First Look: LMT Compressor

The new Compressor from Lewis Machine & Tool was designed to fulfill a requirement for a firearm that needed to be small but still pack a punch. LMT created the smallest AR profile in the industry and paired it with the most reliable upper configuration possible using the LMT Defense monolithic upper receiver and 10.5-inch barrel.

Designed for versatility, the LMT Compressor system works with 5.56 NATO and .300 Blackout-chambered rifles with and without a suppressor. Additionally, the firearm can fire supersonic and subsonic ammunition with no operator changes. There is no need to manipulate a gas block to tune the gun.

The firearm was designed with law enforcement agencies in need of a smaller profile and increased maneuverability but didn't want to sacrifice the reliability and accuracy of the standard AR platform. The Compressor is also ideal for protective detail situations that demand small-profile firearms capable of engaging at distances too unreliable for a pistol.

The core of the Compressor system can be found in a few modifications. First, the extension tube is modified and reduced by 2.75 inches to get the smallest functional AR mil-spec extension tube on the market. The LMT Defense SOPMOD was modified to match the length of the tube while still extending a full three inches.

LMT manufactured a new spring that allows the firearm to cycle properly given the reduced length of travel. The company also modified the buffer to accommodate the shorter length. In addition, a drop-in weight system that inserts into any mil-spec bolt carrier allows for the whole system to work reliably with few modifications in any AR system on the market.

The overall length of the LMT Compressor is 24.5 inches, while the Compressor system reduces any mil-spec AR by 2.75 inches.