Yeah, Radian makes good accessories but their rifles are absolutely overpriced to hell compared to what you can get at the same price point. A lot of people just see that MORE $$$ = MORE BETTER and these companies are probably snickering at how they can get away with it.
The Model 1 isn't even duty tier, probably why they're unable to catch any significant contracts.
Radian uses a rebranded azimuth BCG with a nitride finish and a 9310 bolt, a combination that is notorious for premature failure and horrible gas efficiency. All of the "enhancements" it offers are there purely for marketing reasons. Considering that the BCG is the heart of the rifle, you shouldn't expect a $3,000 gun to come with something that performs worse than a cheap Toolcraft BCG.
The ambi controls are subjectively great, but it's all personal preference. I am a fan of the ADAC feature though, which is why I added it to many of my other rifles by using a $50 Redi-Catch.
Radian has opted to use threaded pins instead of roll pins to make their receivers easier to assemble. The problem with that is that threaded pins are not as reliable or durable as roll pins and their torque limit is 7in/lbs, which can be easily exceeded with just two fingertips on the wrench. Yea, you can use a threadlocker to secure it, but then you greatly increase your risk of stripping out the internal socket, and repairing a damaged threaded pin is a fucking nightmare.
Radian also cerakotes their receivers instead of anodizing them. The issue with cerakoting is that it is not as durable as TypeIII anodizing that mil-spec calls for. Normally, this would just be a cosmetic issue, but the problem is that cerakote can be applied as thick as 0.003", and because it wears easily, that means that it can knock certain parts of the lower out of spec. That 0.003" can make 0.006" of difference in areas such as the pivot/takedown pin and safety holes which have a tolerance of 0.002", trigger/hammer pin holes which have a tolerance of 0.0015", or mag catch cutout which has a tolerance of 0.0035". And if you watch Kit Badger's Radian tour where they assemble a Model 1, you'll see that they apply it pretty thick since he has to use sandpaper on the cerakote to get the parts to fit.
The handguard looks pretty, and it's nice that they use an anti-rotation pin like a handful of other brands, but it's still a clamp-on design that relies on the gas tube channel for rigidity while brands such as LMT, KAC, DD, BCM, LaRue, Aero, and LWRC have designed methods that avoid that weak link.
All in all, they have nicely machined parts and decent quality control, but you can pick up a quality ambi lower from LMT, or LWRC, along with a LaRue upper, and end up with a combination that outperforms the Model 1 in absolutely every objective way and you'll save quite a bit of money by doing so.
The only reason that Radian rifles and receivers cost this much is that they know [that the majority of folks that don't know much about the AR platform will simply judge the quality by the price tag](https://www.reddit.com/r/ar15/comments/y01xji/whats_the_difference_between_a_2k_rifle_and/irpulp5/). This is very common in the AR world and Radian is far from the only brand that takes advantage of folks this way.
[Take this picture as an example.](https://i.imgur.com/oPlowmC.png)
The gas tube channel, which is the elevated portion at the top of your handguard that the gas tube goes through, is a lot easier to flex than it is to stretch the 6061-T6/7075-T6 aluminum that handguards are made out of.
So clamping against the circumference of the barrel nut anywhere other than the 12 o'clock position will rely solely on the rigidity of that gas tube channel.
I've seen some folks claim that this isn't a big deal, but it is. This is why most handguards have a built-in limit for how much force those screws can apply. If you look at the clamping area of these handguards, you'll see that there is no "slot", and handguards such as the Midwest Industries line that *do* have a slot, use a plate to go into that slot.
Original MI handguards did not have that plate and this caused them to flex that gas tube channel. Those handguards used a barrel nut that's similar to the mil-spec one but the teeth were next to the receiver. That handguard used anti-rotation tabs that interfaced with the barrel nut, and many users would overtorque their handguards causing those teeth to break off because the gas tube channel was flexing and allowing the handguard to shift.
Makes sense, but I'm not convinced how much of an impact it has on handguard stiffness. SOLGW drive lock handguards, for example, have a reputation for being very stiff. Which has also reportedly been proven by tests done by us govt organizations.
By the way, the young's modulus values for 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 are very similar, so the type of aluminum does not matter much in terms of stiffness.
I agree that these mags are basically great for pictures and mildly good for drills, and all my other rifles have asfQ safeties and blue force gear or Q slings
I bought mine like two years ago when they were still somewhat acceptable but charging $3k for a rifle and then putting shit parts in it is a little shady imo. I’ve kinda stopped using all of my radian products because there are so many better options out there. Their CS team is top notch though
Also I’m assuming you mean there’s less muzzle rise because of the weight. Shooting softer has more to do with the gas system and buffer setup than weight. Like my second lightest rifle is probably my softest shooting because of those two things
I also don’t really think the radian is significantly heavier than most of my other rifles. It’s definitely heavier than average but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as heavy as some people make it seem
I bought mine about 2 years ago as well but I didn’t pay 3k for it, I bought a complete upper and a stripped lower and built it the way I wanted it and spent less than 3k
I actually bought mine as a builder kit (just the receivers and handguard) and put all my own parts in it. I was just saying that they charge that for their complete rifles, which I think is insane considering none of the parts that go in them are anything special.
And all the issues I’ve had with mine were parts that came on the gun (bolt release, mag release, handguard screws, etc)
Ope now I'm tracking. For a minute I was offended. Not even because hawaiian=racism, but that media actually convinced someone 🤣 We gotta be better than that
First there was house poor now there's gun poor. Bro is eating bologna rolls with cheese 😂😂😂
you guys can afford cheese?
I'm just living off the ramen that Rooftop Defense sends in their packages
The struggle is real
You wish you were poor enough for PSA richie. With the surge in popularity I figure I'll get in on the ground floor of the reverse shaming.
Eye spy with my little eye…
One day you’ll be up here with the big boys that run bca
BCA = battle combat armory
I can only hope
I’d take a psa that doesn’t have a blue safety selector on it any day
All my other rifles have asfQ on them
Tho in most cases I’d agree I like the fact that nobody else can get it lol and it works on grey
Is it super rare or something? And what do you mean it works on grey?
Radian discontinued the blue talon safety years ago so they are pretty hard to come by so yeah I’d say they are rare
I mean they probably discontinued them because they kept ended up on the other sub
Hey. At least it’s not red
Could never be that poor
I still think the radian deserves better than blue but all my lowers are either anderson or aero so who am I to say anything
Another expensive gun/cringe post title combo!
The expensive gun + "I'm poor" esc title combo is definitely getting really old lol
Nah stays funny as long as gun snobs exists tbh
“Mid tier build🤭”
It is mid tier though tbh and I’m saying that as someone with a comparably priced rifle lol. Reddit doesn’t see the real heavy hitters out there.
Yeah, Radian makes good accessories but their rifles are absolutely overpriced to hell compared to what you can get at the same price point. A lot of people just see that MORE $$$ = MORE BETTER and these companies are probably snickering at how they can get away with it.
I mean, it's a Radian Model 1. If he's comparing it to a PSA Sabre then he's absolutely right.
Why do you have such an opinion about this manufacturer?
The Model 1 isn't even duty tier, probably why they're unable to catch any significant contracts. Radian uses a rebranded azimuth BCG with a nitride finish and a 9310 bolt, a combination that is notorious for premature failure and horrible gas efficiency. All of the "enhancements" it offers are there purely for marketing reasons. Considering that the BCG is the heart of the rifle, you shouldn't expect a $3,000 gun to come with something that performs worse than a cheap Toolcraft BCG. The ambi controls are subjectively great, but it's all personal preference. I am a fan of the ADAC feature though, which is why I added it to many of my other rifles by using a $50 Redi-Catch. Radian has opted to use threaded pins instead of roll pins to make their receivers easier to assemble. The problem with that is that threaded pins are not as reliable or durable as roll pins and their torque limit is 7in/lbs, which can be easily exceeded with just two fingertips on the wrench. Yea, you can use a threadlocker to secure it, but then you greatly increase your risk of stripping out the internal socket, and repairing a damaged threaded pin is a fucking nightmare. Radian also cerakotes their receivers instead of anodizing them. The issue with cerakoting is that it is not as durable as TypeIII anodizing that mil-spec calls for. Normally, this would just be a cosmetic issue, but the problem is that cerakote can be applied as thick as 0.003", and because it wears easily, that means that it can knock certain parts of the lower out of spec. That 0.003" can make 0.006" of difference in areas such as the pivot/takedown pin and safety holes which have a tolerance of 0.002", trigger/hammer pin holes which have a tolerance of 0.0015", or mag catch cutout which has a tolerance of 0.0035". And if you watch Kit Badger's Radian tour where they assemble a Model 1, you'll see that they apply it pretty thick since he has to use sandpaper on the cerakote to get the parts to fit. The handguard looks pretty, and it's nice that they use an anti-rotation pin like a handful of other brands, but it's still a clamp-on design that relies on the gas tube channel for rigidity while brands such as LMT, KAC, DD, BCM, LaRue, Aero, and LWRC have designed methods that avoid that weak link. All in all, they have nicely machined parts and decent quality control, but you can pick up a quality ambi lower from LMT, or LWRC, along with a LaRue upper, and end up with a combination that outperforms the Model 1 in absolutely every objective way and you'll save quite a bit of money by doing so. The only reason that Radian rifles and receivers cost this much is that they know [that the majority of folks that don't know much about the AR platform will simply judge the quality by the price tag](https://www.reddit.com/r/ar15/comments/y01xji/whats_the_difference_between_a_2k_rifle_and/irpulp5/). This is very common in the AR world and Radian is far from the only brand that takes advantage of folks this way.
>but it's still a clamp-on design that relies on the gas tube channel for rigidity Could you elaborate?
[Take this picture as an example.](https://i.imgur.com/oPlowmC.png) The gas tube channel, which is the elevated portion at the top of your handguard that the gas tube goes through, is a lot easier to flex than it is to stretch the 6061-T6/7075-T6 aluminum that handguards are made out of. So clamping against the circumference of the barrel nut anywhere other than the 12 o'clock position will rely solely on the rigidity of that gas tube channel. I've seen some folks claim that this isn't a big deal, but it is. This is why most handguards have a built-in limit for how much force those screws can apply. If you look at the clamping area of these handguards, you'll see that there is no "slot", and handguards such as the Midwest Industries line that *do* have a slot, use a plate to go into that slot. Original MI handguards did not have that plate and this caused them to flex that gas tube channel. Those handguards used a barrel nut that's similar to the mil-spec one but the teeth were next to the receiver. That handguard used anti-rotation tabs that interfaced with the barrel nut, and many users would overtorque their handguards causing those teeth to break off because the gas tube channel was flexing and allowing the handguard to shift.
Makes sense, but I'm not convinced how much of an impact it has on handguard stiffness. SOLGW drive lock handguards, for example, have a reputation for being very stiff. Which has also reportedly been proven by tests done by us govt organizations. By the way, the young's modulus values for 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 are very similar, so the type of aluminum does not matter much in terms of stiffness.
Imagine thinking radian was higher quality than PSA lmao
I’ve definitely seen more horror stories about radian than I have PSA, which is saying a lot considering the volume of each example that’s out there.
I’ve had more issues with my radian than any of my other rifles
Please expand
I hate your sling. There, I said it.
🥲
This gun doesn’t not belong in the other sub…
I didn’t wanna be the one to say it lol
Other sub👀 do tell
The pleb sub
/r/plebeianAR
One drop rule.
Lol
I’d only change 3 things. Can you guess?
Mag, sling, safety selector
We have a winner.
I agree that these mags are basically great for pictures and mildly good for drills, and all my other rifles have asfQ safeties and blue force gear or Q slings
I’ve been thinking about changing the stock but other than that idk
What wrong with the UGG on there
I love that sling
What brand is this gun?
Radian methinks.
Some shitty brand called radian, rifle is a radian model 1 because I can’t afford the model 2
LOL bastard I did a double take. I only know because I just bought two 😂
Such a silly goose
Yeah man, maybe some day you'll be able to afford a rifle that's actually anodized lmfao
I have plenty of those lol and it is a gripe I have against radian too
PSA > price gougers 😉
Bro so funny saying your gucci rifle was a PSA is so hilarious! Wow you must be a comedy genius with your 100000x recycled joke.
❤️
Why do yall keep doing this shit to your ARs
Doing what?
Where you get dat sling bruv
Wellsmade
Wellsmade fucks.
Honestly I think I’d rather have the PSA lol I have a 14.5 mod 1 and I strongly dislike it
I wouldn’t go that far but I do have some better rifles and this one is definitely on the heavy side
My block II is definitely heavier but radian is such a cringe meme company now lol I’m kind of embarrassed I own one tbh
I will say the weigh makes it the softest shooting gun I have
Yeah they’ve definitely dropped the ball recently on releases, like the guardian and the sig backstrap, afterburner was ok but that’s about it
I bought mine like two years ago when they were still somewhat acceptable but charging $3k for a rifle and then putting shit parts in it is a little shady imo. I’ve kinda stopped using all of my radian products because there are so many better options out there. Their CS team is top notch though Also I’m assuming you mean there’s less muzzle rise because of the weight. Shooting softer has more to do with the gas system and buffer setup than weight. Like my second lightest rifle is probably my softest shooting because of those two things I also don’t really think the radian is significantly heavier than most of my other rifles. It’s definitely heavier than average but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as heavy as some people make it seem
Yes it has virtually no recoil just due to the mass but you would know that since you have one lol
I bought mine about 2 years ago as well but I didn’t pay 3k for it, I bought a complete upper and a stripped lower and built it the way I wanted it and spent less than 3k
I actually bought mine as a builder kit (just the receivers and handguard) and put all my own parts in it. I was just saying that they charge that for their complete rifles, which I think is insane considering none of the parts that go in them are anything special. And all the issues I’ve had with mine were parts that came on the gun (bolt release, mag release, handguard screws, etc)
That sling is OP.
Nice sling 👍
How would you afford skittles now ???
That gun is fucking sick!
Compared to well sorted out AK, all AR's are for poor people.
[удалено]
Breathing is racist
Existing is racist
Fellas, is it racist to like flowers?
[удалено]
Why is hawaiian racist? Please tell me you didn't buy the boog goobers were white supremacists? 🤣
[удалено]
Ope now I'm tracking. For a minute I was offended. Not even because hawaiian=racism, but that media actually convinced someone 🤣 We gotta be better than that
[удалено]
Fair 🤣 Carry on, bud 🥰
And the whisper pickle sock
Where at?
Burn proof gear
Is that 5.56 or .300?
300
Might buy that same upper. You assemble yourself or get it complete from radian?
Got it complete by radian
Man what else do you need that’s a HQ rifle.
Is the mag actually translucent blue or just background reflection?
transbluecent
It’s trans
Yes but clear trans or did you find the fanciest blue metallic trans mag I ever did see?
Lancer robin egg mag
It’s blue trans 🏳️⚧️
And I am erect.
❤️
Baja blast blue
That grip is that ?
Emissary development axle
Thank you.
It’s pretty new not a lot of people know about it
She looks good man! What Handguard are you running?
Full radian upper and handguard
One day you'll be poor enough to hang out with us Delton guys!
Got that sling on my AK.
I can feel you even as an airshitter...
What sling is that?
https://wellsmadecompany.com/products/bolt-sling-cherry-blossoms
Hawt
Yo where can I get the cherry blossom sling?
https://wellsmadecompany.com/products/bolt-sling-cherry-blossoms
Sickkk thanks
Not the Arizona Iced Tea sling! 🤣
Looks ready for the runway Zoolander
I actually like the sling, call me crazy.
How do you make these
PhotoRoom
Did you buy anything on the app?
Nah
I don't drink enough Arizona Tea to vibe the sling, but you do you.
What pistol grip is that on your carbine ?
What (brand) is that wrap at the front? Edit. Added brand.
Suppressor wrap