(We have this gun for a magazine article, as a result this report will not include the best details which are reserved for that article)
We love ARs because of the massive list of options for customization. We're bored with ARs because no matter what you do it seems to be just more of the same. There have been some great innovations over the last 60 years but none have them (that we know of) accomplished what Springfield has with the Saint Edge ATC: A true chassis system for the AR.
Bolt guns have long enjoyed the accuracy advantages of a truly free-floated barrel. The concept is simple; when you fire a round a barrel whips and vibrates. Any interruption of that frequency restricts natural movement and limits the maximum potential accuracy. On bolt-actions specialty stocks, and more recently "chassis" make no contact with the barrel to maximize accuracy.
For ARs the intrinsic problem has always been the handguard. Even the modern "free floated" handguards still attach to the barrel nut. Any force applied to the handguard is then leveraged against the barrel nut and can and does impact both shot-to-shot consistency and points of impact. The longer and thinner your handguard is the greater the effect. Because of this, your point of impact and even group size can vary depending on how much force you apply to the AR handguard and where.
The Springfield Saint Edge ATC is a true chassis for the AR platform. Almost all the standard AR parts are retained, but the lower receiver is replaced with a chassis. To see how this works, learn what restrictions there may be, why this might be what you're looking for, and an up close of the system see the video below:
Basic Specs:
We'll run the Saint Edge ATC as seen in the image and video with a Valhalla Tactical side mount and Crimson Trace 1250 red dot for quick target acquisition. An ADM mount holding a Leupold MkV HD, and a Warne Bipod out front for stability. To ensure those long 77gr pills behave DuraMag magazines will be used.
I'd love to share more with you, but the priority is the magazine article. We're posting here just to get the word out about something finally different for the AR.
I think its interesting and could be a leap forward like you said for someone who wants a solid bench style AR but wants to maintain some semblance or uniformity of bolts, trigger etc. I like the idea, curious to see where the platform goes in terms of calibers and long term use
Preliminary coverage on Ballistic: https://www.ballisticmag.com/springfield-armory-saint-edge-atc/