Lockhart Tactical Raven Platinum Edition, .223 Wylde
- Thread starter Bartok5
- Start date
My new Platinum edition of the Lockhart Tactical "Raven" direct-impingement, semi-automatic sporting rifle arrived today. It was in-stock at a Site sponsor and arrived one province over the same week that I ordered it. I have yet to fire the rifle (tomorrow's task), however I must admit that I am quite favourably impressed with what I have examined in detail thus far. My rifle shipped with the updated second-generation Bolt Carrier, so no worries about the cracks that manifested in the too-thin Gen 1 Carriers.
The first thing that struck me out of the box was the quality of the machining, the precise fit of the parts and the flawless Cerakote finish. The precision machining is really quite impressive, with zero evidence of chatter or other tooling marks in the aluminum and steel components. Although there are a couple of sharp edges on the Lower Receiver around the underside of the Trigger Guard, these should not present a problem if you maintain a normal grip. Failing that, a couple of quick swipes with a fine file will knock the potentially annoying sharp points off of the integral Trigger Guard. The rifle's balance is excellent, right in front of the Magazine Well with a mounted LPVO. The front end feels very lightweight, and "alive" in the hands, easily pointing towards whichever direction the rifle's muzzle is driven.
The Raven features several unique aspects that other Modern Sporting Rifles do not, including a scalable Lower Receiver with a removable Magazine Well. The removable Mag Well facilitates the use of different calibres in the Raven. You simply install the Mag Well of your calibre choosing onto the remainder of the Lower Receiver. You then bolt on the caliber-appropriate Upper Receiver and away you go! Multiple calibre options are planned to take advantage of both intermediate rifle chamberings as well as common pistol loads. Another unique aspect of the Raven is its multiple configurations and options for charging the firearm. There is Left-side charging, Right-side charging, and the conventional AR15-style top-charging handle to select from! Controls on the Platinum edition are fully ambidextrous, but are not necessarily interchangeable with standard AR15 controls due to the different contours of the Raven's Receiver set.
The "Platinum" edition of the Raven ships with a hybrid Handguard consisting of a Picatinny rail on top and MLOC slots at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions. It is retained by a push-pin the same as those used to join the Upper and Lower Receivers, the Mag Well and the remainder of the Lower Receiver. The top Picatinny Rail is continuous between the Receiver and Handguard, although there is some minor rotational play in the Handguard that could affect lasers or other precision instruments. This play can be eliminated through the use of a standard AR5 Handguard which clamps to the Barrel Nut, rather than being retained by a push-pin. Note that the push-pins used to assemble and take-down the Raven are not captured and should be carefully retained in a zippered pocket when in the field.
The Gen 2 Bolt Carrier is much beefier than the breakage-prone Gen 1 Carrier. Like the Upper and Lower Receivers, the Bolt Carrier is proprietary, being longer than the standard Carrier employed in an AR15. The complete Bolt, Firing Pin, Cam Pin, etc, are compatible with the AR15 for ease of repair with readily available spare parts. As always, the Trigger-Tech 3.5lb "AR Trigger" is a very worthwhile upgrade, serving as it does to enhance the rifle's accuracy moreso than just about any other components.
Is the Lockhart Tactical Raven with the Gen 2 Bolt Carrier worth the asking price? That depends on what you expect for your hard-earned cash! At $3K (+ extras), the Raven is certainly much more expensive than otherwise comparable AR15 rifles selling for under $1K CAD. That said, the Raven does come with some extras that the bargain-priced AR15s did not include such as the aforementioned calibre quick-change capability. With bargain-priced AR15s being a moot issue in Canada for the time being, the Raven is just about the only viable DI game in town these days, alongside the horribly "fugly" JARD J-180 builder's kit. The Raven is pricey without a doubt, but this appears to be a definite case of getting what you pay for. Is the Raven a worthwhile $3K(+) rifle? Only time will tell for certain, but I am optimistic that the rifle will perform satisfactorily during live-fire testing beginning tomorrow. If the Raven performs nearly as good as it looks, I will be a very satisfied customer. Yes, it costs as much as a Restricted Bren 2, but it is still cheaper than a bunch of other options on the NR Canadian market.
I really like the concept behind the Lockhart Tactical Raven. This is about as close as we can get to an AR15 without the firearm being classed as a variant. As such, it has a definite place within any collection of modern sporting rifles. Assuming a satisfactory performance on the range, I will give the Raven a hearty "buy" recommendation. Tune in tomorrow for my range findings....
Pros:
- Build quality, fit and finish.
- Flexible design (Multi-caliber, 3x charging options)
- Lightweight and balanced, lively in the hands
Cons:
- Price ($3K+)
- Slight play in Handguard (can be replaced with a standard AR15 Handguard)
- Non-Captive Push-Pins easily lost in the field (carry spares in Pistol Grip)
My 'Build":
- Griffin Armament Flash-Comp with Gen 1 Blast Diffuser
- Magpul VFG on a KRG QD MLOC Rail section
- Streamlight TLR-1 HL w/ Strobe
- Magpul Gen 3 PMag
- Trigger-Tech 3.5lb AR15 Trigger
- Magpul Pistol Grip
- Generic Polymer BUIS
- B5 SOPMOD Buttstock
- Optional Lockhart Tactical Parts - Extended Take-Down Pins (x2), Left Side Receiver Charging Slot Cover, Brass Casing Deflector
- Trijicon Accupower 1-8X in American Defence QD Cantilever Mount
Just buy a "pre-owned" receiver set, or an entire rifle either here on the EE or on Gun Post. Avoid the wait, lack of Lockhart communications, frustration, etc, associated with a factory purchase. Yes, you may pay a small premium over the factory-direct price, but in return you will get your item immediately rather than waiting who knows how long for Lockhart to get their production act together....
I presume by "alternative" receivers you are referring to mixing and matching Upper and Lower Receivers from different sets? If that is the case, then yes, I have noticed that my "shorty" 10" .300 Blk Upper Receiver is a tight fit on my 18.5" Raven's Lower Receiver. It is a tight fit, but not overly tight as I can still insert/pull out the Extended Pins by hand. I would simply attribute the tightness to a slight deviation in the manufacturing process over time.
I have definitely noticed that the tTake-Down Pins become looser over time. This is a function of the Cerakote wearing down in the Pin Holes, that is all. Nothing to worry about unless you are experiencing wear such that your Pins are falling out....
The beauty of the Armalite design is that Lower Receiver serves only to house the Trigger Mechanism and the Buffer System. The Upper Receiver houses all of the critical parts, including the pressure-bearing parts such as the Bolt and Barrel/Barrel Extension. All of that to say that the Lower and Upper Receiver fitment is not all that critical to correct function with the Armalite design. So long as the Hammer strikes the Firing Pin at the correct angle and with sufficient force to initiate a primer, and so long as there is a straight path for the Bolt Carrier into the Buffer Tube, all will be well. A precise, rattle-free fit is preferred, but is not at all necessary for reliable function and long-term durability.
A little bit of play between your Upper Receiver and Lower Receiver/Mag Well will not adversely affect anything to do with your rifle's function or accuracy. Nothing at all to worry about. Most AR15s have some rattle between the Receivers. The Raven's come snug from the factory, but that is just the CeraKote, which will wear down and produce some play between the parts. This is entirely normal.
It's not so much it bothers me it's just it wasn't there before the switcheroos and now it is with the original upper only. So something has changed a bit with the lower but it still works just fine. I bet if I measured the center to center of the bores of the uppers there would be a slight difference. Kinda wish I fit the 2nd upper to the lower knowing what I know now. Anyways party on. Haha 
Just received my Raven .223. Long wait from Lockhart, but worth it because it came with the gen. 3 upper with forward assist, case deflector and port cover. The gen. 3 uppers weren't out when I ordered in May. The gen 3 bolt carrier will come later as I guess they were running behind. On first inspection the fit and finish is very good. I haven't decided on optics or muzzle device yet so that will be the next project. I have things off my other semis for optics and I may opt for a different muzzle break than the ones I have. The trigger is typical heavy G.I. but I will use an ALG I have. Looking forward to a range day in the next week or two.
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I just got my bare set and swapped all the parts over and added a Surefire comp ,CTR stock ,set of plastic MAgpul sites ,Magpul Pistol grip ,trigger tech , a shorter HG and a 1x6 optic.
Also waiting on the gen 3 BCG , then I should have most of the parts to put another one together.
Also waiting on the gen 3 BCG , then I should have most of the parts to put another one together.
The grip will be changed for a Magpul, and back up sites from another semi. I have two other handguards that I am now thinking of changing over. Currently thinking of my PRO red dot and 3x magnifier combo or 2 scopes, 1-6, 1-8 so at least I have options. Plug and play really, so we will see how it runs after playing with the gas.I just got my bare set and swapped all the parts over and added a Surefire comp ,CTR stock ,set of plastic MAgpul sites ,Magpul Pistol grip ,trigger tech , a shorter HG and a 1x6 optic.
Also waiting on the gen 3 BCG , then I should have most of the parts to put another one together.
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Did you have to order the Gen3 upper as an add-on to the regular gen2 upper that comes standard? Are you in possession of 2 uppers now or are they selling the platinum package with the Gen3 replacing the gen2? (I feel I've worded this poorly but hopefully you get what I'm asking haha)
