The 3 Kilogram Scout Rifle

The light idea:

Three kilograms.  Six pounds, 10 ounces.  Pretty simple, right?  That was the original goal of the first Scout Rifle Conference.  Of all the criteria listed for the scout rifle, that is the one that vexes people the most.  It isn't the only criteria, but it is the one that is most difficult to attain.  It is so difficult that even Jeff Cooper modified it several times.  If one reads Richard Mann's book on the history and development of the scout rifle concept, you'll see that at various times, Cooper listed 3.3 and 3.5 kilograms as the goal but never explained the difference.  Most would agree that 3 kilograms is the theoretical ideal, but that as long as the finished product is less than 3.5, and all other criteria are met, it is a "true" scout rifle.  Cooper declared the Steyr Scout to be the final and ultimate word on what constitutes a scout rifle.

So is it possible to get a rifle to the 3 kilo mark and still retain the rest of the features in order to qualify as a scout rifle?  There are a number of custom rifles floating around that have done it, but they are one-off rifles and are VERY expensive.  I don't know of one that has a detachable magazine.  It is damn hard to do.

Hard, but not impossible.  I did it and so can you.

Parts is Parts:

There are really two things that need to be done in order to achieve the Holy Grail of weight on a scout rifle.  The first is to use lighter accessories.  Find the lightest components for everything.  Here's some suggestions:

Scope:  I love the Leupold VXR and think it is far and away the best scope for general purpose use.  It is bright and crisp and works better at dusk than anything I've used short of a conventional Swarovski.  It also weighs 14.2 ounces.  The Burris 2-7 scout is preferred by many but it still weighs several ounces more than other options.  The Leupold VX Freedom 1.5-4X Scout weighs 9.2 ounces and the FX 2.5X scout weighs 7 ounces.  For the purposes of this experiment, I used the VXII scout (identical to the VX Freedom) and I find it to be the 2nd best general purpose scope around.  It isn't quite as good in low light but is better than the others.  

Scope rings:  I didn't put these on the scale, but the Weaver Quad-Lock rings are noticeably lighter than the Leupold QD rings.  Watch out though... what they call "medium" is very low.  If my ocular bell were over the receiver, it wouldn't fit and I'd need to use high.  As it is, the objective bell is touching the rail.  

Sling:  If you use Andy's Leather Ching Sling https://www.andysleather.com/products/scout-rifle-ching-sling, switch out the brass buckle for a Chicago screw.  It isn't as quick to change length, but it weighs less.  Trim the excess leather.  Even doing this, that sling is 2 ounces heavier than the Wilderness Tactical Ching https://www.thewilderness.com/ching-sling/ which is what I used.  I'm not sure you can still get that sling with the Pachmayr or Millet hammerheads now but I had one around.  

Recoil pad:  In order to have a quick change recoil pad system on the Steyr, they have an attachment piece in the stock.  That adds weight.  Remove it and buy a Pachmyar Decelerator model 200B in medium https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1006517292?pid=974626  The screw holes are already in the right place so it is fairly easy to fit.  You'll need a spacer as well https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1115185384 .  I used a 1/16" plastic spacer.  If you don't use that, you'll collapse the pad when you tighten it down.  This modification can be done without permanently altering the original stock as long as you are careful with fitting the pad.  Use a belt sander or sanding disc to fit it to the stock.

WECSOG:

The next thing to do is to get rid of the bipod.  Let's face it... nobody uses these things in the field anyway.  Yes, they are cool at the range, but in real world use, they only add weight and bulk.  I'll list three ways you can accomplish this:

1.  Remove the bipod from your existing stock and don't modify anything else.  This is extremely easy.  Swing the bipod legs down and you'll see a small pin near the front of the stock.  Drive that pin out.  The bipod will now slide forward and out.  Replace the pin and you're done.  The downside to this is that you now have a number of sharp edges on the stock.  You can use it and shoot with it like this.  I did this for an entire deer hunting season to see if I missed the bipod.  I didn't and I liked how trim the gun felt in my hands.  It leaves unnecessary weight in the stock because you have the buttons and rail that retain the bipod but you also haven't permanently altered anything.  

2.  Modify the existing stock.  Same as above but now you're going into "WECSOG" territory.  The Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithing means you're going to forge ahead and there is no going back.  If you screw this up, there isn't much you can do to fix it short of buying a new stock from Steyr.  They do sell them complete for $425 here:  https://www.steyr-arms.com/us/scout-stock  

The modifications that need done is to remove the rail and the bipod retaining hardware.  Remove the screws holding the rail first.  Things will start popping out at that point and good luck getting them back in place.  I did it once, but would not want to give instructions on how to do that.  The button and retaining wings all come out and leave holes in the stock.  What you do with those holes is up to you.  I've done it two ways.  Fill in the holes with putty.  I used JB Weld Water Weld.  I used a cardboard filler in the large hole where the button was to take up space without weight but you could also use styrofoam.  Use the JB Weld in the bipod hole up front and then start sanding everything.  I used a sanding wheel on a drill to knock the edges off everything.  Be careful obviously but it isn't difficult to figure out where to sand it.  I used putty in the transition from the unmodified portion of the stock to where the bipod legs used to be and sanded it smooth.

3.  Buy a stripped stock.  Did you know that you can buy a stripped stock for the Scout?  Numrich Arms sells them for $42.  https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/717930  When they say stripped, they mean stripped.  There is no cover on the bottom of the pistol grip.  There are no swivel sockets.  There is no recoil pad or bipod parts.  You've got a totally clean slate with which to work.  Follow the steps above for the filling and sanding and for the forend.

Next, you have to deal with the recoil pad.  The factory stock comes with an attachment point for the stock spacer system and recoil pad.  The stripped stock doesn't have this, but there are two screw holes in the back of the stock.  By fortunate coincidence, the spacing of these is identical to the Pachmayr medium recoil pad.  I wanted the smallest one possible and selected this .4" pad at Midway https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1115420887

You can't directly fit this pad because it isn't stiff enough once you start tightening it down.  You'll need the thinnest stock spacer you can get such as this one:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100648584?pid=567275

Once you line up and tighten the spacer and pad, you'll need to use a belt sander to fit them flush to the stock.  Use masking tape around the stock and then go to town with the sander.  

The problem you're going to have is the swivel sockets.  The original came with 5 but you only need three unless you switch between right and left hand shooting often.  Finding three sockets is a problem.  Nobody makes them that I've been able to find.  Steyr seems to have a source but I'll be damned if I can figure out how.  Andy at Andy's leather had a few and sold me what I needed and he may have a handfull left, but that's about it.  There is a possibility of using the new Grovetec QD sockets https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1015372197?pid=625257  I've been told they are slightly larger than the holes that are in the stock so that would require drilling out the holes.  It might be the only alternative.

If you are able to find the original Pachmayr sockets, installing them isn't as easy as I thought it would be.  They are TIGHT and it is very easy to cross thread them.  I bought a drill press from Harbor Freight to get them in.  I used epoxy on one but the others don't seem to need it.  

Putting it together:

So now you have the lightest components and you've earned your first WECSOG degree.  Now it is time to put it all together.  I need to comment about my particular rifle and that has to do with the barrel.  I had my barrel shortened to 16" and threaded for a suppressor (long story, but I had to go with 1/2"-28 thread pitch which I understand is not normal).  That means my rifle is lighter than yours will be by the weight of that 3" of barrel.  However, I also used the Leupold VXII scope which is about 2.5 ounces heavier than the fixed power scout scope so that should be about a wash.  

By using a stripped stock and only using what was absolutely required and by using the VXII scope, Quad-Lock rings and the Wilderness sling, my rifle comes in at 2.99 Kilograms.  Yes, the Holy Grail of scout rifles from a factory gun and cost is well under $2000 complete.  

The funny thing is, I likely will not hunt and shoot very much with it in this configuration.  This was an academic exercise to see if I could do it.  The benefits of the VXR scope are so great for me and my uses that I'll sacrifice that weight.  I also prefer the leather sling in the summer as the nylon tends to chafe my arm.  I enjoy a suppressor when hunting or training.  My field ready gun comes in at just over 8 pounds but it sure is cool to know that I have the ability to see exactly what Cooper dreamed of so long ago.