Gun Test: 5.56mm NATO Korstog Var Carbine

With the AR market being so saturated by makers and offerings these days, it can be a little tough to stand out from the crowd. As the market has matured, many manufacturers have strived to accomplish this by expanding out from their traditional direct gas impingement system (DGIS) AR lines with new variations and options such as piston-operated rifles and carbines. However, one of the newer companies has taken the exact opposite approach.

Korstog Rifles, sister company to Huldra Arms and part of the Mills Fleet Farm family, has recently started offering a line of DGIS rifles that combine impressive quality with the tried-and-true operating system of the U.S. military’s M4 Carbine and M16 series of weapons. But, what is interesting about this is the fact that Mills Fleet Farms’ first dive into the AR market was with its full line of Huldra Arms gas piston guns. Manufactured by Adams Arms, the piston-operated Huldra line sidestepped the DGIS system entirely.

But, while piston-operated systems have many merits (namely cooler and cleaner running), there are many that prefer the battle-proven DGIS system of the parent weapon system. For those unfamiliar with DGIS, this is a system where gas is tapped off the bore and driven back through a hollow gas tube above the barrel. This gas impacts against a gas key attached to the bolt carrier assembly that cups the end of the gas tube. The force of this impact drives back the bolt carrier and cycles the action.

Korstog has come right out of the gate with a winner with the Var in my opinion. If this rifle’s quality and performance is representative of the entire brand, then I think that this will be a company to watch in the future. For those who prefer their AR to run with the established DGIS system and also want a ready-to-go duty carbine fitted out with top-tier components, the Var warrants a very close look.