note: This is a Springfield Armory SAINT B5 review.
Be sure also to read ourSAINT Victor B5 review.]
Packed in the box are Items that will help new gun owners get to the range immediately.
In this Springfield Armory SAINT B5 review, the author evaluates the function, accuracy and reliability on the range.
Functional upgrades are standard on this rifle.
A nice touch is the laser-engraved logo on the bolt.
The trigger had a consistent pull weight of 6.2 lbs.
The author prepares to evaluate the SAINT B5 M-Lok rifle on the range with plenty of ammunition and targets.
as measured on a Lyman Electronic Trigger Pull Gauge.
After that same day of shooting, cleaning the rifle was easy due to the Melonite coating.
[Learn more about Melonite in our articleCommon Coatings and Finishes for Modern Guns.]
The author prepares to test for muzzle velocity with a chrono and accuracy at 100 yards using a LeupoldVari X III, 8.5–25x scope.
Despite the ammunition shortages and price increases of the past few years, I dipped into my personal arsenal.
I pulled out several different types of ammunition for testing and evaluating the SAINT M-Lok.
[You should also read our articleWhat Is M-Lok?]
The author prefers an optic, but he found the high-quality factory sights were suitable for defensive purposes. Image:Harrison Rice
All three of these cartridges are loaded to 5.56 NATO pressures.
The IMI and Hornady used a 55-grain bullet, and the Norma is loaded with a 62-grain SS109 projectile.
Melonite provides excellent corrosion resistance and, in my experience, generally produces smaller groups than a chrome-lined barrel.
Shown are the targets with 100 yard accuracy results. Loads from left to right: IMI, Norma Tactical and Hornady Frontier.
I used Normas ammunition.
At 100 yards, mirage and wind are less of a problem.
[For additional information about low-power variable optics, check outWhat Is an LPVO Scope?]
The author shot for accuracy from a bench with bags and a high-powered scope to maximize the gun’s potential with common factory ammo.
As distance increases the ability to identify a threat becomes more difficult.
About 300 rounds of several different types of ammunition were fired for this evaluation.
No malfunctions were experienced.
The author equipped his SAINT rifle with a 2-7x scope, spare magazine, sling and INFORCE WMLx Gen 2 weapon light to demonstrate how the rifle could be carried practically. Image:Harrison Rice
A headspace gauge will confirm that a rifle is safe to shoot.
I didnt check the headspace; I presume a production rifle is safe to shoot.
What I did do was to check the fired cases in an L.E.
The author’s SAINT B5 set up with LPVO, spare magazine, weapon light and sling. It is ready for use as a home defense tool.
Wilson Case Gage to get an idea of how much they expanded.
Reloaders use case gauges to help them correctly set up full-length resizing dies.
Using a case gauge also prevents the reloader from oversizing the case by pushing the shoulder back too far.
L.E. Wilson Case Gage with fired Norma case inside demonstrates that the SAINT’s chamber is properly sized.
Dropping a few fired cases into a Wilson Case Gage tells me a lot about chamber dimensions and headspace.
In other instances, the case drops in most, but not all of the way.
This told me Springfield Armory used a quality reamer, and the chamber is sized correctly.
A properly sized chamber will, in most cases, increase accuracy.
However, if a chamber is too tight, a semi-automatic rifle will not feed and extract reliably.
The folks at Springfield got the SAINTs chamber dimensions just right.
The folks at Springfield Armory clearly thought this through, and they have a winner.
Go to forum thread
SAINTB5
