Picked up the M96, plus the Bren top feed kit. $1750 for everything. Though you think for what these guns sell for, they could at least include a magazine.  Here's a few bad pcitures:

Now if they only made somethig like that in .303 British..

Seriously, nice rifle.. Let us know how it groups with the offset sights..

Meplat-

THEY DON'T INCLUDE A MAG?  

Note to self:  Never buy a NIB firearm that doesn't include the mag.  How the hell are you supposed to shoot it without one?

Let us know how you like the 96.

The Robinson M-96 is a neat gun but I just cant see paying nearly $2000 dollars for what you could get two AR rifles for. The same goes for the ZM weapons system. Why buy this rifle when an AR goes for around $800?

It does look cool though.

Did they drop the belt fed option?I remember seeing that on the site.Go to the site now and they dont even have pics of it up.What a drag.  

Chairborne -

I knew when I boughtit that it came without a mag, and I have an AR mag or two around the house, so it didn't really bother me, but it's kind of silly that they just don't throw a pre-ban USGI mag in the box.

DOCPIG -

I already have 7 ARs and am in the process of buying an eighth from another board member. This wasn't a money-based decision, it was a "buy an interesting gun from an American manufacturer willing to take the risks to produce it" decision.  Every now and then I can make a decision that isn't completely economics based.

AZPLINKER-

The belt-feed kit is still listed on the web site as "TBD." The FFL I bought this from told me that Robinson claims they'll start making them when they have sufficient demand. He has 3 pre-orders in, I told him to add a fourth.

Where do you get belted ammo? I've entertained it, but haven't seen lots of adds for belted ammo. Also, how much more does it cost?

If the option is produced, it'll probably have more evil features (flash hider, telestock?), as I think the AW ban doesn't include belt-fed guns.

Quoted: Now if they only made somethig like that in .303 British.. Seriously, nice rifle.. Let us know how it groups with the offset sights.. Meplat-

My thoughts exactly! .308 would be cool too.
I've always wanted a real bren.

You can just buy links and link it yourself, it's much cheaper than buying belted ammo. With SAW or M60 links, it's about as fast to load a round into a belt as it is to load it into a magazine.

Master_Blaster espoused: Where do you get belted ammo? I've entertained it, but haven't seen lots of adds for belted ammo. Also, how much more does it cost? If the option is produced, it'll probably have more evil features (flash hider, telestock?), as I think the AW ban doesn't include belt-fed guns.

A couple years back there was a whole lot of M855 available in SAW packs (250 round belts in the plastic cans). I've got a couple of thousand rounds of that, plus a few thousand more links from the mixed M855/M856 belts I bought that I delinked to remove the tracer rounds.

Unfortunately, the AW ban includes, as part of the definition IIRC, the ability to accept linked ammunition in belts longer than 10 rounds. So it won't get any expra evil features.  I'm also not holding my breath for the belt fed version, and I'll probably buy all of the available barrel kits, purely on a collection basis.  

DavidC, I hate you.  

Hawkeye1 vented: DavidC, I hate you.

The M96 and a lot of my other toys will be at the BRC. Show up and I'll let you play with it.

God how I wish I could! Cant make it this year. Fixing to start building our new house in a few weeks, not to mention that i have to take most of my vacation in July to go down to Miami for a convention that my wife has to attend with work. Just what I wanted to do for a vacation, go to Miami! I detest Miami. Anyway, getting off topic. Do tell how it shoots. I keep telling myself that one day I will be able to get one. Congrats.

Since the box magazine feeding from the bottom has been proven reliable for so long, what's the idea of top feeding?  Lower firing position when prone and what else?  I've read the Thompson's 30 round stick would fall out because it was so heavy, but that was in WWII days...

Dave, you lucky dog. One day I'll have one in my collection. What did you get two different barrel lengths or twist rates. Very nice.

Duffy espoused: Since the box magazine feeding from the bottom has been proven reliable for so long, what's the idea of top feeding? Lower firing position when prone and what else?

From the robarm website:

"The Top Feed or "BREN" transformation of the M96 can be done with no modification to the M96 receiver.  The rear sight of the M96 rifle is remove and the lower receiver is attached where the rear sight was.  The handguard is switched to the other side of the receiver.  Two additional parts are necessary:  a receiver cover with an offset rear sight; and a barrel with an offset front sight.   These two parts will be included in a BREN Kit which will be available towards the end of 2000.

Many people ask, "What is the advantage of the BREN configuration?"    I asked the same question when I first saw a BREN gun.  To answer the question properly, a short history of the BREN gun is in order.

Prior to WWII the British adopted the "BREN" gun chambered for the .303 British cartridge.  The BREN gun was an adaptation of the Czech ZB 26.  The BREN featured a 30 round magazine which stuck straight out of the top of the rifle.   Those who really know firearms will tell you that the BREN gun was the best magazine fed machine gun of WWII.   Yes, even better than the well respected BAR developed by John Browning.

The BAR was limited mostly by its 20 round magazine and its lack of a  quick change barrel.   Had a 30 round magazine been made for the BAR, it would have stuck down a considerable distance, making it difficult to fire from the prone position.  Also, without a quick change barrel, there may have been the fear of overheating  the rifle to rapidly.

The BREN with its 30 round magazine extending out the top of the receiver could easily accept a 30 round magazine.  The operator could shoot prone or from a fox hole while keeping a very low profile and without the magazine being ground into the dirt.  Addtionally, the top fed rifles also benefit from more reliability because gravity aides in feeding rounds instead of against feeding rounds in conventional bottom fed rifles.

The same benefits of the BREN Gun's top feed design apply to the M96.  The top fed look will grow on you.  After you have shot the rifle in the top fed configuration, all doubt about its usefulness will vanish."

Firepower queried: What did you get two different barrel lengths or twist rates.

The Bren kit includes a 17.5" fluted heavy barrel with integral brake.  The other barrel pictured is the 20" rifle barrel for the standard rifle configuration as pictured below. The rifle can be switched between the two configurations with no tools. The Bren kit is an option for the basic gun.

Man I'm green with envy. This gives a new meaning to "the difference between men and boys is the price of their toys." Please give us a range report after you shot several thousand rounds thru it.

I just got one myself! I had laughed at the problems some people described with some copies but then realized that they were no worse than any of my own troubles with other rifles. If I have some snags I can get em smoothed out, either way I have a really cool new range toy! It reminds me very much of the M-249 SAWs that my unit picked up a couple years ago in the way they are built and operate.