My Clifton-stocked do-it-yourself-kit is not intended to be a break-down rifle. It will always be a full-length M1903.
In my experience (that is, in action against nothing more threatening than cardboard and a scorecard) there is never a need for speed, in deploying a bipod. At bipod distance (more than 250 yards), and if you're prone, you have lots of time before the putative BG musters enough skill or luck to come even close to hitting you.
(Is that also true in real life? You know much better than I.)
The reason for the stock-stowable bipod (Clifton, Steyr, Kel-Tec) is only that it's always there when you need it, and it isn't cluttering up your belt (or vest, or harness, or whatever). Speed isn't the issue.
I have a few minor quibbles with the Steyr Scout Rifle which has kept me from investing in one:
First, you're stuck with Steyr magazines, and you can reload only by switching them out. I like the M14 system best, which gives you the choice of switching mags or reloading from the top with stripper clips. I like the Mauser/Springfield system next-best because its feed lips are just about indestructible. You never can "run out of" usable magazines, and you can use strippers or you can single-load.
Second, the Steyr's ejection port is a little too small. It's hard to clear jams, and you can't use stripper clips. Why have a down-bore scout scope, and leave the port clear, if you can't use strippers? Seems silly to me.
Third, the Steyr uses rear locking lugs. It probably doesn't matter, and it's probably my imagination, but I believe that rear locking lets the bolt body bow and spring, thus letting cartridge brass stretch enough to shorten case life significantly, when you reload.
Fourth, I prefer real iron sights (well, steel actually), to back up my all-too-vulnerable scope. The Steyr's are plastic.
But I would really, really like to use the Steyr's bipod arrangement! If a truck ever runs over your Steyr, would you please, please send me its remaining bipod parts?
I put on an interesting exercise for the SCTC, years ago, in which the shooter was penalized for every bad shot by being made to lose a small amount of function.
(The exercise was designed to encourage "bad" shooting, so that each contestant would necessarily experience more or less loss of function as he progressed through the course.)
We started with impediments to breathing. Next came transparent tape over the master eye's eyeglass lens. Then loss of strong-hand trigger finger (by wearing a splinted glove). Then loss of scope, due to transparent tape. (Boy, that was diagnostic: everybody had backup iron sights, but only two people were able to remove their scopes to be able to use them!) There were maybe three more possible function losses beyond those mentioned, including a "broken" leg.
It's just amazing, what you can still accomplish with iron sights, a bad cold, a hole in your hand, a broken leg, and a damaged master eye, if your rifle is set up correctly in the first place.
Easily-available bipods were a large convenience-and-compensation factor, as you can well imagine.