I’ve been a fan of Griffin Armament for some time, having used their M2 iron sights for years, having fun with the standard of their silencers, and, extra just lately, appreciating vital worth of their optics line after reviewing the 1-10x Mil-R SFP LPVO. Maybe I’ve been working backwards, but it surely made sense that I ought to take one of many firm’s rifles for a spin, and what higher than the shut quarters configuration of the day, the Griffin Armament MK2 CQB 11.5″.
As America’s rifle, the AR-15 has no scarcity of producers competing for a spot in your purchasing record. Why shouldn’t they? Eugene Stoner’s modular masterpiece lets shooters have it their method, with out an annoyingly catchy jingle to again it up. How, then, fast-food references apart, is one to resolve which is true for them? Griffin Armament solutions that query with its MK2 sequence of rifles, providing worth by way of premium elements, loaded-out-of-the-box options and upgrades, and end-to-end high quality management with each a part of the MK2 sequence made in-house.
Moreover, you’ll discover that my Griffin Armament MK2 11.5” CQB is a one-stop answer, aside from my Surefire Scout Gentle and Holosun IRIS GR3 laser aiming module. This offers me an entire new stage of appreciation for the thought of a “manufacturing unit rifle,” as I can get an optic, mount, silencer, and nearly the rest I would like straight from Griffin Armament.
11.5” Supremacy…
Throughout the late Nineteen Nineties by way of the 2000s, the MK18 emerged from the Shut Quarters Battle Receiver (CQBR) undertaking, gaining vital recognition inside the US Particular Operations neighborhood and turning into a dependable, compact rifle for shipboard and car use. Extensively adopted by Particular Mission Items (SMUs), the MK18 later discovered its method into broader army and legislation enforcement use by the mid-2000s, prompting a surge of recognition within the industrial market.
Quick-forward to that abrupt transition after we all realized the MK18’s 10.3” barrel rendered our beloved 5.56x45mm considerably anemic, pointing us as a substitute to what often is the decided-upon winner within the brief AR sport: the 11.5”. The bump in velocity it offered put much-needed authority again into the venerable NATO cartridge. The added size additionally elevated dwell time, the period by which the projectile continues down the barrel after passing the gasoline port, resulting in a discount in gasoline port dimension. By decreasing the amount of gasoline wanted to cycle the motion, advantages embrace elevated reliability and elements longevity, a smoother, extra manageable recoil impulse, and fewer gasoline reaching the shooter’s face and lungs.
That’s a whole lot of upside at the price of roughly one additional inch up entrance, solidifying the 11.5” because the size du jour for shut quarters work, like residence protection.
MK2 Decrease Receiver…
Griffin Armament gives shooters all of the high-end ergonomic options typical of billet receivers, however the MK2 decrease is machined from custom-forged 7075-T6 aluminum. Whereas there are some very good billet units available on the market, I usually want solid, as the method creates a dense grain construction that enhances the receiver’s inherent power. Nicely, now you may eat your cake and have it too.
The Griffin Armament MK2 decrease receiver options totally ambidextrous controls, together with journal launch, bolt catch/launch, and Security Selector Equipment. It’s also machined to incorporate a 60-degree flared journal nicely for quick reloads and an built-in, enlarged set off guard to be used with gloves. I actually like that Griffin Armament included a protecting shelf on the left facet of the receiver to stop unintended journal ejection. Moreover, the right-side bolt catch/launch is my favourite method to accomplish this ambidextrous function as a right-hander, putting the lever in an optimum place for me to govern it with my set off finger: merely lifting it to lock the bolt again and pushing it right down to launch.
The MK2 decrease can be geared up with Griffin Armament’s Dimpled Takedown Pins, which defend the receiver’s end by stopping instruments from slipping and marring when you have to push them out. The receiver is capped on the rear with Griffin’s Contour Join QD Finish Plate, their Maritime Receiver Extension for correct drainage throughout over-the-beach swimming pool LARPs, and the corporate’s AR-SOB (Suppressor Optimized Buffer). This staggered-impact hybrid buffer design is a key, often-overlooked part that reduces the system’s working velocity, offering clean biking and dependable feeding with fouled chambers whereas stopping untimely unlocking of the bolt, which might trigger pointless extraction stress and contribute to the failure of essential system elements.
My MK2 shipped with a Griffin Armament Adjustable 2-Stage Match Set off, that includes a really brief preliminary stage, a crisp 4-pound break, and an nearly instant tactile relaxation. This can be a Milazzo-Krieger-style adjustable match set off that mixes MIL-SPEC 62RC 8620 set off materials and a case-hardening heat-treatment routine with a 53RC 440C disconnector and a nickel-teflon-coated, lightened tool-steel velocity hammer. My set off got here pre-adjusted for overtravel from the manufacturing unit and has been wonderful. I’d suggest the Griffin Adjustable 2-Stage for any AR-15, together with your precision SPR functions. I may have a number of extra of those in my life.
Lastly, the MK2’s decrease receiver includes a Griffin Armament A3 Grip, offering a snug grip angle and texture for constructive weapon retention, whereas omitting a beavertail for ease of selector manipulation.
MK2 Higher Receiver…
The Griffin Armament MK2 solid higher receiver, just like the decrease, is Sort 3 hardcoat anodized for enhanced sturdiness and corrosion resistance, and manufactured utilizing state-of-the-art aerospace expertise to realize sub-mil-spec tolerances. Past this basis, the center of any AR-15 lies within the bolt service group (BCG) and barrel, two extra areas the place Griffin Armament refuses to chop corners.
The Griffin Enhanced BCG options an 8620 service and Carpenter-158 bolt, with a 4340 cam pin and extractor. Each part of the BCG is billet-machined; no forged elements right here, and all surfaces obtain a ending cross for improved smoothness. From warmth treating to shot peening to post-heat treating, Griffin Armament spared no expense on supplies and manufacturing processes, together with the BCG’s Melonite QPQ (Quench-Polish-Quench) end, offering enhanced lubricity for a slick, dependable motion. Every service options Permatex’d and correctly staked service keys, a 15,000-round extractor spring, and a Crane O-ring for dependable extraction in austere circumstances.
Griffin Armament’s 416R Stainless Metal HEPD (Excessive-Endurance Twin-Objective) barrels are one other issue that units the MK2 aside from different AR-15s available on the market, providing elevated sturdiness and accuracy from the Nitrided stainless-steel 5R rifled barrel. In accordance with Griffin Armament, this offers most hardness and the longest throat life accessible with match-grade bore dimensions and end. Every of those HEPD barrels is hand-lapped to make sure accuracy and consistency throughout batches, and chambered in .223 Wylde for optimum efficiency with various 5.56 NATO and .223 ammunition.
A lot of the MK2 agenda focuses on enhancing the suppressed capturing expertise, just like the Griffin Armament ambidextrous SN-ACH Gen 2 charging deal with that directs gasoline ahead and away from the shooter’s face. The chamber and M4 feed ramps are polished earlier than nitriding to make sure clean, dependable feeding and extraction, and the gasoline port is meticulously tuned to offer constant perform whether or not operating suppressed or unsuppressed. The barrel’s contour from the chamber to the gasoline block additionally follows the M4A1 sample, minimizing point-of-impact shift with suppressor attachment and removing whereas maximizing accuracy and sturdiness. A nitrided 416R crucible alloy metal Griffin Primo Fuel Block is put in and pinned, and the barrel options True-Bore concentric suppressor grade threads for optimized concentricity that received’t go away you apprehensive about baffle strikes.
Lastly, the MK2’s HEPD barrel is capped with a Griffin Silencer Mount Muzzle Gadget. Mine particularly got here with the Griffin Armament Twin-Lok Closed Tine Flash Hider. This muzzle gadget was designed to reinforce flash suppression and cut back muzzle flip when in comparison with A2 flash hiders, with closed tines minimizing snagging by way of thick vegetation, when you’re into that type of factor. It additionally includes a BFA groove for compatibility with Bore Sight Collimators and Clean Firing Adapters. The Twin-Lok Closed Tine Flash Hider is machined from a stable bar of heat-treated 17-4ph chrome steel and constructed to exacting specs, identical to the remainder of the Griffin Armament MK2, making it not solely efficient as a stand-alone gadget, but additionally a suppressor host. Extra on that later.
Shielding the barrel whereas offering a rock-solid consumer interface is the Griffin Armament Low Professional Rail System, a inflexible but slim, low-profile, and ultralight handguard with M-LOK slots on the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions for mounting your favourite equipment, and a rounded profile that gives a snug grip. Designed to maximise rigidity with vital inner reinforcement to scale back flex when driving the carbine firmly into the shoulder pocket, the Griffin Low Professional Rail System makes for an optimum laser-aiming host, with severely decreased deflection and point-of-impact shift in comparison with similar-style “slim rails.” The rail additionally includes a beneficiant variety of tastefully clean cuts that permit fast warmth dissipation from the barrel, retaining your grip cooler for prolonged durations on these days while you overlook to convey gloves.
The handguard is put in through a slip-fitted clamp design that’s affixed to a heavy-duty, 17-4 chrome steel H900 heat-treated barrel nut. The system could be very inflexible, but when I have been to nitpick, shifting to an listed locking system that doesn’t depend on clamping power may be a good improve. I’m undecided how a lot, if something sensible, would actually enhance by doing this, however I’ve to counsel one thing, don’t I? That’s how good this rifle is.
Lastly, I wish to focus on a pair of bonus objects that include Griffin Armament MK2 rifles that actually put the nice and cozy and fuzzies in my ballistic sensibilities. These two objects are the Griffin RailShield 4-Piece Panel Equipment and the M2 Iron Sight Equipment. The RailShield handguard covers are made for arduous use. In contrast to competing choices with plastic snap-on attachments, these grip panels use grade 5 fasteners for stable engagement. An non-compulsory panel with a built-in handstop comes mounted on the 6 o’clock place, and the textured surfaces of the panels make them snug and straightforward to grip in any climate.
The M2 Iron Sights are an ideal addition, making the Griffin MK2 CQB usable proper out of the field. Not solely do I want extra producers did this, however I want they did it in addition to Griffin Armament. I’ve been utilizing the M2 (Micro Modular) sights for years on many rifles. Not solely are they wildly inexpensive contemplating their QPQ-treated 17-4 and ordnance-grade metal building, however M2 sights are additionally an trade first with their patent-pending modular base plate system that makes it potential to connect them to Griffin Armament’s non-compulsory ambidextrous M2 Offset Baseplate Set if 45-degree irons are your factor. These sights are very snag-free and low profile, clearing most ocular lens housings even when mounted with a 1.5” optic mount, and simply clearing my cantilevered Griffin Armament 3X Prism. Having such a minimal footprint with solely 2.5 ounces in further weight already makes these the right backup sights, however the truth that they’re included with the rifle is sort of a chef’s kiss from the manufacturing unit.
Suppressed…
Once I got down to evaluate the MK2 11.5” CQB, the plan was to check the rifle with a Griffin Armament Twin-Lok 5 Suppressor, with a 17-4 chrome steel & 718 Inconel laser-welded and tubeless design that measures 6.5”x1.5” and weighs in at 11.8 ounces. This silencer has been round for some time and has earned a wonderful status for power and sturdiness, whereas additionally offering efficient sound and flash discount. The Twin-Lok 5 combines Griffin’s ECO-FLOW baffle expertise with a patented low-profile flash-suppressing finish cap that enables extra gases to vent ahead and away from the shooter’s face. The Twin-Lok design offers a rock-solid, wear-free locking mount that minimizes point-of-impact shift. No surprises right here, because the Twin-Lok 5 lives as much as the hype.
Griffin Armament then requested if I wish to check out their new Optimus 6, a 3D-printed, ultra-strong 17-4 chrome steel silencer optimized for five.56mm and able to suppressing 6mm projectiles whereas sustaining efficiency. The Optimus 6 measures 6.68″x1.73” and weighs 17.2 ounces for the Twin-Lok mannequin that I’m presently utilizing, however can be accessible in Plan-A taper mount and HUB suitable variations. This suppressor, whereas bigger and heavier than the Twin-Lok 5, continues to be comparatively small and light-weight, with the distinction in general size being diminutive, and extra quantity coming by the use of girth. The blast protect and mounting portion of the Optimus 6 are laser-welded to the baffle core, permitting Griffin Armament to restore the silencer within the occasion of a baffle strike or catastrophic failure, and post-production machining ensures a clean exterior floor absent the feel usually seen in different 3D-printed suppressors.
The Optimus 6 is designed for excessive flow-through of suppressor gases, shifting a number of steps forward of the Twin-Lok 5 in retaining these gases out of your face and lungs, and the quad-tine flash hider endcap was tuned together with the low backpressure baffle stack to get rid of flash at a stage I’ve but to expertise in different low backpressure suppressors. After all, growing move, lowering again strain, and having a barely outsized bore don’t come with out sacrifices, when you can name them that. Nearly as good because the Twin-Lok 5 is, I can completely inform the distinction in gasoline move throughout longer capturing schedules. The trade-off needs to be sound and flash suppression, however I didn’t discover. In truth, one of many subjects we don’t see folks discuss too typically relating to suppression is tone, and I imagine the tone of the Optimus 6 is such that it sounds quieter than it’s, taking the sting off and offering that Twin-Lok 5 kind efficiency with much less gasoline to the face.
Each suppressors make the most of Griffin Armament’s Twin-Lok interface for attaching them to the muzzle gadget. I’ve turn out to be a fan of taper mounts over time for his or her repeatability and tendency to stay in place over lengthy durations of use; nonetheless, Griffin determined so as to add yet another layer of safety, with the Twin-Lok system, utilizing a set of enamel on the base of the muzzle gadget to ensure your suppressor is not going to again off, and that your level of influence is constant.
Asking me which I’d select is a tough proposition as a result of each silencers are implausible, but when I needed to decide one proper now… I’d purchase each as a result of I don’t like making these varieties of choices, and I’m dangerous at following directions. Don’t choose me.
The Setup…
The Griffin Armament MK2 CQB 11.5″ is fast and nimble on the vary. For that cause, I attempted out a number of optics configurations whereas retaining the rifle to my manufacturing unit theme. It was tempting to run it with the Griffin Armament 1-10 LPVO I reviewed, for the reason that optic ran so nicely and presently has a Griffin Micro Sight Acro footprint inexperienced dot at 12 o’clock. That is made potential utilizing Griffin’s Light-weight GPM Cantilever Mount together with their AIS prime plate. These mounts provide a variety of manufacturing unit options for offset and piggyback mounting and supply a rock-solid base for any optic. This might undoubtedly have been a sturdy, succesful setup, however maybe a bit a lot for what’s predominantly a CQB rifle.
My subsequent decisions have been Griffin’s 1x and 3x Prism Sights, however my 1x is presently pulling obligation on the Griffin Armament MK2 9mm 4.5” SD, and that little man is so enjoyable to shoot that I’m not touching it. Evaluation coming quickly. The 3x, nonetheless, carried out nice, and as I discussed earlier, had sufficient clearance with its cantilever mount to keep up my rear M2 iron sight. Total, this setup was loads like operating an ACOG, and the glass is crystal clear. I additionally actually love the reticle on this optic, one thing Griffin Armament calls an Very best Carbine Optic (ICO) BDC reticle. From elevation and windage holds to ranging functionality, this reticle does all of it with out cluttering up the view. Lastly, these prisms use the T1/T2 mount, which suggests you’ll have many mounting choices past these supplied with the optic. I made a decision to run it with Griffin’s new 1.3” Cantilever QD mount and located it to be a wonderful setup.
Since I’m extra of a piggyback than an offset optic man, and the Griffin Armament MK2 CQB 11.5” begs to go quick in a fashion solely Ricky Bobby would recognize, I ended up discovering the temperature excellent with the brand new T1/T2 footprint Griffin Purple Dot Sight on a 1.55” QD Mount, excellent for a decrease 1/3 iron sight window. Regardless that this optic makes use of the T1/T2 footprint, it’s significantly smaller in comparison with my different optics with the identical mounting system. With a 50,000-hour battery life, fog and shockproof building, 10 brightness settings, a 4-MOA dot, and shake-awake expertise, this ended up being my last alternative for the evaluate.
Lastly, I went with a Surefire Scout Gentle Professional and Holosun IRIS GR3 so I may have some enjoyable when the solar went down, and SBR’d the Griffin Armament MK2 with the addition of a B5 Techniques Enhanced SOPMOD Inventory.
On the Vary…
None of that is potential with out the assist and generosity of among the best ammunition producers in America. That’s why I wish to give particular because of Hop Munitions, AAC, and Black Hills for supplying me with a few of their greatest 77gr .223 and 5.56mm NATO cartridges. When working with 5.56mm NATO in a brief barrel, it’s a good suggestion to pick a projectile much less depending on velocity for terminal efficiency, which is why I selected to arrange and run the Griffin Armament MK2 CQB on 77gr rounds which might be optimum for private and residential protection.
I set the rifle for point-blank vary as I usually do and decided {that a} 40-yard zero would give me a 5” goal dimension (2.5” excessive or low from level of intention) out to roughly 235 yards and a far zero of 200 yards. That is my favourite method to arrange a rifle like this for fast photographs inside a identified vary. Take the time to familiarize your self along with your trajectory and sight top while you do that, as that info will enable you to fine-tune photographs that should be proper on the cash. For instance, with a top over bore of round 2.8”, I do know my level of influence will probably be decrease till it converges with my level of intention at 40 yards. In distinction, I do know that my level of influence will probably be round 2.25” excessive at 100 yards.
Now that my setup was good to go, it was time to check accuracy. I shot unmagnified from my tripod, yielding wonderful outcomes and making me surprise how way more I may presumably squeeze out of it if I had used a magnifier or scope, however that’s actually not what this rifle is supposed for. I’d be keen to wager this barrel will shoot 1 MOA, and that’s one thing to jot down residence about for many AR-15s.
With my Griffin Armament MK2 arrange simply how I need it, it was time for my favourite a part of the evaluate course of: getting out from behind the tripod and interesting targets at distances starting from CQB to 400 yards. I began off with {a magazine} unsuppressed, simply to say I did. The MK2 ran excellently, and I didn’t discover any perceptible shift in influence with out the silencer. That’s an enormous win for me, however as a man with tinnitus in each ears, I did what I do and ran the remainder of the evaluate with the Optimus 6 hooked up.
From the gasoline system and BCG to the charging deal with, suppressor, and the whole lot else that Griffin Armament considered to optimize the MK2 for suppressed use, that is the place all of it comes collectively. The sound, tone, and flash efficiency have been top-notch on such a brief rifle, however maybe much more exceptional was the shortage of choking and crying from being hosed within the face throughout lengthy strings of fireplace.
I’m undecided what number of rounds I went by way of by the top of the evaluate, however that’s what occurs when a rifle runs flawlessly and entertains me to no finish. I feel I’ve roughly 2200 rounds by way of Griffin MK2 as I write this, and I hold taking the rifle out each time I head to the vary for some “private time.”
Closing Ideas…
As with every buy, contemplate your utility setting. Since most self-defense eventualities don’t happen at lengthy vary, private protection weapons (PDWs) and short-barreled firearms in both a rifle or pistol configuration are extraordinarily sensible. That is the place the Griffin Armament MK2 11.5” CQB excels, weighing 6lbs 5oz from the manufacturing unit with an general collapsed size of 28″.
what else is sensible? MSRP for the MK2 CQB is $ 1,719.95, however Griffin Armament loves you and appears to at all times run specials on its web site, which now lists the CQB at $1,449.95. I’m not saying it isn’t a wholesome buy, however I’m assured the worth is there, with options and high quality management that may by no means go away you wanting. From the unassuming milspec-like solid receiver set with built-in ambidextrous controls and properly flared Magwell, to the MK2’s tight match and stable reliability, to its finely-tuned carbine gasoline and buffer system, this rifle represents a substantial bang for the buck.
Take into account that .gov extortion funds on silencers, short-barreled firearms, and AOWs have been discontinued, for now. There has by no means been a greater time to arrange a combating rifle on your private and residential protection wants that may serve your youngsters’s youngsters in the future, and the MK2 11.5” CQB is an ideal alternative to tug that obligation. It stands to cause that producers would optimize their AR-15s for suppressor use today, however that prices cash, and the whole lot takes time when the satan is within the particulars. That is the place Griffin Armament’s intensive silencer manufacturing historical past and wonderful status come into play. They’ve figured it out for you and proceed to develop elements that convey reliability and efficiency to the desk whereas remaining wise with their pricing, all qualities that solidify Griffin Armament as a terrific American firearms producer and a steadfast supporter of the Second Modification.
To see the wide selection of firearms, silencers, optics, elements, and equipment provided by Griffin Armament, please go to griffinarmament.com.
