Springfield Armory introduces the SAINT Edge Pistol
Springfield Armory's new SAINT Edge Pistol in 5.56mm combines the most popular features of the SAINT Edge rifle with the compact shootability of a pistol platform, allowing for maximum portability and ease of use in close quarters
The Springfield Armory company is a relatively new comer to the AR-15 market, having launched its first AR-style modern sporting rifle (the SAINT) in November 2016 and its first AR-15 based pistol – aptly dubbed the SAINT AR-15 Pistol – just short of one year later.
New for late 2018 and freshly announced, the Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol is the Company's second entry in this increasingly popular category of firearms; it is chambered for 5,56x45mm / .223 caliber, feeding through standard AR-15 magazines, and offers a set of interesting high-end features that are guaranteed to make it a great seller.
The new Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol is built around two 7076-T6 lightweight aluminum alloy receivers with MIL Type III hard-anodized black finish – more specifically a forged railed upper and a machined billet lower – offering an ambidextrous manual safety and matched with the Company's own, proprietary adjustable Accu-Tite™ Tension system.
The SAINT Edge pistol features a Bravo Company MOD 3 black polymer pistol grip and a free-float, M-LOK handguard with proprietary locking tabs and a forward hand stop; it also comes issued with a set of folding adjustable sights.
Springfield Armory's new SAINT Edge Pistol, seen from the left side
The carbine-length gas system is protected by a free-float, M-LOK aluminum handguard
The SAINT Edge Pistol comes with a Maxim Defense CQB Pistol armbrace system, complete with its own barrel extension and recoil buffer system
The right side of the Springfield Armory 5,56mm/.223 caliber SAINT Edge Pistol
The technical features of the new Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol
The barrel is a lightweight profile, Melonite-treated 10.3" incher (approximately 16 cm in length), offering a 1:8" twist rate and a "Birdcage"-style flash hider.
At the heart of the Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol are a HPT/MPI 9310 steel bolt, an Enhanced M16 bolt carrier group sporting a full Melonite finish, and a carbine-length, multi-mode low-profile gas block pinned to the barrel for reliable operation, eliminating the concern of the block coming out of alignment. .
The gas block is manually adjustable, allowing the operator to tune the SAINT Edge Pistol for specific 5,56mm/.223 loads or for suppressors – where legal. Also featured are a mid-size charging handle and a single-stage, short reset Match trigger.
In order to be legal to sell in the US as a handgun without an NFA tax stamp, the Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol replaces the stock with a Maxim Defense CQB Pistol armbrace system. Seldom seen outside of the United States, armbraces are stabilizing loops conceived for the shooter to stick their forearm in to help handle the gun, although in 2017 ATF ruled that they can be shouldered.
The armbrace is mounted on two sliding metal guides, not unlike a collapsing stock, and can be extended to four different positions bringing the overall length of the Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol to a minimum of 62,48 cm (24.6") when fully collapsed to a maximum of 72,39 cm (28.5") when fully extended. The Maxim Defense CQB Pistol system also provides an integral receiver extension.
The SAINT Edge Pistol mounts a proprietary short recoil barrel and spring; the overall weight, empty, tops 5 lbs 11.5 oz (2,58 kilograms).
The Springfield Armory SAINT Edge Pistol is sold in a soft pistol case, along with a single 30-rounds MagPul PMag GEN M3 polymer magazine. MSRP has been set at $1,550.00 in the United States; no information concerning export availability and pricing has been made available so far.