Hello, I am about to change out the stock on my rifle length AR-15. I am planning to go with the Ace M4 SOCOM carbine length collapsible stock. I opted for the shorter length model because the standard A2 fixed stock is a bit too long for me, and this model is 1 inch shorter. For this stock I have to switch to a carbine buffer&spring that is not included. Please somebody help me make decision I’m lost! Should I go with an H buffer and heavy spring? Or should I go with a standard buffer and spring. What set up would most reliably cycle various weight ammo, and lower pressure ammo like .223 on a rifle length gas system with an M16 bcg? What about a Spike’s ST-T2 buffer, are they any better than a H-buffer?
Yes, Spike’s.
Throw a baseball at the ground. That’s what your buffer does.
Throw a hackey sack at the ground. That’s what the Spike’s buffer does.
No bounce, easier to place follow up shots.
I can’t believe that stock costs so much. For that price I’d go with the Magpul UBR (not Magpul PTS UBR, that’s for airsoft).
Edit: As far as reliabilty, there was a thread about the military putting collapsible stocks on M16s.
Do you have a heavy barrel? Your gun will be very front heavy. The UBR or Vltor stocks are heavier and will help.
Or you could just get an A1 stock from CavArms. 5/8" shorter than an A2.
I just like the extra strength factor, or should I say the proclaimed strength factor of that stock. I also like the looks of it a-lot. Yes I do have a heavy barrel. I was also looking at a Vltor mod stock, but I like the looks of the Ace stock better.
I run a spike’s ST-T2, Tubbs Flat-wire CS buffer spring, and FA carrier in my BCM midlength. My rifle runs fine on cheap .223 bulk practice ammo. However, the standard rifle buffer weight is heavier than an H2 buffer by almost an ounce. I would recommend STARTING with a Spike’s ST-T2 buffer (or standard H2 if ur opposed to the Spike’s…they are roughly equivalent in weight), and tell you to consider a Tubbs Flat-wire buffer spring (which is XP) or Tactical Springs ‘Red’ extra power buffer spring. There will probably not be any detrimental effects if you got too light on your buffer and spring, but it just won’t shoot as smooth as it could. Experimentation is key here, as there is no absolute rule for what will work for your rifle.
I was thinking about what you said about the weight of the shorter M4 socom stock, and I don’t want to make my gun any more top heavy than it already is. The longer model is 9 1/2" fully collapsed, which is about an inch shorter than the A2 stock. The rifle model uses a rifle buffer and spring. Should I just buy a flat-wire spring and reuse the buffer I have? Or would it be foolish not to change the buffer? I don’t have a clue how many rounds this gun has seen, and don’t know the life expectancy on a rifle buffer. I also don’t know if some rifle buffers are better than others? I don’t see much selection on rifle buffers. Thank you for all the help.
Thanks for suggesting the Tubb’s flat-wire spring. I was thinking of buying a Wolf spring until I checked out the flat-wire springs. Thanks for helping me out.
Here’s the UBR on a rifle, posted in our AR General pic thread…
I’m not familiar with the ACE stock you’re talking about, but if it uses a rifle buffer, that might be a good way to go.
How solid is the UBR stock? The Ace stock is supposed to come with a buffer tube that is thicker than the mill spec tube. It claims to be the strongest collapsible stock on the market… like 6 times stronger than mill spec. It is expensive, but if it lasts the life of the rifle, it’s a one time investment. The UBR stock looks nice too, I am gonna check that out.