Springfield Armory Hopes to “Defend Their Legacy” with New SAINT
The Wait is Over: Oh, Good – Another AR-15 on the Market!
Springfield Armory has been teasing and building hype for their new SAINT product for a while now with their “Defend Your Legacy” campaign and, yesterday, they revealed what it is. It’s an AR15. Try to contain your excitement.
If you think that releasing yet another version of a rifle that will be celebrating its 60th birthday next year is not exactly a game changing event worthy of all the hype… well, we probably won’t argue with you. To be sure, the SAINT is a nice enough rifle, but is it really “the ultimate refinement of the AR-15 form” that they claim it to be thanks to its “relentless execution of core features?”
The SAINT features a flat top upper receiver that is ready for your optics and includes a Springfield-branded flip-up rear BUIS (rumored to be a UTG Pro) but, curiously, they opted for a fixed front sight to which the handguards are anchored instead free-floating the A2 birdcage-equipped 16″ 1:8 CMV barrel inside of full-length rail system. Do you know what you do get though? KeyMod. The twelve people who like KeyMod, and the three companies who make native KeyMod accessories, will be very happy about that.
Speaking of the small handful of companies who make KeyMod accessories, other than the fact that it is KeyMod (and that it is load bearing against the front sight), the handguard is probably alright, considering that it is made by Bravo Company. However, a far cry from their Alpha handguards, the exclusive PKMT handguard looks a lot like a KeyMod version of the basic Magpul MOE-SL handguards, BCM also makes the included Gunfighter Stock and the Mod 3 Gunfighter Grip that round out the furniture department. Continue reading
BATFE Q&A on AR15 Receiver Blanks
1. Is ATF aware of the receiver blanks, commonly referred to as 80% receivers?
ATF routinely collaborates with the firearms industry and law enforcement to monitor new technologies and current manufacturing trends that could potentially impact the safety of the public.
2. What is an “80%” or “unfinished” receiver?
“80% receiver,” “80% finished,” “80% complete,” “unfinished receiver” are all terms referring to an item that some may believe has not yet reached a stage of manufacture that meets the definition of firearm frame or receiver found in the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). These are not statutory terms or terms ATF employs or endorses.
3. Are “80%” or “unfinished” receivers illegal?
Receiver blanks that do not meet the definition of a “firearm” are not subject to regulation under the GCA. The ATF has long held that items such as receiver blanks, “castings” or “machined bodies” in which the fire-control cavity area is completely solid and un-machined have not reached the “stage of manufacture” which would result in the classification of a firearm per the GCA.
See the photos below for a comparison of which partial receivers are firearms and which are not:
-
- Receiver Blank: Not a Firearm
-
- Receiver Blank: Not a Firearm
-
- Receiver: Firearm
SWR, SilencerCo, Others Pull Ads from Recoil Magazine Over Comments
The latest “sporting purpose” comments over tactical weapons have sparked renewed new backlash against one firearms publication.
SWR/SilencerCo, in a recent blog posting, announced that they are pulling their ads from Recoil Magazine, stating that the have written to the editor to request that they “discontinue all scheduled advertising for both Silencerco and SWR products.”
The backlash comes after editorial comments by Recoil magazine that SWR/SilencerCo describes as “concerning the illegitimacy of a certain firearm ( and by extension, an entire class of firearms).” The text in question is as follows: Continue reading
SLIDE FIRE RECEIVES ANOTHER PATENT ALLOWANCE
Moran, TX – Slide Fire Solutions, LP today announced that the United States Patent Office issued a Notice of Allowance concerning its patent application, Sliding Stock For Firearm. The allowed patent claims solidify and expand Slide Fire’s exclusive right to make and sell gun stocks that enable a shooter to repetitively discharge a firearm without spring force assistance.
“We received our first patent on this technology just a few weeks ago,” said inventor and Slide Fire president, Jeremiah Cottle. “Now it looks like we’ll soon have another patent to add to our portfolio. We’re very pleased that the patent office agrees that our inventions are unique and deserve protection.”
Slide Fire has aggressively pursued patent protection for its inventions, both in the United States and internationally. “Based on the favorable decisions by the patent office we have already, we are confident that we will be receiving more patents covering related innovations in the near future,” said Cottle.
About Slide Fire Solutions:
Slide Fire Solutions is a privately held company based in Moran, Texas and owns all rights in its ground breaking “slide stock” technology. Building on principles of “bump firing,” Slide Fire’s inventions allow a shooter to discharge a semi-automatic firearm such as an AR-15 or AK-47 as quickly as desired, without springs and without automatically functioning mechanical parts. The exclusive design offers many hours of entertainment for recreational shooters. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms has concluded that the Slide Fire device is not regulated as a machine-gun under the Gun Control Act or the National Firearms Act.
For more information, please visit www.slidefire.com.
GunLink’s Best of SHOT Show 2012
Well, the 2012 NSSF Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show has come and gone from Fabulous Las Vegas and the 1,600 exhibiting companies brought with them many great innovations in the firearms, law enforcement, personal and home protection and outdoor realms. It also brought out many faces familiar to firearms and outdoor enthusiasts. The NSSF reports record setting buyer attendance (36,383 to be exact – which lead to record-setting numbers of sales orders being written at the show) and what they describe as “what may be the highest level of enthusiasm our industry has shown to start a new year.” The record-setting attendance of 61,000 may have been a part of what prompted the 3-year contract extension which guarantees that the show will remain in Las Vegas at least through 2015.
With a show as huge as SHOT, it can take a little time to digest everything that one sees and does during the show. The 2012 SHOT Show festivities lasted from January 16th through 20th 2012 and included shooting range time, company exhibits, movie screenings, celebrity appearances, meetings and more. By now, we’ve had just about enough time to come up with a brief list of some of our favorite things from this year’s show. Continue reading
Mossberg Breaks into AR15 Scene with 11 New Rifles
O.F. Mossberg & Sons slipped into the AR-15 platform market largely under the radar last summer when they unveiled their Mossberg Modern Rifle (MMR) line of rifles alongside their line of MVP bolt-action varmint rifles which accept AR-15 magazines. It is clear that Mossberg sees the obvious and growing interest in this platform, but with the current near-saturation of the AR market, both for complete rifles as well as aftermarket accessories, it may be a tough market for a new player to break in to. The veteran hunting rifle and shotgun manufacturer needs to bring a lot to the table.
Mossberg’s play may be all in the marketing, though. Along with the relative newcomer R15 from Remington, these camo-ed up AR-15s may be just what the doctor ordered to bring together two of the supposedly divided factions of gun owners: the hunting and sporting purpose crowd and the devout pro-Second Amendment crowd. Examples of such divisions can be seen in Continue reading
