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As I had mentioned in my Suppressing the Springfield Armory M1A Tanker 308 Rifle article, when the stars align you have to go for it. The same applies to the situation I was in when two review guns I had on the wishlist dropped at my feet. One being the Springfield Armory Saint Victor .308 Pistol for an AllOutdoor review and the other being the Springfield Armory M1A Tanker 308 Rifle for a TFB review. Two guns that could potentially have the same role as a ranch rifle, a truck gun, and an overall handy tool. I thought it would be a lot of fun to go over attributes that may affect a person’s decision to include one of these two in their arsenal.
Even though this article will be discussing factual information about each firearm it will also include conjecture in how well they would fill the role of a handy gun to have on standby. Please do not fret over possible definitions and technicalities. There is obviously dozens of criterium to choose from as well. This article is merely for the fun of talking about which is better suited at the job of a gun that would be kept close by whether it is on a ranch, in a truck, or in your own home whether it be for defense or varmints. Which Is the Better Ranch Gun? Springfield Tanker vs Saint Victor .308 Pistol. Let’s hop the rabbit hole!
M1A Tanker 308 vs Saint victor 308 pistol: Dimensional Specs
Both of these guns would obviously be well suited in the role previously mentioned. They are sturdy and compact. To me, that is the real meat of a good ranch gun. Something that can be durable, pack a suitable punch, and fit in tight spaces. So that is why we have to talk about the dimensional specifications of these guns. How much space do they fill? What can get caught on things easily?
Springfield Armory M1A Tanker 308 Rifle Specs:
- STOCK – Stained American Walnut (fixed/non-collapsible)
- WEIGHT – 8lbs 9oz
- BARREL – 16.25″ 6-Groove Carbon Steel
- LENGTH – 37.25″
Springfield Armory Saint Victor .308 Pistol Specs:
- PISTOL BRACE – SB Tactical™ SBA3™
- WEIGHT – 8 lbs 6 oz
- BARREL – 10.3″ CMV, Melonite®
- LENGTH –28.25″ – 30.5″
I have to admit that I was thinking of tieing this one up since the M1A Tanker 308 Rifle is more linear than the Saint Victor .308 Pistol and I felt like since that one’s footprint is bulkier in terms that it reaches out in every direction that it would even out the dimensional struggle. All in all, I think I have to give this chunk to the Saint Victor .308 Pistol due to the overall weight and size ratio. The length never gets close to the M1A Tanker even when the brace is extended to its limit. The weight is darn close and if I had a decent scale available I would wager both would be neck and neck if the 20 round magazine of the Saint Victor .308 Pistol was loaded as well as the M1A Tanker’s 10 round magazine. Each magazine is stock with their respective gun.
M1A Tanker 308 vs Saint victor 308 pistol: Accuracy at range
Now, I think it would be unfair and unsportsmanlike to give this to the M1A Tanker 308 Rifle solely on the fact that it comes with sights out of the box. Not just any sights either! The front sight is an XS Post with tritium insert, .125 blade and the rear is a ghost ring .135 aperture, adjustable for windage and elevation. That being said, I am going to give it to the M1A Tanker not just for the sights but also the Match Grade 2-Stage 5-pound trigger and for the overall construction of the gun as a reputable and well-known target rifle. The added barrel length and I would imagine the twist would give this one the edge even if the Saint Victor .308 pistol had stock Springfield Armory flip-up iron sights.
I ask you to please forgive my grouping as I did want to give this portion a fair test at 150ish yards but I had very little time to properly sight in either gun (the Saint Victor .308 Pistol had a bore-sighted Vortex red dot on at this point) and very little consistent ammunition given the current state of the world. The five-shot group on the left-hand target was from the M1A Tanker and the one on the right is from the Saint Victor .308 Pistol and it’s minimally sighted in red dot. There are some extra holes from later shots free-standing rather than at a bench. In short, my targets can be largely disregarded in terms of accuracy but I felt it was relevant to show due to the comfort and intuition the M1A tanker offers out of the box.
M1A Tanker 308 vs Saint victor 308 pistol: Suppression capabilities
At first glance, this may not be too terribly important and considered mostly situational but I think it is fair to mention. Not every state in the USA has legalized suppressors but mine has and many of the places where a ranch gun would be found are as well. I think the idea of having something close by and accessible is even nicer if you do not hurt your ears beyond repair in the process of using it. All that said, it’s a tie. My reasoning here is kind of complicated but it basically boils down to it is equally as complicated and cumbersome to suppress either of these and in doing so you may void warranties (I would call Springfield Armory’s customer service before attempting any sort of modification to your stock gun).
I had written an article on my experience suppressing the M1A Tanker 308 Rifle and I did that cause a suppressor review found its way to me. I had also wanted to try and suppress the Saint Victor .308 Pistol but even if you remove its stock muzzle device, the handguard will infringe upon you putting a suppressor on. That being said if you read about all the things I had to do to make the M1A Tanker suppressor article possible, I think it would have been equal in effort to remove the muzzle device, handguard, and put on a new shorter non-stock handguard on the Saint Victor .308 pistol. The long and short of it is that it is possible for both but not easy right off the bat.
M1A Tanker 308 vs Saint victor 308 pistol: Accessory capability
This Is an easy point to the Saint Victor .308 Pistol. The amount of crap you can screw on and tighten down to this thing is nearly limitless and that is saying something given its small stature. It is hard to scan across this pistol without seeing M-LOK slots or a QD point. The M1A Tanker has a muzzle device that has a relationship with the gas plug and front sight and can not really be changed unless the new device would fill those two roles as well. There are no rails or slots and even though Springfield makes an excellent scope mount for the M1A, it is not for the faint of heart and I would recommend that it is installed by someone with previous experience.
M1A Tanker 308 vs Saint victor 308 pistol: Final thoughts
Unfortunately, I have to cut the article off here at only four criteriums. If I venture any further I am afraid that this would become some sort of deconstructive essay on the two fine firearms rather than a fun break from the world hoping to engage with all the readers out there. I think that both are tools that do the job well and either would be an honor to own and field. One may be better than the other but I think for the most part that is subjective. I personally would rather wield the M1A Tanker and enjoy it in the role I had laid before you. Now I leave the rest up to you guys in the comments. I am curious about what extra criteria or explanations you may have. Remember to be as fair as you can and enjoy the debate. It is all for the fun of it.
In closing, I want to say thank you to Springfield Armory for allowing TFB and myself the opportunity to make this article possible! That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you think that this was a fair match up? Which would you rather run to the range with? What other possible factors would you pit against these firearms? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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