While Griffin Armament isn’t a new name in the gun industry, it wasn’t until recently I had a chance to cross paths with them for the first time. When a Griffin Armament MK2 braced AR-15 pistol was floated for a review trial and eval, I was happy to agree.
Tech Specs
- Griffin 13.9-in. 416R SS HEDP Barrel
- Griffin Enhanced BCG
- Griffin Forged Upper And Lower Type 3 Hardcoat Anodized
- Griffin Full Ambidextrous Lower w/ 60 degree Flared Magazine Well and Integrated Trigger Guard
- Ambidextrous Features: Magazine Release, Bolt Release & Catch, Safety Selector Kit and SN-ACH Charging Handle
- Griffin A3 Grip and Enhanced Trigger Guard
- Griffin Contour Connect QD End plate
- Griffin Maritime Receiver Extension
- Griffin AR-SOB (Suppressor Optimized Buffer)
- SBA3 Pistol Brace
- Griffin RailShield 4-Piece Panel Kit
- Griffin Low Pro Rail System
- Griffin Primo Gas Block (pinned)
- Griffin Silencer Mount Muzzle Device
- Griffin Dimpled Takedown Pins
- Weight: 6 lbs. 5 oz.
- Overall Collapsed Length : 29 in.
On first inspection, I was greeted with quality machine work and an excellent finish. Dry fire and manipulation drills showed me the gun was smooth. It’s a pretty light and well balanced package overall.
While ambi controls (sadly) aren’t the industry standard yet, Griffin is showing just how nice and refined fully ambi controls can be. I like having the right side bolt release be a lever instead of a button that’s usually too similar to the magazine release. The left side uses big paddles for both the mag and bolt release. The ambi safety is effective and unobtrusive.
The charging handle (a Suppressor Normalized Ambi Configurable Handle, or SN-ACH) is the best of all worlds. It does its part cutting down on gas to the face and provides a pair of well textured handles to rack the bolt with. The A3 grip was a shocker to me. I’d seen it in pictures but it’s easy to underestimate the impact of such a small part. It’s comfortable and well textured, with a nice retro styling. Count me in.
The barrel is made form 416R Stainless, and Griffin Armament has run these things hard in testing. One R&D barrel went through 47,000 rounds, and still had some rifling left over.
The buffer tube (receiver extension) is called the Maritime model, adding some drain holes to make sure your gun doesn’t destroy itself with hydraulic pressure while you’re running up Omaha beach (or fall in a creek right in front of that buck).
The trigger provided was a standard mil-spec unit, though Griffin Armament has now developed their own adjustable 2-stage model. The idea is to keep costs down on a part that’s so often swapped out anyway due to brand loyalty. The OEM trigger is definitely serviceable, but updated accuracy testing on my gun showed the trigger was definitely holding it back.
Looking at the enhanced bolt carrier group brings up a long list of tech specs above and beyond standard mil-spec. There’s a 4340 steel cam pin and extractor, C-158 steel for the bolt, a Crane o-ring, with a Melonite finish. The gas key bolts are nicely staked as well.
Griffin Armament is well known for their suppressors and mounts, including mounts capable of being used on any manufacturer’s Hub-compatible tube. Having a Griffin M4SD-L in hand, I was happy the MK2 came with a compatible flash hider.
Range Time
As usual, I zero’d it first thing. It would be cost prohibitive to re-zero when changing each ammo type, which is why I measure groups and not bullseyes.
I warmed up with some CQB drills, trying not to get too rusty as I age, and the old familiar training regimen helps to asses the gun. I zapped the Infinite Defense self-healing target for a few mags, and make sure to ruin the spray paint job on my steel targets as well.
I shot groups for accuracy with Black Hills 50-gr. V-Max, Hornady 55-gr. FMJBT, Jesse James 60-gr. Soft Point (SP), Partisan 55-gr. FMJ, Federal American Eagle 55-gr. FML and Hornady 75-gr. BTHP rounds. I started with groups at 25 yards and later moved to 100 yards to repeat the testing. I shot from a BOG Deathgrip tripod.
Jesse James 60-gr. SP came in at 1.6-1.94 MOA
Black Hills 50-gr. V-max came in between 2.5-3.9 MOA
Hornady 55-gr. FMJBT groups were 1.69-2.2 MOA
PPU 55-gr. FMJ were 2.6-3.2 MOA
American Eagle’s only group was 1.33 MOA
Hornady 75-gr BTHP were 1.45-1.56
I also shot a few groups with the M4SD-L suppressor and had pretty similar accuracy with only a minor change in point-of-impact. The trigger being standard fare mil-spec was definitely the limiting factor on this gun…I just knew it. But, I needed proof so I swapped into a Geissele Single Stage Precision trigger.
Updated accuracy testing at 100 yards was:
Jesse James 60-gr. SP were .94″ and 1.14″, for .897-1.08 MOA
Federal Gold Medal Match 77gr groups were .95″ and .975″, for .907-.931 MOA
Hornady 55-gr. FMJBT groups were .68″-.975″, for .649-.931 MOA
PPU 55-gr. FMJ were .7″-.95″, for .668-.907 MOA
American Eagle 55gr groups were .65″-.91″, for .62-.869 MOA
Hornady 75-gr BTHP’s only group (I ran out) was .95″, for .907 MOA
I felt pretty vindicated about the trigger. This gun feels accurate, solid, and well balanced. I ran some run-n-gun drills, working the steel and rubber targets over pretty well. At that point I noticed that there wasn’t any excess gas from running the suppressor, a combination of a lower pressure can design, and that SN-ACH charging handle.
What I Like, And What I Don’t
The positives around the Griffin Armament MK2 as equipped:
- Well balanced
- Very accurate
- Excellent ambi-controls
- Suppressor proofed
The elements I feel can be improved upon:
- That trigger is absolutely holding this gun back. That’s why Griffin developed and released a 2-stage match trigger.
The bottom line though, is that Griffin Armament has produced a very nice firearm in the MK2 series. This gun has a lot of extra engineering put into it above and beyond standard mil-spec intro AR fare. The Griffin Armament MK2 has an MSRP of $1,720 for the firearm, suppressor mount and furniture kit. If you’re looking for a rifle that’s clearly cut above the standard, yet won’t break the bank, the Griffin Armament MK2 is definitely worth a look.