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March 20th, 2011
Manners Composite Stocks has released its new MCS-T4 trainer stock for CZ 452 and 455 actions. This should work well for guys who cross-train with a .22LR or who compete in the popular Tactical Rimfire matches now offered by many clubs. The MCS-T4 duplicates the feel, heft, and ergonomics of a full-size tactical stock, making it easy to transition from your centerfire rifle to your smallbore trainer.
Tom Manners reports: “This is the second .22LR trainer stock we have developed. The design goal is the same as the first stock we built for the SakoQuad. This project was started for the guys that wanted a full-size rimfire training rifle that had the same size and feel as their full-size service gun. The goal was to have a gun that had the same balance, feel, and as close to same ergonomics as a full-size Remington 700. That lets you train effectively with inexpensive .22LR ammo.”
Tom added: “We designed the MCS-T4 so the CZ 452/455 bolt handle and trigger are in the same location as your full-size service rifle”. Manners can also deliver the MCS-T4 with an extra-heavy fill to bring the weight of the complete gun up to about 13 lbs — about the same as a centerfire bolt gun with a medium-contour barrel. With the MCS-T4, a shooter can put together an affordable rimfire cross-trainer without having to spend big bucks on a 40X action or 40X clone. The new Manners MCS-T4 CZ Trainer Stock lists for $475.00 plus shipping. For more info, visit MannersStocks.com or call (816) 283-3334.
December 19th, 2010
Two Oregonians, Joe Huddleston and John Weil, have developed one of the most sophisticated bipods you can buy. The new Center Shot carbon-fiber bipod is ultra-light, weighing just 19 ounces (0.55 kg). John Weil used a prototype version at the 2009 F-Class world championships in Bisley, England. John was a member of the USA Team which won the F-TR Team Championship.
The Center Shot bipod offers a very wide “wheelbase” for stability. The bipod’s long feet, shaped like helicopter skids, help the rifle recoil straight back, rather than hop or twist. The bipod is designed to attach securely via a standard accessory rail on the bottom of the rifle’s forearm. The bipod can easily be adjusted for height and cant (tilt angle), allowing the bipod to adjust to uneven terrain. The height adjustment also allows shooters to easily adapt the bipod to their rear bag height and shooting style.
The Center Shot Bipod comes in two versions. The basic model costs $450.00, while for $465, you can get one with the shooter’s national colors on the top rod assembly (see photo below). For more information, email joe [at] censhot.com or john weil at jhw1 [at] ix.netcom.net. You can also call (503) 622-3815, or write: Center Shot Engineering, 26810 E. Elk Park Rd., Welches, OR 97067.
Centershot Bipod Specifications
Weight: 19 ounces
Full height to rail: 9.25 inches | Foot Print at 9.25 inches: 16.3 inches
Lowest height to rail: 4.5 inches | Foot Print at 4.5 inches: 20.5 inches
Materials: Aluminum, carbon fiber, stainless hardware
Continuous adjustment from lowest to highest setting.
January 26th, 2010
Though the use of high-tech materials, such as carbon fiber and kevlar, modern riflestocks have become stiffer, stronger, and lighter. Wild Dog, a small company in Queensland, Australia, is producing some of the nicest carbon-reinforced hunting and tactical stocks you can buy. Wild Dog stocks sport innovative features, such as a trap door for ammo storage in the side of the buttstock. Wild Dog’s hunting stocks are sized right and comfortable to hold — the comb height and drop angles are “just right” for a classic sporter.
And when Wild Dog says they can build a stock that’s “ultra-light”, they aren’t kidding. Wild Dog’s Bruce Simms showed us a lightweight sporter stock that weighed just 20 ounces! We were sufficiently impressed that we may choose a Wild Dog stock for an ultra-light, walk-around varminter project AccurateShooter.com has in the works.
This Editor was also very impressed by Wild Dog’s tactical stocks. The Wild Dog thumbhole will work for shooters with any hand size. The grip section of some other thumbhole stocks (notably the Accuracy Int’l) is very thick and fat (way too fat for this Editor’s hands). By contrast, you’ll find the Wild Dog thumbhole is comfortable and controllable even for shooters with medium to small hands. Wild Dog’s adjustable cheekpiece system on the tactical stocks is better than most — the hardware is simple but sturdy and the cheekpiece fits flush when retracted.
Overall, the Wild Dog stock designs — both hunting and tactical, are carefully crafted and very well thought out. The tactical stocks feel right in both offhand and prone positions. The hunting stocks are easy to handle and the hand-painted camo finishes really do work in the field, as you can see in the photo below.
January 20th, 2010
Manners Composite Stocks builds very strong, stiff stocks employing advanced manufacturing methods and high tech carbon fiber materials. In this video, stock-maker Tom Manners showcases his new products for 2010. These include the handsome new MCST 5A Tactical stock, composed of 30% carbon fiber, 65% fiberglass. Though as strong as any comparable stock on the market, the MCST 5A weighs just 4.1 pounds. Tom also displayed his impressive “long wheelbase” F-Class stock. A full 7″ longer than any other F-Class stock on the market, the Manners F-Class stock features all-carbon construction and a unique “fish-belly” design that provides extra rigidity so the stock tracks smoothly without the “springboard effect” common to some other low profile stock designs.
Tom also previewed the new Manners Mini Chassis, an integrated v-block/bottom metal/mag carriage. Manners’ Mini Chassis can be installed in one of Manners stocks or other designs, and it provides a rock-solid, “bolt-in and go” mount for a Rem-700 footprint action. The Mini Chassis takes both 5-round and 10-round AI magazines.
October 2nd, 2008
Tom Manners of Manners Composite Stocks has a new F-Class stock that’s long, low, and very stiff. The first three examples get their “trial by fire” this week at the F-Class Nationals in Lodi, Wisconsin. The stock is derivative of some other familiar designs, particularly in the grip area, but the underside of the stock is radically new, and the stock promises to be very rigid in all planes, without the fore-arm lift or flex found in some other F-Class stocks.
Tom says: “The shell is 100% carbon fiber with a molded-in action and barrel area. This design features a very long, stiff fore-end. From the back of the action to the tip of the fore-end the stock measures 27″ long which is around 7 1/2″ longer than our T4 stock.” The idea is to provide a “longer wheelbase” to better balance the long, 30-32″ barrels favored by many F-Class competitors.
The front half of the fore-end is very thin (from top to bottom) to achieve a low profile on the bags. The McMillan F-Class stock uses such a design, and a thin fore-end can definitely lower the center of gravity. However, some other thin-forearm designs have suffered from a springboard effect. This should not be the case with the new Manners stock. Much thought has gone into controlling fore-end flex. Manners’ design achieves greater vertical rigidity (less deflection under load) through an innovative “fish belly” design. The rounded undersection, like a canoe hull, strengthens the fore-end considerably. Carbon fiber construction also adds stiffness.
Another nice feature of the fore-end are the molded-in “rails”. On the underside of the forearm, an area is relieved for a few inches in the center. This allows the stock to contact the front bag on the two outer edges or rails. The relieved center area can ride above the “hump” typically found in the middle of the front sand-bag. Other stock designs have proven the merits of this “twin rail” feature. It works. Eliminating contact with the “hump” reduces rock and wobble, and the twin rails allow smooth tracking.
  Overall, we like the stock design very much except for one thing. The stock has a pronounced corner or knuckle at the top rear of the pistol grip. This creates a sharp transition from the tang to the area relieved for your thumb. A similar (though less extreme) knuckle is found on the McMillan A-series designs. Our testers have shot stocks with grips like this and the reaction was mixed. IF you have big hands and can wrap your thumb all the way around the grip, this design can work well with a hard hold. The vertical section right below the knuckle can help distribute some of the recoil into the web of the hand. However, for people with smaller hands, your thumb is forced into an awkward position. Additionally, many shooters use a lighter hold, or prefer to place the thumb parallel to the bore axis, resting on the stock, just behind the tang. This allows you to apply some down-pressure, WITHOUT side force (a shooting style that some rifles prefer). You can do this easily with a Tooley MBR-style stock, or a Franklin low-rider. With a hard knuckle like you find on the Manners stock, resting your thumb behind the tang doesn’t work well at all. Looking at the photos, we also think the pistol grip is quite fat, further causing problems with shooters with small to medium hands. That said, we know many shooters, particularly “tactical” competitors, who like this kind of grip. Tom Manners wants to “get feedback” on the new stock at the Nationals. It will be interesting to learn if some shooters ask for a different style grip.
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