Blast From The Past: The AAC 300 Blackout MPW Rifle
Welcome back to another edition of Blast From The Past. In this series, we look at various firearms that are no longer made and see what made them unique or collectible. This week, we are looking at a collaborative rifle between AAC Suppressors and Knights Armament. The 10.5” AAC 300 Blackout rifle was an interesting option on the market when the 300 Blackout was still in its infancy to show its merits in the AR market back in the day. Let’s take a closer look at the AAC 300 Blackout MPW Rifle.
Specs
Back in 2011, AAC came out with the 300 Blackout caliber with Remington in order to have a hard-hitting round that could be used in the AR15 platform but have a shorter overall profile. This variant is the 12.5” version and was a factory SBR. One of the most interesting aspects of this rifle is the collaboration between AAC and Knight’s Armament. AAC went with the URX III rail which is a smooth-sided rail with Picatinny rail sections at the end of the rail. This was when companies were transitioning from quad rails but weren’t using KeyMod or M-LOK rails yet. Moving forward, the MPW came standard with a three-prong flash hider with a rachet system attached for QD mounting.
The original MPW rifles came with MOE+ pistol grip along with the CTR stock from Magpul. When it comes to the trigger, AAC put a Geissele SSA trigger which is known for being a hard use reliable trigger. AAC also put a 12.5” barrel made out of 4150 CMV steel with a 1:7” twist rate. As part of the package, this rifle also came with an SDN-6 suppressor from AAC. This suppressor was cutting edge for the time but certainly lacks in sound suppression and size by today’s standards. MSRP on this rifle was $1,599.99 for the rifle only and more for the package. This may seem like an older rifle with limited modularity, but in terms of a snapshot in history, it’s a pretty unique and cool piece of modern rifle history.
Range Time
I only have roughly 425 rounds through the MPW but that’s certainly enough to see both the good and bad of the rifle. In terms of a piece of history of 300 Blackout, it shows just how far technology has come in just 10 years. Everything from the furniture, trigger, and my EOTech EXPS3 makes it feel like a modern rifle. The idea of having a 12.5” 300 Blackout is kind of crazy by today’s standards. I would much rather have a 6.75” 300 Blackout from SIG with their MCX but at the time, this MPW was cutting edge to help promote the idea of a short hard-hitting round like the 300 Blackout.
I really enjoy the inclusion of the Knight’s Armament URX III rail. AAC included rail covers which completes the overall look but the rail really limits what accessories you can throw on the rifle. It works perfectly fine to go out and shoot suppressed at the range, but if you want to do any kind of night hunting, the lack of rail space becomes a problem really quickly. The MPW is also incredibly over-gassed compared to rifles out today. With no adjustable gas block, it would benefit from switching out springs and buffer weights to run smoother and cut down on back pressure. The other way of thinking would be to snag a suppressor that doesn’t have as much back pressure as traditional suppressors.
Accuracy and Reliability
For accuracy testing, I grabbed 125gr AAC rounds as well as 147gr Rainer Arms ammunition, and finally, for subsonic ammunition I used the 220gr SIG Sauer ammo. Like all my other tests, I always shoot three 5-shot groups for a total of 15 rounds of each ammo type. I ended up shooting each target at 50 yards with the rifle being on a bench rest to take as much of the human error out as possible. With the 125gr AAC ammo, I had an average group of 1.33” between all 3 sets of data. For the 147gr Rainer Arms ammunition, the group opened up a bit to 1.46” which is fairly typical for most types of testing with this ammo. The best group of the day was actually with the subsonic SIG ammo that had an average group of 1.02” Beteen all of the groups, I can’t really complain about the accuracy out of a 12.5” barrel with a shorter range round like 300 Blackout.
In terms of reliability, the MPW rifle was 100% reliable both suppressed and unsuppressed in my time of shooting. I didn’t get to put the typical amount of rounds through this rifle like I usually would but even in that short amount of time, the MPW felt rock solid and something I could depend on. There were no issues with feeding or cycling.
New Suppressor Options
When it comes to suppressor choices, the original model is really classic and I don’t blame anyone who wants to keep it exactly the same as it was from the factory. This rifle is naturally overgassed from the factory with the suppressor it’s set up for, so it’s never a bad idea to look at some of the suppressors that help divert gas away from the receiver. Here are some options that would be beneficial to the MPW rifle.
One of the most versatile 30 cal suppressors on the market right now has to be the Ventum 762. This suppressor allows shooters to have a variety of different muzzle devices with their adaptable rear end allowing for you to use the Ventum with all kinds of muzzle devices. Combine that with the back pressure reduction and this would be a fantastic modern-day solution to the older AAC suppressor it has right now.
Technical Specifications:
Weight: 15 ozLength: 6.7″Diameter: 1.8″Material: Core/Baffles – 3D-Printed Grade 5 Titanium / Housing – 17-4 Heat Treated Stainless SteelFinish: Black Nitride QPQ
Silencer Shop makes getting suppressors easy and you can buy the Huxwrx Ventum 762 suppressor from the link below.
Huxwrx Ventum 762
The Maxim Defense DS-K suppressor is one of the shortest cans on the market and is known for its reliability and longevity. With the MPW’s 12.5” barrel, this suppressor is perfect for running 300 Blackout out of it while keeping the overall profile of the rifle super short. Older cans were often times way longer to accommodate all the baffles needed for noise reduction but technology advances allow us to have much shorter cans with equal if not better noise reduction.
Technical Specifications:
Caliber: 7.62Length: 5.86Diameter: 1.75Mount: Direct Thread OnlyMaterial: Grade-9 Titanium Tube. 17-4 Stainless Steel CoreFinish: Cerakote, DLC
The Maxim Defense DS-K suppressor is also available at the Silencer Shop.
Maxim Defense DS-K 762-D
This suppressor from Knight’s Armament Corporation is another great option for using with the AAC MPW rifle in terms of both performance and aesthetics.
Technical Specifications:
Weight: 19.2 ozLength: 6.25” Build Material: 718 Inconel
KAC 7.62 QDC CRS-PRG
Overall Thoughts
The AAC MPW rifle is certainly a very cool piece of modern firearm history and helped make the 300 Blackout cartridge the popular option it is today. While 300 Blackout rifles may be drastically different today than when this one came out, it’s still an awesome piece of recent history.
What do you guys think of in-between rifles like this before major changes like M-LOK happened? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have questions about the MPW rifle or firearm in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you in the next review.
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