Quick Tip: What Is a RECCE Rifle?

In a recent Quick Tip episode, Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb walked us through installing the Reptilia RECC-E™ Stock for AR-15 (link below). Today, he answers a more fundamental question: What is a RECCE rifle? You might think it's an acronym for something, but actually it's just short for "reconnaissance". The British military originally came up with "recce". Americans usually say "recon." The U.S. Navy SEALs started developing the recce rifle concept as the global war on terror heated up in the early 2000s, and this type of rifle is being used right now in the Ukraine conflict.

There are no strict, formal standards for what constitutes a recce rifle. It's a rifle designed for mid- to long-range shooting, but it is still capable of addressing close-range targets, too. Typically it's an AR chambered in 5.56 NATO or .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO) that is lightweight, so you can tote it around all day without your arm falling off.

Caleb shows us one of his AR-15s that embodies the recce rifle concept. It has a lightweight Daniel Defense M-LOK® handguard balanced by the light Reptilia RECC-E retractable stock in back. There's a Brownells MPO 1-8x24mm scope on top, supplemented by a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro reflex sight for addressing close-range targets. Caleb has a highly effective flash hider on the muzzle, and sound suppressors are common on recce rifles. Camo-pattern finishes are common, too. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. A very good camo finish can be "rattle canned" with Brownells Aluma-Hyde® II.

So a good recce rifle is mainly defined by being (1) lightweight, (2) optimized for medium- to long-range targets, and (3) set up in a configuration that's most comfortable for YOU to carry and shoot.