Para and Todd Jarrett demonstrated the new TTR system, short for Tactical Target Rifle, slated for release in 2009. Quite simply, it is made of awesome. For an op-rod driven AR, the thing has no recoil. It’s literally like shooting an airsoft gun. Recoil on a 10/22 is greater. An AR that shoots well that doesn’t get as dirty? Where do I sign up?
The other really nice thing about this system is you don’t get the annoying jack-in-the-box sound in your ear every time you pull the trigger.  I shot it, and I kid you not, there’s virtually no muzzle climb on the system. I was hitting the reactive gongs out at 100 yards from standing with not too much trouble. Here’s Todd explaining how the system works:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrFu67eW4Oo[/youtube]
Looks like it’ll be a little harder to take apart than a normal AR-15, but hey, you should hardly have to clean it without the DI gas system blowing gunk back into the bolt and bolt carrier.
There’s a rifle that I’m sure Joe Biden would love to ban.
MSRP?
Hello. Thanks for posting the videos. Seeing the correct hand positions will certainly improve our shooting skills.
Para said they aren’t committed to an MSRP yet. Currently they have it around 1900 bucks, but they want to get the cost down.
Of course, it’ll be cheaper still to buy just the Para upper, which is what I’m waiting for…. :)
What most folks don’t realize is that the TTR (and its parent, the ZM LR300) still use direct impingement. The difference is that the TTR uses a much longer carrier key, mated to a shorter gas tube. The recoil spring is mounted to the long carrier key where it protrudes from the upper receiver.
Daniel:
So you’re saying that the gas is still blown back into the AR bolt carrier to unlock the breech?
That is my understanding. However, once the long carrier key and short gas tube break contact in the TTR, any excess gas will vent over the barrel/under the handguards. This is in contrast to the standard gas tube which vents into the upper receiver.
Ah, OK. I think that was explained but I wasn’t quite getting it. When I think “op-rod” I’m thinking of a piston unlocking the breech and moving the bolt carrier rearward.
I have one of the Z-M Weapons LR300 NXL which is the same gun.
It’s pretty nice, it’s still DI but excess gas is vented out of the extended op rod.
I’m using a muzzle break on mine and the barrel does not rise at all. It’s not as accurate as my Noveske though as I can only get about 2 MOA out of it at various distances.
I paid about $1400.00 just for the upper with BUIS and no folding butt stock which costs $350.00!
I have the fixed length skeleton butt stock with was about $50.00.
Here’s a pic of mine:
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc212/olava1/ar15/ar15flowers.jpg
Sorry to post again but here is my review of the LR300 that became the Parra TTR
http://firearmsandtraining.blogspot.com/2008/09/z-m-weapons-lr300-becomes-parausa-ttr.html
I just checked your review Olav (excellent post and review btw). Here’s my two cents and a very important inquiry.
I have the AXL variant with the stock that I purchased just before Aldo handed the operation off to Para. I must agree about the recoil/muzzle rise though I chose to have the SE Vortex installed. The Vortex is not much of a brake. It did not seem to run any cleaner than the standard AR design.
I also noticed that the recoil spring does seem a little more robust. I know it was new but I didn’t recall the extra effort required to pull the charging handle in my other rifles. My observations were sort of confirmed when I had two consecutive slam fires … explained here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=4616852&postcount=29 (read entire thread for full explanation/description … also, I had not yet realized that this was still a DI system when I posted)
Ultimately I attributed the slamfires to the low bid lot of .223 Winchester White Box ammunition. The rifle functioned beatifully with all 5.56 NATO.
Anyway, about the rifle length. A quick Google search tells me that the rifle has to be a minimum of 26″ (as opposed to 30″) when the permanently attached stock is fully extended AND unfolded. Do you have any links or further clarification on how you arrived at 30″?? Please help … anyone?
I was attempting to sell my complete kit (no lower and minus the mag) today for $1200 and my local shop wasn’t interested in it. I’ll have to look for a permanent length skeleton stock if this is really illegal to install with the folding stock.
According to Para’s website, the rifle would be legal by .25″ … if the 26″ standard is applied without requiring the stock to be fully extended AND unfolded. That’s cutting it close.
Wild Deuce,
I think the min length of an operational firearm that shoots semi-auto has to be 30″ and the barrel has to be over 16″.
If I had a folding buttstock on the zm can i still shoot it with the buttstock folded? If no, then it’s legal. If I can then it’s a NFA rifle.
I can have a 26″ over all length pump shotgun or bolt gun because it’s not a semi-auto but the barrel has to be over 16″ still.
I think that’s the rules.
BTW, thanks for checking out my bog!
I bookmarked your blog.
I floated this inquiry out at THR. I’m getting some interesting feedback that includes this post:
*************
§ 921 Definitions.
(a) As used in this chapter—
(8) The term “short-barreled rifle” means a rifle having one or more barrels less than sixteen inches in length and any weapon made from a rifle (whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise) if such weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches.
*************
That’s from the ATF:
http://www.atf.treas.gov/pub/fire-explo_pub/2005/p53004/18usc_chap44.pdf
on Page 5, Lefthand Column, Sec 8
I didn’t see a distinction between bolt action or semi-auto. I’m sure the debate will rage at THR so I will check it out over the next two days. It’s late and I am working tomorrow so I will let this one rest for now. Thanks for bringing this to my attention and again, great review.
BTW: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=161748
Since I live in CA. it could be a California law regarding the 26″ manual feed length vs. the 30″ auto feed rifle over-all-length length.
Thanks for checking out my blog too!
Any word floating around as to when the retro fit kit will become available other than ‘early 09’?