Springfield Saint Victor 5.56 AR Tactical Law Folder: Full Review

The AR-15 is America’s most popular rifle so naturally there’s a great deal of competition among AR rifles to offer the best features and the best value. Springfield’s Saint Victor 5.56 always ranks near the top of the list of best AR because it offers all the performance enhancing features shooters want like a durable bolt assembly, low-profile gas system, premium triggers, and trim M-Lok handguard at a price that’s very competitive. You can assemble the AR or simply buy a Saint Victor which comes from the factory with premium features already installed.

Now Springfield is making their Saint Victor 5.56 rifle even more appealing by offering it with a Law Tactical Folding adapter. With the push of a button the gun’s B5 enhanced SOPMOD adjustable stock swings to the left and locks in place, reducing overall length from around 36-inches to 26.5-inches. This is important because it makes the Springfield much easier to transport, either in a locking hard case or in a backpack.

As stated, the Law Tactical adapter is just one of the premium features found on the Saint Victor 5.56. The forged 7075 T6 Aluminum Type III hardcoat anodized upper comes with a forward assist and M4 feed ramps while the Enhanced M16 bolt group comes with a 9310 steel bolt that is high pressure tested and magnetic particle inspected (HPT/MPI) and is protected by a Melonite finish. The lower is also made from forged 7075 TG aluminum that, like the upper, is Type III hardcoat anodized. Saint Victor rifles also come with Springfield’s adjustable Accu-Tite system that prevents wobbling. This direct impingement rifle utilizes a mid-length low-profile gas block. Other premium components include a nickel boron coated flat-face GI trigger, QD receiver end plate, and a heavy tungsten buffer.  

The new Saint Victor 5.56 AR Tactical Law Tactical Folder comes with a 16-inch chrome-moly-vanadium (CMV) barrel that is protected by a Melonite black nitride surface treatment inside and out. The 1:8 twist rate is suitable for stabilizing even heavy 5.56/.223 bullets, and an SA muzzle brake comes standard on these guns. Surrounding the barrel is Springfield’s aluminum free-float handguard with SA locking tabs and plenty of M-Lok attachment points at the 3, 6, and 9-o’clcok positions for adding accessories. The handguard measures just over 1.5 inches wide and it’s comfortable to shoot without gloves. The top of the handguard is flat except for a short section of rail that is occupied by the Saint Victor’s spring-loaded flip-up adjustable front sight post. The top of the receiver features a rail with plenty of space for optics, and there’s a flip-up rear aperture sight that is adjustable.

Saint Victor 5.56 AR Tactical Law Tactical Folder rifles come with B5 Systems furniture including a Type-23 P Grip, polymer oversized trigger guard, and Enhanced SOPMOD adjustable stock with steel hardware, a rounded cheekpiece, dual water-resistant storage compartments and overmolded steel anti-rotational QD cups. The SOPMOD stock also comes with a slip-resistant cushioned butt pad.

These rifles ship with a single 30-round Magpul P-MAG Gen M3 magazine, a manual and gun lock in a soft-sided zippered black case with compartments for storing magazines or other items and hook and loop attachments for securing the rifle. MSRP for the Saint Victor 5.56 AR Tactical Law Tactical is set at $1,363.

At the Range

The Springfield weighs just 7.3 pounds, which makes it light enough to carry easily—especially since this rifle offers so many sling point attachments on the stock, receiver plate, and forearm. I added an M-Lok QD sling attachment point to the forearm at the 9 o’clock position and used a 2-point sling attached to the buttstock. I also added a M-Lok hand stop to the front portion of the rifle. I do like how trim the forearm is since it lack traditional rails. If you’d like to add rail sections you can, and if this were my rifle I would probably add a short section of rail to mount my Streamlight ProTac 2.0 light.

The point is, this rifle offers plenty of space for organizing accessories as the shooter desires. When we attended a carbine course at Gunsite recently I recognized that everyone (including instructors) sets their rifle up a differently, and you can easily tune the Springfield to your needs. It’s also easy to travel with this gun. The short overall length when folded would have allowed me to carry the Springfield in my locking suitcase instead of my long gun case which would have saved a lot of effort and strain while moving through airports. I could also carry it in a backpack, and it’s easier to store the rifle since it doesn’t take up much space.

Performance was excellent, which we’ve come to expect from Springfield Armory. I ran the rifle through some of the drills I learned at Gunsite, and the Saint Victor 5.56 AR Tactical Law Tactical Folder performed well. I’m a big fan of Springfield’s choice of pistol grip, stock, and forearm, and I could adjust the length of pull for working in a sling and to use sling tension to support the rifle for accurate offhand shots to 50 yards. I chose a Holosun AEMS solar sight for the rifle, and it co-witnessed with the flip up sights for redundancy. At 100 yards the rifle turned in groups just over an inch for five shots and less than an inch for three-shots, which is good accuracy for an AR with a reflex sight.

The flat-front trigger is one of my favorite add-ons to this rifle. Some AR triggers seem like an afterthought, but this one has a flat face that’s easily to control. Break weight was 5.75-pounds, which is higher than some competitors, but the single-stage trigger is smooth and easy to manage with no take-up.

Overall performance was excellent, and the Saint Victor line remains one of my favorite factory ARs in the sub-$1,500 price point. In fact, these rifles—and especially the new Law Tactical Folder—are as good as some rifles that cost over $2,000. The use of premium components throughout makes this a gun you can count on to run, and there are nice touches throughout like the comfortable pistol grip and the use of premium metal parts with a black nitride (Melonite) finish.

There’s no shortage of ARs from which to choose, but the Saint Victor 5.56 AR Tactical Law Tactical Folder is undoubtedly one of the best made better by the addition of its folding stock. In a sea of black guns that start to look the same after awhile this is a rifle that immediately stands out for all the right reasons. 

Springfield Saint Victor 5.56 AR, Tactical Law Folder

• Type:Direct impingement semiauto rifle 
• Cartridge: 5.56/.223 Rem
• Capacity: 30
• Barrel: 16-in 1:8 CMV, Melonite finish
• Overall Length: 26.5 to 38-inches
• Weight: 7 lbs., 3 oz.
• Receiver: Forged 7075 T6 Type III Hard Anodized
• Lower: Forged 7075 T6 Type III Hard Anodized
• Sights: Top rail, flip-up spring-operated sights
• Trigger: 5 lbs., 12 oz. (tested)
• MSRP: $1,360
• Manufacturer: Springfield Armory, (800) 680-6866, springfield-armory.com