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 trigger is mil-spec. Griffin Armament confirmed that this is an intentional design choice to keep overall cost down, when the trigger is the most often swapped out aftermarket part. Brand loyalty is big too, so if GA provided a $125 trigger that you’ll swap out anyways, they’ve only succeeded in reducing their customer base. This topic will come up again later in the article.
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 an update added below, I’ll be proving/disproving exactly that. Two MOA is pretty standard for a mil-spec trigger, no matter how good the rifle.
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.
EDITED TO ADD:
It been a couple weeks since I summitted this article, and a few days since it initially published. Due to some excellent discourse in the comments (below) I was asking myself all over again “Why do I like this gun so much when it tests out at mediocre accuracy?” Well, there’s a ton of extras on this gun, with suppressor optimization, recoil reduction, and ambi controls. Most importantly I feel like this is a really accurate gun held back by the mil-spec trigger. Hunches aren’t proof though, so here’s an updated report.
Accuracy Test: PTII
I hit the range again with more of the same ammo. I moved the target stand to 100 yards, and fired again from the Bog Deathgrip tripod. While a shooting bench is preferable (and more stable), it’s still under construction.
Most importantly, I added a Geissele Single Stage Precision trigger, replacing the bone stock OEM trigger.
Jesse James 60-gr. SP were .94″ and 1.14″, for .897-1.08 MOA
Hornady 55-gr. FMJBT groups were .68″-.975″, for .649-.931 MOA
PPU 55-gr. FMJ were .7″-.95″, for .668-.907 MOA
American Eagle 55gr groups were .65″-.91″, for .62-.869 MOA
Hornady 75-gr BTHP’s only group (I ran out) was .95″, for .907 MOA
These numbers were a lot better than I’d expected them to be, and while the excellent Geissele trigger deserves the lions share of credit for the improvement, I have no doubt my initial accuracy results were affected by a less than stellar range day. Similarly, these updated numbers came on an uncannily good range day, where everything seemed to go my way.
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 optic is “not him” to quote my son
- The trigger is absolutely 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.
I’ll be mentioning to my contact at Griffin Armament that I recommend they offer aftermarket triggers as an add-on at purchase.
Check out more articles from Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer or visit him on Instagram @Rexnanorum.
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$1,800 for two inch groups at 25 yards?
Either the rifle is piss poor or you’ve got to quit closing your eyes when you yank the trigger.
I believe he said MOA, not groups, which would put it closer to 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards. Still not worth the money in my opinion. I’d be curious if he left the gloves on during accuracy testing. And that standing tripod mount is nowhere near as optimal as a good benchrest setup.
No, the gloves were on for a different, colder range day (when most of the photography was done)
Agreed the tripod isn’t as nice as a good bench, which is why I’m working on building a heavy duty bench just for this purpose
Not one of the groups was 2″… Either your reading comprehension is piss poor or you’ve got to quit closing your eyes when you smash your keyboard.
In all fairness, many folks perceive MOA to be inches, because MOA and inches are almost identical at 100 yards. I had to do a double take myself to figure out what you were really saying, and I shoot with MOA scopes all the time.
On the other paw, if you had said 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards, folks would be over the moon about it’s supposed accuracy. You might wish to consider making a table next time you’re not shooting at 100 yards, with one column as group size, and the other column as MOA.
1 MOA is one inch, rounded, at 100 yards.
Not rounded 1 MOA is 1.047 inches at 100 yards.
at 50 yards 1 MOA is 0.5 inches (1 inch at 100 yards) – not rounded its 0.5235 inches.
at 25 yards 1 MOA is 0.25 inches (using 1 inch at 100 yards) – not rounded its 0.26175 inches.
Groups from the article were in MOA:
“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”
To convert MOA to inches at a specific distance, the following formula is used:
(where: distance is in yards)
Inches = MOA Value × (Distance /100) × 1.047
example: “Jesse James 60-gr. SP came in at 1.6-1.94 MOA”
Inches (range from) = 1.6 MOA x (25 / 100) x 1.047 = 0.4188 inches
Inches (range To) = 1.94 MOA x (25 / 100) x 1.047 = 0.507795 inches
So (example) “Jesse James 60-gr. SP came in at 1.6-1.94 MOA” is a 0.4188 inch – 0.507795 inch group range at 25 yards (rounded its a 0.42 inch – 0.50 inch group range at 25 yards)
Jens, how did you do your MOA measurements for your group MOA?
(group in inches @ 25 yards measured from farthest round centers X 4)/1.047
Ok, kinda what I was thinking you might have done – that’s a valid way to do it. I was looking at the pic of the targets you posted.
More than suitable for MOBG.
So results of at least 100 yards would have been good though.
You’re right. Added 100 yard range results into the article, and added a Geiselle SSP trigger to prove the mil-spec trigger is holding this rifle back.
Note to self:
Do not make shit jokes yanking Rex Nanorum’s chain.
note to self, don’t be so crabby when replying to jokes from people who took the time to read the article AND comment on it
14 Inch barrel, 10X optic and tripod. However you want to tally the accuracy: results were poor for a AR variant and may be the reason why it wasn’t accuracy tested @ 100. IMHO 25 yard accuracy testing/groups data “extrapolated” a 100 yard MOA is worthless. Why not accuracy test at five or ten feet and extrapolate that to MOA? Good math skills don’t carry the same weight as actual rounds fired at distance for true MOA and banging steel “general hits” don’t support it either.
Well above a budget $AR pistol yet “we” probably need to replace the trigger to see if it shoots better? Nope!
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) barrel length is 14.5 inches. The recommended bullet weight for 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition for an M4 Carbine is between 55 and 77 grains. It looks like that’s what they were trying to ‘duplicate’ for the highest velocity over a range of bullet weights, in a civilian AR pistol.
In the article: “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.”
Yeahhhhh, No. For half the MSRP of the Griffin I can build an AR pistol that will do just as well with standard mil-spec parts, and out perform it with some changes for more precision.
25 yard groups like this is pretty standard for an M4 carbine. The Griffin is basically doing as well as a standard mil-spec M4 carbine so its actually nothing to swoon over and its not actually “a clear cut above the standard”.
2 MOA is pretty middle of the road for AR platform guns, especially off a tripod instead of a bench.
But, your points bear validity. I just went and spent an extra range day and swapped in a Geissele SSP trigger, and provided more ammo out of pocket. Moved the target out to 100 yards…. and shot sub-MOA. results have been edited into the article
Thanks for you additional effort and informaion.
“Moved the target out to 100 yards…. and shot sub-MOA.”
Yes, I saw your results. Now we got something to make the thing worth a look, maybe.
Thanks for doing the 100 yard. On a platform like this at 25 yards, the groups you got at 25 yards, are pretty standard for a standard mil-spec M4 and variations like this Griffin is (in a ‘pistol’ format) from a steady rest. Its really hard to applaud the 25 yard groups as something making the Griffin worth a look – they didn’t really look like anything special or unique because they are pretty standard for a standard mil-spec M4 and variations like this Griffin is (in a ‘pistol’ format). But when you get sub-MOA groups at 100 yards then ya got something to talk about.
Good job.