A new product that's about to hit the firearms market is generating controversy online, especially in firearms forums since many are skeptical that this product is good enough to use in managing recoil, or safe enough for the user's jaw. The NSN or "No Stock Necessary" from Halix Innovations deserves a mention since it's an unusual solution to a usual problem of rifle handling and aiming.

The reactions from some were swift and vicious but some open-minded people look at it as an example of "out of the box thinking" which we hope you as a reader will be since we are always on the lookout for something that would help improve in our shooting. Simple devices that help us in this, rather than going for more elaborate and complicated ones, are always welcome. The NSN promises to be one of those.

The NSN does away with the stock and offers a chin rest (for some they call it a "chinstock") rather than a cheekrest on the buttstock for quick orientation of the face and the eyes when aiming. The owner of NSN, Neal Brace, who is also the CEO of Halix Innovations and also a former Marine with combat experience, says that it the NSN is made for rifles and pistols with stock braces that have lighter recoil and not made for firearms with heavier recoil. It is more recommended for compact rifles AR pistols and SBRs and says it is more comfortable to shoot with than with a rifle stock and cheekrest at any shooting position.

The NSN is like a V-shaped accessory that can be mounted on the buffer tube of the AR rifles with "wings" that are the chin rests on both left and right sides so it is ambidextrous. Polyurethane impact foam serves as the protection to absorb the impact of the recoil on the chin.

The video below shows several recreational shooters who find the NSN to be easy to use and shoot with. They find the recoil to be easily managed as compared to using the stock. They are able to transition and put their sights on the target faster. At the end of the video, Neal placed an egg between his chin and the NSN and fired a round without the recoil pressing the egg to his chin and break it.

You might be easily impressed with it, but for the skeptics, the safety issue is something that they have to consider. Using the chin and the rest of the head as the impact point for recoil rather than the shoulder would cause TMJ issues, which might provide a liability for the product. So that may be one cause to pause about using this product as there has been no third party test or certification on the effect on the jaw or head after prolonged use of the product on a firearm. I am curious if this can be used in full auto.

Whilst the real steel firearms enthusiasts debate (or hate) on the product, for airsoft, this product makes sense. Though we want more recoil for our airsoft guns to make them more realistic when fired, the NSN can actually work better on airsoft guns since recoil, especially for AEGs, is  negligible. With the promise of better aiming with the NSN, airsoft players can fully utilise its promised benefits. We would be willing guinea pigs for this product since the risk is lesser in airsoft due to the almost non-issue of recoil.

If Halix Innovations would find a hostile firearms market for their NSN, they can always try  and test the airsoft market rather than making it go to waste. They might find a market that is getting bigger each day which they can have for themselves (or just license it to an airsoft company that can produce it faster).

Now, it's just a matter of the company reading this article and think of the possibility of tapping the airsoft market for the NSN.