Friday Night Gun Porn: Adams Arms 308 Battle Patrol Rifle

Adams Arms introduced their new 308 piston AR-style rifles this year at SHOT Show. I had a chance to play with one and wanted to share my initial thoughts.

There are three models to choose from. First is a basic model dubbed the Patrol Enhanced, which sports a Magpul handguard, a Patrol Battle model, which features a Sampson Evolution rail, and an “all bells-and-whistles” model dubbed the Alpha S. The latter includes an AR GOLD Trigger and Luth-AR in addition to other accessories.

My first impressions were good. The weight is right around 8lbs for the mid-tier model. That is pretty decent for piston gun. The use of high-quality parts is another plus this gun has in its favor. They didn’t skimp by putting an A2 flash suppressor on it, and the charging handle is oversized, which is a must on a 308. The price is right, with an MSRP starting at $1,400+.

The best thing this rifle has going for it over other piston guns I have used is direct access to the piston controls. This allows the user to make adjustments on the fly depending on ammo type, suppressor use, etc.

I did not have time to put 1000s of rounds through this rifle, and I don’t get free ammo, so my time behind the gun is limited. In the 100 plus rounds I sent downrange, the 308 exhibited admirably controllable characteristics. I attribute this to the enormous brake and smooth piston setup. Accuracy was consistently 1MOA from a bipod.

Now the things I don’t like (admittedly personal pet peeves). I love the feel and size of the Samson Evo rail, but for fuck’s sake, it’s like a 2005 design and is so ugly. I would really like to see an M-LOK or Keymod version. That would really make this rifle stand out. I am not sure if Adams Arms bought 1 million of these rails, but lets move into the times guys.

Rant over.

The other issue I don’t like also has to do with cosmetics. Again, it is a minor personal issue but something I feel should be noted. The finish on the lower is a beautiful deep black with excellent quality; however the upper does not match and is more like a traditional mil-spec finish.

That said, I have owned many Adams Arms guns and overall they make a great product. The value for performance is where it needs to be and that makes it a good buy in my opinion. For more information, check out the Adams Arms website.

Optional equipment shown:
Burris XTRII 4x-20x-50mm Rifle Scope
AR-P.E.P.R. Mount
Shield CQS RED DOT

Adams Arms Small Frame .308 – PATROL BATTLE RIFLE SPECIFICATIONS

CALIBER: .308 WIN
BARREL: 16 Inches Voodoo Innovations Melonite

• Guaranteed Accuracy for Life
• Pressure Relief Cuts under the Barrel Extension

OA LENGTH: 33.75 inches
WEIGHT: 8.15 pounds
STOCK: Collapsible
SIGHTS: Optional
FINISH: Hardcoat anodized black
CAPACITY: 20+1
Twist Rate: 1:10
MUZZLE DEVICE: VDI Jet Comp
LifeCoat Brass Saver Bolt with Electro-less Nickel Base Coating and PVD Top-Coating
Melonited

• Picatinny Adjustable Gas Block (on Standard & MOE Models)
• Drive Rod
• Cam Pin
• .30 cal VDI Jet Comp

PVD

• 1 Piece Bolt Carrier
• Firing Pin
• Fire Control Group

MSRP: $1,775.67

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