Bobro Type 2 Bipod Review

[m24shooter]

The Bobro Type 2 Bipod


Overview and general construction:
The Bobro Type 2 bipod I received for evaluation is a very well thought out and assembled item. My initial impression is that while the bipod is very lightweight, it is also actually very sturdy and stable. The pod is finished in a matte black anodizing and phosphating. The parts are well fitted and arranged so that the overall size is kept down. Potential for snagging is minimized by keeping the bipod trim and compact.



A detailed inspection of the components shows how much thought and innovation went into the design and manufacture of the Bobro Type 2. As stated, the assembly minimizes the potential for snags by using small and efficient parts and recessing hardware so that there are no large screw heads, collars, buttons, and springs protruding from the bipod. The edges of the components are all nicely rounded so that there are not any exposed sharp edges. Of course, some accommodations have to be made to allow for adjustment of the bipod and the locking mechanism itself but because of the unique construction and the effective use of small yet sturdy adjusters the Bobro bipod is able to keep its small size without losing any utility.



During this review, I will be using the bipod on an SDM-type AR with a 12" freefloat rail and an M24. The bipod on the SDM will be mounted at the end of the rail in the last slot. The bipod on the M24 will be mounted on the adapter rail supplied by Bobro that replaces the two forward sling points.






The Collapsing Triangle Mechanism:
The central feature of the bipod is the Collapsing Triangle Mechanism. The CTM refers to the arrangement of the yoke, locking clawbox, and legs of the bipod.



Basically when stowed the spring, yoke, locking clawbox, and pod legs are all arranged parallel to each other in line under the barrel or foreend. As the pod legs are pulled down into the deployed position the legs pivot at the aft end of the yoke. The clawbox is anchored to the yoke at the forward end. A cam mounted on the pod leg slides within the clawbox until it engages the bearing surface of the locking claw as the leg is fully deployed.



When it reaches this fully deployed position the yoke, locking clawbox, and the pod legs form a triangle. When the user desires to stow the legs, the locking claw is depressed which frees the cam. The triangle formed by the above described components then collapses on itself, again returning the arrangement to a very compact package. Thus, the Collapsing Triangle Mechanism.




The leg assembly:
There is no locking feature when the legs are stowed. Because of this the legs of the bipod can be deployed with minimal effort, and the springs have sufficient resistance to prevent them from being accidentally deployed without at least some amount of force. These springs are significantly smaller than those of the Harris bipod, but retain enough useful force to resist inadvertent movement and assist in deploying or stowing the pod legs. They are mounted close in to the legs, and retain a low profile throughout the movement of the legs.



A common habit among bipod users is the attachment of paracord to the legs so that the user simply pulls the cord to the rear, pulling down the bipod legs together. This allows the legs to be deployed quicker and in a single movement as opposed to the user pulling the legs down one at a time. To make this practice easier, the bipod already has holes for paracord in the base of each leg. These holes provide for a more secure attachment of cord than on bipods such as the Harris. On my sample, I used some extra 550 cord I had to make a pull lanyard for the bipod legs and added a nylon D-ring to the middle to make it a little easier to pull.



When deployed, the locking clawbox prevents the legs from folding without the user actually disengaging the lock. This allows some lateral movement when using the bipod without having one or both of the legs collapsing as would be the case with other bipods. The lock release button is large and serrated, and is a simple lever arrangement at the far end of the locking claw. Disengaging the lock is done by simply pressing inward on the button which will allow the legs to be returned to the stowed position.



The legs themselves consist of the larger outer leg tubes and the smaller inner legs that telescope out to provide additional height. The leg adjustments are made by loosening the locking thumbnuts, which are attached to the inner legs. The inner leg slides down a channel in the outer leg to the desired length and the thumbnut is then tightened back. There are no springs or notches in the leg pieces, so the adjustment is infinite and does not automatically fly to full extension when released in a loud clatter. There is also no need to adjust the tension on the release/locking mechanism that is independent from the actual release button because the Bobro combines these features into one mechanism.



Another nice feature of the Type 2's construction is the placement of the adjustment thumbnuts. Because they are attached to the inner legs and move with them, the user is able to extend the leg as desired and lock them in position at the same time with only one hand, rather than extending the leg with one hand and locking it with another.



The legs have a minimal length of approximately 7 1/2” collapsed and a maximum length of 10 1/8” extended. This allows the bipod to have a vertical height of 7” to 9 1/4” respectively. The minimal spread of the bipod feet is 8 1/2” and the maximum is 10 3/4”. The "footprint" of the bipod gives a relatively wide base that provides for a good deal of stability.



In terms of practical clearance with the SDM, the legs at minimal height will clear a 20 round mag but not a 30 round. A 30 round mag will allow for only three points of contact and will elevate the toe of the stock clear. At maximum extension the bottom of a 30 round mag will just touch the deck, but will not raise the toe of the stock, so there are in effect 4 points of contact.





The feet themselves are approximately 1” by 1” plastic with a waffled surface. There is a clearance cut removing one corner on the feet to allow them to nest together when stowed. The feet are secured through a Phillips head screw in the bottom. The feet will be interchangeable with future releases from Bobro.





The Master Coupling Unit:
The contact point between the CTM bipod legs and the weapon is called the Master Coupling Unit or MCU. It is in effect a Picatinny rail interface which contains an index bar that locks the bipod onto a railed foreend or mount and the pivoting strut for the apex of the bipod legs and CTM. The MCU allows the bipod to be placed on any Picatinny rail equipped weapon without any further mount or adapter. For weapons that don’t have an integral rail Bobro offers rail mount adapters.







The index bar uses a thumbnut driver that allows the bar to be raised from its retracted position to the fully engaged locked position in about two revolutions. The use of the thumbnut means that no tools are required to place or remove the bipod, and no further quick detach adapter is needed. The index bar is also spring assisted so that as it is retracted it will clear the rails without having to be pulled down in a separate motion.



As mentioned, I mounted the Bobro 2 on an M24. Because this rifle does not have a rail, Bobro provides an adapter mount for use with the M24. This is a small section of rail that screws into the two holes that are used for the sling studs on the M24. The sling studs are removed, and the rail is placed over the now empty holes. The rear screw hole is lined up and the new (included) hex head machine screw is put in using the included hex driver. The forward section of the mount has a slot cut with a recessed step-down that will line up with the forward sling stud hole. Insert the front screw and tighten. For slings, the mount includes a sling stud attached to the rear. For ease of mounting the bipod, there is a small ledge that acts as a stop when the bipod is slid to the rear.



The pivoting strut allows for some pivoting of the CTM and bipod legs. The strut has travel stops to prevent the bipod from having a full 360 degree pivot which might allow a top heavy weapon (such as one with a large NOD or other top-mounted hardware) to completely roll over.






The pivot is able to be adjusted to allow for more freely pivoting of the weapon on the bipod. So far I have not felt the need to adjust the swivel, as I like the degree of force needed to pivot the weapon. I don’t like a freely-swinging bipod, and I prefer more stability.



In terms of the construction of the Bobro Type 2, I am very impressed. The Bobro offers a bipod that is small and lightweight while at the same time very sturdy. The mechanisms and arrangement of the bipod allow for a good degree of economy of motion and easy to use features. The fact that it is readily able to be installed on any rail is a big bonus that is further magnified by the fact that no tools are needed to install, adjust, or remove the bipod. This simply is not the case with some other popular bipods.