SABRE DEFENCE

Remember when there was only one maker of AR-15 type rifles? It was only 30 years ago, but now there are some 30 US companies offering rifles and carbines that, for all intents and purposes, are identical to the original.

While the AR platform has evolved and improved with the times, all members of the ilk are, sadly, not created equal. Known by various names and trademarks, these ARs run from the mediocre to the outstanding, and their position on this scale is dependent on a number of factors.

What goes into making a firearm determines what one may get out of it. Materials are certainly important and include steel, alloy, and polymer, in addition to finish. While the quality of these materials might seem an industry standard, don’t count on it.

Beyond materials is the machinery that creates components from them. It goes without saying that modern computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines are capable of producing components of the highest quality many times faster than traditional manufacturing. However, the key word here is capable, and no matter how good tooling is, there is always the human factor. So while one production facility might appear to be holding tolerances as good as another, don’t kid yourself. The majority – majority – of manufacturers of AR-type rifles provide great products, but some are certainly better than others. Then there are the companies that have ARs made for them with their own logo on the guns. Most of these are also at least satisfactory, but did the maker offer more than one grade of quality when marketing the finished product? Here’s a case in point.

I once received an AR-type carbine for T&E. Wanting to measure the rate of twist of the rifling, I prepared to use the cleaning rod technique by pulling it through with a tight patch to measure the distance it takes to complete one rotation. However, when I looked down the bore, there was NO rifling. This meant that the entire bore was as tight as the lands, so what would the pressure have been had I fired a round through it? The company provided another barreled upper receiver and I completed the test. Even the largest arms makers have shipped firearms with defects such as this, and it happens more often than you might think. Some companies purchase components and assemble them into complete rifles in a variety of configurations. Depending on the quality of the components, these ARs are usually pretty good guns, and the components at least fit. However, problems can arise when components are purchased separately and assembled by the end user. One of the main problems can be how a lower receiver fits together with an upper receiver, or if they fit at all. Sometimes money saved really isn’t.

For the person who wants a particular type of AR rifle or carbine, there are companies that make an AR variation for almost everyone. One of these companies is Sabre Defence Industries, LLC, of Nashville, Tennessee.

With a long track record as a US military contractor, Sabre Defence is no stranger to the kind of quality control required in building some of the finest weapons in the world. Not only does Sabre Defence make their rifles and carbines in-house, they also do it right. Recently I received a sample of one of Sabre Defence’s XR15, AR-type rifles. It is the model Sabre Defense calls their Heavy Bench Rest Rifle. While the sample we received was in .223 Remington caliber, Sabre Defence also offers this model in 6.5mm Grendel and .204 Ruger. Many of its other XR15 models are offered in .223, 6.5mm Grendel, and 7.62x39mm (M43).

Made like a fine watch, Sabre Defence’s Heavy Bench Rifle comes with a 24-inch full heavy 410 series stainless steel barrel with full-length flutes interrupted only by its unique custom gas block. Furnished with an 11-degree crown, the muzzle is deeply recessed to protect it from damage. At the rear of its 1-in-7-inch twist bore is a match 5.56x45mm chamber and a barrel extension with M4 feed ramps to feed the heaviest .224 caliber match bullets smoothly. Leading from the front of the receiver to the gas block is a round lightweight alloy handguard. Attached

to a special barrel nut, this handguard leaves the barrel totally free floating. Except for short vents at the front, full-length shallow flutes, and a mounting stud in the front at 6 o’clock, this handguard is left smooth.

Atop the Heavy Bench Rest Rifle’s upper receiver is a Mil Spec M1913 rail that accepts an infinite variety of optics for long range shooting. Made of 7057 T/6 aircraft alloy, the upper receiver is hard anodized in a matte black finish to match the lower receiver, handguard, and all other alloy parts. The bolt channel is finished like a mirror.

Fitting together with the upper receiver to pure perfection, the lower receiver has all standard M16A2- type controls but one: the lower receiver reveals its military-looking, but non-standard trigger. A single press to dry fire the rifle reveals the secret. It is a match trigger with an excellent let-off of about 3.5 pounds with no over travel. Not too light for safety’s sake, this trigger seems ideal for competition, varmint shooting, or the special precision needs of law enforcement. Enhancing trigger finger placement is the excellent ERGO Grip made by Falcon Industries.

Topping out the Heavy Bench Rest Rifle is its M16A2 butt stock and, while this one size will fit most, it leaves a great deal of leeway to the end user. After market butt stocks are offered by Command Arms, Vltor, and others. Such stocks offer improved cheek weld and some are adjustable for length of pull and height, as well as having sling mounting options and other features. But the butt stock isn’t the only area of the rifle that leaves room for custom options.

While the Heavy Bench Rest Rifle does not readily lend itself to the addition of BUIS (nor does it need to), its top rail welcomes virtually any of a myriad of mounting systems and optical sights friendly to the M1913 platform. What’s more, the handguard can easily be drilled and tapped to mount a variety of M1913- type rails such as are available from Falcon Industries and Mounting Solutions Plus. Such rails mounted on the sides of the handguard could accommodate special tactical lights and lasers from such companies as Aimpoint, Laser Devices, Pentagon-Light, Insight Technology, SureFire, and others.

Similar rails could also mount the new Vltor Bipod, a unique 2-piece bipod that allows the rifle to literally hang between the legs for optimum stabilization. However, I’m getting ahead of myself, as Sabre Defence offers some 16 AR-type precision rifles and carbines, many of which come with rail handguards.

US Optics SN3

For our tests, we mounted a Harris Bipod on the handguard stud and US Optics’ new SN3 on the rifle’s flat top receiver using A.R.M.S. 30mm ThrowLever Rings. Of 1.5-10x35mm magnification, the SN3 has a 30mm tube made of aircraft alloy. Complimenting the SN3’s 1/4 MOA click windage and elevation adjustments are low profile

adjustment knobs to reduce damage from catching on obstacles. In addition to its fine rear focus adjustment

is total parallax adjustment at the objective end, followed up with a superb filtered sunshade. Equipped with an impressive list of other internal features, our sample SN3 came with an optional illuminated hold-over reticle. This is one impressive scope!

New Magazines

Two other new products we tested with the Sabre Heavy Bench Rest Rifle were a 30-round polymer PMAG from Magpul and a brand new polymer 30-round magazine from Falcon Industries. This Falcon magazine is transparent, allowing one to see the remaining ammunition it holds. It also has steel feed lips molded into the polymer and a rubber magazine base for gripping and to serve as a bumper if the magazine is dropped. Both magazines functioned perfectly in the Sabre rifle.

Down Range

At 100 yards, the Sabre Bench Rest Rifle performed admirably, producing sub-MOA 5-shot groups with match grade .223 ammunition. In reality, most commercial .223 ammo today is of match quality, although we now tend to think only in terms of sub-MOA as the criteria for this label. This stems not only from competition but also from varmint hunting, where the destructive rodents that are the targets are relatively small. That’s where accuracy of 1-

inch or less at 100 yards becomes important.

Even more important, in truth vital, is sub-MOA accuracy in crisis incidents where a law enforcement rifleman must take out an active shooter or a hostage taker. Top performance in every category is paramount here. Our impression of the Sabre is that it is more than up to such critical challenges.

However, if your needs are tactical, you can select from Sabre Defence’s many XR15 models with M1913 quad rail handguards on which you can mount any of the lights, lasers, and other tools from the companies listed above. For varmints and competition, the Sabre Bench Rest Rifle, with its smooth free-floating handguard, might be the best choice.

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