far. The Ferret50 came in second with the Bohica a close third. I suspect if the gun weights were identical they'd all three be pretty similar. If I put the Bohica at a 10 as far as felt recoil force, then the Ferret50 would be a 9 and the LAR would be a 7. This scale is only relative to these three, not all guns.
The entire thread
10/19/2011 12:10:11 AM
Well I got them both out today, the LAR had a little less recoil, but brought the blast closer to my face, I liked the LAR, but was reminded why the .50 doesn't come out much any more unless its to show it off. The damn headache I get afterward.
For those who are curious, the bottom line is that the LAR has a little less recoil than my AR upper, the trigger is acceptable, and the fit and finish is nice.
10/19/2011 8:17:23 AM
Originally Posted By space_weazel:
Well I got them both out today, the LAR had a little less recoil, but brought the blast closer to my face, I liked the LAR, but was reminded why the .50 doesn't come out much any more unless its to show it off. The damn headache I get afterward.
Well I got them both out today, the LAR had a little less recoil, but brought the blast closer to my face, I liked the LAR, but was reminded why the .50 doesn't come out much any more unless its to show it off. The damn headache I get afterward.
For those who are curious, the bottom line is that the LAR has a little less recoil than my AR upper, the trigger is acceptable, and the fit and finish is nice.
Glad to hear your impressions are similar to mine.
The bullpup style brings the brake on the full length barrel closer to the shooter than the AR upper style does and that accounts for a lot of the backblast. The worst from that standpoint for me was my AR50, I could feel it in my sinuses every time I'd shoot it. For me though the two strikes against the AR50 was the fact mine was right hand (I shoot lefty) and the size of the beast made it awkward to transport. Other than that I really liked it and I'd consider another one if I could get it in lefthand. Yeah, I know they are out there, but finding them at a decent price is a challenge and I'm no longer in the market since I love my lefthand Ferret50. The LAR is VERY easy to transport and is ambidextrous.
11/27/2011 9:19:50 AM
I have one. Serial number under 1000.
Standard chamber, so it's not rated for 1 MOA. Taking the butt off of the gun after every fucking shot IS A PAIN IN THE ASS
I'm actually looking into selling it, to fund something with a normal bolt/breech, so that I don't have to fuck up my sight picture, or get up off the ground to reload. The rifle is HEAVY, over 35 pounds. Having a 36 inch barrel is nice, and it is VERY well built. Being a bullpup, AND a 50 BMG, the trigger SUCKS. Make SURE to lube the trigger system, or the safety will stick.
I haven't bought any match grade ammo for it, so I don't know if it can actually shoot a nice tight group or not, but it seems to shoot about 2-3 moa with ball ammo.
LOTS of recoil, and the barrel is 1.5 inch threads, not 1 inch, so good luck finding a better muzzle brake. I have had to use a hammer handle in the past to get the bolt out, and actually snapped the bolt handle at the MI HTF shoot. Sent it back to LAR and they repaired it, and did an upgrade on the bolt, due to hard extraction being a common problem. The hot loaded Argentinian AP ammo still sticks, but now I can actually get the bolt open by hitting the handle with the palm of my hand.
BUT, it's still a 50 BMG, and it's fun to shoot
And the libs HATE it
I use a Konus Pro 8.5-32x scope, and it has held up just fine, even with me getting hit with the scope countless times. The cheekrest that comes with the rifle is there for a reason; you slide the rest all the way back, and that gives you enough room to not eat the scope. I figured that out through trial and error
I can't really think of anything else, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.
Standard chamber, so it's not rated for 1 MOA. Taking the butt off of the gun after every fucking shot IS A PAIN IN THE ASS
I'm actually looking into selling it, to fund something with a normal bolt/breech, so that I don't have to fuck up my sight picture, or get up off the ground to reload. The rifle is HEAVY, over 35 pounds. Having a 36 inch barrel is nice, and it is VERY well built. Being a bullpup, AND a 50 BMG, the trigger SUCKS. Make SURE to lube the trigger system, or the safety will stick.
I haven't bought any match grade ammo for it, so I don't know if it can actually shoot a nice tight group or not, but it seems to shoot about 2-3 moa with ball ammo.
LOTS of recoil, and the barrel is 1.5 inch threads, not 1 inch, so good luck finding a better muzzle brake. I have had to use a hammer handle in the past to get the bolt out, and actually snapped the bolt handle at the MI HTF shoot. Sent it back to LAR and they repaired it, and did an upgrade on the bolt, due to hard extraction being a common problem. The hot loaded Argentinian AP ammo still sticks, but now I can actually get the bolt open by hitting the handle with the palm of my hand.
BUT, it's still a 50 BMG, and it's fun to shoot
And the libs HATE it
I use a Konus Pro 8.5-32x scope, and it has held up just fine, even with me getting hit with the scope countless times. The cheekrest that comes with the rifle is there for a reason; you slide the rest all the way back, and that gives you enough room to not eat the scope. I figured that out through trial and error
I can't really think of anything else, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.
11/28/2011 10:12:20 AM
Originally Posted By IndustrialRescue:
I have one. Serial number under 1000.
Standard chamber, so it's not rated for 1 MOA. Taking the butt off of the gun after every fucking shot IS A PAIN IN THE ASS I'm actually looking into selling it, to fund something with a normal bolt/breech, so that I don't have to fuck up my sight picture, or get up off the ground to reload. The rifle is HEAVY, over 35 pounds. Having a 36 inch barrel is nice, and it is VERY well built. Being a bullpup, AND a 50 BMG, the trigger SUCKS. Make SURE to lube the trigger system, or the safety will stick.
I haven't bought any match grade ammo for it, so I don't know if it can actually shoot a nice tight group or not, but it seems to shoot about 2-3 moa with ball ammo.
LOTS of recoil, and the barrel is 1.5 inch threads, not 1 inch, so good luck finding a better muzzle brake. I have had to use a hammer handle in the past to get the bolt out, and actually snapped the bolt handle at the MI HTF shoot. Sent it back to LAR and they repaired it, and did an upgrade on the bolt, due to hard extraction being a common problem. The hot loaded Argentinian AP ammo still sticks, but now I can actually get the bolt open by hitting the handle with the palm of my hand.
BUT, it's still a 50 BMG, and it's fun to shoot And the libs HATE it
I use a Konus Pro 8.5-32x scope, and it has held up just fine, even with me getting hit with the scope countless times. The cheekrest that comes with the rifle is there for a reason; you slide the rest all the way back, and that gives you enough room to not eat the scope. I figured that out through trial and error
I can't really think of anything else, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.
I have one. Serial number under 1000.
Standard chamber, so it's not rated for 1 MOA. Taking the butt off of the gun after every fucking shot IS A PAIN IN THE ASS
I'm actually looking into selling it, to fund something with a normal bolt/breech, so that I don't have to fuck up my sight picture, or get up off the ground to reload. The rifle is HEAVY, over 35 pounds. Having a 36 inch barrel is nice, and it is VERY well built. Being a bullpup, AND a 50 BMG, the trigger SUCKS. Make SURE to lube the trigger system, or the safety will stick.I haven't bought any match grade ammo for it, so I don't know if it can actually shoot a nice tight group or not, but it seems to shoot about 2-3 moa with ball ammo.
LOTS of recoil, and the barrel is 1.5 inch threads, not 1 inch, so good luck finding a better muzzle brake. I have had to use a hammer handle in the past to get the bolt out, and actually snapped the bolt handle at the MI HTF shoot. Sent it back to LAR and they repaired it, and did an upgrade on the bolt, due to hard extraction being a common problem. The hot loaded Argentinian AP ammo still sticks, but now I can actually get the bolt open by hitting the handle with the palm of my hand.
BUT, it's still a 50 BMG, and it's fun to shoot
And the libs HATE itI use a Konus Pro 8.5-32x scope, and it has held up just fine, even with me getting hit with the scope countless times. The cheekrest that comes with the rifle is there for a reason; you slide the rest all the way back, and that gives you enough room to not eat the scope. I figured that out through trial and error
I can't really think of anything else, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.
Actually the gun is only 32 lbs since I shoot mine in FCSA light gun class. If you want a different brake for it you will either have to have the barrel turned down, or wait 1.5 years and put up with the BS from K&P (like I did). I plan on shooting mine with the new brake tomorrow, so I will do a side by side comparison with the new and old brake.
11/28/2011 10:18:58 AM
Originally Posted By imtheflash:
Actually the gun is only 32 lbs since I shoot mine in FCSA light gun class. If you want a different brake for it you will either have to have the barrel turned down, or wait 1.5 years and put up with the BS from K&P (like I did). I plan on shooting mine with the new brake tomorrow, so I will do a side by side comparison with the new and old brake.
Originally Posted By IndustrialRescue:
I have one. Serial number under 1000.
Standard chamber, so it's not rated for 1 MOA. Taking the butt off of the gun after every fucking shot IS A PAIN IN THE ASS I'm actually looking into selling it, to fund something with a normal bolt/breech, so that I don't have to fuck up my sight picture, or get up off the ground to reload. The rifle is HEAVY, over 35 pounds. Having a 36 inch barrel is nice, and it is VERY well built. Being a bullpup, AND a 50 BMG, the trigger SUCKS. Make SURE to lube the trigger system, or the safety will stick.
I haven't bought any match grade ammo for it, so I don't know if it can actually shoot a nice tight group or not, but it seems to shoot about 2-3 moa with ball ammo.
LOTS of recoil, and the barrel is 1.5 inch threads, not 1 inch, so good luck finding a better muzzle brake. I have had to use a hammer handle in the past to get the bolt out, and actually snapped the bolt handle at the MI HTF shoot. Sent it back to LAR and they repaired it, and did an upgrade on the bolt, due to hard extraction being a common problem. The hot loaded Argentinian AP ammo still sticks, but now I can actually get the bolt open by hitting the handle with the palm of my hand.
BUT, it's still a 50 BMG, and it's fun to shoot And the libs HATE it
I use a Konus Pro 8.5-32x scope, and it has held up just fine, even with me getting hit with the scope countless times. The cheekrest that comes with the rifle is there for a reason; you slide the rest all the way back, and that gives you enough room to not eat the scope. I figured that out through trial and error
I can't really think of anything else, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.
I have one. Serial number under 1000.
Standard chamber, so it's not rated for 1 MOA. Taking the butt off of the gun after every fucking shot IS A PAIN IN THE ASS
I'm actually looking into selling it, to fund something with a normal bolt/breech, so that I don't have to fuck up my sight picture, or get up off the ground to reload. The rifle is HEAVY, over 35 pounds. Having a 36 inch barrel is nice, and it is VERY well built. Being a bullpup, AND a 50 BMG, the trigger SUCKS. Make SURE to lube the trigger system, or the safety will stick.
I haven't bought any match grade ammo for it, so I don't know if it can actually shoot a nice tight group or not, but it seems to shoot about 2-3 moa with ball ammo.
LOTS of recoil, and the barrel is 1.5 inch threads, not 1 inch, so good luck finding a better muzzle brake. I have had to use a hammer handle in the past to get the bolt out, and actually snapped the bolt handle at the MI HTF shoot. Sent it back to LAR and they repaired it, and did an upgrade on the bolt, due to hard extraction being a common problem. The hot loaded Argentinian AP ammo still sticks, but now I can actually get the bolt open by hitting the handle with the palm of my hand.
BUT, it's still a 50 BMG, and it's fun to shoot
And the libs HATE it
I use a Konus Pro 8.5-32x scope, and it has held up just fine, even with me getting hit with the scope countless times. The cheekrest that comes with the rifle is there for a reason; you slide the rest all the way back, and that gives you enough room to not eat the scope. I figured that out through trial and error
I can't really think of anything else, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.
Actually the gun is only 32 lbs since I shoot mine in FCSA light gun class. If you want a different brake for it you will either have to have the barrel turned down, or wait 1.5 years and put up with the BS from K&P (like I did). I plan on shooting mine with the new brake tomorrow, so I will do a side by side comparison with the new and old brake.
ok, 32
11/28/2011 10:21:16 AM
I should've added that one of the guys that used to come out and shoot with us had an AR-50 brake put on his Griz, he said it felt like the brake reduced the felt recoil by about 30%. If so that's a major difference in the two brakes but most guys already know that the AR-50 brake is one of the best on the market.
Let us know how the new brake works out for you, if the wait wasn't so long I'm sure more guys would be interested. Armalite does sell the AR-50 brake but you'll need to have someone turn the threads to match the brake. If it was me I would do it for the reduction in felt recoil.
Let us know how the new brake works out for you, if the wait wasn't so long I'm sure more guys would be interested. Armalite does sell the AR-50 brake but you'll need to have someone turn the threads to match the brake. If it was me I would do it for the reduction in felt recoil.
11/28/2011 11:25:52 AM
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
I should've added that one of the guys that used to come out and shoot with us had an AR-50 brake put on his Griz, he said it felt like the brake reduced the felt recoil by about 30%. If so that's a major difference in the two brakes but most guys already know that the AR-50 brake is one of the best on the market.
Let us know how the new brake works out for you, if the wait wasn't so long I'm sure more guys would be interested. Armalite does sell the AR-50 brake but you'll need to have someone turn the threads to match the brake. If it was me I would do it for the reduction in felt recoil.
I should've added that one of the guys that used to come out and shoot with us had an AR-50 brake put on his Griz, he said it felt like the brake reduced the felt recoil by about 30%. If so that's a major difference in the two brakes but most guys already know that the AR-50 brake is one of the best on the market.
Let us know how the new brake works out for you, if the wait wasn't so long I'm sure more guys would be interested. Armalite does sell the AR-50 brake but you'll need to have someone turn the threads to match the brake. If it was me I would do it for the reduction in felt recoil.
Problem is, it will void the warranty
11/28/2011 11:31:00 AM
Shooting reloads will void the warranty also but people still do it, what kind of warranty does LAR offer? If it's lifetime then I would be hessitant, if it's only a few years then I would do it right now.
11/28/2011 11:35:26 AM
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
Shooting reloads will void the warranty also but people still do it, what kind of warranty does LAR offer? If it's lifetime then I would be hessitant, if it's only a few years then I would do it right now.
Shooting reloads will void the warranty also but people still do it, what kind of warranty does LAR offer? If it's lifetime then I would be hessitant, if it's only a few years then I would do it right now.
Well, I bought the gun used, and when I broke it, they fixed it for free. From what I remember, they DID say lifetime. Since I was not the original owner, I DID have to pay shipping to them, but nothing for repair, and nothing to get it shipped back.
So if I were going to put a different brake on it, I would have to find one in a 1.5 inch thread pattern, so I could swap it back out, if the rifle needs repairs.
11/28/2011 11:42:24 AM
Or you could remove the brake and send it in, unless they check it I doubt they would know you changed it. You can also check Spider Firearms, call and ask Dave if he makes one of his brakes to fit your Griz w/o any mods to the threads.
11/28/2011 12:38:09 PM
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
Or you could remove the brake and send it in, unless they check it I doubt they would know you changed it. You can also check Spider Firearms, call and ask Dave if he makes one of his brakes to fit your Griz w/o any mods to the threads.
Or you could remove the brake and send it in, unless they check it I doubt they would know you changed it. You can also check Spider Firearms, call and ask Dave if he makes one of his brakes to fit your Griz w/o any mods to the threads.
Thanks for the info
11/30/2011 8:53:01 PM
Originally Posted By 50_Shooter:
Or you could remove the brake and send it in, unless they check it I doubt they would know you changed it. You can also check Spider Firearms, call and ask Dave if he makes one of his brakes to fit your Griz w/o any mods to the threads.
Or you could remove the brake and send it in, unless they check it I doubt they would know you changed it. You can also check Spider Firearms, call and ask Dave if he makes one of his brakes to fit your Griz w/o any mods to the threads.
I think they might notice the barrel was turned down
I spoke with the armorer at Armalite and he said their brake does not have enough material to open it up to the 1.5" barrel of the LAR. I shopped around for a while and did not find a brake that would fit. I was just about to call Anzio Ironworks to see if they would build me one when K&P called me back saying mine was done 1.5 years after I ordered it (they told me 30 days). I had figured they were never going to make to it. Then it took them 3 frikken months to ship it to me. I would not recommend them
I did get to shoot it yesterday, but it started to rain, and I never got a chance to do a side by side of the two brakes.
