Will the chassis eventually dominate?

It is odd to me that, as ostentatious as Aussie's claim to be so that even Texans can't compare, the gun laws are so puny.
260Rem - I lived in WA (Western Australia), for nearly 30 years. Got sick of all the 'double talk' and double standards from our LE agencies.
So I left the West Island and returned to the home country.
Our senior Police HQ managers are all ex-British bobbies, so NZ is now going through the 'ultra vires' policy making, which is causing all sorts of ruckus in the 250K+ licensed firearms owners.
The current Police Minister has already had the Arms Code 2017 pulled, as it creates situations for both frontline Police and licensed firearms owners, that should never have happened.
Too much sway by anti-gun bleeding hearts, who rubbish gun owners with one breath - then bleat about security being too lax - police have shot innocent bystanders, 'shoot through' injuries and left their handguns in public toilets. IA investigations have 'cleared' the Policeman/men of any wrongdoing and recommended retraining and counseling. Nothing for the victims or their families.
Familiar 'closed shop' mentality.
That isn't to say that I object to Police shooting anyone, just that the decision to pull the trigger needs to be better informed.
We have yet to experience any of the Sydney/Melbourne/London/California incidents in NZ - YET, but if any of my family was threatened, injured or killed by terrorist action, I'd be alongside the frontline coppers, pointing out the perpetrators.
 
I compete with my 6.5 Creedmoor RPR and it is a 1/2 MOA rifle with even factory loads (140 gr. Hornady ELD-M)

It's heavy but accurate as hell.

HOWSOMEVER...

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor Ruger American Predator with a Timney trigger and a very nice Boyd's Classic brown laminated stock with beautiful, absolutely perfect laser engraved fish scale checkering. I swapped Boyd's el cheapo plastic trigger guard for an identically shaped Savage 110 metal guard from Brownell's. Now the RAP looks as good as it shoots which is to say 1/2 MOA with Hornady match ammo and 143 gr.Hornady ELD-X Precision Hunter!

I will put the homely Ruger plastic stock back on only when I have to hunt at altitudes above 7,000 ft. because it is a full pound lighter than the Boyd's stock.

Same goes for my .300 Win mag Browning A-Bolt. Plastic stock for hunting, laminated thumbhole stock for competition.

So would I want to hunt with a chassis rifle? Hell no.Too heavy and too ugly - only good for competition and hunting men.

Eric B.
 
I went to a chassis, even if they do have a bit more mass than most stock options that were under consideration when I built my 300 Win. Used a Stevens 200 LA donor as a base.

Selling points..

I could do the work myself, no smith or special tools save for an inch pound torque wrench (which I already had) butt stock selection, went with MDT chassis, so my options were broad, skeleton, folding, retractable and from various makers, especially nice if the wife wants to use a different option.

Just about impervious to weather, if I am out where I expect to be subjected to rain, sleet, snow I will throw the torque wrench into my pack in the event that I need to tear it down in the field, to dry it off. Different temps, altitudes, humidity -30 to 100 + in the shade have had no appreciable effect on accuracy, probably had more effect on me than the rifle.

Can paint it any color combination I want and due to the aluminum/plastic/polymer nature of it, with no concern at all or special prep to protect a wood or laminate stock. Hunt somewhere the colors don't match, get the needed cans of Krylon and match.

Barrel can mount a sporter or heavy varmint and still use the barrel nut or mount a full bull without nut and still have a free floated barrel.

Pistol grip large for me or a thinner model for the wife.

Rails on the forend I can mount an PH Bipod or use the short Harris with an quick mount adapter , with an over barrel adapter I could mount a clip on NV device, allowing me to retain the dayscope and my zero.

Can mount my sling studs in the side of the forearm and butt stock, instead of having them run down the centerline , but if I wish to shoot with my sling, then a moment's adjustment and there we go ala 1907 sling positions.

If I am shooting off bags, I can use rail covers so the rails don't catch on the front rest or remove the centerline rail and have a nice flat if I choose.

Magazines:

What can I say, there are some really nice Accuracy International magazines 5 or 10 round if you prefer and several good clones to choose from, even apparently a long action polymer, which I haven't had a chance to look at yet and between the chamber reamer used and mag length 3.6+ OAL is easily doable with 220 SMK

Accuracy, as long as the barrel is a quality one and your loads are up to snuff, get the torque at the right setting and small little groups all day long are what you can expect

Downside:

Cost if you have to go out and buy Butt stock, tube, grip, rails in addition to the chassis it won't be cheap.

Weight, I have a 26 inch heavy varmint profile barrel on my chassis and with accessories, scope it's a heavy brute not counting sling or bipod night vision or aiming/ranging aids. Though it comes in handy when launching heavy bullets at high velocity. Still haven't weighed it, but will get around to it sooner or later.

Looks, if the tactical look is not your thing I suggest a more sporter looking chassis, there are a few considered.

So, yes I do see a time where there is more chassis out there than the other options and I chalk it up to progress and innovation and an evolving group of hunter/shooters some of whom their first rifle may have been the M16/M4/etc upon which they received instruction when in the service or they grow up with that type of modularism and while a wood and steel rifle has an appeal they want the efficiency of steel, aluminum and polymer, carbon fibre materials, all of which in combination can reduce some of the variables encountered in long range rifles and the shooting of said rifles.
 
Chasis systems are quite expensive to produce compared to the commercially produced wood, laminate, and quality synthetic stocks and there's enough difference in personal tastes I think that they will all be around for as long as we have firearms.

Unless you've spent most of your time starting out with a tactical rifle the odds are they'll never be as comfortable for you as the more traditional stocks and that tends to really set us up for life.

The ergonomic benefit of a pistol grip such as on the AR or AK platform rifles has a whole lot more to do with carrying them in the field rather than shooting comfort or accuracy in spite of a lot of the hype that's out there today.

Actually they are not that expensive to produce with CNC machinery now . That's an industry lie told to people to justify the prices asked . Some laminated fiberglass BR stocks already have most of the internals as a laminated in alloy block anyway . That is more work to make than allowing a CNC machine to just spit out the parts one after the other all made from solid 7075 stock . The adjust-ability of many chassis stocks makes them more comfortable to shoot prone than a fixed stock with no pistol grip .
 
Thanks all for the valuable feedback.
As I have spent more time with the chassis design, given it more thought, and absorbed the feed back, it seems we could see some development and advances aimed at the hunter. The weight of the current offerings is surely an issue. My Ruger PR weighs in at +14# even with light rings and March/AMG scope, about the same as my A3 stocked, Rem 700, Varmint bbl 300 WM. I like my LRH rifleswhich are pretty standard affairs, kept to 10- 11# max. If the chassis is pushed to LA cartridges the weight increases even more. I'm thinking that a lighter weight, "hunting" chassis/bull sporter barrel, and a cartridge like the 6.5 GAP(or short/far case 7mm or 300) with a total weight of 11# with scope..."Designed for the hunter", could be an attractive offering. I had heard that Ruger was contemplating this. If it shot anything like the RPR currently offered, I would be interested.
 
Thanks all for the valuable feedback.
As I have spent more time with the chassis design, given it more thought, and absorbed the feed back, it seems we could see some development and advances aimed at the hunter. The weight of the current offerings is surely an issue. My Ruger PR weighs in at +14# even with light rings and March/AMG scope, about the same as my A3 stocked, Rem 700, Varmint bbl 300 WM. I like my LRH rifleswhich are pretty standard affairs, kept to 10- 11# max. If the chassis is pushed to LA cartridges the weight increases even more. I'm thinking that a lighter weight, "hunting" chassis/bull sporter barrel, and a cartridge like the 6.5 GAP(or short/far case 7mm or 300) with a total weight of 11# with scope..."Designed for the hunter", could be an attractive offering. I had heard that Ruger was contemplating this. If it shot anything like the RPR currently offered, I would be interested.

I have been trying to narrow down choices for a chassis that is suited more for a hunting rig, keeping it light weight and sleek. It seems that an MDT LSS or LSS-XL may fit the bill but I'm wondering what else is out there for options. I wouldn't want a heavy, bulky setup or need a 10 round magazine.
 
PROGRESSION OF RIFLE STOCKS IN THE US:

1. wooden stocks, one or two piece
2. fiberglas filled resin and pillar bedded wooden stocks
3. laminate stocks, often fully bedded
4. synthetic stocks, foam core W/fiberglas outer shell, often fully bedded
5. factory all plastic stocks - some good, many poor and wimpy
6. fiberglas stocks W/internal aluminum bedding block from pistol grip to forearm
7. carbon fiber stocks W/internal aluminum bedding block
8. chassis stocks, most W/pistol grips and tubular fore arms

For hunting I like a carbon fiber stock W/ aluminum bedding block

For target shooting I'll take a chassis stock like my 6.5 CM Ruger Precision Rifle.

Eric B.
 
PROGRESSION OF RIFLE STOCKS IN THE US:

1. wooden stocks, one or two piece
2. fiberglas filled resin and pillar bedded wooden stocks
3. laminate stocks, often fully bedded
4. synthetic stocks, foam core W/fiberglas outer shell, often fully bedded
5. factory all plastic stocks - some good, many poor and wimpy
6. fiberglas stocks W/internal aluminum bedding block from pistol grip to forearm
7. carbon fiber stocks W/internal aluminum bedding block
8. chassis stocks, most W/pistol grips and tubular fore arms

For hunting I like a carbon fiber stock W/ aluminum bedding block

For target shooting I'll take a chassis stock like my 6.5 CM Ruger Precision Rifle.

Eric B.
Nice time line . It all depends on what you want to do with the rifle and under what conditions . There is many ways to hunt and many types of target shooting so no single stock does it all 100 % . One size does not fit all .
 
Interesting thread. I grew up shooting with standard stocks, but always was drawn to the vertical grip. I've shot thumbhole, pistol grip, Bell and Carlson Varmint Tactical Vertical Grip and a Sako TRG. I thought everyone of them was more comfortable and easier to shoot. I always wondered why the standard stock was so popular. I didn't realize that people actually preferred them and didn't want the vertical grip.

Having said that, I certainly understand the weight issue for hunting. When I get to hunt I use a standard stock.
 
This has turned out to be a great thread. I think most of it turns to personal preference in the end, as do most things on this site. I built 2 new rifles in the last 12 months, and one has chassis and the other has a Mcmillan A3. I like vertical grips, as my huge hands can float on them a little better, and I really can't say which one I like most. My service rifles all have vertical pistol grips (M4A1 SBR, M249 SAW, and M107) and I have gotten very comfortable with those. I'm excited to see where the new chassis technology goes, and what cool stuff comes out of it.
 
Noticed I failed to mention the model I chose the HS3, the Tac-21 has too much space for debris incursion into the action and required removal of the trigger to install.

The LSS had to short a forearm and is really a 20 inch barrel chassis, the LSS-XL wasn't available when I was evaluating systems.

Most of my hunting is usually in areas that I have extensively scouted and know the best "hide" sites and movement patterns of the game in question, so bringing a heavy rifle to the hunt is not a detriment.
 
MPA BA Chassis - MasterPiece Arms, Inc.

Chassis systems are probably going to be the future. Look at this system and when you consider the cost of inletting, finishing, bedding, pillars, bottom metal etc it is cheap. MPA seems to be rising to the top out of the pack also.

Check out the BA Lite if you are looking at lighter.

Plus drop in your barreled action. Does not get much easier than that.

Now look at their complete rifles and not many places can you get a rifle ready to go at that price.
 
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