SGC LR223

Which may well be so as people with more zeal than knowledge tend to be involved. Politicians wanting a quick fix solution can literally grab at straws and in doing so miss the point. A classic example was the 1988 Firearms Amendment after the Hungerford shootings. The main changes were to ban centrefire, self-loading rifles (SLRs) logical really as an AK47 was used amongst other things and if you are going to hate any assault rifle the AK is number one suspect! However, whoever decided this also thought it a good idea to ban pump-action rifles; probably the least prolific long gun in the UK, yet left lever-actions alone. Equally high capacity pump and semi-auto shotguns were not banned just put into FAC category so you could still use rifled slug through them to make a poor man’s rifle. I suppose we were lucky they did not seek advice from someone who knew what they were talking about!

SOUR GRAPES!

But centrefire SLRs were banned! However, shooters can be creative and it was not long before legal, manually-operated versions of what we used to have started appearing. Yes they looked the same but had no components to make them semi-auto in operation, so a generic bolt-action with a straight-pull system. There was much mumbling from the police about this equipment not being in the spirit of the law. Ridiculous; as the law is absolute so it either is or is not legal! We had the same reaction after the handgun ban when long barrelled revolvers, revolving carbines and rimfire long barrelled pistols (LBP) appeared. The new law banned any firearm with a barrel less than 12” and an overall length of 24”, if it conformed it was a Section 1 Large Firearm; despite the fact it looked like a pistol and had a rod instead of a butt to make up the length. They made the rules after all!

I suppose that hybrid straight-pulls have been with us for about 24 years now and in that time have been refined and to a greater degree accepted. But creativity knows no limits and some people were taking a serious look at the restrictions prescribed by the law. By definition a self-loading/ semi-auto mechanism fires extracts, ejects and reloads with just one pull of the trigger; if it can’t do that then it’s not a semi, so must be a Section 1 firearm. What if there was some way of interrupting that firing cycle so the action stayed open after each shot and had to be manually released to complete the cycle?

QUANTUM LEAP

The first example I saw was on an LBP based around an STI pistol in 2000, which incorporated an interrupter mechanism with an integral fail-safe system that would render the gun inoperable if it was tampered with. Not a problem for law-abiding, legal gun owners, but essential to make the gun useless in criminal hands! This design never went into production, but about 10 years later Bob Clark Southern Gun Company (SGC) came out with his own concept – the lever release (LR).

Bob is a highly skilled engineer and innovator and probably the father of the straight-pull ARs we know today, as his Speedmaster rifles attest to! He also gave us the LA (lever-actuated) series with grip-cocking, pistol-calibre AR15s. The goal doubtless to improve handling and functionality, well he has taken a quantum step forward with his new LR guns.

Using the interrupted firing cycle as I briefly outlined the LR has a release lever (paddle) on the left side of the lower receiver where the safety would normally be on an AR. This control is now relocated on the right side. Originally made in pistol calibres only (9mm and 45 ACP) using a blow back action I tested an LR9 about two years ago and it was nice. At that time he told me he had no intention of making a 223 version, well that has changed as what I have here is the LR223.

SERIOUS RE-THINK

A blow back mechanism that uses the weight of the bolt to delay opening is fine for low power pistol calibres, but 223 Rem requires a locked breach. Bob opted for a gas/piston operating system as opposed to the original direct gas of the AR15/M16, as he told me it’s more reliable and also suited to the LR system. The heart of the rifle is the interrupter, which looks like a giant sear, it’s this that catches the bolt and holds it on its rearward movement. The trigger mech remains unchanged.

The design incorporates a fail-safe system to negate tampering from the wrong hands. Equally the build is unique with neither upper nor lower receiver halves being able to fit a standard, straight-pull AR15. The upper receiver is flat-topped and does not have a cocking handle on the right as a man-opp would. It just has the T-handle at the rear and the signature, SGC cocking slide on the left, the upshot of this build means it also has forward assist, case deflector and ejection port cover.

Visually the LR223 is striking as it wears an adjustable Magpul PRS butt and an alloy QD, free-float forend. This is required as it allows you to remove it to access the operating system for cleaning. Currently the rifle is only offered with a 16” barrel and Bob said it’s optimised to use SS 109-style ammo (62-grain) with GGG being the recommended recipe. However, he is considering offering other options on barrel length/style and furniture, maybe even calibre. For the test I used GGG (SS 109), S&B 55-grain M193, my AR reload - 69-grain Sierra BTHP Match King bullet over 24-grains of Ramshot TAC powder and Hornady TAP in 60-grain Urban (BT) and 62-grain Barrier (SP) options. With its 1-8” rifling twist I suspected it would do well!

HEAVIER THAN EXPECTED

First impressions are of a heavy rifle with most of the extra weight centred around the action and buffer tube. Adding to this is the heavier walled Mk 5 lower, billet receiver. The barrel is a slim H-Bar type with fluted rear section. The forend is to put it bluntly uncomfortable with top and bottom Picatinny rails and a short section at 9, o’clock (looking from the rear). To make it less so I fitted rail guards! The repositioning of the safety to the right side is not a problem as operation is still easy. The LR paddle on the left as with the original LR9 I tested feels a bit too far forward and I would have liked to have seen the wide section continue back to the pivot point. Despite that it operates easily.

The trigger is the standard, AR-type unit, though has been smoothed a little and does feel a tad better, though is no Match job! Bob said he’s considering fitting something better as standard. It came with a Vortex Viper PST 1-4x24 scope with CQ/MT reticule in their ADR-X Cantilever QR Mount system, which is a sweet set-up. For accuracy testing I used my Leupold 3-9x50 Vari-X 2 in a one-piece Sportsmatch Dampa Mount.

My initial interests were reliability in all bullet weights and more importantly the ability of the LR system to do what it was supposed to. I’m glad to say that I had no problems on both counts. Though Bob reckons GGG is the way to go I would disagree as it shot the inch with that one and less with the two Hornady TAPs and my 69-grain reload. The trigger obviously made a negative difference as it was still what it was. But off a rest the Sierra Match King load was doing sub-3/4” easily so I would assume the usual 1⁄2” I have come to expect from a 1-8” twist Speedmaster straight-pull with a decent trigger.

Operation is smooth and easy, cock the gun and it stays to the rear, press the LR paddle and the bolt clunks forward – then fire and repeat. Getting into a cadence is not a problem, but the LR223 is not about fast fire, but ease of use with less positional disturbance. Funny thing when we lost our self-loaders it took me some time to remember after I had fired a mann-opp to cycle the action. Now it’s second nature and I found myself going for the non-existent RH bolt handle without thinking! I reckon I ran about 300-rounds of mixed weights/types through the LR with no problems at all.

So where’s the catch if you are a keen Service or Practical rifle shooter surely this is the ultimate machine? Yes it is but so is the price; £5000, which is a lot of money… However, Bob tells me he has a number of pre-orders, which does not surprise me.

PRICE: £5000