Next Level Armament loaned us their fanciest rifle, the Phoenix 6ARC Premium Rifle, and…it didn’t disappoint. The Michigan-based aerospace manufacturer machines an extremely nice, billet AR-15 upper and lower receiver set for use in their Phoenix line and then adds a Helix 6 Precision carbon fiber barrel into the mix to create the Phoenix Premium.
I think we can all agree that this is, in fact, a rifle, and I’d say this is also an objectively premium one, at that. And here’s why . . .
Now that’s a good looking magazine well. Check out how it flows into the trigger guard which is integral to the lower receiver and oversized for use with gloves and such. Nice design work here.
I really like the scooped out, ‘scalloped’ area on the magazine well in front of the trigger guard. It feels nice to rest my trigger finger there. The front and sides of the magazine well look good, the magazine release button is really nicely done and it’s guarded by a raised rib in front of it. The ambidextrous safety selector is excellent and the design features at the rear of the lower receiver (up at the buffer tube area) look great.
Even the castle nut and receiver plate got special attention and are cool looking.
Heck, even the dang takedown and pivot pins are high-end on the Phoenix Premium Rifle
Not to mention, of course, the right-side bolt stop and release. The skeletonized, oversized control serves both functions, making the Next Level Armament Phoenix Premium a truly fully ambidextrous AR-15. Oh and, yeah, the billet upper receiver looks great, too. As you can see it has been designed and machined specifically to accommodate the right-side bolt release.
Over on the left side is another magazine release. Fully ambi, indeed. I appreciate the placement of a left-side release like this one as the shooter can grab the magazine with the left hand while pressing the release with the left thumb and stripping the magazine out. Note how the upper receiver is modeled around the bolt release lever here, too.
Next Level’s Scythe oversized ambi charging handle provides positive operation. Again, machining details like the skeletonized area at the rear of the top rail make this premium rifle light and look premium.
A 15-inch NLA handguard with full-length top rail covers nearly all of the 16-inch Helix 6 Precision carbon fiber barrel. If you want to squeeze a little bit more out of the 6 ARC cartridge, the Phoenix 6ARC Premium Rifle is also available with an 18- or 20-inch barrel. These barrels employ a rifle-length or rifle-length+1 gas system.
No matter where I look at the Phoenix Premium, whether from a distance or up tight, it looks darn good. Design, machining, finish, fit…it’s all, well, it’s premium.
Okay the B5 furniture isn’t my first choice, but it certainly isn’t my last, either. And I can swap the grip and stock out in 60 seconds if I cared enough to do so.
Inside the Phoenix Premium it’s all premium, too. A DLC coated bolt carrier, TriggerTech trigger, and other excellent components. This is a no-corners-cut rifle and it looks and feels like it all the way around.
Out on the range, after one 6mm ARC got stuck feeding out of the magazine very early in the gun’s first few shots, Dan and I saw flawless function. It was obviously a correctly-tuned rifle with the perfect balance of buffer weight and gas timing and volume. Despite the heavier projectiles and the increased powder capacity of the fatter 6 ARC cartridge compared to .223 or 5.56, the Phoenix rifle ran soft and smooth as butter.
With apologies to Next Level Armament, I didn’t have a good rest with me on testing day and also didn’t have my big ol’ 30x zoom scope that I typically use for accuracy testing. On a makeshift rest in gusty Texas wind conditions (which was enough to wiggle me at the picnic table, but not the bullets in flight) and with the 1-12x Atibal HYBRID12 scope seen in the photos above, I shot the group above. I called the low one as I broke the trigger and if you’re willing to humor me and discount that flyer, we’re looking at a ~0.65 MOA group.
I promise I’ll bring the Phoenix along with me on another range trip before returning it to Next Level and will shoot it for a more legitimate accuracy test then update the review here within the next two weeks (ish).
BUT…Dan and I went over to the long range area at Copperhead Creek Shooting Club and skipped directly to the 600 yard targets. After adjusting just over half a MIL for the discrepancy between the velocity printed on the ammo box and the actual velocity we were seeing, we banged steel targets reliably in very challenging wind conditions. Not only was the wind strong, but the direction and speed weren’t consistent and sudden gusts were entirely unpredictable.
Still, we had good success on steel at 600 yards thanks to the accuracy of the rifle — proven even more so in this practical use (see video above) than from the bench indoors on paper — and the high velocity, extremely aerodynamic 6mm projectiles. 6 ARC was created by Hornady to extend the effective range of the AR-15 by delivering more energy on targets at longer distances and with more consistency than .223/5.56 thanks to bullets that drop and drift less.
It’s no surprise that a premium rifle comes with a premium price tag. In this case, the NLA Phoenix 6ARC Premium Rifle runs $2,965. That’s up there for an AR-15, but keep in mind the Helix 6 carbon fiber barrel alone retails for $1,129 or so, which is why the NLA Ascend Phoenix guns with nice steel barrels go for about a grand less.
If you’re a fan of 6 ARC and super-nice firearms, the Next Level Armament Phoenix 6ARC Premium Rifle should scratch your itch. This is no doubt a fantastic, truly premium AR platform rifle that’s ideal for varmints, deer hunting, tactical use, target shooting, and more. It’s just really excellent, top to bottom.
Specifications: Next Level Armament Phoenix 6ARC Premium Rifle
Caliber: 6mm ARC
Barrel Length: 16, 18, or 20 inches
Barrel Type: Helix 6 Precision carbon fiber
Receivers: Matched NLA 7075 aluminum billet set
Handguard: NLA 15-inch MLOK handguard
Trigger: TriggerTech adjustable
Furniture: B5 Systems
Controls: Fully ambidextrous safety, magazine release, and bolt stop and release
MSRP: $2,965
I love this setup. I’m running a similar one and getting .31 MOA groups off a bipod. Nice seeing you guys review some premium stuff!