Questions for Robinson M96 owners

[SAWBONES]

I posted this earlier today, but it got lost in the crash...

I recently got an M96. I really like the design and the modularity.
Please share your experience and opinions or ideas about:

Which loads work the best (best precision and accuracy)

Which loads to avoid (any trouble with lacquer-coared, steel-cased stuff?)

Best accuracy you've obtained, at what distance (either scope or iron sights, and either carbine or rifle barrel)

Any accessories or modifications you've found worthwhile, other than the Weaver rail, scopes, and sling?

Thanks.

 

[Q-Man]

Luck guy!

I don’t have any experience with the M96. I would really like to help you out though. So if you could just send me your rifle for a while, I would gladly play around with it and get back to you on what I think about it..... Oh, you wouldn’t need the rifle back would you?

 

[Correia]

Sawbones, I've always wanted to try out an M96, but I haven't had the chance. Are you coming to the Utah Gathering at the end of April? I would love to shoot one of those babies!

 

[Zak Smith]

I took my M96 out for the first time last weekend. The best group I got was 3 shots in a 1" group at 100 yards. I have the rifle version and it currently has the stock iron sights.

I emailed RobArms about steel-cased and jacketed ammo, and the reply I got (from Alex, no less) was that it's better to avoid steel-cased ammo, but everything else that's within spec is just fine. The steel-jacketed bullets (eg. S&B "M193") will increase barrel wear slightly.

I had no problems with the following: IMI M855, S&B "M193", PMC 55gr, and South African 55gr surplus. I didn't bother comparing the accuracy of this ammo because my eyesight isn't good enough for great accuracy at 100y.

Sorry for the lack of a good answer to your question. I am very happy with this rifle and the optics rail is in my future (along with a carbine?). It shoots very clean and is very simply to take apart. Cleaning afterwards was simple. I removed the bolt and my hands were not covered with soot, as they are from my AR-15 bolt.

I do wonder about the accuracy potential, however, because of the quick-change barrel. It probably does not have the potential of a free-floated bull AR-15, for instance. But this is a different rifle for a different purpose.

-z

 

[RikWriter]

Avoid Barnaul ammo. Very poor QC, I had some of that crap that was so underloaded it wouldn't even move the bolt on one of my ARs.

 

[Michael Merriken]

Traded my AR for an M-96 Carbine and have not looked back. Very accurate rifle with 55gr. mil-spec ammo; 1.5", five-shot groups off a bench at 100 yds. I replaced the rear flip aperature sight with an Ashley rear sight and added a Trijicon front sight (the M-96 uses the same sight components as the AR). You have to screw the front sight down a few extra turns since the Ashley rear sight is shorter than the factory M-96 rear sight. Works great. Also had Kurt's Kustom Firearms replace the factory muzzle brake with a Stoner look-alike muzzle brake. A cosmetic change but I like it. (BTW, Kurt said that Robinson Arms is considering using his muzzle brake on future rifles).

The only complaint I have is that the safety is too far forward and I have to adjust my grip to flip it from safe to fire. A minor nit is that I added a small bit of electrical tape to the back to the ejection port as a buffer to keep the brass from getting too dinged-up.

Michael

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I was doing some research on the M96 myself and found a thread on http://www.biggerhammer.net were several M96 owners reported the barrel coming off when a shot was fired. Something to do with the failure of a pin.

Apparently it is a problem limited to a certain serial number range that Robinson Arms has corrected (and everybody there had high praises for the service).

In any case, its certainly something I would look into if you aren't already aware of it.

 

[SAWBONES]

Thanks for all replies so far, guys.
Correia, I'll probably not be able to make the Utah gathering, but still checking into schedule rearrangements.

BR, I have heard of the problem with a few folks barrels "blowing off", and it's apparently been corrected, according to Alex Robinson. (I visit Robinson Armaments here in SLC and talk to him fairly often.)
Bigger Hammer's website is the only M96-related site with any traffic at all, but there's still a dearth of info about these rifles.

Any more ideas and thoughts and opinions welcomed.

 

[IronBalls]

I and dreaming of getting one, but here in CA its a no go. I called Robinson Armaments and found out their trying to get it out here (without the grip installed). I hope it pans out.

 

[SAWBONES]

Hey Iron Balls;
I was at Robinson's the other day, and they had a "California style" M96 almost ready for shipping. It had the pistol grip removed, and the stud to which the pistol grip attaches had been shortened, since the standard-length stud apparently exceeded CA's "allowable size" (?) for this part. it was "in the white", that is, the stainless steel parts of the lower receiver hadn't been coated yet. No other changes evident. I don't know if the price was any different or not. Best.