Adcor: the best MD-legal gas piston AR-15s?

The Driver · Mar 31, 2020

Based on what I've seen on the State Police database, both the Adcor Elite A-556 and the Adcor Defense B.E.A.R are approved in Maryland. I am interested in gas-piston systems, and their model seems excellent, especially the A-556, which was in the running for the U.S. military until they just decided to stick with the M4. They seem quite reliable and accurate. How is this possible in MD? I feel like they are excellent options for people looking for AR models as I am. Also, they offer a 10.5" barrel, but the OAL of the A-556 Elite is listed as 27-30.75" (https://www.adcordefense.com/products/a-elite/). I want the gun as short as possible for home defense. If it is >29" with the stock fully extended, in accordance with Maryland law, it can legally be purchased and owned? Speculate or disagree away.

IX-3 · Mar 31, 2020

The Driver said:
Based on what I've seen on the State Police database, both the Adcor Elite A-556 and the Adcor Defense B.E.A.R are approved in Maryland. I am interested in gas-piston systems, and their model seems excellent, especially the A-556, which was in the running for the U.S. military until they just decided to stick with the M4. They seem quite reliable and accurate. How is this possible in MD? I feel like they are excellent options for people looking for AR models as I am. Also, they offer a 10.5" barrel, but the OAL of the A-556 Elite is listed as 27-30.75" (https://www.adcordefense.com/products/a-elite/). I want the gun as short as possible for home defense. If it is >29" with the stock fully extended, in accordance with Maryland law, it can legally be purchased and owned? Speculate or disagree away.

They are legal because for the most part piston AR's are not banned as copycats and are not required to be HBAR. The barrel must be 16" to be purchased without having to first submit ATF paperwork for a short-barreled rifle and wait months for approval and transfer. Unless it is a pistol AND is on the Maryland Handgun Roster (I didn't see any on the roster). In which case you just need your HQL, money, and the 7-day wait. If 29" with the stock fully extended it can be purchased in Maryland assuming again that it has a 16" barrel.

danb · Mar 31, 2020

I feel like someone generated an account to get some free advertisement.

grimnar15 · Apr 16, 2020

IX-3 said:
They are legal because for the most part piston AR's are not banned as copycats and are not required to be HBAR. The barrel must be 16" to be purchased without having to first submit ATF paperwork for a short-barreled rifle and wait months for approval and transfer. Unless it is a pistol AND is on the Maryland Handgun Roster (I didn't see any on the roster). In which case you just need your HQL, money, and the 7-day wait. If 29" with the stock fully extended it can be purchased in Maryland assuming again that it has a 16" barrel.

Perfectly legal to build it into a pistol. Here is mine on an Aero PewPew lower. Bought the upper from another MDS member for a song and a dance just last month. Likes: very well balanced, accurate, lighter than expected and seems very reliable. Dislikes: would like one without the forward charging handle. It’s nice but just more parts to wear, also seems impossible to remove the upper Handguard without their special tool. Edit: Oh and the BCG dust Thingy is a bit gimmicky.

alucard0822 · Apr 17, 2020

Kinda pricey and outdated IMO, everything is proprietary, choice between a short 4 rail or short Keymod handguard with midweight barrels. That $1500 upper also includes the added complexity, added wear, and increased recoil that piston ARs have to offer, for no real benefits, all the reasons why they have fallen out of favor. Probably would be better served with a relatively slim "HBAR" or a pistol. If I just had to have an AR-ish pattern piston gun, would be hard to justify the Adcor over something like the far better, and less expensive Sig MCX.

3paul10 · Apr 17, 2020

Oh boy.....

erwos · Apr 17, 2020

Concur that you're better off with an MCX at this point. The fact that Adcor doesn't even have an MLOK rail is a big hint that they're not exactly in great shape as a company.

Capt Skup · Apr 17, 2020

I have owned a CORE 15 piston rifle in 5.56 for about tens years. Several thousands rounds fired without any issue. The rifle does run clean, only downfall is the handguard can get pretty hot, much like a Mini-14 does after a lot of shooting. I do not know what price the system you are advertising costs, but the CORE was priced about that same as most middle of the road AR's.

hosspower · Apr 17, 2020

Patriot Ordnance Factory P415 Edge with 10.5 inch barrel and it is on the roster.

shadow116 · Apr 17, 2020

danb said:
I feel like someone generated an account to get some free advertisement.

+1

grimnar15 · Apr 17, 2020

If you want it buy one, they did very well in the Army competition but buy a used one. From what I understand, after the Army ended the competition, the owner was left with a lot of material that could not be liquidated. In fact, their performance in the company was nothing short of incredible and they had a real shot at winning. Now with no way to market their product and sell off al that inventory, the story goes that he burned down one of his buildings for insurance fraud, got caught and I believe went to jail. Long story short, I don’t think Adcor defense is viable as a company. I want to buy one of their stripped lowers to match the upper but they haven’t returned a single one of my emails or phone calls. I would not spend $1400 on a new product, especially since they may go out of business. Someone will by their patents I am sure but not their lifetime warranty commitments.

omegared24 · Apr 17, 2020

grimnar15 said:
If you want it buy one, they did very well in the Army competition but buy a used one. From what I understand, after the Army ended the competition, the owner was left with a lot of material that could not be liquidated. In fact, their performance in the company was nothing short of incredible and they had a real shot at winning. Now with no way to market their product and sell off al that inventory, the story goes that he burned down one of his buildings for insurance fraud, got caught and I believe went to jail. Long story short, I don’t think Adcor defense is viable as a company. I want to buy one of their stripped lowers to match the upper but they haven’t returned a single one of my emails or phone calls. I would not spend $1400 on a new product, especially since they may go out of business. Someone will by their patents I am sure but not their lifetime warranty commitments.

I have really good friends that know the family really well. I could easily get parts from them but have never had the desire to do so.

The disappointing thing is they have the ability to make legit parts and assemble legit rifles as they were a Colt contractor. They would probably sell a ton of them if they marketed themselves as a legit, consistent duty rifle manufacturer and got away from proprietary gimmicks.

I wish them the best either way. Desperation certainly makes people do things they shouldn't do. I've heard nice things about them.

grimnar15 · Apr 17, 2020

omegared24 said:
I have really good friends that know the family really well. I could easily get parts from them but have never had the desire to do so.

The disappointing thing is they have the ability to make legit parts and assemble legit rifles as they were a Colt contractor. They would probably sell a ton of them if they marketed themselves as a legit, consistent duty rifle manufacturer and got away from proprietary gimmicks.

I wish them the best either way. Desperation certainly makes people do things they shouldn't do. I've heard nice things about them.

I wish I had known that so that I could have gotten one of their lowers. I ended up mounting the upper on an Aero Lower. Although it looks nice, I wanted it mounted on an Adcor lower. Not spending anymore money on that thing. I also agree that they should have stayed away from proprietary gimmicks

Slowhand · Apr 19, 2020

It seems you could build an AR pistol with any pistol/other lower and the Brownells BRN-180s upper for much less than a MCX platform(which I really want also).

erwos · Apr 19, 2020

Slowhand said:
It seems you could build an AR pistol with any pistol/other lower and the Brownells BRN-180s upper for much less than a MCX platform(which I really want also).

If you're willing to play the waiting game a bit, Evolution Weapon Systems has a no-buffer-tube BCG that works with the MCX-style stocks. $400, no proprietary lock-in other than the BCG. If it works, it's not a bad-looking solution.

teratos · Apr 19, 2020

erwos said:
If you're willing to play the waiting game a bit, Evolution Weapon Systems has a no-buffer-tube BCG that works with the MCX-style stocks. $400, no proprietary lock-in other than the BCG. If it works, it's not a bad-looking solution.

Can't wait to see how these function.

Trumpet · Apr 23, 2020

Slowhand said:
It seems you could build an AR pistol with any pistol/other lower and the Brownells BRN-180s upper for much less than a MCX platform(which I really want also).

Take a look at the Wolf T91 uppers too.

Rambler · Apr 23, 2020

omegared24 said:
I have really good friends that know the family really well. I could easily get parts from them but have never had the desire to do so.

The disappointing thing is they have the ability to make legit parts and assemble legit rifles as they were a Colt contractor. They would probably sell a ton of them if they marketed themselves as a legit, consistent duty rifle manufacturer and got away from proprietary gimmicks.

I wish them the best either way. Desperation certainly makes people do things they shouldn't do. I've heard nice things about them.

This the same ADCOR Industries that is a machine shop/contract manufacturer in Highlandtown. A cursory internet search reveals that the ADCOR Defense fire was preceded by a 2007 fire in a warehouse of their beverage industry manufacturing equipment division.

Zorros · Apr 25, 2020

Fired their weapons on their range. Suppressor, automatic. Very nice. Great write up in shotgun news, cover story. Owner still out but sentenced in feb to 15 yrs fed custody. Insurance fraud. Was just in the news for saying co will build ventilators.

Adcor: the best MD-legal gas piston AR-15s?

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