If Darwin were around today, no doubt he would be fascinated by the AR platform. Chuck was, after all, a gun guy (according to his autobiography, he shot quite a bit during his Cambridge days), and the AR has undergone enough evolutionary changes in the past decade to make his head spin. But unlike Darwin's famous finches, ARs of course haven't changed by themselves over time. It has taken forward-thinking engineers, designers and manufacturers to bring about the development of the species. Still, nothing short of remarkable is the number of current variations on this single platform--many of which, much like bird beaks, incorporate adaptations that overcome certain problems and excel at specific tasks.

Rock River's Piston Driven System does away with the need for a conventional receiver extension and buffer assembly, and replaces them with a collapsible, side-folding buttstock. Rock River Arms is one gunmaker not afraid of tweaking the AR to better meet specialized needs. Its line has evolved to include dozens of variants in several chamberings, but one in particular puts the company on the cutting edge of platform progress. The LAR-PDS Carbine combines a gas-piston operating system with a side-folding buttstock and a forward-mounted charging handle, while retaining the familiar AR form and balance. The result is a unique set of features that answers many of the criticisms thrown at Eugene Stoner's design during the last 50-some years and shows just how adaptable the platform can be.

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