AR-15 collapsing buttstocks

N

Nightcrawler

New member
I"ve never handled an AR with one of these. (In michigan, any rifle that has an overall length of less than 30 inches is considered a pistol and must be registered, and can't be bought by a 19 year old like myself) How useful are they? I mean, it seems to me that they don't reduce the overall lenght very much when collapsed, and are too short when collapsed to allow proper firing from the shoulder....at least on a big 6'2" guy like myself.
 
for close quarters it makes the gun manuever better

it also helps size the gun to different weight jackets & armor

and it looks cool!

dZ
 
Speaking as somebody who has one, I'd have to say they are marginal at best. Either the A1 or A2 full-size stock is a more practical choice. Most of the collapsible stocks don't "collapse" enough to make much of a difference and a lot of them only have two positions (extended and collapsed) so they aren't that great in adjusting for vests, gear etc. either.

Also, the collapsible stock is a lot lighter (a plus) but it throws off the balance of the gun tremendously and makes it barrel-heavy.

Another problem with the standard collapsible AR15 stock is that you can't use a shooting sling like the 1907-style sling to get into a good stable shooting position (no sling swivel on rear stock).

On the other hand, they do look cool. Its sometimes tough to make yourself realize that practical doesn't always look cool :)

Having run down the AR-15 collapsible stock, there is a stock offered by Bushmaster that is collapsible and seems to offer significant improvements over the standard CAR stock. It has 4-positions, is made of Fiberite, has a standard AR15 sling swivel to the rear and a little bit longer pull when fully extended. I haven't got to play with one yet; but it looks like a good compromise.
 
To the best of my knowledge they are illegal on post ban rifles, unless you get rid of the detachable mag or the pistol grip. Unless you have it permanently fixed so you cant collapse it. They rattle, I cant get a decent cheek weld to save my life and in general the ones I have seen look like they were put together by blind men with their thumbs taped together. I.d much rather get a shorter fixed stock.
 
They do look cool and their main advantage is that if you start padding yourself (vest, cold weather clothing), you can adjust the stock so that it still fits (for tall folks, it may still be short without a buttpad). The disadvantage is that they are not as stable as a fixed stock. You might feel just a bit of wobble but if you're not doing medium/long distance shooting, that won't make a difference.
 
Both LEOs in an AR-15 course I took had collapsing stocks. One had a snap-on cheek piece and had no problems. The other didn't have one and ended up getting one, because he couldn't hold a proper shooting stance with just the collapsing stock.
 
One thing is though that I hear though is that often a cheek piece on a collapsable stock will prevent cocking unless the stock is fully extended.
 
I like the stock on my Carbon-15. It's made out of Carbon Fiber, so it weighs nothing. It's got a good cheek weld on it, too. Plus, (even though technically this is part of disassembly of the weapon) the weapon is perfectly functional with the stock removed. A 16" fluted barrel makes for a rather muzzle-heavy pistol, though. :)
 
Nightcrawler, the AR with collapsable stock in retracted position and 16" barrel is over 30" (32" I think). So it will meet legal LENGTH requirements in Michigan.

IMHO, the collapsable is not very practical. At 6' 2" you're going to want the A2 standard stock. With the 16" hvy. barrel, it handles like a dream. Others will recommend a light barrel, but the hvy. barrel handles better for me.

If you MUST have a collapsable, get one (four position type). If you don't like it, you can always switch over to the longer A2 stock later.

Regards! DaMan
 
I would augment DaMan's post by saying that if you must have one, get one, but only if you have a pre-ban rifle -- putting one of these on a post-ban rifle will potentially get you in trouble with our friends at the BATF (detachable mag + pistol grip already = 2 evil features :eek :). They're probably not worth the extra cost of the pre-ban rifle, IMHO. If you have a post-ban and absolutely must have that look or would like the weight savings, there are several companies who make a non-collapsible CAR stock (I think Oly arms has one). I have one of these and the quality is OK, but it does throw off the balance a little bit with a heavy barrel. Just my .02.

Andrew
 
DaMan is right, the best compromise is a 16" heavy barrel with standard stock; it handles and shoots very well. The AR15 collapsible stock is a bit flimsy and woobles too much for my taste, if you have a pre-ban rifle and REALLY need a CQB gun then maybe is best when mated to a 14.5" barrel.
 
In truth, I no longer have a conventional AR-15. I used to have a Bushmaster XM15E2S heavy barrel, but I traded it for a Professional Ordnance Carbon-15 Type 97. It's hard to beat a weapon that weighs 3.9 (!!) pounds empty...plus, it still is essentially an AR-15, meaning I can strip it blindfolded, and takes AR mags, which I have plenty of...
 
There were other versions, but the standard Colt collapsible stock is, IMHO, about useless. Due to the AR-15/M16 design with the action spring in the stock, the stock cannot collapse very far. This is another area where the "better idea" AR-18 comes out ahead.

Looking "cool" isn't enough to justify the complexity.

Jim

[This message has been edited by Jim Keenan (edited October 22, 2000).]
 
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