Chassis Rifle - Converting From a Regular “Stocked” Rifle

Sometimes a regular stock does not have the modularity that you need for the task you want to use it for. This means a chassis system might be the next step of your rifle’s development, but how do you convert it from being a regular stocked rifle to a chassis rifle?

Well the process is surprisingly easy. We’ll go over some of the basics that you need to know and a few considerations you’ll have to take.

How to Swap an R700 Action Into A Chassis

Before starting any project you first need to understand what is involved. Let’s start out by defining what a chassis system is.

What Is a Rifle Chassis?

A rifle chassis is an aluminum receiver that is designed to accept a particular rifle action assembly. This is normally a Remington 700 action or a very close clone of one. The chassis may also have some compatibility with the AR-15 aftermarket when it comes to stock and grips.

Generally speaking a chassis has more mounting points on the forend and much more customizability in the buttstock and grip locations.

Why choose a chassis system?

Chassis systems, when they are properly installed, provide better accuracy with less environmental factors impacting the rifle’s performance. Chassis are usually used in long range competitions and precision rifle matches because they are so accurate and can have extra weight added for better recoil control.

Getting Started

When you are swapping to a chassis system there are a few things you need to consider before you fully commit to a particular chassis. These will be the action and magazine of your rifle, the tools to do the swap, and an area to work in.

Know Your Action and Magazine Style

The Remington 700 comes in two action styles: long action and short action. Long actions are designed for things like magnum cartridges and .30-06 and are compatible with shorter cases despite there being a learning curve. Short actions are built for things like .308 or similar case lengths. Your chassis needs to match one of these actions in order for the action to be installed.

The next thing you need to check is the magazine well of the chassis. The AICS magazine pattern is the industry standard for chassis rifles, but there are always going to be one-off designs that might be patterned for something like Magpul magazines.

Tools and Work Area

You will need a hex key/tool, preferably one that can measure inch-pounds in addition to an allen wrench, and a flat area to set the rifle on. This can be a table or bench, you just need something to keep the rifle in one place while you work on it.

The tool that measures inch-pounds is optional but will help you create consistency in your mounting so you can reach the recommended force to set the screws.

Swapping Out the Action Assembly

First remove the magazine and clear the rifle. This makes sure you can safely break it down the rest of the way.

Once the rifle is clear, remove the bolt from the gun. This will be just like a normal cleaning routine.

After clearing the bolt, you are going to loosen and remove the two bolts that hold the assembly in the stock. These will be located before and after the trigger area. Just like other machines, you should loosen both bolts evenly until they are ready to be removed.

Remove the screws and set them in a safe place. Lift the action out of the stock and line up the appropriate holes in the chassis with the screw holes of the action.

Insert the screws and tighten. Since the chassis is aluminum, you will need to tighten the screws to 65 inch-pounds of torque for the best results.

After you have tightened the screws, insert the bolt and check to see if it works properly. If it does proceed to check the function of the magazine.

Congratulations, you have successfully swapped your R700 to a chassis system.

What’s the Best Chassis to Use?

There are a lot of good chassis systems out there, but not all of them are designed for the same thing. If you are looking to get into precision rifle competitions you should consider the MDT ACC Chassis.

This chassis is compatible with short action R700s and with most AR-15 grips. It features a fully adjustable buttstock and has MLOK™ mounting points so you can add weight to the system. This particular chassis can reach up to 13.5 pounds depending on your weight selection and rifle model.