A few months ago I completed another precision build using a Krieger SPR—profile barrel for which I am pleased. After looking at my spend on this (hereafter the “premium” build) and other “SPR” like ARs I’ve built, I wondered how a less expensive alternative might fare.
Thus, the intent of this review and comparison is twofold:
[ol]
[li]Can a reliable, precision AR can be built for approximately $2K (the “budget” build)?
[/li]
[li]How much better would a rifle perform at twice that amount?
[/li][/ol]
Goals
My goals for these two rifles were/are the following: sub-0 .75 MOA at 100-300 yards; 18” rifle gas BBL that can shoot 5.56 and .223 loads; typical “SPR” like optic power range; collapsible stocks so they would fit in my small rifle bags (and could easily be lugged in the field for varmint/range work); $2,000 max budget for Rifle 1; and $4,000 budget for Rifle 2.
Parts
I will initially address the components employed in each rifle, their cost, and follow-up the review with accuracy and MV data using a variety of 5.56 and .223 ammunition.
Caveat: this comparison is not an exhaustive attempt to review of all possible parts or combinations of parts one might consider for similar builds.
For brevity, I’m not going to describe my thought processes involved in selecting every component. I will highlight some key choices, however. For the budget rifle, some of the parts were leftovers from other builds & build concepts, so I used what I had in the parts bin. Examples of these are the Noveske BCG, upper receiver, CH, stock, lower receiver, MI rail and pistol grip. I’m extremely pleased with the Geissele SSA triggers as I’ve used in many of my rifles- both hunting and precision, thus I employed that in the budget rifle. I’m new to the more expensive Geissele SDE trigger, but based on what I’ve read, I was eager to try it in a precision build. This went into the premium build.
Additionally, I wanted to try the BAD short throw lever since I use a thumbless grip for precision shooting. I opted out of using this part in the budget rifle for obvious reasons.
Barrels
The stainless barrels were selected based on first-hand experience with these brands. I’ve put together a few rifles with WOA barrels and all have been very good performers. The same can be stated with Krieger, though these are more precise as one would expect. I opted for SPR profile barrels as I thought I might add muzzle devices or cans at some point and I didn’t want overly long barrels for these configurations. Both SPR barrels utilize the exact same profile specifications and can be used with the OPS Inc. brakes. These taper to .740 at the muzzle, BTW. Both were coated in Cerakote Graphite Black and baked for 2 hours at 250 degrees.
I’m using VLTOR clamp-on style gas blocks on both. I typically use the set screw versions, but went with the clamp-on versions since I seem to frequently swap among various rifles and rails. This is difficult when using the set screw versions as I usually secure the screws with Rocksett and can be a PITA to remove as it typically requires drilling out the screws and trashes the block. There is a fair amount of clearance between the gas block and the Noveske rail, but very little clearance in the MI rail. I had to grind the GB screws a little bit on the budget rifle to ensure there would be no interference. It is possible that barrel flex during shooting may result in contact with the rail. I would not recommend using the VLTOR clamp-on style blocks with the MI SSGT2 rails.
WOA 18” SPR barrel with rifle gas and Wylde chamber
Kreiger 18” SPR barrel with rifle gas and Compass Lake Engineering chamber
I could not decide which muzzle device I was going to use on the premium rifle, so I opted to use a thread protector for now. Since I’m going to do an accuracy comparison, I purchased another for the budget rifle to mitigate the effects any muzzle device(s). I sourced these (1/2x24 and .720” OD) from YHM and coated them in H-series Cerakote Graphite Black. These thread protectors are exactly that- thread protectors and are the exact same length as the threaded portion of the barrel. I also wanted to protect the crowns of both barrels, so I simply added some crush washers between the barrel and the TP for now. I will replace these with proper shims if I decide to retain them. Pic of the muzzles are below.
Yes, I realize the crush washers are backwards. They’re not actually serving as crush washers, however.
I also have an image of a Noveske thread protector that I believe is made by AAC. This is longer than the YHM and affords more protection to the crown without having to use a shim or washer. Unfortunately, it’s .760” diameter and looks a bit funky on the SPR profile barrels.
As these 18” barreled rifles are both configured with rifle length gas systems, I knew they would be soft shooters. I wanted to see if I could perceive any difference in recoil by using a lightweight (JP) carrier in one vs. a standard carrier in another while using the VLTOR A5 REs, buffers and rifles springs in both. I decided to use the lightest A5 buffers, Mod0, to start with given the expected gas pressure and dwell time. I have H1-H3s on hand to try if necessary.
Optics
The Nightforce compact is probably the de facto choice for a precision SPR-style 5.56 build. I’ve been using these for a little while now and like the optic very much. I think it is a near-optimal power range for the premium precision AR given my requirements. It’s not a perfect optic, however, as there are a few drawbacks. Namely the eye box is not very forgiving, no parallax adjustment, and one can easily get lost when dialing the turrets as there are no reference indices marked on the scope. I do have the ZS option on this optic for precisely those occasions. I would like to try the USO 1.8-10X FFP one of these days…
For the budget build optic, I’m simply “borrowing” a scope from my 6.8 hunting AR. I think this is an ideal hunting optic for the 6.8, but it’s not my precision optic of choice for several reasons: the reticle is a bit thick; I wish it had half-mil hashes, the turrets are too small and are MOA which do not match the reticle. The glass is nice, however, and compares favorably with the NF. Eye relief is a bit longer than the NXS, but the eye box is more forgiving. If I was going to purchase a budget precision optic, my short list would probably include the SWFA 3-9x42 ($599), Vortex Viper PST 2.5-10x44 ($599), and perhaps the newer Burris 3.5-10x42 MTAC with G2B mil reticle and mil turrets ($449) or MidwayUSA’s exclusive 3-10x40 Weaver Tactical with mildot reticle and mil turrets ($299 occasionally).
After comparing the Nightforce and the TR20 back-to-back, I was rather surprised that I could perceive little difference between the two scopes at max power. The NF, of course, is rated at 2.5-10x and the Trijicon at 3-9x. Below is an image of a 7-11 sign that is 745y away.
No magnification
The sign as seen through the Nightforce at 10 power.
Same sign through the Trijicon Accupoint at 9 power.
The differences were similarly imperceptible between the NF and the Accupoint at 2.5x and 3x, respectively. Please note that the images captured through my inexpensive point and shoot camera do not reflect the quality of the image when looking through the optics. I did not properly focus the image in the Trijicon photograph as it was difficult to support the rifle and camera while trying to capture the image and focus in the EVF. Again, I was very surprised at the clarity of the Accupoint compared to the Nightforce. In low light, the Accupoint was stellar as well. I’ll take some additional images at the range using a better camera and post these at a later date.
A table depicting each component, cost, and the difference between the two for each rifle is included below. One can clearly see that I did not meet my budget targets for rifle I and that I was slightly over for rifle 2:
The rilfles
Premium
The Magpul STR stock is fitted with a modified MI picatinny rail, “MCTAR05” for mounting a monopod. This was an experiment I posted earlier in THIS thread. After using it a bit, I’m not really a big fan of the monopod, but it does work okay on the bench and I will use it on this and the budget rifle to see how it compares to a traditional media filled sock. I purchased a Noveske 5-slot keymod pic rail to mount the Atlas bipod, but didn’t really need all of the slots on the rail. I had modified a MI rail for another build and decided to use that rail instead.
Budget
I had some leftover Burnt Bronze Cerakote for a friend’s build and decided to coat the budget rilfle as the lower had several blemishes from years of use. I’ve gone back and forth on which bipod to use. A swivel stud is supplied with the MI rail and can be used to mount a Harris or Harris-style bipod. To save some space in my range bag, I mounted the included picatinny rail on the forearm so I only have to carry my favorite bipod, the Atlas.
Weights
Both rifles were configured without any real regard for weight savings. However, after looking at their respective weights, they’re somewhat svelte compared to other precision ARs rifles I’ve put together. Without the optics, these are very similar. The heavier VLTOR upper in the premium rifle is offset by the lightweight carrier. Both hand guards are similar in weight, though the MI rail is 1.5” longer. A comparison of weights between the two rifles:
Premium weights
Budget weights
The primary difference in weights lies with the optics. The NF is about 6 ounces heavier compared to the Accupoint. The images above show a slightly larger difference due to the NF’s scope caps and 30mm vs. 1” Bobro mounts
Budgets
I overshot my $2K target for the budget rifle by$389, but I could have very nearly met the goal by swapping the following components:
[ul]
[li]$133 savings: A5RE; Castle nut, endplate, A5 buffer, spring, B5 stock ($197) for WOA A2 rifle stock assembly (includes buffer, spring and bits for $64).
[/li]
[li]$29 savings: Bobro mount ($209) for ADM Recon scope mount ($180).
[/li]
[li]$25 savings: Magpul Enhanced trigger guard and MAID grip ($54) for a basic trigger guard and MOE grip ($19). Could save an additional $19 if using an A2 grip.
[/li]
[li]$51 savings: RRA lower ($150) for an Aero Precision lower ($99) or similar
[/li]
[li]$100 savings: Trijicon Accupoint ($699) for SWFA or Vortex Scope ($599)
[/li][/ul]
This sums to $338 savings for a build total of $2,051. If one is really pinching pennies, use the Weaver Tactical scope instead and save another $300. That’s only $1,751 for everything including the Harris bipod!
Findings
The important comparisons will follow. I’ll cover shooting characteristics, muzzle velocities and groupings for many types of hunting and precision ammo. Sorry, no Wolf will be shot in these.