Remington R-25

Remington R-25

When I was just a kid I remember my Uncle Jim – Dad’s younger brother – having a Class 3 firearms permit. He owned both a Colt M16A1 and an MP40 “Schmeisser” machine pistol. While the MP was interesting, especially to a 12-year-old, it was the M16 that attracted and held the lion’s share of my attention.

The fact he also owned a .22 rimfire upper receiver for the piece certainly helped; not only with the enjoyment factor, but more notably from a financial standpoint. It was a fun gun – nothing more, nothing less.

That was 35 years ago, and in the time between the Then and Now I haven’t so much as slipped a magazine into an AR-type rifle. This status changed recently, however, when I received Remington’s latest introduction – the Model R-25. Futuristic in appearance, the mottled green thing lay there in its hard case, ugly as a 1980 Chevrolet Citation.

I didn’t know whether to pick it up and fondle it, or poke it with a stick and hope for the best. Fortunately, and after the initial shock wore off, I resisted the urge to simply close the lid and wander away – and I’m glad I did, as I found what Big Green refers to as a “masterpiece of game-dropping performance that will load any camp’s meat pole with unrivaled efficiency” to be quite the shooter. Even if I do phrase it a little less dramatically.

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Available in .243 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington, and .308 Winchester, Remington’s latest centerfire, the R-25, is a gas-operated AR-style semi-automatic rifle. All but the barrel and dust cover are cloaked in Mossy Oak’s ‘Treestand’ camouflage pattern.

In true AR Style, the R-25 consists of an upper receiver, which includes the bolt assembly and barrel, and the lower, comprised of the trigger group, magazine, safety, and bolt latch. Both upper and lower are milled from aluminum; the tubular hand guard is also aluminum, all of which help keep weight to a minimum.

The 20-inch barrel, with recessed crown, is fluted, and is wrapped at 5.5 inches back from the muzzle in a gas block cut with a 1.5-inch Picatinny rail, and secured by twin set screws underneath. The stock is made of a rugged Zytel plastic, with a .5-inch hard black plastic pad, and aluminum-doored cleaning gear compartment measuring 1 x 2 x 8.25 inches.

The pistol grip is cut from Zytel. The R-25 arrives sans sights; however, and in addition to the forward Picatinny rail, the upper includes a 6.75-inch Picatinny for scope or tactical optic mounting. Cartridges are fed via a supplied four-round magazine; however, the company website does state that any DPMS (dpmsinc.com), a sister company to Remington, .308 Winchester-style magazine is compatible.