I've watched LWRC from a distance for several years.  I've shot their rifles and I know they build an awesome product but I never bought into the piston concept in the AR platform of rifles.

This being said now the company has released its first DI product and while it's still relatively new, its been out for more than a year now and I've been watching, reading and learning as much as I could until finally I decided it was worth buying.  

I guess the bottom line in my decision to purchase this rifle is the overall quality built into the gun and the fact that it's roughly $400 to $800 cheaper than the Cadillac competitors we have come to respect as an AR community.  Yes, this rifle is still twice the price of a PSA kit and $300 to $400 more than your entry level rifles from DPMS or S&W but this rifle is every bit as good, and in some ways better, than a DD or Noveske.

Now, I'm a wrong handed shooter so I'll mention that up front because ambi controls were a big consideration for me.  I've shot and attended classes for years with a standard right handed rifle but I always wanted to go through the drills working them as designed rather than having to modify the drill or shoot right handed.  It's funny because while I haven't gone to the range with the gun yet, I've done reload drills and done a good amount of dry fire with the rifle and I'm having to break down some old muscle memory from modifying drills in the past.  

Anyway, the rifle is completely ambidextrous.  The bolt catch is in its normal position on the left side of the rifle as you shoulder it but LWRC carries the controls through the lower and has the same type of paddle switch on the right side of the rifle.  They accomplished the same thing with the mag release and installed a left side mag release which I have found to be very comfortable to use.  Lastly, the charging handle and safety are ambi also so the weapon can be manipulated completely from either side.  There are negatives to anything and in the short amount of time I've owned this rifle the two negatives I've noticed about the ambi controls are #1, because of the difference in the operating controls of the lower, there is a loss of compatibility from other AR's.  This was the biggest drawback in my mind for the rifle and it took some time for me to get beyond this because I put a lot of personal emphasis on staying with compatibility (one of the main reasons I never bought into the piston).  The other negative is if your a fan of KNS pins, you can't use them because the left side magazine release will not give enough room for the non rotating assembly to be properly installed.  

The second thing I appreciated is the weight of the rifle.  It is advertised at 6 pounds, 6 ounces but it weighed just over 6, 4 on my scale.  LWRC uses the same spiral fluted, hammer forged barrel that they have used on their piston IC rifles which helps with the weight and adds to the aesthetics as well.  They also cut sections of the top rail out of the free float handgaurd but did it in a way that doesn't interfere with function.   The rail is a full handgaurd similar to the Troy Alpha rail.  LWRC uses the option to attach rail sections verses having to lug around the weight of unused rail space.  

Finally, the BCG in this rifle is of LWRC's design and the gas key does not bolt into the body of the carrier.  The gas key and BC are a one piece design.  I have experienced one problem in my years firing the AR that was related to a faulty gas key and this was a problem that could have been prevented with proper staking but it's interesting to see LWRC modify and attempt to improve on the original design of the rifle.  While I have not tested it, LWRC says the rifle will function with a standard BCG.

My initial impression of the rifle is quality.  The fit and finish of the gun is first rate with features that even DD defense and Noveske's don't have on guns that cost significantly more than the DI.  I'll get it to the range as soon as I can and try to give you all a follow up.  

More to follow

I got to the range and finally got to put in some time with the rifle.  I've actually been twice now, the first time I only shot some Georgia Arms, new man, 62 grain loads.  The second time I shot Hornady Tap 62 grain Barrier, Federal XM 193 and about 20 rounds of Black Hills 77 grain Sierra's.

All in all the rifle shot very well.  There were no malfunctions and the rifle operates very smooth.  I like the offhanded controls but I definitely have more work to do to break down muscle memory of shooting right handed for so many years.  Its a work in progress.

As for the accuracy, most of the shooting with the previously listed ammo was done at 100 yards.  The rifle appears to be shooting a little better than 1 MOA.  It prefers heavier bullets but that's to be expected with the faster barrel twist and for the ammo I had on hand, it preferred the Black Hills.  The four groups of 5 rounds I shot with the black Hills measured between .64 and .76 with the rifle supported on its own magazine.  Again, that's to be expected but it didn't do poorly with the XM193 as the groups did open up to around 1.25" with this ammo.  I did not notice key holing with the 55 grain ammo at 100 yards.

Its worth noting that these groups were not shot with the factory trigger.  The factory trigger was comparable to any standard factory trigger and proved to be gritty with a good bit of travel.  I had a Geissele SDC that I installed and all the groups listed were shot with this trigger.

Overall I'm very pleased and would recommend checking the rifle out if your in the market of purchasing a rifle from a manufacturer.