Springfield Armory Saint Victor AR-15 (MSRP: $1,249)
The modular nature of the AR-15 is one of its greatest strengths. Simply by changing the upper receiver, you can turn your AR into something built for long range, or change it again to create a suppressed close-in fighting platform However, this modularity means that it’s hard to know what an introductory AR-15 actually looks like.
This where the Saint Victor line from Springfield Armory comes in. We covered the first version of the rifle as the kick-off for Rifle Roundup, and now Springfield Armory has updated the lineup with new features and new models. The gun we’re looking at today is as close to a generic AR-15 as you’re likely to see, but it still has some nice features which make it a step up from your average AR-15. The new model retains the freefloat barrel of the original and adds a handguard with a full section of Picatinny rail on top for ways to add lights, lasers or sights. In addition to this, there are M-Lok slots on the other three sides of the hand guard to give you even more ways to mount accessories to this rifle. Inside, the gas block has been pinned for more reliability and there is a four-prong flash hider on the barrel for more recoil control.
Further back, there is a 45-degree ambidextrous safety and an ambidextrous charging handle. The trigger is flat-faced, and the magazine well is slightly flared for faster reloads. The rifle has three QD (quick-disconnect) points to add a sling, and at the rear, there is a B5 stock and grip. One of the non-functional but rather nice elements of this rifle is that Springfield has toned down the “Saint Victor” branding on the lower receiver, relying instead on a more typical rollmark over the magazine well.
A 16-inch, free-floated barrel AR-15 is a great place to start your AR-15 journey, as it’s as close to a “do it all” AR-15 as you’re going to find. Want to take it to the range and have a blast pushing it out to 300 yards and beyond? The 16-inch barrel is great for that, and the flat-top receiver means you can add just about any optic on the planet to your rifle. Want to zap small game? .223 Rem. was designed with this in mind, and proper bullet placement puts feral hogs in your grasp with this rifle. Want to compete in America’s Rifle Challenge or similar shooting sport? Start with this rifle then go from there. The AR-15 is undoubtedly the most-flexible firearm around today, and the new Saint Victor gives you a solid foundation for a rifle that is built to your needs.
EOTech HWS EXPS2 Holographic Sight (MSRP: $705)
I have had to wear corrective lenses since I was six years old. In addition to my nearsightedness, I seem to have picked up a dash of astigmatism as well. This combination plays havoc with most red-dot sights, as I don’t see a red dot through the tube, I see a red blob with no precise aiming point.
Holographic sights like the EOTech HWS EXPS2 are a way around this problem. Because they focus the aiming point of the sight in a three-dimensional space instead of a plane, my eyes can see the aiming point as a point, and not a red glowing blur. This is important because the version we’re looking at today is the HWS EXPS2, which has not one, but two 1-MOA aiming points, as well as a outside 68-MOA ring.
If you zero the EXPS2 at 50 yards and use 62 grain ammunition, the top aiming point inside the reticle will be on-target at 50 and 200 yards, while the second, lower aiming point is for 500 yards. That distance might be a stretch for a 1X optic like the HWS EXPS2, However, adding a 3X or 4X magnifier to the back of this optic is a breeze, and that will allow you to push things out to longer distances. In addition to this, the 68-MOA ring allows you to range targets at a variety of distances, allowing to accurate judge your elevation holds and place rounds on-target.
PMag D-60 AR/M4 Gen M3 Drum Magazine (MSRP: $134.95)
Why use a drum magazine that holds twice as much as a standard AR-15 magazine? Why not? This may not be a 100-percent essential piece of kit, but it sure is fun. The Magpul PMag D-60 is the same height as a 30 round magazine, and loads fairly quickly, especially from 10-round stripper clips. The key to this is a ratcheting loading lever which compresses the rounds already in the magazine so the new rounds just drop in. In addition to this, the MPag D-60 is compatible with most speedloaders or feed-assist devices for standard 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem. magazines, making it easier to fill to capacity.
The magazine is designed from the get-go to be loaded and stored away, which helps ease your worries about having to unload the rounds inside without taking it to a range. Most of all, though, the PMag-60 is a lot of fun to shoot, because there are mag dumps, and then there are mag dumps with a drum magazine, and one is much more fun than the other.
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