UTG/Leapers is a Taiwan based maker of optics and firearms accessories that is often miscategorized as a cheap Chinese knock-off brand. But their most recent offerings are often original designs that often copied by the aforementioned knock-off brands. Case in point, their Recon Flex II bipod was one of the first direct attach M-Lok bipods to market.
I purchased the Gen 1 Recon Flex a few years back and found it to be an affordable, rugged, and stable bipod. In addition, its side-mounted M-Lok design made it exceptionally low profile when stowed. It’s major drawback was it’s slow speed in deployment compared to spring-loaded Harris style bipods.
This deficiency was the main feature rectified in the Recon Flex II. Like a Harris bipod, the Flex II has spring loaded lower legs which quickly extend the legs to max extension when the locking tab is pressed. The Flex II also features smaller metallic feet which can be user replaced with Atlas compatible pads.
The lower legs are sectioned to index when adjusting for height. The release tab must be pressed to retract or extend, unlike the Gen 1, which could be pulled out without depressing the release tab. Like the Gen 1 the Flex II has an adjustment wheel should you require a leg length between index stops to level a rifle on uneven terrain.
The Flex II still has not come up with a quicker means to deploy the legs. Unfortunately, the slight redesign of the locking collar with a less aggressive checkering, makes the legs harder to unlock and deploy compared to the Gen 1. A slightly flared collar or raised checkering might solve some of this but the short of adding spring loaded legs or creating an unlocked free swinging mode, this design will never be as quick to deploy as a Harris-style bipod. The trade off for the quick deployment its legs is a thinner profile when stowed and the option to angle the legs forward to pre-load the tripod.
Because of the bipods M-Lok side-mounting, the bipod can not swivel or cant. For some shooters this is no loss and may be preferred. The Flex II offers a very rigid and strong shooting platform which just a slight amount of give for micro-adjustments required for precision shooters.
Overall the Flex II is an improvement on the Gen 1 but the changes are not all improvements. The two handed leg lock design and the smoother locking collar both make for a new design which can actually be slower to use than the original Recon Flex. But a retail price still below a $100, this is one of the most affordable high-quality, bipods available.
This Recon Flex II is available on Amazon through my affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3sL5ItE
The original Gen 1: https://amzn.to/3wGheIb
