The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, based in Tahlequah, OK, has selected RISE Armament’s Watchman line—chambered in .223 Wylde—for issue to its officers. The agency ordered 30 Watchman patrol rifles with 16-inch barrels and several Watchman pistols with 11.5-inch barrels.
“RISE is honored to have the Watchman rifle and pistol selected for field use by the Cherokee Marshals,” said RISE Armament President Matt Torres. “The Watchman was designed specifically for law enforcement purposes, and it’s exciting to see it meeting the high standards we set for it.”
Both the patrol and pistol versions feature a free-floating, match-grade 416R stainless steel barrel with proprietary fluting for weight reduction. The Watchman has the company’s LE145 Tactical Trigger, with a crisp 4.5-pound pull. The precision-machined aluminum handguard has a continuous 12 o’clock top rail, MLOK slots for accessories and skeletonized design for weight reduction.
The Watchman’s other features include RISE’s Veil flash hider—which minimizes flash without the tuning-fork effect of other prong-style flash hiders—forged aluminum upper and lower receivers, an ambidextrous safety, and a premium black nitride-finished bolt carrier group. The rifle has a Magpul pistol grip and stock.
The Kiefer, OK, Police Department has also purchased the short-barreled rifle (SBR) version of the Watchman for its officers. The SBR features an 11.5-inch match-grade 416R stainless steel barrel, carbine-length gas system and is also chambered in .223 Wylde to maximize accuracy, whether the firearm is digesting .223 Rem. or 5.56 NATO ammo. The proprietary barrel fluting is maintained to minimize weight and a 10-inch Rise aluminum, M-LOK handguard features a 12 o’clock Picatinny upper rail system and six QD points.
Developed with input from SWAT/SOT/SRT officers, patrol officers, military snipers, competitive shooters and firearm instructors, the Watchman line continues to gain traction with law enforcement agencies. The Broken Arrow, OK, Police Department—which protects and serves a Tulsa, OK, suburb of roughly 100,000 residents—selected it late last year.
