Biathlon Rifle Stock

World’s first custom fit biathlon rifle stock to come out a 3D printer

disruption and innovation of the product development process

For decades, Anschütz has been the undisputed market leader in biathlon rifles. For 97% of all biathletes worldwide, Anschütz is their sports rifle of choice. Users were calling for a more customisable approach towards their rifles’ production. But there was a small problem: traditional manufacturing methods do not allow for fast iterations during product development. And individually designed lightweight stocks are something only professionals can afford.

The market leader in hunting and sports rifles, Anschütz, has designed a rifle stock in cooperation with umlaut using our software ELISE. These new sports rifles give biathletes a key advantage as the rifle stock is personalized to the athlete and optimized using bionic lightweight design. The stock is individually adapted to the body measurements of the athletes using 3D scans of the athlete’s hands which is then integrated into the design.

Using 3D-printing, namely selective laser sintering (SLS) as the manufacturing technology, there is no restriction at all in form or complexity of the stock. The printing process takes about 7 hours, signifying a fast reprint in case of design changes. The athlete is further able to personalise its rifle with a unique design. Lastly, through the wedding of stock and weapon system, the athlete now has a completely individualized biathlon rifle. The rifle stock is ergonomic, safe, grippy and offers maximum comfort.