When we set the accuracy, we hadn't fully tested the fluted barrels. We can get .5 MOA or even better out of most of the .223 X-1s we test, but we can't guaranty that every combination of bullet, load, and shooter can or will. We're experiencing .75-1 MOA on our field reports as being pretty typical...so we adjusted our guaranteed accuracy (shooter and ammo doing their parts) accordingly.
The difference between the X-1 and R-3 in the LAR-15 platform is minimal. The X-1 has a different brake and the barrel is bead blasted. The R-3 was the test bed fo r a lot of what became the X-1, but had already caught on fo r3-gunners, so we maintained it as an offering while creating the X-Series in multiple calibers and across models/platforms. The R-3 is a stand alone model, while the X-Series will continue to grow in terms of what we offer in it and how it is marketed/sold. Look for an expanded series for 2015, with more planned beyond that.
Thanks.
Steve/RRA