by John Markwell | Contributing Editor
The MVP LC comes with a Caldwell adjustable bipod and a MAGPUL 10-round magazine.
Your kidding, right? A precision long range rifle from Mossberg!
We have now had four of the MVP series rifles from O.F. Mossberg & Sons for testing. The latest is the new MVP Light Chassis model in 5.56x45mm. This is Mossberg’s first foray into the precision/long range market and, if looks mean anything, Mossberg is serious about addressing this segment of the shooting sports.
Most folks think that guns sent for review always work flawlessly and shoot tiny groups. That, however, is not always the case; more on that later.
The MVP LC rifle has a very modern look due to the use of the chassis concept for a stock. There are a bunch of chassis systems on the market that range in price from a few hundred doars to several thousand. Within the long range/tactical community chassis stocks are a the rage so it was only natural for the Mossberg folks to incorporate one with the MVP LC. The MVP Light Chassis rifle was introduced with much fanfare at SHOT 2015 as part of Mossberg’s new Big 5 line of rifles.
The MVP LC’s chassis is made for Mossberg by Modular Driven Technologies Corp. Built from aluminum and anodized, the MDT LSS lightweight chassis uses any AR15/M16 stock and pistol grip and, for the 5.56 MVP LC, feeds ammo from any M16 magazine. The sliding stock, pistol grip and magazine are from MAGPUL. The MAGPUL CTR stock is adjustable for length of pu from 11¼ to 14½ inches. The ability to shorten the stock makes this an ideal set up for young or sma-statured shooters. The MOE pistol grip is nicely textured and feels good in the hand. We found it interesting that Mossberg included the 10-round P-MAG with the MVP LC. The two MVP rifles we previously tested, came with 10-round aluminum magazines. We ordered up three 10-round P-Mags for use with these first two rifles and found them to be superior to the aluminum ones in function and less prone to gouge one in the back when carrying the rifles on a sling.
We tested several different magazines in the MVP LC rifle and a fed okay; a bit rough, but ok. The P-MAGs were the smoothest in the feeding department. The rifle lets one know when it is empty because Mossberg’s patented cartridge pusher stops the bolt from going forward when the magazine is empty as it bears on the mag foower. One thing we like in a bolt gun is the ability to easily single feed rounds when the magazine is empty. The MVP LC requires rounds to be fed from the magazine. In order to load single rounds they must be pushed down in the magazine; you can’t just chuck a round into the ejection port and close the bolt. The good news is the MVP’s magazine can be loaded while in the rifle; not a very fast system but it works.
Some of the ammunition tested in the Mossberg MVP LC. Telescope is a Leupold Mark4 3.5-10 x 40mm.
The 16¼ inch barrel of the MVP LC has a medium bu contour and is lightly fluted. The muzzle is capped by a Silencer Co Saker Trifecta muzzle brake/QD mount aowing easy suppressor attachment. A muzzle cap is also included for those who wish to remove the brake. With the brake attached, the report of the rifle is very sharp. If we were going to keep the LC rifle, and not use a suppressor, the brake would have to go. With the 223/5.56 cartridge it’s hard to detect any recoil reduction due to the brake. Unlike the previous 223/5.56 MVP rifles we tested, which had 1 in 9 twist barrels, the MVP LC barrel has a 1 in 7 twist rate.
For testing we mounted a Leupold MARK 4 3.5-10 telescope on the included Picatinny rail. We used EGW aluminum rings purchased from Brownes. Five different varieties of 223 ammo were tested with 55-gr. buets as we as some Federal Match, with Sierra’s 69-gr. BTHP, and a handload utilizing the Sierra 77gr. SMK. We expected the MVP LC with its 1 in 7 barrel to reay perform with the 77-gr. buets but such was not the case. As can be seen in the chart, the MVP LC seems to be a solid 1.5 MOA rifle. Handloading could certainly make a difference in the rifle’s performance and we plan on pursuing that in the future. Many of the groups fired, with a the ammo tested, printed three shots into a sub-one MOA cluster with the last two expanding the group.
We made it through the testing of the 55-gr. loads but suffered a setback when we experienced a pierced primer with some Nosler Factory varmint ammo with 40-gr. Baistic Tip buets. Foowing the firing of one round of this ammo the rifle would cock but the striker would not ignite the primer when the trigger was pued; we just got a click and a bit of movement of the firing pin/striker. Also, after getting the rifle unloaded, the bolt locked closed. We think there was debris or a sma chunk of primer blown back into the action which tied up the rifle. With a deadline for this review looming, another rifle arrived in short order from the Mossberg folks.
Author’s son, Brock Markwell, consults the DOPE sheet and dials elevation for a long shot with the MVP LC. The rifle performed extremely well with the author’s handloads using Sierra 77-gr. BTHP bullets.
This was the week before the Fa Aegheny Sniper Chaenge, which is a pretty busy time for us. However, it proved to offer a good testing ground for the Mossberg MVP LC. We remounted the scope on the replacement rifle, zeroed it with our 77.gr. SMK hand load and took it up on the mountain for the vendor day prior to the three-day match. With a can of my 77-gr. SMK handloads available, those attending the event shot the snot out of the second MVP LC at ranges from 200 to 600 yards or so. Without a doubt this was about as thorough a test that any new rifle could undergo. The second rifle performed flawlessly.
Those who shot the MVP LC during the ASC vendor event (around 15 folks) universay did not like Mossberg’s patented LBA trigger with its narrow activation lever in the face of the trigger. Bear in mind that many of those who shot the MVP LC have triggers on their match guns that measure their weights of pu in ounces not pounds. Some, myself included, found that this trigger required the pad of the trigger finger to be absolutely square to the face of the trigger to get a consistent release. It is our opinion that the LBA trigger could pose a problem for those shooting with gloves or from the odd positions often encountered in hunting/ tactical situations. The trigger break was clean enough for good shooting (the second rifle’s trigger broke at a nice 3lbs 5 oz. as received) but trigger finger placement was critical for reliability. It was relatively easy to hit steel at distance with the 5.56 MVP LC. Despite some issues with trigger manipulation, everyone who shot the MVP LC rifle commented on its accuracy and smooth feeding and a seemed to like the lightweight chassis’ compatibility with AR furniture.
Weighing in at about 8 pounds, sans optic, this new rifle from Mossberg should find great favor among those who are looking for custom features in a factory rifle. With its chassis stock, matte blue finish, oversized bolt handle, detachable box magazine, free-floated barrel and adjustable bipod, the MVP LC is easily worth the retail price of a bit over a grand. Available also in 308 Winchester, and with an optional Vortex Viper HS T telescope, this is a pretty good rig for someone wanting to get started in long-range/tactical shooting. We think Mossberg has a winner in the MVP LC rifle. Good shooting.
