APO announced a technology demonstrator designated the .308K1. It is a precision tactical rifle designed in collaboration with Jim Gilliland of Shadow 6 Consulting. The concept is to produce an accurate, bolt operated, tactical rifle with a barrel shorter than 20 inches.

The APO .308K1 Tactical Rifle above is built on a X-Treme titanium short action receiver, Pinnacle Series 16.5″ 1-in-8 twist 5R 416RQ fluted stainless steel barrel, AAC Blackout 51T muzzle brake, and 762SD suppressor.  The primary day optic is a Leupold Mark 6 3-18×44, Insight MRDS close combat optic on a return to zero GDI PROM-L scope mount.  The base rifle weight is just over 11lbs.  This is all built on Ashbury’s latest SABER RSA-A3 MOD-1 “K” model modular rifle chassis.

As of this writing, the .308K1 is not in production and still undergoing testing and evaluation; however, it would not surprise me in the least to see a production version by year end or Q1 2015. One thing is certain, I have never shot an Ashbury Precision rifle that has not been 1 MOA or better. On the occasions when I fired an APO rifle with Ruag SWISS P, groups have all been sub-minute with no vertical stringing whatsoever.

It’ll be interesting to see what the .308K1 will do first hand and APO’s production version of this rifle. Stay tuned for more details…