In a very short time period, the .458 SOCOM cartridge has become a staple in the arsenals of many American shooters. Originally conceived to provide USSOCOM operators with devastating power and penetration, the .458 SOCOM is more than twice the diameter of the 5.56mm NATO bullet and churns up twice as much energy yet fits neatly within the design parameters of the AR-15 platform.

The LAR-458 X-1

This power, combined with the familiar AR-15 chassis, makes the .458 SOCOM particularly appealing to law enforcement. Rock River Arms (RRA) is one company that recognized the awesome potential of this cartridge early on and has now added the LAR-458 X-1 to its lineup. Built from the ground up to be a fast-handling rifle, RRA has incorporated many features normally associated with 3-Gun competition rifles into the X-1. Some of these noteworthy features include a tuned two-stage trigger; a stainless, cryogenically treated barrel; and a free-floating TRO handguard. It is as handsome as it is accurate and should prove worthy of any agency’s armament.

I recently tested the new rifle, and it surpasses its 1.5-MOA accuracy guarantee. The recoil was very manageable. I was able to fire about 60 rounds from the bench without being unduly bruised. The first couple shots were disconcerting. If you’ve done a lot of AR shooting then you’ve probably accumulated the associated muscle memory; this makes shooting the .458 SOCOM so deceptive. Everything feels exactly the same as a 5.56mm weapon. So when I added the 4 pounds of pressure necessary to break the LAR-458 X-1’s trigger, the report and recoil always seemed to surprise me. If you need a lightweight, fast-handling carbine with plenty of bone-crushing power, I’d strongly recommend taking a look at the Rock River Arms LAR-458 X-1. I was impressed with its accuracy and also its unyielding reliability. For even more info, visit Rockriverarms.com.