A few months ago I began researching rifles for my department with the intent of buying six ARs to be carried in supervisor’s vehicles. We have allowed officers to qualify and carry individually owned AR rifles for years but these six would be the first department issued rifles. There wasn’t a set budget, but I knew I had to keep the price down and yet buy a rifle that officers would be proud of.
My preferences were that the rifle would comply fully with mil-spec requirements, would be fairly lightweight, and have a flat top, optics ready platform with no fixed front sight. My department has gotten Aimpoint CompM4s through an Army surplus program so I intended to mount those as a primary sight and use flip up irons. I also wanted a long rail that would not only offer lots of mounting options but would allow officers to reach out with the support hand.
In the military I used to hold an AR by the magazine well but have seen the trend in three gun shooting toward a “thumb over bore” hold where the support arm is extended and the thumb wraps over the top. I have tried this method and do find that it improves my recoil control and target transitions. Regardless of whether you personally like the method, certainly you can see why I wanted to buy a rifle that would accommodate various shooting styles. This eliminated a lot of AR manufacturers that mainly make short handguards with a fixed front sight. I sent out quote requests to about six manufacturers. I had never heard of Sionics until I found them on the Mil-Spec chart by Rob_S. I received a number of responses and was surprised by the number of companies that told me I would have to wait eight weeks or more for the rifles to be shipped. I ended up going with a Patrol Rifle III XL by Sionics Weapons Systems. The CEO of the company called me personally and told me he would ensure my satisfaction with the rifles.
They were shipped and arrived ahead of schedule. They were very light, roughly around 7 lbs and well balanced. The rifles come equipped with Magpul furniture, MBUS sights, a Pmag, and a soft case.
We took the rifles to the range for zeroing the MBUS sights and the Aimpoints. I wanted to see what kind of accuracy we would get from them so I brought a 3.4x Elcan sight along. With our duty issue ammo we fired a 100 yard five shot group of just over an inch. That wasn’t the best group, it was the only group. I have no doubt that with a little better magnification on the sight and some match ammo, the rifle will shoot sub moa.
We have had two ranges so far and officers really like the Sionics. Many want to trade in their personal AR and get one. The 15 inch Samson EVO rail is a great accessory that is comfortable to grab, lets you put your hand as far out as you want, and yet the rifle is still very lightweight. The nickel / PTFE plated bolt is advertised to eliminate the need for lubrication, but we used SLIP 2000 EWL anyway. I did notice the bolt is very easy to clean. We have put about 3,000 rounds through the rifles without a single malfunction. I expect to put together a group buy soon for officers that want their own personal weapon. I am very pleased with the rifles. I have no connection with the company and have never even been to Arizona, we are a Georgia agency. My feeling is that we got a Tier one rifle at a Tier 2 price. I know many will tell me that I should have gone with a better known name in the AR business. Obviously LMT, DD, Bravo Company, Noveske, all make good rifles. I feel like the waiting lists at many of these makes shows that there is room in the AR business for new manufacturers to come along and build a top of the line AR. Based on my experience, I would recommend Sionics without hesitation.
This is awesome to see Sionics feedback. I wouldn’t pay much attention to anyone who talks down on Sionics just because they’re new and not not well known. There are actually a couple of industry professionals from this very site who played a major role in getting Sionics ARs up and running.
What Georgia agency are you with? (I’m with a Georgia department as well, so I’m just curious). Looks like a nice weapon. Georgia arms makes good ammo as well.
Excellent. This is what I have been looking for. Some field reports about Sionics. I don’t have much doubt to their quality but it’s still nice to hear with them being the new kid on the block.
Their trigger on Sionics’ website is described as having a 4.5 lb. pull with a short break. Your thoughts mmbeller? Thanks for the post.
Nice to hear a department is being issued quality rifles and the CEO calling you personally says alot.
If you can back up the statement as a manufacturer or end user, by showing something is less expensive than a truly comparable like item, and also proving it really is “as good as”, then you are golden.
Graffex’s comment wasn’t exactly accurate and didn’t contribute much. Let’s agree to that and not let this thread drift off to a bash or some pointless argument please.
The only new companies that can produce cheaper and better milspec products are the ones directly associated with m4c members with post counts in the 6 digits. Coincidence that this guy comes out of nowhere with two posts writing a glowing review about a company intimately involved with numerous members?I think not.
It is also refreshing to see a thread where the theme is “my agency cares and got good stuff” instead of “help! the admins/city finance office screwed us and we got issued (Bushy/Oly/ElCheapo15s) and they don’t run”.
The Patrol Rifle III XL take the Patrol III design literally all the way with a full 15 inch “slick side” rail and low profile gas block. The Patrol III XL also features the new Magpul STR stock. The Patrol III XL features our premium barrel, a nickel/PTFE treated M16 bolt carrier, milspec bolt with extra power extractor, and our single-stage law enforcement trigger.
The Patrol III XL also uses the proven “mid-length” gas system, developed specifically for carbines with a 16” barrel and widely accepted as the best choice for this size of rifle.
Service, Reliability and Accuracy - other specifications for the Patrol Rifle III XL are:
Configuration: AR15 Style Carbine, 5.56mm NATO
Upper Receiver: 7075 M4
Barrel: 16” Medium Weight, 41V50, NATO Chamber, 1:8, Chrome Lined, Air-Gauged, Radiograph and MP Inspected
Gas System: Mid-Length, Direct-Impingement
Front Sight: Magpul MBUS
Rear Sight: Magpul MBUS
Muzzle Device: A2 Flash Suppressor
Bolt Carrier: M16 Carrier, Nickel/PTFE Plated Carrier and Key
Bolt: MilSpec, HP/MPI Tested, Heavy Extractor Spring, Black Insert and O-Ring
Lower Receiver: Forged 7075-T6 Aluminum
Trigger: Single-Stage, 4.5lb Law Enforcement Trigger
Lower Receiver Parts: All Other Parts MilSpec
Receiver Extension: MilSpec Carbine, Six Position
Buffer: Carbine “H” Buffer
Stock: Magpul STR
Grip: Magpul MOE
Hand Guard: Free-Float 15” EVO Hand Guard (low profile gas block)
I’d like to know this as well. I can understand the 8 week wait especially if said manufacturer has a military contract. I think Colt 6920 LE pricing is still at $1000 but you don’t get the nice upgrades like on the Sionics rifle.
It was nice meet one of those industry guys first hand and talk with him when I went into the local shop that sells them(I live in Tucson). I do not have a full Sionics rifle but I do have a complete lower of theirs. I purchased it around the time they were just getting things ramped up. I do not have the new trigger but I was handed a rifle with one in it and it felt really nice.
Shoot some lower powered domestic .223 ammo in it. UMC 55gr would be a good choice. If you need to shoot frangible/green ammo in your facilities, I’d also check that preemptively as well.
Skintop, I will try to take some pics of internals later this week.
I would rather not say what we paid for the rifles, but they did cut us a deal. We added a sling and an Inforce WML to the rifles. They shipped with a mag, soft case, and Magpul flip up sights. I like the trigger and think it strikes the right balance for a patrol carbine.
I contacted the manufacturers directly. They can ship straight to a police agency so that is generally easier than going through a dealer. Ship time estimates ranged from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. I’m not listing each one here because I’m not trying to down the other brands I didn’t choose, I’m just a satisfied Sionics customer.
I sent out a few PMs for verification, but would prefer not to identify my agency here since we have a policy addressing Social Media.