Springfield Armory's Gamble: the Saint AR15

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LAS VEGAS -- I got a chance to check out Springfield Armory’s new Saint AR15 rifle on Range Day at SHOT Show 2017.

This is a new venture for Springfield Armory, a venerable gun maker that has “wanted to get into the AR market for a while,” said Dustin Clark of Springfield Armory. “This is our first AR.”

Since being released in November, the Saint has received a lukewarm reception from many AR fans that prefer to build their own rifles from the vast assortment of parts and accessories on the market.

Springfield instead chose to target individuals who want an AR with a few extras without spending hours of research to customize it, Clark said.

The Saint AR15 features Bravo Company USA furniture – collapsible buttstock, pistol grip and handguard equipped with a heat shield and Keymod mounting points.

Springfield went with a fiberglass handguard to keep the weight at little over 7 pounds, Clark said.

It features a direct impingent gas system, 16-inch barrel and factory front and rear iron sights. The Saint also has a single-stage, Nickel-Boran coated trigger and a heavy tungsten buffer.

“There is not a lot of recoil in 5.56mm, but with having that heavy buffer, you are going to feel less recoil,” Clark said.

A lot of people “go out and purchase a regular $600-$700 rifle … and they will add all this stuff, and the next thing you know they’ve have got a grand to $1,200 into it,” Clark said.

The Saint AR15 retails for $900.

“The market right now for us on the Saint has been phenomenal,” Clark said.

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