This project started at least a year ago with a rough freebie bedding block I had gifted to me for my MK2. I welded on some more ally square bar for the buttstock and screwed on some stainless RHS for the front. It wasn't bad but BLOODY HEAVY. I came to like everything about the rifle except the weight. Recently I decided to do a little something about it and set about finding an alternative to solid bar. 3mm wall RHS seemed ot be the ticket. Plenty rigid for a little rimfire and definitely light weight.
Now it took a few trials a few errors and a couple prototypes (the worst being I welded on the buttstock upside down (*cough*dumbass*cough*). Eventually I found a design and manufacturing process that was suitable for either the 22lr or 17hmr/22wmr models (I have 1 of each). I even went to the effort to make up a fixture jig for welding the 4 parts of the chassis together to guarantee they all fit and are all the same.
Now this is an ongoing project with a few additions to make but its all set up to do so. MY first one I machined a plug for the fore grip to fit inside the RHS and drilled and tapped it for a knock off versapod which works well for the little 22. The chassis also has a 1.5mm gap between the top of the recoil pad and the skins to when I get time fold up a little 1.5mm steel sling mount similar to the original AI chassis which will be held in place by the top recoil screw.
I finally got around to machining up the bolt clearance fill panel and got the whole thing cerakoted black today and bolted back together.
The only modifications the skins needed were a little trim just under the rear or the action all of about 1/4" square removed that's not visible once bolted up and the 22lr 10 rounds mag needs to have 1/2" wide and 3/4" long removed from the front of the magwell as the banana mag points forward considerably. 17hmr/22wmr versions when I get around to making them up for my other rifles will only require the little trim under the rear of the action.
I can't remember the cheek pad I used, its just some generic $8 jobby screwed to the butt. I will do something about this and maybe resin fill the rear member to drill and tap to fit it or something else with thumb screws in a quick detach type deal as the cheek rest has to be removed to insert/remove the bolt and I have once forgotten my allen key
I also had the barrel threaded and a thread protector made up which doubles as a mount for a bit of carbon fibre tube which is held snug at the other end with a couple orings around the barrel to finish off the look.
I'm pretty happy with where things are now. The weight is much better than the last version. The pointability (is that a word?) is absolutely brilliant. It balances well and shoots nicely off bags or the bipod or the ute roof or freehand or whatever. Its got a cheap rail screwed on the side temporarily to mount a torch for walking round the paddocks chasing some of them waskilly wabbits to feed the mutts. Needs something better but needed a torch mount at short notice and that's what I ended up with.
I'm thinking I'd like to get FDE skins for the varmint 22wmr which will be next to get the treatment. Maybe give the whole rifle a lick of cerakote to take the stainless gloss of it. I wouldn't mind trying out a set of thumbhole skins rather than the pistol grips but being in Australia I'll have to take whatever I can get as I can't find any on the shelves here and I don't think the thumbholes are still available new. Couple that with the Mrs would kill me if I bought more "gun shit" for the next month or so will just have to keep looking (unless anyone has some here they wanna offload? Not too worried about condition, Used but not abused would do me.
Anyways here it is. Not the best photos but didn't haven't had time to do better after taking it out for a shoot this morning and Cerakoting the chassis late this afternoon. The photo more front on is the previous heavy ass chassis and the old scope but have included that to show the carbon barrel tube (which serves no other purpose than cosmetics) and the bipod which has been move to the new rig.
New bolt knob fitted and a Vortex PST 2.5-10x44 on top to complete the package.
Now it took a few trials a few errors and a couple prototypes (the worst being I welded on the buttstock upside down (*cough*dumbass*cough*). Eventually I found a design and manufacturing process that was suitable for either the 22lr or 17hmr/22wmr models (I have 1 of each). I even went to the effort to make up a fixture jig for welding the 4 parts of the chassis together to guarantee they all fit and are all the same.
Now this is an ongoing project with a few additions to make but its all set up to do so. MY first one I machined a plug for the fore grip to fit inside the RHS and drilled and tapped it for a knock off versapod which works well for the little 22. The chassis also has a 1.5mm gap between the top of the recoil pad and the skins to when I get time fold up a little 1.5mm steel sling mount similar to the original AI chassis which will be held in place by the top recoil screw.
I finally got around to machining up the bolt clearance fill panel and got the whole thing cerakoted black today and bolted back together.
The only modifications the skins needed were a little trim just under the rear or the action all of about 1/4" square removed that's not visible once bolted up and the 22lr 10 rounds mag needs to have 1/2" wide and 3/4" long removed from the front of the magwell as the banana mag points forward considerably. 17hmr/22wmr versions when I get around to making them up for my other rifles will only require the little trim under the rear of the action.
I can't remember the cheek pad I used, its just some generic $8 jobby screwed to the butt. I will do something about this and maybe resin fill the rear member to drill and tap to fit it or something else with thumb screws in a quick detach type deal as the cheek rest has to be removed to insert/remove the bolt and I have once forgotten my allen key
I also had the barrel threaded and a thread protector made up which doubles as a mount for a bit of carbon fibre tube which is held snug at the other end with a couple orings around the barrel to finish off the look.
I'm pretty happy with where things are now. The weight is much better than the last version. The pointability (is that a word?) is absolutely brilliant. It balances well and shoots nicely off bags or the bipod or the ute roof or freehand or whatever. Its got a cheap rail screwed on the side temporarily to mount a torch for walking round the paddocks chasing some of them waskilly wabbits to feed the mutts. Needs something better but needed a torch mount at short notice and that's what I ended up with.
I'm thinking I'd like to get FDE skins for the varmint 22wmr which will be next to get the treatment. Maybe give the whole rifle a lick of cerakote to take the stainless gloss of it. I wouldn't mind trying out a set of thumbhole skins rather than the pistol grips but being in Australia I'll have to take whatever I can get as I can't find any on the shelves here and I don't think the thumbholes are still available new. Couple that with the Mrs would kill me if I bought more "gun shit" for the next month or so will just have to keep looking (unless anyone has some here they wanna offload? Not too worried about condition, Used but not abused would do me.
Anyways here it is. Not the best photos but didn't haven't had time to do better after taking it out for a shoot this morning and Cerakoting the chassis late this afternoon. The photo more front on is the previous heavy ass chassis and the old scope but have included that to show the carbon barrel tube (which serves no other purpose than cosmetics) and the bipod which has been move to the new rig.
New bolt knob fitted and a Vortex PST 2.5-10x44 on top to complete the package.
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