There is a bit of an oxymoron in the naming choice for the Patriot Ordnance Factory’s .22 LR AR-style pistol, which was introduced at this year’s SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show). Simply put, for a company that stands by its patriotic roots naming a firearm, even one that is genre-breaking as it is, the Rebel is an interesting choice to say the least!

First, it is a semiautomatic rimfire and coming from a company that has been known since it was found in 2002 by the late Frank DeSomma to be a gamechanger for the AR-15 platform. 

But as POF-USA noted when it officially announced the new black modern sporting pistol just weeks before the SHOT Show, “Rebel was designed to defy what the world believes a .22 LR can be.” In many ways it did and in that regard, the Rebel is just another testament to DeSomma’s legacy.  

Hear This Rebel Yell 

With its brand new Mission First tactical Blade Stabilizer, the POF-USA Rebel has the look of an AR—or rather the look of the rear half of an AR that has been cut off from the rest. It incorporates features of the AR and accepts AR-platform triggers, safety selectors and stock options while the pistol grip is also AR-compatible; but this Rebel shows some conformity also as it has clearly been influenced by the Ruger 10/22 and is most notably compatible with magazines for the 10/22.

The rimfire features POF-USA’s finely tuned semi-automatic blowback operating system and has an anodized aluminum monolithic upper receiver and handguard that is mated to the company’s proprietary injection-molded lower receiver. It includes MSR-style controls and components including a manual ambidextrous safety and ambidextrous magazine release.  It features an 8-inch barrel with 1/2x28 threads to allow for use of a suppressor, while it can also be fitted with a monolithic M-LOK handguard. The skeletonized upper receiver also features a full-length Picatinny rail.

Rebel With a Cause 

The total package is just 21.5-inches long and weighs in at a slender 3.25 pounds. The Rebel, which ships with a 10-round magazine, is reasonably priced for a premium grade .22 LR with an MSRP of $649.99—and it has become a top-selling rimfire since it was introduced and can be found from retailers for under $600.

While it is a tad on the high side for a plinking gun, the Rebel takes it up a notch. As the company proudly proclaimed when it was introduced, “We have yet to have someone shoot the Rebel and not walk away with a big smile.”

Rebel Specs 

CALIBER .22LR 

BARREL 8-inch 

HANDGUARD Monolithic M-LOK 

WEIGHT 3.25lbs 

PART NUMBER01664 

MSRP$649.99 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. 

Image: Patriot Ordinance Factory