Military Hunting

Fitting A Military Sniper Stock To Your Long Range Varminter

Accuracy International is a British Manufacture founded by the late two times Olympic Gold Medal winning smallbore rifle shooter Malcolm Cooper MBE.  Over the last quarter of a century, AI has come to dominate the world market for sniper and anti materiel rifles. Armies all over the world use the AI rifles and they are standard issue with the British, Australian, Swedish, Belgian, Dutch and German armies and the US Navy SEALs.

Cost prevented widespread acceptance of the AI military rifles by the civilian and law enforcement communities. For that reason AI set out to re-work the chassis of the military sniper rifles to the most popular civilian centerfire rifle in the world, the Remington 700.

The Accuracy International Chassis Sustem or AICS is designed around a solid aluminium chassis, milled from a solid billet of aircraft grade aluminium. This contains a V shaped, self-aligning bedding system for the rifle onto which it is torqued down by two bolts supplied with the kit. Flat polymer panels are bolted to the chassis, giving the rifle its unique ergonomics. These resist all known rifle cleaning and lubricating chemicals. AI offer a dedicated shoulder harness sling for their rifles and this secures to the AI via recessed H&K type sling swivels. Mounting points are included for both AI and Harris bipods, the latter replacing the former on British L115 sniper rifles. The stock includes a thumbhole grip that accepts different sized hands. Three different colors of panel facilitate use in temperate/jungle, desert/savannah or night/police environments.

Four variants are available. The Stage 1.5 is a fixed stock and the Stage 2.0 folds to the left – particularly useful for those riding in vehicles or fitting a sound moderator to their weapons. Both Stages are available in long and short action versions. The short action can take the .308 Winchester family including the .243 and 7mm-08. The AICS is used by the US Navy SEALs on a .300 Winmag chambered sniper rifle, the Mk 13 Mod 5.

One big advantage of the AICS system is that it takes highly reliable detachable magazines. The AI 5 round .308 magazine is flush fitting and the AI 10 round .308 magazine protrudes from the chassis. The AI 5 round .300 Win. magazine differs in being single column. The AI magazines have won a terrific reputation and have become the industry standard for Rem 700 mag conversions, being used by Surgeon Rifles, Badger Ordnance and others.

Fitting a Remington 700 to an AICS is just a matter of torquing two bolts supplied with the kit. Only the receiver touches the chassis – the barrel is completely free floating. Whilst this isn’t the permanent epoxy resin bond used with the AW and AWM, it is a very rigid system and one that will be completely unaffected by environmental conditions.

An AICS will add up to 5 lb. 11 oz. to your rifle – a non trivial consideration. This is why AI put so much thought into designing that sling! This isn’t a rifle you’ll want to haul up and down mountains, but it makes for an ideal platform for all weather varminting or predator control. There are cheaper ways to end up with an accurate all weather rifle, but few will be quite as robust or have as much presence. The short action fixed stock version currently (Jan 2011) retails for $857 and the long action folder for $1100. This is, however, one upgrade that comes with an amazing pedigree.

Copyright Chris Pieterman 2011.

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