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Bottom metal choice

NorthWesterner

Staff Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 24, 2017
676
321
Sedro Woolley, WA
Would like some guidance. i have mostly used chassis so bottom metal is new to me. I have a manners stock in the works. What bottom metal do you chose? Why does badger cost 2-3 times as much as say PTG? I am interested in detachable mag bottom metal.
 
I have a PTG Stealth, a Mesa Precision Arms, and a Grayboe. Of the 3 I like the PTG the best with the Grayboe being a close 2nd. The Mesa has a very stiff mag release. I was told they fixed that issue and I think mine is an early design.

PTG has a terrible customer service track record, but I bought it on clearance on Midway and haven't had any issues with it.
 
Manners has the inlet program for the KMW short action hardware as well.

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This looks like a very nice DBM design, certainly one that I would consider if purchasing a DBM today. Paddle release, barricade stop and a slot so that you can adjust the trigger without pulling the barreled action out of the stock.

I've had a Badger M5 bottom metal and a Surgeon bottom metal. Out of those, they were both nice but I preferred the surgeon with the barricade stop and paddle release. The KMW DBM looks like it does everything the Surgeon does and better, with the addition of the slot in the trigger guard.
 
.....they were both nice but I preferred the surgeon with the barricade stop and paddle release. The KMW DBM looks like it does everything the Surgeon does and better, with the addition of the slot in the trigger guard.

The Mk1 DBM hardware is simply the SENTINEL DBM hardware and mag release with some material removed around the action screws so it can work to with conventional stocks.

The original Surgeon came from the same SENTINEL bottom. Even the mag latches would interchange and the inlet outline is almost identical. So it is no accident that there are similarities.

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It really depends what you want. Personal preference. For a hunting rig I don't like the badger because in my opinion it is too easy to release a mag. Better for competitions. I don't like my bottom metal sticking out . I like the flush look so I have APA RPR bottom metal on my magazine fed rifles. The mag sticks out of course but when I remove the mag and place it in the safe it doesn't stick out and I have fewer safe dings. I have 2 Sentinal stocks with KMW bottoms and they are excellent. Anyway I would let the release mechanism be your guide.