McMillan is well known for their high-quality fiberglass stocks. My experience with McMillan products began when I was issued an M40A1 Sniper Rifle in the US Marine Corps. Since then, I have grown to respect the quality and durability that McMillan builds into their products. When McMillan offered me the chance to look at their latest stock design, I quickly accepted.
The McMillan A6 is an evolution of their tactical rifle stock lineage. The A6 in silhouette appears very similar to the A5 or A3-5. However, there are some key differences.
The forend on the A6 is much more angular than the A5. The sides are flat in the vertical plane and parallel with the axis of the bore. This should aid in shooting against vertical surfaces and allow the rifle to track straight back. The bottom of the A6 forend is also flat, but it slopes gradually from the magazine to the tip. This wide flat forend should ride a shooting bag or barricade very well. Instead of rounding the edges of the forend, McMillan chose to chamfer them. This continues the angular aesthetic of the stock.
The pistol grip is very similar to the A5 and the A3-5 however it lacks any type of texture. This is generally not an issue on precision rifle stocks, and those who desire texture will usually add grip tape where they want it. The angle of the pistol grip will feel just right to anyone who has grown accustomed to the A-Series stocks since the A2.
The buttstock looks very much like the A5 from the side, but a closer look shows some difference. The hook has gained a narrower profile and flows smoothly into the rest of the butt. The sides of the stock are flatter and the comb has wide angles instead of a smooth radius.
Our stock came equipped with the “Clamp-bar” comb option. This allows for adjustment of the comb height with a single thumbscrew on the right side of the stock. This is the same system that came installed on our A3-5. It works very well in keeping the comb in place but still allowing for rapid removal to pull the bolt or run a cleaning rod down the bore.
McMillan also included their length-of-pull spacer system and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad. Although the A6 can be ordered with a specific length-of-pull the spacer system allows for quick and easy adjustment. This is perfect for agency rifles that may be issued to several shooters throughout their service lives.
The A6 that McMillan sent to us, is inletted for the Remington 700 Short Action with an M40A1 barrel profile, but the actions that McMillan can customize this stock for are too many to list. You can also option a wide variety of sling mounting points and other accessories.
The finish on our new A6 is the Sonoran Ambush molded-in camouflage pattern. It is a very attractive pattern that is actually part of the gel coat in the fiberglass. The finish will not rub off over time. The colors and pattern look to be a good choice for anyone who wishes to blend into arid environments. It also looks like I would work well as a base for further temporary spray-on finishes.
Overall, the McMillan A6 is a high-quality option for a tactical or hunting oriented precision rifle. Once we have a chance to get it bolted up to our test-action, we will report back on how well the new design will work in competition and tactical environments.