The Barrett REC7 DI (designation stands for “reliability-enhanced carbine” “direct Impingement”) is an American firearm manufactured as an selective-fire and semi-automatic rifle by Barrett Firearms. It is an M4 carbine utilizing a short-stroke gas piston system. With a nod to Eugene Stoner and his direct impingement design, Barrett is proud to produce the REC7 DI: a lightweight, modular, accurate AR that even the most die hard traditionalist can appreciate. Featuring a lengthened gas system for reliability with or without a suppressor, the REC7 DI is truly a pleasure to shoot. The upper and lower receiver are machined from 7075- T6, with all aluminum components coated in Type 3 Class 2 hardcoat anodizing, then finished with Cerakote for a perfect color match. Every human touch point has been considered and refined using the finest accessories, including Magpul furniture, custom Radian Raptor ambidextrous charging handle, Geissele or ALG Defense trigger, and extended slimline Barrett hand guard with Magpul M-LOK accessory mounting slots.
Interestingly, the REC7 DI is Barrett’s fourth AR-pattern rifle. The first was the M468, which also employed a direct-impingement operating system and was discontinued from production. Then the original piston-driven REC7 was introduced in 2007 and the REC7 Gen II, still a pistol-driven gun, was unveiled in 2013. Now, with the REC7 DI, AR owners will appreciate that Barrett decided to offer premium candidates in both the piston and DI
genres.
The Barrett REC7 DI features upper and lower receivers that are machined from 7075-T6 aluminum and then hardcoat anodized. The 16-inch, free-floating, match-grade, stainless steel barrel comes equipped with a Chris Barrett-designed muzzle brake, while the barrel extension has M4 feed ramps. Barrett profiles and chambers its barrels in-house for tighter quality control and a smoother supply chain. The carbine has a specialized 5.56mm match chamber that is similar to .223 Wylde specifications, essentially splitting the difference between .223 Remington and 5.56mm NATO dimensions to maximize the carbine’s accuracy potential.
The REC7 combines the familiar ergonomics of the AR style rifle with a revolutionary short stroke gas piston operating system to create a rifle that runs cleaner and more reliably than traditional designs. Unlike direct impingement firearms that release gas into the upper receiver, the REC7 piston vents excess gas forward at its patented chrome-lined, fluted gas block, resulting in cleaner, cooler, lower-maintenance operation. The black nitride coated gas block features two positions for suppressed or unsuppressed shooting, ensuring reliability of the shot and helping to avoid unnecessary wear from over speeding the action. It also allows the user to access the piston assembly for maintenance via the front of the rifle without requiring removal of the hand guard or barrel. Available in 5.56 NATO, 6.8 SPC, and 300 BLK, every REC7 DI is hand built one at a time, inspected, and tested to ensure it lives up to the quality and reliability you expect from the Barrett name.
