Bergara’s Premier MgLite has a magnesium chassis with integral fore-end, weighs under 7 pounds and is a solid double-duty gun. (Photo courtesy of Sabastian “Bat” Mann)
January 13, 2025
By Richard Mann
Manufacturers build rifles by combining three primary components: the action, the barrel and the stock. These pieces must work together for the rifle to function and deliver accurate fire. They should also provide a comfortable and effective shooter interface. The chassis rifle is a modern take on combining these parts, and instead of a one-piece stock, most chassis rifles have a two- or three-piece configuration. The chassis holds the action and provides the solid base for the attachment of the fore-end and buttstock.
A STURDY FOUNDATION Having a separate part of the stock hold the action allows manufacturers to use a very strong material—usually aluminum or magnesium—in its construction. This robust chassis will support the action and not allow it to shift between shots. Sometimes, the metal chassis is also combined with a polymer or other synthetic skin. With wood or synthetic stocks, manufacturers usually build a solid foundation by glass-bedding the action to the stock and by using aluminum or steel pillars for support and as tunnels for the action screws. Both methods are effective but also labor intensive, and they still involve a wood or synthetic stock material that can be susceptible to heat, moisture or stress.
Very precise computer-driven machinery is used to make the metal chassis so it will perfectly interface with the rifle’s action and eliminate movement when the rifle is fired. The chassis can also provide mechanical connections that permit the use of various buttstocks and fore-ends. This makes a chassis rifle very modular and often lets the shooter perfectly adapt the rifle to the individual’s body and planned pursuit. Generally, this big hunk of metal used for the chassis is heavy, and—though there are some exceptions—this often means chassis rifles are not very light.
STOCK OPTIONS Some chassis rifles work with AR-style buttstocks and even AR grips, while others have their own proprietary stocks and fore-ends. Regardless, most chassis-style rifles have buttstocks that allow you to adjust the length of pull and comb height. If a chassis gun is compatible with AR-style stocks, then there are many aftermarket options available. Some chassis rifles, like the Nosler Carbon Chassis Hunter, even have buttstocks you can fold, and this makes the rifle easier to transport and to pack in for backcountry hunts.
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The buttstocks on some chassis systems, like the SIG Sauer Cross , have a very futuristic, skeletonized look. This allows for lots of adjustability without a tremendous increase in weight. Chassis rifles with polymer buttstocks, like the Stag Arms Pursuit , offer similar adjustability, and you can even remove the stock on the Pursuit rifle by just pushing a single pin. But some chassis guns are more conventional in design. The new Sauer 505 utilizes a chassis, and it also offers adjustability but with a classic look and even cartridge and barrel swapping. Beretta’s BRX1 is another classic-looking chassis rifle, but it has a straight-pull action.
FORE-END FITS Until Melvin Forbes designed his Model 20 Ultra Light Arms rifle with its incredibly stiff, stable and full-length-bedded graphite and Kevlar stock in 1985, the most common approach to a rifle’s fore-end was to free-float the barrel. In most cases, a free-floated barrel did not have any contact with the rifle’s fore-end past the point where the barrel began to taper. This absence of contact kept the stock from influencing barrel vibrations when shooting, usually helping with precision. However, with a chassis rifle, where the chassis portion of the stock is strong enough to fully support the action and barrel, manufacturers can use fore-ends that do not touch the barrel at any point.
Many chassis rifles use an AR-style handguard that surrounds the barrel. These, of course, do not touch the barrel. With their M-LOK, KeyMod and railed attachment points, they also offer versatility when it comes to mounting accessories, like sling connection points, bipod and tripod attachments and even connections for lights and lasers. But some chassis guns, like the Stag Arms Pursuit, Sauer 505 and Beretta BRX1 , have a more traditional fore-end. As with AR-style handguards, these fore-ends do not contact the barrel and are usually attached by a spigot that extends from the chassis.
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CHASSIS OR CONVENTIONAL? To determine whether you might even need a chassis rifle, practically examine the type of hunting and shooting you do. If you spend your fall in a treestand in the hardwoods where shots are generally inside 200 yards, a more traditionally styled rifle will usually suit your needs. However, some treestands or shoot houses overlook vast crop fields and open range. In cases where longer shots may be required, you may appreciate the precision and user-interface adjustability most chassis systems offer. For those seeking one rifle to hunt with and use for long-range play or off-season competitions, a chassis rifle could also be a good choice.
The Stag Arms Pursuit’s stock is removable via a single pin. Many chassis rifles have removable or foldable stocks for easy transport. (Photo courtesy of Sabastian “Bat” Mann) There’s no doubt that chassis guns have a modernized look that attracts some hunters. If that appeals to you, there’s nothing wrong with that. Hunters should genuinely like their rifle. However, don’t simply assume this modernized Buck Rogers look is a guarantee of better precision.
I’ve evaluated many rifles over the years, and while chassis rifles tend to shoot well, so do our modern, more traditional rifles. Some years back, I evaluated a couple Remington Model 700 barreled actions with a chassis stock. Surprisingly, the $1,000 chassis stock did not offer any improvement in precision. Both barreled actions shot better from their original, flimsy and inexpensive, factory synthetic stocks.
More than anything else, most often what you get with a chassis rifle is adjustability for shooter interface along with a lot of shooting accessory versatility. And if you want a rifle that has barrel and cartridge interchangeability, a chassis gun is clearly the way to go.
CHASSIS CHOICES Picking a chassis rifle is no different than picking any other hunting rifle; match the rifle to your needs. If you want a very compact and lightweight chassis gun primarily for hunting, the 6.5-pound SIG Cross in .308 Win. with its 16-inch barrel is hard to beat. If seeking one rifle to hunt everything from prairie dogs to buffalo, consider the new switch-barrel Sauer 505. And for those wanting a hunting rifle that also shines for long-range play or competition, a lightweight choice is the Bergara Premier MgLite at 6.7 pounds, while a heavier option is the Stag Pursuit at 8.6 pounds. Chassis guns provide lots of options.
This article was featured in the December/January issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .