For most of its life, LWRCI focused on gas piston systems, moving to Direct Impingement (DI) rifles not that long ago. LWRCI DI came out as a quality rifle, packed with features, and durable. Not perfect, but definitely a bang for your buck.
Whether you are pondering over getting one for yourself or are already an owner experiencing minor inconveniences, knowing some of the common issues with this rifle is necessary.
There have been reports of issues with the trigger and the gas system. Some grievances have also been expressed over the use of proprietary parts. Let’s get straight to listing and addressing each of the concerns.
1. Trigger
Well, you’d expect a nicer trigger for such a rifle but it comes with a factory mil-spec trigger which is not that great in terms of comfort (think 5-6 pounds with some creep).
It feels super gritty, but does break-in at some point, usually at around 500-600 shots after which it feels significantly less stubborn.
2. Gas System
Many users have claimed that despite the gas system on the 16″ barrel, the rifle remains overgassed, worse if you’re keeping it suppressed. Tackling the situation is tougher than usual due to the “proprietary parts”.
The gas block as well as the pin on the rifle is considered proprietary but you may as well not consider them that. The gas system is just a bit longer than the usual mid-length system and pretty replaceable. The tapered pin is hard to remove, yes, but definitely replaceable too.
However, even if suppressing them overgasses them, the rifles are not known to malfunction. Also, throwing in a heavier buffer with an adjustable gas block can do the trick in the majority of the cases.
3. Accuracy
LWRCI DI is suited for close to medium range combat. Considering their price, many expect groupings within 1 MOA at 100 yards, but these sometimes won’t live up to that, not with lighter ammo at least.
Accuracy would also vary greatly with the user, but the rifle itself isn’t the most accurate for its price. LWRCI DI, however, does fare better with quality match grade ammo (heavier in this case, say 69 grain).
4. Proprietary Parts
This may just be the biggest deterrent for the customers, with the proprietary handguard being the most worrisome. It limits your options a lot, especially for people that love decking their rifles with all sorts of goodies.
However, now the rifle is available with the much more customizable and lighter M-LOK. The previous rails did outsell it though, making adding accessories a bit of a hassle for a lot of people.
5. Barrel
It has a fluted barrel, and most people seem to find the poor thing “ugly”. Let’s call it subjective, but I don’t think it is a con in the first place.
I also happen to believe in function over form as do many others, and since it reduces quite some weight while keeping up with the heavy barrel profile, I think the barrel is a win (enough for someone to forgive the aesthetics hopefully).
6. Loose receivers
This won’t pose a problem for most people. The upper and lower receivers fit quite loosely. Generally, this won’t take a toll on the rifle’s accuracy at all. It all centers down to whether the user is bothered by it or not.
Should You Buy the LWRCI DI?
The rifle is packed with features, with the completely ambidextrous lower receiver being a highlight. This is a rare aspect by the way, as true ambidextrous lowers are hard to find, especially if you bring the bolt catch into the picture. Designed for the military, the rifle can withstand use and abuse.
Then there’s the weight. At about 6.6 pounds, the LWRCI DI is incredibly lightweight and feels well-balanced to hold. The nickel-boron bolt carrier group is a one piece design which prevents gas leaks and reduces chances of possible failures.
Overall, the rifle is solidly built, reliable, and accurate, and all that you get for a very competitive price.
Price and Value for Money
The rifle isn’t available at Brownells.com, but I found it at Guns.com. The price they are demanding is also very reasonable. You can check out the updated price by clicking here. Guns.com is known to periodically offer rebates on select guns, so you might want to look out for that too.
Putting aside wariness of the parts, LWRCI DI provides excellent value for money. The LWRCI DI might just be one of the best AR-15s for the money, in my opinion as well as in the opinions of many other veterans of the sport.
Conclusion
LWRCI is known for their top-shelf rifles with strong construction. LWRCI DI is no less, except it also came with a sweet price tag that is sure to drive in any gun enthusiast. As such, I’d recommend you buy it from Guns.com.
Sure it has its own problems, especially with the trigger and the proprietary parts, but straight out of the box, the rifle is packed with upgraded battle-ready features. The only thing you’d need to put on would be some sights and it would be up and running.
To be honest, I wouldn’t miss the rifle based on these issues alone. I’d still recommend it as a great, durable rifle.
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