I recently bought a RRA 9mm upper and a RRA lower (= all the other parts to do the change) when I was putting it together i noticed it fit really really tight to the point where its hard as h*ll to close.   also it seems like the bolt carrier catches the buffer tube right where is screws to the lower because there is some signs of rubbing on the carrier.  so i emailled RRA not once but TWICE to see if there is a fix or something they could do which Id be willing to pay to have done if it wouldnt cost a small fortune but they won't reply to my emails.   Is this common with RRA?  Is there customer service that poor?  anybody have a fix for me?   anyways I was gonna build another ar using RRAhinking.gif parts but after this I'll go back to Bushmaster.

They have been really busy lately.  Try giving them a call; they were always courteous when I talked to them.

Wes

Calling them might be a better route to go.

As far as the tightness, that's normal in my experience. My brother just got two RRA lowers and a RRA upper and it took excessive force to get them to close (tried the upper on both lowers). Not a bad thing IMO. Better than being loose. If you're sure the wear on the buffer is atypical/not-just-cosmetic, then maybe you do have a problem.

Is this common with RRA?

YES! I have sent a number of emails to them and have NEVER had one answered.

Is there customer service that poor?

Not much better. If you speak to them on the phone you will be surprised at how uninformed/dumb the so called customer service reps(warm bodies answering phones) are.

It's common on the RRA's to be tight. to very tight. There is a thread that states how to  remmedy this. I took a small file and barely filed the rear edges. Not the flats ... The points on the edge. They was ragging alittle. It took about 20 seconds..... Now it's still firmly tight but managable to open.Its perfect fit for a lower and upper. Now take your bolt out and I bet it still close tight. Its the rear egdes dragging on the upper rear lug. WarDawg

The one email I sent was answered to my satisfaction within 24 hours.

I would guess they are pretty busy now.  The best way to deal with them though is to talk to one of their distributors.  Especially if you bought from one of them.  Try ADCO, RBPrecision or LegalTransfers.

All of my calls (about 4 total now) and both emails I have sent to them have been answered directly and truthfully.

Oh and my 'pre-ban' RRA A2 upper was REALLY tight getting it on for the first time, after a couple times it fits perfect.





Man its been a long time since I  used 'really tight' and 'getting it on for the first time' in the same sentence.

While I think that RRA products are among the best out there, their customer service leaves something to be desired.

From my experience, the person answering the phone rarely knows about what's going on.  You will be allowed to purchase items that aren't in stock and for which there are no plans to have it in stock for at least six months (without telling you such is the case).  If you have to send something back for replacement (like I did once), the replacement build will be put in the new build queue and you will just wait for the replacement while they enjoy your money.

If it sounds like I'm not a fan of their customer service, you figured right.  And I don't think that it has anything to do with "being busy lately," since this has been the norm for quite a while.

Having said all the above, they do produce really good products and it is relatively rare that you have to deal with their customer service because of that...

Personally, I'll take Doublestar/J&T Distributing any day.

I'm startled to hear about your problems with customer service. RRA has always been excellent about answering my questions.

A little info from RB Precision that you might find helpful;

Fitting a Rock River upper to you lower. (Tight fit? We can help) All of the Rock River Arms lowers are an extremely tight fit, they need to be worked in the following way : For the love of God make sure there is no rounds in rifle and it is on safe, the hammer will need to be back in the cocked position!!! Our lawyers make us tell you that death is possible if this is loaded when you perform this, we like our customers please do not shoot yourself! 1. Assemble the front pivot pin to the upper. 2. Lubricate the rear lug completely with a light grease (best) or oil, lube the inside of the receiver also. 3. Ensure the rear takedown pin is completely out in the open position (detent is holding) 4. Slowly push the 1/2's together, they will stick (THIS IS NORMAL) it will most likely not close completely at first this is normal. 5. Open and close, repeat being careful to keep the halves aligned, do not slam them together but continue to use increasing force to fit together, when almost completely together use a nylon or soft rubber mallet to tap upper receiver into final position. 6. When they are seated (no gap between upper and lower) lightly tap the rear takedown pin into place.  This will seem scary to a beginner but it is natural for a tight fit. 7. You may see some of the anodized removed from the rear lug at the corners, AGAIN, this is normal. 8. You may have some difficulty separating the upper and lower, with barrel up and rifle unsupported (hanging in the air) grasp the rifle by handguard and give a "smack" to the top of the Barrel, you may need to do this repeatable, usually 5-10 times will do the trick.

I have also found the Rock Rivers very tight. They tend to get more managable after they have been fired a bit. I have never purchased direct from Rock River because I found the prices from various dealers are less and their (dealer) customer service is very good. This is one area where shopping around is a good idea.