MasterPiece Arms recently introduced the second generation of their take on the tactical sporting rifle, the MPAR 556 Sporting Rifle Gen II. This latest model upgrades the bolt hold open, the handguard, the gas block, and barrels.

The new bolt hold open keeps the bolt from closing after the last round from the magazine has been fired, and rather than using a bolt release lever or button after inserting a new magazine, the shooter simply pulls back on the charging handle and release. The bolt will load the first round from the first round and shooting can resume. The MPAR bolt hold open is a drop-in upgrade and it can be purchased separately for installation on first generation MPARs that lack it.

The new MPAR Gen II handguards are fashioned of one-piece extruded aluminum and are both lighter and stronger than first generation handguards. They also allow for better ventilation and cooling.

The new gas block is adjustable via stem rod with four settings for gas flow in the MPAR’s piston system for use with various loads and barrel accessories.

Finally, the Gen II updates the MPAR’s barrel to black nitride for a hard, durable, corrosion resistant surface to both the inner and outer surface. As nitriding impregnates the metal of the barrel rather than being a coating applied to it, there is no loss of accuracy compared to standard barrel coating methods.

The MPAR Gen II Sporting Rifle updates a popular gun with a number of significant upgrades and has an MSRP of $1,089.