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[dcs_fancy_header bgcolor=”#ffffff” color=”#000000″ fweight=”bold”]Innovative accessories for the AR market[/dcs_fancy_header]
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Several months ago, I was introduced to Arisaka Defense, an innovative company that has produced some well-thought-out accessories for the AR market, such as picatinny mounts, 1" light rings, an innovative finger stop, and high quality scout clone bodies and end caps.
Arisaka is everything I could want in a company – modest, understated, high quality, and affordable. Therefore, it was quite pleasing to see their newest product, the Arisaka Low Profile Bipod Mount made for the S-type Harris Bipod family. Harris Bipods, a long-time staple in the bipod world, needs no introduction. Their bipods are rugged and reliable, and won’t break the bank.
The factory S-type (swivel) bipods offer a side-to-side cant feature that allows for levelling adjustments on uneven terrain. From the factory, these bipods typically attach to a sling stud, which has spawned a plethora of picatinny, keymod, and MLOK accessories to bolt onto a pre-existing handguard, to which the end user can then attach the bipod.
Arisaka Defense has come up with an ingenious picatinny adaptor, which in keeping with Arisaka’s reputation, is strong, simple, and affordable. Unlike other adaptors on the market which in essence are nothing more than a standard sling stud incorporated into an attachment point, the Arisaka Low Profile Bipod Mount replaces a part of the Harris Bipod mounting assembly itself, which results in an extremely low-profile and rugged mounting solution.
The picatinny adaptor itself is made from 6061 aluminum and MIL-A-8625 Type III hard-anodized. Weighing in at a scant 1.05 oz, the adaptor is simplicity itself – a single piece of aluminum, a clamp, a crossbolt, and a reinforced helicoil insert for additional strength.
Installation
Installation can be achieved in about 5 minutes. To mount the bipod mount, the user must partially disassemble the factory Harris S-Type bipod sling swivel interface using a ¼” socket wrench. Remove the rear nut with the ¼" socket wrench, unscrew the thumbscrew and set those aside. On the opposing face of the bipod (front), there is a cross pin, a slotted brass washer, and a center pin. Since the rear thumbscrew is removed from the assembly, the cross pin, slotted brass washer, and center pin can all be removed easily. Set these parts aside as before.
Now that these components are removed, the user can now slide off the stock swivel mount assembly. Note that there is a secondary brass washer on the center post behind the original swivel assembly – leave it in place.
Slide the Arisaka Low Profile Bipod Mount onto the sling swivel post. It doesn’t matter which way you mount it; it is up to the user regarding what side they want to face the crossbolt. Once the adaptor is on, re-insert the center pin, place the slotted brass washer back into place with the tapered side facing outward, and re-insert the cross pin through the center pin. Holding the assembly in place, thread the thumbscrew back onto the rear of the bipod, and retighten the ¼" nut. Of course, if the user wants to replace the rear thumbscrew and ¼" nut with a Pod Lock, now is the time to do so.
Once reassembled, the bipod can now be mounted directly to the rifle forearm picatinny rail system, or an Arisaka Picatinny Rail Section using a 5/32" Allen Key. Arisaka recommends tightening the cross bolt to 55-65 inch/lbs. That’s all there is to it.
Installing the Low Profile Bipod Mount
Initial Impressions
Once I had my bipod mounted up, I spent a couple range sessions with it. The bipod adaptor really is low-profile, setting the bipod itself only 1/8" below the forearm picatinny rail section. The bipod adaptor itself is slightly beveled underneath, and allows for approximately 15° of cant to either side. Lateral rotations are smooth and non-binding, and I really appreciate the uncluttered look. I had no difficulty leveling my rifle on uneven terrain; the adjustable legs of the bipod itself in addition to the rotational freedom afforded by the bipod adaptor allowed for a solid shooting platform.
In essence, Arisaka remains completely true to form; the bipod mount works as advertised, and is a classy, simple, and understated improvement to the original Harris Bipod swivel assembly. The fact that the bipod adaptor retails at $49.00 makes it a no-brainer.
Arisaka is definitely a viable contender for aftermarket mounting solutions. They have been my absolute go-to when it comes to Scout Light clone bodies, and they have really put out some great mounting accessories to cover picatinny, Keymod, and MLOK fore-ends and weaponlight mounts. Add their Low Profile Bipod Mount to their list of winners.
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Want to know more about Arisaka Defense? Read my original article on their Scout bodies here:
www.gunsandtactics.com/arisaka-defense-quality-illumination-at-an-economical-price
Visit Arisaka Defense on Facebook, Instagram, and at arisakadefense.com.
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Check out Chris Tran on Facebook and Instagram.
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the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.
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