First Look: Savage Arms MSR Competition Rifles

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posted on April 23, 2018
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Savage Arms rocked the firearm industry with the introduction of an entire line of modern sporting rifles at the end of 2016, signaling a departure for a company focused mostly on bolt-action rifles until the introduction. In spring, 2018, the company expanded the MSR lineup even further with the launch of two new rifles: The Savage Arms MSR-15 and MSR-10 Competition rifles.

Unlike the company's first lineup of AR-style rifles, like the MSR-15 Recon reviewed here, these two new models were a collaborative effort between two companies: Savage and Proof Research. In combining the expertise from each team, both companies were able to turn out a competition-ready platform with a barrel that was purpose-built for use in this particular rifle.

The Savage MSR-15 Competition rifle is constructed around an 18-inch Proof Research barrel, which features a rifled stainless-steel core that's wrapped in carbon fiber to provide a strong, lightweight platform. The barrel is topped with a Savage-designed muzzle brake, which can be tuned to further stabilize the rifle's recoil impulse, thereby keeping the gun on target for quick follow-up shots. The rifle is equipped with a custom-designed adjustable gas block that allows users to tune the semi-automatic operating system for a range of bullet weights or for use with a suppressor.

Like the company's other modern sporting rifles, the Savage MSR-15 Competition is built with custom-forged upper and lower receivers, which are finished with a hard-anodized coating. The upper receiver features a non-reciprocating charging handle located on the left-hand side of the rifle, offering an easy charging point that, until now, was only found on the company's MSR-10 Long Range model. Other stand-out features of the design includes an ambidextrous safety selector, quick-detach receiver end plate and flared magazine well, all with a unique red-anodized finish.

The Savage MSR-10 Competition HD rifle, like the MSR-15 model, features an 18-inch Proof Research Barrel with a 1:10-inch rate of twist and a ported, tunable muzzle brake that can be optimized by the end user. The rifle features the same adjustable gas block designed for optimization with different ammunition and for suppressor usage. Inside the carbon fiber-wrapped barrel, users will find the accuracy-enhancing 5R rifling that contributed to the precision provided in the company's original lineup of MSRs. The MSR-10 Competition model also features the same support-side charging handle as the MSR-15, as well as red-anodized enhancements.

Each Savage Arms MSR Competition rifle is equipped with a two-stage trigger, with the first stage breaking at 2.5 pounds and the second stage breaking at 4 pounds. The rifles are equipped with a Magpul CTR collapsible stock, a nickel-boron bolt-carrier group and a Hogue pistol grip. The Savage MSR-15 Competition can be had in either .223 Rem. (1:8-inch) or .224 Valkyrie (1:7-inch), while the MSR-10 Competition is available in .308 Win. only. The MSR-15 weighs in at 7.9 pounds, and the MSR-10 weighs in at 9.05 pounds.

The suggested retail price on the Savage MSR Competition rifles starts at $2,875 for the MSR-15 models and $3,449 for the MSR-10 model.

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