Vern Evans
The world of AR-platform rifles continues to steadily expand. You can get an AR in almost any caliber, from .22 LR up through some elephant-stompers. I own a few, ranging in caliber from .22 up through .450 Bushmaster. Some other caliber ARs I own include one 9mm, a couple of .223/5.56mms and one 7.62×39. I’ve taken deer with the 7.62, and my son used the .450 during deer season. They are certainly very useful firearms.
One AR-10 variant currently available, the S&W Volunteer X in .308, is a handy gun indeed. But first let’s take a look back at some history.
A Bit Of History
Many shooters don’t know that the 5.56mm was not the original caliber that the AR-platform rifle was made in. In 1956, Eugene Stoner of ArmaLite (a division of Fairchild Industries) perfected his rifle. It was the original AR-10, in caliber .308. He thought that the military might be interested, but they really didn’t get worked up about it. The following year, he downsized the rifle and introduced it in 5.56mm. The powers-that-were had been thinking of going to a smaller-caliber battle rifle, getting away from the .30 so this time they paid attention. One benefit they noted was that the smaller caliber would allow more ammo to be carried for a given weight. This is not a treatise on whether we should’ve switched calibers, but it had a bearing on rifle development. Once introduced, the AR-15 was licensed to Colt, which turned it into what came to be the M-16. Most of you know the rest of the story. My main point is that, upon introduction in the 1950s, the rifle was originally chambered in .308. It only came out in .223/5.56mm a year or so later.
The Volunteer X
Smith & Wesson has been on an innovation kick in recent years. I just reviewed a couple of their newer models, a stainless lever-action 1854 .44 Magnum rifle with a polymer stock, and their new Bodyguard 2.0 .380 pistol. I bought them both. These guns are, in a word, excellent. The lever action puts five of my hard-cast handloads in one ragged hole, and the Bodyguard looks like someone took a full-size M&P pistol and shrunk it down. It still has a 10+1 and 12+1 capacity, though. Excellent.
So, it was with great expectations that I ordered this Volunteer X (ten, get it?) in .308 for review. When I saw the MSRP of $1,779 for the rifle, I wondered what there was about the gun that would boost its price that far, especially since their base-model AR-15 goes for under $800. I was not long in finding out.
Here are some photos.
Shooting The X
I am recovering from a broken collarbone with resultant surgery, so my friend Ed, a former deputy and no stranger to the AR, gladly volunteered to shoot the Volunteer. I got out my brand-new, still-learning-to-use-it Caldwell VelociRadar chronograph to experiment with it as he shot the rifle. It was fun on two levels!
We set up some targets at 50 yards since this rifle had open sights. (I know, some of you out there are good to way-out-there-with opens, but I wasn’t wanting to push things for my friend). He shot three different loads: Hornady Superformance 150-grain, their American Whitetail 145-grain and the Monarch steel-cased 150-grain.
Here are some representative targets…
I was not trying to wring MOA accuracy out of this rifle since I did not have an extra scope to put on it…with the right optic and ammo, it will do sub-MOA groups. I was simply trying to get an idea of how it handled, through my expert friend, and see what he had to say about it. He was impressed. (He is no stranger to AR-10s as he owns a Ruger SFAR).
I would not hesitate to mount a decent variable-power scope, something that would let me see critters either up close or way out there and then proceed to the woods with this rifle. But…its claim to fame is that it is competition-ready. With some of its sophisticated add-ons, I am inclined to believe that. The flat-faced trigger was really nice…very tiny amount of take-up, then a crisp break at not quite 4 pounds.
I really liked the charging handle. It is a bit larger than a standard AR handle, and its “ears” are very prominent. Another feature I liked is the bolt release and magazine release are replicated on the left side of the receiver. The both-left-and-right-side safety is icing on the cake. We lefties have a tough time with some guns, but not this one. This rifle is truly left-hand-friendly.
Specifications
Here is a list of specs from the S&W website for this rifle:
S&W Volunteer X
Caliber: .308 win
Action: Gas Operated
Barrel length: 16 in.
Grip: B5
Sights: Williams Gun Sight Company folding sights
Optic Ready: Yes
Safety: Ambidextrous thumb safety selector, bolt release and magazine release
Color/finish: Black
Threaded barrel: Yes, with PWS 762 muzzle brake (suppressor-ready)
Barrel material: 4140 cm, Armornite finish
Frame: Aluminum
Stock: B5 Systems SOPMOD stock, BCMGunfighter forend with M-LOK, B5 Systems P-Grip 23 pistol grip, Magpul Type-2 M-LOK rail covers
Capacity: 20 (one magazine included)
Width: 3 in.
Length: 39.3 in.
Height: 8 in.
Weight: 10 lbs., 8 oz. from the website – my scale showed 8 lbs., 9.5 oz.*
I added the cost of the numerous third-party upgrades that come with this rifle and got a total that hit $500. You also must figure in some extra engineering and production costs, since this is an advanced rifle. The add-ons do make for a nice-handling, solid firearm with an excellent fit and finish.
Conclusion
This is a nice-looking and nice-handling rifle. If you are wanting to get into some long-distance competition and .308 is your caliber (or 6.5 Creedmoor – it comes in that caliber, as well, at the same price), you might want to take a look at the Volunteer X. It might save you a few bucks in terms of customization, as S&W has done some of that for you. With the addition of a good optic, I’d say you’d be pretty well good to go, at least starting out. Find out what loads shoot best in it and spend some trigger time dialing it in. I’d sure volunteer to do that.
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