Ruger Harrier AR-15 Review and Range Test

Ruger’s new $749 Harrier ran flawlessly and delivered sub-MOA best groups with every load tested. The trigger needs help, but this affordable, mil-spec-compatible AR-15 shoots like it has something to prove.

Ruger’s new Harrier rifle isn’t just Ruger’s old AR with a facelift. It’s an entirely new, affordable, and accurate design springing from Ruger’s acquisition of AR powerhouse Anderson Manufacturing.

Ruger’s New Harrier Is More Than a Reworked AR-556

Ruger surprised the shooting world this year when the company unveiled a completely reengineered and affordable AR-15 rifle called the Harrier. The Harrier differs dramatically from Ruger’s discontinued AR-556. Unlike that original platform, the Harrier’s all-new receivers are mil-spec compatible out of the box. With its impressive list of contemporary features, the Harrier is arguably the AR-15 that Ruger should have built long ago.

The Harrier isn’t just a redesign of the AR-556. With this gun, Ruger insisted on meeting baseline expectations of customers in an entry-level rifle, including free-float M-LOK handguards, improved furniture, optional mid-length gas systems, and a tighter receiver fit.

Ruger Packs Modern AR-15 Features Into a $699 Rifle

Best of all, the rifle is priced for the masses with an MSRP of just $699 for a base version and $749 for an upgraded version. Street prices are even less. The significance of this pricing is hard to overstate. It puts the Harrier within reach of most every budget and makes it a welcome competitor to other budget ARs, but with broad mil-spec component compatibility and the backing of Ruger’s reputation and customer service operation.

The AR market may be somewhat mature, but there’s still plenty of room for a gun like the Harrier. It will likely pressure some other manufacturers to adjust pricing to compete, and it’s going to put even more ARs into common use at a time when the Supreme Court is poised to decide the fate of so-called “assault weapons” bans.

How Anderson Manufacturing Helped Create the Ruger Harrier

Ruger unveiled the Harrier just six months after acquiring Anderson Manufacturing, and that was no accident. Ruger bought Anderson with the specific goal of expanding Ruger’s product line. Anderson was formerly a top-ten producer of AR-pattern rifles, receivers, and components in the U.S. The company supplied parts or manufacturing services for a significant portion of the AR market, giving Ruger access to mature production know-how.

Ruger didn’t just acquire intellectual property. Ruger bought a fully equipped, AR-focused manufacturing facility in Hebron, Kentucky, including extensive CNC machining capability and a large-scale receiver and component manufacturing operation. Equally important, Ruger acquired a workforce skilled in specialized machining, finishing, assembly, and quality control that’s not easy to build quickly from scratch.

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Ruger Harrier 28601 vs. 28600: Which Version Fits?

Ruger initially offers the Harrier in two versions. The basic version of the rifle (model 28601) has a carbine-length gas system, A2-pattern pistol grip, and M4-style buttstock. It also has a partial Picatinny rail, at the front and rear, atop a slim-profile, free-floated M-LOK handguard. Weight is just 6.6 pounds.

The upgraded version of the Harrier (model 28600), which I tested, has a mid-length gas system, which many shooters prefer over a carbine-length system for smoother shooting and potentially greater component life. This model features upgraded furniture with a Magpul MOE-K2 grip and Magpul DT Carbine collapsible buttstock, and tips the scales at 6.8 pounds. The gun has a full-length Picatinny rail atop the free-floated M-LOK handguard, with attachment slots at the 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 o’clock positions. This setup gives you more space to set up sights, optics, and accessories without having to buy another handguard. Each model has QD sling sockets on both sides of the rail and the buttstock. Other than the rail, gas system, and furniture, virtually everything else is the same on the two models.

If you’re looking for a ready-to-go platform out of the box and don’t plan on making a lot of modifications, stick with the model 28600. If you want to make extensive modifications, the basic model 28601 rifle may be your best bet.

Threaded Barrel Gives the Harrier Suppressor-Ready Flexibility

The Harrier’s upper and lower receivers are machined to mil-spec dimensions from 7075 aluminum forgings. They are protected with a Type III hardcoat anodized finish. The finish looks smooth and uniform, and everything on this rifle seems to fit snugly. I found no wobble between the upper and lower, and that’s due to the fact that the lower has a tension screw to eliminate play between the upper and lower. It’s a nice touch on a gun in this price category. The upper receiver includes a standard forward assist, dust cover, and brass deflector. As you would expect, the magazine well is flared for quick, snag-free loading.

Barrels on both models measure 16.10 inches and have a “government” profile that’s relatively lightweight and serves well on a general-purpose rifle. Barrels are made of 4140 chrome-moly alloy steel and are button rifled with six grooves and a 1:8 rate of twist. They are protected, inside and out, with a nitride finish. Barrels come with an A2 flash hider attached. However, muzzles are threaded ½ x 28, so you can remove the flash hider and attach other muzzle accessories.

Mil-Spec Compatibility Makes the Harrier Easy to Upgrade

The bolt carrier group, which has a properly staked gas key, is also nitrided for protection. The safety selector, magazine release, and bolt catch are all located in the usual locations and are all basic mil-spec. Unfortunately, that also applies to the rifle’s trigger. As with so many factory ARs, a mil-spec trigger is not a good thing. The single-stage trigger on my test rifle broke at a cringe-worthy pull weight of 7 lbs., 12 oz., and had a lot of creep. It is the first thing I would replace on this rifle, followed by the smallish, non-ambidextrous charging handle. Of course, those are the two things I’ve always replaced on most factory ARs, and that’s to be expected with budget-priced guns.

The good news about the Ruger Harrier AR-15 being based on common, mil-spec AR standards is that you can pretty much plan on being able to upgrade or reconfigure the gun with mil-spec-compatible stocks, grips, drop-in triggers, and other controls, as well as muzzle brakes and suppressor mounts.

Sub-MOA Surprise: The Ruger Harrier Hits Hard at 100 Yards

In range testing, the Harrier ran flawlessly. Muzzle velocities for four tested loads were several hundred fps slower than factory-stated numbers for the loads, but that’s normal for rifles with relatively short 16-inch barrels. Most of the loads launched bullets in the 2,700 to 2,900 fps range.

I was able to achieve surprisingly good accuracy with the Harrier despite being handicapped by the heavy, creepy trigger and shooting in wind gusting to 15 mph. Accuracy testing was done at 100 yards with one of my favorite LPVOs, the Zeiss Conquest V6 1-6×24, mounted on the gun.

All four tested loads printed sub-MOA best groups at 100 yards. Loads with the heaviest (77-grain) and lightest (55-grain) bullets produced sub-MOA average groups, but two loads with 62-grain bullets did not fare as well, turning in average groups measuring 1.59 and 1.92 inches. The most accurate load tested was Hornady’s 223 Rem Varmint Express 55-grain V-MAX load, which produced 0.58-inch average groups and a 0.51-inch best group. A Black Hills 5.56 mm 77-grain OTM load wasn’t far behind with a 0.55-inch best group and 0.92-inch average groups.

Can the Ruger Harrier Beat Other Budget AR-15s?

The Harrier compares quite favorably to other big-name budget ARs. Some have a long and successful record, especially with first-time AR buyers, but may be somewhat lacking compared to the Harrier. The Smith & Wesson Sport III, for example, is comparable to the Harrier, but it costs more even though it lacks QD sling sockets and has less furniture, including a wobbly M4-style buttstock. Other manufacturers may offer more aggressive prices at times and a larger selection of rifle configurations, but quality control may be inconsistent with some. Still others, offering essentially the same features, may cost more.

ARs are widely available in a mind-boggling array of specialized configurations, but there’s still tremendous demand for an affordable AR-15 in a general-purpose configuration suitable for hunting, recreational shooting, and home defense. Many buyers are perfectly happy with a budget-priced AR when it already has contemporary features and delivers reliable performance and good accuracy.

That defines the Harrier, and I’m betting it will become a very popular rifle.

Ruger Harrier Range Results: Four Loads at 100 Yards

Load	Avg. Velocity (feet per second)	Avg. Group 100 yards	Best Group 100 yards
Black Hills 5.56 mm 77 gr. OTM	2,728	0.92	0.55
Winchester Target & Practice 5.56 mm 62 gr. FMJ	2,958	1.59	0.99
Hornady Black 223 Rem 62 gr. FMJ	2,826	1.92	0.94
Hornady Varmint Express 223 Rem 55 gr. V-MAX	2,842	0.58	0.51

Note: Velocity was an average of 3 shots, measured with a Garmin C1 Pro chronograph. Accuracy is taken from three three-shot groups at 100 yards in wind varying 7-15 mph.

Ruger Harrier Pros and Cons: Accuracy Wins, Trigger Loses

Pros: The rifle is affordable, accurate and reliable. It’s ready to go out of the box, and since it’s based on common mil-spec AR standards, you can customize all you want.
Cons: No ambidextrous controls, and you’ll want to replace the trigger and charging handle.

Ruger Harrier Model 28600 Specifications

Model	Ruger Harrier Rifle Model 28600 5.56 NATO
Caliber	5.56 NATO/223 Rem.
Action	Direct-impingement semi-auto
Magazine	Detachable PMAG Gen M2
Capacity	30
Barrel	16.10-inch, 6-groove button rifling, threaded
Rate of twist	1:8
Barrel Finish	External and internal nitride
Stock	Magpul DT Carbine collapsible
Grip	Magpul MOE-K2
Handguard	Full Picatinny with M-LOK slots
Weight	6.8 pounds
Length	35.87 inches extended
MSRP	$749.00 ($699.00 for basic version)

Final Verdict: Ruger’s Budget Harrier Has Serious Teeth

The Ruger Harrier review results are difficult to argue with. The rifle ran flawlessly, every tested load produced a sub-MOA best group, and the most accurate ammunition averaged just 0.58 inches at 100 yards. That is serious performance from an affordable AR-15 with an MSRP of $749.00 in the tested configuration.

The heavy, creepy trigger and small, non-ambidextrous charging handle are the obvious weak points, but neither is unusual on a budget-priced AR. More importantly, the Harrier’s mil-spec compatibility makes both easy to replace. Ruger paired that familiar modularity with a snug receiver fit, useful furniture, a free-floated handguard and the kind of accuracy that can make a cheap trigger seem even more irritating.

Ruger could have released another basic entry-level rifle and relied on the name stamped into the receiver. Instead, it built the AR-15 it arguably should have built long ago. The Harrier is affordable, reliable, accurate and ready to customize. That is a strong combination, and I’m betting shooters are going to notice.