After reading a recent thread, I was reminded about a nagging problem I have with my current MOE stock; facial hair removal. It isn’t a big deal, but I don’t like feeling like someones tweezing my beard when I shoot.
I started looking into different stocks but decided that if I’m going to make a change, the new stock should do something different than the MOE stock that I love otherwise. I looked into fixed stocks and really like the look of the ACE skeletonized stocks. I shoot NTCH and use my MOE stock in the 3rd position (two clicks out from collapsed), and it looks like the ACE entry is roughly a 1/4" shy of that length with the 1" pad, and should be viable in the LOP department.
I guess what I want to know is whether or not people regret loosing the 6 position versatility. I will not be wearing a vest of any sort. I find that I really only use my current stock in the aforementioned position, prone, standing, or otherwise.
Is there anything I’m not considering? Are these stocks as sturdy as advertised? Is the foam pad comfortable? Does it interfere with the CH at all? Please share whatever thoughts you have and help this man preserve his beard and sanity.
Maybe try a little modification to your MOE stock first?
I had the same hair pulling issue with the original CAR stock and the CTR/MOE. What you can do is remove the stock from the receiver extension and file or grind a deeper bevel where the RE enters the stock. I did that on two of my stocks and haven’t lost any hair since.
I had the same problem with all the collapsable stocks until I got a Magpul CTR and then tried the ACS. Because they lock down tight not beard trimmage or pullage:p I love them!
The couple ace stocks I’ve fondled while installing for others who wanted them seemed OK enough for certain uses, but I wouldn’t trust it to a lot of throw yourself on the ground or butt stroking type abuse.
When it comes out of the package it feels like its quite wobbly due to the parts being not super toleranced and being affixed to each other with small bore roll pins.
Once assembled things stiffen up significantly, but its those roll pins that cause me concern.
Too little basically. I imagine if the bits were tack welded with a TIG post assembly it would be far more trustworthy.
Another little naggly was the sling loop affixments.
There’s a couple places to screw one in, but the one they provide is again, small in thread diameter and additionally short (IMO) in length.
You can almost feel yourself ripping the threads out of the aluminum stock bits with the steel threaded fixtures with pretty minimal torque.
Then its locked by running another threaded fixture in from a different angle to wedge the swivel screw. IOW, not something you’re going to want to play around with different configurations on too many times if at all.
(that may have changed in newer generations, or it may have not. don’t know)
There’s a small pack of pan head allen screws that come with it to plug up various unused holes where a sling mount isn’t going to be, but they are of a couple different lengths and its not hard at all to get one that is too long in a hole that is too short or vice versa.
I don’t think I’d use one on a roll around in the dirt carbine class, but for general range use it shouldn’t be bad.
TG, thats kind of a bummer that they dont instill more confidence when it comes to durability. I figured they would have been very sturdy. Also, good to know that about the sling points. I guess untll you hear of one failing these are just concerns, but never having handled one, this is the kind of thing I was curious about.
Things may have evolved since the last one I handled.
Dunno when this pic was created, but you can see the long screw on the swivel for example. The ones I touched were about as long as the grub screws at the bottom.
Anywho, you can see the hold it together pin stuff and some other details so it may be of use regardless.
I have two of the standard LOP ACE “skeleton” stocks and they seem to be quite strong but I haven’t “hit the ground” or “breached a door” with them. But I haven’t seen any complaints about their durability, either.
I got a deal some time back on a Precision Areo lower that had the ACE shorty affixed to it. It’s locked up tight enough for my use - I mated it to my TacSol .22LR upper.
Besides, I REALLY can’t afford to, ahem, ‘lose face (OR beard),’ when using it around the Boy Scouts!
FWIW, the grub sized ones are actually for plugging unused holes.
There is a hole on either side of the forward section that abuts the receiver (what looks like a pin in the pic above) and one on the toe of the stock which are all supposed to be sling swivel locations.
You put the swivel where you want, then plug up the unused holes so they don’t get full of crap.
The countersink style allen to the left side of the pic is the butt to receiver extension screw like a conventional M16 stock mount and the longer square shouldered allen screw is for affixment of the butt pad.
If you don’t use the pad, one of the grub screws fills the empty hole.
In the version pictured, the nut and star washer are used as a jam nut on the swivel so it doesn’t back out, move, or even actually swivel after its installed and locked.
I recently put a rifle length ACE stock on my dad’s AR and was surprised at the rigidity of the stock. I also have not ‘breached’ any doors with it but it surprisingly does not seem to give up any strength over the A2 stock and certainly not over an adjustable car stock. The attachment to the rifle is the same single upper screw found with the standard A1/A2 stock and as stated before the smaller screws are for plugging unused holes.
The only, not necessarily, “down side” is the foam over-tube is basically a wear item and shouldn’t be expected to last for the life of the stock, and so long as that it’s replacement need is recognized ahead of time I do not foresee any issues with this setup.
EDIT: My dad is stuck in a ban state which is how he arrived on this stock.
I don’t think screws are inherently bad or complex. The more you care putting them in, the better they will stay put. I do wish hex screws would just go away, however. I, personally, find square or torx drive to be the most reliable.
I think I like this stock. Seems like if the pad wore out you could simply wrap it with something of your own choosing. If I’m ever replete with cash I’ll give it a try.
It’s relatively light weight too I think. I’ll have to check on that.
Edit: I wonder if you could cut the metal sling loop off and just use the post as an hk hook-style attachment point. Think a mash hook would fit on it?
I think you’d be better off finding a different loop to screw into on of the holes. If you were to cut off the loop, what would be left would pretty much be a standard swivel stud.
Ace makes a couple of different stocks. The ACE Socom is an adjustable length stock and it is complete junk. A friend had one on a .450 Bushamster and broke the stock just from the recoil. The different positions were held by small aluminum tabs on the side and needless to say, they were not up to the job, though the .450 was a pretty stout recoiler. I believe they advertise this stock as the door buster, but in the fine print it says collapse the stock first.
The other stock they make is the skeleton stock in both
