Mossberg Mvp 65 Creedmoor Mtbl Light Chassis Review

Mossberg is making its mark on the rifle globe! Chris Parkin loved the compact build and machining quality on this Mossberg MVP Light Chassis in v.56-223 Remington!

Mossberg MVP Light Chassis in 5.56-223 Remington - Credit: Archant

MOSSBERG MVP Low-cal CHASSIS IN v.56-223 REMINGTON - Brief OVERVIEW

PROS: Compact rifle perfectly scaled to the atomic five.56/223; 7" twist rate can handle heavier bullets; Decent trigger feel; Superb machining standards for activeness/stock interface

CONS: Intermittent feed problems; Sticky bolt operation

VERDICT: It'southward a shame the Mossberg was hampered by bolt and ammo feed problems considering it is a very characterful and well-made rifle in every other regard. The butt shows intrinsic capability but beware of velocity drop, if that'southward important to you.

The chassis is beautifully machined with superb finishing standards that remained solid during the review period - Credit: Archant

TECH SPECS: Mossberg MVP Calorie-free Chassis in v.56-223 Remington

Butt: 16"/410mm Push Rifled, Fluted (Twist Charge per unit: 1 in vii")

Overall Length: 36"/925 mm (at full extension)

Length of Pull: 11-14.25"/279-362mm

Overall Weight: 7.4lbs/3.4 kg

Magazine capacity: 10+1

Stock Material: Aluminium Chassis

CONTACT: Viking Artillery

Cost: £i,124.64

The stock and action interface is perfect and i of the all-time designs I take seen in a manufactory rifle, superbly executed with zero bedding stress applied - Credit: Archant

MOSSBERG MVP LIGHT CHASSIS IN 5.56-223 REMINGTON - DETAILED Exam & REVIEW

Mossberg is a name that most people associate with shotguns, but the MVP range of budget centrefire rifles offers some interesting options to shooters looking to salvage some cash. I have used the MVP laminate in the past and now Viking Arms have supplied me with the LC (or Light Chassis) rifle built into an aluminium frame. It closely resembles the MDT with an AR-15-style buffer tube and underslung grip, making it compatible with a plethora of shooting accessories for customisation.

The rifle starts with a short xvi.25"/410mm button-rifled barrel with the i in 7" twist well-nigh suited to bullets in the 69+gr weight range. Given the chambering is designated equally 5.56 NATO, as well as the more common sporting .223, information technology ensures that pressure and pharynx/lead differences in the two similar chamberings cannot cause any rubber issues when used with military machine surplus ammunition.

The muzzle is neatly crowned and threaded ½" UNEF below a knurled threadcap with 6 flutes running merely 120mm rearward, certainly more than for looks than any slap-up technical benefit. The barrel and receiver sport a matt blackness cease that seems to avoid gathering skin or dust and has so far shrugged off bumps and grinds during day-to-mean solar day testing.

The diameter swells from 19mm at the muzzle to 25mm at the reinforce/tenon entering the receiver. It uses a barrel nut associates to control headspacing and sandwich the recoil lug with a unmarried gas escape port to the left side of the action side by side to the bolt abutments inside. The receiver is scaled to the minimalist 5.56 cartridge with a 55mm ejection port between the twin action bridges to which the included Picatinny rail is bolted. The bolt carries more than useful fluting to aid dispersal of debris in dingy environments with an 88mm stroke length to bicycle the activeness. The 67mm handle is appropriately proportioned to apply right leverage without stuttering when feeding rounds.

The right side of the bolt shroud carries a two-position safe grab with no commodities-locking facility. The shroud itself shows the activity'south status with the rear section of the firing pin either flush or recessed. Flip to the left to observe a simple commodities-release button. The push-button magazine release sits on the lower right side of the chassis below the ejection port, with simple operation assuasive it to autumn into your waiting paw.

AR-fifteen mag compatibility is offered with a polymer P-mag supplied, capable of holding 10 rounds in two staggered columns feeding from either side, AR-fifteen manner. The mag can be loaded from the top with a unproblematic press-down improver or rounds in or out of the rifle and spares are easily available and inexpensive.

The rifle's bolt is a button-feed unit of measurement with sprung-ejector plunger in the lower left side to fling spent cases clear with ease, but although it's seemingly scaled to the cartridge, the recessed bolt face carries a natural language-similar lower flap on the underside of the nose to aid engage rounds from the generic AR-15 magazine.

The mag release button alongside the double stack 10 shot mag - Credit: Archant

pocket-sized minus

This flap is complimentary to rising and drop under its own weight without whatsoever kind of spring assistance and seems to be a slightly weak element of the rifle every bit it occasionally failed to strip and cycle the ammo, specifically from the right-side column of the magazine.

Regardless of ammo length or confirmation of mag placement, it connected to evidence a little inconsistent. A friend of mine has a similar Mossberg in .308 which shows similar build fashion, but without this underside banana on the bolt face, and that never misses a beat, so personally I have to question its use.

If it was fitted with a spring to assist its extension, I might experience a petty more sympathetic, but it seems risky to me to trust it to repeatedly lower under its own miniscule weight. There were no manufacturing faults or incorrect tolerances regarding magazine placement or fitting, so I was left a piffling blank.

The 2d slight annoyance on an otherwise bang-up rifle is also in relation to the bolt. When lifted, the lugs tend to grab on the innards of the abutments somewhere, and then after lifting the commodities yous have to release upward pressure before it tin be drawn smoothly rearward. During my examination, I hands overcame both these issues by simply single-loading the rifle and beingness suitably delicate with the bolt handle.

I cleaned the barrel on receipt of the rifle and a subsequent borescope inspection impressed me, which was after to be proven on test. An internal blade rubber trigger is featured, with the trigger itself breaking with xc% crisp experience and breaking predictably at i,220gr, so no complaints at that place.

Accomplish to the blade felt practiced, with what appeared a slight extension congenital into the grip'due south position on the aluminium chassis, with 75mm reach from the grip to the blade. The supplied grip is a firm, rubberised, slightly stippled Magpul unit of measurement, which I institute simple but comfortable from either hand, and complemented the residual of the chassis' ambidextrous layout with its pleasing buff/coyote broiled finish.

Upwardly close on the bolt handle. The sticky operation was 1 of the few letdowns with the MVP - Credit: Archant

The finish seemed to avert any unwanted marks on test, however I know such guns oftentimes look a piddling cooler with a fleck of battle-scarred patina. Magpul also supply the rear cease fastened to the buffer tube with length of pull aligning from xiv.25"/362mm down to 11"/279mm, giving the stock keen versatility and a comfortable fit. Magpul are subtly better than the cheaper imitators – a sturdier locking machinery and less wobble and rattle.

The polymer carries a similar subtle stippling with a quick-release lever for LOP adjustment and a locking catch to lock everything into position, without the demand for any boosted tools. Quick-release ballast points are nowadays for sling plumbing equipment and the rearmost butt pad is adjustable with a slim 5mm thickness, platonic for the calibre's level of recoil.

The butt pad is nicely proportioned and only soft enough to anchor the burglarize in position without affecting gun mounting speed or security. The standard CTR variant seems to have an additional comb raiser clipped in position. From what I tin find, it doesn't adjust but does requite decent levels of additional height for a commodities-activity rifle, rather than straight AR-fifteen derivative, and the 45mm width with a radiused upper felt comfortable.

The rest of the stock is well machined and smoothly finished with a slim forend to balance the proportions with the short barrel.

A fully free-floating butt is guaranteed by the spacious fit of the stock, with ventilation slots for airflow and drainage or boosted accessories. A standard stud is fitted for a bipod for what is a really meaty and well-balanced rifle, perfect for fob and vermin command, especially if shooting from a vehicle.

The upper side carries threaded mountings in the machined aluminium for forward mounted optics, merely a note of caution: a compact burglarize like this doesn't offer huge amounts of space if a long optic is used. The magazine well and boxy nonetheless spacious trigger baby-sit are role of the stock with twin activity screws belongings chassis to receiver. There is no barricade terminate, with a more than swooping shape shown at the front of the mag well.

Digging into the guts of the rifle, Mossberg's inlet, just like the barrel, gave me huge conviction. Releasing the front activity screw revealed absolutely nix vertical or lateral barrel movement in the stock and that is a cardinal illustration of well-matched action to stock inletting. It's all very well boasting CNC this and CNC that, but if tolerances are ignored information technology doesn't add up to much. Non so the Mossy, the inlet shows a spacious pocket for the sizable recoil lug to slot into with full contact to transfer firing forces.

The xxx.3mm cylindrical activity was just that, truly cylindrical throughout, machined to close tolerances and fitted into the stock on twin total length action rails. Add to that a 5 cake for uniform linear support with runway allowing the recoil lug to slot in position. The trigger hangs below, showing an adjustment screw but threadlocked, so I left well alone, I tin can take the hint. Barrel tenon threads into the action and it looked like the headspace command collar had been peened in position to ensure nobody fiddles with it, but long term, a barrel alter is non impossible.

Muzzle cleanly threaded ½" UNEF with nifty crown detail - Credit: Archant

Field test - MOSSBERG MVP LIGHT CHASSIS IN 5.56-223 REM

I first assumed the rifle would prefer heavier match bullets in the seven" twist and it shot OK, but nothing spectacular with 69gr HPBT ammunition – i.5-2" (38-52mm) groups at my standard 100m test range.

Trigger control was good and the rifle was well counterbalanced and stable with compact dimensions scaled perfectly for remainder, coupled with the minimal recoil of a 5.56/.223.

The gun had a nice low-cal, snappy feel, with a recoil punch that was easily controlled and I had no desire to use a moderator for a change.

All characteristics would be farther subdued by a moderator (or if you must, a brake), merely 5.56/.223 is so small-scale – sometimes it's good to feel a trivial unrestricted rifle recoil. I swapped over ammunition to Federal Varmint loads with 40gr and 53gr Hornady Five-Max bullets and the gun came alive.

Twist rates are easily measurable and rarely lie, merely in this case the light bullets, probable due to superior ammunition quality from Federal and Hornady, proved the gun's capability and reliability, which I accept no doubtfulness would have connected onto 60-62gr running factory ammo.

I love the 69 and 77gr Sierra TMKs, but sadly my standard handloads were not suited to this rifle's sixty.6mm/2.390" maximum magazine length, then I stayed with factory loads.

40gr Federal showed healthy 0.75" three-round grouping averages with the slightly fussier bullet shape of the 53gr V-Max scoring 0.9", well beneath MOA, given the 109-yard test range.

The best group of the day was when I shot with the 55gr Hornady V-Max at 0.6". All were iii-round groups – perhaps not as statistically reliable as a five-rounder or a 25-round string in five groups, as benchrest is scored. What was of import for me was the consistency and lack of difficulty accessing the accurateness from the burglarize.

The proof marks say 5.56 and 223, then both are prophylactic in the gun, the detail is in pressure rating and throat/lead dimensions that are uniform with both - Credit: Archant

The 16" barrel did decimate muzzle velocity though – printed velocity for the 40gr Federal was 3800 fps, which (although unremarkably 100-150 adrift of near rifles) was restricted to 3072 fps. Similarly, the 53gr Federal suggested 3400 fps, which dropped to 2623 fps, and Hornady's 3240 Varmint Express produced 2702 average. Super short barrels take handling benefits at the toll of velocity.

Information technology is such a shame the magazine feed problem and sticky bolt were present, because the overall meaty feel and liveliness of the Mossberg was quite refreshing, with honest operation straight out of the box.

Later testing with some 69gr handloads prepared for a shorter 'cartridge overall length' (COL) than my rifle'due south usual ammo repeatedly beat the half-inch group threshold that'due south so often sacred to target shooters.

Although the mag feed issues didn't assistance, I'm pleased with the butt quality, direct trigger and splendid stock/action internal fit, which all contributed to the gun'south performance. The rifle was uncomplicated to ready up, and the easy telescopic mounting and wide variety of accessories all add up to make this Mossberg a very customisable lite chassis rifle.

I can't help just feel this lower lip needs spring tension to alleviate feed issues - Credit: Archant

I liked the safe blade trigger, good experience, spacious guard and totally predictable - Credit: Archant

Magpul stock components are a pace higher up similar looking but lower quality imitators - Credit: Archant

The anchor points are provided for frontward mounted NV or thermal tools - Credit: Archant

Similarly, the underside of the forend is ready for additional Picatinny rails etc - Credit: Archant

The bolt tended to snag when lifted fully so pressure had to be released before drawing it rearward - Credit: Archant

AR-15 derived magazines like this P-Mag are easily bachelor accessories and spares - Credit: Archant

All ammunition tested gave groovy results on paper, only velocities suffer significantly in the short butt - Credit: Archant

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Source: https://www.rifleshootermagazine.co.uk/rifle-tests/mossberg-mvp-light-chassis-in-5-56-223-tried-tested-6312352

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