Scoring consisted of Aesthetics, Ergonomics, Sights, Trigger Control, Recoil, Reloading Ease, Accuracy, Reliability and Value/Price Point. Three was the mean, so if it worked it was a three, if it scored higher or lower it either had an issue or excelled. Given the lack of iron sights these days, if none were provided it scored a zero, three if provided and only one company, FN, provided iron sights.
Separated by a single point, the third- and fourth-place offerings were basic rifles, the IWI Zion 15 and FN-15, respectively. Every evaluator commented on the value the IWI offers with solid accuracy, nice features like an upgraded grip and stock, and a predictable duty-capable trigger. Priced at $900 it is about perfect for a duty rifle or that prized new-shooter market today. The FN-15 SRP Tactical has a great barrel and solid accuracy, but uses an A2 stock and true mil-spec trigger. Priced at $1,199, it was just not quite the value for feature set. Savage’s MSR 15 Recon 2.0 was a mere 0.25 points behind with a strong feature set for value, making for a very tight contest.
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