Being old school, most of my carbines have had the good ol’ milspec stock since day one and I’ve never felt the need to change.
I ran across a Magpul CTR stock the other day and I must say I’m learning to like it.
–Solid lock up with the locking lever feature
–Quick detach swivel aperture, plus slots for slinging a Vickers VCAS sling the way it was designed to be attached
–Hard rubber butt plate (Although I shun anything rubber for not being durable, this plate is hard enough to withstand some use)
–Thin but comfortable rear pad bladed to a thin profile to fit the shoulder pocket better
–Protected actuating lever
The CTR specs as Magpul publishes them:
FEATURES
Mounts on mil-spec sized carbine receiver extension tube (not included) from manufacturers such as Colt, Armalite, S&W, LMT, and others (please see the note below)
Supplemental friction lock minimizes accuracy robbing wobble*
Sloping cheek weld combines a slim profile with user comfort
Shielded release latch prevents snagging and accidental operation
Premium chrome-silicon lock spring provides positive locking and long service life
Side mounting slots accept optional cheek risers for NON AR15/M4 applications
Removable 0.30" Rubber Butt-Pad offers an anti-slip surface and increases impact protection
Compatible with Magpul ASAP®, ASAP® QD and other receiver-mount sling attachments
Sling Mounts
Rear - Push-button QD swivel sling mount accommodates up to 1.5" swivels (ambidextrous)
Rear/Bottom - 1.25" sling loops
Toe - Lanyard hole for custom para-cord rigs
I am NOT a fan of the BCM Gunfighter stock. (In fact it’s what got traded for the CTR stock. The Gunfighter stock came with a BCM lower I ordered, and I quickly learned to hate it).
Why I hate the gunfighter stock: Although it’s comfortable when deployed the actuating lever on my example was so stiff my girlfriend couldn’t even operate it and I found it excessively hard to squeeze enough to slide the stock.
So, for me at least, it’s Magpul CTR stock for the win.
An amazing member, Thanks Again, you know who you is;
PIF to me at one point with a Magpul ACS-L.
Love it.
QD rotation limited Slot
Easy and quick lock for adjustments and re-locking.
Storage Space for CR123 and other Doohickeys.
Pretty light
Great Rubber shoulder pad for grip and comfort.
I really like the STR and the CTR. Have one of those two on most every rifle. I like the feel, and I’m a huge fan of the cheekweld capabilities. Most of my rifles serve in a SPR/DMR role, so most are wearing 1-6 or 1-8 glass.
Recently got a rifle with the B5 stock. I’m liking it quite a bit as well. But, it is super similar to the STR, so that’s likely why.
LMT SOPMOD because I like the weight-size and storage ability for batteries, The profile of the stock is nice to shoot with, it displaces a lot more area when you rest your cheek against it. It has just enough weight to counter balance any significant muzzle climb.
BTW: I keep all my stocks collapse at all times, I like having the gun as far back into my shoulder as possible reducing the overall length and allowing me to extend my support hand further up the rail.
I like my LMT SOPMOD the most, closely followed by my MagPul STR. I do like my original BCM Gunfighter as a low profile stock. For my next stock I plan to check out the MagPul SL
I’m very picky about adjustable stocks. I always end up pulling SOPMODS off of guns due to weight/bulk. I’ve never tried a Magpul that I liked enough to buy. My Magpul fixed carbine stock is great… but that’s not what we’re talking about.
I like the Gunfighters that I have. I don’t adjust the LOP often and don’t care about install difficulty or adjustment difficulty.
All that said… my all time favorite is the VLTOR IMOD. Best balance of Weight/Bulk/Durability. Like a tard, I gave my only one to a buddy when he was a Combat Controller. I was literally just shopping for a new one online.
I’ve had/used a VLTOR IMOD, B5 SOPMOD Bravo, USGI M4 stock, Magpul MOE, and BCM Gunfighter Mod 0. My favorite is the BCM.
It’s sleek, has a solid lock-up (as mentioned above I have to squeeze the adjustment lever quite hard to adjust it, thought I don’t adjust mine, I leave it all the way in) and it’s got enough taper at the bottom of the rubber butt pad to tuck into a shoulder. My only issue is that the QD sling swivel sockets on the sides orient the swivel horizontally, whereas I would prefer that they oriented the swivel vertically, but it’s not a deal breaker.
Hands down the STR. I love the cheek weld, side storage compartments, the locking mechanism, and it’s appearance. It’s also not overly heavy. Other obvious nice features are the qd points and ability to swap to an “enhanced” buttpad. I lean towards SOPMOD style stocks, and IMO, the STR is the shizznittlebamsnipsnapsack.
I haven’t found a reason to stray from the mil spec adjustable. I use the WOTG sling so no need for qd’s. I will say that I have a BCM Mod 0 on a 16" middy and I like its firm lockup and cheek weld.
Guess I’m used to the standard m4 waffle stock. Mostly that’s what I have and use. However, I do have one with a B5 sopmod bravo and I like it. Slight preference for the m4 waffle, though. Probably due to familiarity.
I Don’t like the bulk of the SOPMOD. Don’t like the angle of the buttplate on the waffle with front-heavy work guns. Hate the facial hair snagging of the VLTOR stock.
I like the CTR because the angle is tolerable (would prefer 90*), it does not have slop, and it stands up in a corner well. I like the CAR stock because it is lightweight and has that 90* angle that I like for front heavy guns. The CAR stock has graced most of my issued M4’s and variants, while the CTR is on my favorite personal gun. The MOE is on my .22LR.
LWRC compact for SBR and carbine length guns with red dots designed to play offense.
Magpul STR for Reece and SPR type guns with magnified glass designed to play defense.
I have a BCM stock on one gun and I am about to get rid of it. The female sling socket does not have enough freedom of movement. LWRC got this right. The sling socket stops are set in an X rather than a + and allows the sling to correctly blouse over the shoulder no matter how the shooter is holding the gun. Everyone else including BCM and Magpul get this wrong.
I could care less about exposed adjustment latches or friction lock levers. The crane sopmod stock is outdated and has been superceded by the Magpul STR.
I also don’t use the battery storage feature. Batteries are extra shit that belong in an administrative pouch attached to field gear.
I really like the Car15 stock, as it is compact, light weight, and unobtrusive. I used to exclusively run Vltor stocks due to their quality construction, tight lock up, and pleasant cheek weld. That being said, I’ve started to take a more minimalist approach to my rifle setup. My current go to gun has a cheap fiberlite N1 replica stock, and it is by far my favorite. The SOPMOD AND Vltor stocks all seem really bulky in comparison, and I plan to phase all of mine out as soon as I can find more N1 style stocks.