In desperate need of some support for my dense head when shooting prone, and not entirely thrilled at the usual options to gain some comb height (stock packs, stock modification with loggerhead hardware, etc.) I decided that I would attempt to make a riser out of kydex that would not require any permanent modifications of the McMillan stock. Using a 12” X 12” piece of .125” kydex, I cut a 5.5” X 5.5” piece and using a heat gun, formed it over the top of the stock so that it fit snugly.
The next step was to figure out how much rise was needed. With the rifle placed on the floor, the Harris bipod legs extended to a comfortable height and a stack of magazines supporting the rear of the rifle to level the barrel (magnetic torpedo level on barrel), I determined that about 5/8” rise would be perfect. With the rifle level on the floor and the weight of my head fully supported by the riser and stack of magazines, I was finally able to lay behind the rifle and comfortably look through the scope. I also checked the amount of rise using a sling in the sitting position, as well as any other position I would be shooting from and determined that this was the ideal height.
With the amount of rise determined, I cut a strip of kydex and formed it to the inside of the cheek piece to provide the desired rise and then then secured it using epoxy. I used Velcro to hold the riser in place on the stock, which allows easy removal for bore cleaning. Finally, I contoured the riser to improve its aesthetics and allow removal of the bolt, and applied some rattle-can camo to make it blend better with the pattern of the stock. I am pleased with it on all counts: it's very solid with no wiggle or give, stays in place very well, did not require any modifications to the stock, is easily removable for bore cleaning (and at least to me) doesn't look like a total DIY hack.
Here are a few shots of the finished riser;
Hopefully some will find this post useful.
The next step was to figure out how much rise was needed. With the rifle placed on the floor, the Harris bipod legs extended to a comfortable height and a stack of magazines supporting the rear of the rifle to level the barrel (magnetic torpedo level on barrel), I determined that about 5/8” rise would be perfect. With the rifle level on the floor and the weight of my head fully supported by the riser and stack of magazines, I was finally able to lay behind the rifle and comfortably look through the scope. I also checked the amount of rise using a sling in the sitting position, as well as any other position I would be shooting from and determined that this was the ideal height.
With the amount of rise determined, I cut a strip of kydex and formed it to the inside of the cheek piece to provide the desired rise and then then secured it using epoxy. I used Velcro to hold the riser in place on the stock, which allows easy removal for bore cleaning. Finally, I contoured the riser to improve its aesthetics and allow removal of the bolt, and applied some rattle-can camo to make it blend better with the pattern of the stock. I am pleased with it on all counts: it's very solid with no wiggle or give, stays in place very well, did not require any modifications to the stock, is easily removable for bore cleaning (and at least to me) doesn't look like a total DIY hack.
Here are a few shots of the finished riser;
Hopefully some will find this post useful.
