Established in 2010, Kinetic Research Group (KRG) has become a leader in rifle shooting innovation. Their bolt-action chassis lineup offers something for everyone—from budget plinkers to serious long-range competitors. The Bravo chassis includes what KRG sees as the essentials, delivering a stable, budget-friendly platform. It’s a great entry point for those transitioning from a traditional rifle stock to a chassis system. Higher up the line are the Echo, X-Ray, and Whiskey-3 models, each with unique features that set them apart. At the top sits the C-4 Chassis, designed to stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of performance and capability.
After getting my hands on one for a while, I was able to put that claim to the test.
First Looks
KRG’s C-4 Chassis first caught my eye at SHOT Show a couple of years ago. Designed with input from competitive shooters and machined from a single block of billet aluminum, the C-4 stands out from the smoother, slab-sided forends common to most chassis designs. Instead, it integrates a stout cross-section of accessory rails, giving it a beefy look that’s both functional and eye-catching.
The 16-¾” forend features a full-length ARCA rail on the underside, with M-LOK slots down the center. Along both edges, machined holes support Really Right Stuff’s RRS-Lock products. Perpendicular oval slots along the rail fit KRG’s proprietary 𝚫-Lug (Delta-Lug), a push-button system for fast, secure accessory relocation along the entire rail.
Each side of the forend includes five M-LOK slots machined into raised, Picatinny-like accessory rails. I say “Picatinny-like” because, while the outer shape mimics a standard pic rail, the cross-slot ends are closed and sized like the lugs on KRG’s current ARCA-based 𝚫-Lug. The chassis sides are also drilled and tapped for KRG’s bolt-on accessories.
For-end Details of the C-4 Chassis
When ordering the chassis, you have the options to choose from one of three barrel shrouds: a full-length, an optic inlet, and an extended optic inlet shroud. KRG’s C-4 webpage has a very thorough infographic that aids in choosing the right shroud for your rifle. The forend and shroud can accommodate any barrel profile up to a 1.25” straight cylinder. The top of each shroud is drilled and tapped to accept a picatinny rail that matches its top length for mounting night vision, long range prism optics, or other accessories.
Inlets and Mag Well
Moving back from the forend, a rugged barricade stop is machined into the front of the magazine well. The mag well itself is oversized, and features an adjustable spacer to fine tune its length. Two leaf springs inside the mag well can be bent in and out to adjust the tension on your AI or AW magazine of choice.
The mag height itself can be changed easily by adjusting the screws on either side of the ambidextrous mag release. This feature was especially of interest to me, as the Seekins Precision HAVAK action I planned to use would require the magazine to sit lower than a standard Remington 700 would, despite it being considered an R700-type design. As far as inlets go, the C-4 can be ordered for Remington 700 Short or Long Action, as well as the Tikka T3 CTR and T3 Short Action(AICS mags only).
C-4 Action
When mounting the action, the C-4’s inlet is radiused to match. The recoil lug pocket is spacious and fits even the largest aftermarket lugs. If your action uses a trigger hanger, there’s plenty of machined space to accommodate most hanger options available.
When ordering, you are given the choice between a standard, oversized, or thumb shelf grip. The grips are polymer and feature rubberized inserts. Each option is set just shy of 90°, which keeps the hand in a neutral, relaxed position while firing. The thumb shelf grip option not only has the thumb shelf in the upper part of the grip, but also has an adjustable finger rest to minimize negative trigger inputs.
Buttstock
Moving rearward, the chassis’ monolithic design means there’s no folding buttstock, but it does add rigidity from front to back. The buttstock is fully adjustable without tools. Aluminum knobs control tension for the length of pull, cheek riser, bag rider, and buttpad height and cant. Length of pull adjusts from 13” to 14-⅜”. If more length is needed, KRG’s standard or heavy LOP spacers can be stacked under the rubber recoil pad.
The cheek riser comes in two options: enhanced or rubber overmolded. It adjusts up to 1.1” above its lowest position. If the cheek pad sits too far forward or back, you can reposition the connecting rods with an allen wrench to fit your preference.
An ambidextrous anti-rotation QD swivel cup is built into the buttstock. There’s no forward QD cup, but the forend has several drilled and tapped holes and M-LOK slots. You can mount the cup wherever it best suits your setup.
Heavyweight
The weight of the chassis alone is 6.3lbs. KRG has a number of steel weights that can be purchased separately and mounted to increase the overall weight and stability of the shooting platform. The model I tested had one of the 1.13lb internal forend weights, as well as two of the 3.7oz rear weights, bringing the chassis up to 7.9lb. Add in my HAVAK action with a 24” M24 Contour 6mm Creedmoor barrel, SilencerCo Omega 300, and Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56mm in a Warne Skyline one piece mount, I was toting around a hefty 20.2 lbs rig fully loaded.
Final Thoughts On the C-4
Taking an already soft-shooting cartridge like the 6mm Creed and firing it from a rig this heavy was a pleasure. Whether on a bipod, tripod, or barricade, shots could be taken at distance with ease. The chassis balanced well, and the rigid 16-⅜” forend had zero flex, even when loading weight anywhere along its length. The integrated ARCA dovetail offered a wide, stable firing platform and the integrated barricade stop was one of the more aggressive designs I’ve used over the last few years. Range days are often made better by good company.
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The fully toolless adjustments in the buttstock allow for quick and easy adjustments to comfortably fit anyone in our group. This feature-rich chassis comes with a price tag to match ($1,999.99 MRSP). It is designed and built for the serious long-range competitive shooter. Compared to the rest of KRG’s offerings and a few competitors, in my mind, it truly does set itself above the crowd.
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