The Griffin Armament MKII falls into an interesting place for me as a reviewer. I’ve heard a lot about Griffin over the years, but haven’t come across one professionally. While their online presence in social media and advertising has been a bit contentious at times, more recently Griffin Armament has settled into a more professional groove. While looking for form 1 suppressor mounts, I found a diversified catalogue that looked too impressive to ignore. I grabbed a Griffin Armament MKII braced pistol, an M4SD-L suppressor and a 1-10x optic of the same make. Today, we look specifically at the Griffin Armament MKII AR-15.
Tech Specs
- Griffin 13.9-in. 416R SS HEDP Barrel
- Griffin Enhanced BCG
- Griffin Forged Upper And Lower Type 3 Hardcoat Anodized
- Griffin Full Ambidextrous Lower w/ 60 degree Flared Magazine Well and Integrated Trigger Guard
- Ambidextrous Features: Magazine Release, Bolt Release & Catch, Safety Selector Kit and SN-ACH Charging Handle
- Griffin A3 Grip and Enhanced Trigger Guard
- Griffin Contour Connect QD End plate
- Griffin Maritime Receiver Extension
- Griffin AR-SOB (Suppressor Optimized Buffer)
- SBA3 Pistol Brace
- Griffin RailShield 4-Piece Panel Kit
- Griffin Low Pro Rail System
- Griffin Primo Gas Block (pinned)
- Griffin Silencer Mount Muzzle Device
- Griffin Dimpled Takedown Pins
- Weight: 6 lbs. 5 oz.
- Overall Collapsed Length : 29 in.
I’ll say this, on unboxing the Griffin Armament MKII, I was pretty impressed (as far as unboxings go). This is a pretty light setup with excellent balance and rigidity.
The ambidextrous controls on the lower receiver are obviously a focal point for Griffin Armament, and are slowly (hopefully) becoming a standard among modern build AR15s. Griffin Armament’s ambi-control setup is far and away my favorite of any AR ambi controls I’ve seen. The bolt release on the right side is a lever rather than a mag release-style button (this way is vastly preferred), the left side has large paddles for bolt release and mag release, and the ambi safety is a high traction unit.
The SN-ACH charging handle is low enough profile, yet has large, aggressively textured levers. The massive ridge on the back should preclude gas from escaping into the shooter’s face.
Speaking of favorites, there’s another small and inexpensive part on the MKII that is in pole position for my all-time favorites. The grip. Yes, the humble interface between gun and shooter. The Griffin Armament A3 grip has a bit of nostalgic styling combined with an ergonomic shape and a good grip texture. Such a small part can have a big effect.
The 416R Stainless Steel barrel has been exhaustively tested, with Griffin Armament getting 47,000 rounds out of a single test barrel, which still had some rifling present after all that.
The receiver extension (buffer tube) is a maritime variety, meaning in addition to the usual six-positions of stock/brace adjustment, seven drain/vent holes are also present in case you find yourself storming a beach.
The Enhanced Bolt Carrier Group could use a review page of its own, with a laundry list of specs and upgrades. Short version, C-158 steel bolt, 4340 cam pin and extractor, Crane O-ring, Melonite finish with everything staked and inspected appropriately. Could a forward vent be a future option?
Griffin Armament has made a big name for themselves in the suppressor mounting department, so consider it no surprise you’ll have tons of options when you’re purchasing your rifle. I grabbed a Gate Lok closed tine flash hider which doubles as a suppressor mount for the M4SD-L I picked up recently. I mounted a Grifffin Armament 1-10x optic as well, completing the trifecta of shooting, shushing and seeing.
Range Time
First things first, I grabbed a quick zero. I’m not going to re-zero for every different ammunition I try, so my point of impact will change but I’ll still be able to measure accuracy.
Before I get to testing groups, I like to run a few CQB drills. First, this gives the barrel a slight break-in, removing any tiny burrs from machining. Second, it’s good practice for me to stay slightly current. Third, any ergonomic issues will pop up here when I’m not as focused on groups.
So, a few mags of Prvi Partisan Rangemaster 55-gr. FMJ starts me off, hitting the Infinite Defense self-healing target, as well as a few various steel targets. For ready-ups and walking drills.
I grabbed the Griffin Armament MKII at an opportune time, having a good variety of ammo on hand for accuracy testing. I tried groups with Jesse James 60-gr. Soft Point (SP), Black Hills 50-gr. V-Max, Hornady 55-gr. FMJBT, Prvi Partisan 55-gr. FMJ, Federal American Eagle 55-gr. FML and Hornady 75-gr. BTHP rounds. Groups were shot at 25 yards from a Bog Deathgrip tripod. Called flyers were excluded.
Jesse James 60-gr. SP came in at 1.6-1.94 MOA
Black Hills 50-gr. V-max came in between 2.5-3.9 MOA
Hornady 55-gr. FMJBT groups were 1.69-2.2 MOA
PPU 55-gr. FMJ were 2.6-3.2 MOA
American Eagle’s only group was 1.33 MOA
Hornady 75-gr BTHP were 1.45-1.56 MOA
I shot a few more groups with the suppressor on, and while my point of impact changed slightly, accuracy stayed consistent. If I were to point at one aspect I feel is holding the MKII back from better accuracy, I’d say the trigger. When the break went my way, I knew exactly where the round was going to hit. Sometimes it would break a little differently, and the group would widen up. A nice two-stage match trigger would make this thing fly, I just know it. In a future article, I’ll be proving/disproving exactly that.
With a good handle on how the MKII groups up on paper, I went back to the rubber and steel targets. This time working between 25 yards and 100 yards with some run n’ gun drills, as well as weapon transition and malfunctions clearance drills (using a few dud rounds). I added the M4SD-L suppressor for these drills, wanting to get an idea of how the MKII handles the gas, and to check for any other issues that might pop up.
My initial impression of the MKII as well balanced continues to this day. Dynamic shooting drills with the MKII are downright fun.
I’ve never bothered with grip panels of any make before, even tossing away my KAC rail covers. The Griffin Armament RailShield is an effective, low profile method of providing an extremely consistent grip zone.
The ambi controls I made such a big deal about when I first picked up the rifle to run dry fire drills? So nice. This is definitely the best ambi setup I’ve seen.
For the first time I ran off-hand drills with a full complement, to include the mag release that’s so often not on the left side in partial ambi setups.
I’ll be writing a separate article on the M4SD-L suppressor and 1-10x optic, but since the suppressor itself affects the rifle’s functions, here’s my thoughts on it.
The Suppressor Optimized Buffer (SOB), Suppressor Normalized Ambi Charging Handle (SN-ACH) and Primo Gas Block indicate a heavy commitment to making the MKII as suppressor proof as possible. The SN-ACH has a high ridge that runs alongside the back of the upper receiver, preventing gas from escaping along the usual route. The SOB is unlike your standard (cheap) buffer, instead providing a telescoping “deadblow hammer” type effect designed to increase dwell time, increase feeding reliability and reduce bolt speed.
Thankfully, that investment has paid off. This is definitely one of the least gassy suppressed rifles I’ve shot (while using a non-flow through suppressor design) with no toxic clouds being sprayed in my face. I have not yet adjusted the gas block and have no reason to yet. The rifle is running fine suppressed and unsuppressed. The gas still exists, it just seems to be more near me and less at me.
The recoil impulse really doesn’t change much with the M4SD-L affixed, this is a low-recoil gun even by .223/5.56 AR-15 standards. I don’t know exactly how much difference the SOB makes, but I like what’s happening here. The gun got pretty mucked up a few hundred rounds in as is expected with a suppressor. No issues with reliability even when the gunk piled up.
What I Like, And Don’t
The positives around the Griffin Armament MKII as equipped:
- Nicely balanced
- Accurate
- Excellent ambi-controls
- Suppressor proofed
The elements I feel can be improved upon:
- The optic mount is a horse
- The trigger is holding this gun back
The bottom line though, is that Griffin Armament has produced a nice firearm in the MKII series of AR-15 pattern pistols/rifles. This gun has a lot of extra engineering put into it above and beyond your standard mil-spec fare. The Griffin Armament MKII has an MSRP of $1,720 for the firearm, suppressor mount and furniture kit. If you’re looking for a rifle that’s a clear cut above the standard, yet won’t break the bank, the Griffin Armament MKII is definitely worth a look. Combine that with one-stop shopping for your suppressor (even having the can shipped straight to your door), and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Check out more articles from Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer or visit him on Instagram @Rexnanorum.
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