APC223 rifle with Aimpoint M5 purple dot sight. All controls are duplicated on each side.
June 17, 2024
Brügger & Thomet began out in 1991 in Thun, Switzerland as a sound suppressor producer. In 2004, they began producing firearms. For a modestly sized firm, nicely beneath 100 workers, B&T produces a powerful number of iconic small arms together with submachine weapons, bolt motion and semiautomatic rifles, an integrally suppressed bolt motion pistol, grenade launchers, in addition to elements for different gun makers. Among the designs are evolutions of older fashions, like Steyr TMP and Welrod, whereas others are largely unique. Based mostly in a really costly nation and manufacturing prime quality arms, B&T asks a premium for its wares and normally will get it. Having labored with a Czech Bren 805 and FN SCAR, I acquired interested by an outwardly comparable B&T APC223, a 5.56mm short-stroke pistol carbine aimed on the identical army and police customers as the opposite two. Costly tools could be both professional gear with maximized performance or Veblen items, the place the extreme value itself bestows the cachet upon the acquisition. Which of those is the APC223, the final word software for the value, or a standing image?
Is It Simply Fairly, or Is It Additionally Extremely Competent?
APC223 is accessible within the US in three types: as a PDW with a ten.2-inch barrel size, a carbine with a 12.5-inch barrel, and a rifle mannequin with a 16.5-inch barrel. I opted for the latter, because the cartridge advantages from the longer barrel for muzzle velocity and lowered blast, to not point out being a non-NFA merchandise. The rifle got here with a NATO spec flash hider threaded for B&T sound suppressors. A have a look at the furnishings. For capturing off-hand, 12.5-inch barrel with the correspondingly shorter forend would have balanced barely higher however, for any form of supported capturing, the longer barrel and forend are a transparent win. The rifle is massively modular, with no less than 4 inventory choices out there.
The identical shares could also be used for rifles as for among the submachine weapons. The mostly-polymer decrease receiver is just not the regulated half within the US, relatively it’s the extruded aluminum higher with metal inserts. It attaches to the higher with two captive pins. Pistol grips are of a regular AR-15 sample. At 7.7 kilos unloaded, the APC223 is just a little heavier than a comparable AR-15 — each use the identical magazines, however that’s the place the similarities finish. APC223 makes use of a brief stroke fuel pistol motion, with a handy tool-less fuel regulator for regular use, antagonistic situations, and suppressed use. The positions are marked in millimeters of fuel port diameter, 1.4, 1.5, and 1.0.
Along with the usual recoil spring, the rifle makes use of a brief hydraulic buffer within the buttstock extension. The extension suits within the receiver, enabling full performance even with the inventory folded to the best for transport. After seeing the inventory within the stowed place, I understood why the cheek relaxation slants just a little: that means, the folded inventory clears the ejection port. The mixture of spring and hydraulics provides this rifle recoil impulse akin to a ten/22 rimfire. The rifle got here with two lowers, one with the usual curved two-stage set off, one other with a straight single-stage Elfmann goal set off. The curved set off (customary) breaks at 5 kilos, the straight one round 4.3 kilos (adjustable from 2.5 to 4.5 lbs.) however feels lighter due to being very crisp. Charging handles are folding flappers on each side of the higher receiver. They don’t reciprocate throughout firing however connect to a standard inside provider so each reciprocate when one is pulled manually. They are often activated by pushing towards some mounted object, however provided that the optic doesn’t protrude to the facet immediately above them. I discovered that both deal with labored nicely for loading the rifle, however the left facet management was preferable for unloading: the best hand partly obscures the ejection port through the operation.
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Different controls are additionally duplicated. The journal launch is the standard button ahead and above the set off guard, the bolt launch additionally seems like a button however is definitely a downward slider. The security is a paddle with a 30-degree throw, brief and slim sufficient to not impinge on the thumb on the off-side, however lengthy and large sufficient for simple leverage. It’s strongly and audibly detected. Ribbed security lever additionally works as a “paddle” or resting floor for the thumb. The unlock button for the inventory is similar to SIG 550 design and in my view the most effective within the trade. It’s simple to function however gained’t unlatch accidentally. I’ve tried two shares, a set skeletonized mannequin and the extra adjustable MBT.
The mounted mannequin seems extra martial, has a plain ribbed plastic buttplate and is the inventory to make use of with physique armor. The MBT is adjustable for size with 5 positions, and for cheek rise, three positions. The riser is simple to regulate with one hand. Adjusting the size is a bit tough as the discharge buttons are on each side of the non-moving a part of the inventory. To increase, or collapse, it’s a must to pinch them whereas pulling or pushing on the buttstock with one other hand or some object. It’s an ungainly design saved by being configurable and cozy, with a thick rubber buttpad. Each shares have small latches for metallic sling hooks, the MBT additionally has QD sockets. The forend doesn’t have sockets, however one is simple so as to add utilizing MLOK or Picatinny interface.
Fuel adjustment is very simple. A punch or a bullet nostril is required to take away the fuel regulator, however changes are tool-free. You may wish to put on a glove if the regulator must be switched to a bigger port opening resulting from heavy fouling from high-volume capturing. Out of curiosity, I wrapped a paper towel across the forend and fired: some rifles blow soot on the help hand however not APC223. What little fuel comes out of the regulator is directed ahead over the muzzle. Normally, this gun runs fairly cleanly and stays cooler than a comparably configured AR-15. It additionally helps that the charging deal with observe is separate from the ejection port, and so doesn’t require cuts within the receiver behind the bolt which might have let filth in close to the bolt. Since there’s no left-side opening close to the chamber, fuel blowback, what little there may be of it, is remoted away from the shooter’s face. Ejection depth is kind of underwhelming for shooters used to AR and AK vigor — brass arcs out slower and goes a foot or so to the best.
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That is the results of a usually slower cycle period, with cyclic fee round 550 rpm for APC556, the fully-automatic rifle model of APC223. The rotating multi-lug bolt and provider are broadly much like the AR-15. The ejector is a spring-loaded plunger. The whole meeting stays a lot cleaner although, due to the piston motion. Whereas the shares are set as much as permit pretty low optics, this gun can be utilized with AR-15-height mounted mounts. Picatinny rail sits about 1.75″ above the bore line, in comparison with AR-15 at 1.25″: it’s higher to make use of medium rings relatively than tall. The mounted inventory works nicely with mini purple dots and low-mounted scopes, whereas MBT inventory provides the choice of a cushty sight image with tall rings and glued mount optics as nicely. B&T even presents a dip-down inventory for capturing in a fuel masks with out having to resort to ridiculously tall scope risers. If I used to be operating this rifle for protection, Aimpoint M5 purple dot or comparable could be my first selection.
On the Vary
For testing accuracy and searching, low-profile, variable-optic (LPVO) rifle scopes just like the Vortex 1-6x give extra choices. Because of very beneficiant eye aid of Vortex Razor HD, I put it far sufficient ahead to bias the steadiness of the rifle towards the muzzle. That works nice for supported firing however I would wish extra fitness center time to make this snug off-hand. In my view, a smaller 1-4x LPVO would make a greater preventing optic for APC223. That mentioned, the mixture of the extra-clear Razor HD, the extra-crisp set off, and the barely-extant recoil made this mixture really easy to shoot that it was nearly clear to the person. In essence, I’d have a look at a goal, convey up the rifle and “clang” went head-size metal at 100 yards. The method conspicuously lacked a acutely aware effort of controlling the set off or any anticipation of the shot. The hydraulic recoil dampener, mixed with habits fashioned with over gassed AR-15- and AK-type weapons, performed a little bit of a joke on me. When firing from a entrance sandbag, I used a looser maintain on the gun than mandatory, leading to a number of unintentional doubles as the whole rifle bounced ahead. A second hit that’s a number of inches above the primary one was of no use to me, so I switched to a extra managed maintain and a tighter shoulder contact with the buttplate, which stopped double-taps.
I additionally found that the crosshairs of a 6x optic nearly utterly cowl up one-inch goal circles, requiring a swap to two-inch stickers. That adjustment out of the best way, I discovered that accuracy positively depends upon the ammunition in use, and heavier match masses are extra constant than ball. M855 Wolf ball unfold averaged a fraction over three inches at 100 yards, 77-grain Norma match is just about MOA-accurate, besides once I don’t do my half. 68-grain OTM Hornady Frontier averaged barely over 1.5″, and Steinel 77-grain Match nearly tied with SIG load of the identical weight at 1.58″ and 1.67″ group averages respectively. Since 77-grain OTM bullets have respectable terminal efficiency, they’d be my first selection for the bugout load. The ergonomics and the set off make it simple to shoot APC223 to its full functionality even beneath non-ideal situations even for a mediocre marksman like me. I’d have gotten barely tighter teams with a higher-powered scope, however LPVO is extra like what could be used on this rifle in a survival state of affairs when searching and self-defense are equally probably.
Conclusion
In comparison with a SCAR, it feels higher within the hand and appears to have much less fuel blowback. B&T’s silencer background exhibits in how nicely this rifle is tailored for sound-suppressed use. Whereas SCAR elements are simpler to search out, B&T barrels truly value solely 2/3 as a lot. In comparison with CZ Bren 805, it’s half-pound lighter and feels extra refined, additionally shows higher accuracy. They’ve comparable options and degree of help. The match and end on the APC223 is per the Swiss popularity for high quality. All three of those choices value rather more than a typical AR-15, however not rather more than a top-tier AR of comparable high quality. Getting this rifle is an identical motion to purchasing greater grade physique armor: the nominal ranking could also be comparable, however the consolation is enormously elevated. For subject use, APC223 has pluses and minuses. The pluses are the minimal recoil, good sensible accuracy, wonderful reliability, and excessive modularity for tailoring the weapon to the mission. The rifle makes use of the most typical ammunition and magazines within the land.
The one draw back is the load and the relative shortage of spare elements and educated help in comparison with the extra widespread fashions. This implies, do you have to select to go together with APC223, a restore equipment consisting of additional springs and small elements — and even a complete pre-assembled decrease for the quickest attainable restore — could be sensible to have. Among the elements would even match contained in the pistol grip. The opposite plus, typically ignored, is that apply with a weapon improves proficiency. Since this rifle is so nice and cozy in use, you’ll wish to apply with it as typically because the ammunition provide and time availability permit. It’s that a lot enjoyable to shoot.
Brügger & Thomet APC223 Specs
- Half Quantity: BT-36068
- Caliber: 5.56x45mm
- Motion: Semi-Auto
- Size: 38 in., 28 in. (folded)
- Barrel Size: 16.5 in. (419mm(
- Twist Price: 1:7-in. twist
- Thread Pitch: 7.3 lbs.
- End: Black Kind III onerous coat anodized
- Materials: Aluminum, metal
- Attachment Choices: ROTEX
- MSRP: $3,400
- Contact: BT-USA
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