New Steve Jennings Skeleton F-TR Stock with Integral Bipod
Wow. If James Bond shot F-TR, we think this is what he might use. You’re looking at the radical new Steve Jennings stock for F-TR competition. This skeletonized stock is crafted to fit the Barnard action. As you can see, there is no conventional fore-arm. Instead a carbon fiber tube extends forward of the action. At the front end of the tube, a fixture hold the beefy, forward-angled, girder-style bipod legs. These legs adjust to two heights, for prone or bench shooting. Large Delrin cylinders at the bottom of the legs provide stability and help resist bipod hop. Cost of the Jennings stock, including bipod legs and bag-rider assembly, is $700.00 at Chesebro Rifles.
The rear bag-rider, which adjusts for height, is also carried by a carbon-fiber tube that runs from the bottom of the pistol grip back to the buttplate. The bag-rider is attached via an eccentric fixture. This way, as you spin it in and out, the vertical position changes. This allows you to get the elevation centered -up on the target, but this system is not designed for fast changes “on the fly”. Small changes in elevation are made by squeezing the bag.
Mark Chesebro also offers a complete rifle built around the new Jennings stock. Built with a Barnard Action, Trueflite (NZ) barrel, and Barnard trigger, a complete Jennings F-TR rifle costs $2500.00. For more information on the Steve Jennings F-TR stock, or complete rifles built with this stock, visit ChesebroRifles.com or call (805) 280-5311. We hope to get our hands on one of these rigs for testing very soon!
Product Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.EDITOR’s COMMENT: Now it would be great if Seb Lambang’s joystick bipod head could somehow be adapted to this rig, with the joystick running under the carbon fiber “fore-end”, but still using the forward-angled Jennings girder-style legs and oversize “Coke-Can” bipod feet. That could definitely be a James Bond-worthy F-TR rig.
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Tags: Bag-Rider, carbon fiber, Chesebro Rifles, F-Class, F-TR, James Bond, Steve Jennings
looks reasonably priced and practical
anyone know the weight?
Interesting design. How about a stock for the CG Inch, Remington clone and Quadlite actions. Also a slide on cheek piece instead of just the steel rod might be more comfortable.
Wow, 34″ barrel here I come.
This looks like the lightest possible chassis allowing the longest barrels with heavy scopes and still stay inder the weight limit
It’s not gonna win many beauty contests.
That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen.
I think F-TR wa originally intended to provide a category for more of a “field” rifle, using a “field” bipod. I think it is safe to say, while competitors with reasonably useful everyday field rifles can certainly still compete, the specialty F-TR rifles and bipods, which have little practical use have taken over the competiton.
Jon said “I think F-TR was originally intended to provide a category for more of a “field” rifle, using a “field” bipod.
No, the “F” has nothing to do with Field. If anything it was so Palma shooters who could no longer shoot with irons, sling and a coat could continue to compete.
That rifle perfectly meets the F/TR equipment rules.
Little practical use? Looks pretty practical to me if winning is your intent.
I have been shooting one of the early prototypes of this stock for more than a year. This replaces a $2000 piece of AA Claro with adjustable buttplate, cheek piece, etc. That is now a safe queen…
With my Barnard P action in .308, topped by a Nightforce NXS 5x22x50, this makes the FT-R weight limit.
I have about 600 rounds down range with it and have seen performance that I could not get with the palma stock on a Sinclair bipod. I have shot several five shot groups at 300 yards with all shots in a cloverleaf… Hopefully, next year will have more 1K range time.
Steve has eliminated the issue of bedding (though my stock was modified to accept the Warner recoil lug), and that steel bar where one would normally expect a cheekpiece is a very critical component with keeping the center of mass as close to the bore centerline as possible. Shooting very close to free recoil you don’t get your cheek thumped, though I do find a piece of moleskin on that steel is kinder to the skin on a summer day in Utah.
also note that the forward rake of the bipod provides a huge footprint for distribution of mass, and this thing tracks backward like it is on a rail.
As to various comments on asthetics, you could say the same thing about modern art or almost any product design, or building since the days of Mies Van Der Rohe (sp?). However, the Bauhaus theory of form follows function works! I predict this stock will be showing up in the F-Class winner’s circles, and you can take that to the Bank.
Good job, Steve!
As a follow up, the stock and bipod weight is approximately 5 pounds.
Note also that Steve Jennings is a race car engine designer with major innovations to endurance racing to his credit. That is due to his thinking “outside the box.” His application of that kind of thinking may cause some consternation by a few, but as in racing, it is about winning and innovation takes many forms. In racing it appears the rules keep getting tighter and tighter to keep up with Steve’s engine designs. Who knows, it might just lead to reduction of the F-Class target to half of what it is now…
I just noticed a mistake in this article: “Large metal cylinders at the bottom of the legs provide stability and help resist bipod hop.”
Those feet are Delrin plastic. Hold Center, dw
Dave: Thanks for the correction. Funny I talked to Mark C. a couple days ago and he didn’t mention that. But We’ll fix the story.
Do you do custom stocks for all guns? My Father served in the Gulf wars and was one of the first testers for this skeleton type of butt stock and fell IN LOVE with it. I have a Remington 700 SRS tactical that he really wants that stock on. If you could do it how much would it cost and or do you know a similar style of butt stock that I can put on it?