PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite

A fresh interpretation of the somewhat mystical, certified utilitarian “scout rifle,” Franchi’s Momentum All-Terrain Elite hits all the right notes for those who appreciate lightweight, high-mobility long arms

by Rob Reaser

Although I maintain a fascination and appreciation for long-range rifles, with their precision construction and their fine-tuned accuracy, they don’t speak to me quite the same way as lightweight, short, and fast-handling carbines. For much the same reasons I prefer traditional stick-and-string bows for bowhunting — they are light, maneuverable, and their close-range limitations really exercise my hunting and shooting skills — I also lean toward hunting-caliber carbines.

I find carbines to be the more practical choice where I live and do most of my hunting. Steep hills beg for minimal-weight gear, thick woods for lean, truncated barrels, and gnarly brush for snappy jumps to the shoulder. Good firearm utility also means accepting rides on my ATV and stowing handily in the truck.

All of this I find in the carbine.

Many long arms meet the above criteria — first among them lever-actions following the early Winchester and Marlin patterns — and you can find bolt and semi-auto carbines in various flavors being built today, often billed as “scout” (loosely following the concept put forward by Col. Jeff Cooper many years ago) or “truck” rifles.

A couple years ago, Franchi expanded its Momentum bolt-action rifle line with the introduction of the Momentum All-Terrain Elite. While this is a variant of the Momentum rifles, it presents many of the essential features of a go-anywhere, ready-for-anything carbine crafted in the spirit of Col. Cooper’s famed scout gun. The gun comes in two chambers — .308 Win./7.62 NATO and .223 Rem./5.56 NATO — to satisfy both big-game and varmint hunting needs, as well as personal defense, and both rifles boast 18-inch barrels. For those with an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it view, the All-Terrain Elite would certainly serve the purpose as your one-and-done, grab-and-go survival firearm. In fact, Franchi hints at the All-Terrain Elite being an “everyday carry rifle.” While that may not be a wise notion to follow for suburban movement, it absolutely aligns with the ranch life or any work or lifestyle that may routinely find you in remote areas hosting predators of the four- and two-legged varieties.

As with all Momentum rifles I’ve tested and hunted with, the All-Terrain Elite hits all the right buttons in terms of comfort and ergonomics. The stock contours are ergonomically crafted to deliver superior purchase along the grip and forend regardless of whether you are shooting with bare hands or gloves. A finger shelf along the front of the stock provides a solid grasp that, combined with aggressive side texturing, really locks your support hand in position. To better accommodate improvised field supports, such as a pack, fence post, or what have you, the bottom of the forend is flat.

Another high point is the aggressive grip texturing. While I find most plastic grip panels to be on the slippery side regardless of the texture treatment, the All-Terrain Elite grip really sticks. This is further accentuated by the relatively slender wrist, which allows you to get a good wrap on the stock with your firing hand.

Franchi offers three different-size comb pads for the All-Terrain Elite. The gun comes with the standard low-height pad while medium and high pads can be purchased separately. This adjustability lets you achieve the ideal cheek weld and eye alignment behind the sight — both super-important factors in enhancing accuracy potential and boosting comfort.

Also contributing to the All-Terrain Elite’s easy shooting manners is the Franchi TSA butt pad. This is a cushy little unit that does two things well. First, the pad has rounded corners along the sides and top that prevent “tripping” the stock as you shoulder the gun. If you’ve done much fast shouldering of a rifle when wearing heavy winter clothing, you’ll definitely appreciate this design. I sure do. Second, the TSA pad takes a lot of the UMPH! out of the felt recoil thanks to its engineered compression design. Franchi claims up to 50-percent felt recoil reduction, which I can’t quantitatively verify but am inclined to believe because the gun does shoot fairly softly for its low weight.

Part of the scout rifle formula is the use of unobtrusive, generally low magnification power optics, commonly referred to as “scout scopes.” These scopes are typically fixed 4X magnification with long or intermediate eye relief so the optic can sit further toward the barrel and out of the way the action. This arrangement also allows for quicker sight picture acquisition in the kind of close distances in which the scout rifle excels.

To accommodate long eye relief optics — whether magnified or electronic dot sights — the All-Terrain Elite features a long Picatinny rail mount. The mount secures to the receiver and free-floats above the barrel 3 7/8 inches past the front of the receiver.

Interestingly, the monolithic rail also incorporates the rear sight assembly. I found this setup to be particularly intriguing because the rear sight (as well as the front sight) is designed to be used in one of two configurations. Folded down, as seen here, you have a traditional square notch rear sight with two alignment dots.

This corresponds to the blade/dot front sight when it is in the down position.

It has become something of an anomaly these days for factory rifles chambered in hunting calibers to come with open sights. It is also understandable given that, 1) most consumers add some form of optical or electronic sight system of their own choosing and, 2) the art of open sight rifle shooting is practically dead outside of traditional muzzleloader circles and service rifle competition. That the All-Terrain Elite comes standard with open sights is testimony to the gun’s ready-for-action, close-distance mission. It also provides users with the means to put bullets on target without adding weight to this stealthy and lithe platform.

There is, though, a downside to this sight in the square notch and blade configuration: there is no adjustment for windage or elevation.

If the square notch and blade configuration is not to your liking, you have the option of going peep-and-post, as these sights can be flipped up to employ a rear aperture sight and a front post. This is my preferred open sight system since my eyes do much better centering the front post in the center of the aperture than trying to align a blade within a square notch rear. But…to each his own.

In this configuration, the sight does allow for windage adjustment. Simply rotate the adjustment drum with a flathead driver bit.

Those of you who are familiar with M16 and M4 AR clones will be somewhat acquainted with the front post sight adjustment on the All-Terrain Elite. This is a variation of the A1- and A2-style gas block/front sight assembly. The function is the same: raise or lower the front post to shift elevation point-of-impact. The difference is that no sight adjustment tool is required. Simply depress the spring-loaded post stop at the front of the sight and rotate the post as needed to raise or lower the point-of-impact.

I really like the concept of the flip-up aperture-and-post sight system for this carbine platform. The downsides to this are that the front and rear sight bodies are polymer, not metal, construction, so it is questionable as to how they will withstand a hard impact, and the front sight does not lock sharply and securely in its up position. A stronger spring-and-detent design along with all-metal construction would go a long way toward improving this setup.

Where the All-Terrain Elite falls short in its open sight construction, it certainly makes up for with the seemingly bomb-proof, spiral fluted bolt design.

This is Franchi’s Dependa bolt system, which boasts a short 60-degree throw arc. The bolt knob is sizeable, allowing for a quick, positive grip even when wearing gloves while the chrome finish promotes easy sliding and rotation for chambering and extraction.

As you can see, the bolt is of a single-piece design, making it exceptionally strong and easy to clean. It also comes with three locking lugs rather than the more common two-lug configuration, so a tight, positive lockup is guaranteed.

Feeding the All-Terrain Elite is Magpul’s tough and reliable PMAG 10 7.62 AICS magazine. This mag holds 10 rounds and releases by pushing forward on the ambidextrous release lever located in front of the trigger guard. The trigger guard, mag well, and “bottom metal” are all part of a unitized polymer construction.

As with all Momentum rifles, the All-Terrain Elite employs Franchi’s Relia single-stage trigger. It’s acceptable for a factory trigger, although I found the sear engagement travel to be longer than expected and not entirely smooth. While the trigger offers a 2- to 4-lb. adjustability range, the manufacturer warns that this should be done only by a qualified gunsmith or by the factory. My test mule came out of the box registering an average pull weight of 2 lbs., 3.0 oz.

The All-Terrain Elite comes with a muzzle brake that, like the barrel, receiver, bolt handle, and top rail, is treated with a Midnight Bronze Cerakote finish.

Accessory attachment options abound on the modular stock, with M-LOK and QD attachment points on the sides and the bottom of the forend and QD pockets on both sides of the buttstock. This allows for multiple sling positions and bipod mounting.

Finally, the All-Terrain Elite comes dressed in TrueTimber Strata camo. Camo is a personal thing for many, but to my eye, the Strata pattern is ideal for a wide range of environments, and its subdued brown and green hues are a perfect match for the carbine’s Midnight Bronze metal finish and matte black accents. Overall, an impressive display that is functional in the field.

Although shorter-barrel carbines will likely never eclipse conventional rifles for hunting (and definitely not for long-range shooting endeavors), there is a certain “leaning in” on scout-type rifles by a growing number of shooting enthusiasts for both hunting and personal defense applications. You can count the Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite among the leading examples of this exciting and diverse firearm concept.

Franchi Momentum All-Terrain Elite Specifications