Rifle weight is a key factor when building a use case for your platform or system. Many folks look for ways to make their rifle lighter, but what if you want to make it heavier, and more importantly, why would you want to make it heavier?
Before we discuss this product, I want to explain the “why” of building an intentionally heavy rifle for those who may be puzzled by the idea.
First, we turn to the laws of motion when considering rifle recoil and why added weight may be beneficial.
Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction; this is why a rifle recoils when fired.
Thankfully, on the shooter’s side, the rifle itself soaks up a ton of that energy because it weighs significantly more than the projectile being sent downrange.
For this reason, it is generally safe to assume that a lighter gun will have more felt recoil than a heavier gun in the same caliber.
Secondly, the strategic distribution of weight will allow you to fine-tune the balance of your rifle so that it doesn’t work against you as you manipulate it in different shooting positions. Spend any time behind a rifle in a dynamic setting that is either too front heavy or too rear heavy, and you will quickly learn how unwieldy it can be compared to a heavier but properly balanced rifle.
This principle hits a certain extreme with competition and target rifles, where the shooter is not required to haul their rifle over long distances in unpredictable terrain, such as precision rifle matches and long-range target shooting. Building a heavy rifle will reduce recoil and, in turn, require less work to get back on target and spot your impacts.
Salmon River Solutions is an accessories/parts company out of Post Falls, Idaho that specializes in parts for precision rifle systems.
Specifically, we will be looking at both the integrated weights they make for the Aero Precision Solus competition chassis as well as their external M-LOK weights that can be used on most M-LOK chassis. These weights work to elevate the already feature-rich Solus chassis when building for competition shooting.
Where To Buy
Fore-end Weight
The fore end weight is machined from a solid piece of brass and attaches very cleverly. It ships with four fasteners and sits snugly in the handguard, with a rib resting inside one of the internal clearance cuts.
Two of the fasteners engage with the bipod spigot holes, and the other two fasteners screw directly into the brass weight facing the MLOK slots.
When the two larger fasteners are tightened, the weight’s engagement surfaces expand, creating a rock-solid fit. These fasteners are kept behind the MLOK so as not to affect the use of the integral ARCA rail.
All said and done, this adds an additional 35oz to the front chassis.
The only real drawback to this system is that it removes the ability to mount a bipod spigot, which is, for the most part, a non-issue as the Solus chassis has a full ARCA interface running the length of the handguard.
Stock Weight
Salmon River’s second integral option for the Solus is a stock weight. This perfectly fits in the void present on the Solus competition stock and locks in place with a set of two fasteners, adding 17oz and aiding in balancing the chassis at the rear.
The fit and finish on this part are exceptional. The black Cerakote finish nicely complements Aero’s standard chassis finishes. This part is a no-brainer when paired with the fore-end weight.
External M-LOK Weights
The external weights are a very straightforward product with an intentional design. They mount directly into your side MLOK rails, taking up a total of two standard MLOK slots per weight.
They ship in a set of two, boasting a weight of 6 oz each and 12 oz as a pair. A small but important design incorporation is an upwards bias on mounting that won’t allow the weight to interfere with using an ARCA rail, such as the one on the Solus chassis.
These are a great option for additional weight on many chassis on the market and give you a way to tune your rifle’s balance better.
Below is a Solus competition rifle* I built out using the stock insert, fore end weight, and 2 sets of external weights.
It is wearing a hearty competition profile and weighs 20 lbs 8.6oz in its current configuration, unloaded without the bipod installed.
With the added weight and unforgiving muzzle brake, this rifle hardly moves when fired, giving me zero regrets about stacking on the pounds.
When you use these accessories paired with a muzzle brake, it can help make follow-through second nature.
Being able to watch the hole appear on paper at a distance is a cool experience, and when put to practice on steel, it does a surprising amount to ensure you catch your splash in the scope.
I am excited to see this company providing platform support for a needed internal weight solution that doesn’t compromise form factor!
Weight breakdown
- Solus 17” Chassis Base Weight: 4lbs 4.5oz
- Internal fore end weight: 35oz
- Stock insert weight: 17oz
- External M-LOK weight (per pair): 12oz
Solus Competition Rifle Build Sheet
Read the full article here