TFB Review: Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9mm Carbine

The world of pistol caliber carbines have been rising in popularity steadily over the last 10 years, whether it’s for competition shooting, fun plinking at the range or for a cheaper alternative to high ammo costs. I have a few of them and it’s always a fun time taking these PCCs out for an afternoon range session. Springfield Armory recently decided to come out with their 16″ Saint Victor Carbine chambered in 9mm. I’ve had this new carbine for almost 2 months and after a decent amount of time with it, I feel like it certainly has some advantages that not all PCCs can offer. Let’s take a closer look at the Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9mm Carbine.

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Specs

The new Saint Victor Carbine from Springfield is the latest variation from the Saint line of rifles. Chambered in 9mm, the Saint Victor Carbine comes with a 16″ CMV melonite barrel with a 1:10 twist. The barrel also has a forward blast diverter installed on it as well so you don’t have any concussion going to other shooters at the range. Each Saint Victor comes with flip-up Iron sights, a quality soft rifle case and one 32-round DuraMag magazine. This particular model also comes with B5Systems new Type 23 P Grip as well as a Bravo stock.

The free-floated M-LOK handguard deletes the top rail for weight savings and the gun looks like a ready-to-go competition PCC for sure. One feature that stands out immediately is the Nickel Boron coated flat-faced trigger which comes standard with each carbine. Springfield Armory also included an ambidextrous safety selector on the new Victor Carbine allowing a more user-friendly experience for right and left-handed shooters. MSRP on Saint Victor 9mm Carbine will be set at $1,299.99 and it hits stores today.

Spec List

Range Time

During the 2 months I’ve had the Victor Carbine, it has been a genuinely fun rifle to have in my safe. On those long days when you head out to the range and just want to shoot, the Saint Victor 9mm Carbine is really hard to beat in terms of range fun. So far with my testing, I have just over 950 rounds and by the time this review drops, I will have over 1,000 rounds through this little carbine. I decided to throw a Trijicon MRO on a Scalarworks Leap mount as well as a Ground Combat Solutions vertical grip. Other than those two add-ons, I decided to keep the Victor Carbine fairly clean of any accessories just to see how it shoots on its own.

Accuracy and Reliability

When it comes to accuracy, I typically shot at 25 and 50 yards with the Saint Victor 9mm Carbine with a few stretches out to 100 yards to see how things go. At both the 25 and 50 yards. I was shooting 1-.5″ groups fairly easily when talking my time and using the same consistent ammunition. For my testing, I used MagTech 115gr, Federal 124gr American Eagle and Blazer Brass 147gr ammunition. Across the board, the 16″ rifle ran all three weights very well and stabilized the rounds for tight groups. When I decided to push out the targets to 100 yards, the 147gr started to dive fairly quick which is to be expected. the 115gr ammunition grouped the best for me with an average group size of 2″ at 100 yards. It may not be completely mind-blowing but for a 9mm carbine, I’m happy with its performance.

Out of the 950 rounds I have through the Saint Victor Carbine, I had one hiccup with a double feed very early on in my testing. The malfunction happened within the first 150 rounds and after looking at the malfunction, I want to say it was magazine related rather than the gun’s fault. Apart from that single malfunction, I had no other hiccups or malfunctions at all. Even with all three ammo types and the flat-nose Blazer 147gr ammo, the Saint Victor Carbine had no issues.

What’s It For?

Some of you may be looking at this PCC and asking what it’s for being a 9mm rifle. This is a really great competition firearm where you need to make longer shots but need something chambered in the pistol calibers. It’s an incredibly soft shooting 9mm and the M-LOK rail makes it really easy to customize exactly how you need to set it up. This really does shine as a competition PCC gun for PCC classes, as well as a fantastic range alternative if a regular AR15 is too expensive to shoot with ammo prices now.

It allows you to work the controls and motions without spending the higher price for ammunition. If you really wanted to, I’m sure it would be effective as a home defense option but having the full 16″ barrel may make it a tad long for room cleaning and hallway work. The Colt pattern 32-round stick magazines are aesthetically fantastic in this rifle and look miles better than the Glock pattern magazines but I know that’s a personal choice. I really wish Springfield would come out with shorter barrel options for this PCC but I, unfortunately, don’t see that happening. As a full-size rifle, it truly does shine bright at the range and is always good for a big smile after firing it.

Overall Thoughts

I was on the fence about a full-size 16″ PCC like this but in all honesty, it’s really a great time to shoot. The cheaper 9mm ammunition is a huge benefit and really is an enjoyable option. With the overall price being around $1,300, the new Saint Victor Carbine really is a bargain in the realm of PCCs. Out of everything I have reviewed in 2022, I think this little Saint Victor 9mm Carbine is one of the biggest surprises of the year.

If you are in the market for a fun 9mm carbine, I would certainly check this one out. Let me know what you guys think about a 16″ PCC like this one. I know they aren’t for everyone so be sure to leave your thoughts down in the comments below. If you have questions on this Saint Victor Carbine or firearms in general, feel free to message me on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there.