One of the latest offerings from Springfield Armory is the 9mm Saint Victor pistol that comes in a compact AR-style form factor that can be taken just about anywhere. Easily stowed in a pack or bag, the 9mm Victor can serve as potent backup to your primary sidearm.
Saint Victor Pistol Details
There is a lot to like about the 9mm Saint Victor pistol, as some parts are interchangeable with standard ARs, including the B5 Systems grip and triggerguard along with the SBA3 brace. It also features a flat-faced, boron-coated trigger that yields better geometry for an improved pull and break. The 5.5-inch barrel includes a robust Melonite finish for excellent corrosion resistance. On top of that, the handguard is free floated and sports a few M-Lok slots for attaching accessories.
Other amenities include ambi controls for the magazine and bolt releases in just the right spots for easy access and engagement. The receiver endplate and the telescoping stock wear QD sockets for quick and easy sling attachment. Up front is a Springfield muzzle drum that redirects the muzzle gases forward to keep them away from the user and the internals and to assist with the recoil impulse.
Running The Springfield Armory Saint Victor Pistol
Speaking of recoil, the 9mm Saint Victor has a direct blowback system—it’s very reliable, and the recoil is hardly noticeable. That operating system is fed via a 32-round Colt-pattern magazine. With around 500 rounds of a good variety of range and premium ammo, including an assortment of different hollow points, the magazines proved exceptionally reliable with not a single malfunction to report. The only downside was that reloading the magazines was a slow, painful process.
To test the Saint Victor’s accuracy we used a variety of the best loads at 25 yards (with a 1x red-dot) from manufacturers including SIG SAUER, Federal, Hornady and Remington. The average group size for all loads tested was just 1.23 inches. That’s not too shabby, and the Hornady 124-grain +P Critical Duty load had the best single-group size of 0.75 inches with a three-group average of 0.96 inches.
The Victor’s trigger wasn’t the lightest AR-style trigger going, with a pull and break measuring at an average of 5 pounds, 10 ounces. And despite the Victor’s excellent reliability and superb accuracy, there were still a couple of other things that could be improved as well. The first is that the pistol only ships with one magazine.
For a gun of this type, I would think it would ship with two or three mags. Also, the 5.5-inch barrel and handguard are a little too short for me. I would like to have three more inches of barrel length for a little more velocity and energy and more real estate for the user’s hand.
All in all, though, the 9mm Saint Victor pistol delivered on its intended purpose. Its compact form factor allows it to be taken just about anywhere in a pack or bag provided you are legally allowed to do so. So far, mine has been dead-nuts reliable and it’s very accurate as well. The muzzle drum can be swapped for a suppressor for use inside the home, and that can mitigate most of the worry about getting too close to the muzzle.
With standard AR-platform rifle controls and a familiar operating system, the 9mm Springfield Armory Saint Victor pistol can be quickly and easily integrated into your collection and rotation. It’s a winner if you’re looking for a compact, 9mm AR-style pistol that offers plenty of firepower and that can be with you at just about all times.
The Bottom Line On Springfield’s Saint Victor 9mm Pistol
The “H&B Bottom Line” is a rating system based on seven criteria. Each category is worth five points (or ampersands) for a maximum possible score of 35.
Ergos and Handling: &&&&
With ambi controls and an extendable brace, the pistol sets up nicely to meet the needs of any shooter. Would prefer a 3-inch longer barrel
Recoil: &&&&&
The SA Muzzle Drum did the trick by redirecting muzzle blast forward. The 9mm Victor was pleasant to shoot and came back on target fast.
Action and Reloading: &&&&
Reliability was outstanding with a wide variety of ammunition, though the Colt-pattern magazines were slow to load manually.
Sight Mounting Ease: &&&&&
The Picatinny rail is a snap with mounting just about any optic you want.
Intended Purpose: &&&&&
It can be carried anywhere a standard pistol can go with permit or Constitutional carry. It is very accurate and sports a great capacity. Add a suppressor to make it better for home defense.
Overall Versatility: &&&&
It’s great for target shooting, plinking, CQB defense and for carrying just about anywhere in a pack or bag due to its size. A long-range shooter it is not.
Value-Price Point: &&&
It gives you just about what you would expect for the money, but not much more. It ships with just one magazine, which is a miss for a gun of this type.
Overall Score: 30/35
Specifications: Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9mm Pistol
Caliber: 9mm
Action: Blowback semi-auto
Barrel Length: 5.5 inches
OA Length: 20-22.5 inches
Weight: 5.75 pounds (empty)
Grip: B5 Systems, Type 23 P-Grip
Sights: None, Picatinny rail
Finish: Anodized
Capacity: 32+1
MSRP: $1,099
Get More Details from Springfield Armory
Perfect Ammo Pairing: Hornady 124-grain +P Critical Duty
Reliability was exceptional with the FlexLock hollow-point on the Hornady Critical Duty ammo that delivers superb expansion and terminal performance while being barrier blind and not clogging when passing through clothing or other loose materials. The load maintains very consistent velocities and is driven with low-flash propellants to preserve night vision.
MSRP: $31.99/25-round box.