First off, I want to stress that we had plenty of ammunition with us when we arrived at the range, but the weather was not exactly cooperative with us, so we weren't able to stay on the firing line as long as we had hoped. The temperature was around 38*F, the sky was cloudy, and there was rain throughout the day. Our total round count was relatively low, but we were able to get a decent feel for the weapons we brought along for the trip.
I also want to explain why I'm using one article for this Range Report. We were running at a steady but rather fast pace, so instead of spending some quality time with each of the firearms, we basically familiarized ourselves with each weapon, and moved on to the next. This offered very little in the way of reliability testing, but it was a great opportunity to compare the weapons to each other side-by-side.
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| Top: DPMS/Panther Arms AR15; Bottom (from left): Ruger GP100, Sig Sauer P220, Springfield XD45 |
These are the firearms we had in our arsenal at the range. We have already written "First Look" articles for all but the Ruger, so if you'd like to see the original articles, click on the name of the firearm.
-DPMS/Panther Arms AR15 6.8 SPC
-Springfield XD 45
-Sig Sauer P220
-Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum
DPMS/Panther Arms AR15 6.8 SPC
I'll start with the DPMS AR15, from my personal collection. Honestly, this is one of the nicest rifles I've taken to the range. The recoil is minimal, thanks to the design of the recoil buffer spring. Even chambered in 6.8 SPC, the recoil is comparable to the 5.56 NATO/.223 Caliber round. Accuracy is excellent, although the longest shot I was able to take was about 75 meters. I was using an optic on the rifle today, a Simmons 9x20 that came with it, and I really can't go into much detail regarding the accuracy of the optic, but I was able to achieve a tight shot group with both the optic and iron sights, within 3" at 75 meters. I'll admit, I was a bit out of practice, and with the optic mounted, consistently firing using the equipped iron sights is nearly impossible, but I can say I was impressed with how tight the shot group was. The trigger pull was a little on the heavy side, but the trigger break was crisp, and for being the factory trigger assembly, it wasn't bad. Overall, I was very impressed with the rifle. I only fired 20 rounds through the rifle, but every single round hit it's intended target. If I were to improve on the rifle, however, I would replace the trigger assembly with something a little lighter.
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| Springfield XD45 Full Size w/ 4" Barrel |
Springfield XD .45 ACP
Next up is the Springfield XD45. This particular pistol is also from my personal collection. It's a full-frame pistol with a 4" barrel. I've fired around 100 rounds through the pistol since I purchased it last year, and I haven't experienced any malfunctions yet. Today, we only put four 13-round magazines through the pistol. We were firing factory loaded Federal target ammunition. Our distance from the target varied, we started close (about 10 meters) for a few familiarization rounds, and moved away to a distance of around 17 meters for the remainder of our time at the range. The trigger pull was smooth, but a little heavier than I would have liked. I found myself anticipating the break a little more than I'd like. The factory sights were easy to use, and very accurate. We had no malfunctions while we were at the range.
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| Sig Sauer P220 |
Sig Sauer P220 .45 ACP
Moving out of my own collection, the next weapon we tested was the Sig Sauer P220 in .45 ACP. This particular pistol was bought used, but has been gone through by the folks at Sig Sauer, and has been equipped with Tritium night sights and a Hogue rubber grip. The sights are easy to use, both day and night, and the pistol is every bit as accurate as the others tested here. The weight of the weapon is manageable and well balanced. This is a single-stack pistol, so you sacrifice round capacity, with magazines that only hold 8 rounds of .45 as opposed to the 13 round magazine of the Springfield. Where the Sig shines, however, is in firing. The recoil is less "snappy" than that of the XD, mostly due to the added weight and structural rigidity of the aluminum frame. The trigger pull is light, and the break is extremely smooth. Firing the P220 was a treat, all of the aspects of the pistol, the weight, trigger pull, balance, they all come into play while you are on the firing line. Everything comes together when you squeeze the trigger. The break is so smooth, you almost don't get a chance to anticipate the shot. Combine this with the light trigger pull, and firing the Sig is nearly effortless. I really can't accurately describe the experience of firing the Sig P220 in words, but I can say that if you get the chance to spend some time with one at the range, take advantage of it. As I mentioned, the magazine capacity is a bit of a letdown, the pistol's width is similar to that of a double-stack pistol. I have grown accustomed to the 13+1 capacity of the Springfield, and if the Sig were available in a double stack configuration, I would strongly entertain the idea of purchasing one as a replacement for the Springfield. The Sig was a pleasure to shoot, and although we only put about 5 magazines through it, it handled all of them without a hiccup.
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| Ruger GP100 with 4" barrel |
Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum
Last, but certainly not least, the Ruger GP100, specifically the 4" barrel model. This is the only revolver we have tested to date, and it was definitely impressive. Now, this firearm isn't going to win any contests for it's capacity (6 rounds), the sights are adequate, but not as easy to acquire a target with as those of the Sig or the Springfield. This pistol is heavier than the other two as well, but it's really not fair to compare it to the more modern design of the semi-automatics reviewed above. Firing this pistol was a treat as well, the trigger pull was the lightest of the three pistols we tested today, with a trigger break similar to the Sig. Again, there really isn't a chance to anticipate the break, so the pistol stays on target throughout the trigger pull. Since we were testing accuracy more than anything, we fired the pistol single-action only, cocking the hammer before every shot. As with any Single/Double Action pistol, the trigger pull and break point are drastically different between single and double action. All of our shots landed on target, although the grouping was rather large, given the somewhat archaic factory sights. The addition of 3 simple dots on the front and rear sights would have increased vertical accuracy substantially. Overall, the GP100 was a pleasure to shoot, and although it is a completely different experience than the more modern semi-automatic pistols, the Ruger still serves a purpose, and I fully intend on adding one of these great revolvers to my collection in the future.
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| From Left: Springfield XD45, Sig Sauer P220, Ruger GP100 |
Stay tuned for a "First Look" article on the Ruger GP100, as well as some picture-heavy updates after I get these four weapons taken apart for cleaning tomorrow.
If you would like to see a specific weapon reviewed, please leave a comment below, and I will try to get my hands on it for a "First Look" article.
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