I’m Lance Rankin, the gunsmith behind Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas. Here in Texas the CMMG BR4 Dissent is a curiosity, but I get calls from folks with family in California, New York, and other restrictive states asking what they can actually own. CMMG’s answer is clever enough that it’s worth a close look. The range footage above isn’t mine, so credit the creator for the shooting impressions; the mechanical commentary is me. And the usual caveat applies double here: ban-state law shifts constantly, so verify current legality in your state before you buy anything.
How CMMG engineered around the bans
Most “assault weapon” bans work off a features test: pistol grip, telescoping stock, flash hider, and so on. The Dissent simply doesn’t have the features on the list.
- A Remington 870-pattern shotgun stock instead of an AR stock and pistol grip
- An 870-style crossbolt safety instead of the AR selector
- A side charging handle instead of the rear T-handle
- A muzzle brake instead of a flash hider
- An adjustable gas system, handy for ammo tuning and suppressors
Underneath, it still runs like a modern semi-auto and feeds from standard AR-15 magazines. That’s the whole trick, and it’s why the marketing line is 47-state legal. As a gunsmith, I respect the execution. This isn’t a featureless kit bolted onto an AR; the fire control geometry had to be reworked to make a shotgun stock and crossbolt safety function at all.
How it ran
In the video, the very first round produced a light primer strike, then the rifle ran flawlessly for the rest of the session. One early hiccup that never repeats doesn’t worry me; I see that with new guns all the time, and it’s usually break-in or one hard primer. The trigger reportedly breaks crisp and light, which matches my experience with CMMG’s work generally. Recoil is mild, the shotgun stock feels odd for about a magazine and then becomes normal, and the barrel and gas tube get hot under sustained fire like every rifle ever made.
The manual of arms is the honest trade-off. If you’ve trained on AR controls for years, the crossbolt safety and side charging handle will fight your muscle memory at first. If your background is pump shotguns, it’ll feel like coming home.
Configurations
CMMG offers the Dissent in 5.56 NATO, 300 Blackout, 6 ARC and more, with 16-inch and 14.5-inch barrels and a pile of Cerakote colors. If you’re torn on chambering, my 5.56 vs 300 Blackout comparison walks through it; short version, 5.56 for cheap practice and range time, 300 Blackout if a suppressor is in your future. The adjustable gas block makes suppressed shooting genuinely pleasant, and Cerakote happens to be a service I do in-house if you want a color CMMG doesn’t offer.
Who should buy one
If you live in a restrictive state, or you’re a Texan who might move to one, the Dissent gets you AR magazine capacity, modern ammo, and a real trigger inside the rules, and it beats settling for a lever gun or pump shotgun you didn’t actually want. If you live in a free state and just like weird guns, it’s also a legitimately interesting piece. If you’re in Texas with no such constraints, a conventional AR is still the simpler, cheaper answer, and my guides on the best AR-15 for beginners and home defense AR setup will get you there.
Want one shipped to a dealer? That’s what I’m for. FFL transfers run $40 plus the $10 NICS check, local pickup by appointment in Roanoke. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected].
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
