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The author sprints from the first to second shoot position during the first practical course. The Stag Model 5's light weight and agile handling were advantages during movement.
The Stag carbine provided no surprises for shooters familiar with the AR-15, and that's exactly what we wanted to see. Build quality is high, and everything is put together right. It runs reliably and makes hits easily. This is no bench-rest gun, it is a light-weight carbine designed to be handy in the field and provide substantially more performance than 5.56. We found the Stag carbine quick to maneuver during the practical exercises. Its reliability was excellent, with no malfunctions shooting the Hornady and Silver State Armory ammunition. It should be noted that the Stag carbine was only lubed at the begining and not cleaned throughout the day.

If pressed for a complaint, it would be that the muzzle threads are 1/2-36, which prevents the use of some muzzle devices such as the MSTN QC compensator and standard .30 caliber sound suppressors. With the increased recoil of 6.8 SPC, shooters may prefer a brake or compensator instead of a standard A2 style flash hider. Stag Arms reports they are looking into a standard thread pattern to address this issue. While the Stag carbine lagged behind the other rifles in the second course of fire due to recoil handling, it should be noted that the other three rifles all had muzzle compensators instead of flash-hiders and were also more than twice as expensive.


A shooter engages four targets through the low port. To speed target acquisition, the Stag carbine was equipped with an EOTech Holosight on a LaRue Tactical mount.
The Model 5 6.8 SPC carbine has a MSRP of $1220 with the detachable carry handle.

Although the Stag Arms brand is relatively new, they are backed by over 30 years of precision manufacturing experience in both aerospace and small arms components, and this attention to detail shows in their rifles. The Stag Model 5 carbine is well-built and reliable, and would make a good choice for home defense, a ranch rifle, hunting, or law-enforcement patrol.

Stag Model 5 Specifications
 Weight       7.1 lbs
 Barrel       16 inches
 Twist        1/10 inch
 Caliber      6.8 Remington SPC 
 Upper        A3 Forged 7075 T6 Aluminum
 Buttstock    Collapsible 6 position
 Rear Sight   Removable carry handle
Stag Model 5 Test Results
                         Average Accuracy    Best Accuracy  Velocity  Velocity
                         (MOA)               (MOA)                    Standard Deviation
Hornady 110-grain OTM    1.61                1.01           2535        8
SSA 110-grain Pro-Hunter 1.72                1.45           2558       23
SSA 115-grain SMK        1.49                0.74           2523       14



Course of fire #1 - Movement					
               Fastest ...          ... Slowest	
Shooter #1 ... M468    Stag    AK-47		
               12.25   12.64   16.42           (seconds)
				
Shooter #2 ... Stag    MSTN    AR-15A2 M468 	
               13.38   13.56   14.9    14.96   (seconds)
				
Shooter #3 ... M468    Stag    AK-47		
               12.03   12.68   13.85           (seconds)
					
Shooter #4 ... AK-47   Stag    M468    AR-15A2	
               11.97   12.49   12.57   12.63   (seconds)

Times averaged over several runs.

Course of fire #2 - Acquisition and Transition					
               Fastest ...         ... Slowest	
Shooter #2 ... AR-15A2 M468    Stag		
               3.26    3.49    4.52            (seconds)
					
Shooter #4 ... M468    AR-15A2 MSTN    Stag	
               3.08    3.1     3.37    3.51    (seconds)

Times averaged over several runs.  

An empty case becomes visible just as it is ejected. Here, the author uses the Troy Industries flip-up rear sight, as a shooter would do if the primary optic failed.

The 6.8 SPC carbine required a firm grip and solid shooting platform to stay on-target during recoil. Shooters reported 6.8's recoil felt more like 7.62x39mm than 5.56.




Stag Arms
(860) 229-9994 
www.stagarms.com
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