Got a tactical stock for the OG Vet in the mail this evening.
Just one possibility.
Surprisingly nice grain on the grip. If it wasn't for the
being delivered on Tues I think I'd refinish the walnut grip and i believe it'd be quite striking. But for now the plan is the Royal Arms grip.
https://royalarms.com/shop/ar-1516-grip/
I liked these when they were first announced but not enough to pay the price they were asking, and DANG sure not enough to pay what a handful of the EURO retailers are still asking for it. But it came up on AGN classifieds here for a really good price and, in a rare-for-me impulse buy, I caved and bought it.
Some missing bolts, but shouldn't be a problem after a trip to the bins at the local hardware store. All in all its used, but not road-rashed, no threaded holes are stripped ("used, not abused") so I feel like I got a good deal.
First thoughts are that.....
1. I'm not sure I love the wooden cheek piece. It's just thick enough that I'd probably need to move to higher scope mounts, and don't really want to do that. 2. The UIT rail isn't standard, or at least isnt standard to my MAC1 hamster (there's some extra hardware in the above photo to make the knee riser attach).
3. Holy balls this thing is solid. The amount of aluminum in it is ridiculous. Just CHUNKS of billet. Not sure why they made it so sturdy, but it somehow makes one of the more sturdy air rifles that exist, EVEN MORE sturdy. The over -robust nature of the thing just screams TAIPAN.
4. It's heavy, see #3. Hefting the tactical stock in one hand and the laminate stock in the other.....let's just say no weight savings by going with the aluminum stock.
5. I like the foregrip, nice finger grooves. I also like that the adjustable pic rail within the UIT has delrin tips on the bolts that lock it in the preferred location. I've got a couple UIT rails on various guns and the inner track on all of them show wear and use. That won't happen on this one. Delrin tips = good!
6. This appears to be the version of the tactical stock that came with that foregrip instead of the knee riser? Not a problem, already have a knee riser and would have preferred foregrip anyway.
7. The adjustable "wings" on the buttplate are nice.
8. Adjustable lop, min is about 14 inches, max was something like 16.5.
Overall the verdict's still out. I'll get that Royal Arms grip on there and give it a fair shake, simply shooting it for awhile to decide if it's a keeper or not. The big hope is that it'll make the Vet platform easier to shoot offhand. I've never hated the laminate Vet stocks, just trying something else out for the fun of it. If it wins a permanent home, I may even swap some parts around and make a .20 Tactical Vet. (If that happens, wonder if my oldest son would notice the Vet Short he claimed somehow became a .177 or a .22 instead of a .20?
) Or the tactical stock may even end up on my long range .22 Vet Long.
Just one possibility.
Surprisingly nice grain on the grip. If it wasn't for the
being delivered on Tues I think I'd refinish the walnut grip and i believe it'd be quite striking. But for now the plan is the Royal Arms grip.
https://royalarms.com/shop/ar-1516-grip/
I liked these when they were first announced but not enough to pay the price they were asking, and DANG sure not enough to pay what a handful of the EURO retailers are still asking for it. But it came up on AGN classifieds here for a really good price and, in a rare-for-me impulse buy, I caved and bought it.
Some missing bolts, but shouldn't be a problem after a trip to the bins at the local hardware store. All in all its used, but not road-rashed, no threaded holes are stripped ("used, not abused") so I feel like I got a good deal.
First thoughts are that.....
1. I'm not sure I love the wooden cheek piece. It's just thick enough that I'd probably need to move to higher scope mounts, and don't really want to do that. 2. The UIT rail isn't standard, or at least isnt standard to my MAC1 hamster (there's some extra hardware in the above photo to make the knee riser attach).
3. Holy balls this thing is solid. The amount of aluminum in it is ridiculous. Just CHUNKS of billet. Not sure why they made it so sturdy, but it somehow makes one of the more sturdy air rifles that exist, EVEN MORE sturdy. The over -robust nature of the thing just screams TAIPAN.
4. It's heavy, see #3. Hefting the tactical stock in one hand and the laminate stock in the other.....let's just say no weight savings by going with the aluminum stock.
5. I like the foregrip, nice finger grooves. I also like that the adjustable pic rail within the UIT has delrin tips on the bolts that lock it in the preferred location. I've got a couple UIT rails on various guns and the inner track on all of them show wear and use. That won't happen on this one. Delrin tips = good!
6. This appears to be the version of the tactical stock that came with that foregrip instead of the knee riser? Not a problem, already have a knee riser and would have preferred foregrip anyway.
7. The adjustable "wings" on the buttplate are nice.
8. Adjustable lop, min is about 14 inches, max was something like 16.5.
Overall the verdict's still out. I'll get that Royal Arms grip on there and give it a fair shake, simply shooting it for awhile to decide if it's a keeper or not. The big hope is that it'll make the Vet platform easier to shoot offhand. I've never hated the laminate Vet stocks, just trying something else out for the fun of it. If it wins a permanent home, I may even swap some parts around and make a .20 Tactical Vet. (If that happens, wonder if my oldest son would notice the Vet Short he claimed somehow became a .177 or a .22 instead of a .20?
) Or the tactical stock may even end up on my long range .22 Vet Long. 
