Gear Review: Kinetic Research Group Whiskey-3 Chassis

I officially started writing for The Firearm Blog in January of 2013, although the first article I wrote was a guest post published on May 2nd of 2011. One of the first items that I requested to test was a chassis stock from Kinetic Research Group. My editor Phil said he would “look into it.” Several years passed, the World turned, armorer certifications appeared on the wall, my knowledge about firearms increased, and I had the pleasure of attending some excellent long range training at Accuracy 1st. Several months ago, Phil sent me an email asking if I was still interested in reviewing a chassis from Kinetic Research Group. I enthusiastically said yes, and a 5th Generation KRG Whiskey-3, short action Remington 700 chassis, arrived in the mail.

Key Specifications of the KRG Whiskey-3 Generation include:

• The KRG Whiskey-3 chassis is available for the Remington 700 short and long actions, the Badger M2008 short and long actions, the Tikka T3 in non-magnum length calibers, and the Sako TRG-22, Sako TRG-24, and Sako M995 actions.
• The KRG Whiskey-3 chassis is available with or without a folding stock. The fixed chassis weighs 3.8 lbs. The folding chassis weighs 4.1 lbs.
• The Forend of the Whiskey-3 Chassis has 15 to 20 threaded mounting holes for mounting accessories. The forend also has holes designed for QD flushcups. The KRG Whiskey-3 chassis includes 1 flush cup on the forend, as well as 2 QD flushcups on the stock.
• The chassis and buttstock are CNC-machined from aircraft grade aluminum, and are Type 3 hard coat anodized. The Remington 700 chassis that I tested was designed to accommodate the extra-large recoil lug commonly found on custom Remington 700 patterned actions.
• The KRG Whiskey-3 Chassis I was provided for testing was designed to accept Accuracy International style box magazines.
• Adjustable length of pull and cheekpiece. The cheekpiece was designed of polymer to mitigate heat transfer to the shooter’s face. Tools are not needed to adjust the length of pull or the cheekpiece.
• The buttpad can tilt 15 degrees to each side to accommodate body position, body morphology, and shooting style.
• The Whisky-3 chassis will accept any barrel contour up to 1.25.
• The Whiskey-3 Chassis includes a box of polymer Magpul MOE L2 and L3 picatinny/MIL-STD-1913 rails. Larger grip panels are available from KRG.
• The Evolution of the KRG Whiskey-3 Chassis can be found here.

Field Testing

Field testing took place on heavily wooded and mountainous BLM land near my home. Using a heavy-duty camera tripod, I zeroed on a 6-inch gong positioned 100 yards away on an adjacent canyon. After zeroing I attached a sling and went for walk along a ridgeline that allowed me to see my target at regular intervals. The chassis itself was compact and comfortable. There were no snag points, and my magazine release was not engaged as I walked through the bush. Previously, I had not considered a chassis as a hunting rifle platform. After several hours of hiking and shooting I found that the KRG Whiskey, already optimal for Law Enforcement, Military, and Precision Rifle Competition applications, was well suited for hunting as well. One thing that dawned on me as I walked back to retrieve my target was that the KRG Whiskey, though expensive, would be perfect for a child. One issue I do see with young shooters, is length of pull and comb height issues. When I have children, and they become old enough to shoot, their first rifle will mostly likely be a Tikka or a Remington 700 bolted to a KRG Chassis. The ability to adjust length of pull and comb height allow the rifle to grow with the shooter.

Closing Thoughts

The Kinetic Research Group Whiskey-3 chassis, in my opinion, is one of the best chassis on the market right now. There are a lot of GREAT chassis on the market, but I think the design, manufacture, and modularity of the KRG Whiskey-3 are second to none. Although perfect for military, law enforcement, and competition applications the KRG Whiskey-3 would also excel on a hunting rifle. The folding version is perfect for a long-distance backpack hunt. The chassis would also be perfect for a child or a small-statured shooter. In late Spring/early Summer fellow writer Tom R and I will head to the ranch for some 1 mile shots. He will use his custom Remington 700 and I will use a Howa 1500 chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor attached to a KRG X-Ray chassis. Reflecting on my 4-year-old request, I don’t regret the lag. It took a lot of shooting and training to truly appreciate the engineering and thought that go into a KRG chassis. Kinetic Research Group was started in 2005 by a group of Special Forces veterans, with multiple combat deployments and a ton of real world experience. The engineers of Kinetic Research Group have worked on some remarkably innovative products in The Industry and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

For those going to the SHOT show, Kinetic Research Group will be booth #32209.