Has anyone ever used a lighter chassis for an AI? Every AI I’ve ever owned has been a tac driver and I would love to use one for hunting, but the weight is stopping me.
- Thread starter clrems77
- Start date
How light would you like the rifle to be in your ideal configuration
Talking about this yesterday actually. Seeing if it's going to to feasible, but it may take a collaboration between a few industry folks to make something happen.
I personally would want one in a Carbon Manners mini chassis stock. LRH, EH1, etc.
I personally would want one in a Carbon Manners mini chassis stock. LRH, EH1, etc.
The bottom metal situation stopped me, at least from doing a one-off. At scale the price would be more palatable.
10 lbs scoped would be nice.
I think you could do it.
This is a very expensive proposition if designing a chassis from the ground up, ask me how I know 
If the goal is to have an existing stock be fitted for an AI action, the biggest challenge will be a custom bottom metal due to the 4 action screws and the way the trigger pack bolts to the bottom of the action with 2 large screws. The AI action is 1.25” wide and square, not round, so it makes it a challenge to fit in existing stocks and have enough meat left.
My assumption is there’s just no market for this. You can get an AO/V chassis or an atx, but to try to find at least 10-20 more people who have a spare AI action who want to turn it into a 10# hunting rifle is going to be tough.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
If the goal is to have an existing stock be fitted for an AI action, the biggest challenge will be a custom bottom metal due to the 4 action screws and the way the trigger pack bolts to the bottom of the action with 2 large screws. The AI action is 1.25” wide and square, not round, so it makes it a challenge to fit in existing stocks and have enough meat left.
My assumption is there’s just no market for this. You can get an AO/V chassis or an atx, but to try to find at least 10-20 more people who have a spare AI action who want to turn it into a 10# hunting rifle is going to be tough.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
The easy answer here is to be a man and just carry a heavier rifle, lol.
Did you ever compare the badger m2013 bottom metal?This is a very expensive proposition if designing a chassis from the ground up, ask me how I know
If the goal is to have an existing stock be fitted for an AI action, the biggest challenge will be a custom bottom metal due to the 4 action screws and the way the trigger pack bolts to the bottom of the action with 2 large screws. The AI action is 1.25” wide and square, not round, so it makes it a challenge to fit in existing stocks and have enough meat left.
My assumption is there’s just no market for this. You can get an AO/V chassis or an atx, but to try to find at least 10-20 more people who have a spare AI action who want to turn it into a 10# hunting rifle is going to be tough.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
I think at some point I had some dimensions or a rough CAD model in hand because someone wanted to see if the Badger would fit in the AO chassis. I think the big issue is the Badger still uses a standard R700 trigger interface, and only has 1 front and 1 rear action screw, even though it has 2 recoil lugs.
Seems extremely challenging, I weighed my AT action with trigger group at 3 lbs 0.9 Oz. That would leave just under 7 lbs for a stock, barrel scope and mount. Starting with a light weight action vs the AI brick would make the 10 lbs target more achievable.
Yea I weighed mine too when I was swapping out over to a vision and mine was just over 3lbs as well. Your 5.5lbs bare min for a ba. You would have to run titanium everything else with a 1.5lb taco I think too make 10lbs... Under 13 I think is doable
I'm down for something in this mix. Talked to @samb300 about this awhile ago. Strongly considered a MPA ultralight cuz they offer an AI inlet. Backed down on that cuz no factory NV bridge for that chassis. Although as of the recent a friend figured out a solution for that. Currently in the process of seeing how light I can get the AT-X. Cutting the forearm in front of the short NV bridge and also light contour barrel. I think I'll end up 11ish#. Maybe 10# without bridge and 16" shorty. I could keep folder off if we really wanted to go balls deep
They still making this AI inlet? Haven't seen anything in my search. This would be a pretty decent solution. 3lbs action. 3lb carbon barrel. 2.5lb chassis. 2lb scope and rings. Right in that 10.5 lb give or take area.
Doesn’t MPA have an AI footprint option on their comp chassis? Maybe see if they will do it in their ultralight too?
I believe so..... Unless things changed?? I thought this was the case when I looked into it a few years back for AT/AX. It's a nice chassis, I ran it in a 700 inlet with a 700 clone. I was going to ask MPA if they could inlet for the AT-X. That way I could bolt on/off between the AT-X chassis and the MPA ultralight chassis. Otherwise AT/AX would be the whole epoxy thing, no quick switch there.
The actions on the AT/AT and AT-X are identical...the chassis is where the difference lies. I believe MPA's inlet is a non-bonded fit (like the AT-x chassis), so you should be able to swap stocks easily
What about having someone like @LongRifles Inc. Inlet a stock for you? Would require some cash for the time to do the programming, but other than that it seems like a feasible do.
That is if you are okay with a fiberglass stock. A chassis is a whole other animal.
That is if you are okay with a fiberglass stock. A chassis is a whole other animal.
The AT-X action and chassis are not bonded, I don’t believe.
You need a custom bottom metal solution.
Fair point.
I thought about that, for some reason didn't bring it up in my post.
A bottom metal would be more surmountable then a whole chassis. But yeah, that starts making things more complicated for sure.
What bottom metal did the AI in a McMillan stock use that was debuted at Shot Show years and years ago? Or was it just a mock-up without a DBM?
John, that was quite a while ago. We only ever made one of these.
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Weirdly, the bottom metal is the easiest part. I can knock one of those out quickly.
If you know someone with a stock copier, you could get part of the way there, and get them to inlet as close as possible, then get a 'smith to finish it properly. Drop in the bottom metal, and roll with it.
I'm also on the "almost no one would buy it" train. Super hard to get AI fanbois to.. stop being full fanbois.
I will admit that quite a few people put on the AI obsession forend thing, or whatever it is called. So I may be wrong.
If you know someone with a stock copier, you could get part of the way there, and get them to inlet as close as possible, then get a 'smith to finish it properly. Drop in the bottom metal, and roll with it.
I'm also on the "almost no one would buy it" train. Super hard to get AI fanbois to.. stop being full fanbois.
I will admit that quite a few people put on the AI obsession forend thing, or whatever it is called. So I may be wrong.
I have almost gone down this road before. I had an AT that I put in an MPA so I had a chassis that I was going to cut up to use as a “custom mini chassis” to steal and ideal from Manners and fit it into a lightweight carbon blank. But I decided in the end there are just too many excellent R700 clones that do everything the AT action does and in some ways better. Dont get me wrong I friggin love AI, I have owned quite a few over the years. It just isn’t worth it from a value perspective.
Have you thought about putting an AT on a diet and giving it a go?
Strip it of anything it doesn’t need. Choose lightweight scope, rings and perhaps a carbon barrel or medium palma barrel at 16-18” and a decent sling and see how you get on?
I know a contract for the Italian Military, they wanted an lighter weight AI. I don’t know if it was done by AI themselves or DIY. However the skins were taken off, and a series of lighting cuts / holes were drilled into the main chassis itself. Then skins put back on. I don’t know how much weight was saved but know it was done.
We all know the AI is ridiculously over engineered. I considered doing this myself. But I’m no engineer. I wouldn’t know how many holes, where and how big and how much weight would be saved…
Food for thought….
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Yeah, that was my plan B but it still wouldn't shed enough for how much I was willing to remove. I have been thinking about a short carbon barrel with the AT-X, I haven't held one but I think it's base weight is lighter than the other AI options.
I would also be interested to know the lightest configuration you could get an AT-X too
Never, it's designed for military use and now sort-of PRS focused. The answer is lift weights if you want to carry an AI on a backcountry hunt.
This is also the round-bottom AE, and it's turned into a single shot.
Yes it was/is. I think the stock in the picture weighed about 1000 grams if I remember right. For an AI rifle a carbon fibre stock weighing 2-2.5lb would easily be possible. Ergonomics could possibly be improved. Not sure why they don't go down that road, at least as a lighter version.
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