TrackingPoint is best known for their precision rifles, which use a scope and trigger system that turns long range shooting into a point-and-click video game. They said when they started making the guns that the goal was to have a semi-automatic version as well, and it looks like that time has arrived. TP has just released a video showing off the features of their brand new AR-15 and AR-10 rifle platforms, chambered in 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO, and 300 BLK, and it looks pretty good.
The features seem to fall into three categories.
The first “mode” is the gun working like a standard carbine, with the trigger set like a normal AR-15 trigger and the sights fixed in place. I’m not sure how well that will work, with an LCD screen for a rifle scope and all. There has to be some lag in the system, a little bit of time between when the camera sees the image and when the final processed sight picture is displayed on the scope’s monitor, and that is bound to cause missed shots especially on moving targets. We’ll have to get our hands on it to see if it actually is a functional firing mode.
Mode number two is basically identical to the Burris Eliminator: the crosshairs adjust for the given distance and the shooter takes the shot whenever they feel like it. It’s a nice feature, but like I said there’s already a product on the market that performs that function and for a whole heck of a lot less money. As in, I could buy a car with the money I saved running an Eliminator instead.
The final mode is the one that TrackingPoint is famous for, specifically the computer controlled trigger. Tag a target, squeeze the trigger, and when everything is right the gun will touch off the round for you. We’ve seen it work to great effect in a bolt action rifle, but I’m really interested to see how well it works after multiple rounds fired in quick succession heats up the barrel and starts it moving around.
As usual, there’s no price tag on the rifles. But if the bolt action variety is already the price of a Toyota Corolla, then I wouldn’t expect these custom Daniel Defense rifles to be any different.