Springfield Armory SAINT AR-15 300 BLK Pistol

It’s said that good things come in small packages. Nowhere is that truer than with the Springfield Armory SAINT AR-15 300 BLK pistol. The 300 Blackout pistol is the latest offering in Springfield’s SAINT line up. The 300 Blackout continues to be a popular caliber and many people are seeking options that run this caliber in smaller packages. Springfield has answered. Coming in at just under 28″ and weighing barely five pounds it is the ultimate small package with a 30-caliber punch.

The SAINT 300 Blackout pistol shares many of the same features seen in the SAINT rifles. These include Springfield’s unique Accu-Tite system that minimizes movement caused by space between the two receiver components. In short, the upper and lower fit snuggly together and don’t rattle. The upper and lower receiver is forged from 7075-T6 aluminum giving it a good balance of strength without any extra weight. The pistol comes with a nine-inch chrome-moly vanadium steel barrel rifled with a 1:7-inch twist rate. The barrel is finished with a Melonite treatment, which hardens the surface of the metal. This process provides increased corrosion resistance without the potential tolerance issues that arise from chrome plating. It is also super durable and more accurate than chrome lining. The barrel topped with an A2 flash hider, which works well in the 300 Blackout setup. The barrel is protected with Springfield’s own patent-pending, M-Lok-compatible handguard. It attaches to the receiver using a four-point attachment system that anchors onto the barrel nut. This creates a very stable mount and sets the stage for long-term use without fear of the handguard eventually getting loose. Springfield has also included their very own adjustable gas block. This allows shooters to fine-tune gas flow for different ammunition types or for suppressor use. This is a wise move as it allows the SAINT 300 Blackout pistol to fill many roles and configurations. The trigger on the SAINT is an enhanced nickel boron coated GI single-stage trigger that is paired with a Bravo Company trigger guard.

Overbuilt

Each SAINT pistol comes with a smooth-operating heavy tungsten buffer, mil-spec charging handle and Bravo Company Mod 3 pistol grip seen on the other SAINT variants. Brace wise, the SAINT pistol uses the pistol-stabilizing SBX-K brace from SB Tactical. This brace fits the gun well and allows us to enjoy the small package without the NFA/SBR hassle. Lastly we look at the bombproof nature of the bolt they have included. Springfield has included an M16 BCG bolt precision-machined from Carpenter 158 steel, shot peened, magnetic particle inspected and finished in super-hard Melonite®. Translation is this BCG will probably outlive the owner. Performance wise, the gun is a fighter.

The SAINT 300 Blackout pistol offers a platform capable of dishing out a 30 caliber round while presenting a very small footprint. Designing the gun as a pistol follows a growing popular trend. For my range day, I fitted the pistol with a Leupold Carbine Optic (LCO). This is a very nice small piece of glass that seemed to be a perfect fit for the gun. The 1 MOA dot made for some great, accurate shooting. The trigger on the gun, while noted as “GI” ran cleanly and broke crisply. Many times GI style triggers are less than optimal, but Springfield has done a great job here. The inclusion of a large Bravo Company trigger guard makes the gun easy to shoot when weather turns cold and gloves move into the picture. The gun is free from snagging surfaces and protrusions. Their unique handguard is smooth and small enough to fit any hand.

For this session I ran the new Hornady 300 Subsonic 190-grain ammo. It performed well and gave me exceptional accuracy in the short nine-inch barrel. In close quarter settings I easily produced two-inch groups while shooting offhand and at pace. With the combination of a good barrel, great ammo and 1 MOA red dot, I was easily able to ring steel at 100 yards as well. Overall the gun was very fast to run because of its small size. While good looking, the gun is all business and performed as I expected it would. Applications for this pistol range from a truck gun to home defense weapon as well as just a general fun shooter. My personal play on it would be the inclusion of a suppressor, ambidextrous charging handle and a good sling. In that configuration I could use it just about anywhere. If you are in the market for a 300 pistol, Springfield Armory SAINT 300 Blackout pistol needs to be on your list of guns to seriously look at!

hornady subsonic ammo — Fred ran the new Hornady 190-grain 300 Subsonic. It performed well and gave me exceptional accuracy in the short 9″ barrel.

Specifications:

Upper Receiver: SA Forged Type III Hard Coat Anodized Aircraft Grade 7075 T6 Aluminum w/ Forward Assist
Lower Receiver: SA Forged Type III Hard Coat Anodized Aircraft Grade 7075 T6 Aluminum w/ Accu-Tite™ Tension System
Barrel: 9″ CMV .300 Blackout w/ Melonite® Treatment & 1:7″ Twist Rate
Gas System: Direct Impingement Pistol-Length Gas Port w/ Adjustable Gas Block
Trigger: SA Proprietary, Nickel Boron Coated GI Style
Trigger Guard: Bravo Company
Pistol Grip: Bravo Company Mod.3
Handguard: M-Lok Aluminum SA Proprietary T6 Type III Hard Anodized Aluminum
Forearm Brace: SB Tactical SBX-K
Buffer Assembly: Carbine “H” Heavy Tungsten Buffer
Receiver Extension: SA Pistol T6 Type III Hard Coat Anodized Aluminum
Bolt-Carrier Group: Enhanced M16 Melonite® Finish, MPT, 9310 Steel Bolt
Charging Handle: GI Style
Overall Length: 27.75″
Weight: 5 Lbs. 9 Oz.
MSRP: $989.