Rock River Arms, Incorporated is a manufacturing company based in Colona, Illinois

Colona, Illinois

Colona is a city in Henry County, Illinois, along the Green River. It is part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area. The population was 5,099 at the 2010 census, down from 5,173 at the 2000 census....

 that manufacturers parts and accessories for AR-15

AR-15

The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....

/M16

M16 rifle

The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...

 type rifle

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

s, as well as complete firearms.

Law Enforcement Use

In 2003, Rock River Arms was awarded a contract with the Drug Enforcement Administration

Drug Enforcement Administration

The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...

 to manufacture a new-issue AR-15 carbine after they beat other manufacturers in qualification testing. The DEA subsequently purchased a substantial number of Rock River Arms LAR-15.
Rock River Arms LAR-15 Entry Tactical Rifles are the standard issue patrol rifle to the Dallas Police Department.

Company History

Rock River Arms is owned and operated by brothers Mark and Chuck Larson. Between 1981 and 1991 the Larsons worked at Springfield Armory, Inc.

Springfield Armory, Inc.

Springfield Armory, Inc. is a firearms manufacturer and importer based in Geneseo, Illinois, founded in 1974. It is one of the largest firearms marketers of imported firearms in the United States and is a four-time recipient of the National Rifle Association Gun of the Year Award.-Formation:After...

, where Mark was the head armorer. From Springfield Armory, the Larsons went into partnership with Les Baer to form Les Baer Custom and build custom 1911 pistols. Parting ways with Les Baer in 1993, the Larsons began to build AR-15 type rifles for Eagle Arms in Coal Valley, Illinois

Coal Valley, Illinois

The Village of Coal Valley is in both Rock Island County and Henry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 3,743 at the 2010 census, up from 3,606 at the 2000 census. It is mostly residential, housing families that work in or out of the greater Quad Cities Area...

. At around the same time, they began their own venture, Tolerance Plus (the name was later changed to Rock River Arms), producing custom 1911 pistols. The Larson brothers severed their connection with Eagle Arms in 1997 when that firm moved to Geneseo, Illinois

Geneseo, Illinois

Geneseo is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,586 at the 2010 census, up from 6,571 at the 2000 census. Geneseo is located 20 miles east of The Quad Cities and Geneseo is part of the Quad Cities Metro Area....

. At the same time, Rock River Arms began to build AR-15 style rifles. For a time, Rock River Arms produced M1911

M1911

The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S....

pattern pistols in addition to rifles, however eventually they dropped that line and now focus their production exclusively on AR-15 pattern rifles.