Troy PAR 223 or MRA Renegade?
- Thread starter GARY56
- Start date
Have only tried the Renegade, the biggest complaints I have are the lack of aftermarket charging handles (which were promised and never delivered), and the fact that you have to unscrew and remove the buffer/buttstock assembly in order to take out the bolt carrier group. As someone who likes to clean as often as they can, the lack of quick tool-less disassembly is no bueno for me.
I have a 2nd-hand Troy PAR in .223 cal that I have owned and used re=chambered to .300 Blk for several years now. The rifle was initially reliable, but then the Bolt Carrier's Operating Rod would occasionally disconnect from the Pump while chambering fresh rounds, resulting in a partially-fed stoppage. This was very frustrating, as it rendered my rifle useless (untrustworthy) in its intended role as a Bear Defence Gun when ATViing in the Alberta bush. I managed to sort out the problem with a Dremel and a hand-file, using them to re-sharpen the corners and deepen the pocket of the slot on the Operating Rod where the Pump locks together with the Bolt Carrier to form a single assembly. Long story short, my .300 Blk PAR is once again totally reliable and trustworthy, even under the most adremalin-fuelled pumping action I can muster.
My .308 PAR is brand new, and shows no signs of a similar failure. I suspect that the design shortcoming only makes itself known after a rifle has become well-used, or is at least broken-in. Time will tell...
Here is my .300 Blk PAR with a 9" Barrel and pinned Buttstock to provide >26" overall length. It is equipped with a Primary Arms 1x Micro Prism Sight and a Noveske "Flaming Pig" Linear Compensator:
Here's the Troy PAR .308 With 16" Barrel, Magpul Buttstock and Vertical Foregrip, LAW Tactical Folding Buttstock Adapter, an Olight 1000 lumen light and a Trijicon 1-8X Low-Power Variable Optic (LPVO) in an American Defense Cantilever Mount. Note that brand new PAR .308 rifles come with the same Handguard/Pump as my .300 Blk PAR. This is the new Handguard style. The older Picatinny style like my New Old-Stock PAR .308 has is now obsolete. Too bad, as I prefer the Picatinny style:
My .308 PAR is brand new, and shows no signs of a similar failure. I suspect that the design shortcoming only makes itself known after a rifle has become well-used, or is at least broken-in. Time will tell...
Here is my .300 Blk PAR with a 9" Barrel and pinned Buttstock to provide >26" overall length. It is equipped with a Primary Arms 1x Micro Prism Sight and a Noveske "Flaming Pig" Linear Compensator:
Here's the Troy PAR .308 With 16" Barrel, Magpul Buttstock and Vertical Foregrip, LAW Tactical Folding Buttstock Adapter, an Olight 1000 lumen light and a Trijicon 1-8X Low-Power Variable Optic (LPVO) in an American Defense Cantilever Mount. Note that brand new PAR .308 rifles come with the same Handguard/Pump as my .300 Blk PAR. This is the new Handguard style. The older Picatinny style like my New Old-Stock PAR .308 has is now obsolete. Too bad, as I prefer the Picatinny style:
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Pair of beauty's - part of me is leaning towards the PAR because of the fact your hands stays connected when loading the next round. What would the rough cost be to convert it to a shorter version like you have done? Part of the appeal of the Renegade is the 12.5" barrel for hiking in the back country.
If cleaning the Renegade is a concern and you don't feel the need for spring assist, the SBI LPC may be a good option. It allows for cleaning with the butt stock attached, and you can use a folding stock if you go with a longer barrel, since there is no return spring needed.
I was going to buy the Troy but wasn’t sure if I would like the pump action when at the range. Always having to lift it off the bag to charge it. The quality didn’t appear as nice as MRA. The attention to detail and build quality is exceptional. Plus they’re made in Canada and would rather support manufactures from here. Warranty is great, they offered free shipping to them and back. I didn’t end up needing it because it was something minor that I fixed myself. Just needed a heavier buffer to send the bolt home. It’s light, they make everything on it themselves in house. So happy with it I just bought their Maverick in 308 over Christmas. I’m sure it will be just as nice. I do like the concept of Troy pump action because it’s probably faster to cycle rounds. I guess it depends on many things and your preference. Can’t go wrong with either really, they’re both nice firearms.
yarn poem
yarn poemNot sure what you mean here? The PARs clean up super easily, as there is no propellant gas being vented back into the action and Receiver like there is with an AR. Clean the Bore to whatever extent you wish, give everything else a wipe-down with an oily cleaning swab, and you are done. If you are wondering about disassembly for cleaning, that is very simple, Check clear, push out the Rear Take-Down Pin, Rotate the Upper Receiver away from the Lower shotgun-style, push the Disassembly Button to release the Bolt Carrier and Bolt, slide them out the rear of the Upper Receiver, and start your cleaning/oiling. You can do it faster than I can explain it. Reassembly is just as quick and easy.
All it costs is the price of a .300 Blk Barrel in the length of your choosing, bearing in mind that 9" is optimal length for full stabilization and velocity/powder burn in the .300 Blk chambreing. I cannot honestly recall what I paid for my .300 Blk Barrel. On top of that you will need to plug the Gas Port if there is one. I did mine by grinding down a low-profile Gas Block until it fit underleath the Pump mechanism, then turned the Gas Block around 180-degrees to block the Port. That's it, aside from installing the Barrel itself, which is simple work. The overall cost was not prohibitive and I still have the 5.56mm Barrel should I ever want to switch back....
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Had a PAR. I bit the bullet and sold it and got myself a pre-built Renegade. As mentioned, lifting the rifle to pump it, then getting back on target was a bit annoying. I can keep the Renegade on its bipod and just rack the charging handle.
When it comes to build quality, they were similar, but I would give it to the Renegade. Taking it down is a bit of a pain though, but being bolt action, having no gas system, you don't need to clean it that often. I have a 1st gen without the bolt hold open, which is a bit of a pain when running my bore snake down the barrel while trying to keep the bolt open.
But when it comes to actually shooting it (which is what matters to me), I prefer the Renegade.
When it comes to build quality, they were similar, but I would give it to the Renegade. Taking it down is a bit of a pain though, but being bolt action, having no gas system, you don't need to clean it that often. I have a 1st gen without the bolt hold open, which is a bit of a pain when running my bore snake down the barrel while trying to keep the bolt open.
But when it comes to actually shooting it (which is what matters to me), I prefer the Renegade.
Winchester1973
CGN Regular
- Location
- Winnipeg, MB
I had the Troy PAR in 338 Federal, was not happy with it, really hard to extract fired rounds so much so I was getting blisters, sold it and built the Maverick and a couple of Renegades, very happy with the MRA products
Had my PAR 308 to the local Indoor Range yesterday afternoon with excellent results. After dicking around trying to find an after-market Match Trigger/Hammer set that will actually contact the Firing Pin, I finally defaulted to a premium, coated mil-spec unit with a 4 lb 6 oz pull on my gauge. Close enough for government work, so good enough for me. Groupings of 5 rounds of 168gr Federal Gold Medal Match literally stacked the rounds or formed sub-MOA "bug-splatters" with the holes all overlapping at 40 yds. I am now a believer in all of the various reports that I read online concerning exceptional accuracy. I have no doubt that my PAR 308 will print sub-MOA 5-shot groups (no flyers) at 100m once we get some warmer weather to validate that assertion.
Feeding and extraction from 5/10 PMags and 10/10 XCR Pistol Mags was flawless and pretty effortless. You need to be firm with the pump shoving the Handguard fully forward into battery, otherwise the Extractor may not slip over and engage the Rim of the Cartridge Case. It is easy to glance at the position of the Bolt-Carrier to confirm that it is fully forward and ready to fire. Extraction was easy - there was no stickiness whatsoever, either from somewhat dirty 1975-dated IVI 7.62x51mm NATO-spec surplus, or from several clean PMC and Federal commercial loads.
I am not sure what was wrong with Winchester1973's PAR in .338, but neither my .308 or .300 Blk are any problem at all to pump for primary extraction and ejection of just-fired empty casings. Easy-Peasy!
Feeding and extraction from 5/10 PMags and 10/10 XCR Pistol Mags was flawless and pretty effortless. You need to be firm with the pump shoving the Handguard fully forward into battery, otherwise the Extractor may not slip over and engage the Rim of the Cartridge Case. It is easy to glance at the position of the Bolt-Carrier to confirm that it is fully forward and ready to fire. Extraction was easy - there was no stickiness whatsoever, either from somewhat dirty 1975-dated IVI 7.62x51mm NATO-spec surplus, or from several clean PMC and Federal commercial loads.
I am not sure what was wrong with Winchester1973's PAR in .338, but neither my .308 or .300 Blk are any problem at all to pump for primary extraction and ejection of just-fired empty casings. Easy-Peasy!
