Springfield Armory SAINT revealed (It's an AR)
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Varminterror
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Believe me - I fully understand why they brought out a mil-spec carbine (even if I think it's foolish timing).
My comment was meant to read that the criticisms here seem to be focused around SA's choice to produce a mil-spec carbine instead of something free floated and with a railed gas block - a few comments about better triggers - whereas the NORMAL criticisms here typically sound more like "if it's not a 20" Colt, it's poorly made, unreliable junk." So it appears no matter what SA would have came out with, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.
GBExpat
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Hahaha! Wonderful! ... Gecko45 has probably already pre-ordered his.
wojownik
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Not many people can get me to do this, but you just got me to spit out my coffee laughing ...
DeepSouth
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Hahaha! Wonderful! ... Gecko45 has probably already pre-ordered his.
I can't remember the last time I heard a Gecko45 comment, next thing you know someone will say "mall ninja."
On Topic:
I understand them making an AR, but all the hype for just another AR seems really silly to me. Maybe if they had introduced it in 2006 it would have made sense, but now it's like a let down......
"Dang, I was hoping for something good" was my first thought.
I'm sure they'll make some money on it, and that is the object of any business. So I wish them well, but I want be buying one.
wally
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I've shot all manner of AR hand guards until the rifle was too hot to hold without gloves and none of them melted. Looks like someone cheeped out on the metal heat shields and forgot that heat rises so the shield on top is actually more important than one on the bottom.
Ohen Cepel
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Tons of hype and another AR. Ugh......I feel like Charlie Brown with the football.
md7
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Some pretty good specs it seems to me. A bit late to the party, but I think it's good to have another option.
Not crazy about the Saint logo on the magwell, but ok beyond that.
Not crazy about the Saint logo on the magwell, but ok beyond that.
It is generating a lot of chatter
wojownik
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So, perhaps I'm not in the loop on the latest lingo, but rather than calling this a "modern sporting rifle" they are positioning it as a "personal defense rifle." Which kind of confuses things with the term "personal defense weapon" - at least to me. So the additional marketing twist seems to be to try to differentiate the SAINT from other Modern Sporting Rifles, by calling this a PDR, but not to be confused with a PDW. Meh, enough semantic splitting for one night...
Well, if you're going to melt the handguard off with a range day, it might be best to leave "sporting" out of its name?
Sorry, I'm being mean.
Sapper771
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All that for another AR? I wonder how much of the price is a result of the hyped up advertising.
herrwalther
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This was the worry in the SAINT theory discussion thread on here. That it was going to be a meh product such as an AR that they were over hyping. I was honestly hoping that it was something at least interesting and not something that is already saturated in the market. They could have taken a good page from Ruger. When they showed their AR-556 it perked me up with the bells and whistles on their rifle. Almost bought one until I wanted the experience of building my own.
ColoradoShooter77
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I don't think this offers anything over the Ruger 5.56 for $200 more money. Springfield is also 2 years too late to the game.
giggitygiggity
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With all the hype and teasers, I was hoping and expecting something unique and innovative; instead, Springfield slapped their logo on the side of an AR. A big promotional marketing campaign does not make the rifle any more impressive. It is an AR with a weird handguard... almost every company is making ARs now. I'm not disappointed that Springfield is in the AR game, but I am disappointed that the AR does not offer anything substantially different or better than other ARs on the market.
You realize that they are using BCM furniture? BCM is not exactly an unknown competitor in the market.
GBExpat
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My thoughts exactly. My cousin bought a Ruger last Spring and brought it to me for an AR Lesson. I was quite taken with the little rifle ... but I already have 4 ARs and am not a fan of DI, so ...
Captain33036
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I do not begrudge SA wanting to get into the AR market, either. There is money on the table. BUT....to have had the marketing campaign they did for just another run of the mill AR was almost insulting.
I too was looking for something innovative. Take their trademark platform....slim down the M1A platform/ garand action for the .223 round ... yes, like the Ruger ranch rifle...BUT....make it match grade accurate, and, have it take AR mags. Hunting market, competition market, bench rest shooter market, collector market, AR enthusiast market, AWB state market.
Oh well.
I too was looking for something innovative. Take their trademark platform....slim down the M1A platform/ garand action for the .223 round ... yes, like the Ruger ranch rifle...BUT....make it match grade accurate, and, have it take AR mags. Hunting market, competition market, bench rest shooter market, collector market, AR enthusiast market, AWB state market.
Oh well.
Orcon
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Judging by how sweaty everybody was in the advertising I was honestly expecting them to unveil some sort of training course. Some amalgamation of guns and crossfit, ya know?
Elkins45
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Don't forget that they are also "relying on instinct rather than distraction"
The only way I'm buying one is if the blonde girl in the ads delivers it to my house.
Llama Bob
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The LAST thing they were going to do is make another mini-14. You're talking about a basically dead platform. They were kind of innovative in 1978. Now they're one of the worst rifles in the class.
Llama Bob
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It offers midlength gas, longer sight radius (without lengthening the weapon), and marginally better furniture. Mind you, I wouldn't buy it, given the much nicer weapons available for a few hundred more. But it does appear to be nicer than the Ruger.
Inebriated
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Assuming it works well in the wild, this could be the new rifle I recommend people get if they want a budget AR and refuse to buy a Colt.
The specs actually look very good for the price point, the features look good, and Springfield's execution is generally consistent. So as long as it runs well in real use, and they don't make stupid assembly mistakes, it should be a wholly better rifle than the M&P or Ruger for a rather fair amount more. ~$650 for S&W or Ruger, vs. ~$750 street price for the Saint? Easy choice, in my mind.
The specs actually look very good for the price point, the features look good, and Springfield's execution is generally consistent. So as long as it runs well in real use, and they don't make stupid assembly mistakes, it should be a wholly better rifle than the M&P or Ruger for a rather fair amount more. ~$650 for S&W or Ruger, vs. ~$750 street price for the Saint? Easy choice, in my mind.
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