We’re on the floor at NRAAM 2025, and Rock River Arms just dropped two of the strangest—and most interesting—AR builds we’ve seen all show.
First up is a 10.5-inch retro-style AR chambered in 5.56 NATO. It sports old-school triangular handguards, a fixed carry handle, and a shortened stock, which means you’re looking at an SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) setup. It’s classic, compact, and oozes Cold War-era cool.
But that’s not even the weird part.
Rock River is also showing off an SBR AR… in .380 ACP.
SEE ALSO: This Trigger Could Transform Your AR — NRA 2025
Yes, you read that right—a .380-chambered AR-platform SBR, complete with detachable carry handle and compact stock. And while we were scratching our heads at first, word from the booth is this gun was originally developed for South American contracts, and now they’re offering it up to the U.S. civilian market.
Will it catch on? Hard to say. But it definitely sparked some “what would you do with it?” conversations here on the show floor.
One thing’s for sure: Rock River isn’t afraid to get weird, and that’s part of what makes NRAAM 2025 such a blast. Whether you think it’s brilliant, bizarre, or both—we want to know what you’d do with a .380 AR SBR. Backpack gun? Range toy? Ultimate niche suppressor host?
Drop your thoughts in the comments—and stay tuned to GunsAmerica for more live coverage from the show!
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Available on GunsAmerica Now
is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
– Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper – Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.
– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
– Field-Tested Gear Reviewer – Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.
Use it as a sub-compact bat to hit rocks into whoever I should be using a real caliber on.
Okay, I’m scratching my head on this one. A .380 upper on a SBR registered lower? Why not a 9mm upper, or 10mm upper? Why not just buy a RR lower and register it as an SBR? That’s what I did with mine. That way you can use whatever upper you want to use.
I shoot a .380 Guardian and sometime it can be a little difficult finding ammo, compared to 9mm. It also tends to be more expensive because of that scarcity. But I guess if you have a ton of .380 fodder on the shelf – why not?!
That would’ve been fine during the ammopocalypse when .380 was the only thing you could find…. Or if you’re running a can on it.
I would sell it.