Revolutionary Device Allows Swapping AR Barrel in Seconds

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A technology developed by a retired Marine helicopter pilot is likely to be a game-changer for law enforcement and military personnel in the future. The LEO Takedown is a revolutionary innovation in the tactical rifle industry.  Designed to retrofit existing MILSPEC AR-15, M-4 and M-16 rifles, the LEO Takedown provides instant barrel removal, caliber swap and barrel length changes without tools, without fine motor skills.

Validated by active patrol officers, the LEO Takedown expands the AR-15s usefulness as a tool to better serve and protect the public, according to the company’s website.

The device was developed by Lance Maffett, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who flew Marine Cobra helicopters in Afghanistan.

According to northwestgeorgianews.com, the heart of the technology is the long-standing concern from law enforcement that they were frequently going into difficult situations where they were outgunned by the bad guys.

His technology is currently U.S. patent pending, but Maffett and his partners with LEO TakeDown have received significant interest from firearms industry leaders to integrate the technology with their products.

Maffett said the coupling device was designed with input from both law enforcement officers and military personnel. Representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, F.B.I. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, have all looked at the device.

The technology has been in the testing and evaluation phases by both major law enforcement agencies and the military for some time. “Thousands of rounds have been shot through it with no failures,” company partner Ronnie Wallace said.

Fundamentally, it allows the user to carry the upper receiving unit (area that includes the clip housing) and barrel separately, and interchangeably.

The key, from law enforcement’s perspective, is to be able to deploy the weapon, if needed, in 20 seconds or less.

The coupling technology is not only applicable to rifles but also for AR pistols as well.

While Maffett and his LEO TakeDown partners negotiate for mass production of the technology, Maffett said he has also been in discussions with Department of Defense officials regarding the device.

An additional use of the technology includes hunting. Using the new device, the gun could be broken down in a small backpack that weighs nine to ten pounds, leaving both hands free to help navigate the challenging terrain.

The new technology allows officers to have the flexibility of having AR weaponry if needed, without intimidating the general public. The bags, which Maffett also designed, can be carried in the side pouch of a motorcycle unit if needed. Currently, there is no way a motorcycle officer could carry a rifle. The discreet manner in which they are carried can allow police to mingle among large crowds wearing a backpack, able to deploy their weapon in 15-20 seconds if the situation indicated that kind of response was necessary.

Maffett said many police agencies currently require AR weapons to be stowed in the trunk of a vehicle, largely because of public relations concerns about officers carrying the weapon openly. He said having the weapon in a backpack, available for use in 20 seconds or less, provides a tremendous advantage to law enforcement.

The developers believe the key to the ultimate market success of the device is its reliability as it is taken apart and then put back together over and over again.

The LEO TakeDown technology is in production, and Maffett said he expects it to be available on the market by sometime this fall.