Third Eye tactical AICS

For any Remington 700 or similar clone action, a magazine feed can be a desirable addition for both competitive and sporting use. Bottom metal (the trigger guard and mag fitting) is now available from Third Eye Tactical (T.E.T.)and perhaps even better, fitting is now significantly easier. Whereas Howa’s detachable mag system has been designed to fit straight into their current stock inlet by using a physically smaller magazine, T.E.T.’s system uses the long established and reliable Accuracy International AICS range of magazines which are a common sight across the industry.

A MATTER OF TIME

This slightly larger design has previously needed the rifle’s stock inlet/mag-well to be enlarged by a gunsmith to fit the bottom metal. The effective pillar length or distance the magazine is located in relation to the action’s floor is also critical to guarantee reliable feed from the mag. To compensate for the difficulty in manually profiling the radii of the complex bottom metals shape with a milling machine, the inlet was often oversized and then gap-filled with a bedding compound to create a precise, smooth fit between the bottom metal and stock.

However, with a facility full of multi axis CNC milling machinery, it was only a matter of time before T.E.T. got round to designing jigs to precisely align the existing shape of a stock’s inlet with the bed. Once perfected, an inlet can be cut with dimensions and shapes to create a perfect fit for their bottom metal into your existing Remington rifle.

NOT JUST THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON

I took three stocks across to Third Eye, all of differing styles and materials to test how the process would adapt. The prior installation of aluminium bedding pillars was also to be tested to check whether these would be milled away properly so allowing perfect cartridge feed. The machinery was set-up prior to my arrival and it took about 10 minutes to fasten and align each stock a dummy action fixed to the bed and all axes to be zeroed to correct datum points.

One critical step is to check that no area of the machinery will contact any area of the stock and vertical pistol grips come very close to the chuck on the machine but prior tests reassure there will be no strike. Once the `go` button is pressed, the run itself only takes a few minutes and the bottom metal just drops straight in with a seamless fit afterwards. If the customer requires, an extra allowance can be applied to the machining cycle which will oversize the hole to allow bedding compound to be applied but I chose not to.

WORKS

This system works for any short action Remington or clone in any stock material and Accuracy International offer AICS steel magazines for 22-250-308 sized cases in 5 and 10 round sizes. A 10-round polymer mag is available for cases in the .223 head diameter family. Currently the 6000 series aluminium bottom metal is available with either short ambidextrous mag release or a longer one suitable for competition use, both in front of the trigger. They are also supplied with pillars and correct length action bolts in either matt black or silver anodised.