12 minute read
KIT & GEAR: JAVELIN BIPOD
STABILITY FOR THE WIN
BIPODS WERE DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU COMPLETE SUPPORT AND STABILITY IN A RUGGED, LIGHTWEIGHT PACKAGE, AND THESE DAYS WE’RE SEEING THEM MORE AND MORE ON CARBINES AS WELL AS DMRS AND BOLTIES. BILL’S BEEN WORKING WITH A NEW MODEL FROM SPARTAN PRECISION EQUIPMENT OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS SO NOW TAKES AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT BIPODS AS A WHOLE!
Why should I use a bipod? I mostly use a carbine or SBR when playing, and in fact my favourite models are short, compact variants of the AK and AR so until relatively recently for me a bipod lived on either my DMR or my precision rifle. I’ve seen much photographic evidence of bipods being fitted “in the wild” to SBRs and indeed even to compact CQB-length M4s, and I have to admit that I’ve often wondered “why?”
The answer to me partly lies in the increased issue of even the most basic infantry rifle with a magnified optic; slowly but surely we’ve seen the “grunt” become equipped with some pretty spangly optics, and of course when you’re talking about “556” the ballistic performance of the round itself is actually one of the determining factors when it comes to accuracy over extended range. The performance of the accepted-issue round tends to tail-off dramatically when the range extends, so in many cases the abilities of the optic are greater than those of the round being fired!
A stable firing position is king in this situation, and for a stable shooting platform that offers greater precision and increased support a bipod is second to none. At longer ranges shooting from some positions with accuracy can be next to impossible without some form of stabilisation. As a “real” shooter you have many variables to account for such as environmental factors (wind, rain, snow, temperature, humidity, etc), and even the mechanics of the human body! A good bipod helps eliminate many of these factors before you put the first round downrange.
It’s pretty clear to me then that a bipod that’s mounted at the fore-end of a platform will aid in that quest for a stable shooting position and allow you to get the best possible from your chosen optic, and this is equally true whether it’s 5.56mm rounds or BBs that you are putting out there; in fact, given the vagaries of hop performance you could even argue that a stable shooting position is MORE important to us as airsofters! A bipod provides you
with stability both horizontally and vertically; in game you’ll often find yourself shooting at a target from a really weird position, where stabilising your rifle or carbine fully can be next to impossible without some form of artificial support; bipods give you the option to rest and stabilise your AEG or GBBR, reducing fatigue whilst increasing accuracy.
Fundamentally the best bipod is the bipod attached to your chosen primary platform! I know that this sounds like I’m being even more of a simpleton than usual, but the fact is that having a bipod fitted gives you, especially in the prone position, unmatched stability and gives you more of a chance to place your BBs exactly where you want to!
Benefits of shooting with a bipod simply put are; • Stability; when you use a bipod, you’re able to rest your platform against any object or surface. This could be the ground, but also includes walls, vehicles, furniture, rocks, and anything else that you might encounter in the field. This means that these objects will bear the full weight of your platform instead of your “MK1” arm muscles! When fatigue is taken out of the equation, your mind, arms, and fingers can remain completely focused on aiming and firing. • Flexibility; bipods come in many shapes and sizes, and this flexibility is augmented even further when you use the latest lightweight models. Bipods can be tilted and rotated to allow you to make contact with multiple surfaces and objects, even if they’re not directly beneath you (or completely flat). • Accuracy; the benefits of increased stability and flexibility combine to make you a more accurate shooter, plain and simple. Bipods also allow you to aim accurately at your target before firing and use your optic to its true potential.
WHAT’S IN A WORD?
Bipod is made up of the Greek and Latin words “bi” and “pod.” Bi means “two” while “pod” refers to “the foot” or “feet.” Hence the literal definition of “two footed.” When you look at a bipod, you can see that this description is very accurate: a bipod comes with two feet that allow you to balance the weight of your rifle with more stability.
Before they were adopted by shooters bipods were used by photographers to take high quality, detailed images of a subject that would be more difficult without stabilization. It is believed that the first use of a bipod in conjunction with a rifle dates back as far as the 1800’s, and of course we know that the “monopod or “shooting stick” predates even that. In World War II, soldiers utilized bipods that were often just sticks tied together to give them a simple platform to rest their heavy rifles, and with the introduction of weapons such as the MG38 and BAR at squad level simple metal bipods began to appear in the hands of the ordinary “grunt”; the bipods enabled them to take more accurate shots while at the same time helping avoid fatigue from the sheer weight and bulk of their weapon!
A traditional bipod is a simple two-legged stand that holds your chosen platform stable; generally speaking they utilise various and numerous methods of attachment, and the legs can be folded up for easy transportation and locked into place when required; many models of bipods offer adjustable legs that allow you to tailor them to match your shooting position in any given terrain, and rubberised feet provide greater friction and grip.
Grip-Pods, as now standard for many military-issue platforms such as the SA-80, are bipods that are deployed from a foregrip mounted at the fore-end and are regularly seen in use by infantry riflemen and support gunners who need to rapidly transition between standing and prone shooting positions. Affixing a Grip-Pod is as simple as attaching a conventional foregrip to your platform depending on the rail system or handguard your rifle/carbine has.
Many “modern” bipods are works of art in themselves; Magpul for instance make theirs from industry-leading, high-strength polymer and Mil-Spec aluminum, providing an unmatched combination of functionality, strength, and value. They come in four different mounting configurations, meaning that there’s a shooting platform available for just about every rifle you’ll ever own. Their bipods include user-friendly features such as tool-less adjustment and spring-tensioned legs for rapid deployment, and they’re optimized for one-handed use. Most include an industry-exclusive 50° of total tilt and 40° of pan, which are controlled by a glove-friendly, knurled locking knob. The legs extend from 6.3 “ to 10.3” and they fit neatly 2.3” under the barrel when stowed.
For general use with a carbine or DMR, for convenience and durability, many bipod mounts now affix directly to a rail system or the Picatinny rail of a handguard (and of course now Keymod and M-Lok too!). Rails allow for accessories to be
attached to the platform without fuss and often offer quick detachment capability, usually in the form of a retention pin or stud should the need arise to attach or remove the bipod in a hurry without sacrificing stability. Stud bipod mounts affix to the fore-end of the rifle and allow the installation of many bipod models (such as one of my faves, the Harris system), and these stud mounts even allow the bipod to swivel and pivot dependant on the model you choose. Some cheaper bipods will also attach direct to the barrel; whilst this is fine for airsoft use, and a sensibly-priced alternative for many, I’d urge you to look into how this affects barrel dynamics/harmonics, and the effect it can have particularly over longer differences.
The bottom line though is that the use of bipods is on the rise with everyone from the military to law enforcement, hunters, and recreational users, and the increased use of optics fitted as standard to most platforms, both real and airsoft, now means that stability is a key denominator. This increase in demand has given huge boost to many new companies making bipods for a variety of uses, and you’ll find great models from Harris Engineering, Magpul, NCStar/ UTG, Versa-Pod and in airsoft form from the likes of most good manufacturers (most of mine come from NUPROL).
JAVELIN!
So, bipods are great front support and add to the stability of your rifle/optics system, and after meeting the guys from Spartan Precision Equipment at the NAE I’ve been trialling one of their models, and putting it through a pretty tough testing regime! For those that don’t know Spartan, they’re a proudly British company based in the beautiful South East of the UK. Having met them in person I can tell you that they’re a close and friendly team dedicated to producing some of the finest, most innovative shooting accessories in the world.
Their patented Spartan Magnetic Attachment System is at the heart of many of their products. Light, strong and reliable, the systems use Neodymium rare earth magnets to attach to your platform in seconds, enabling you to follow targets and stay level on uneven ground, and the best bit is that you will only ever need one bipod/tripod for all your platforms! Since launch they have partnered and worked with some of the finest brands in the shooting industry such as Blaser, Sauer and First Lite to name a few.
I’ve been testing out their Javelin Bipod; these are made from Carbon Fibre and milled 7075 aerospace Aluminium with their patented magnetic attachment system, so that one bipod model is easily
changed from rifle to carbine! With interchangeable leg options, the Javelin Lite Bipod® is available in three lengths to accommodate shooters wanting a lightweight modular bipod that will serve a multitude of disciplines from shooting on the range to skirmishing in the most demanding environments. By using high-grade carbon fibre, the Javelin Lite weighs just 130 to 135 grams and does not compromise the balance of your platform, making it perfect for those on the move, especially as it can be attached and detached in an instant using the ‘Spartan Magnetic Attachment System’.
Features are impressive and include: • Locking cant facility for uneven terrain • Track targets with the traversing function or use in locked target mode • Interchangeable fixed-height legs • Quick and easy to swap to other rifles using the spartan magnetic attachment system • Secure sling attachment • Low profile adapter makes carrying a slung rifle comfortable • Range of different accessory legs available to accommodate different shooting positions and terrain • Supplied with classic rifle adapter kit to attach bipod • Compatible with a full range of 12mm Spartan adapters
I’ve been using the Javelin on carbines, rifles, my DMR, and my bolt action and I absolutely love it! The guys from Spartan provided me with a number of different attachment options (the set comes with a number of rubber spacers and different length hex bolts that mean you can get a really positive seating) which means I can keep these firmly attached to different platforms, simply moving the legs of the bipod between them at will…. And it really is easy to do, even though once attached the legs remain solidly fixed to the rail attachment. The legs also offer a clever lateral/tilt movement thanks to a small throwlever, and once again this can be locked off to give a solid and stable platform. This means that I need only one set of legs, which given their light weight and tiny “footprint” means that I can keep them safely stowed in my Admin Pouch until I need them, knowing that they’ll pop onto whatever primary platform I may be carrying at any given moment!
So, I start the day with my DMR… the rail attachment is fixed in place so all I need to carry is the legs. Perhaps I decide in the afternoon that I’ll go and do a little light “hunting” with my bolt-action… the QD stud attachment is already fitted and I have the very same legs in my Admin Pouch so I’m good to go! Now I could carry the legs attached to the platform full-time, but common sense to me dictates that the less protruberences I have sticking out from my rifle means the less likely I am to snag a branch in the woods… and of course if I have an attachment point fitted to the rail of my MK18 I can easily pop on the Javelin if I want to make the most of my red-dot magnifier in a CQB environment, and actually use it from a stable position too.
Bottom line here folks is that if you want to get the best from your optics and your primary platform, adding a bipod to create the best, most stable shooting position is actually a bit of a no-brainer; with super-light, super-versatile bipod systems like the Javelin you can make even the shortest of airsoft SBRs real tack-drivers!
Many thanks to the guys at https://javelinbipod.com for providing me their system to test and evaluate; if you’re interested in adding a bipod to your armoury then please do take a moment to check out their super system. AA
