First Look: Springfield Armory Saint Edge AR-15

Springfield Armory enhanced its AR-15 offerings again in 2017, thanks to the introduction of the new Saint Edge AR-15, loaded with a number of exclusive features designed to provide enthusiasts with a high-performance rifle capable of tackling home defense, range plinking and competition use.

"The Saint Edge is a tight, light, fast-handling machine that operators can count on—the most advanced AR-15 we’ve ever built." Springfield Armory CEO Dennis Reese said. "It’s a high quality, performance-based rifle with premium options built in—you don’t have to swap out features to upgrade it. We believe that, shot for shot, dollar for dollar, it’s the best you can get.”

Like the other Saint AR-15 rifles in the company's lineup, the Springfield Armory Saint Edge is built with upper and lower receivers machined from 7075 T6 billet aluminum. Each receiver features the company's specially designed Accu-Tite adjustment system, which eliminates movement between the upper and lower, ensuring that there's no rattle when users move with the rifle.

Springfield Armory mated a 16-inch barrel to the upper receiver, which is machined from chrome-moly vanadium steel and treated with a Melonite finish designed to ward off corrosion and wear. The barrel features an optimized 1:8-inch rate of twist designed to perform well with a variety of 5.56 NATO ammo option available on the market.

The muzzle is topped off with a proprietary muzzle brake that's designed specifically for the Springfield Armory Edge AR-15. It's a lightweight design that features larger ports and baffle plates, giving shooters the ability to recover quickly from recoil in order to put follow-up shots on-target faster and easier than ever.

Surrounding the barrel is a free-float handguard machined from aluminum that's developed solely for use on the Saint lineup and cannot be found anywhere else on the market. The handguard hides a mid-length, pinned, adjustable gas block that allows users to fine-tune their rifle's operation for specific ammo choices or for suppressor use. Other features of the handguard include full M-Lok compatibility, as well as quick-detach sling-swivel mounting points.

Inside the receiver, owners will find a Melonite-treated M16 bolt-carrier group, which uses a bolt machined from 9310 steel that exceeds military specifications. Users will also find a single-stage trigger design exclusive to Springfield Armory, featuring Melonite-treated components designed to provide a smooth, crisp trigger response for rapid, accurate shooting at the range.

Other features of the new Springfield Armory Saint Edge AR-15 include a Bravo Company Manufacturing Mod 3 pistol grip and a Mod 0 SopMod buttstock. The suggested retail price on the new Saint Edge AR-15 is $1,299.