Robinson Arms

**Warpt762x39** · December 6th, 2009, 11:12 PM

I started getting curious the last few days about two rifles made by Robinson Arms. First the XCR. From what I've read it was designed to go against the FN SCAR in competition for the military contract but lost. The second is the M96. Sort of a modernized Stoner 63 I guess.

My question is, does anyone on here have any experience with either of these rifles and if so how do they compare to say an AR, the SCAR or even a Sig556?

**gator39** · December 7th, 2009, 11:34 AM

The owner of the co., I think his name is Alex Robinson, is an ass.

They were the sole importer/distributor for the excellant Vepr line of AKs when they first came in the country. As good as the Veprs were, Robinson arms customer service SUCKS. They would not even sell you extra mags.
They told people for over a year the mags were on a ship on the way to this country, but they never came. I had to call repeatedly over a 7 month period to get a manual for the rifle I bought that was not included in the box.
I bought 2 of the Vepr .308s., 2 of the best guns I ever owned. But could only get 2 ten round mags each for them, and when Robinson peeded the Russians off and they quit selling him the Veprs, they refused to service or provide parts for the guns they already sold.
I have heard the 96 is an excellant rifle, but based on Robinsons past customer service an over all atitude I would not deal with them.

There were long running threads on other boards discussing their customer service also. If you belong to any of these run a search on them.

If I were going the 5.56x45 route, right now, in my opinion the Sig is the top of the line for the money, and Sig as a co. has a long, solid, reputation.

**DPB** · December 7th, 2009, 11:50 AM

I'm a known DI AR guy, but the following is as objective as I can make it.

Robinson Armament has been advertising rifles for going on ten years. I go to every gun show I can get to, every gun shop I pass on the road, work at a gun shop sometimes, and shoot with a cast of characters that owns a SCAR, literally dozens of ARs and AKs, HKs and clones, and pretty much every commercially available individual military arm produced since WW1.

Despite all this, do you know how many M96s or XCRs I've seen in the past 10 years? One XCR, this past summer at the Harrisburg show. Price was $2300ish.

There are some guys talking them up on the internet, but production capability seems to be about nothing. Which means that parts and accessories are virtually non existent.

It could be the Holy Grail of rifles, but with stats like that (and what Gator said), it doesn't do me any good.

I think the SIG is probably a decent rifle, although there is a lot of reliable chatter right now that SIGs QC has taken a nosedive. The issues with parts and accessories also apply, but to a much lesser extent than for an RA, since SIG is actually able to put rifles on the shelf some folks are making stuff for them.

**cyclesteel** · December 7th, 2009, 01:16 PM

I have the complete opposite experience of the above posters granted I have only been a XCR owner for a week or so. I picked up a used XCR off the classifieds here. I was going to purchase a new one and just stumbled on the used one for sale. I have put a few hundred rounds through it last week and only issue I had was with the old style gas valve nut coming loose which probably was my own fought for not tightening it up enough.

I emailed Robinson and there customer service person could not be any more helpful. She Offered for me to send the barrel in and she could replace the gas block and piston with the new style or send me out a new one and I could do it my self. I opted to do it myself and had the parts in 3 days. Needless to say I had some difficulty installing the new gas block and I am shipping the barrel back to them but hopefully I will have it back by the end of the week.

One of the main reasons I went with a XCR is because I heard and read about there great customer service.
As for seeing them around you need to also keep in mind that they are a small company and I imagine there are not more then 5000 or so XCR’s out there so you might not see them all over the place My XCR is around 2 years old and is in the 1000 serial number range

**TonyF** · December 7th, 2009, 01:45 PM

John Farnam has been a big fan of the Robinson Arms product line but he then sent out some info from the owner about the XCR that seems to contradict claims of "robust" and "reliable".

http://www.defense-training.com/quips/23Sept09.html

If I had to "tweak" my Colt AR15's in like manner, I wouldn't own them.

**DPB** · December 7th, 2009, 03:18 PM

Quoted from the site TonyF referenced:

"I could make a 'fool-proof' rifle by welding-in the ejector, affixing the barrel bolt, and eliminating gas adjustment, but much of the XCR's elegance and grace would be lost."

I'm not a smart guy, but I'm pretty sure that "fool-proof" is a much higher priority on a "robust, military weapon" than "elegance and grace."