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I was able to shoot a Saint Victor 5.56 pistol with a 7.5” barrel this weekend. It was a blast and functioned very well. I think that I would like to get one. Does anyone have experience with one? I wonder how the long term reliability is? Is it a good quality product?
In general Springfield makes pretty good products. If it was me, I would want longer than a 7.5" barrel for some more velocity.
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Several of the officers on our SWAT team use them. I'm not a fan of the 7.5 inch barrel but otherwise the guns have run well
So I picked one up. I put an Aimpoint pro on it. I was ringing steel plates at 100 yards. It's absolutely a CQB weapon but the fun factor is off the charts. I'm impressed with the fit and finish. If you are looking for an AR pistol I am giving this one high marks so far!
The ballistics out of 7.5" barrels for 5.56 is terrible. I guess if it's a range toy that's one thing but that short a barrel would not be my first choice for a defensive carbine unless it was 300 BLK.
How terrible are they? What is the velocity out of that size barrel? The rounds were hitting steel pretty hard at 100 yards. I’m thinking for close quarters that they are going to be traveling pretty fast. Please advise me with some facts about how bad they are.
Velocity is king for 5.56. If you look at a bunch of the different loads that are commonly used for defensive purpose, compare their recommended velocities for optimal performance, and look at the velocity from a 7.5" barrel, you'll see it is severely lacking. There is a reason why so many guys that know ballistics recommend 10.3/10.5" as being the shortest you should go for 5.56, it's also why there are so few barrels that short from reputable manufacturers.Quote:
Originally Posted by lew.45
Here is a whole bunch of reading on the subject.
https://www.google.com/search?q=why+...w=1536&bih=750
My very limited experience was a T&E (kind of) with two Saints in 10.3 and 11.5. I'm pretty sure one didnt have rifling. Prone rested at 50 yards printed, a, I kid you not, 2.5 FOOT group. I'll post pics if I can find them. Optic was Aimpoint pro and ammo was M193 and Hornady 60 grain TAP. Made no difference and since that's our practice and duty loads it's a no go if we can't use that.
I also found the single stage trigger completely unpredictable. I experienced gas to face on the 11.5 UNsuppressed. These were the 10.3 and 11.5 pistol and SBR respectively.
I shot a friend's coworkers Saint pistol and it was short stroking with M193. 0/3 for me so I cannot reccomend Springfield ARs in this market that is saturated with high quality manufacturers.
My suggestion, define what you want an AR pistol for (HD, classes, S&Gs once a month at a DNR range, etc.) and buy a known quality firearm and get professional training. Figure out what you're willing to spend and budget money for accessories and ammo as well.
I would also echo the sentiments against a 7.5 barrel.