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Sig Sauer MCX Spear LT 5.56 SBR

Product review, Shooting hardware, , , ,

INTRODUCTION

There has been a lot of talk lately about the new Sig Sauer MCX Spear. However, there is also another version… Today, we are diving into a Sig Sauer MCX Spear LT review.

Having had a little experience with previous versions of the MCX I was excited to see this new variant. Today we will be looking at the Sig Sauer MCX Spear LT, which is an 11.5-inch 5.56 rifle, making it an SBR.

The MCX Spear is a short-stroke piston-operated carbine. It utilizes a spring and buffer system that is housed in the upper portion of the receiver. This has removed the classic AR-type rifle buffer tube where the butt stock was typically attached.

By removing the buffer tube, the role of the Spear can be further adapted to different uses. It can be removed entirely to be used as a “pistol,” or it can be fired with its folding butt stock folded to the side.

The MCX Spear uses many features and familiar parts for AR-15 owners, but I was surprised to see how many differences there were, even with parts that are shared.

The Spear brings with it the incredible adaptability that MCXs are known for and the robust reliability that Sig has rightfully retained. This newest member of the MCX family brings a lighter handguard with improved fasteners to increase rigidity.

Within the handguard is a lighter profile barrel to reduce the weight of the rifle. Inside the rifle’s receiver, there are ambidextrous controls with both safety and bolt-catch on either side of the rifle, and seated in the bottom is Sig’s Flatblade Match Trigger.

I’ve been a little bit of a Sig fan for a few decades, so I was very excited to play with this rifle, and after just a few minutes of handling it, I was hooked.

The quality of the rifle was apparent in every little thing I inspected. Outstanding craftsmanship and perfect lines that all matched up made the rifle incredibly pleasing.

SIG SAUER MCX SPEAR LT REVIEW

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber 5.56 Nato
Capacity 30 rounds
Barrel Length 11.5 inches
Barrel Twist 1-7 inches
Overall Length 29.5 inches
Width 2.9 inches
Height 7.5 inches
Weight 6.9 pounds
Muzzle Threads ½-28 TPI
Color FDE

PROS & CONS

PROS
  • No buffer tube, fires from folder or without stock
  • M Lok compatible
  • Short Stroke piston operating system
  • Very nice trigger
  • Quality controls all around
  • Adjustable gas block
  • Fully ambidextrous
  • Interchangeable barrel capacity
  • Multiple calibers (5.56, 300blk, 7.62×39)
  • Handsome as the day is long
CONS
  • Rokset muzzle device
  • SBR requires interaction with tyrannical government

ON THE RANGE TESTING

sig sauer mcx spear lt hands on test at range

The MCX Spear was begging to be shot, so I wasted no time.

We took the rifle to a local range which typically, for me, is a non-starter, but today I would make an exception. With an EOtech mounted on top, it was time to cook the tip of the Spear. Today we were shooting some Hornady Black 62 grain FMJ ammunition, which would work great in the MCX’s one in seven twist.

I played with the folding stock for a moment, if only to familiarize myself with it. Pushing on the button with a lifting motion released the dovetail lock of the stock.

With the stock folded off to the side, the rifle supremely compact; only a bullpup could have been much shorter and still maintain a reasonable barrel length.

Shooting the Spear like this would have been easy, but I couldn’t bring myself to shoot it like a pistol, especially after all the legwork of a form four.

With loaded magazines and open range I fired a few rounds, which were quite mild. Small caliber rifles of this size are a joy to shoot. I would have enjoyed it, even more, had Sig not used Rokset on the muzzle brake. Who would buy this thing only to run the factory flash-hider?

To be fair it would be someone with a Sig suppressor that mounts to the brake, but I am not that guy. So I was kind of chapped that it would have taken significantly more effort to remove the flash-hider, so I chose to leave it alone for now.

But I would have loved to shoot it suppressed to see how the rifle worked and if the dual gas settings were acceptable. The eleven-inch barrel definitely needed a flash hider because it launched some serious fireballs.

Shooting the MCS Spear was pleasant as can be, the Sig grip had a very comfortable angle, and the handguard filled the support hand too. The short size of the rifle can, at times, get your support hand a little close to the muzzle, another reason I would have liked to suppress it. The diminutive size of the rifle also made it easy to balance and maneuver.

sig sauer mcx spear lt hands on test at range jeff wood

The MCX Spear isn’t what I’d consider a precision rifle, nor would many folks imagine. That said it was easy to keep shots on target at one hundred yards with no magnification. After fudging with the holographic sight to get a dirty zero, it was easy to keep the shots within an inch or two of the point of aim.
I love the controls of the rifle. The safety was smooth and easily put into either position. The ambidextrous mag releases were right where I expected them and functioned with minimal effort. The ambi bolt-catch made for quick reloads using the trigger finger to send the bolt home after loading a fresh magazine.

It’s also handy for locking the bolt back for inspection or other purposes.

The other finishing touches of the MCX Spear were things like the steel QD sling cups that were fit into the different parts of the rifle. I even disassembled the rifle a bit to see how the piston system and barrel clamp worked.

The handguard was easily removed by two screws and a take-down pin. It slides on a tongue and groove with the monolith top rail of the upper receiver. Underneath, I found the barrel trunnion with two clamping screws; I tipped my hat clean off as I figured out the cunning design Sig had devised.
The two screws work dual purpose as they house a pair of jaws with a tapered face, and they marry an opposite tapered face on the front of the barrel extension. As the screws are tightened, the jaws draw the barrel extension tight into the barrel trunnion block.

Once snugged down, the screws’ second purpose begins to apply clamping force to each side of the split trunnion. Once tight, the barrel extension has been seated tightly against its mating face ensuring accurate head spacing. And the clamping force holds the barrel tight into place.

Besides its intricate manufacturing and design, the MCX Spear LT was just plain handsome! The Coyote finish is a beautiful shade, and the coatings of the other parts were equally immaculate. Every little thing seemed well thought out and executed, and after shooting over a hundred rounds on the first trip, I already loved this rifle.

RELIABILITY

During the course of several hundred rounds, the MCX Spear LT worked flawlessly. I experienced no malfunctions during testing.

ACCURACY

The Spear LT isn’t exactly made for precise shooting, but it is more than accurate enough for the typical duties of a short-barreled rifle.

OVERALL FEEL

You may have gathered by now that I am quite happy with this rifle. Everything about it feels good and aesthetically pleasing to my eyes. The coatings, finishes, and every little edge are cleaned up, and it functions as good as it looks.

FEATURES

BUFFER TUBELESS ACTION

The dual-spring buffer rides above the bolt carrier in the upper receiver, part of which hangs down to engage the top of the bolt carrier.

By moving the whole recoil operation into the upper receiver, the stock options of the rifle can be changed to near any configuration, or none at all. The already short Spear LT can be further shortened and fired with a folding stock.

AMBIDEXTROUS CONTROLS

The ambidextrous controls of the Spear LT are convenient regardless of your preferred shooting stance. My favorite part is the right-side bolt release, which makes it extremely easy to reload. As you insert a fresh magazine, you can immediately charge the rifle with your trigger finger while your support hand finds its way to the handguard.

With controls on both sides it makes the rifle even easier to operate and obviously much friendlier for left-handed shooters.

sig standard mcx vs mcx spear lt
On top is the SIG standard MCX compared to the MCX Spear LT on the bottom.

FOLDING BUTTSTOCK

The Sig folding buttstock attaches to a vertical pic rail at the back of the lower receiver. The simple construction of the stock appeals to the minimalist in me, with very few things to go wrong.

They even added a small polymer cover where your cheek might touch the stock, which was one of my complaints with the original MCX. Adding a steel sling cup to the back also gives you more sling options.

ADJUSTABLE GAS BLOCK

As I’d already mentioned, I wasn’t going to try and get the muzzle device off this rifle. Much to my dismay, as one of my favorite things to do is test suppressors on different rifles. I would have loved to see how the two-position gas block would have fared with a couple of different suppressors on it.

It is certainly nice to know that the option is there, though I don’t think it would be too hard for Sig to make a three or four-position to give a little more customization options.

LIGHTWEIGHT HANDGUARD

The lightweight handguard of the MCX Spear is comfortable and easy to work on.

MLok slots all over give the user many options to customize the rifle and put accessories where they want them. And if you choose to swap the barrel out of your rifle, the handguard is easily removed to allow access to the barrel trunnion and its clamping screws.

TRIGGER

sig sauer mcx spear lt close up trigger grip controls

The Flatblade match trigger in the Spear was outstanding. A much better trigger than I anticipated in an SBR, and it likely helped with accurate shooting.

This is the kind of trigger I would expect in a nice DMR-type rifle, and it was very welcome for me.

HOW WE TESTED

I shot the MCX Spear LT over a few range trips, using the aforementioned Hornady ammunition and some PMC Xtac 55-grain ammunition. For the majority of the shooting I used an EOTech holographic sight, which I might add is an excellent option to go with the Spear.

Shooting the rifle was mostly done at closer ranges, mainly because I think that’s where rifles of this configuration shine. Pulling the rifle out in a vehicle showed how handy the little SBR can be, and shooting it from the folded position also put its utility on display.

Reloading the rifle was smooth and seamless, mainly due to the ambi bolt-catch I already mentioned. The Pmags flowed in and out of the magwell through a great many reloads, and it felt like the kind of rifle you’d want in a gunfight, should such a thing happen.

AMMO USED

sig sauer mcx spear lt close up with Hornady black ammo

Hornady Black ammunition was used for the majority of my testing. The 62-grain load worked great in the rifle. I also used several boxes of the PMC Xtac 55-grain ammo and some Frontier 55 grain HP loads. All of them worked well, but the 62-grain load was for sure the best in this rifle.

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (10/10)

Rifle ran flawlessly for the duration of my testing.

ERGONOMICS (10/10)

With the customization utility of the MLok handguard, I think you could set this rifle up to be perfect for you. Out of the box, it is not bad at all, either.

CUSTOMIZATION (9/10)

The buttstock options, while awesome, are also slightly limited. I’m still mad bout the Rokset muzzle brake.

APPEARANCE (10/10)

Dead sexy. Nothing more to say.

VALUE (9/10)

The Spear LT is not inexpensive, with a street price of around $2500.00 it could be tough for many to justify. But if you were ever gonna splurge on an SBR, splurge here.

CONCLUSION

sig sauer mcx spear lt review

The Sig Sauer MCX Spear LT is an excellent choice for a defensive rifle, a sport rifle, or really for almost any other shooting activity suited for an SBR.

It brings Sig’s high quality and service standard to a very handsome and usable rifle without having the large footprint of a full-size rifle. If you are in the market for a good SBR that you’d want in a life-or-death situation, the MCX Spear LT would surely be at the top of my list.

Read the conclusion here…

Sig Sauer MCX 5.56

Product review, Shooting hardware, ,

You may have been hiding under a rock if you’ve not heard of the new Sig Sauer MCX Spear, the MCX family of rifles has been a popular stalwart in the Sig Sauer lineup for some time. The industry giant has been bringing all kinds of developments over the decades they have been manufacturing firearms, and the MCX is one of them. At a glance, the MCX appears to be just an AR-15, but a deeper look into the rifle will show something quite different.

The Dawn of Modern Sporting rifles

Since the first Stoner variant of the AR-15, a buffer tube protruding from the rear of the lower receiver has long been commonplace. The buffer tube serves two purposes; first it houses the buffer and spring which are vital parts of the function of the action, and second it serves as the base structure for the buttstock of the firearm. Buttstocks are typically attached around or to the buffer tube itself, which has dominated the design of all the various available buttstocks for AR patterned rifles.
The design of the MCX migrated the buffer spring and its associated hardware into the upper receiver, an in doing so has changed several aspects of the platform itself. Gone are the days of fitting your buttstock to the tube, in fact, you don’t even need a stock with the MCX. There are “pistol” configurations that don’t even utilize a buttstock.
This tubeless design makes the MCX stand out from the AR crowd, but there is more to this gun than just the buttstock.

The MCX

The MCX shares a great deal of parts with most AR-15 style rifles. Magazines, triggers, and such are compatible, but there are also plenty of differences. The bolt carrier in the MCX is driven forward by a pair of springs that ride just above the carrier inside the receiver. The charging handle also sandwiches into the same area as the recoil springs and bolt carrier. The handguard is attached to the upper receiver and features a very skeletonized keymod attachment section, newer models also have MLok compatible handguards. There is a small window in the front of the handguard to access the two-position gas valve.

Bolt carrier and receivers detail

The lower receiver is very similar to traditional AR lowers except where the buttstock attaches, and additionally features an extra magazine release on the left side of the receiver. There is also a small spring plunger mounted behind the trigger, it appears to be an accurizing add-on to reduce the play between upper and lower receivers. The buttstock itself is a skeletonized design with a built in folding hinge allowing the stock to be stowed to the side of the rifle, this of course doesn’t effect the operation of the rifle. All the mechanics of the operating system are contained within the receivers, so the rifle can fire regardless of the stock position.

Rangetime
As soon as I could, I prepared the MCX for the range. I mounted up a fresh Tango MSR scope also from Sig Sauer, the 1-8 power scope would be an excellent compliment to the MCX. I also grabbed a suppressor because I wanted to see how the rifle functioned suppressed. I packed up some PMC Xtac 55 grain ball ammo to shoot in the rifle, as well as a Magpul MS4 sling to use on the rifle. I also brought a couple assorted P-mags and GI magazines to try in the rifle.

After boresighting the scope, I cracked off the first few rounds and they were quite close to my point of aim. It only took minor adjustments to get the scope zeroed and then it was go time. Shooting the rifle at a hundred yards I quickly gained familiarity with both the rifle and scope, hits came easily as the MCX churned away smoothly. The weight felt surprisingly light, I believe they were advertised at six pounds though I think that is a little under what this one weighed naked.
The three-pronged flash hider seemed very effective at reducing muzzle flash, and the recoil of the 5.56 cartridge is very easy to handle in a rifle this size. The rifle was very comfortable in maneuvering and made for a very enjoyable time spending my money. I stretched the rifle out to the three-hundred yard line where I found it to be still quite accurate, I imagined an errant coyote who might have wandered into range would have been easily dispatched.
Shooting from P-mags and GI metal mags both functioned flawlessly as I would expect from this rifle, I figured it was time to install my suppressor to see how the rifle performed suppressed. This required removing the factory flash hider, and installing my suppressor mount. Sig uses a taper on many of their muzzle devices to aid in alignment, since I wasn’t using a Sig suppressor the taper was unneeded. I mounted up my Yankee Hill Machine Turbo 556 suppressor and went right back to town on the targets.

note handguard and gas valve detail

Suppressed shooting made the MCX really shine. The increased weight seemed to calm down the recoil impulse even further making it easy enough to spot my own hits at 200 yards. The reduced noise is always welcome, and hearing steel targets ring without hearing protection is always better.
Accuracy
Accuracy shown here from the MCX wasn’t spectacular, but I can certainly explain that. The included picture shows five shots from 55 grain PMC Xtac ammunition, it shot much better with Hornady Black 75 gr match but I didn’t get it on paper. Shooting from bags at one-hundred yards with an eight-power scope shivering in below freezing temps may not have given the MCX a fair shake. Continue Reading Here…


Sig Sauer Tango MSR 1-6×24 riflescope

Optics, Product review, , , ,

I’ve been on an LVPO kick for a while now, I find them to be very useful for a great many purposes. Despite my focus on precision and long range shooting, LVPO’s still make up a good portion of my optics selection. Today I want to take a look at a new to me LVPO, the Tango MSR from Sig Sauer Optics.

I have had a couple different experiences with Sig Sauer Optics starting with the Tango series of scopes as well as another LVPO the Tango 6T. I have really enjoyed these different scopes and largely I have had few problems with them, so when the opportunity to check out this Tango MSR I was very excited to get hands on it.

Out of the box
As I opened the box, I was glad to see that Sig even includes a quality ALPHA-MSR scope mount in the box. That easily narrowed down my mounting decisions.
I will say I was surprised with everything included with the scope, and I’ll be honest that going in I had only a vague idea of the price of this scope. The mount, the typical tools that come with it, battery for the illuminated reticle, and some quality flip caps were also included. They are branded Sig but look to be either Tenebrex or a really close knockoff, either way they are very nice and lay flat against the scope when open. The MSR also includes a throw lever or “cattail” as its often called, this is handy for quick adjustments of the magnification.
The Tango MSR is a second focal plane scope, that means the reticle stays the same regardless of magnification setting. The scope adjustment turrets are MOA and have .5 MOA clicks, the scope body has a centerline painted on the exterior of the tube, to help ensure level mounting I believe and it surely did that. In a very short time I had the scope married to it’s mount and ready to install on a rifle.

The Tango MSR was a perfect fit for the Sig MCX
First Shots
I happened to have a Sig MCX rifle in hand at the time, it seemed like a perfect fit for the MSR. I was more correct than I could have known. I dropped the scope onto the pic rail of the MCX, and off to the range we went. The MSR seemed to be made for the MCX as I didnt even need to adjust the scope for a good zero, I just started shooting and everything lined up like they came from the factory that way.
I spent some time shooting the rifle at fairly close distances inside two-hundred yards, but I also utilized the reticle for a few extended distances. The reticle features a typical upside down horseshoe type reticle, with several drop points and wind holds. The name suggests that the MSR is designed specifically for Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR), and the BDC6 reticle is calibrated for the most popular MSR cartridge the 5.56 Nato.

As I mentioned earlier, I purposely didn’t look at the price of this scope before reviewing it. I was previously very pleased with the optical quality of the Tango 6T, this Tango MSR is not quite as high quality, but still very clean and clear. I was surprised to see the price point after playing with it, I would have expected it to come in the 600-800 dollar range. But for the MSRP of $422.99 I think this scope is a great value.
Testing turret values

I also bolted down the mounted scope to a bench, and measured the turret values against the reticle values which all checked out. The reticle values are handy to keep in mind, or you can refer to the owners manual where they are listed. It may not line up perfectly with the drop of your particular ammunition and atmosphere, this is why I typically don’t care for calibrated reticles. That said, if you know what value they represent you can use them for all kinds of shots and hold overs.
note MOA values of the BDC6 Reticle

Pros & Cons
In my opinion, the Tango MSR is a great little scope for its intended purpose. The optical clarity is great, the magnification ring is quick to adjust and its throw lever helps make it even better. The 1X power setting allows for easy both eyes open aiming, without straining to focus. The quality accessories that are included also greatly add to the value of this scope, the mount is a perfect match for the scope as are the the scope caps.
The only thing I would change about the scope is probably the reticle, I’m not a big fan of the horseshoe type reticles. Though it does have lots of detail to allow holdovers and windage etc. which makes it certainly a very useable reticle. I also wouldn’t mind having an MRAD version of the MSR, but to be perfectly fair it’s not the type of scope you’ll be dialing all over with so it’s probably fine.

The Sig Sauer Tango MSR is a great little scope. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for an LVPO in this price range, it has a great deal of value added as well as performance capability.

-CBM

Sig Sauer Kilo 10K Binoculars

Optics, Product review, , , ,

I’ve been severely hooked on both hunting and long range shooting for more than a few decades, so laser rangefinders are nothing new to me. I still remember saving up what seemed like an eternity to purchase my first one, an LRF I could barely afford but would actually hit a thousand yards and beyond reliably. All these years later my laser has migrated into a good pair of bino’s which are a must have for spotting animals in these Rocky Mountains. But the me from twenty years ago would never believe just how much else has migrated into the binoculars I carry.

Sig Sauer Optics
Sig Sauer jumped into the optics market with both feet, and like their products or not they have been innovating all over the optics world. They worked hard enough to earn my business a few years back when I bought one of their Tango 6 5-30 riflescopes. I have had the good fortune to sample a broad spectrum of Sig Sauer’s Electro-optics, enough so to become quite confident in giving them more hard earned money. The Kilo 10K is that latest purchase, a pair of consumer grade binoculars that feature arguably military grade functions. I decided that I was due an upgrade, and spent the money.

The Kilo 10K Binoculars
I have been using another pair of 10X42’s for the last few years, but a friend bought a pair of the Kilo 3000 binoculars and I quickly noticed they seemed better to my eyes than the binos I was using. The Kilo 10K is a significant upgrade from the 3000 model, with so many features I’ll have to keep it short to avoid this page taking all day to load.
Besides Sig’s standard features such as their Ballistic Data Exchange (BDX) and their various lens coatings and armor, the real juicy details are all encoded inside. The Kilo utilizes second generation Lightwave DSP ranging engine that has various ranging functions that allow you to range reflective targets as far as 10,000 yards away. I was dang sure gonna try that out.

Some of the data displayed in the Kilo 10K Heads up display

The onboard system also has all the sensors needed to calculate real time ballistics via Applied Ballistics Elite ballistic calculator, and instead of pairing to your phone application the Kilo does it all inside and gives you an incredible array of information right in front of your eyes. All this without ever taking your eyes off the target.
The internal systems of the Kilo also have compass and GPS functions, you can see compass headings and such right in the binocular heads up display, angles of incline are also displayed. And you can mark waypoints in your travels using the Basemap application.
The aforementioned Applied Ballistics (AB) software allows you to store up to 25 different profiles in the binoculars using their complete bullet library, so you can always have you favorite load cued up. The Kilo 10K reads all the relevant atmosphere information to give you a corrected firing solution with current density altitude conditions, and even includes a wind meter for accurate wind speed measurement.

Lets Figure this out
I was a bit apprehensive about having the brainpower to figure out and run everything the Kilo 10K offered. After reading through the manual a few times, I was less so.

The Kilo can be configured using the buttons controlling it, or using the BDX phone application. I went about changing a few of the settings to better fit what I thought I would like, it didn’t take long to figure out. The menu allows easy switching from meters and yards, as well as MOA to MRAD. The onboard sensors provide the air pressure, temperature and humidity. You can configure the system to automatically measure the temperature or you can input the temp manually if selected. You can also select manual input of other atmospheric data using the app on your phone.
The heads up display on the Kilo 10K is incredibly informative, giving you distance (both actual and angle corrected) shooting angles, and wind corrections as dictated by the bluetooth connected wind meter. I was very please to see that even a milling reticle can be chosen to aid in spotting for corrections.

Ballistic data is displayed both through the binoculars as well as on the phone display, this could enhance a fire teams ability to make quick shots

After several trips into the hills to simply play with and look through the Kilo 10K, I decided it was time to get serious.
I replaced the factory preset data that came set for a .308 175gr SMK, and entered in all the data for the 6mm GT I was planning on shooting. All the data is easily entered via the BDX app, and no sooner had I input my data, the Kilo synced everything up with the tap of a button.

The AB calculator uses a bluetooth wind-speed anemometer to capture the speed of the wind, temperature, humidity, angles, and all the other pertinent information is captured and fed into the system. One slight complaint I had was from the wind meter itself, it measures the wind just fine. But the direction of the wind has to be put in either through the app on your phone (faster) or you can also do it through a quick access menu on the Kilo itself. The quick switching nature of the wind makes me wonder how challenging that data point might be to maintain accurate. I was hoping there was a way to index the wind direction using the compass heading from the GPS.

There are a great deal of customizable options to change how the data is conjured before your eye. The heads up display menu was clear and quick to cycle through despite having to do everything using only the two external buttons on the binos. I have used AB for some time, so my confidence in the ballistic calculations were good. I wanted to see how the interface with the Kilo lined up, to see if it was as simple as point, laze, and shoot.

Hunting Country
On a blustery summer evening, I made my way into the Wasatch Mountains to do some additional testing of the Kilo’s capabilities. The storm front threatened to bring rain, but for the most part all I got was gloomy cloud cover. The high winds carried a visible amount of dust and debris, which had me concerned at how well the laser would reach. But I was quite surprised to see the Kilo light up with just over five-thousand yards, over two-point-eight miles away.
I decided to hit something even further still away, from my perch at over six-thousand feet (9,189 DA according to the Kilo) I could see my house below. I figured the siding would be reflective enough to hit at significant distance, so I pressed the button until it came back with a reading, and it did several times. Nine-thousand three hundred and fifty-one yards it read, that’s five point three miles away as the crow flies. I checked my Basemap app, to see that the waypoint popped up marking my house. Had I needed to, I could have just walked home in the dark using the Basemap as a guide.

I did some truing of the data in AB for my 6GT load to see that it lined up with confirmed data I already had saved. It was absolutely brilliant to see a firing solution populate in a second or so, with almost all the data I needed to make the shot. The GT shoots very well out to fifteen hundred yards or so, and I wanted to see how quick I could go from spotting targets to seeing impacts at various distances. So I played my mock hunting game where a suitable sized target is picked out, and I engaged it as fast as possible as if it were escaping. The trued data from AB via the Kilo lined up beautifully, allowing me to make hit after hit with minimal delays between shots.
If the system was utilized between a shooter and spotter team, you could put an amazing rate of fire on targets. With a spotter using the Kilo, you could range targets and have the firing solution show up on the shooters phone screen without so much as saying a word. Both could see the live data displayed, and as soon as the next target is identified that data would pop up on the shooter’s screen. You can even actuate the rangefinder from your phone through the app. Once paired, you can touch the range button on your phone screen to activate the rangefinder remotely.
I created a second profile for my favorite twenty-two inch 6.5 Creedmoor, just to see how to cycle between profiles. As with other operations inside the Kilo, it was quick to pull up the menu and switch between profiles and other settings. As I used the internal menu of the Kilo I got much better at changing rapidly the settings. Continue Reading Here…

Why Classic Sig Sauer pistols are still great

pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware, , , , , , , ,

Sig Sauer perhaps leads the market with a plethora of new firearm products every year, and of course among those many items are their always popular pistols like the Legion series and the countless models of the P320. With all these hot releases and choices, it can be easy to forget some of the old standby pistols that Sig has made in the past. At the risk of sounding like the old guy trying to convince you to trade your Glock for a 1911, today I’m here to tell you about a few classic Sig pistols and why they deserve your time.

The P220
The P220 is an aluminum framed single stack pistol, chambered in the Automatic Colt Pistol caliber .45. It uses a double action (DA) trigger and an magazine with room for eight rounds. As with many of the older Sig pistols, this P220 is safety-less. The controls are extremely simple using only a trigger, slide-lock, and a de-cocking lever to safely lower the hammer. The mag release is in the traditional spot, all these controls are comprehensive and easily manipulated. It also has a low-slung accessory rail up front for installing weapon lights.

This P220 happens to be one of the fancy German made ones, and it also features a threaded barrel for installing a suppressor. I intended on running my Silencerco Octane 45 to see how they played together. With a few boxes of 230 grain ball ammo, the 220 and the Octane in hand I hit one of my shooting spots.
I don’t shoot much .45ACP very often, but it sure felt powerful coming out of this Sig. The full-size pistol felt perfect in my hands, its grip and angle match my natural point of aim. Hitting targets with the heavy and slow bullets was very enjoyable, even more so once I installed the suppressor. The naturally subsonic bullets of the 45 made shooting the suppressed P220 pure joy, I could have perhaps benefitted from taller sights but had no problem hitting what I aimed at.

The P220 has everything from classic firepower to the iconic looks of a service grade pistol. The trigger still feels fantastic all these years later, and the pistol’s function was flawless. The gun is obviously a little heavier than more modern pistols, and everyone but the old 1911 guy would probably like more magazine capacity. But despite those few things, I absolutely love this pistol. The heavy weight tames the movement of the gun significantly, making it smooth and deliberate in every motion.

The P239
One of the reasons that the P220 was so easy and familiar to me, was that it has the identical controls and design as my P239. I bought this pistol shortly after Y2K for those old people out there who remember phones with cords, though none of that had anything to do with my purchase. I bought the P239 because I was a freshly minted CCW carrier, and my taste then was just as good as it is now. Years later I found while reading that the P239 was frequently used as a concealable or backup pistol by agents and SEALs.

Much like the P220, the P239 is a single-stack aluminum framed DA pistol. The aforementioned identical controls are easily manipulated, and the only changes made over the last two decades has been a Hogue grip. The soft edges of the pistol and its low profile sights make it an easy option to conceal and draw.

I’ve carried the P239 for nearly half of my life, so nothing could feel more comfortable to me when shooting. And like it always does, the 239 functioned flawlessly during my latest trip afield. Shooting both 115 and 124 grain ammo, the P239 was right at home hammering targets. The eight-round magazines are solid and easily changed, and having several of them made reloads and multiple engagements quite fun. My wife who is significantly more petite than I also found the P239 to be easily handled and fun to shoot.

I typically carry this gun with the hammer down, which is easily done using these pistols. One need only pull the trigger whilst whistling Dixie. Both the 239 and 220 proved to be quite accurate, but the P239 and I have pulled off some near unbelievable shots over the years. Including the decapitation of a rodent on the first shot from sixty-nine yards, whether you believe that or not, you can certainly count on this gun shooting accurately.

The Mosquito
Before the P322, there was a Mosquito. The Mosquito is a .22LR chambered pistol that basically mimics the P series of pistols. It does use a polymer frame however, with an alloy slide and this one does have a safety. Not sure why, perhaps due to the idea that it may be used by young shooters. Other than the safety, the Mosquito is again identical in its controls and function to the other two pistols mentioned here. It does feature a pic rail for adding your favorite accessories under the front. The single-stack ten-round magazine is familiar and simple, much like every other 22 pistol from that era. Continue Reading Here…

Sig Sauer Tango 6T 1-6

Optics, Product review, , , , ,

Low Power Variable Optics (LVPO’s) have been flooding through the firearm market for years now, likely due to the proliferation of medium-range carbines. It didn’t take long for shooters to realize the value of variable low power optics, but what makes an LVPO shine over another?

Sig Sauer has long been a big name in the firearms industry, I’ve been a big fan as long as I’ve been a gun owner. So it came as no surprise several years ago when Sig brought their own line of optics to market. What was a surprise, at least to me, was how invested I would get.

My first Sig optics was a Tango 6 5-30, a high powered riflescope with all of Sig Sauer’s bells and whistles. It has been a great scope for several years, and still enjoys its place on one of my favorite rifles.

The 6T features Sig’s high quality, clear lenses for which they are well known. The 1-6 power 6T features a 30mm tube and a front focal plane 5.56/7.62mm/300 Blackout Horseshoe Dot ballistic reticle with illumination. There are a couple of different configurations for the 6T, the one I ordered came in Flat Dark Earth only. It also features a line lengthwise down the side of the tube, which eases the scope’s mounting by giving a reference point. This allows users to evenly seat the scope in the rings. A “cattail,” or clamp-on handle, gives the user better purchase when adjusting the magnification setting.

I mounted the Tango 6T in the Strike Industries ASM mount, an adjustable scope mount that can cantilever the optic out to several different positions. After mounting the scope, it was time to zero it — an easy task using the finger adjustable turrets. When not in use, the turrets are capped. I installed the CR2032 battery into the illumination turret and lit up the Horseshoe reticle. The 8-position rheostat has an off setting between each number and a push-pull lock to avoid accidental adjustment.

On the Range
My first impression on the range was the image. My eyes were swept from their sockets by the crystal clear and bright image. I am more of a 1-8 fan than a 1-6, but this 1-6 is so beautiful I would have a hard time turning it down for more magnification. The Tango 6T has parallax set to 150-meters, so shooting targets further out isn’t a problem.

This was very convenient because I ran the Tango 6T on two different rifles, both capable downrange performers. I first mounted the scope on the Armalite M-15 Comp Rifle, a match-grade competition rifle built specifically for 3-Gun. I found the M-15 to be very accurate, and with the Tango 6T mounted, it was a nearly unstoppable setup. The low power setting of the Sig made closer targets easy to engage accurately with both eyes open. Zooming in to 6X gave me enough magnification to pick out distant targets, while the Horseshoe reticle offered handy hold points for those distances.

I never expect ballistic reticles to match perfectly. It’s nearly impossible unless you are shooting the same ammunition in the same conditions as those who designed the reticle — the same goes for custom scope turrets. The good news is that it’s pretty close. Modern flat-shooting cartridges have a fairly similar trajectory so drop points on the reticle are close enough to be useful.

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Sig Sauer Kilo 3000 BDX Binoculars

Optics, Product review, , , ,

Every hunting or shooting trip has a list of essentials, and at the very top of that gear list you’ll find things such as guns and bullets. But for many of us, it’s not very far down that list that you’ll find binoculars and rangefinder. Today we are discussing the Sig Sauer Kilo 3000 binoculars, which bring the laser rangefinder and binoculars onto the same line.
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Sig Sauer Tango Series Electro Optic

Optics, Product review, , , , ,

When a company like Sig Sauer jumps into the optics market, paying attention is a must. I was more than happy to get my hands on a couple specimens early on, and I was very happy with my purchase.
The Sig Sauer Tango line of optics is marketed towards precision shooters, long-range shooters, and hunters, as well as tactical marksmen in the LE/MIL community. I’ve been exposed to quite a few good optics in that realm, so I wanted to see how Sig stacked up.

For the purpose of this article, I will be comparing two of the Tango series of riflescopes. One is the Tango 4 which is a 4-16X44, the other is a Tango 6 5-30X56. The comparison will simply be an evaluation as these scopes are peers of different levels and price points.

The Tango 6 seen on my Desert Tech MDR 6.5 Creedmoor

Features
For starters, let’s look at the features they share, then we will look at them individually.
All Tango series scopes feature Sig’s HDX coated lenses for optimal light transfer, waterproofing, Lock-Down turrets, and one free laser-etched turret that is matched to your custom load data and atmospheric conditions.
Both the T4 and T6 are Front Focal Plane (FFP) optics, which means the reticle is placed after the magnifier inside the scope. This means the reticle will grow and shrink with the magnification setting. I prefer this configuration as it makes reticle usage more uniform, regardless of the power ring setting.
Both scopes are available with the MRAD/Moa milling reticle, or the Mrad/Moa DEV-L reticle, for those that prefer one system over the other.
The T4 and T6 also have the available MOTAC™ (Motion Activated Illumination) that initiates when motion is detected and shuts off when motionless.

The differences between the two scope are probably where most people are going to make a choice. The T4 is a 4X scope, and the T6 is a 6X, the T6 allows a wider choice of magnification from 5X all the way up to 30X. The T6 also has a larger diameter tube, it’s 34MM tube allows the T6 a greater internal adjustment range. To this larger tube is owed the 12 MRAD (30 MOA) per revolution of the turret. The slightly smaller T4 has a 10 MRAD (25 MOA) of adjustment per revolution of the turret. The 4X magnification on the T4 also gives it a shorter magnification range of 4-14, depending on your application these two different ranges of adjustment could make your choice for you.

The Tango 4 mounted to my Tikka T3 25 Creedmoor

The T6 that I purchased, also features Sig’s Level-Plex anti-cant system. It is a digital system that uses internal sensors to tell you when the scope is level or not. When engaged (by pushing the outer end of the parallax turret) there are two small illuminated arrows visible through the reticle. You simply adjust the cant of your rifle following the indicators, and when the rifle is level the indicators go dark, showing that the rifle is level. It is a simple and very quick to use system.

On the Range

Turret and other control detail on the Tango 6

Shooting the Tango 4 and 6 made me like them even more. The overall clarity of both scopes was very good, and the bright images made target acquisition and spotting hits and misses a piece of cake. Whether in the bright midday sun or in the waning light of evening, I found the scopes presented more than a satisfactory image.
I did find that for shooting groups that I really appreciated the 30 power magnification of the T6, and the DEV-L reticle provided very precise measurements for both corrections and wind holds. The simpler MRAD Milling reticle in the T4 was also very useful for those who might want a reticle that isn’t so busy. And the lower magnification of the T4 made it a great option for my hunting rifle. Lighter, smaller, and easier to quickly bring onto target.
The process of zeroing the scopes, and setting the zero stop was simple, quick, and effective. In no time I had them zeroed, and was dialing them up and down for distant shots. The Level-Plex system on the T6 proved to be very handy in the field, a simple push of a button engages it, and I never had to take my eye off the target. And it turns itself off after a few minutes. I also like the locking turrets on the scopes, raising them unlocks the turret for smooth rotation, and once set, you can push them back down to lock them in place and avoid accidental adjustments.
If I had to say I didn’t like anything about the scopes, it would probably be regarding the sliding up and down of the turret. I have no basis to prove this theory other than feel, but it seems that when the turret is raised it is not as firmly supported. It feels as if you were to knock it against something hard in the up/unlocked position it could be easily broken. Again, I have no evidence to prove that, it is just a simple observation. To be fair it feels rock-solid when it is down in the locked position.
Perhaps the only other gripe I have is likely a simple defect that is easily repaired. The two fiber optic illuminators that indicate the setting on the power ring seemed to be poorly mounted on my T6. One of them came out and was lost, not a big deal, but something worth noting. I usually don’t focus too hard on the actual setting of the magnification ring anyways, I just adjust it till it looks right to my eye, and shoot.

Conclusion

I think that both of these Sig Sauer optics are fantastic scopes, they definitely come in at two different price points so you can pick one the one that best fits your budget. The T4 at its $719.99 MSRP is a great competitor for the sub $1000 FFP Milling reticle scope market, I think it would compete very well against any scope in that group. The larger and much more expensive T6 MSRP $3,119.99 (as tested) is in another group altogether. I would say pending a few more hard trips into the rugged mountains, and it surviving the beating therein, I would put it against any scope in the 2k to 3k dollar range. The quality is there for sure, the only concern I have yet is with durability over time, but so far I have no reason to think it won’t
clear that hurdle as well. It is quite clear that the engineers at Sig Sauer Electro-Optics took great care in every little feature, whether it is the griping surfaces of adjustment knobs, or something as simple as aesthetic angles and accessories. And with an unlimited lifetime warranty, you can confidently put one of these scopes to work today.

-CBM