The concept of what is colloquially known as a "ranch rifle" these days was embodied years ago in Ruger's Mini 14 and Mini 30. These are compact and relatively light weight semi-automatic carbines chambered in popular rifle calibers, including the 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem., 7.62x39 mm and .300 Blackout. Among the Mini's more notable features are its sporting rifle style stock and a distinctive lack of the so-called "military features" that have been targeted by anti-gun legislation for decades. This combination of combat rifle caliber utility and sporting gun features makes ranch rifles a great fit for homesteaders and hunters alike.
In recent years, the demand for AR-15 platforms configured as ranch rifles has continued to grow. This is due in no small part to the continued gun-ban saber rattling at the federal level and currently enforced restrictions against owning ARs with certain cosmetic features in various states. The prohibited features usually include adjustable shoulder stocks, pistol grips and flash hiders. However, if these features are absent, it is legal to own and use in those regions.
One gun maker that has tackled the AR-to-ranch-gun transition is Foxtrot Mike (FM) Products of Boise, Idaho, with its aptly named Ranch Rifle series of semi-automatic carbines. Although this company embraces the best-of features of the AR platform, the folks that work there are not shy about applying innovative modifications to this nearly 70-year-old design. My first experience working with an FM Products rifle was an enjoyable range test of a Gen II FM-15 sporting an AK style Zhukov folding shoulder stock. Based on this experience, I was eager to see how the company went about building its Ranch series.
The FM Products Ranch rifle is a direct-impingement-operated, semi-automatic carbine that employs an intermediate-length gas system and recoil assembly housed inside the upper receiver. This configuration is well suited to the ranch-gun concept because it's compatible with any stock style or shape since a buffer tube and assembly are not required.
The monolithic upper receiver is milled from a billet of 7075-T6 aluminum and treated with a matte black Type-3 hardcoat anodized finish. On the right side is an ejection port fitted with a familiar AR-type ejection port cover and a removable polymer deflector block. However, a forward-assist button has been omitted. The 3.6" long, 8.1-oz. bolt-carrier group (BCG) is fitted with a proprietary seven-lug rotating bolt machined from pre-hardened 4342 steel that is post-vacuum heat treated to harden it even more and then treated with a Melonite finish. The extractor and firing pin are machined from S7 tool steel.
The BCG's relatively tall and wide modified gas key is supported by a recoil assembly that is housed in the hollow, usually occupied space by a mil-spec charging handle at the top of the upper receiver, just below the integral Picatinny optics rail. The singular guide rod is wrapped in a pair of nested round-wire recoil springs. At the rear of the optics rail is a ported aluminum block that slides down and out of the receiver in order to remove the recoil assembly and the BCG for routine cleaning.
Due to the positioning of the recoil assembly, this rifle's non-reciprocating charging handle has been moved forward into the top of the 15" long, M-Lok-compatible aluminum handguard. The handle is mounted to a spring-loaded rod, which, in turn, engages the BCG's gas key. The polymer block handle itself can be removed and positioned to either side of the handguard with an upwards or, downwards angle, depending on the owner's preferences. The gun arrives from the factory with the handle angled upwards on the left side.
The 16" long match-grade barrel features a burnished .223 Wylde chamber. Formed from 41v50 ordnance-grade steel, the barrel has been vacuum stress-relieved and treated with a durable matte black QPQ Melonite finish. The rifling is cut at a 1:8 twist rate, which is a flexible, multi-purpose twist suitable for most of the standard 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington bullet weights. The muzzle is threaded at 1/2x28 TPI and fitted with a six-sided, four-port muzzle brake.
The proprietary FM Products lower receiver, like the upper, is milled from 7075-T6 aluminum and given a hardcoat anodized finish. The pivot pin, takedown pin, right-side magazine release and the left-side bolt catch are mil-spec in their configuration and placement. The magazine well is beveled along its interior edge to aid in quick reloads.
The remainder of the lower's features have been selected to support its ranch rifle roles. The typical AR-15-pattern safety selector has been replaced with a reversible push-button crossbolt safety commonly found on repeating shotguns. Pressing it to the right of the receiver sets it into the "Safe" position while pressing it to the left exposes a red ring to indicate the safety is set to "Fire." The modified trigger guard is an integral part of the lower receiver.
The trigger configuration is, at first glance, a bit perplexing. It is not hinged at the top like most AR-style triggers. Instead, the bottom tip of the trigger is secured into the trigger guard by a small roll pin. It’s the top of the trigger that swings back and forth when this rifle is fired. This seems like an odd choice until your shooting hand is positioned on the grip of the fixed Remington 870 shotgun shoulder stock.
The use of a Remington 870-pattern stock neatly addresses regulations against certain AR-15 features. There is no buffer tube to support a six-position adjustable stock, and there is no place on the lower receiver to install a pistol grip. These shotgun stocks also give these guns a more traditional sporting profile. FM Products' Ranch Rifles are available with Hogue rubber overmolded, Magpul polymer and Woox hardwood stock options.
The rifle sent for this evaluation is outfitted with the handsome hand-finished American walnut Woox Gladiatore shoulder stock. Its features include an aluminum coupling for a secure fit; a laser textured grip; raised cheek rest; a left-side QD sling mount; and a soft rubber recoil pad. Four polymer spacers are provided to allow the stock's length-of-pull (LOP) to be adjusted between 13.75" to 14.75" by 0.25" increments. A set of three textured walnut Woox rail covers are also provided.
The 870 stock's grip shape, and the lower receiver modifications made to accommodate it, position the shooting hand further back and higher up that it would be with a typical AR pistol grip. This, in turn, moves the trigger finger to the top of the trigger guard space. From this angle, a top-hinged trigger would feel unnecessarily heavy since the tip of the finger would not be on the trigger's more central sweet spot. With the Ranch Rifle's reversed configuration, the trigger finger lands intuitively right in the sweet spot, which is now at the top of the trigger guard. I thought that this arrangement would take some getting used to, but within just a few shots, it felt natural and intuitive to work with.
This proprietary fire-control group is made for the platform by Hiperfire, a company that has made a name for itself in the AR community with its high-quality triggers. Based on Hiperfire's HIPERTOUCH Reflex configuration, the Ranch Rifle's upside down trigger has a short 0.35" arch of travel with a hint of take-up before breaking crisply with 3 lbs., 6 ozs. of pull-weight according to a digital trigger gauge. But it felt even lighter than that to me.
The Ranch Rifle arrived without a sighting system or any AR-15 magazines. For informal and formal testing, it was topped off with a Bushnell AR Optics 1-8X 24 mm riflescope (AR71824I; $365) using a Weaver one-piece AR mount. This second-focal-plane optic features an etched-glass illuminated BTR-1 BDC reticle with drop points regulated out to 500 yards when using standard 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem. loads. Other features include fully multi-coated lenses, six illumination settings and a flip-up knurled magnification knob. As for the magazines, I loaded up half a dozen of which included 20-round and 30-round capacities made from steel, aluminum and polymer, from manufacturers and distributors including Duramag (aka C-Products), E-Lander, Global Ordnance, Magpul, Mission First Tactical (MFT) and Surefire.
At the shooting range, the Ranch Rifle operated reliably with all of the ammunition and magazines tested. This particular carbine weighed in at 6 lbs., 10.7 ozs. without an optic or magazine. The solid walnut stock places more weight back at the shoulder than a hollow polymer stock. This, in turn, gives the gun a handy and well-balanced feel. This, along with the modest recoil and the light trigger pull, made for an enjoyable shooting experience on and off of the shooting bench.
Formal bench rested accuracy testing was conducted by firing five-shot groups into paper targets set at 100 yards. The loads fired for this portion of the testing included Barnes Bullets 55-grain boat-tail hollow points, Hornady Black 62-grain full-metal jacket and Remington Premier Match 69-grain boat-tail hollow-point loads. Bullet velocities were measure for 10-shot strings using the LabRadar LX chronograph. Here are the results:
In the course of spending time using the FM Products Ranch Rifle, it became clear that there is more to this gun than meeting some states' regulations. Yes, the fixed 870-style stock system addresses certain specified criteria in AR restrictive regions. But this company did not settle at just getting a compliant model out the door. Instead, they invested the time and energy to develop a lower receiver and trigger configuration that complement the sporting stock shape. In other words, this is a rifle that folks will enjoy using, regardless of their states having restrictions or not.
Suggested retail pricing for factory complete rifles ranges from to $949 to $1,475, depending on the features selected. For more information, visit fm-products.com.
FM Products Ranch Rifle Specifications:
Manufacturer: Foxtrot Mike Products
Action Type: direct-impingement, semi-automatic, centerfire rifle
Chambering: .223 Wylde
Barrel: 16" 41v50 ordnance-grade steel; QPQ Melonite finish, 1/2x28" TPI threaded muzzle, removable four-port muzzle brake
Receiver: milled billet 7075-T6 aluminum; matte-black hard coat anodized finish
Magazine: none
Sights: none
Stock:Woox walnut
Drop at Comb: 1.85"
Drop at Heel: 2.25"
Trigger: Hiperfire proprietary configuration; 3-lbs. 6-oz. pull
Overall Length: 24.5" as configured
Weight: 6-lbs. 10.7-oz.
Accessories: three Woox walnut rail covers, four stock spacers, owner’s manual, lock
MSRP: $1,449 as configured
