I recently wrote about my experiences with a Ruger American Rifle Ranch chambered in 5.56 that I like quite a bit. I also own a Ruger American Rifle chambered in .30-06 and have shot several of these rifles belonging to others. They have been solid performing rifles across the board and seem to be an excellent value. After that Ruger American Rifle Ranch article, a reader sent me a picture of his Ruger American Rifle based predator hunting rig in an interesting chassis – the LSS from Modular Driven Technologies (MDT).
I was familiar with the LSS Chassis but I didn’t know that it was offered for the Ruger American Rifle short actions. The LSS is already somewhat well known as an affordable chassis system for a variety of rifle actions but now it is offered for one of the most affordable bolt-action rifles on the market. An affordable chassis for an affordable rifle with an established pedigree of accuracy – that sounds pretty good on paper.
The LSS has the potential to correct two issues that can hold the Ruger American Rifle (RAR) back – the stock and the magazine. The Ruger American Rifles have the typical flimsy, plastic stocks found on budget rifles in this price range. The RAR gets away with it because of Ruger’s “V” block bedding design. They shoot well with the factory stock but shooters are seeing improvements in consistency by switching to the more rigid and truly free-floated LSS Chassis (according to the person who emailed me and several online reviews). These stocks also allow the RAR to accept AICS magazines instead of the standard RAR rotary magazines. This represents an improvement in quality and capacity.
Additional features include the ability to mount accessory rails for lights, lasers, bipods, etc. and the ability to accept AR-15 grips and buffer tubes for use with AR-15 stocks. The chassis is machined from 6061 aluminum and is relatively light weight compared to other chassis on the market. It is available with Black or Flat Dark Earth Cerakote finish and comes with everything necessary to mount the action. It does not include a magazine, grip, buffer tube, or stock.
The LSS is also available for a number of other actions including other budget options like the Savage Axis and Mossberg MVP. Check out the LSS from MDT.