The more I look at this thing, the more I want one, though I have no idea what it would be good for.
FightLite Industries has debuted a somewhat bizarre firearm in the new RAIDER pistol, which is chambered in 5.56 or 300BLK and can accept any type of AR magazine and looks like it should be strapped to the leg of a sarcastic but heroic space pilot.
The gun is meant to fill a gap between a common handgun and a carbine, delivering accurate overmatch performance compared to pistol-caliber handguns and shotguns at extended shooting distances, according to this post from TheFirearmBlog.com.
The gun measures 20.25” inches overall with a 7.25” barrel and a weight of 3.9 pounds.
The semi-auto pistol features a threaded barrel and a full length top rail of optics or iron sights with an AR-stye charging handle and receiver. Though one thing that’s missing is a pistol grip. Instead, the Raider sports the same Raptor “pistol” grip used on the Mossberg 590 Shockwave and Remington TAC-14 shorty non-NFA shotguns.
Now, the big question, what would this be good for? That’s honestly hard to say without seeing how it shoots. With the Raptor grip, it might be possible to hold the nearly 4-pound gun steady enough for closer pistols-distance shots with one hand, but you would have to use two hands for distance work, and aiming down a red dot or irons without a stock can be not only difficult, but extremely awkward, though
If you attached a laser sight with the M-Lok slots on the sides of the forend, you could conceivable shoot it accurately from the hip, but that would again only be for close distances, not the somewhat extended ranges the niche gun is trying to hit.
The real test is when it gets to the range with a variety of aiming devices to see how it does at the 20-40 yard range. If that grip can help dissipate the felt recoil of a 12-gauge shotgun shell, it should certainly be able to handle a 5.56 or 300 BLK round.
Still, the face that it accepts standard AR magazines means you can pack a whole lot of firepower into a small package, even a C-Mag’s worth. And, utilizing a built in feature of the Raptor grip, the gun can actually be outfitted with a sling, which could aid in stabilization when shooting.
If it’s accurate at range and fills the hole FightLite says it does, then this would pretty much be the ultimate truck gun: nothing to deploy or unfold, ultra compact, easy operation, easy magazine changes, and any optics option you want.
With a 20-round magazine inserted, the Raider wouldn’t take up much space in a vehicle storage compartment, and would offer a whole lot more firepower than a handgun if necessary. Then again, some might say, why not have an AR pistol with a folding stock and have all the options. Well, that would be an SBR, an NFA-regulated item, requiring paperwork, registration, and a tax stamp. The Raider you can purchase like a handgun, for an MSRP of $865, which might be a little steep for this curiosity, but then again…