Springfield Armory has lots of new Color Choices

One of the common tropes headed into the annual NRA Show is gun-makers releasing updated colorways to existing product lines. With the NRAAM set for April in Indianapolis, cue the color announcements!

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

Reviewed by

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Updated

Mar 2023

One of the common tropes headed into the annual NRA Show is a bevy of new-ish product announcements which are typically nothing more than gun makers releasing updated colorways to existing product lines. With the NRAAM set for April in Indianapolis, cue the color announcements!

Springfield Armory is jumping into the Crayola box with a new Desert FDE version of the Croatian-made XD-M Elite 4.5″ OSP 10mm. The pistol itself is interesting, being an optics-ready 16+1 round 10mm, and isn’t that expensive, with an MSRP of $695– a figure likely to be closer to $599 at your local retailer.

Springer pulled out the FDE crayon with a new Desert FDE version of the Croatian-made XD-M Elite 4.5″ OSP 10mm.

Next up are Gray, OD Green, and Desert FDE variants of the company’s Saint Victor 5.56 NATO carbines. All use the same direct-impingement mid-gas 16-inch barrel format with a 15-inch free-floating M-LOK handguard.

They also have the same trigger, BCG, and flip-up sights. The only difference between the three is in their Magpul furniture which is (stop if you heard this already) in Gray, OD Green, and Desert FDE. Price is $1,172, suggested.

The only difference between the three is in their Magpul furniture which is (stop if you heard this already) in Gray, OD Green, and Desert FDE...

Meet the Experts

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18. During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications. His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual. As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY. He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).