Shown for the first time at SHOT Show 2022 was WEE1 Tactical’s JR-15 rifle.  It’s designed to be a perfect scaled-down replica of the AR platform with youth shooters in mind.  I had a chance to sit down with Eric from WEE1 Tactical to talk about the new AR-pattern 22lr platform.

[SHOT 2022] WEE1 Tactical JR-15 Rifle

The JR-15 is a roughly 80% scaled-down version of the AR-15. With AR-pattern rifles being accepted as an almost industry standard, the JR-15 incorporates all the features of the AR platform.

Without a tape measure handy the best way to show the scale of the rifle (and its accessories) was by using a $100 bill I just happened to have handy.  The magazines for this rifle are proprietary and will come in single, 10 round, and 15 round sizes.

Everything on this rifle is functions the same way as your existing AR-15.  This includes a working bolt release and last round bolt hold open magazines.

The trigger group is shrunk down by 20% from your typical AR-15 trigger and feels exactly like you’d expect an AR-15 trigger would.

The only departure from the AR-15 pattern was the safety knob on the right-hand side of the rifle.  This pill bottle-style safety needs to be pulled out with some force and rotated into the locked position before the rifle can fire.  This puts the adult in control of the gun’s safety function.

Here’s what their press release had to say regarding the design of the rifle and this patented safety.

While the rifle is certainly marketed towards youth shooters, there were plenty of adults (including myself) that had an interest in the rifle during SHOT show 2022.  The barrel is 7.5″ long with a tube welded onto the end to make it 16″ long and not an NFA item.  They indicated a 16″ full-length barrel with threads was being looked into as well.

The JR-15 was displayed with various iron sights and red dot optics mounted.  Eric pointed out that the MLOK slots are functional, allowing for use of all your existing accessories.  The JR-15 should be shipping within the next three months and will have an MSRP of roughly $400.

More information on the JR-15 can be found at WEE1 Tactical’s website by clicking here.  Special thank you to Eric S. from WEE1 tactical for walking me through their new rifle.

Product Specifications

• Length: 30 7/8″
• Weight: 2lbs
• Safety: Patented Tamper Resistant
• Lower: Polymer
• Upper: Polymer
• Rail: Standard Picatinny Rail with M-LOK (fits all standard accessories)
• Trigger: Mini MIL-Spec
• Barrel Length: 16″
• Magazine(s): 1 Round, 5 Round, 10 Round, (ships with single round magazine)
• MSRP: ~$400
• Shipping: Within the next three months