Seekins SP10 Assessment | Out of doors Life

The Seekins SP10 is the selection of execs. This high-end AR-10 sample rifle has been fielded since 2019 by america Military Particular Operations Command (USASOC), particularly inside the Fight Functions Group (CAG), extra generally referred to as Delta Drive.

They chose the Seekins SP10 after intensive testing, basing their determination on its superior accuracy, softer recoil, lengthy barrel life, and demonstrably higher reliability in comparison with different fuel weapons they evaluated.

However I wasn’t about to take Delta Drive’s phrase for it, so I ordered my very own to see what all of the fuss was about.

See It

• Cartridges: 6.5 Creedmoor (examined), additionally 6mm Creedmoor and .308 Win.
• Barrel: 22 inches, 1:8 twist, threaded 5/8-24
• Inventory: Magpul PRS Gen 3
• Set off: Triggertech Single-stage Obligation AR; 3 kilos 9 ounces (measured)
• Handguard: 15-inch SP3R
• Fuel System: Full-length
• Weight: 11 kilos, 7 ounces (measured)
• Value: $2,795

Key Options

• Ambidextrous controls: security, journal launch, bolt cease
• Adjustable inventory
• Free-float barrel
• Excessive-mass bolt service group
• Adjustable fuel block
• M-Lok slots on handguard and buttstock
• Full size Picatinny rail

Assessment Highlights

• Flawless operation
• Nice ergonomics
• Clean motion, tender recoil
• Accuracy: 0.650 inches (common of ten greatest 5-shot teams)

Configuration as Examined

Prime Performing Ammunition

• Freedom Munitions 140-grain HPBT (0.726-inch common)
• Sierra 140-grain Tipped Gameking (0.824-inch common)
• Sierra 140-grain Matchking (0.906-inch common)
• Federal Gold Medal Heart Strike 140-grain OTM (1.018-inch common)

Seekins SP10 Overview

To understand what the SP10 brings to the celebration it’s good to delve into the main points of how it’s constructed.

We are inclined to lump AR rifles collectively, which is an comprehensible reflex given their Lego-like capability to combine and match elements. And, no doubt, we’ve seen many AR-15s and AR-10s which might be indistinguishable aside from beauty variations of their furnishings.

However as they are saying, the Seekins SP10 isn’t like the opposite ladies.

Free-floating Barrel

One shortcoming of the unique AR design is how the barrel, receiver, and handguard join. As a substitute of threads, AR barrels have a easy barrel extension that surrounds the chamber. The extension, which has a raised collar, slides into the AR higher till the collar is available in contact with the higher. A barrel nut—which slides over the barrel—is then screwed onto the threads on the higher, pinching the barrel and higher collectively.

AR handguards sometimes connect to the barrel nut in some style. In essence, this makes the barrel nut the glue that holds the higher, barrel, and handguard collectively. Consequently, stress on the handguard, reminiscent of when loading a bipod or taking pictures with a sling, can shift the purpose of influence and degrade accuracy. A POI shift also can happen when mounting equipment to the handguard like thermal/IR models, weapon lights, or laser rangefinders.

Numerous designs have sought to work round this, however nobody has engineered a greater answer than Seekins. The higher on the SP10—much like this AR-15 sized iRMT-3 however with out the ahead help—is machined with a big triangular mounting floor that surrounds, however doesn’t contact, the barrel and barrel nut.

That triangular component mates with the triangular handguard, which is held in place with 10 Torx-head fasteners. This provides the SP10 a really free-floating design and is likely one of the important causes for the rifle’s wonderful precision.

The scale of the mounting floor additionally provides stiffness to the rifle, lowering flex inside the higher and making a rock-solid connection between the handguard and higher. This augments the rifle’s precision and sturdiness as effectively.

Bolt Provider Group

One of many qualities we search for in a very good rifle is “shootability.” This catch-all time period covers plenty of floor, however a significant part is how a rifle recoils and the flexibility of the shooter to handle it. Ideally, we wish a rifle that helps the shooter keep heading in the right direction, to allow them to see their impacts and make fast and correct follow-up photographs.

The bolt service group (BCG) is the principle transferring half on AR rifles and the pace at which it strikes performs an outsized position in how the shooter experiences recoil.

BCGs: Mild and Quick vs Gradual and Heavy

Broadly talking there are two colleges of thought on BCGs. One is to cut back their mass to trim weight and make the rifle simpler to hold. A great instance for large-frame ARs was the DPMS G2, which was constructed round a shorter and narrower BCG with a smaller outer diameter than a typical AR-10. This was a revolutionary design with respect to creating an AR-10 extra transportable for searching functions. A more moderen instance is Ruger’s SFAR.

To ensure that a rifle with a light-weight BCG to be dependable, nevertheless, it has to maneuver forwards and backwards extra rapidly within the motion. We want to verify the BCG is producing sufficient vitality to strip rounds from the journal and feed them into the chamber.

As a result of vitality is a perform of mass occasions velocity squared, a rise in BCG velocity ends in a disproportionate enhance in felt recoil. A quick and lightweight BCG can even be liable to extra reliability points.

The Seekins SP10 goes the opposite route. The BCG on the SP10 is hefty. Mine weighs in at 17.95 ounces versus the 13.4-ounce weight within the DPMS G2. Seekins did this on function, in fact, in order that the motion can cycle at a slower pace and dramatically cut back felt recoil whereas bettering reliability.

Whereas taking pictures the SP10 you may actually really feel the relaxed “cha-chunk” movement of the BCG, which is much less jarring than a higher-speed system.

To drive the BCG again into battery the Seekins SP10 makes use of a flat coil spring, fairly than a regular round-wire spring. The spring smushes down extra compactly, so it might probably have extra coils in the identical area to exert extra drive on the BCG. In comparison with my AR-10s with spherical coil springs, the SP10’s flat-wire spring has 42 coils versus 37.

Adjustable Magpul PRS Gen3 Inventory

The SP10 comes with Magpul’s PRS Gen3 inventory, which was designed for precision rifle functions. It’s stout, inflexible, and has machined aluminum thumbwheels that management the size of pull and peak of the cheekpiece.

The LOP extends as much as 1.5 inches and the cheek piece might be raised as much as an inch. The thumbwheels flip simply by hand however are stiff sufficient (and have constructive ball-detent clicks) in order that they received’t transfer till you need them to. The changes are extremely granular. The wheel controlling LOP has 42 clicks of journey, that means every click on will transfer the butt pad 0.036 inches.

The inventory has one QD sling attachment level behind the pistol grip and one other QD cup/sling loop mount on the rear. Each might be moved from one facet of the inventory to the opposite, which is likely one of the many ambidextrous options on the rifle.

The underside of the inventory has two M-Lok slots to mount a monopod, bag rider, or different accent.

The flat floor on the inventory’s underside rides a rear bag very effectively, and I like how it’s angled. Due to its geometry I could make fast vertical changes to my crosshairs by shifting my rear bag ahead or again.

The soft recoil pad has two readily accessible Allen head screws that when loosened permit the pad to maneuver up and down.

Taken collectively, these changes permit for a custom-made match that ought to work for almost any shooter in any scenario.

SP3R Handguard

I like handguards with a flat underside for any AR I’m utilizing for precision rifle work. The 15-inch handguard on the SP10 (which is roughly triangular formed) is likely one of the greatest in my view. It has a broad flat backside with seven M-Lok slots alongside its size, and flats on both facet with seven M-Lok slots as effectively, for 21 in complete.

Every flat additionally has two QD attachment factors, one on the entrance and one other on the rear, for six altogether.

Perched atop the handguard is a Picatinny rail that covers all 15 inches and that mates seamlessly with the Pic rail on high of the higher.

Ambidextrous Controls

The Seekins SP10 has thoughtfully designed controls which might be totally ambidextrous. The protection, journal launch, and bolt catch are all effectively positioned and straightforward to run from both facet. A technique you may see the element that went into the SP10’s engineering is how the controls take about the identical effort to run, whether or not manipulating them from the best or left facet.

The contact surfaces on the controls are machined with a broad checkering sample that offers constructive suggestions to your fingers, offers a little bit of grip, and appears enticing.

The 45-degree security operates easily and is simple to maneuver between secure and fireplace together with your thumb on one facet or your set off finger on the opposite.

Working the Seekins SP10

Every part I sketched out above in reward of the rifle’s design turns into manifest when the taking pictures begins.

The rifle is blessed with wonderful ergonomics that make taking pictures it a pleasure. At no time throughout my analysis did I really feel I used to be combating towards the rifle. Working it feels intuitive and almost easy.

I began taking pictures with out a suppressor hooked up to get a really feel for it in bare trim. Even with out the recoil- and noise-reducing advantages of a can, the SP10 is extremely effectively mannered.

The crisp single stage set off, total inflexible building, and cozy inventory—mixed with the tender recoil impulse—makes the rifle a snap to manage.

I shot a handful of teams with it this fashion after which transitioned to some positional work at my vary. From the get-go the rifle was churning out sub-MOA teams and a few them have been at a ½ inch or under, which can give any rifle shooter the tingles.

With that baseline established, I screwed on a .30-caliber Elite Iron STFU suppressor and continued.

The suppressor enhanced my management over the rifle and didn’t have a detrimental influence on group sizes. Nevertheless, the rifle was severely overgassed with the can on board, and I might really feel the elevated blowback on my face with each set off pull.

I adjusted the fuel block, pinching down the fuel to almost the bottom setting, and that helped get the bolt pace again to the place it wanted to be.

Make no mistake, this rifle is hefty. With the suppressor, my Nightforce 7-35×56 ATACR, and a Warne bipod it weighs 16.25 kilos.

I’ll wager, nevertheless, that any temptation you might need to moan and grumble have been you pressured to hump it round all day would dissipate the second you bought behind the gun and commenced taking pictures. For me, the juice is well worth the squeeze when contemplating the advantages of the rifle’s weight—accuracy, reliability, recoil administration—towards the drawbacks.

Takedown Process

After I put about 80 rounds by the rifle, I might really feel the motion getting a bit sluggish. I by no means had a failure to feed or cycle, however the bolt wasn’t dropping on a contemporary journal with the identical enthusiasm as earlier than.

The SP10 has a regular AR-10 two-pin takedown system, although one cool contact is the form of the top on the entrance pin which is sculpted to stream with the contours within the decrease.

I added a little bit of CLP to the AR’s BCG and, PDQ, the rifle was working A-okay. That did make me replicate on whether or not a ban on acronyms can be in everybody’s greatest curiosity, nevertheless.

Reliability

I’ve put about 300 rounds by the rifle in complete up to now, all of it high quality 6.5 Creedmoor stuff. To this point, I’ve run seven completely different hundreds within the rifle, with no points.

Seekins put plenty of effort into fine-tuning the rifle to boost reliability.

The lugs on the bolt are barely radiused and chamfered to assist them go out and in of a battery with much less effort and to retard the inevitable put on that AR-10 bolt lugs expertise.

The bolt face is provided with twin plunger ejectors to kick empties free with authority, and Seekins tweaked the scale of the ejection port to reduce the possibility of a malfunction.

The machined aluminum higher and decrease put on a troublesome anodized coating for sturdiness. The BCG has a nitride end, whereas the bolt is DLC coated. All of this provides best-in-class safety from corrosion and exhausting use. 

Seekins SP10 Accuracy

The SP10 is understood for its accuracy, and my rifle actually lives as much as that repute. Particularly it actually likes 140-grain match ammo.

The 5-shot teams of Freedom Arms 140-grain HPBT ammo I’ve put by it common 0.726 inches; with Federal Heart Strike 140-grain OTMs the typical is 1.018 inches; and Sierra 140-grain Matchkings common 0.906 inches.

For a searching load, the Sierra 140-grain Tipped Gameking carried out extraordinarily effectively, too, averaging 0.824 inch 5-shot teams.

The velocities from the 140-grain match hundreds has been constant, proper round 2565 fps from the 22-inch barrel. The 140-grain Tipped Gamekings have a bit extra pep, stepping out at 2630 fps.

I additionally ran Hornady 143-grain ELD-X (1.472 inch common); Barnes 120-grain TTSX (2.808 inch common); and Barnes 127-grain LRX BT (1.815 inch common). Whereas these outcomes are nothing to jot down residence about, that’s about what these explicit plenty of ammo have been doing in different 6.5 Creeds in my assortment.

Whereas I had no concern with the rifle-length fuel system on my SP10, Seekins has since converted to a plus-1.5-inch fuel system, which ought to make the rifle run in an much more bomb-proof method.

Seekins SP10 vs SP10-M

Technically, the SP10 that our Delta Drive commandos use is the SP10-M, whereas the mannequin I examined was the usual SP10. One significant distinction between the 2 is the fuel block. The fuel block on the SP10-M has a throw lever in order that it may be adjusted with out instruments.

This lets you tune the rifle on the fly in case it’s good to get extra fuel into the system (as when the rifle will get soiled from extended use) or much less (reminiscent of while you thread on a suppressor).

My rifle got here with a Seekins Low Profile Adjustable Fuel Block, which has two screws you manipulate to control the quantity of fuel. There’s a set screw on the entrance of the fuel block that, when loosened, allows you to flip the screw on the facet of the fuel block to control the stress used to run the motion.

The opposite distinction between CAG’s SP10s and mine is the chambering. CAG has been working weapons in .260 Remington, whereas the usual SP10 is available in 6.5 Creed, which I examined, in addition to 6 Creed and .308 Winchester.

Don’t be stunned if CAG strikes away from the .260 Remington sooner or later in favor of the 6.5 Creedmoor or one other cartridge.

Seekins SP10 Professionals

• Glorious accuracy
• Nice ergonomics
• Simple to manage
• Extraordinarily dependable

Seekins SP10 Cons

Ultimate Ideas on the Seekins SP10

The Seekins SP10 is a formidable rifle. It’s as effectively thought out as any AR-platform gun in the marketplace and is well configured for its meant mission—which is to have the ability to place quick, correct fireplace on distant targets below attempting circumstances.

I solely have a handful of rifles in my arsenal that I take advantage of as a baseline to check the accuracy of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition—amongst them the Sako TRG 22 A1, the Accuracy Worldwide AXSR, Proof Analysis Conviction, and some customized builds. The Seekins SP10 is the one fuel gun I embody in that class, which is nearly as good a testomony as I can supply relating to its deserves.

As time goes on I’m going so as to add information to this evaluate, highlighting the outcomes I get with different hundreds and including extra observations on the rifle.

However relaxation assured, if you wish to personal and shoot one of the vital succesful fuel weapons made, the Seekins SP10 received’t disappoint.