I’m currently working on my own report on a Radical Firearms Upper they sent me last year. I will post it up here soon, in the meantime, here’s a press release from Radical Firearms on their latest contract to supply Law Enforcement in Brazil with RF-15s:
Radical Firearms to Supply Police and Security Forces in Brazil
Photos by Paolo Bedran and PPCE
Radical Firearms is proud to share its recent partnership with local law enforcement in Brazil. Just a few days ago Radical Firearms completed delivery of 150 RF-15 rifles to the PPCE (Polícia Civil do Estado do Ceará, or Ceará State Civil Police).
Ceará is but one of 13 Brazilian states who have chosen Radical Firearms for their security forces.
The selection of the RF-15 was completed after an extensive evaluation process. Included in that was a visit to the Radical Firearms facility by a team from C.O.R.E. (Coordenadoria de Recursos Especiais, the civil police tactical unit of Rio de Janeiro) and members of the Brazilian government. This particular model of RF-15 were built with a specialty maritime coating to deal with humidity and other unique conditions of the PPCE’s operational area.
These RF-15s were part of a larger order of imported weapons for Brazilian agency, which also included a large number of .40 S&W SIG SAUER P320s and five Armalite AR-10 SuperSASS rifles. Although this initial import was to equip PPCE agents only, additional weapons will be imported by the end of the year for other agencies, including the PPCE’s military counterpart, the PMCE (Policia Militar do Ceara Policia Militar do Brasil). Unlike PPCE agents, PMCE personnel do not conduct traditional criminal investigations, but rather work special emphasis operations to deter violent crime. Other Brazilian agencies, including PCES PMES (Polícia Militar and Polícia Civil do Estado do Espírito Santo) are also in the process of upgrading their weapons and equipment.
Historically, Brazilian agencies have been required to source firearms from such local manufacturers as IMBEL and Taurus, but that is slowly changing. In fact, as TFB’s Ronaldo Olive reports, Brazil’s Departamento de Polícia Federal (Federal Police Department) and the Polícia Rodoviaria Federal (Federal Highway Police) have both been equipped with foreign-built weapons.
The RF-15 is a 5.56mm rifle with 1 in 7″ Twist 16 in. 4140V Chromoly Melonite Coated barrel. It features M4 feed ramps, 1/2×28 thread pitch, a low profile micro gas block system, and fore end quad Pic Rails. Options for bolt carrier group, charging handle, and rail furniture are available.
Ceará is one of 27 states in Brazil, and is the 8th largest, with a population of some nine million people (about the same as Virginia). It covers a geographic area somewhere between that of Minnesota and Michigan. Its capital, Fortaleza, is the fourth most populous city in Brazil, a major ocean port and a significant tourist destination. The crime rate there is very high, and like many urban areas suffers from the violent activities of organized gangs (such as the Comando Vermelho and Guardiões do Estado). It has recently significantly increased its available manpower.
Radical Firearms: American Manufacturing. Texas Proud.
Radical Firearms is a Title II NFA gun Manufacturer with an exclusive lineup of pistols, rifles, silencers, and machine guns. They are a true manufacturer, not an assembly shop, with a fully tooled modern machining facility producing numerous components for complete rifle and pistol builds, upper assemblies, and components for their diverse OEM customers. Their knowledgeable and skilled employees provide the highest quality craftsmanship. Many of their employees are veterans and very passionate and take pride in their work producing American made rifles and pistols.