Crusader is in 308 as would be the Gladius. I don't expect a major difference. I also like the shorter barrel and multicam stock. Be nice to hear from some Gladius owners what they like and don't like. And before someone makes a comment about the surefire break making the barrel the same length, I wouldn't get that.
Have owned both Crusader and Gladius.
- Crusader shot everything like a laser, but Gladius was load picky
- Gladius is harder to shoot past 750-800 yards--not impossible--but you just don't get MV with the short bbl
- Crusader weight & size made it feel like a dedicated prone/bench gun shooter, but Gladius was very well balanced and wieldable
- Gladius quickly feels unbalanced with heavy optics. I shot it with Hensoldt 4-16, Hensoldt 3-12 and NF F1 and preferred the F1 (in Seekins). The 34mm tube required higher mount (0.92" vs 0.82") seemed to overwhelm the rifle. It simply felt a little too 'blocky' having to raise the cheekpiece
- Personal ergonomics, but I would have preferred the Gladius with a Manners MCS-T or T3 stock
- Sold Crusader cause it was too massive for my tastes. Sold Gladius because though it was a cool rifle, the novelty quickly wore off.
If you can only afford ONE gun, I would not recommend the Gladius. If your gun must have a 'handy' feel:
- I would spec out a rifle with a 20" medium Palma contour barrel. E.g., I had a Sako TRG22 and it felt just as handy as the Gladius but was a better shooter.
- I would also scrutinize optics selection for weight and size. E.g., nothing feels handy with a 39-oz PR 3-15 on it.
