Springfield Armory Saint Victor Review [Updated] Additional Testing

The firearms market is littered with countless AR-15 revisions and designs, so when a company like Springfield Armory joined the vast AR market they must have had something to offer. Today in our Springfield Armory Saint Victor review we will be looking at one of the mid-tier Springfield Saint AR-15 models, to see what Springfield has to offer in this flooded market of rifles.

We had a second gun tester at Gun University run the Saint Victor through its paces, Travis Pike. Without spoiling too much, they both graded the rifle within one point of each other. While the reviewers shared many of the same opinions on the Victor, they did find a few differences.

[Update] I originally tested and reviewed this gun last year with Travis’s help. Recently, I had the opportunity to get my hands on it again and wanted to put it through some additional testing. So, I reached out to Travis to see what differences we could spot this time around. After firing a few hundred rounds, our thoughts on this gun have shifted slightly. Let’s dive into this updated Springfield Saint Victor review and see what’s changed.

Springfield Saint Background

Springfield Armory has been well-known for decades for making great firearms. The Saint series of rifles is Springfield’s venture into the AR-15 or Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR) market. The Saint rifles claim all the best features of an MSR. As a gun nut who happens to be a sharpshooter, I’m here to answer whether the Saint is truly an exceptional rifle in the MSR category or if it’s just another AR.

The original Saint was a fairly stock rifle with some fancy features, and a little later, the Victor series came to be along with the Edge series.  The Victor series would essentially be the mid-tier line of their AR-15 rifles with the Edge series being their premium offerings. They’d go beyond basic and become modern platforms with all the features you’d expect from a modern AR-15 rifle. In our opinion, with the Victor Series, they did a lot of things right and a lot of things I’d like to see other companies do. 

The Victor features a 15-inch M-LOK rail, a muzzle brake, furniture from BCM, and a very nice and smooth nickel boron-coated flat trigger. The BCG is both high-pressure tested and magnetic particle inspected. The controls are fairly standard, with a GI-style charging handle and safety. That’s all fairly basic. 

What we like about the Saint Victor line and what other companies should copy come in the form of some small inclusions. First, the rifle comes with sights. Simple flip up sights, but they are a nice inclusion that makes the rifle ready to shoot out of the box. Second, you get a nice little carrying case, and when I spend over a grand on a rifle, I really want something more than a cardboard box. 

Those are small, but there is one big feature I like. While the barrel is only 16 inches long, Springfield went with the mid-length gas system over the carbine. A mid-length gas system is longer than a carbine length system, and that extra length results in a lighter recoil and a smoother recoil impulse. 

Springfield has put extensive work into broadening the Saint rifle lineup, with a rifle model in nearly any desirable configuration, including dedicated marksman-type rifles, compliant models, and SBR and pistol variants.

Springfield Saint Victor Features

1 BCM Furniture

 Buttstock, pistol grip and trigger guard come from the popular BCM Manufacturing  Gunfighter lineup and offer superior ergonomics

2 Forged Receivers

Forged upper and lower receivers for strength and hard anodized for durability

3 NB Trigger

Nickel Boron coated internals including trigger and BCG parts treated for better wear and durability

4 Mid Length Gas System

Lowers recoil and creates a smoother shooting rifle

5 Free Float M-Lok Handguard

Allows for easy addition of accessories and improves accuracy

Models and Variations of the Springfield Saint

The Saint comes in a black anodized color, with other color options in Cerakote like OD Green and FDE. The variants of the rifles can get quite extensive, there are 5.56, .308, and 9mm caliber versions of the rifle. Most of the general options can be had in a low-capacity or compliant configuration. There are both sixteen and twenty-inch barrel options, and even an SBR 11.5-inch version of the rifle.

They offer their base ‘Saint’ and an upgraded ‘Saint Victor’ series. They also have a more upgraded ‘Saint Edge’ lineup with billet uppers and lowers, ambidextrous upgrades, upgraded charging handle, and match trigger.

Springfield also offers a very unique Saint with their Accurized Tactical Chassis, designed for maximum precision.

Springfield Saint Victor –  Our Take

My first impression of the Saint came as I lifted it from the box, it seemed light enough for its size. And most everything about it seemed exactly as I expected. The M-Lok handguard looked bare with nothing on it, I would change that soon enough. The BCM buttstock was easy to collapse and extend to alter the rifle’s length, there are a couple of sling-mounting cups in the back of it to attach a carry sling. The matching BCM pistol grip was a comfortable fit, and textured to give better purchase.

I ran the charging handle a couple of times to check the rifle for safety, and the smooth melonited bolt carrier slapped back and forth with the familiar boing of the buffer spring. That familiar smell of freshly anodized aluminum sliding against itself reminded me of all the AR rifles that graced my shoulder. Springfield also nitrides their trigger assembly, I expected it would make it smoother than a standard mil-spec trigger. After giving the trigger a few presses, I’d say it’s a bit better than average, but nothing spectacular. It does have a nice firm and audible reset though.

Rifles like this are typically set up for short to medium range. With that in mind, I decided to go with a simple red dot sight. With the optic taken care of, I added a couple of other things to the rifle. A Magpul MS4 sling, and a small vertical grip up front. I like using these as a place to grip and pull with my support hand.

Our first tester intended on running a suppressor on the rifle, a Yankee Hill Machine Turbo. So he mounted up a compatible muzzle brake as well. Our second tester left on the factory muzzle brake that came on his Victor. Muzzle brakes make guns loud, and the Springfield Armory muzzle brake is nice and loud. You certainly notice it round after round. The good news is that it’s quite efficient at reducing recoil and making the Victor a soft-shooting, comfortable rifle. 

Let’s Get to Shooting

With nothing left to do but treat this Saint to the heat of hell’s fire, I grabbed some American Eagle ammo and headed up to my shooting spot. With a stack of GI and Pmags loaded, I set to zero my red dot. The rifle was easy enough to get zeroed which allowed me to spend more time shooting instead of goofing around with the turrets. The light weight of this rifle makes it very easy to throw around, recoil is very modest, particularly when suppressed.

Accuracy

Accuracy of the Saint was pretty standard, I had no problems hitting most things that I aimed at within a reasonable distance. Hitting milk jug-sized targets at nearly three hundred yards was pretty repeatable, and close stuff like fifty yards was obviously no challenge at all.

Our second tester also experienced good accuracy. The Saint Victor packs an excellent trigger. It’s not like a crazy light Timney, but it’s a very refined Mil-Spec design in many ways. It’s got a very smooth pull that’s grit-free. The flat-faced trigger is rather nice, and I’ve grown to appreciate the extra control over the trigger I feel it offers. Combine the trigger with the free float handguard and great Gunfighter stock, and you get a platform that’s easy to shoot accurately.

Some basic 62-grain .223 Remington delivers 1 MOA-sized group. Better ammo and a better shooter might shrink that. In the prone position it was good enough, especially for the price point. The rifle combines all the necessary features to be accurate. From a practical perspective, the brake and mid-length gas system help make it easy to shoot accurately and fast, which likely matters more to most shooters. 

Shootabilty and Reliability

The rifle felt just like it should and easily integrated into my shooting style. The ergonomics of the AR 15 have been perfected over the decades, and the Saint is no different. It fit me well, allowing me to shoot it like we were old friends. I hammered through a couple hundred rounds which went all too fast, I’ll happily report that during this short duration I experienced zero malfunctions.

Reliability is where our two testers experienced the biggest differences. While our first tester did not have any malfunctions, our second tester did. He put a ton of ammo through the gun over a couple of years. The vast majority of that has been a positive experience. It’s eaten Winchester, PMC, Remington Tula, and more without a problem. The only time he had the gun choke was with Hornady Training Steel Case.

This ammo is cheap, and while it worked fine in other guns, had three failures to extract in 100 rounds with the Saint Victor. As a test, Wolf and Tula steel was shot after the Hornady and had no problems with 100 rounds of each of those loads.

The several hours of range time with the Springfield Saint were great, and I think that for the $1100 or so dollars it goes for on the street are probably worth it. I’m sure there are countless similar rifles that go for much more, and others that go for far less. I prefer to pay enough to know that I got something worth having around.

Springfield Saint Pros and Cons 

Springfield Armory Saint Victor Review – FAQs

How accurate is the Springfield Saint Victor?

The rifle is capable of achieving 1 MOA accuracy with quality ammo, making it suitable for most practical shooting needs.

Does the Saint Victor have ambidextrous controls?

No, the standard model does not come with ambidextrous controls, but they can be added aftermarket.

What accessories work well with the Saint Victor?

A good optic, sling, hand stop, or grip and a quality cleaning kit are recommended for optimizing

Can I use a suppressor with the Springfield Saint Victor?

Yes, the Saint Victor can be used with a suppressor. You may need to replace the muzzle brake with a suppressor-compatible mount.performance.

Springfield Saint Starter Pack

If you own a modern sporting rifle like this, there are a few extra things you’ll probably want to have on hand.

• Scope Rings: If you decide to mount a scope on your rifle you will need a good set of rings. Check out our Scope Ring Finder Tool to find the best prices and perfect fit for your scope setup.
• Gun Cleaning Kit: The modern AR is generally a reliable system. Keeping your bolt well lubricated will keep the gun running. But that does not mean you should not clean it! Keeping the carbon build up down and the barrel clean will save you potential headaches. We’ve got a whole article dedicated to gun cleaning kits you’ll need to keep your rifle in tip top shape.  
• Eye Protection: This should go without saying, but you need to invest in some quality shooting glasses. One errant piece of brass, and you’re in for a bad day. Check out our recommendations for the best shooting glasses!
• Hearing Protection: If you’re running an AR it is probably going to be loud, especially if you are running a muzzle brake to keep things on target for faster follow up shots. Upgrade your foam earplugs and get some quality hearing protection. We’ve gathered all of our favorites to help you decide the best hearing protection for you.

Upgrades and Accessories for the Springfield Saint

The Springfield Saint we tested comes pretty basic, but easily can be accessorized. I could make huge list of upgrades for this rifle, but we already wrote that article.

The furniture from BCM is great, and can serve you well. For your AR you will want at least these items. You will want a large supply of magazines and a way to hold them, a good optic, a sling, and a good light. Here are some of our favorites, on a budget, with one splurge mixed in.

Best Accessories For The Springfield Saint

Extra Magazines Magpul PMAG 30 Gen M2 Window		5.56x45mm/.223 Remington 30 Round Capacity Fits AR15,M4,M16 Polymer with window	Check Price
Mag Pouch HSGI Taco Belt Mount		• Magazines are all held securely • Deployed easily and silently on demand • Takes up only three horizontal inches on your platform • ABM version can mount to belts up to 2.25″	Check Price
Low Power Variable Scope Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1-6×24 SFP		1-6 Magnification True 1x Forgiving eye box Generous eye relief Second Focal Plane	Check Price
Budget Red Dot Vortex SPARC AR		Built in mount Absolute or lower 1/3rd 2 MOA Dot
Sling Magpul MS4 Dual QD Sling		1.25″ wide webbing 2 point or 1 point Dual QD Attachment
Budget Light Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount 1 Long Gun Light		Budget friendly 350 Lumens Built in rail mount Comes with pressure switch	Check Price

Best Ammo for Your Springfield Saint

We found some good deals on 223 range ammo as well as duty ammo for your Springfield Saint. 

Other Modern Sporting Rifles of its Class to Check Out

The Springfield Saint is a great, basic AR15. There are many different AR companies out there. We even have an entire article of our favorite AR15s for you to check out.

Here are a few of our favorite modern sporting rifles including a budget option and a bullpup.

How to Care for Your Springfield Saint

Cleaning your AR-15 is an important part of owning an AR-15. We found a short and to-the-point video from the NSSF showing you how to clean your AR-15.

If you want a more detailed explanation of the process, this video from Daniel Defense will more thoroughly take you through the process.

Important Links and Manuals for Your Springfield Saint

Check out the links below for the operator’s manual on the Springfield Armory website.

• Saint by Springfield Armory
• Springfield Armory Saint User’s Manual