16 replies to this topic

[dalbert]

Perhaps we can get someone from RobArm to answer this question, or we can make a close assumption here on the board based on serial numbers in our membership.

 

I have one M96 Rifle, and my brother Andy has 3.  I bought mine almost as soon as I heard about them in 1999.  If you think back to when these rifles were introduced, we were in the middle of the 10-year AWB, and this rifle was probably the coolest new design to appear that still complied with the AWB before it sunset in 2004.

 

My M96 is serial number "HP9900130X."  ("X" is a number)  Two of Andy's M96's are in the late 1300 range, and another is from the late 1500 serial number range.  I think the serials probably started at 1000, or 1001, but that is just an assumption.

 

Does anyone else have an M96 with a different serial number prefix, or do they all begin with "HP"?  If you could share your serial number range here, I'd be interested in determining the total production of the rifle.

 

Thanks!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[StooperZero]

Mine had the HP prefix,  I bought it NIB at a dealer in '06 ,  it had sat there for years so I scooped it up .  It already had the upgraded Bolt/FCG by the time it hit the shelf.  Traded it off a few years later. I know the owner but don't know if he kept it or sold it off at a premium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Cool rifle but upgrades/accessories were too much $$$$ .    I know that there couldn't have been that many made,  I had the Recon model and asked about the Expedition model and even by the end of '06 they were nowhere to be found.  I've never seen one at a show since ,about the only place they pop up is G-broker time to time. Theres a few on there now with buy it now prices in the "meh..." range.

[FrostyEOD]

I've got "HP9900219X"

[Fussbudget]

It would be nice to see how many their are still out there.

[Fussbudget]

Mine is RA 02003XXX 16 inch barrel recon model

Found it at a gun show in 2014.

I had a real early 20 inch barrel version many years ago.

 

Here is my recon as it is at the moment.

Attached Files

•  001.JPG   124.6K   25 downloads

Edited by Fussbudget, 03 October 2015 - 10:55 PM.

[aalbert]

The production number question is interesting, and would be nice to confirm.

 

According to https://www.ar15.com...=6&f=2&t=349561  there were aprox 3500 units produced, but lets continue to see what we can verify.

[FrostyEOD]

[Waffen Und Bier]

Nice Bren set up. Mine was HP99000911. Bought it new from a dealer in 1999 and sold it in 2013. Neat idea, but they should have just copied the Stoner63 as much as possible.

Edited by Waffen Und Bier, 29 October 2015 - 07:41 PM.

[HPRA]

 Best guestimate so far is between 3,000 to 3,500  Serial numbers started at HP99000500. First one in private hands was HP99000529.

 

 

Sn HP99000500 to HP99000528 were reseved by the factory for thier use never to be sold.

 

HP99 Sn# prefix recievers were started by on outside souce and completed by Robinson while RA02 Sn#  prefix were manufacured completely in house by R.A..

Edited by HPRA, 05 November 2015 - 02:39 AM.

[TROJAN]

I have seen the following serial number prefixes:
HP99000500(supposedly first one sold)-
RA0200xxxx
RA0300xxxx seen up to 4028

We know the HP9900 series started at 0500 so maybe the RA0200 and RA0300 also started at 0500. Will have to go though my files to dig up some more serial numbers. Will edit post accordingly. Love these rifles. I originally bought HP99000650 brand new in the box back in '99 and just a year or two ago I found HP9900649 NIB. Will try to post some videos of assembly/disassembly Robinson had posted a long time ago. But they were for the 2nd gen gas/piston versions. 1st gen 20" Rifle and 17.25" Rifle Carbine had a different assembly/dissasembly process and specific facory manuals. When they went to the Recon Carbine they changed factory manual as the gas block/tube/piston were different. Late in 2nd gen production run, some Rifles and Recons featured magwells with ambi bolt release lever. NO more pulling back on the charging handle to release the bolt carrier forward on a fresh mag. Just dump mag(there's a seller on GB that makes drop in xtended mag releases), insert fresh mag, and then press bolt release to get back on target. They also made threaded Stainless Barrels with A2 Flash Suppressors(stamped ss 1/9 aft of flash once the fed ban ended back in 2004. They featured furniture sets in black, green, and tan. They offered the Bren kit(fluted heavy bbl) and Heavy Barrel(fluted like the bren). With the XCR coming online Robinson just abandoned the M96. I can see ending production...but just abandoning existing owner's requests for spare parts or service is dissapinting...Oh well..

[dalbert]

TROJAN,

Welcome to the board!

Very good insight in your post. I also wish that RobArm had not abandoned the project.

David Albert
dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

[HPRA]

I have seen the following serial number prefixes:
HP99000500(supposedly first one sold)-
RA0200xxxx
RA0300xxxx seen up to 4028

We know the HP9900 series started at 0500 so maybe the RA0200 and RA0300 also started at 0500. Will have to go though my files to dig up some more serial numbers. Will edit post accordingly. Love these rifles. I originally bought HP99000650 brand new in the box back in '99 and just a year or two ago I found HP9900649 NIB. Will try to post some videos of assembly/disassembly Robinson had posted a long time ago. But they were for the 2nd gen gas/piston versions. 1st gen 20" Rifle and 17.25" Rifle Carbine had a different assembly/dissasembly process and specific facory manuals. When they went to the Recon Carbine they changed factory manual as the gas block/tube/piston were different. Late in 2nd gen production run, some Rifles and Recons featured magwells with ambi bolt release lever. NO more pulling back on the charging handle to release the bolt carrier forward on a fresh mag. Just dump mag(there's a seller on GB that makes drop in xtended mag releases), insert fresh mag, and then press bolt release to get back on target. They also made threaded Stainless Barrels with A2 Flash Suppressors(stamped ss 1/9 aft of flash once the fed ban ended back in 2004. They featured furniture sets in black, green, and tan. They offered the Bren kit(fluted heavy bbl) and Heavy Barrel(fluted like the bren). With the XCR coming online Robinson just abandoned the M96. I can see ending production...but just abandoning existing owner's requests for spare parts or service is dissapinting...Oh well..

 

The sales numberes needed to achieve economy of scale with the M96 never materialized.

In order for the compmany to survive the descision was made to drop the 96 and agressivly develop the next project which was the XCR.

[HPRA]

More notes from phone conversation with RA 2000 to 2002.

 

  Finite Element Analysis was one of the tools used in during the design phase. Receivers were nitrided stainless with a service life of greater than 80,000 rounds.

 Six barrels were made in 6x45 cal. Fifty stainless heavy match barrels were slated for production, three had been produced at the time of that particular phone conversation. Unknown number of barrels were nitride finished. RECON carbines had chrome bores. RA was not in favor of this but did it anyway due to customer demand. 100 BREN kits were slated for production in two runs of 50 kits due to a part suppliers delay. The folding stock prototype was in testing. ( Later it would be carried over to the XCR ). The RAV-02 was select fire M96 derivative aimed for the MIL and LE market. It was chambered 5.56 feeding from AR mags and convertible to 7.62x39 feeding from AK mags. It featured a distinctly different lower that accepted standard AR grips and most M16 FCG components.

 RAV02 FA RS20Aug02.jpg   36.97K   6 downloads

[michaelkih]

What is the going price for one of these now?

[StooperZero]

well,  since it's been brought up the only used "recon" i saw last june at a show was more than a pre-89 Steyr AUG. 

 

 

"used"  no box/manual ,looked like it sat behind a truck seat most of it's life.   The AUG's were in the $2000-2300 range and the recon was $2480 ( plus tax )

[tnw50cal]

2 RA receivered Recons sold just recently on Gunbroker for $1755.00 and $1895.00. The $1895.00 one was NIB.

Edited by tnw50cal, 19 March 2017 - 11:04 AM.

[Fire4Effect]

I purchased Serial Numbers HP99001000 and HP99001001 directly from Robinson Arms back in 1999 and had them shipped to my FFL. HP99001001 had some serious issues and I returned it to Robinson and they exchanged it for another M96.

 

I sold the exchanged M96 about a decade ago to a private party and sold HP99001000 to a company last year that said they want to manufacturer the Stoner 63 system. Below are photographs of HP99001000 and the accessories I sold with it.

 

 

 

 

Here are a few more photographs of other configurations I have owned along with accessories. I no longer own any M96’s or accessories.