What is so much better about a £200 Atlas Bipod ???

[tisme]

^{I have followed this thread with much interest, I have been using an AI bipod on an AE Mk III with a 20" barrel. The feeling I have always had is that the bipod is far too forward and heavy for the configuration of the rifle with a short barrel.}

 

^{Looking around and asking on the CSR forum about Harris and Harris clone bipods bought up a lot of comments regarding Harris bipods breaking, (nobody specified how) but a couple of people who's views I respect have suggested the Sniper Systems Harris clone from Global Rifle works well.}

^{The product is shown on their website with a £75 tag on it, but on further research it seems they also sell it on Ebay with a starting bid price on 99p!}

^{The suggestion from their Ebay sight suggests it is made in Leicestershire. But with a starting bid of 99p I would have thought that "Leicestershire" would be a province in China with a very English sounding name!}

^{The description on their website talks about swivel when I suspect they mean cant, which they then call tilt, although the terminology is not great I think most shooters know what they mean.}

 

^{I bid and won one last Sunday(£44 + £5 p+p), it took two days to arrive and feels very light, the fixing arrangement doesn't give me a huge amount of confidence, I'm looking forward to comparing it to the real thing.}

^{Whilst watching the other Sniper Systems bipods sell they all seem to achieve between £40-£45 which would very heavily suggest a Chinese made product, unless of course the company were dumping them for economic reasons?}

 

^{I'm with Brown Dog tomorrow at the swimming pool, (Butt 18 Century!) so will let him have a look at it, and anybody else who is passing.}

^{In retrospect the Versa-Pod looks good; you can deploy it with one hand just like the AI bipod and it can sit on a rail under the rifle. I would suspect it would be lighter than the AI as well?}

 

^{I will keep you informed if my £44 was a waste of money or not.............}

So any updates on the £40 copy?

[Strangely Brown]

I'm pleased with it.

Although you can see limitations in the design. The best aspect is where it connects to the rifle, I believe I have more control over where the rifle now points.

 

A good £40 worth!

 

Although the Atlas does look nice..........

[hunter87]

I have this version coming soon looks like china copys are getting good I suppose time will tell when I actually get it in my hands

 

http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6067562790.html

[steel rain]

I have used mainly versapods in the past, I got away from harris style bipods after I bought an aics and liked the quick detach spigot that I could use with the system. I loved the versapod for the way I liked to load it and one that doesn't have a lot of play in it is hard to beat. Where it fell down for me was the weight of it, both the versapod and AI models are heavy in comparison to the Atlas. I purchased an atlas a few months ago so haven't really had the opportunity to put it through every test I would like to yet. I do not like harris style bipods for the lack of smoothness in their deployment in comparison to a Versapod or AI bipod or even the Atlas. The atlas also offers the quick detach feature.

 

Its very simple for me in that if I don't like it I will return to the previous system I was using. I suppose what I'm saying is don't get hung up on the price if it works for you. My only fault so far with the Atlas is the leg extension system can feel 'gritty' if you have been out in dry dusty terrain.

[hunter87]

Its not about accuracy its about looking tacticool on the range guys geeeez

[Breacher]

I have this version coming soon looks like china copys are getting good I suppose time will tell when I actually get it in my hands

 

http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6067562790.html

 

Any update ?

[The Gun Pimp]

I got a Chinese copy off Ebay - remarkable for £35 inc postage. Compared it to a genuine one and honestly, it's frightening - even the lettering is identical. As a range bi-pod I can't fault it though I accept that if put to more rigorous use it's origins may show through.

[tisme]

I bought an Atlas off E Bay after reading this thread in May 14. The one I bought was made under licence from Atlas in the US (but not meant to be sold over here). I also bought a US made one and been testing both for some time. The cheap one does have a bit more play in it after lots of use but both are very good. I can swap parts from one to another and sometimes it's hard to tell them apart without a close look. They both have all the same features apart from the screw that holds it onto the rail.

In answer to the original question, no I don't think the US ones are worth the money but that hasn't stopped me recently buying the latest Atlas with legs that don't spin.

[mitch308]

I bought one and I cant say they make you a better shot than a Harris under normal circumstances, but I tried it for a CSR match and they are a real pain to get the legs down quickly if you are shooting prone but starting from standing with the legs folded up, just to fiddly. I find it easier to just mag rest

[Re-Pete]

It takes around 15 minutes to modify the £35 Atlas knock-offs so that you get tilt and swing plus the ability to lock it firmly.

 

H/man

[CZ Varminter]

It takes around 15 minutes to modify the £35 Atlas knock-offs so that you get tilt and swing plus the ability to lock it firmly.

 

H/man

Please continue....

[Re-Pete]

Remove the release plate from the top by unscrewing the two socket screws.

Prise off the rubber cap in the middle of the thumb wheel. There is a nut locked on to a thread, the end of the threaded bit has been drilled and smashed with a punch to fix the nut firmly in place.

Apply WD40 or equivalent, and using a box spanner, carefully and slowly unscrew the nut. I've done two of these so far, the first came off fairly easily, the second was a bu**er, and I had to grind the smashed bit of the bolt off with a dremel.

Once the nut is off, remove the spring washers and the thumb wheel noting the order of disassembly. The thumbwheel locates on a larger nut and this should also be removed. It's on a larger diameter thread than the first nut. This nut also compresses a stack of spring washers.

Once this has been removed, pull the whole thing apart, noting the order in which bits come off.

The black nylon cup needs it's height reducing by 1-2mm. Do this by rubbing the open end on a sheet of coarse sandpaper.

Once this is done, re-assemble everything. The stack of washers will need adjusting by trial and error because the central bolt has been shortened slightly in order to dismantle it.

The objective is to have the thumbwheel free to turn so that it will easily lock up the ball and modified socket. The reduction in height of the socket will allow 10-15 degrees of tilt, and the adjusted no of spring washers will allow the thumbwheel to tension the pan/tilt as required.

I replaced the spring washers between the small nut and the thumbwheel with a short piece cut from a coil spring. This made it easier to adjust.

As originally supplied, I could hardly move either of mine.

 

H/man

[Re-Pete]

It's also worth getting a pair of spike feet from the same ebay guy. These are around £12 posted, and slot neatly in place of the standard rubber feet.

It makes loading the bipod a doddle when shooting on grass.

 

H/man