Pros and Cons – Rifle Chassis & Stock Materials Compared for Field-Use

Upgrading your rifle with a custom rifle chassis or stock (like AG Composites’ stocks) can instantly unlock more accuracy and consistency downrange: upgrading with either piece of hardware can improve the seat of your rifle’s action, convert your setup to a free-floating barrel, and improve fasteners and fixtures for better trigger feel, a more adjustable length of pull, and better scope alignment. But stocks and rifle chassis are made from different materials – like billet and forged aluminum, polymer, and carbon fiber, with stainless steel attachments – and each of these materials provide their own set of pros and cons when it comes to cost, performance, and weight.

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Stock & Rifle Chassis Materials Compared

Which one’s best? Is there a “best” choice overall? Or is it merely a balance of compromises – some of which should be weighted more or less depending on your rifle’s application? Let’s take a look.

Aluminum

Pros: Precision machining, high strength, low weight
Cons: Low recoil mitigation, not ideal for heavy cartridges
Pictured: MDT LSS Gen 2 Chassis

Aluminum stocks and chassis provide arguably the best value. They’re precision machining means they don’t require any bedding or extra fitment – just throw your barreled action and trigger assembly in, and torque everything to spec. Aluminum’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it an ideal choice for those who need to shed pounds off a heavy long action or hunting rifle, without also sacrificing rigidity and accuracy. Aluminum’s also virtually weatherproof, so it’ll withstand sunlight, moisture, and hot and cold cycling without fatiguing or corroding.

Aluminum stocks and chassis also benefit from providing integrated rail and attachment systems. Unlike carbon fiber, wood, and polymer – which require external fixtures – aluminum stocks and chassis typically have Picatinny rails and M-LOK or KeyMod slots cut directly into their assemblies. This integration with attachments further adds strength and rigidity, and potentially reduces cost since you don’t need to invest in add-ons just to install a bipod, scope, or other accessories.

But aluminum isn’t the strongest material in the lineup, and large calibers can take their toll over time. Aluminum is, in fact, one of the softest alloys used in gun making, and some Magnum rounds can contribute to worn or cracked aluminum fixtures. Because aluminum is so rigid and lightweight, it doesn’t absorb felt recoil as well as other materials, either. You’ll need to invest in good padding on your stock and cheek riser to avoid discomfort.

Polymer

Pros: Affordable, comfortable, good recoil mitigation
Cons: Can add weight, not as strong as other materials
Pictured: MDT ORYX Rifle Chassis

Like aluminum, polymer has grown into somewhat of a super material. With glass and nylon reinforcement, the copolymers and composites used to make gun stocks and chassis can often exceed some steel alloys’ strength-to-weight ratios. Precisely crafting a polymer chassis or stock is easy and affordable, too, and assemblies made from the stuff tend to cost less than aluminum, carbon, or laminate setups. Since polymer is poured in a liquid state into a mold or press, it obtains a perfect, predictable, high-density and monolithic shape. These qualities make polymer stocks and chassis stronger and more capable of improving accuracy through precise tolerances, and they don’t typically require bedding or hand fitment during installation.

Polymers tend to have more elasticity than aluminum and other materials, which allows these stocks and chassis to effectively absorb the shock of high-power rounds and reduce felt recoil to some degree. Polymer has a lower strength-to-weight ratio, which some view as a negative – and it certainly can be, if you’re looking for a lightweight but strong setup. But if you’re sitting at a bench and only chasing accuracy, the added mass and weight of a polymer stock or chassis can be a benefit: It complements recoil mitigation and adds stability to the gun, allowing you to more easily retain a sight picture and shooting stance, which can translate into better shot groups.

Polymer stocks and chassis also tend to be more comfortable: Their edges are often chamfered or rounded, providing an ergonomic grip, and they tend to resist hot and cold ambient temperatures better than most alloys. But, like aluminum, polymer has a lower strength than other materials and, when subjected to excessive stress from high-power rounds, it can fatigue, or develop small cracks. Fasteners and fixtures can also loosen over time, reducing accuracy.

Carbon Fiber

Pros: Incredible strength and rigidity, lighter than all other materials
Cons: Expensive, low mass, low recoil mitigation
Pictured: Christensem Arms Aerograde Sporter Stock

If you want to upgrade your rifle’s existent furniture, anything built from carbon fiber provides arguably the best performance: Carbon fiber is, pound for pound, significantly stronger than steel. And, like their polymer and aluminum counterparts, carbon stocks and chassis are made with incredibly precise tolerances. This all translates into perfect action bedding, improving accuracy.

Carbon fiber’s high strength means that stocks and chassis made from the stuff are suitable for handling high-power rounds. Where a polymer or aluminum setup might need 5 or more pounds of mass to compensate for the recoil energy of, say, .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua, a carbon fiber rig easily accommodates rounds like these with significantly less material and mass – while also enjoying longer service life, with a lower risk of fatigue and wear from regular use. The only barrier of entry, here, is cost. Carbon fiber is expensive, and manufacturing even basic shapes – let alone something as complex as a stock or chassis — is costly, and requires extensive tooling and overhead. At minimum, you can expect to spend close to $1,000 for a monolithic stock, and a chassis system made from carbon will likely demand 1.5 times to double that.

Laminate

Pros: High strength, high density, awesome aesthetics
Cons: heavy, potential for warping and cracking
Pictured: Richards Microfit Varmint Master Stock

Laminate wood stocks have been favored by varmint hunters and competitive rimfire shooters alike for their high strength and stability – with eye-catching patterns just another benefit of the layered laminate construction. This type of stock is nothing new. Laminate gun stocks were used by the Soviets over 80 years ago in the manufacture of the M44 Mosin Nagant, a shorter, carbine-like iteration of the M91/30 Nagant. The added strength made the material better suited than the old rifle’s solid wood stock when it came to handling the energy of the 7.62x54r cartridge in the M44’s more compact profile.

The laminate stock’s weight alone is what makes it an upgrade over factory stocks. Coupled with its high density and added strength – courtesy of the epoxies and wood glues used to bond the layers of wood together under pressure – the laminate stock absorbs recoil and disperses energy more effectively. Because of its strength and density, laminate can be cut, sanded, and machined with more complicated shapes, like thumb holes, molded grips, palm and cheek contours, and integrated M-LOK slots, without compromising the wood’s integrity.

But, unlike all the other materials on this list, laminate still suffers the same drawbacks as solid wood: It expands and contracts with temperature changes, and naturally retains at least some moisture, even when cured. Over time, warping can occur if the stock is left to experience extreme cold and heat cycles. Some might not appreciate the weight, either. Laminate is best suited for a rifle that isn’t carried far and wide on foot. But, if you’re like me, you love a uniquely colored laminate stock. Check out our review of the Savage 10 Bottom Bolt Release rifle, which features a wicked neon laminated stock from Boyds Gunstocks.

Travis Olander

Travis is a retired Joint Fires NCO, firearm collector, and long-range shooter with a penchant for old militaria. He reviews guns, knives, tactical kit, and camping and hiking gear.