Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote – Superb 16 Inch AR-10 Rifle

Description

The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote is the same lightweight AR-10 Springfield builds in black, finished instead in Coyote Brown Cerakote from muzzle to buttstock. That finish is not just cosmetic. Cerakote is a ceramic based coating that resists solvents, salt and abrasion better than anodising alone, which matters on a rifle that lives in a truck or a blind rather than a safe.

What The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote Brings

Underneath the colour it is a full specification SAINT Victor. The barrel is 16 inches of CMV steel in a continuous taper profile with a nitride finish, cut 1:10 and threaded 5/8×24 behind a four prong flash hider. The taper sheds weight from the sections of barrel that contribute least to stiffness, which is how the Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote lands at 7 pounds 11 ounces in a chambering that usually means nine or ten.

Gas on the Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote is direct impingement on an intermediate length system with a taper pinned gas block, which is the correct dwell for a 16 inch 308 and a block that will not shift over time.

The handguard is Springfield patented Triple-Lock aluminium free float handguard with a full length top rail, M-Lok slots and QD sockets built in. Because it floats, a bipod or a sling under tension does not touch the barrel, and the rifle holds its zero when you load it up.

Finish And Controls On The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote

Coyote Brown Cerakote covers the receivers, handguard and furniture, giving a uniform earth tone that disappears against dry grass and brush far better than black does. For anyone hunting open country or simply tired of black rifles, that is the reason to pick the Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote over the standard finish.

Controls are unchanged and they are good ones. A Radian Raptor-LT ambidextrous charging handle is fitted as standard, along with a 45 degree ambi safety using a short throw lever on the right side so it stays clear of your trigger finger. Flip up aluminium sights are included front and rear, so the Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote is usable before you buy an optic.

Furniture is B5 Systems, with an Enhanced SOPMOD collapsing stock giving 35 to 39 inches overall and a BCMGUNFIGHTER Mod 3 grip. A carbine H2 heavy tungsten buffer smooths out the recoil impulse, and the trigger is a nickel boron coated flat GI unit that is noticeably slicker than bare mil-spec without being a match trigger.

Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote Specifications

• Caliber: 308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO)
• Finish: Coyote Brown Cerakote
• Barrel: 16 inch CMV, continuous taper, nitride finish, 1:10 twist
• Muzzle: 5/8×24 threads with four prong flash hider
• Gas system: Direct impingement, intermediate length, taper pinned gas block
• Bolt carrier: Enhanced 308 BCG, 9310 steel bolt, HPT and MPI tested, nitride
• Handguard: Patented Triple-Lock aluminium free float, full length top rail, M-Lok, QD
• Receivers: Forged 7075 T6 aluminium, Type III hardcoat anodised
• Upper: Forward assist
• Lower: Accu-Tite tension system
• Charging handle: Radian Raptor-LT ambidextrous
• Safety: 45 degree ambidextrous, short throw right side
• Trigger: Nickel boron coated flat GI
• Stock: B5 Systems Enhanced SOPMOD
• Grip: BCMGUNFIGHTER Mod 3
• Buffer: Carbine H2 heavy tungsten
• Sights: Low profile aluminium flip up front and rear
• Overall length: 35 to 39 inches
• Weight: 7 pounds 11 ounces
• Magazine: One twenty round Magpul PMAG Gen M3
• Model number: STV916308CB-V2-B5
• UPC: 706397977344

One twenty round Magpul PMAG Gen M3 ships with every Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote.

Why Buyers Choose The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote

A SAINT Victor AR-10 rifle in 308 covers ground that a 5.56 carbine cannot. Deer, hogs and black bear are all comfortably inside its envelope, and in states where 5.56 is not legal for big game it is the smallest sensible step up. Getting that in a rifle under eight pounds is the whole point.

Coyote Brown Cerakote is worth paying for if the rifle is going to be used rather than stored. It handles solvent, sweat and weather better than a bare anodised finish, and it hides handling marks in a way black never does. The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote will look better after three seasons than a black rifle treated the same way.

Springfield also fitted the parts most owners upgrade anyway. Ambi charging handle, ambi safety, free float rail, H2 buffer and B5 furniture would cost more bought separately than the price difference between this and a bare bones AR-10.

The drawbacks are the same as any 16 inch 308. It is loud, particularly indoors with a flash hider rather than a brake. AR-10 components never standardised the way AR-15 parts did, so magazines and handguards are pattern specific. Ammunition costs about double 5.56. And matching accessories to Coyote Brown is harder than matching them to black, so expect a slightly mismatched rifle unless you shop carefully.

Who Should Buy The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote

The Springfield SAINT Victor 308 Coyote suits the hunter or ranch owner who wants a semi automatic 308 that lives outdoors and looks right doing it. If the rifle will mostly sit in a safe and come out at an indoor range, the black version is the same gun for less money. If your state restricts magazine capacity, look at the ten round SAINT Victor instead. And if you want a precision rifle for distance work, a 20 inch barrel and an upgraded trigger will serve you better than any 16 inch carbine.

Learn more about this AR-10 rifle from the manufacturer, or see more firearms available at MAG5 Firearms.