Inexpensive aics bottom metal ?

patrol120 said:

I have used the Magpul bottom metal on a couple of build, and it works OK. Depending on the stock, it often has to sit proud of the stock for it to function correctly, and magazines often needs some tweaking to sit in toe correct location for them to feed.

True M5 metal is better in every single way.

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It depends on your application.

making statements like "better in every way" is silly and assumes you know exactly what the OP is looking to do. Also important to know is budget and whether or not any components are already on hand.

I have both, have had many flavors of M5 in the past as well. Some of the M5 needed tweaking as well, as is often the case with ANY component you might buy for a project. Application is key, so it is important to explore and understand the pros and cons of all available options.

jpfrog said:

A lot of folks on here are saying you need to inlet for M5, but I believe that to be incorrect.

I have 4 rifles running the Magpul Hunter 700 DBM. 2 long, 2 short- all are standard bolt face. I had a 300win that ran this setup too- just bought the magnum magazine instead of the standard.

it's a lot more affordable than going the M5 route if you're on a budget and have a stock set up for BDL already. On 2 of my HS precision I did need to relieve some material from the Magpul with a file. It took 5 minutes and fits/functions perfectly when done. PM me if you run into any issues or have any questions.

all that said, I also will run M5 on a custom I'm building right now. This is because I bought a stock that was already inlet for it. I like the Magpul though- and have it installed on 2 full customs as well as 2 semi customs. Good luck!

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Are you trying to say the BDL inlet doe not have to be opened up to install the magpul DBM? If so that hasn't been my experience at all. I run 2 of the Magpul DBM and bother were previously BDL inlet and had to be opened up significantly.

Mike from Texas said:

Are you trying to say the BDL inlet doe not have to be opened up to install the magpul DBM? If so that hasn't been my experience at all. I run 2 of the Magpul DBM and bother were previously BDL inlet and had to be opened up significantly.

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Of the 4 rifles currently using the setup, 2 dropped right in, and 2 Stocks did require some thinking, but rather than modifying the stocks (which cost significantly more than the Magpul bottom metal), I used a file on the Magpul. It took 5 minutes, functioned perfectly, was imperceptible to anyone other than me, and preserved the integrity of my stock in case I wanted to use it for something else later.

My point in posting on this thread is that the OP listed 2 very specific requirements- BDL, and Inexpensive. Suggesting an M5 setup meets neither of these requirements, as an M5 by definition is not BDL, and because it typically costs more than a BDL setup and will require modification to a stock meant for BDL, it is not really inexpensive.

Again, I have both, and like both, but it all depends on the intended application.

I am intrigued, because both of the Magpul units I have used required quite a bit of work to fit into a BDL cut, and even after that work, they don't fit well. Nearly everyone I have seen ends up looking like this....some slightly better but not much. If you're cool with that sort of fitment, then more power to you...

Edit to add; This is just a photo I grabbed off the net...I no longer own any rifles with he Magpul setup. The last one, a Stocky's Polymer LR fit a little better than this, but it still had to ride quite low to feed.

patrol120 said:

If you're cool with that sort of fitment, then more power to you...

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I get that you probably have more trigger experience than me and the rest of the members of this forum combined, and I respect that. However, statements like this from your reply only detract from the OP's request and serve to show your attitude towards anyone who offers a different experience or suggestion than your own.

Here are some pictures, of rifles I own not off the web. I included the 2nd picture to show what it looks like on an actual Magpul Hunter 700 stock as well. There is not poor fit on any of the 3 rifles I have in the pictures. They perform flawlessly to boot, and all 3 rifles produce groups in the .1xx-2xx" all day long. So yes, I'm "cool with that sort of fitment."

Total cost for all 3 bottom metal setups was less than the cost of the Magpul 700 stock alone, which is less than the M5 setup you're probably running (and I am installing on a current build, and I have run on previous builds). So it meets the OPs "inexpensive" and "BDL" requirement.

Those do look better than the vast majority of the those I have seen. Good job. If they work for you, that's great. I tried them, and while they worked, they just didn't float my boat.

patrol120 said:

Those do look better than the vast majority of the those I have seen. Good job. If they work for you, that's great. I tried them, and while they worked, they just didn't float my boat.

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I understand that...been through that with other components as well. I'm installing a Hawkins M5 on a switch barrel build currently. It's quite a bit lighter than other M5 options out there, and less pricey as well, so I'm hoping it works out. Main reason for going the M5 route on that build was because I got a smoking deal on a stock that was ready to go but had an M5 inlet. I also just wanted to try out the Hawkins.

jpfrog said:

Of the 4 rifles currently using the setup, 2 dropped right in, and 2 Stocks did require some thinking, but rather than modifying the stocks (which cost significantly more than the Magpul bottom metal), I used a file on the Magpul. It took 5 minutes, functioned perfectly, was imperceptible to anyone other than me, and preserved the integrity of my stock in case I wanted to use it for something else later.

My point in posting on this thread is that the OP listed 2 very specific requirements- BDL, and Inexpensive. Suggesting an M5 setup meets neither of these requirements, as an M5 by definition is not BDL, and because it typically costs more than a BDL setup and will require modification to a stock meant for BDL, it is not really inexpensive.

Again, I have both, and like both, but it all depends on the intended application.

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Interesting. My smith did an excellent job in letting/fitting the Magpul to my McMillan BDL stock. Everything sits well and functions perfectly. He is a perfectionist and is the reason he builds all of my rifles. I was going to try to modify it to fit my stock but the amount of material to be removed was too much so I still had to have the stock inletted.