The video opens with a skit showing the aftermath of a brutal heat test on two LMT uppers, followed by the hosts explaining what actually happened. They describe a collaboration with Golden Web and Ben from Golden Web, where they conducted a full‑auto burndown test comparing a direct impingement setup to a piston setup. The direct impingement upper now has a noticeably bent barrel, a ruined gas tube, and rifling that is badly chewed up, yet it still manages to function. The piston upper remains straight, but a small retaining pin for the piston adjustment knob blew out during the test. Once that pin was gone, the rifle effectively became a single‑shot setup that had to be manually cycled like a bolt‑action after every round. The hosts invite viewers to guess how many rounds the LMT uppers endured before failing, with the hint that they outlasted a Knights Armament configuration in a similar test. They encourage viewers to check out Golden Web’s video as well as Classic Firearms’ own perspective on Rumble to see the full burndown footage and results.
After the skit and test recap, the hosts transition into the main topic: the Estonian Defence Forces and how the LMT R20 RAHE became their contract rifle. They give a quick geography lesson, explaining that Estonia is a small country north of Latvia, with Russia to the east and Finland directly across the water to the north. Estonia joined NATO in 2004, and Estonian troops have deployed alongside U.S. forces in Iraq and British forces in Afghanistan. Historically, Estonian forces used rifles such as the Galil and the G3, but eventually sought a modern platform. Around 2019, Estonia awarded LMT a contract for a new service rifle, and the R20 RAHE configuration shown in the video represents the pattern they selected. The hosts note that Estonia has roughly 7,700 active‑duty personnel and a large reserve component of around 230,000, with a defense budget of about one billion. Those constraints pushed them toward a rifle that emphasizes reliability, durability, and long‑term support, which is why they chose the LMT system as their standard issue pattern.
The hosts then walk through the specific configuration of the LMT R20 RAHE featured on the table. The rifle is equipped with a Magpul SL‑K stock that offers a compact profile and solid cheek weld, paired with an LMT pistol grip. All of the primary controls are ambidextrous, including the safety selector, bolt catch and release, and magazine release, and the rifle uses an LMT charging handle designed for easy manipulation from either side. A BCM foregrip has been added to the handguard to give the shooter better control during rapid strings of fire. Flip‑up iron sights are mounted along the top rail to serve as a backup sighting system if the primary optic goes down. The hosts explain that the Estonian military typically fields this rifle with a 14.3‑inch barrel, but the example in the video uses a pinned and welded muzzle device that brings the overall barrel length to 16 inches. That configuration keeps the rifle within standard rifle length requirements for civilian ownership without needing additional paperwork under NFA rules.
Attention turns to the upper receiver and overall construction of the R20 RAHE. The rifle uses an LMT monolithic upper with an M‑LOK rail, machined as a single continuous piece instead of a separate upper receiver and bolted‑on handguard. This one‑piece design increases rigidity and helps maintain a consistent zero, allowing optics such as an EOTech to be mounted anywhere along the top rail without worrying about movement between components. The upper is noticeably thick and robust, which the hosts point to as a contributor to the rifle’s durability under hard use. They highlight LMT’s quick‑change barrel system that uses torque screws: by loosening the fasteners, the user can remove and replace the barrel relatively quickly, enabling caliber or length changes with minimal tools. The earlier burndown test is referenced again as a real‑world example of how tough the platform is, with the LMT uppers lasting longer than a Knights Armament setup under extreme firing conditions before finally giving out.
The hosts briefly cover the accessories that the Estonian military pairs with this rifle. They note that a bayonet can be mounted for close‑quarters situations or when conserving ammunition is important. They also mention that the Estonian military issues under‑barrel launchers for these rifles, typically using 40 mm rounds for military applications. For civilian shooters, there are 37 mm launcher options that look similar but are intended for signaling, flares, smoke, or other non‑destructive payloads, sometimes jokingly compared to potato‑launching devices. The conversation underscores that while the military configuration can include full‑featured combat accessories, civilian owners generally interact with visually similar but legally distinct 37 mm systems rather than true 40 mm launchers.
To wrap up the overview, the hosts focus on the optics and how the rifle is set up for practical use. The featured rifle wears an EOTech holographic sight paired with a G33 3x EOTech magnifier. The magnifier is mounted on a flip‑to‑side mount, allowing the shooter to quickly transition between magnified and unmagnified views, and it swings to the non‑dominant side when stowed so it stays out of the way. The flip‑up iron sights are positioned so they can still be seen through the EOTech window, giving the shooter a functional backup sighting option if the optic stops working. A metal magazine is inserted, and the rifle is presented as a ready‑to‑use configuration rather than a safe queen. The hosts mention a contest or giveaway tied to this setup, where viewers can enter using the keyword “Mars MS” for a chance to win an LMT package similar to the one shown. They again encourage viewers to watch the Golden Web and Rumble burndown videos to fully appreciate how long the LMT uppers held up compared to the Knights Armament rifle in the extreme heat test.
Loading...