Designed to be a “normal use” rifle, Franchi’s Momentum All-Terrain Elite is a scout rifle by some other identify, with properly thought out options.
July 19, 2024
The time period “scout rifle” may be very polarizing in some crowds, as a result of some folks assume the concept of utilizing a bolt motion rifle for self-defense is outdated. Legendary gunwriter, firearms coach, and WWII Marine Corps veteran Jeff Cooper is credited with the creation of the time period, however he didn’t invent the idea. Briefly, a “Scout” is a normal goal rifle, one that’s brief, mild, and helpful, and as Cooper stated, a rifle “…that may do an awesome many issues equally properly….” Cooper envisioned a rifle that may very well be used for searching, plinking, and even self-defense if vital. As he wrote in The Artwork of the Rifle, “The final-purpose rifle will do equally properly for all however specialised searching, in addition to for preventing; thus, it have to be highly effective sufficient to kill any residing goal of cheap measurement.” Cooper thought the rifle must be not more than a meter lengthy and not more than three kilograms unloaded—FYI that size is straightforward, however only a few scout rifle producers have been capable of make that weight.
I’m bringing all this up as a result of Momentum All-Terrain Elite (MATE?) is an ungainly mouthful, and Franchi may simply have simply known as it the Franchi Scout Rifle and most of the people would have had a much better concept of what sort of rifle it was, even earlier than they noticed it. However, as they are saying, an image is value a thousand phrases. The Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite is a purpose-built normal use rifle—an EDC rifle, if you’ll, as Franchi says, “…optimized for carry in a truck or ATV as your fixed companion.” It’s accessible in .223 Remington or .308 Winchester, and I obtained a pattern of the latter for testing as I really feel the .308 Win is a much better alternative for a rifle that may largely be used for searching. It sports activities an 18-inch barrel tipped with a really efficient muzzle brake. The barrel is threaded to five/8×24, making suppressor mounting straightforward. The barrel and receiver have a bronze Cerakote end. Franchi does provide a thread protector (Cerakoted bronze) if you happen to favor a naked muzzle.
The injection-molded polymer inventory has a TrueTimber Strata camo sample. It’s fed by removable AICS-pattern magazines, and one 10-round journal was supplied with the rifle. I believe this rifle appears nice, with form of a “tactical hunter” aesthetic. 5-round magazines protrude only a tiny bit from the polymer journal properly and don’t look fairly as “tactical,” if that’s not your factor. The rifle sports activities an prolonged MIL STD 1913 “Picatinny” optic rail that extends 3.5 inches over the barrel (a complete 8.5 inches in size). Whereas it’s an in depth match, it doesn’t contact the barrel. This longer rail permits you to mount the optic of your alternative, every thing from purple dots to prolonged eye aid scout scopes to conventional riflescopes. This rifle comes with a one-MOA assure, and as you’ll see from the accuracy desk it’s greater than able to that.
For those who’re just a little imprecise on Franchi, they’re a 150-year-old Italian firearms firm recognized extra for his or her shotguns than rifles, however they make each. In 1994, they have been bought by Beretta, the world’s oldest firearms producer. In case your Italian is just a little rusty, only a reminder that Franchi is accurately pronounced “fronky.” The Momentum All-Terrain Elite makes use of Franchi’s customary barreled motion which supplies a fast 60-degree bolt throw. The receiver mates with the aluminum block within the inventory with improved contact when in comparison with a Remington 700, and over a 3rd extra thread engagement between the entrance motion screw and the receiver, growing power and rigidity. The polymer inventory is injection molded, easy and nearly slick the place it isn’t textured with subdued raised checkering. Personally, I really like the look of the TrueTimber Strata camouflage, and the black accents work. The one factor that didn’t work for me (style-wise) was the shiny silver of the three-lug bolt physique shining vibrant, however that’s a small grievance. The barrel free floats contained in the forend. The forend of the inventory is flat, about two inches extensive on the underside, which makes precision capturing off a backpack/fence rail/no matter just a little simpler than if it was rounded. On the entrance of the forend, you’ll see aluminum inserts on both facet and the underside, with two M-LOK slots and a QD socket for all of your bipod and sling-mounting wants. There are QD sockets on both facet and the underside of the buttstock. Try the underside of the inventory—it has a pair small contours that may assist if you happen to’ve acquired your assist hand (or a sandbag) tucked below it. The inventory makes use of Franchi’s TSA recoil pad, which is smooth rubber and has rounded edges to maintain you from hooking it in your clothes.
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The black pistol grip and the comb are onerous polymer, not rubber. Because it comes from the manufacturing facility, the low comb put my cheek on the proper top to make use of the emergency (not flipped-up) sights, barely above the rail (extra on them in a second). Likelihood is, if you happen to’re mounting an optic (and nearly everybody will likely be) you’ll wish to set up the taller comb on the inventory. Equipped with the rifle is the next comb that’s way more appropriate when utilizing a scope, it raises your head about half an inch. Changing the comb is straightforward, and also you’ll simply want your fingers, no instruments—they pop out and in and are held in place by spring pressure. With the taller comb you’ll have to take away it to take away your bolt.
This rifle is 40-inches lengthy, only a tad over Cooper’s advisable one-meter size for a scout rifle, though you may pull off the muzzle brake if that final inch is bothering you. Franchi has the burden listed as 7.5 ounces, however in reality, with an empty journal in place, this rifle weighs 7 lbs. 5 ounces. The longer rail, the aluminum M-LOK inserts within the inventory, and the truth that this rifle doesn’t have a whip-thin ultralight barrel all add ounces to the burden, however it’s nonetheless brief and helpful and balances in entrance of the journal properly. The Momentum All-Terrain Elite makes use of Franchi’s Relia Set off, a single stage set off that broke at 3.75 kilos on my pattern, with no take-up and a crisp break. It’s adjustable from two to 4 kilos. The set off guard is polymer. Between the journal properly and the set off guard you’ll see a paddle-style journal launch. It may be used from both facet of the rifle. Push it ahead with the tip of your set off finger, or use the thumb of your assist hand. Empty magazines drop free. The magazines wiggle a bit contained in the properly, which I didn’t a lot take care of, however this didn’t have an effect on reliability in any respect.
You’ll see a two-position security within the anticipated place, ahead for hearth, again for protected (marked with purple and white dots respectively). You possibly can work the bolt absolutely when the rifle is on Protected, however pulling the set off does nothing. Let’s speak in regards to the included sights on this rifle. Backup sights separate searching and competitors weapons from weapons fitted to defensive use, and I’m glad to see them on a rifle that’s meant to deal with every thing. You truly get two units of sights—when laid flat, these sights present an emergency pistol-style notch/publish three-dot setup, so that you don’t even should flip them up to make use of them. Relying on the way you’ve acquired your scope and rings arrange, you theoretically would possibly be capable to use them beneath your scope. The flip-up sights have detents to assist hold them up or down, however they don’t lock in place. Flipped up, your sightline is about 0.85 in. above the highest of the rail. The rear sight has a single metal aperture that’s adjustable for windage. The entrance sight appears like a normal AR-15 publish entrance sight protected by wings. The polymer our bodies of the sights look/really feel just a little cheap to me, however they work.
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The people who roll their eyes on the scout rifle idea appear to overlook Jeff Cooper was greater than prepared to adapt. He initially specced a stripper clip information for faster reloading, however I’m certain would have been completely happy with the removable field magazines discovered on this rifle. He specced prolonged eye aid scopes for his scouts just because they have been the one form of scope available on the market that you can use at velocity with two eyes open. Low-power variable optics (LPVOs) weren’t actually a factor again within the day, however I do know Cooper would have seen their utility on rifles like this. A 1-6x LPVO appeared to me like a sensible choice for this rifle—a bit smaller and lighter than 1-8x scopes, whereas having sufficient magnification for a normal use rifle. I had a Burris RT-6 1-6x available and mounted it to the Franchi. Low rings might sound the way in which to go, however relying on how low your low rings are, and the way fats the eyepiece of your scope, you might need points clearing the rear sight, which even when folded down sticks up above the rail a few third of an inch. I’d have most well-liked to mount the RT-6 about half an inch ahead of the place you see it, however the rear sight merely didn’t permit it except I used taller rings. FYI: I used SIG Alpha1 low aluminum rings, placing the scope midline 0.94 in. above the rail, which was an ideal top for me when utilizing the raised comb.
I first shot one in all these rifles at our firm’s 2023 Editorial Roundtable, held on the Cameo Taking pictures and Schooling Complicated in Colorado. There, you’re capturing at metal targets arrayed up a rocky mountainside, stretching out previous 600 yards. I didn’t take the Franchi out that far, however hitting out previous 200 yards merely resting my elbows on the capturing bench was straightforward. That rifle was additionally a .308, mounting the 1-6x Burris. Throughout subsequent testing my grownup son and his associates had enjoyable hammering cardboard silhouettes offhand, seeing how briskly they may work the bolt. This rifle is constructed to run. With the muzzle brake in place recoil is nearly delicate, the rifle doesn’t beat you up. Throughout my household vary journey, we have been additionally capturing fowl shot via a 12-gauge Mossberg 500, and the Franchi had considerably much less recoil. It’s loud, although, and that brief, threaded barrel appears a very good candidate for a suppressor. No supersonic .308 hundreds are ear protected via any suppressor, so one thing brief and light-weight—just like the Banish Backcountry from Silencer Central—looks like the only option to me. Whereas the forend is setup for straightforward set up of a bipod, a very good capturing sling—and extra importantly figuring out how you can use it correctly—could be a more sensible choice than a bipod. A top quality leather-based sling would match the aesthetics of this rifle greater than a nylon one for my part, however you do you.
The .308 Winchester is likely one of the hottest rifle cartridges on this nation. Nearly each ammo producer hundreds .308, and you could find bullet weights from 125- to 180-grains. The .308 Winchester—loaded with the best bullets—is greater than able to taking any recreation discovered on this continent. I used a .308 Win loaded with copper stable bullets to down a 600-lb nilgai in Texas with one shot again within the day. For those who wished to construct a contemporary “scout rifle” nearly as good for protection as searching, an AR chambered in one thing beefy (6.5 Grendel, .300 HAMR, .308 Win) and topped by an LPVO could be a a lot better alternative. It’s the twenty first century—you desire a semi-auto for self-defense, if that’s your predominant concern. However if you happen to’re on the lookout for a normal use searching rifle that—in a pinch—may very well be used defensively, this Franchi appears a wonderful alternative—correct and rattling good wanting, distinctive and stylish, with a European pedigree, and competitively priced.
Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite Specs
- Sort: Bolt motion centerfire
- Caliber: .308 Win. (examined), .223 Rem.
- Capability: 10 rds. (AICS-Sample mags)
- Barrel Size: 18 in., threaded 5/8×24
- Muzzle System: Muzzlebrake
- Total Size: 40 in.
- Weight: 7 lbs., 5 oz.
- Twist: 1/11
- Inventory: Artificial w/True Timber Strata sample
- End: Midnight Bronze Cerakote
- Sights: Flip Up
- Set off: Relia Set off Adj. 2-4 lbs. (3.75 lbs examined)
- Equipment: One 10-round journal, two combs
- MSRP: $1,449
- Contact: Franchi USA
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