Minor update - found a cheap case that fits the gun that I like and am switching to

https://www.temu.com/goods.html?_bg_fs=1&goods_id=601099533694005&_x_sessn_id=7q694qltg9&refer_page_name=bgt_order_detail&refer_page_id=10045_1714139528615_eruo9hqgvr&refer_page_sn=10045
$20.  (Get the 70 CM one)



It looks too small, but actually does fit.  Only complaint is I wish it had more cargo capacity/support pockets.

I need 3 of these..

@lazyengineer, did you ever post a link to the bipod?

If not, please do.

Picked up my RDB yesterday.

Try code:  DSYP26LP




You'll also want


(If not running factory plastic handguard)

Lazy, now that you've resolved the issues with your RDB, especially with the bolt catch locking up, how would you rate the RDB in comparison to your AUG?

If you had to pick one to figuratively "go to war," which would you pick?

Good question, and I'll need to revisit that when I have more time.  I have not yet done a proper hard used multi-mag mag dump run yet. Which I think I need to do.  I will say this, I have done a deep clean and mothball of my AUG - I run this gun now.  But I'm not going to sell the AUG right now either

4/27/2024 update:  Fired 30 rounds
A friend wanted some help with her pistol training (which went really well) and this is where she discovered that she needs to shoot left-handed, if she's left eye-dominant; and things started getting better.  So she ran a rifle left-handed for the first time ever, and actually liked the RDB nicely, which caters well to that.

Also, updated the photos of my el-cheap0 $20 TEMU gun bag.  Which just looks too small to work, but it does, and comfortably.  Despite the photo, the zipper doesn't actually stretch any to fit; it's just the perfect length.





Total round count:  1167 rounds

To follow-up on this.  Basically, I guess there are two questions
-As a civilian shooter in civilian life, which would I take, even for Serious Business?
-If I were going to Ukraine for a 1 year field deployment that will involve gunfire exchange, which will I take?

To the first question, I say the RDB.  To the second question... that one is tougher.  TBH, I'd probably take an AR15 variant, for the common parts.  One item of note, is that the aluminum handguards that are way cooler and more useful, actually kind of suck in extended use and military level conditions.  They will heat up to unusable temperatures in about 3 high-rate mag dumps (at near full-auto rates).  Worse, they will suck the heat right out of your hand way more than you can believe in a cool night (where "combat" duty generally means sitting on your ass most of the time, in the dark, on a cold night).  The AUG beats the RDB with my handguard there. So if I did take the RDB, I'd probably reinstall the plastic handguard.  Which will also assure no one steals my rifle, but Holy Crap is that thing ugly.  Utilitarian, but Ugly.  What I really want is for a first-line outfit to make an RDB derivative, where the eliminate the screws and Kel-Tec KetLec'ness, as then I think the RDB would be an outstanding gun.  I think the RDB already is outstanding, but too many screws.  

I guess I could take an RDB with the plastic handguard, and I'd bring some spare parts - a complete bolt and maybe even carrier.  But I would do the same for the AUG.  And maybe a replacement mag latch.  The single greatest weakness of the RDB for "Serious military usage", is that mag-catch is just to easy to inadverntatly engage, IMHO.  Shaving a 1/4 second on the reload isn't worth the price of enhanced risk of having 1-shot in the gun, and 1 shot only, with the other 29 on the ground in the mag.  In fact, if there's a mod to enhance the security of the mag retention on the RDB, I'm interested.

But in the end, I think maybe I would take the RDB over the AUG, because over the last year, about 2 or 3 independant vids of dudes running bullpups hard were done, and in every one of them, they actually picked the RDB over the AUG etc.  And owning both, I now see why.  

Right now, I have over 1000 rounds no the RDB, and about 8000+ rounds on the AUG.  I've broken actually quite a few parts on the AUG.  I haven't broken a single part on the RDB yet, though I did have to modify my bolt catch by adding drop of JB weld to force the tine to push in a bit, to mitigate it wedging between the bolt carrier and the reciever and locking up the gun.  That worked, and the gun runs great now.  

Between the two, here's what's better about the RDB:
-Trigger.  AUG factory trigger is shit.  AUG improved trigger by throwing money at it, is much better.  RDB factory trigger still beats it.
-Weight - this one is actually kind of big.
-Ejection
-STANAG magazine compatibility.  (yes, AUG mags are arguably "better", but "better" than beater GI mags and Thermolds, a modern Lancer or ETS mag is easily as good as an AUG mag, and IMHO, actually "better")
-Accuracy - sorry, my RDB outshoots my AUG, but a decent amount.
-Adjustability.  While the RDB adjustments might need to be chanaged from ammo to ammo (which is not great) - in Duty service, one is likely to be using uniform ammo.  And my AUG is WILDLY overgassed, and I can't fix that.  On my RDB, I very much can.
-recoil, RDB is probably the softest gun I ever shot, my AUG is a very jumpy bastard.
-Supressor host - actually, I don't care as I don't run one, but universally the RDB is light-years past the AUG as a good supressor host (adjustable gas, downward eject so gas goes there)
-Left side ejector covoer.  My AUG eats mine occasionally.  It's also a pressure release point right up against your face.  If an RDB Kabooms, there's a heavy steel shell there, and all the gas is going down.  In an AUG, some of that is coming through that at you.
-Modern rail and MLOK host.  The handguard and factory rail-space are pretty good, and give a lot more capabilities and options than the AUG.
-US Standard threads on the muzzle (though I think AUG BBLs have that now, but mine does not.  Mine has a Euro standard flash hider that weighs about half what my CHL pistol weighs, and about half as long too.  Where my RDB runs a BCM warfighter A2 dimensioned muzzle device, which I just LOVE.

Heat - this I still haven't fully tested yet, but I need to do a 3-4 mag mag-dupm in my RDB to really test that.  If Combat Duty is of interst, that needs to be done.  An AUG is well proven to be able to handle that.  I think an RDB can too, plenty people have run it like that.

Where the AUG beats the RDB, and IMHO this is no small thing, is a more secure mag-retention system.  you're never going to inadvertantly release the mag of an AUG.  but grab an RDB by the middle to carry it around, and be careful, because you may have just popped your magazine.  I really wish there was a way to move that.

The AUG also has the "advantage" of the removable barrel.  But really, so too does the RDB, basically.  The AUG's version is mor egimmic than actually usafeful, sorry, but it is.  Nobody swaps out barrels in reality.  Useful for breakdown and more compact storage I guess.

As a civiliian for home-use and civilian life use, even for Serious Business outings - I'll take the RDB over the AUG.


Not sure if that answers your question there.

5/4/2024 update  Fired 93 rounds today
How was your day?

Two goals today:

1) Explorations with cheap light and laser systems circa-2024 (we've come a long way).
2) Finally run some mag-dumps, and get it hot.  See photo, for about 75 rounds run very very fast run and gun.

On topic 1, It's talked about more in-depth here:    https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/Cheap-Amazon-weapon-lights-and-lasers-circa-2024-Lazy-s-comparisons-and-review/20-786095/&page=1&anc=bottom#bottom  

If you noticed, originally I had been running a smaller cheap laser/light rated at 350 lumen (probably closer to 200+ actually, which is still pretty good), but mounted forward on the top of the rail.  But for this trial, I decided to look at even brighter lights, with a $28 light/laser combo on a $2 45 degree quick release mount (to keep it clear of optics path).  Eh, it went about as expected, the system didn't hold zero to my satisfaction.  It's odd, but I seem to have more struggles the larger and heavier it is.  the 450 Lumen unit is built different a decent amount lighter, so I switched to that.  It did better, and mostly held zero under recoil - decent (not great).  Biggest issue is the 45 degree quick-release mount (to keep it out of the way of the scope-view), isn't so secure with just a thumb-screw, and loosens itself, losing zero and falling off if not careful.  Also, the 45 degree mount is fine if use a tool to torque it down, but so much for "quick release".  

So.. partial success in that I have a plan and it should work, but need to give it another run to prove it out.

Item 2: Run it HOt!
People have said RDB's get hot, but so far I had not experienced that.  So, today I finally ran the mags in that photo, all within a couple minutes or so of rapid-fire.   RDB heat-cycle is interesting.  At first it doesn't heat up much at all, and as soon as I was done, I was able to walk back to the table with it fine.  Warm, but not so bad.   Wait 30 more seconds though - and YOWZERS.  That sucker really does get HOT.  Interestingly the metal handguard and sight rails are good radiators, so within just a few minutes you can handle the gun again - but I will say if you are intending to do multiple mag-dumps with an RDB running an aluminum hand-rail - bring gloves.  If the intent is to make this gun a "serious business" Ukranian Deployment level gun, keep the plastic handguard on it, or otherwise do something clever if you run an aluminum one.  

OK, so to BackEnder's question earlier in this thread - is it a good idea to leave the plastic light/laser mounted forward like that at the end of the RDB right atop the gas black?  I'm going to say that's a pretty hard NO, it's not a good idea.  I think the 45 degree offset mounted light, mounted about half way up the mount, is better.  It still gets pretty hot, but better, and the off-set mount will separate and slow the heat flow some as well.  I'd comment more on that, and on how well my 450 LM light worked out - but the damned "quick release" mount - when put on finger tight, unscrews itself and falls off mid-string, doing this.  So that didn't work so good.  I think with some torque from a tool onto thus-now-former "quick release" mount, will likely fix that.  My other option is to just under-mount it right in front of the optic; where it's cooler.  Which I might do, but I hate that as the light hits the rail the whole length down and just makes this gleaming blinding front end of the gun that will blind you - if not careful.  We'll see, haven't decided.

Also, the heat from the gas-block and forward section of the rail is so intense, after those mag-dumps the mirage shows up even in a 2.5X CQB optic - which is kind impressive.  So that's one thing the AR system does better - is they don't heat up nearly that bad.

I then immediately ran a 5 shot 50 yard string within about 30 seconds, and had a good bit of vertical stringing and the impacts were at least 1 MOA higher.  Though even just 60 seconds or so after that, zero returned closer to normal, and the stringing mostly went away.

Goal 2 Conclusion - Yep, it gets very hot; hotter than an AR15 at same round count - by a good bit.  And yes, the rail section above the gas-block is all-but unusably hot.  The whole rail heats up, but not so bad where the main optic is.

Total Round Count: 1260

Some technical items from the above outing - just documenting to store the data somewhere:
(i.e., this is way more academic than most people are going to be interested in - you've been warned!)

Cold barrel zero check with main sight.  Impact is about right.  Grouping accuracy not super great, but this was just ball ammo too.  My AUG shoots about the same (usually worse).  MY AR shot it 1 MOA same outing though.  Ah well, serviceable for ball.


Running a green laser test trial, here are the relative impacts of the laser mounted at a 45 degree offset via quick release system (before the quick-release fell off)


25 yards


15 yards


10 yards


Or to restate.  From this on-paper testing,  For a 200 yard zero'd rifle.  Impacts were

50 yards (main sight / green laser)
  1.2" low (main sight) / 1.2" low (green laser, which was zero'd to match main sight at 50)
25 yds
  1.8" low  / 1.1" low (0.1" Left)
15 yds
  2.7" low / 1.7" low (1" left)
10 yds
  2.7" low / 2.1" low (1.7" left)

So the laser (being lower), tempered the off-set of the impact at closer range some, but being offset itself a bit horizontally, that showed up some.    This is probably way more academic than actually meaningful, but hey - I recorded the data, so there it is.

After the high heat trial, I altered my laser/light concept and decided to go with a different more resilient unit (the 450LM unit holds up better to recoil at keeping zero, than the bigger 600 LM unit), and I went with a different non-quick-release off-set rail, mounted further back - to try and stay a bit farther from the heat, and also hopefully not fall off, when it gets hot.



Of course there is some experimental error "noise" in there - such is the way of things.