A 5.56-Sized .308 AR? The POF-USA Piston-Operated Revolution – Full Review.

in 7.62 AR, Authors, Battle Rifles, Fred Mastison, Gun Reviews, Rifles, Uncategorized

Updated: March 23, 2017 BY Fred Mastison

A 5.56-Sized .308 AR? The POF-USA Piston-Operated Revolution - Full Review.

The Revolution .308 AR from POF-USA takes the .308 Win. cartridge and fits it into a gun practically the size of a 5.56mm AR-15.

For more information, visit https://pof-usa.com/revolution/.

To purchase a POF-USA AR on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.htm?T=POF&ltid-all=1&as=730&cid=4&ns=0&numberperpage=50&.

The AR platform has become the standard design for modern sporting and defense rifles in the U.S. as well as much of the rest of the world. The gun offers exceptional modularity and is found in the hands of everyone from Delta (CAG) operators to hunters stalking deer in the backwoods. The term “AR” is often incorrectly defined as “assault rifle,” when in fact it is a reference to the original manufacturer of the gun, Armalite. What is a surprise to many is that the original design in this platform was not the AR-15 we see so much today, but was, in fact, a .308 rifle designated as the Armalite AR-10.

The Revolution weighs in at 7.3 pounds, while still delivering .308 Win. firepower. Shown equipped with Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR II 3.5-21x50mm scope.

The challenges faced by a 7.62mm AR have always been centered around weight and size. They can get beefy in a hurry. While attempts have been made to whittle the gun down, the resulting product is at times an emaciated 7.62mm AR. Enter the aerospace-minded designers at Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF-USA). They looked at the 7.62mm AR design and began to crunch numbers and inspect designs. They believed that there was a way to merge the two worlds of the 7.62mm AR and AR-15. Essentially to make a gun that has .308 performance with a 5.56 size. They decided it was time for a revolution.

The patented roller cam pin was designed to reduce friction and drag.

SPECS

Chambering: 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Win.)
Barrel: 16.5-inch match-grade nitride heat-treated
OA Length: 34 inches (collapsed)
Weight: 7.3 pounds (empty)
Stock: Mission First Tactical
Sights: None
Action: Semi-auto, short-stroke gas piston system
Finish: Black anodized
Capacity: 20+1
MSRP: $2,669

The Revolution Begins

At the 2017 SHOT Show, Frank DeSomma of Patriot Ordnance Factory showed me a unique rifle named the Revolution. The Revolution is unlike any previous 7.62mm AR-style rifles because it accomplishes something unique. They brought the rifle down to the same weight as a standard AR-15. While not noteworthy in and of itself, it is what else they did that has really changed the game. The Revolution is not simply a stripped-down rifle to save weight. It is actually the same size as an AR-15. In fact, the Revolution features many 5.56 parts such as charging handle, bolt carrier, cam pin, buffer and more. The barrel extension, bolt assembly, upper, and lower receiver are the exact same size as those on an AR-15. The rifle weighs only 7.3 pounds and at first glance looks like a standard AR-15. The product of this effort is a .308 rifle in an AR-15 size.

Topping the barrel off is the triple port muzzle brake. It features blunt strike prongs and includes a nitride heat-treated collar jam nut.

Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

POF has long been known for including unique design features in their guns and the Revolution is no different. First up is the inclusion of POF’s patented E-2 dual-extraction design. This design consists of four small channels cut into the walls of the chamber allowing a small amount of gas pressure to push against the neck of the spent case. This pressure assists in extraction by breaking the seal between the chamber and case as well as pushing the spent case to the rear as the extractor is pulling to the rear. This removes a tremendous amount of work that would otherwise be left up to the extractor. The end result is not only super reliable extraction, but the extension of the extractor life in your new rifle. The barrel used on the Revolution is POF’s popular 16.5-inch match-grade chrome alloy barrel. They are nitride heat-treated for full corrosion resistance and rifled in 1:10. Topping the barrel off is the easily recognizable triple port muzzle brake. The brake is designed to allow the shooter to have faster follow-up shots with soft felt recoil. It features blunt strike prongs and includes a nitride heat-treated collar jam nut.

The Revolution is a piston gun and as such includes POF’s adjustable gas system. The POF gas system allows the user to restrict, and even shut off, extra back pressure by simply rotating the gas plug. This is crucial when running suppressors which adds back pressure to a firearms operating system and thus increase bolt speed. This causes premature wear on the firearm and can even result in rounds stove piping during ejection.

To get the best performance possible out of the Revolution, the author fitted it out with a Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR II 3.5-21x50mm scope.

Finishing out barrel-centric points is an oversized heat sink barrel nut. While rarely of interest to the average shooter, the significant design of this nut is worth talking about. When I asked Frank about the design he proudly shared the details. “At three inches long it completely encompasses the chamber and throat area of the barrel where expanding gas temperatures peak. Take into account the radiation properties of aluminum compared to traditional steel and you have 17 times more heat dissipation than a standard AR. Our barrel nut’s 3-inch length also gives the operating rod substantial guiding surface assuring constant positive contact with the bolt carrier. Our enhanced backbone receiver also moves the upper’s natural stress point forward. This adds a massive amount of rigidity to the overall platform and is critical when vertical fore grips are being pulled on the upper assembly.”

One of the cornerstones of the gun is POF’s use of their Gen 4 lower receiver. The lower is designed to improve ease of use and to make the gun as ambidextrous as possible.

Wrapping the barrel and gas system is their patented Modular Railed Receiver (M.R.R). This is a two piece upper assembly with a free-floating monolithic handguard that slides on and interfaces directly to the upper assembly thanks to our upper’s reinforced backbone. The super rigid design provides a good grip surface while allowing the barrel to remain free of contact.

The bolt carrier group used in the Revolution is essentially the same one used in their 5.56 guns with only slight modifications to manage the .308 round. It is a one-piece NP3 plated bolt carrier manufactured with the mechanical key built into the body and positioned behind the cam pin. The design helps reduce carrier tilt. The unit features a chrome-plated bolt extractor and firing pin which is both corrosion resistant and functionally smooth. There is one part of the BCG that needs a closer look. The patented roller cam pin used by POF is very nice. It was designed to reduce friction and drag in the action and they have succeeded. POF’s NP3 coated roller head actually rolls inside the channel of the upper thus eliminating friction and prolonging the life of the upper.

The fore end is the patented Modular Railed Receiver (M.R.R). This is a two piece upper assembly with a free-floating monolithic handguard.

One area that is often given just a passing thought is the buffer tube. This is not the case with the Revolution. The design includes a mil-spec aluminum anti-tilt tube that features “carrier cradle” extensions to ensure that the carrier is always supported by the buffer tube even when the bolt carrier is fully forward. This prevents carrier tilt and premature wear of the buffer tube. The buffer detent now doubles as a lock that inhibits the buffer tube from rotating and becoming loose under adverse conditions. If you shoot a lot, you know the frustration of a loose buffer tube. POF has solved that.

Note the petite size of the receiver behind the magazine well, in addition to the well-appointed controls.

Gen 4 Magic

One of the cornerstones of the gun is POF’s use of their Gen 4 lower receiver. The lower is designed to improve ease of use and to make the gun as ambidextrous as possible. Some of the specific features of the Gen 4 lower are:

Ambidextrous bolt release with enhanced bolt catch
Ambidextrous safety selector
Receiver tension screws
Oversized mag well flare
Ambidextrous recessed finger rest
Ambidextrous magazine release
Oversized integrated trigger guard w/ grip relief
Ambidextrous bolt hold open
Available QD rear sling mount

Finishing the gun out is the trigger. Well known for their drop-in triggers, POF made sure to bring a winner to this gun. They include a single stage drop-in unit set at a good 4.5-pound pull. It has a great feel and includes custom-fit stainless steel KNS precision anti-walk pins.

The author took the Revolution to the range with a selection of ammo and support gear.

Walk the Walk

While all of this looks good on paper, it is my job to make sure the gun runs as advertised. With that, we packed up and headed to the range. While my first instinct with any rifle chambered in .308 is to look at its long-range capability, this rifle could easily be seen as an urban combat rifle as well. So, it would be a mixed day on the range with some bench work as well as dynamic applications. Shooting groups were the first order of business and group it did. To get the most out of the process I mounted a Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR II 3.5-21x50mm scope with their G3i illuminated reticle. It is an exceptional piece of glass and would serve me well on this rifle. The trigger broke cleanly and the rifle quickly punched nice small groups. POF promotes the rifle as being a MOA shooter and it kept its promise. In fact, I was able to get a group ¾ of an inch, which is great. The challenge of shooting groups with such a light rifle is its movement after fire. It took a moment to get back on target after a shot. The recoil, however, was still fairly light for such a lightweight gun and it was a smooth shooter. Once we moved into more dynamic applications such as shooting steel near/far, the gun really began to shine. Its light weight and small size made it fast. The gun is absolutely a fighter and performed well.

The Revolution performed well for the author, giving him a tightest group of 0.75 inches and sub-MOA best groups across the board.

The Federal load performed the best out of the Revolution, although all loads tested did quite well.

Conclusion

My take away from time with this rifle is pretty clear. POF has succeeded in building a .308 rifle that is as small and light as its 5.56 brother. Mix in the unique features POF is known for and the gun moves into the serious business category. With more people focusing on rifles as personal defense weapons, I would have to inject this gun into the conversation. Considering that it is the same size as a standard AR-15 but packing .308 power, it is hard to deny that the Revolution has begun.