Robinson M96 Expeditionary rifle

[panzerman]

Intrigued by this rifle but know little of it. Does anyone here know something of them or own one? I have an opportunity to buy one shortly but unsure if I should go for it.

Also if the seller removes the pistol grip does that now make it CA legal??

Thanks, J

[MrPlink]

Good gun, crap company.

[JTROKS]

I have one CA compensator equipped at the muzzle and all the upgrades including bolt release by the trigger guard. I was always intrigued by the Stoner63, although the M96 looks like it - not an exact copy. I was hoping for the belt fed conversion to come out, but RobArms decided to focus their resources on the XCR. The M96 is stainless sheet metal in black, piston/rod with adjustable gas system, quick barrel change design if you have a rubber mallet. Mine has been reliable and accurate. It doesn't get dirty like a DI-AR15. My experience I have no negative remarks except for the non-availability of accessories.

[fmunk]

XCR owner here.

Parts for the M96 are impossible to come by and dealing with the company directly is going to make you grow old rapidly. Unless you are a collector (not a shooter), it's really not worth the trouble.

[glorified_welder]

If you really want one addax tactical has one in stock. california ready

[Astig Boy]

It was made to resemble the Stoner63, but the design is completely different. Reliability on these are hit and miss. And as others have mentioned, the accessories are nil and the company doesn't support.

[naimad]

I owned one of these rifles very cool rifle,but as others have said no parts avaliable

[larrybigmax]

I got one before the ban.reliability and very accurate.

[crazychinaman]

Intrigued by this rifle but know little of it. Does anyone here know something of them or own one? I have an opportunity to buy one shortly but unsure if I should go for it.

Also if the seller removes the pistol grip does that now make it CA legal??

Thanks, J

Yes the pistol removed is CA legal.They did sell them that way for CA.That was about 7 or 8 years ago.The company did not sell very many because the promise of differant calibers did not come through,evan though they had done it.Seen the sample on vidieo.They made one that was able to shoot .556 ,7.62x39 and 6.8.That was the reason I bought mine in 1993 .To remove the barrell takes 5 seconds.As long as it is the same lengths.Also, that there customer service really sucks.They now have a new rfile called the XCM.It is like a Scar rifle.No tools needed to take aprt.Can be equipped with a Folding Stock.It is gas piston system.I would not buy agian because of spare prts.

[223556]

Looks pretty sweet. Too bad about the parts and accesories though.

[panzerman]

Thanks to all. Notes, cautions and warnings all acknowledged as well as positive comments.

[dfletcher]

I have one and mostly agree with what's been posted above - especially the part about customer service, it doesn't exist. Mine has been very reliable and accurate.

IIRC a Calguns poster (JTROKS maybe?) offered a BB for the 96, I have one on mine and it's very well done. Stormwerk offers a folding stock adapter that accepts the ACE skeleton style folder. It's a solid set up. Another company offers a full length rail that replaces the rear sight and allows mounting of forward optics. I can't recall the name but it attached easily. I put a CMore 1 to 5X "donut" scope on my M96, also had the barrel cut & threaded to attach an AAC single chamber brake. I'm middle of the road on the brake.

All things considered the gun really doesn't have recoil anyway, I'm thinking a birdcage FH is more in line with the "Stoner 63" military look this rifle copies.

So what's the ball park asking $$$ for the one you're considering?

[saki302]

I used to own one- I swapped a friend for his Armalite in 1999. We still own the two rifles.

Mine shot well, it was reliable and solid feeling.

It's a shame they went to the XCR platform- picture the M96 updated a bit- modular rail forend, quick change barrels/calibers in 6.5/6/8/7.62x39, and the holy grail- the belt-fed conversion.

If they pushed this to the end, they would have had an awesome platform.

My buddy bought a shorter barrel with the long gas sytem so it's a direct swap. They came out with a short handguard/short gas system swap which I thought was ridiculous- it's still 16", and lots of crap needed to be changed over.

The side folding stock was a neat add-on too. My buddy's is now a RAW, I hope be bought one

-Dave

[panzerman]

If the price remains decent I will get the rifle. i have noted the issues and warnings wrt the company but I am attracted to the rifle, intelligent decision or not, I am going to give it a go.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Good luck. Try to find the spare parts for it as soon as you can, because from everything I have heard, finding them takes ages. And as the others have noted, the company itself sucks. The owner came on one of the AR websites and had a long rant about how his customers were idiots, and how dare they complain about him online after they had gotten crap customer service. And that if he knew or found out who it was, he would deliberately slow down their order to get back at them. A real class act, all the way. I liked the look of some of their guns. And some of their concepts. But life is to short to deal with ***holes. Especially when you know that they are that way up front.

-Mb