[Review] Lead Star Grunt AR-15: No Upgrades Needed
Looking for an AR-15 that doesn't need any upgrades out of the box? And is still affordable? We hands-on review the Lead Star Grunt that does both.
PRS/NRL22/Brutality/2-Gun Competitor. Career firearms writer. Former Boy Scout
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Another day, another AR-15 review!
Today we're looking at the Lead Star Grunt, Lead Star has been a respected name in competition for a long time now but this is their more duty and entry-level AR-15.
Does it hold up? Is it worth the money?
Check out Johnny's complete video review to see all the answers. And subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Now onto the written review! Or see if it's in stock...(it goes in and out a lot).
Table of Contents
Who Is Lead Star?
A name in the competition world for some time now, Lead Star has been making high quality, high tier competition rifles for years.
While their main offering is skeletonized, lightweight rifles and PCCS -- that isn't all they make.
Their Grunt line is designed for real use, either on the range training or in home defense.
These are full-bodied rifles and pistols that don't offer much in frills but do offer a lot in durability and reliability.
Specs
Range Report
This might sound a little boring but here it is -- the gun just ran.
Period.
Zero failures, zero problems, just a gun that went from the box to the range and ran perfectly.
From steel cased ammo to Federal 55gr brassed cased, it ate all of the ammo it was fed.
A host of magazines, often the most unreliable part of a firearm, gave the Grunt no issues.
Every single one worked 100%.
Something that does stand out is the quality of every part.
This rifle didn't just run flawlessly, it did it with style. These aren't the same parts that you find on other mid-tier rifles, these are wonderfully finished and made with precision.
Coming in at barely over 5 pounds, this is on the lightweight side even for an AR-15. But combined with the Grunt linear comp and the 17" handguard giving a ton of room for gripping, this is an outstandingly soft shooting rifle.
List Of What I Love
Everything, really.
The 17" handguard stands out as being different, normally a 16" barrel will have a 15" handguard but the extra 2 inches found on the Grunt do a great job of giving you just a bit more room to grab.
The Grunt also features Lead Star's Ravage linear compensator, designed and made in-house by Lead Star this adds an extra bit of length to the barrel making the 17" handguard flow perfectly.
It's also one of the most effective linear comps we've ever used. It directs muzzle blast away from the shooter and greatly reduces felt recoil.
Lead Star lists their trigger as being the "Grunt Combat trigger, Nickel Boron coated and polished, MIL-SPEC trigger" but using it you would never guess that it is just a milspec trigger.
The polishing job is outstanding and the Nickle Boron coating makes it simply outstanding.
Trigger pull is ultra-crisp, break is like a glass rod, and the reset is short and smooth.
Upgrades?
If I had to gripe about something with the Grunt, I would pick the safety selector and the charging handle.
The safety is a totally milspec safety and I would really have liked to see a nice ambi safety with this rifle. To me, every AR-15 should have an ambi selector these days. Especially one that is aiming to be a step above the average rifle.
While the charging handle isn't milspec, in fact, it is a nicely upgrade charging handle with an extended latch that works great -- it still would have been nice if this was ambi also.
Again, not required but it would have been a small upgrade that means a lot.
By The Numbers
Reliability: 5/5
Made in America, but runs like a Swiss clock. Even with every type of magazine I could find, it still ran and ran!
Ergonomics: 4/5
It feels like an AR. Needs to be converted to ambi, but overall good ergs.
Accuracy: 4/5
Like all 5.56s, not a half-mile sub-MOA rifle. I'd estimate it at 1 MOA which will do all you need it to do!
Customization: 5/5
You do you, Boo. We highly recommend an optic, I used the Sig Sauer Romeo5 and sling like a VTAC.
Value: 4.5/5
The Grunt's price stings a little more than an ultra-budget AR, but it needs nothing. Slap on an optic and go to the range. It's ready.
Overall: 4/5
It runs. It has solid features. And it looks good. Big thumbs up for a mid-tier rifle.
Conclusion
The Lead Star Grunt AR-15 is solid and it has some nice upgrades straight from the box that puts it above the rest of the common choices while still keeping the price within a reasonable range. We didn't find anything negative to say about it, and that's a very rare thing indeed.
If only all of our reviews could be this easy!
Will this be your first AR? What kind of upgrades do you put on all of your rifles? Let us know in the comments! If you're looking for some inspiration, take a look at the Best AR-15 Upgrades!