So gents I spent about 7 hours at the range today, so pretty exhausted but here we go:
I brought my Swiss Arms, ACR and my APC223. APC is setup for groups, swiss is setup for medium range with a Browe 4x, and ACR is setup for close range with a 2moa aimpoint. I have a spare t2 that will go on the APC eventually.
First let me disclose that I am the owner of all 3 rifles and that I have paid my hard earned money for all 3 rifles. I dont work for any firearms manufacturer, distributor or retailer. I'm an IT director for an areosoace company.
I was shooting PMC and Hornady Steel Match both 55 grain, i zeroed the scopes enough to get me close enough on paper at 100 meters, I didnt want to waste time with minuscule adjustments since baby at home
Weight:
First of all the APC is a heavy beast, at 9 pounds without a mag or optics.
In this configuration for this test is it loaded with my atlas bipod and my nightforce shv 10x, closing in on 12 pounds.
Trigger:
The trigger is two stage, but be really carefull the second stage is a hair trigger, easy to pull a shot. I'm not really fond of the trigger as it's not really a match trigger and it's not really a fast single stage trigger, something of a mash up of the worst qualities of both. On the plus side it is smooth and you feel when the first stage ends.
Stock:
Let's face it the stock is horrible, I don't like it at all, it needs a cheek riser definately and it needs a longer lenght of pull for my height (6 feet 1). But one good thing is that it feels and locks up really solid. Impossible to get a cheekweld, more like half cheek half chin, which doesnt help with accuracy.
Accuracy:
Groups are all 5 shot groups, I count all shots even flyers because all shots count in real life.
All groups shot at 100METERS
Scooe is nightforce shv 3-10x
Atkas bipod
APC GROUPS:
So lets forget the PMC groups they are over 2moa, the hornady steel match though here it is:
Group 1 1.4 inch -0.223: 1.177 inch at 100 meters variance: 0
Group 2 1.25 inch -0.223: 1.027inch at 100 meters variance: 0.024
Group 3: 1.6 inch -0.223: 1.377inch at 100 meters variance: 0.038
Group 4 1.5 inch -0.223: 1.277inch at 100 meters variance: 0.009
Group 5: 1.1inch -0.223: 0.877inch at 100 meters variance: 0.094
Group 6 1.4 inch -0.223: 1.177inch at 100 meters variance: 0
Group 7: 1.25 inch -0.223: 1.027inch at 100 meters variance: 0.024
Group 8 1.75 inch -0.223: 1.527inch at 100 meters variance: 0.118
avg 1.183inch SD 0.183inch at 100 meters
95percentile you are looking at 1.366 inch groups at 100 meters
Not too shabby at all.
Is is sub moa? nope,
Could it be with a cheek weld, a better stock, a nice trigger and the right ammo? perhaps but we don't know if other triggers work nor is there an after market cheekriser at the moment, as for stocks well there are options.
Last note on accuracy, the barrel of the APC doesn't seem to heat up much.
Reliability of the APC:
After 400 rounds, 300 of PMC and 100 of Honady Steel Match, I have had no issues at all shooting both PMC and Hornady steel match. No failure to feed, no failure to extract, no failure to fire, no light primer strikes. I've tried ATRS 10 rounders, LAR mags and regular USGI mags, everything cycled perfectly.
Action, cycling and ejecting:
This is the very best thing about the APC the action is as smooth as silk, and I can't emphasise this enough, VERY SMOOTH, with even just the flash-hider the recoil was extremely subdued, much more than my swiss and surprisingly less than my ACR which is equipped with an fsc556.
Brass ejects on the APC at exactly 3 oclock, and HARD so if you have a neighbour on your right well he's going to eat some brass.
This is the cleanest running rifle I own! and I mean CLEAN! Here are some pictures of the bolt after 400 rounds: Look at that bolt, it is clean!
bolt face is blanchard ground finished (it is not an unfinished bolt as some of you might be led to believe). Could it have then been precision ground after the blanchard? Yes I believe so, why B&T didnt Im not sure as Blanchard is typically used for fast production on large parts.
Now the carrier, se the heat treatment was applied after the finish on the cam pin location hole. Again not sure why B&T did this after the finish treatment as it would then ruin the finish.
Badass factor:
Yah it is a badass rifle, very Chuck Norris worthy. And lets face it, it probably factored in 50% with my decision to buy it, cause well, I'm not fighting ISIS in IRAQ with the Kurds so badass factor is nice.
Comparisons:
ACR: Well the ACR clearly wins out of these 3, but the way it is setup, with the aimpoint micro it weighs 8.5 pounds i have well over 4700$ in my acr(3200 rifle, 800 aimpoint, 300 trigger, 400 handguard). It has a geiselle super acr trigger and the rpm mlok handguard. The fixed stock is absolutely amazing, one of the most comfortable folding stocks in my opinion. In my configuration is is actually really nicely balanced.
Swiss Arms: In this configuration my swiss has the browe 4x scope on it. This setup would really work if I had the SAN cheek riser, which I plan on getting. The swiss trigger is as good if not better than the ACR, the only reason I made the ACR top of the list is the handyness and weight of the ACR, and the fact that the ACR can accomodate tons of after market bolt on accessories and triggers.
APC: Sadly this one comes last out of these 3. Even with slightly better accuracy than the ACR and an excellent cycling action it is does not warrant the weight and awkwardness of this rifle. If we were able to improve on the trigger, and the stock I think this would be a really nice platform. If i could spen 400 on a lighter handguard, 300 on a trigger it would give my ACR a good race, it is a new platform, perhaps better options will be available in the future.
Comparison out of 3, 1 is best of 3, 3 is worse of 3
Conclusion: If you have only enough money for just one, get the ACR and mod it up to be NR, trigger and handguard. If you're not tight on budget, hey do like me and get all 3! Diversity is the spice of life!
Pictures of groups:
I brought my Swiss Arms, ACR and my APC223. APC is setup for groups, swiss is setup for medium range with a Browe 4x, and ACR is setup for close range with a 2moa aimpoint. I have a spare t2 that will go on the APC eventually.
First let me disclose that I am the owner of all 3 rifles and that I have paid my hard earned money for all 3 rifles. I dont work for any firearms manufacturer, distributor or retailer. I'm an IT director for an areosoace company.
I was shooting PMC and Hornady Steel Match both 55 grain, i zeroed the scopes enough to get me close enough on paper at 100 meters, I didnt want to waste time with minuscule adjustments since baby at home
Weight:
First of all the APC is a heavy beast, at 9 pounds without a mag or optics.
In this configuration for this test is it loaded with my atlas bipod and my nightforce shv 10x, closing in on 12 pounds.
Trigger:
The trigger is two stage, but be really carefull the second stage is a hair trigger, easy to pull a shot. I'm not really fond of the trigger as it's not really a match trigger and it's not really a fast single stage trigger, something of a mash up of the worst qualities of both. On the plus side it is smooth and you feel when the first stage ends.
Stock:
Let's face it the stock is horrible, I don't like it at all, it needs a cheek riser definately and it needs a longer lenght of pull for my height (6 feet 1). But one good thing is that it feels and locks up really solid. Impossible to get a cheekweld, more like half cheek half chin, which doesnt help with accuracy.
Accuracy:
Groups are all 5 shot groups, I count all shots even flyers because all shots count in real life.
All groups shot at 100METERS
Scooe is nightforce shv 3-10x
Atkas bipod
APC GROUPS:
So lets forget the PMC groups they are over 2moa, the hornady steel match though here it is:
Group 1 1.4 inch -0.223: 1.177 inch at 100 meters variance: 0
Group 2 1.25 inch -0.223: 1.027inch at 100 meters variance: 0.024
Group 3: 1.6 inch -0.223: 1.377inch at 100 meters variance: 0.038
Group 4 1.5 inch -0.223: 1.277inch at 100 meters variance: 0.009
Group 5: 1.1inch -0.223: 0.877inch at 100 meters variance: 0.094
Group 6 1.4 inch -0.223: 1.177inch at 100 meters variance: 0
Group 7: 1.25 inch -0.223: 1.027inch at 100 meters variance: 0.024
Group 8 1.75 inch -0.223: 1.527inch at 100 meters variance: 0.118
avg 1.183inch SD 0.183inch at 100 meters
95percentile you are looking at 1.366 inch groups at 100 meters
Not too shabby at all.
Is is sub moa? nope,
Could it be with a cheek weld, a better stock, a nice trigger and the right ammo? perhaps but we don't know if other triggers work nor is there an after market cheekriser at the moment, as for stocks well there are options.
Last note on accuracy, the barrel of the APC doesn't seem to heat up much.
Reliability of the APC:
After 400 rounds, 300 of PMC and 100 of Honady Steel Match, I have had no issues at all shooting both PMC and Hornady steel match. No failure to feed, no failure to extract, no failure to fire, no light primer strikes. I've tried ATRS 10 rounders, LAR mags and regular USGI mags, everything cycled perfectly.
Action, cycling and ejecting:
This is the very best thing about the APC the action is as smooth as silk, and I can't emphasise this enough, VERY SMOOTH, with even just the flash-hider the recoil was extremely subdued, much more than my swiss and surprisingly less than my ACR which is equipped with an fsc556.
Brass ejects on the APC at exactly 3 oclock, and HARD so if you have a neighbour on your right well he's going to eat some brass.
This is the cleanest running rifle I own! and I mean CLEAN! Here are some pictures of the bolt after 400 rounds: Look at that bolt, it is clean!
bolt face is blanchard ground finished (it is not an unfinished bolt as some of you might be led to believe). Could it have then been precision ground after the blanchard? Yes I believe so, why B&T didnt Im not sure as Blanchard is typically used for fast production on large parts.
Now the carrier, se the heat treatment was applied after the finish on the cam pin location hole. Again not sure why B&T did this after the finish treatment as it would then ruin the finish.
Badass factor:
Yah it is a badass rifle, very Chuck Norris worthy. And lets face it, it probably factored in 50% with my decision to buy it, cause well, I'm not fighting ISIS in IRAQ with the Kurds so badass factor is nice.
Comparisons:
ACR: Well the ACR clearly wins out of these 3, but the way it is setup, with the aimpoint micro it weighs 8.5 pounds i have well over 4700$ in my acr(3200 rifle, 800 aimpoint, 300 trigger, 400 handguard). It has a geiselle super acr trigger and the rpm mlok handguard. The fixed stock is absolutely amazing, one of the most comfortable folding stocks in my opinion. In my configuration is is actually really nicely balanced.
Swiss Arms: In this configuration my swiss has the browe 4x scope on it. This setup would really work if I had the SAN cheek riser, which I plan on getting. The swiss trigger is as good if not better than the ACR, the only reason I made the ACR top of the list is the handyness and weight of the ACR, and the fact that the ACR can accomodate tons of after market bolt on accessories and triggers.
APC: Sadly this one comes last out of these 3. Even with slightly better accuracy than the ACR and an excellent cycling action it is does not warrant the weight and awkwardness of this rifle. If we were able to improve on the trigger, and the stock I think this would be a really nice platform. If i could spen 400 on a lighter handguard, 300 on a trigger it would give my ACR a good race, it is a new platform, perhaps better options will be available in the future.
Comparison out of 3, 1 is best of 3, 3 is worse of 3
| APC | ACR | SWISS | |
| Weight | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Trigger | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Stock | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Accuracy | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Reliability | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Action | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Badass | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 13 | 12 | 13 |
Conclusion: If you have only enough money for just one, get the ACR and mod it up to be NR, trigger and handguard. If you're not tight on budget, hey do like me and get all 3! Diversity is the spice of life!
Pictures of groups:
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