My Thoughts On The AICS AX Chassis
I haven’t seen a whole lot written on the AX chassis so I thought I would add my $.02 here for anyone that is considering this chassis for their rifle. Firstly, I don’t really consider myself a chassis system kind of guy as I’ve always used more traditional style stocks in the past. I’m not a complete neophyte though when it comes to the different chassis systems out there, the AX isn’t actually the first one I’ve ever owned and used. I understand the unique advantages that the chassis can offer compared to a more traditional stock, but I also realize there can be limitations to the system. Thanks to the type of market that exists today there are many more chassis designs than there were even a few years ago, which can make the buying decision that much harder. I certainly didn’t have an easy time making the choice but when I started to upgrade my AAC-SD I was already starting to lean towards the AX chassis. Call it tacticool, call it ugly, call it what you will but the design of the AX chassis just appeals to me more than any other chassis and I wasn’t let down.
Chassis Overview
The AX chassis can be seen as an evolution of the classic AICS with design features that make it easier to tailor it to individual shooters and incorporate new technologies. Part of this new found modularity stems from the free-floating forend that uses a keyhole type mounting system for the attachment of accessory rails nearly anywhere on the forend. This allows the shooter to adapt the position and layout of various items such as clip on night sights, IR illuminators, weapon lights, slings, or bipods to better suit the task at hand. Every AX chassis comes from the factory with two accessory rails, one of which has a built in quick detach flush cup, and a bipod adapter for a Harris bipod.
A detail photo of the keyhole mounting system used by AI.
The AX also diverges from the classis AICS pattern in that it has a pistol grip configuration versus the iconic thumbhole design, which others have found in the past to be a love it or leave it affair. Generally the AX comes in the folding stock configuration but it is also available with a fixed stock for those that live in areas that don’t permit a folder. Both versions are available with either flush cups or the AI sling loops to accommodate just about any sling mounting option. I for one love the folding stock on the AX because it makes for a smaller package during transport and allows me to clean the action without having to remove the cheekpiece. Another feature that I believe is unique to the AX design is the magazine cut out on the left side of the magazine well that allows the shooter to reload without the need to cant the rifle or raise the butt off the ground, even with larger 10 round magazines.
AX 308 magazine on the left and a standard SA AICS magazine on the right.
While I’m on the subject of magazines there has been some talk over the compatibility of classic AICS magazines in the AX chassis, which I have to admit made me a little nervous. The AX chassis does come with a magazine that is designed specifically for the AX chassis in that it has a small lip at the front of the magazine that goes into a recess at the front of the magazine well. This locks the magazine up tight and is supposed to ensure reliable feeding no matter what conditions it may find itself in. That being said it’s been my experience so far that classic AICS magazines and magazines designed to be AICS compatible will work in the AX chassis without issue. I tested on classic 5 rounder, a classic 10 rounder, and a 10 round Alpha Mag with all three locking up securely in the magazine well. The only real difference being that the magazine can move a little more in the well because there’s no front lip like on the AX magazine. In testing though I was unable to get the classic AICS magazines to induce a feeding malfunction or inadvertently become released from the magazine well once firmly locked in place. In talking to the good folks at Mile High Shooting, they reaffirmed that the AX chassis can accept all AICS compatible magazines but AX-specific magazines can’t be used in anything other than an AX chassis because of the lip. So people that have a lot of classic AICS magazines shouldn’t be deterred from the AX because of fears about magazine compatibility.
Pricing and Availability
The AX chassis isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination with a street price just shy of $1400 it simply isn’t within everyone’s budget. That’s not to say that a good deal can’t be had if you look in the right place and ask the right questions. Some vendors will offer a discount if you ask nicely that will knock a couple bucks off the top and everyone goes home happy. When you look at the list of features that the AX provides and compare that with a traditional style stock outfitted to closely match, the AX wins nearly every time. For example, a Manners folding stock outfitted with an adjustable LOP and cheekpiece, mini chassis, up to six flush cups, an Atlas rail, and an embedded front rail for night vision it would cost almost $1700 and take weeks to get. The AX chassis on the other hand is currently available as an in stock item at numerous dealers across the country in long and short action versions. No lengthy wait, no anxiety, just pick up the phone and order, that’s where I think AI does it right, with a product availability that’s almost second to none.
Installation and Set Up
Installing a barreled action in the chassis system is a pretty straightforward process, however there is some assembly required. When opening the box the main action section is separated from the forend to make the installation that much easier for the user. Included with the chassis in the box is a set of pretty well written instructions and a small zip-lock bag that holds some screws for the LOP adjustment as well as ones to attach the forend. In AI’s instruction booklet they recommend tightening the action screws to 6 nm, which equates to 53 in/lbs, however most stocking dealers I’ve talked to say 65 in/lbs is fine. Once the barreled action is in place the forend can be installed over the barrel and held in place by 10 machine screws, a testament I think to AI’s over-engineering. Even though there wasn’t a torque spec given for these 10 screws I installed them in the typical star pattern and tightened them to approximately 18 in/lbs using my Borka Tools torque driver. One thing I should note is that AI doesn’t provide all of the tools necessary to complete the install, only two wrenches were in the package to mount the forend and take the skins off. To do it right I needed a long 3/16” hex key with an adapter for my torque driver, a 3mm hex wrench, 4mm hex wrench, and 5 mm hex wrench for the spacer screws.
Bird's eye view showing the stock folded.
Setting up the chassis to fit me was extremely easy process since the cheek piece was set at the perfect height for my Bushnell ERS sitting in Nightforce 1.375” height rings. This brings me to one of the downsides of using a chassis that has a tubular forend, which is in most cases the forend requires taller rings in order for the scope to clear. Most chassis systems have adjustable cheek and LOP adjustments that allow the shooter to compensate for this but it is another potential expense for the shooter. When purchasing the chassis I bought taller NF 34mm rings to go with it since I was using lower rings that wouldn’t have let the Bushnell ERS clear the forend. The 1.375” rings get the scope up enough for the objective bell to clear with enough room to use scope caps without the need for filing down the bottoms. I did shorten the length of pull up by removing the 10 mm spacer, which shortened it a little more than what I’m typically used to but it helped with getting straight behind the rifle in the prone. Unlike some other more traditional stocks that limit where a sling mounting point can go the AX’s forend can allow the shooter to make adjustments on the fly using a 4mm hex wrench. I was able to set up my Mountain Shooter sling for carry and shooting support with very little effort.
Range Report
My AAC-SD is still a relatively new rifle in my safe so I’ve been collecting dope on it every chance I get out at the Peacemaker National Training Center using their 300 and 600 yard ranges. When I first installed the barreled action into the chassis I used 57 in/lbs to torque the action screws since it was the closest to AI’s 6 nm specification that my torque driver would do. However I wasn’t getting the kind of accuracy I was hoping for out of the system and quite frankly it was beginning to worry me a little bit. I was getting patterns in the 2” range at only 100 yards, which was far from the ¾” or better groups I’d been getting using M118LR when the action was resting in a B&C stock. I decided to up the torque value to 65 in/lbs per Mile High Shooting’s recommendation and fired another five shot group that proved to be much better and began to restore my confidence in the system. I did consider the fact that I was trying to zero after a long day at work and how the heat and humidity could have been a contributing factor to my performance…or lack thereof.
That weekend I was able to get back to PNTC to use their 200 and 300 yard range in order to verify some of my dope and double check my zero from earlier in the week. I’m not sure if it was the short break or the fact I was a little more relaxed but the rifle did great. I dialed on .6 mils for the 200 yard steel plate and nailed it nearly perfectly at the point of aim with similar results at 300 yards. I also took some additional time to make some final adjustments to my Mountain Shooter sling and soon found myself ringing steel in the sitting and kneeling at both distances. To be honest I found the chassis to be one of the most comfortable stocks I’ve used with a sling and very stable.
The next day I went out to PNTC’s 600-yard Patriot range that uses electronic targets to track bullet impacts and group sizes on the target downrange. This was the first time I’d ever interacted with this system and truthfully it made accurate data collection a breeze. All of the shots were plotted on the screen beside me and I could even scroll back through to get my center-to-center group size and a shot by shot break down. I ended up shooting at the electronic target in my lane and two steel silhouette targets that were set up towards the right side of the berm. On the 600 yard line I shot a 5-shot group from the bench that measured 5.3” and followed that up with a 10 shot group that was 6.7”. Although the average falls right around MOA for that distance I feel that I could’ve gotten them a bit tighter but it still works for me. I also took the opportunity to consistently ding the steel targets because what would a trip to shoot long range be without hearing that distant ring of copper on steel. Even though I wasn’t able to go downrange and confirm any of the group sizes I’d say that my shots easily fell within minute of angle. The day was starting to get a little long in the tooth when I loaded up my last five rounds of M118LR and got down in the prone for my last group. I used a borrowed Atlas bipiod, which I loved, and a rear bag I squeaked out a 3.5” group. While that probably won’t win any records I considered it more than good enough to take it with me to a match or two. Pretty soon PNTC will be having their monthly Long Range Challenge and I plan to take this rifle with me to continue to ring out the stock and the system as a whole.
Gripes
As good as I think this chassis is, I understand that nothing is perfect and I do have some minor gripes about this stock. One particular gripe that I had when I first got the chassis were the sharp edges of the plastic skins that formed the pistol grip and stock portion. I knew this had been a complaint for many others in the past regarding the classic AICS chassis so I was not entirely surprised, nor was I unprepared. A few minutes with some wet/dry sandpaper knocked the edges down enough to prevent any kind of skin irritation down the road and actually made it feel pretty nice. Speaking of grips I also wouldn’t mind some sort of texturing on the pistol grip area and forend that helped increase the traction a bit on those surfaces. I don’t consider it a big problem but I can see that plastic getting pretty slick when it’s hot and humid outside and the hands are all sweaty. A few minutes with a soldering iron will take care of it but I’m just not sure if I’m going to do that yet. It also would’ve been nice if AI had made their rail system more cross compatible with other keyhole rails and accessories like the Noveske NSR.
This would’ve made it easier for guys to acquire additional rail sections without the indefinite wait times from AI. As it is I think with some modification other keyhole-style rails can be made to work with the AI forend but I haven’t obtained any to verify that at the time of this writing. Like I said these are just a few of the minor gripes that I have with the chassis and none of them are deal breakers to me that would cause me to sell the stock off, just observations.
Conclusion
I’ll be brief because I think I’ve hashed out a lot about the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding this chassis but I can honestly say I don’t regret depleting my savings account for it. I had plenty of other options when sorting out what I wanted to buy with choices like the classic AICS with Viper Skins, the McRee Chassis, and XLR system it wasn’t easy. In their own right they are all good chassis systems with great reputations but at the end of the day I had my own reasons for not buying them. When I drop down behind the rifle with this chassis it feels good; the adjustability allows me to get more behind the gun with my head in the proper position, which in turn helps me exercise proper fundamentals more consistently. And although I’ll need some more time behind it to get completely comfortable but I feel that it has the potential to be like an old pair of dusty boots, they just fit.
I haven’t seen a whole lot written on the AX chassis so I thought I would add my $.02 here for anyone that is considering this chassis for their rifle. Firstly, I don’t really consider myself a chassis system kind of guy as I’ve always used more traditional style stocks in the past. I’m not a complete neophyte though when it comes to the different chassis systems out there, the AX isn’t actually the first one I’ve ever owned and used. I understand the unique advantages that the chassis can offer compared to a more traditional stock, but I also realize there can be limitations to the system. Thanks to the type of market that exists today there are many more chassis designs than there were even a few years ago, which can make the buying decision that much harder. I certainly didn’t have an easy time making the choice but when I started to upgrade my AAC-SD I was already starting to lean towards the AX chassis. Call it tacticool, call it ugly, call it what you will but the design of the AX chassis just appeals to me more than any other chassis and I wasn’t let down.
Chassis Overview
The AX chassis can be seen as an evolution of the classic AICS with design features that make it easier to tailor it to individual shooters and incorporate new technologies. Part of this new found modularity stems from the free-floating forend that uses a keyhole type mounting system for the attachment of accessory rails nearly anywhere on the forend. This allows the shooter to adapt the position and layout of various items such as clip on night sights, IR illuminators, weapon lights, slings, or bipods to better suit the task at hand. Every AX chassis comes from the factory with two accessory rails, one of which has a built in quick detach flush cup, and a bipod adapter for a Harris bipod.
A detail photo of the keyhole mounting system used by AI.
The AX also diverges from the classis AICS pattern in that it has a pistol grip configuration versus the iconic thumbhole design, which others have found in the past to be a love it or leave it affair. Generally the AX comes in the folding stock configuration but it is also available with a fixed stock for those that live in areas that don’t permit a folder. Both versions are available with either flush cups or the AI sling loops to accommodate just about any sling mounting option. I for one love the folding stock on the AX because it makes for a smaller package during transport and allows me to clean the action without having to remove the cheekpiece. Another feature that I believe is unique to the AX design is the magazine cut out on the left side of the magazine well that allows the shooter to reload without the need to cant the rifle or raise the butt off the ground, even with larger 10 round magazines.
AX 308 magazine on the left and a standard SA AICS magazine on the right.
While I’m on the subject of magazines there has been some talk over the compatibility of classic AICS magazines in the AX chassis, which I have to admit made me a little nervous. The AX chassis does come with a magazine that is designed specifically for the AX chassis in that it has a small lip at the front of the magazine that goes into a recess at the front of the magazine well. This locks the magazine up tight and is supposed to ensure reliable feeding no matter what conditions it may find itself in. That being said it’s been my experience so far that classic AICS magazines and magazines designed to be AICS compatible will work in the AX chassis without issue. I tested on classic 5 rounder, a classic 10 rounder, and a 10 round Alpha Mag with all three locking up securely in the magazine well. The only real difference being that the magazine can move a little more in the well because there’s no front lip like on the AX magazine. In testing though I was unable to get the classic AICS magazines to induce a feeding malfunction or inadvertently become released from the magazine well once firmly locked in place. In talking to the good folks at Mile High Shooting, they reaffirmed that the AX chassis can accept all AICS compatible magazines but AX-specific magazines can’t be used in anything other than an AX chassis because of the lip. So people that have a lot of classic AICS magazines shouldn’t be deterred from the AX because of fears about magazine compatibility.
Pricing and Availability
The AX chassis isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination with a street price just shy of $1400 it simply isn’t within everyone’s budget. That’s not to say that a good deal can’t be had if you look in the right place and ask the right questions. Some vendors will offer a discount if you ask nicely that will knock a couple bucks off the top and everyone goes home happy. When you look at the list of features that the AX provides and compare that with a traditional style stock outfitted to closely match, the AX wins nearly every time. For example, a Manners folding stock outfitted with an adjustable LOP and cheekpiece, mini chassis, up to six flush cups, an Atlas rail, and an embedded front rail for night vision it would cost almost $1700 and take weeks to get. The AX chassis on the other hand is currently available as an in stock item at numerous dealers across the country in long and short action versions. No lengthy wait, no anxiety, just pick up the phone and order, that’s where I think AI does it right, with a product availability that’s almost second to none.
Installation and Set Up
Installing a barreled action in the chassis system is a pretty straightforward process, however there is some assembly required. When opening the box the main action section is separated from the forend to make the installation that much easier for the user. Included with the chassis in the box is a set of pretty well written instructions and a small zip-lock bag that holds some screws for the LOP adjustment as well as ones to attach the forend. In AI’s instruction booklet they recommend tightening the action screws to 6 nm, which equates to 53 in/lbs, however most stocking dealers I’ve talked to say 65 in/lbs is fine. Once the barreled action is in place the forend can be installed over the barrel and held in place by 10 machine screws, a testament I think to AI’s over-engineering. Even though there wasn’t a torque spec given for these 10 screws I installed them in the typical star pattern and tightened them to approximately 18 in/lbs using my Borka Tools torque driver. One thing I should note is that AI doesn’t provide all of the tools necessary to complete the install, only two wrenches were in the package to mount the forend and take the skins off. To do it right I needed a long 3/16” hex key with an adapter for my torque driver, a 3mm hex wrench, 4mm hex wrench, and 5 mm hex wrench for the spacer screws.
Bird's eye view showing the stock folded.
Setting up the chassis to fit me was extremely easy process since the cheek piece was set at the perfect height for my Bushnell ERS sitting in Nightforce 1.375” height rings. This brings me to one of the downsides of using a chassis that has a tubular forend, which is in most cases the forend requires taller rings in order for the scope to clear. Most chassis systems have adjustable cheek and LOP adjustments that allow the shooter to compensate for this but it is another potential expense for the shooter. When purchasing the chassis I bought taller NF 34mm rings to go with it since I was using lower rings that wouldn’t have let the Bushnell ERS clear the forend. The 1.375” rings get the scope up enough for the objective bell to clear with enough room to use scope caps without the need for filing down the bottoms. I did shorten the length of pull up by removing the 10 mm spacer, which shortened it a little more than what I’m typically used to but it helped with getting straight behind the rifle in the prone. Unlike some other more traditional stocks that limit where a sling mounting point can go the AX’s forend can allow the shooter to make adjustments on the fly using a 4mm hex wrench. I was able to set up my Mountain Shooter sling for carry and shooting support with very little effort.
Range Report
My AAC-SD is still a relatively new rifle in my safe so I’ve been collecting dope on it every chance I get out at the Peacemaker National Training Center using their 300 and 600 yard ranges. When I first installed the barreled action into the chassis I used 57 in/lbs to torque the action screws since it was the closest to AI’s 6 nm specification that my torque driver would do. However I wasn’t getting the kind of accuracy I was hoping for out of the system and quite frankly it was beginning to worry me a little bit. I was getting patterns in the 2” range at only 100 yards, which was far from the ¾” or better groups I’d been getting using M118LR when the action was resting in a B&C stock. I decided to up the torque value to 65 in/lbs per Mile High Shooting’s recommendation and fired another five shot group that proved to be much better and began to restore my confidence in the system. I did consider the fact that I was trying to zero after a long day at work and how the heat and humidity could have been a contributing factor to my performance…or lack thereof.
That weekend I was able to get back to PNTC to use their 200 and 300 yard range in order to verify some of my dope and double check my zero from earlier in the week. I’m not sure if it was the short break or the fact I was a little more relaxed but the rifle did great. I dialed on .6 mils for the 200 yard steel plate and nailed it nearly perfectly at the point of aim with similar results at 300 yards. I also took some additional time to make some final adjustments to my Mountain Shooter sling and soon found myself ringing steel in the sitting and kneeling at both distances. To be honest I found the chassis to be one of the most comfortable stocks I’ve used with a sling and very stable.
The next day I went out to PNTC’s 600-yard Patriot range that uses electronic targets to track bullet impacts and group sizes on the target downrange. This was the first time I’d ever interacted with this system and truthfully it made accurate data collection a breeze. All of the shots were plotted on the screen beside me and I could even scroll back through to get my center-to-center group size and a shot by shot break down. I ended up shooting at the electronic target in my lane and two steel silhouette targets that were set up towards the right side of the berm. On the 600 yard line I shot a 5-shot group from the bench that measured 5.3” and followed that up with a 10 shot group that was 6.7”. Although the average falls right around MOA for that distance I feel that I could’ve gotten them a bit tighter but it still works for me. I also took the opportunity to consistently ding the steel targets because what would a trip to shoot long range be without hearing that distant ring of copper on steel. Even though I wasn’t able to go downrange and confirm any of the group sizes I’d say that my shots easily fell within minute of angle. The day was starting to get a little long in the tooth when I loaded up my last five rounds of M118LR and got down in the prone for my last group. I used a borrowed Atlas bipiod, which I loved, and a rear bag I squeaked out a 3.5” group. While that probably won’t win any records I considered it more than good enough to take it with me to a match or two. Pretty soon PNTC will be having their monthly Long Range Challenge and I plan to take this rifle with me to continue to ring out the stock and the system as a whole.
Gripes
As good as I think this chassis is, I understand that nothing is perfect and I do have some minor gripes about this stock. One particular gripe that I had when I first got the chassis were the sharp edges of the plastic skins that formed the pistol grip and stock portion. I knew this had been a complaint for many others in the past regarding the classic AICS chassis so I was not entirely surprised, nor was I unprepared. A few minutes with some wet/dry sandpaper knocked the edges down enough to prevent any kind of skin irritation down the road and actually made it feel pretty nice. Speaking of grips I also wouldn’t mind some sort of texturing on the pistol grip area and forend that helped increase the traction a bit on those surfaces. I don’t consider it a big problem but I can see that plastic getting pretty slick when it’s hot and humid outside and the hands are all sweaty. A few minutes with a soldering iron will take care of it but I’m just not sure if I’m going to do that yet. It also would’ve been nice if AI had made their rail system more cross compatible with other keyhole rails and accessories like the Noveske NSR.
This would’ve made it easier for guys to acquire additional rail sections without the indefinite wait times from AI. As it is I think with some modification other keyhole-style rails can be made to work with the AI forend but I haven’t obtained any to verify that at the time of this writing. Like I said these are just a few of the minor gripes that I have with the chassis and none of them are deal breakers to me that would cause me to sell the stock off, just observations.
Conclusion
I’ll be brief because I think I’ve hashed out a lot about the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding this chassis but I can honestly say I don’t regret depleting my savings account for it. I had plenty of other options when sorting out what I wanted to buy with choices like the classic AICS with Viper Skins, the McRee Chassis, and XLR system it wasn’t easy. In their own right they are all good chassis systems with great reputations but at the end of the day I had my own reasons for not buying them. When I drop down behind the rifle with this chassis it feels good; the adjustability allows me to get more behind the gun with my head in the proper position, which in turn helps me exercise proper fundamentals more consistently. And although I’ll need some more time behind it to get completely comfortable but I feel that it has the potential to be like an old pair of dusty boots, they just fit.
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