Noveske's New Rodeo Gen 5 300 BLK, in 338 ARC Too

Noveske’s new Gen 5 Rodeo in 300 Blackout won’t be released for about six more months, and we got our hands on one of the first 30 they’ve made. We’re not sure what we’re allowed to say about it, so we’ll just tell you everything and they can get mad if they want to.

Just keep in mind this is a pre-production gun, so features and names could still change before release.

Meet the Rodeo and the DoubleWide

The two new Gen 5 models coming in 300 Blackout are the Rodeo, with an 8-inch barrel, and the DoubleWide, with a 6-inch barrel. Both will be available in 338 ARC too. They both feature a handguard with a huge diameter to accommodate even the bulkiest suppressors. Ok, maybe not that one, but at least the bulky round ones.

The Rodeo also has a ledge on the end of the handguard so you can comfortably add even more accessories. The handguard gets a special “grippy” machined texture, and it’s held on with six to eight screws (at 90, 180, and 270 degrees) instead of the usual four. There’s also an optional detachable heat shield, but whether it comes with the gun hasn’t been confirmed yet.

What we do know is that Noveske will be releasing their own line of suppressors along with the new Gen 5s, and the Rodeo has a new muzzle device built for them called the Pig Pen. It has reverse threads, so you don’t have to worry about the suppressor coming off, but you can still easily unscrew it when necessary.

What Makes the Gen 5 Different

So what makes this gun different from all the other 300 Blackout pistols? Tons of things, even if you can’t see them all from the outside, like the phenomenal 5-land, 7PT, hand-lapped barrel. If you don’t know what that means, just know it’s the most accuracy you can get out of 300 Blackout. It also gets Noveske’s new F-series Cerakote and new bolt carriers.

Then there’s the rail. The new picatinny rail sits 1.335 inches over the bore, while a standard AR-15 rail sits at 1.215 inches. That puts the Gen 5 upper 0.120 inches (about 1/8 inch) taller than a normal AR, and it’s because the handguard is so wide that a suppressor can sit inside it. Noveske will be selling a 0.675-inch riser to go with it, and if you mount a 1.57-inch optic on that riser, your optical centerline lands at 2.245 inches, which pretty much matches the wildly popular 2.26-inch standard.

The rail is also cut down the center at an angle, so cables actually lock in place. Plenty of other handguards have cable routing, but most of them don’t have anything that clamps the cable down.

The Gas System and Feed Ramps

And even though it might not be as sexy as a 1.335-inch height over bore rail with dual clamping cable routing, the most important design feature is the gas system. Despite using a non-adjustable gas block, the Rodeo cycles both Hornady’s 208gr subsonic and Hornady Sub-X, suppressed and unsuppressed, without any gas system adjustments. Noveske says it’s the only gun on the market that can do that, and that the 338 ARC version will run Sub-X too. That’s a big deal, because Sub-X has jammed in every 338 ARC we’ve tested so far.

In the model we tested, we found a small step off in the feed ramps. But the gun still cycled flawlessly and suffered not a single jam. That’s because Noveske completely redesigned the geometry of the feed ramps for calibers like 300 Blackout and 338 ARC. If you read our Faxon ION-X review, you already know how much that matters.

Bottom Line

In other words, the Noveske Gen 5 Rodeo is a gun that just plain works, and it will work for Joe Schmo hog hunting in Texas just like it will work for Noveske’s close friends at SEAL Team 6, who regularly give them feedback on products. So if you hate Noveske because they charge a lot for their guns, we apologize for this glowing review. Just know that the hype is real, and there’s a reason for the higher price.

Noveske really is a bunch of cool dudes who come up with funny names for their guns over a beer. And Noveske really is a small team that focuses on innovation and quality control rather than chasing big military contracts or saturating the market with flimsy products that civilians rarely find the defects in. So while most people are buying from the circus these days, maybe you should consider the Rodeo instead.

Noveske Gen 5 Rodeo and DoubleWide Features

• Models: Rodeo (8" barrel) and DoubleWide (6" barrel), both in 300 BLK and 338 ARC
• Barrel: 5-land, 7PT, hand-lapped
• Finish: New F-series Cerakote
• Handguard: Massive diameter for suppressors, grippy machined texture, extended ledge at the end, screws at 90, 180, and 270
• Heat shield: Optional and detachable
• Muzzle device: Pig Pen with left-hand threads, built for Noveske’s upcoming suppressor line
• Rail: 1.335" height over bore with an angled cable-locking cut, and a 0.675" riser on the way
• Bolt carrier: New Gen 5 design
• Feed ramps: Optimized for 300 BLK and 338 ARC
• Gas block: Non-adjustable; cycles Hornady 208gr subsonic and Hornady Sub-X, suppressed and unsuppressed
• Release: Within about six months; pre-production, so features and names may change

Other Tidbits From Noveske

A few other things we picked up from Noveske:

• Gas blocks are pinned with roll pins instead of hard taper pins.
• Their new gas tubes are threaded rather than pinned.
• Their new Grendel bolt is heat-treated C158, already used in their 338 ARC builds, and rated to 8,500 rounds.
• TriggerTech Duty triggers are going into all new Chainsaw builds.
• Barrel extensions are 8620 steel with a black oxide finish.