GP R-15 and GP R-15 Freya in .223 Wylde, the Black Rifle with a European flavour in two new versions

Freya is one of the most fascinating deities in Norse mythology. Her name means "Noble Lady" in Old Norse, and she represents love, beauty, fertility, war and magic. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the Slovakian manufacturer Grand Power wanted to pay homage to this deity by choosing to give her name to the GP R-15 semi-automatic rifle, which brings the AR-15 platform to the state of the art by conforming it to European aesthetic standards.

The Grand Power GP R-15 platform

There are several special features that come with this platform. First of all, it is chambered in .223 Wylde, a hybrid chambering for semi-automatic rifles developed by American Bill Wylde to allow both .223 Remington and 5.5645 NATO ammunition to be used in the same gun. This chamber combines the accuracy of the .223 Remington with the versatility of 5.56 NATO ammo, ensuring the highest level of performance with both.

The characteristics shared by both models are the fully floating barrel with 1:8 twist rate and 14.5 or 16.5 inches length (which correspond to 368 and 420 millimetres respectively), and 1/2x28 threaded muzzle with three-chamber muzzle brake. The barrel outside surface is nitrided to offer maximum corrosion resistance. The handguard provides the user with a Picatinny STD rail and side M-LOK slots, controls are ambidextrous; the magazine has a capacity of 10 rounds and the stock is a MIL-SPEC 6-position telescopic type. The rifle overall length can therefore vary between 820 and 907 mm in the version with a 366 mm barrel, and between 870 and 957 mm in the version with a 420 mm barrel.

Both versions come without sights, but with a long Picatinny rail that runs along the entire upper receiver and continues along the entire handguard, allowing for the mounting of any type of mechanical, optical or electronic sight, including thermal clip-ons.

The Freya version, which is an evolution of its predecessor being more suited to dynamic shooting competitions, is characterised by the fact that it can be fitted with Cassette-type trigger assemblies (i.e. with all the elements contained in a frame, usually made of aluminium) and a larger trigger guard. The magazine catch is also enlarged to facilitate quick changes in competition. But that's not all: in order to reduce weight, the Freya version features a series of lightening cuts on both the upper and lower receivers. This results in a weight saving of around 200 grams. The weight of the standard GP R-15 version is in fact 3,000 grams with a 16.5" barrel and 2,800 grams with a 14.5" barrel, while the Freya versions weigh 2,800 and 2,600 grams respectively.

Grand Power GP R-15/GP R-15 Freya technical specifications