Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

[Phil3]

I am building a rifle and find that a chassis such as AICS, Roedale, or XLR is about the same price, or even less than a synthetic stock such as Manners, McMillan, etc if you add in a detachable magazine and payment to someone to bed the rifle.

Before I make a decision on which way to go, would welcome pros and cons of both choices.

- Phil

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

I prefer traditional styled stocks because I find they tend to be lighter, simpler, and more ergonomic. For what I use my rifle for I don't want or need rails or random adjustments or square edges or modular anything.

 

[Supersubes]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

Nobody can answer that out for you. I have read the XLR is very AR in feel, so if you dig ar's maybe that's the way to go. For me it is AICS all the way. Aside from the weight, there is nothing I don't like about them.

 

[KNIGHT11B4]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

Dont leave out the Manners mini chassis.

 

[Victor Co Heather]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Phil3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am building a rifle and find that a chassis such as AICS, Roedale, or XLR is about the same price, or even less than a synthetic stock such as Manners, McMillan, etc if you add in a detachable magazine and payment to someone to bed the rifle.

Before I make a decision on which way to go, would welcome pros and cons of both choices.

- Phil </div></div>

It's mostly a personal preference thing.

The upside to having an AICS over a traditional stock is that you can swap out your action anytime you like, there is no bedding required. I've had a bunch of different actions on all my AICSs... can't do that with a McMillan.

The AICS is a little heavier than some of the traditional stocks but heavier tends to be a good thing unless you are hunting. A lot of people don't like the ergonomics of the AICS, so they find our upgraded skins (Viperskins) very appealing since they give you a pistolgrip and better feel.

You should try out different stocks to see which works for you before you buy.

 

[Dick D]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

If you consider if necessary to bed a Manners or McMillan stock then you should also consider it necessary to bed a chassis stock. The manufacturing tolerances that are on an action are there on all actions. The manufacturing tolerances on a CNC machined stock are there wheather it is aluminum or fiberglass being machined. You might drop a typical round production action into a precisioned machined steel V-block like the one Badger makes and see how much it wiggles around in the block.

 

[Phil3]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dick Davis</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> If you consider if necessary to bed a Manners or McMillan stock then you should also consider it necessary to bed a chassis stock. The manufacturing tolerances that are on an action are there on all actions. The manufacturing tolerances on a CNC machined stock are there wheather it is aluminum or fiberglass being machined. You might drop a typical round production action into a precisioned machined steel V-block like the one Badger makes and see how much it wiggles around in the block. </div></div>

I only consider it "necessary" to bed a McMillan or Manners, because that is what I understand is necessary. I presume bedding is to prevent uneven stresses, such as bending or torquing of the action and to free float the barrel, and can see how the action and what it bolts to can vary in tolerance from one unit to another. Never done bedding, so not even sure how one would go about such a thing in a chassis. But, I get your point, fit may be sloppy either way.

Responding to earlier posts, I would try out other stocks, but here in the San Francisco bay area, there is very little to "try out".

The suggested Manners "mini-chassis" is not available for the Howa. That would be attractive, if it existed.

- Phil

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

The one thing that I dont like about a typical chassis is that most of them arent designed with very much if any rear comb to ride a read bag.

Also, most of them have a rounded for-end/float tube that might make it a tic harder to shoot from a baracade, but thats kinda moot.

Some shooters like the adaptablity of a chassis, and some like the traditional feel of a stock. Its personal preferance.

 

[cavemanmoore]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dick Davis</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> If you consider if necessary to bed a Manners or McMillan stock then you should also consider it necessary to bed a chassis stock. The manufacturing tolerances that are on an action are there on all actions. The manufacturing tolerances on a CNC machined stock are there wheather it is aluminum or fiberglass being machined. You might drop a typical round production action into a precisioned machined steel V-block like the one Badger makes and see how much it wiggles around in the block. </div></div>

My actions have all fit very, very snugly in my XLR's. Bedding literally would not have fit between the receiver and the chassis. XLR has a specific method for making chassis that do not require bedding. Anyone who doubts me should call XLR for themselves and discuss bedding (970-985-9150).

I also loved my A5, and I know McMillan is good people. And I prefer the looks of a traditional stock. The XLR just fits me better.

 

[Victor Co Heather]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Phil3</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dick Davis</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> If you consider if necessary to bed a Manners or McMillan stock then you should also consider it necessary to bed a chassis stock. The manufacturing tolerances that are on an action are there on all actions. The manufacturing tolerances on a CNC machined stock are there wheather it is aluminum or fiberglass being machined. You might drop a typical round production action into a precisioned machined steel V-block like the one Badger makes and see how much it wiggles around in the block. </div></div>

I only consider it "necessary" to bed a McMillan or Manners, because that is what I understand is necessary. I presume bedding is to prevent uneven stresses, such as bending or torquing of the action and to free float the barrel, and can see how the action and what it bolts to can vary in tolerance from one unit to another. Never done bedding, so not even sure how one would go about such a thing in a chassis. But, I get your point, fit may be sloppy either way.

Responding to earlier posts, I would try out other stocks, but here in the San Francisco bay area, there is very little to "try out".

The suggested Manners "mini-chassis" is not available for the Howa. That would be attractive, if it existed.

- Phil </div></div>


Are you shooting a Howa? Cross AICS off you list...

 

[Victor Co Heather]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dick Davis</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> If you consider if necessary to bed a Manners or McMillan stock then you should also consider it necessary to bed a chassis stock. The manufacturing tolerances that are on an action are there on all actions. The manufacturing tolerances on a CNC machined stock are there wheather it is aluminum or fiberglass being machined. You might drop a typical round production action into a precisioned machined steel V-block like the one Badger makes and see how much it wiggles around in the block. </div></div>


I find this comment highly questionable.

 

[gme]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

Phil,
How you intend to use the rifle is the biggest factor in what stock/chassis system is best for you, a rifle primarily intended for hunting use would be stocked differently than one intended for use as a target/position rifle, then you'd have to look at which stock of a given type feels best to you, my experience is that a good shooter, while he may have personal preference to a particular stock design can adapt to pretty much any platform.

 

[JD42]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

It is a bit of a personal thing. As to how you will be useing your rifle. For bench shooting I persoanly love my ACS 2.0

The up side is both faster on target and I can change actions with simple hand tools. Down side is it does weigh more than a tradisonal stock.

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

machining fiber glass and filler is a whole different ball game to machining alloy. i would consider it absolutely impossible to hold the tollerances that are possible with alloy when machining fiberglass.

most factory actions come with tollerances, the Howa's are pretty damn good, so much so that I have 1 particular Howa that I call my Bedding Bitch, she's bedded hundreds of stocks that have been bought from us and no one has ever said it didnt fit and the accuracy results bore no reflection to the fact that 1 action was used to make the bedding and another was fitted, this tells me ( and i know as i measured plenty) that the Howa is a pretty well machined action. you have to watch out in the barrel area if you are bedding under the 1st part of the barrel, as tollerances there will cause accuracy issues.
Likewise on a Remington, the recoil lug is not always in exatly teh same position, this can cause issues in a bedding, that wouldnt be noticed in a V Block chassis.


It is possible to re machine an AICS meant for a Remington to fit several actions, i did this for a couple of years before starting to manufacture dedicated chassis for different actions.
The machining is involved, time consuming and you can easily screw up an expensive stock.. The CNC machine makes a whole chassis in a fraction of the time it took to re machine an AICS and make the spall adaptor parts required ( but thats because i always did it as a single job, it would be faster on a production line type set up)


Anyhow Michael, as soon as we get a shipment of Viperskins, a Howa RCS II Viper will be a reality. !!

weight. Tom's web site says that a Manners T4 A weights 4.2 Lbs. add bedding, pillars, mag system and mag and you are heavier than a chassis system, ours weights.

the AICS is 5 1/2 lbs. without mag

the RCS I for a Howa weighed 2.1kg with a magazine. thats what 4.6lbs

so theres not all that much in the weight íssue when you compare stocks with like featuires.

of course if you chose a ligter stock, then you can bring the weight right down. ( i built a Howa based tactical rifle, with an alloy sleeved LW barrel, incl paint, pic rail, mag system and magazine in a light version of the Manners MCS T the rifle weighed 3kg. I got that down even further when i exchanged the stock for a PSE stock.)

like the gentleman above said, identify your use for the rifle, then choose the stock based on your personal preferences..
and when alls said and done, its a bolt on accessory, nothing stopping you having different stocks chassis etc as funds allow.

all the best Pete

 

[jagged77]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pete Lincoln</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Anyhow Michael, as soon as we get a shipment of Viperskins, a Howa RCS II Viper will be a reality. !!

</div></div>


Good news, didn't know they were shipping out of the US. Now I can get to grips with the idea of a Tikka T3 with a chassis and set of Viper Skins!

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Re: Chassis vs Stock: Pros and Cons?

We should recieve our 1st batch in a few weeks. we will then shipping out the pre ordered RCS II's first and then folow on orders should be available with short delivery times.

T3 TCS II Viper.. nice.

Pete