DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and greatest tactical firearms news (tactical gun news), tactical gear news and tactical shooting news.
By Toby Melville of LEPUS210
July 29, 2025
The bipod is a historical optional accessory that has seen widespread use throughout the world. Its uses range from the benign to tactical. Today, the bipod is a critical piece of equipment that enhances stability for precision platforms. The bipod is that odd accessory that is as necessary as it is awkward. But, what if the bipod could be more modular, more precise in its application, and even weigh less? The modern shooting bipod has evolved a bit over the years, and there is a great argument for its validity.
The gun culture of the United States has been one of evolution and deeply entrenched belief, with an all or nothing mentality. That said, the US gun culture has also become one of ideology, and it’s morphed over decades. As the quality, ingenuity, and design have progressed, the American shooter has become a bit arrogant. A focus on quality, and the names associated with this standard, have become entrenched. However, it’s sometimes hard for American shooters to understand that quality does not have to have a brand name attached to the highest prices.
This is where a known name has shown its teeth, but has patiently and quietly clawed its way out of the trenches to show that those in the know not only like their products, but can actually trust them. Leapers, also known as UTG, is an American company that actually manufactures its products in the United States, and provides American-made products at a price that many would not associate with quality. Like other companies, their model is to create quality, well-designed products while making those products affordable, and thus more accessible to more people.
That said, high-end products demand a premium due to the costs of engineering and materials required to produce high end goods. But, when a company owns its manufacturing infrastructure, it can pass the resulting cost savings to their customers. Over time, Leapers has proven to me through both field use of their products and conversations with their staff that their products demand respect, and said products should be considered along with other reputable products made by other US and Western companies. Leapers/UTG is a quality company, and my experience with two different bipods, as well as some other products, have made me a believer and supporter.
The two Leapers/UTG bipods we’ll be covering in this article are the Overbore and the Recon Flex. While they’re both bipods, the design and form/function could not be more different between the two. The starting point is to examine my intended use. The Overbore Bipod has been set onto my PRI SPR MK12 Mod 2, and the Recon Flex is mounted on my Midwest Industries and Criterion SIPP (Straight-pull Intermediate Precision Platform) AR10. The concept for both is to provide weight savings while providing exceptional stability and adaptability of use. Leapers has provided exactly what I needed for these two diametrically different platforms.
The SPR Mk12 is more than just a precision platform. It’s truly the Swiss Army Knife of ARs, a high-precision rifle that can be useful in a patrol vehicle as much as it can reluctantly navigate and handle urban warfare and CQB when necessity arises. It is on this multirole general-purpose precision platform that the Overbore was mounted. The Overbore Bipod has two special options that give it a special edge over many competing bipod designs. The first is the intended use of the bipod mounting to the top rail of the handguard. This brings the weapon lower, while placing the weight and bulk of the weapon below the apex of the bipod. This provides stability, especially for fast follow-on shots. The second feature is the modular, quick-detach design. The base of the bipod is modular, meaning the user can rapidly detach the bipod from the weapon platform and store the bipod, reducing carried weight and bulk. It also equates to the user simply clicking the bipod into place when needed, and detaching it when the weapon has to function outside of its final firing position.
This design allows a more fluid philosophy of use for the shooter. Simply store the bipod in a pouch. When needed, it’s deployed within seconds without the cost of it being attached to the firearm for the entirety of the weapon’s use during a mission. With the SPR being more than a precision weapon, I can employ the flexible design to greater effect. I’m left with a small flat aluminum and steel square on the 12 o’clock position of my handguard. Shooting from the Overbore is forgiving. The bipod is exceptionally stable. And, depending on the surface, the feet provide good traction. The legs can be chosen from different absolute height variations, while the bipod ensures excellent traversment, and spring-loaded legs use automatic retraction. There is also three-point angled adjustment with the use of a Posi-lock Push Button for each leg to be individually deployed. The quick-release for the bipod is easy, and the entire system can be locked in with an easily-turned star-shaped adjustment knob. The entire system mounts via picatinny rail attachment, and has proven to be robust and dependable. With a MSRP of only $200, this price-point is very competitive, and significantly less than other high-end bipods.
The Recon Flex Bipod, by contrast, is a more progressive design that some companies have embraced by making each leg of the bipod completely separate from the other. The Recon Flex has each leg mount to the handguard separately, providing excellent stability, while reducing centralized bulk of the system. This splitting of the action of the bipod allows for greater flexibility of use, while not requiring the removal of the bipod as a whole. When M-LOK is used, the mounting solution is solid, and deployment of each leg requires only the pull of the leg at the mounting point, and rotating the leg to the desired angle. The use of five positions provides the end user adaptability, while length is provided by pulling to the desired length, and pushbutton spring-loaded retraction is standard. The Recon Flex’s feet are rubberized. I find this more useful in an urban environment, but this can be replaced or changed out for something more befitting the user’s needs.
The Recon Flex’s construction is well engineered and durable. I have found that the legs are not bulky enough to interfere with hand placement, but can be run forward or rearward depending on the user’s needs. I actually mount my bipods farther back for a more neutral placement for faster follow-on shots with less shift or load needed on the bipod. Given the philosophy of use of each of these two weapon platforms, the more neutral placement provides me with the options required. The Recon Flex can actually fold backwards toward me to give my support hand an uninterrupted placement on the handguard without interfering with the function of the weapon, or manipulating the platform in any way. Some may not prefer this application, but I find it’s perfect for my intended use of the weapon when carrying it.
Leapers/UTG have proven to me that they take their products and reputation seriously. I have, as previously stated, spoken at length with Leapers’ staff, and have walked away from those conversations not only impressed, but satisfied with their knowledge and professionalism. Bipods are a niche market. Not everyone needs a bipod for a platform. More often then not, those that have attached one to a rifle don’t actually really need one, and the accessory ends up being more of a hindrance than a help. That said, when a functional system is needed, the bipod has a real-world application. When modularity is combined with well-engineered, durable and quality design, the end product is one that can be utilized to great effect.
Please understand, I’m not saying that a $200 bipod is apples for apples the equal of some bespoke bipods. However, let’s not delude ourselves into believing the average rifle and shooter, even a quality rifle and highly trained shooter, necessitates the use of a $500-plus accessory. The price point of these two systems are exceptional, given their design and quality. Coupled with the durability of the products, these are viable options even for discerning professionals operating in less-than-hospitable environments. I can say with no hesitation that I trust these products. And, having seen first hand the quality of other Leapers/UTG products in the past, I trust Leapers/UTG with more than just these two products!
Sifting your way through the litany of tactical products today is akin to the great era of inventions in the late 19th and mid 20TH centuries. There are more concepts and products coming to market at the tail end of the GWOT (Global War On Terror), with so many new inventions and philosophies based on the fluidity of war. With the constant requirement for precision platforms, Leapers/UTG will continue to innovate and provide a quality product that performs, and that can be relied upon. That’s not only reputation, but legacy, in a culture that places heavy relevance on brand names associated with quality. Considering all that, Leapers/UTG is a name you should familiarize yourself with immediately.
Leapers/UTG Bipods Attributes:
– Aluminum construction
– Precision machined
– American made
– Life time warranty
– Budget priced (for the quality)
Company Contact Info:
Leapers/UTG
32700 Capitol Street
Livonia, MI 48150 United States
Phone: -734-542-1500
Email Contact Page: https://www.leapers.com/contact
Website: https://www.leapers.com/products/bipods/utg.html
© Copyright 2025 DefenseReview.com (DR) and Toby Melville. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without receiving permission and providing proper credit and appropriate links.
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