First Look: Savage Arms MSR-15 Valkyrie

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posted on December 15, 2017
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Savage Arms announced the launch of its new MSR-15 Valkyrie rifle, tailor-made to allow consumers to take advantage of the new .224 Valkyrie round developed by Federal Premium. The new rifle is designed to ensure that users get the full benefits of the new cartridge, thanks to several special features.

Savage Arms' MSR-15 Valkyrie rifle is based on the company's earlier MSR-15 Recon platform and is ready-made for competition use and is constructed on the same compact MSR-15 upper and lower used in the company's popular MSR lineup. One special feature of the receivers used on the new Valkyrie rifle is the inclusion of a special Elite Series Cerakote finish, giving the rifle a durable, rugged finish that can stand up to any harsh environment.

The Cerakote-finished receivers are paired up with an 18-inch barrel featuring a 1:7-inch twist rate, which is optimized for the new .224-caliber projectile. The barrel is machined with the company's innovative 5R rifling system known to provide enhanced accuracy. This is the same rifling used on the company's MSR-15 Recon reviewed earlier in 2017 by Shooting Illustrated. Other features of the barrel include a 1/2x28 TPI threaded muzzle complete with a muzzle brake for added recoil reduction.

Allowing users to fine-tune the performance of their rifle is a priority for the company, so the Savage Arms MSR-15 Valkyrie uses a mid-length gas system combined with an adjustable gas block that enables owners to adjust the gas flow for optimum performance for a range of cartridges. The barrel and gas system are surrounded by a Cerakote-finished M-Lok-compatible handguard based on the same slim fore-end design used on the company's MSR-15 Recon. The handguard provides a continuous Picatinny top rail that ensures flexibility in mounting optics and other accessories.

Other furniture features on the new Valkyrie rifle include a Hogue pistol grip and a Magpul UBR Gen 2 adjustable stock. The gun is equipped with a two-stage improved mil-spec trigger. Spec-wise, the rifle measures 35.5 inches with the stock fully collapsed and weighs in at 7.88 pounds. Due to the larger size of the 6.8 SPC-based .224 Valkyrie case body, magazine capacity tops off at 25 rounds. The suggested retail price on the rifle is $1,499.

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