About two and a half years ago I received my first Tac Ops rifle and posted about it in <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">"My Tac Ops X-Ray 51 is here!!!"</span></span>. I originally spec'ed my X-Ray 51 with the McMillan "Saddle" adjustable cheekpiece, but about the time my barreled action was ready to be bedded I received a call from Mike Rescigno. A LEO had a sudden change-of-heart and wanted a Saddle Cheekpiece stock, and Mike asked me to relinquish my stock so that he could use it on the LEO build. Since operators need their gear more than I do, I agreed.
Now I had the choice of using a non-adjustable cheekpiece stock or order and wait for another adjustable stock. I'd been waiting for my X-Ray 51 for nearly a year and I didn't relish the thought of adding another 6 months to my wait time so I went with the non-adjustable cheekpiece stock. I also originally went with Seekins HIGH rings, but they were too low, and even with the bottom of the Objective's Butler Creek ground completely flat it still rubbed the (Tac Ops Heavy Contour) barrel. I changed over to Mark 4 HIGHs' and that solved the rubbing problem.
Like all Tac Ops rifles my X-Ray 51 is extremely accurate. Although it is chambered and <span style="font-style: italic">"certified"</span> with Federal Gold Medal Match 168s', it shoots nearly the same with FGMM 175s'. Accuracy with Black Hills 175s' is pretty good too - well under 1/2 MOA at 100 yards. However, as great as I could shoot with it I longed-for a stock with an adjustable cheekpiece. Due to the combination of the shape of my face (angular with high cheekbones) and a PMII 5-25X[56mm] mounted on a Tac Ops 40 MOA two-piece base I had to build-up the cheekpiece height with some foam under my stock pack - and that was pushing my face (and eye) slightly off-axis of the scope. Even then I still had more of a "jaw weld". I really needed an adjustable cheekpiece.
Then about a year ago I bought an A5 Adjustable with the KMW "Loggerhead" cheekpiece hardware and adjustable LOP complete with Williams bottom metal. The stock also had a Remington Varmint barrel channel, "BDL" floorplate inlet, and didn't have an Anschutz Rail so to turn it into an X-Ray stock it was going to need more work than usual but it was a good deal and immediately-available. The fore arm had also had two T-Nuts installed to attach an Atlas BT17, so the holes would need to be filled-in. Before committing to buying the A5 I spoke with Mike Rescigno about modifying it for re-fitting to my X-Ray 51's barreled action (it's a lot of work). Mike gave me the thumbs-up so I bought the stock and Williams bottom metal.
Once I received the adjustable stock I held onto it for a while, deciding if I wanted to re-fit my existing X-Ray 51 or build another X-Ray 51. <span style="font-style: italic">A "spare" X-Ray wouldn't hurt, would it?</span> Eventually the "new" stock was sent to McMillan to have the barrel channel and floorplate opening re-inletted and to have a 10" Anschutz Rail installed. While Tac Ops could have done all of the inletting in-house, Mike doesn't like dust contaminating the shop, as it interferes with the accuracy of the machines and tolerances. The Tac Ops shop is like a "clean room" at an Intel fab.
Below are some photos of the X-Ray 51 re-fitted in the "new" A5 Adjustable with the "Loggerhead" cheekpiece hardware. I also asked Mike to inlet for and install a Tac Ops floorplate in lieu of the Williams floorplate my X-Ray 51 previously used. Since the new bottom metal had to be coated Mike asked me if I wanted to have all the metal re-coated to match, which I did. Major parts are coated in a very dark formulation of Green-T reminiscent of older Tac Ops rifles. Contrasting parts are finished in Black-T.
Check-out my post directly below this one for some "before" photos of the stock as I bought it - molded-in GAP Camo pattern, Remington Varmint barrel channel, LOP Spacer System, BDL floorplate inlet (notice that the Williams floorplate has a lot of space around it), and dual T-Nuts installed in the fore arm to attach a BT17. There are also some photos of the stock in-process (inletted for Tac Ops floorplate and textured) as well as two detail photos of the fore arm and the Anschutz Rail.
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">X-Ray 51 with KMW "Loggerhead" Cheekpiece Hardware-equipped adjustable stock and with the Tac Ops floorplate:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Closeup of fitted Tac Ops floorplate finished in Birdsong "Tac Ops OD" Green-T & Black-T:</span></span>
Keith
Now I had the choice of using a non-adjustable cheekpiece stock or order and wait for another adjustable stock. I'd been waiting for my X-Ray 51 for nearly a year and I didn't relish the thought of adding another 6 months to my wait time so I went with the non-adjustable cheekpiece stock. I also originally went with Seekins HIGH rings, but they were too low, and even with the bottom of the Objective's Butler Creek ground completely flat it still rubbed the (Tac Ops Heavy Contour) barrel. I changed over to Mark 4 HIGHs' and that solved the rubbing problem.
Like all Tac Ops rifles my X-Ray 51 is extremely accurate. Although it is chambered and <span style="font-style: italic">"certified"</span> with Federal Gold Medal Match 168s', it shoots nearly the same with FGMM 175s'. Accuracy with Black Hills 175s' is pretty good too - well under 1/2 MOA at 100 yards. However, as great as I could shoot with it I longed-for a stock with an adjustable cheekpiece. Due to the combination of the shape of my face (angular with high cheekbones) and a PMII 5-25X[56mm] mounted on a Tac Ops 40 MOA two-piece base I had to build-up the cheekpiece height with some foam under my stock pack - and that was pushing my face (and eye) slightly off-axis of the scope. Even then I still had more of a "jaw weld". I really needed an adjustable cheekpiece.
Then about a year ago I bought an A5 Adjustable with the KMW "Loggerhead" cheekpiece hardware and adjustable LOP complete with Williams bottom metal. The stock also had a Remington Varmint barrel channel, "BDL" floorplate inlet, and didn't have an Anschutz Rail so to turn it into an X-Ray stock it was going to need more work than usual but it was a good deal and immediately-available. The fore arm had also had two T-Nuts installed to attach an Atlas BT17, so the holes would need to be filled-in. Before committing to buying the A5 I spoke with Mike Rescigno about modifying it for re-fitting to my X-Ray 51's barreled action (it's a lot of work). Mike gave me the thumbs-up so I bought the stock and Williams bottom metal.
Once I received the adjustable stock I held onto it for a while, deciding if I wanted to re-fit my existing X-Ray 51 or build another X-Ray 51. <span style="font-style: italic">A "spare" X-Ray wouldn't hurt, would it?</span> Eventually the "new" stock was sent to McMillan to have the barrel channel and floorplate opening re-inletted and to have a 10" Anschutz Rail installed. While Tac Ops could have done all of the inletting in-house, Mike doesn't like dust contaminating the shop, as it interferes with the accuracy of the machines and tolerances. The Tac Ops shop is like a "clean room" at an Intel fab.
Below are some photos of the X-Ray 51 re-fitted in the "new" A5 Adjustable with the "Loggerhead" cheekpiece hardware. I also asked Mike to inlet for and install a Tac Ops floorplate in lieu of the Williams floorplate my X-Ray 51 previously used. Since the new bottom metal had to be coated Mike asked me if I wanted to have all the metal re-coated to match, which I did. Major parts are coated in a very dark formulation of Green-T reminiscent of older Tac Ops rifles. Contrasting parts are finished in Black-T.
Check-out my post directly below this one for some "before" photos of the stock as I bought it - molded-in GAP Camo pattern, Remington Varmint barrel channel, LOP Spacer System, BDL floorplate inlet (notice that the Williams floorplate has a lot of space around it), and dual T-Nuts installed in the fore arm to attach a BT17. There are also some photos of the stock in-process (inletted for Tac Ops floorplate and textured) as well as two detail photos of the fore arm and the Anschutz Rail.
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">X-Ray 51 with KMW "Loggerhead" Cheekpiece Hardware-equipped adjustable stock and with the Tac Ops floorplate:</span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Closeup of fitted Tac Ops floorplate finished in Birdsong "Tac Ops OD" Green-T & Black-T:</span></span>
Keith
