Hey guys,
On a whim i picked up a Colt 901 last week from an internet dealer. It was at my FFL on Friday and in my grubby mitts before the end of the day. Much fondling, caressing and ooo’s and aah’s would follow.
In the box you receive the following:
1X Colt SP901 .308 Battleriffic rifle.
2X Colt Spec LR20 Pmagazines.
2X Push button sling swivels.
3X Black ladder covers
1X Sectional steel (yuck) cleaning rod
1X Chamber Brush
1X Instruction Manual which i promptly used as toilet paper like a real man.
The Rifle Itself:
The rifle itself is outfitted with the following:
Vltor Imod Stock
Colt marked Troy MICRO folding battle sight.
A folding and locking front sight block that is taper pinned to the barrel
A vortex flash hider.
4X sling cups on the rail that are NOT rotation limited.
A2 pistol grip (YUCK)
A ridiculously short travel GI spec trigger. I will go further into detail about this later.
Some things to note:
The Charging handle is unique to this design. Neither a 5.56mm or .308 charging handle will work as the SP901’s handle is in between both sizes.
The gun comes with a micro rear sight so a lower 1/3rd cowitness mount from Larue with an Aimpoint T1 will NOT allow you to cowitness your irons, at all. An absolute cowitness mount will be required if you are going to run a T1 and expect a lower 1/3rd cowitness.
The trigger and hammer pins are longer than normal spec so aftermarket triggers will have to either re-use the factory pins or include longer replacements.
The LR20 Colt spec magazines have an “over travel” stop on the rear of the magazine to prevent overinsertion. Regular LR20 and SR25 pattern steel magazines fit and function just fine but CAN be over inserted on an open bolt. To elaborate on this, you really have to JAM the magazine into the well to over insert it. Generally, this results in a broken magazine retention tab on the magazine body itself. Easy to do on the Pmag, very hard to do on the SR25 steel magazine.
Colt has decide to add an internal steel “buffer” to the cam pin area on the interior of the upper receiver. Whether or not this is needed is up in the air but provided it stays put, it certainly cannot hurt as this area DOES get battered over time. My only gripe is that the insert is held in with a red loctited allen screw.
My Actual Thoughts On The Rifle Itself
The first thought in my mind was that the rifle was nose heavy. Center of gravy is definitely around the gas block and not over the centerline of the receiver where i traditionally like it. A heavier stock will probably assist in returning a little bit of the balance more towards the center of the gun but it is certainly not THAT necessary. The nice thing about the SP901 is that while the center of gravity may not be ideal, it is still not a SUPER heavy rifle, at least when naked.
Normally, i shy away from any rail under 11 inches. Due to the added length of the .308 upper, a 9 inch rail actually fits this rifle surprisingly well and i dont feel cramped on it at all. Were this rifle to have any added length, i feel that the balance issue i mentioned earlier would be well, a whole hell of a lot worse.
The sling swivel slots are not rotation limited but i will drive on regardless.
I am thoroughly spoiled by Geiselle triggers and BCM gunfighters. The stock charging handle is horrific in how much force is required to overcome the .308 buffer spring tension. A gunfighter would be drool worthy but unfortunately, the current offerings do not fit.
The trigger itself is breaking at almost 8 pounds, it is EXTREMELY heavy but the overall travel is short and ridiculously crisp. There IS a little bit of creep but it is at least smoothing out now that i have some rounds through the gun and little bit of dry fire.
The rail profile is larger than i would like but it is workable if you have medium to large sized hands. Colt should consider offering the upper/gun with a slim, non railed upper…just saying Colt…
The Lower Receiver
Ok, i have to admit, i mostly bought this rifle because i thought the lower was absolutely awesome. I figured if for whatever reason the .308 portion sucked goat nards i could pop in the adapter block and walk away with a 5.56mm upper on a REALLY sweet ambi lower with a gigantic mag funnel.
I am not disappointed and this concept still holds water if the big boy portion proves unsavory. The lower is well thought out, well designed and works as advertised. I do however have a few gripes.
- There is flash everywhere. From a function standpoint, i really dont care. From a, i just paid two grand for this thing standpoint…seriously…machine the friggin forging seams off of the rifle Colt…This is a mostly useless gripe so dont read too much into it. I am so far from a fit and finish queen im essentially operating in a different Universe
Here you can see the flash on the grip tang area of the lower.
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The rear tang of the lower behind the pistol grip is quite unique. I like it, however, i do NOT like the A2 grip as it pushes my hand lower than i would like it to be in relation to the trigger, the mag release and the bolt release. The Magazine release feels as thought it is in an unfamiliar location and will take some minor re-training. The RIGHT side bolt release will without a doubt simply require training. It is deliberately out of the way to avoid accidental drops and it requires that you shift your grip slightly, at least with my hands to drop the bolt. Not bad, not good, just right. It is ONLY a bolt release and cannot be used to lock the bolt back.
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The ambi mag release works and it works very well however, it does get in the way of your .308 tennis Racquet or…oversized Ping Pong Paddle. You really have to wedge your thumb in there to lock the bolt back while being careful to not stub said finger on the huge, steel protrusion hanging out just slightly below the bolt release. All in all, it IS well thought out and i cannot see any gear activating the magazine release inadvertently which i REALLY like. The bolt release is another matter entirely but i got used to it with my BAD lever.
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The castle nut is staked in two places.
Firing Impressions:
I fired 72 rounds through the gun today, 70 150 grain Tula .308 rounds and two of what i believe to be 168 grain ammo.
No issues to report. The gun gobbled it up and spit it out. I will not comment on accuracy as i did not shoot the gun for groups other than to confirm zero. I generally do not shoot for groups and i am not equipped to do so so i will leave that to another shooter or for another time when i make my way out to a range with some better distance options.
Its a .308, it kicks. I would say just a tad more than an SR25 or an MWS but those rifles also have weight and a longer gas system working in their favor. Trying to compare recoil impulses on the internet is about as fruitless as trying to debate politics so i will simply say that the rifle had a smooth impulse and was not punishing.
I plan on updating this review with two things.
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Photos of the bolt carrier group as i find it to be very interesting with a few unique features and one feature that i do not like. The staking is not traditional and while it is PROBABLY adequate, i am not 100% happy that they appear to have deviated from their norm.
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Continued reliability reports as i increase the round count.
Ok fine, i lied, three things…gun porn as well.
