A RARE SIGHT.
The North American Whooping Crane is an endangered species of large bird whose migratory patterns take them from their nesting grounds in the marshes near our home in southern Wisconsin to the warm climes of North Texas for the winter. This time, when they returned, they made a few stops along the way to bring a few special additions to the Munitionworks™ catalog. The CRANE™ series of firearms are our top-grade offering for the most demanding users. With a Cold Hammer Forged (CHF) barrel, standard hard-chrome plated mil-spec BCG, beefy rail interfaces, a VLTOR A5 buffer system, and action springs from Sprinco® throughout the system, it is the most stout model in our lineup.
TAKING FLIGHT.
The CRANE™ S is a full-featured General Purpose Rifle that is capable of flexing into a variety of roles. As usual, there are a few options to choose from to make it your own. In the core of the action, the upper receiver, we made sure to check every box we could for a truly top-tier rifle. As with our other offerings, we start with a quality forged 7075-T6 upper machined to mil-spec dimensions with M4 feed ramps and a lapped receiver face. Moving forward, the standard configuration features a 16" cold-hammer forged OPTIMUM barrel from Black River Tactical in Caledonia, Michigan. Forged from tightly controlled 4150 Chromoly Vanadium blanks per specification Mil-B-11595E(AR), they are more than ready for prolonged, rigorous firing schedules. On the inside, the bore and chamber have a precision chrome-lining that, among other improvements over traditional chrome-lining processes, is treated with an electro-polishing process before plating to ensure uniformity for peak accuracy even with aggressive courses of fire. On the outside, they have a thick Manganese Phosphate finish for corrosion resistance. To ensure reliable feeding, we still grind and polish the feed ramps of the barrel extension.
The barrel is paired hard-chrome plated bolt carrier group that has a bolt machined from Carpenter No. 158 alloy and High-Pressure Tested (HPT) and Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI) for quality. The hard-chrome plating boasts both a high surface hardness and dry lubricity, prolonging the runtime between cleanings. The extraction system is also upgraded with a XP 5-coil extractor spring and enhanced ejector spring courtesy of Sprinco®. Made from Chrome Silicon wire stock that is heat treated, stress-relieved, and cryogenically processed post-winding, they are the industry standard for quality. Racking the bolt is a Radian® Raptor™ ambidextrous charging handle that is color-matched with the rail based on your selection.
The rail we selected for the CRANE® comes from Cross Machine Tool in Jackson, Tennessee. While these rails lack the clout of other options on the market, they offer superb lockup and rigid construction at an incredible value. Though heavier than other competitors, the walls of the extrusion of these rails are beefed up by ~25% for improved rigidity and resistance to deflection from the weight of accessories and deformation from impacts. The HDM rail features 7 sides of M-LOK® rail and a full-length picatinny top rail to provide plenty of rail estate for a variety of attachments. While they don't include machined QD attachment slots, the CRANE® ships with a steel QD swivel from BCM® to allow the end-user to configure their sling to their taste.
The upper receiver, barrel, and bolt head are all individually engraved with matching numbers noted on a certificate of authenticity that ships with your rifle for QC during the assembly process and down the line should you need work done on your rifle.
MOVING SOUTH.
The improvements don't stop in the top half of the rifle. In the lower receiver. Working hand-in-hand with the upper is the VLTOR A5 buffer system: an intermediate-length buffer system that optimizes lock time and reduces the violence of the action to reduce felt recoil in the shoulder and component wear. For unsuppressed shooting, BRT recommends the A5H0 buffer that is included with the rifle. While it will function with this weight, they recommend bumping up to an A5H2 buffer for optimal ejection and tuning with a can.
WHAT’S INCLUDED.
(1) GLC-R CRANE™ S Rifle
(1) Munitionworks™ 30-Round Jump Mag
(1) BCM® M-LOK® QD Socket
(1) Cable chamber lock
(1) Chamber flag
¹ For samples of each finish option, click here.
² For all CRANE™ S rifles, the Centurion C4 rail option is 12" in length.
³ When "Yes" is chosen for Pin/Weld, the proper barrel and rail length will be used to match the selected muzzle device to reach an overall barrel length of over 16". The Griffin Armament, FCD, and SureFire suppressor hosts will come paired with a 13.9" barrel. The A2 Flash Hider, FCD 6315XE, and SiCo ASR Flash Hider will come with a 14.5" barrel.
Model as shown $2458 MSRP: CRANE™ S ($1999), Pro Lower Receiver (+$150), 13.9" barrel w/ pinned and welded SureFire 3-Prong Flash Hider (+$150, +$80), Monotone Hollander Brown™ finish, B5 furniture set, Two-Stage Match FCG, Optional FCD ASF-50 selector (+$70).
REGULATION DISCLAIMER:
Federal regulation stipulates that you must be 18 years of age to purchase a long gun. Check your local jurisdiction for any additional regulations or limitations. Any rifles ordered in a pin/weld configuration will have an overall barrel length of over 16" to retain classification as a rifle under the NFA.
