For those of you that have what was (and should be, damn you NJ!) an adjustable/collapsing stock that is now pinned, about where did you pin it in relation to the adjustable positions? For example, if yours could originally be adjusted to 5 positions, is yours pinned all the way collapsed, all the way extended, at the 3rd position, 4th, etc? I'm just trying to gage how long people like there stocks to be. I'm thinking of going shorter rather than longer, as I can always add extended butt-plates or spacers, or whatever you want to call them later, where you can't exactly shorten a fixed stock...

 

Also what stocks do you use? Standard M4 style stocks, Magpul MOE/CTR, something else? (for those with pinned stocks that is)

 

Thanks guys I know there are a lot of AR guys around. Hopefully I'll have one by this time next month...

 

I know there are some nice fixed stocks out there, and I haven't yet ruled that out either.

My thought...I've shot a bunch of different ones and just ordered one. I had them pin it closest. I figure if I'm going to have a Carbine with a 16" total barrel, I want it as short as is legally allowable. If I were to build a target AR with a 20inch + barrel, I'd have to pin it at the right length of pull for my arms.

 

Mine has a standard M4 stock at least I think. It was going to be MOE but the gun shop called me and told me that Ellett wouldn't ship them the one I wanted even though the shop was going to do the work to conform it to NJ laws.

This depends on a couple things.....how big are you, and what are your intentions with the rifle. I am pretty close to what you would call an average size guy at 5'11". Fully extended is the most comfortable position for me, and most other guys I run into. Regardless, just make sure you get the feel for it first.

The length you pin it at is really a personal decision and will largely be dictated by your shooting stance. Someone who shoots with a squared off stance (body facing the target) will generally want a shorter length of pull (LOP), where as someone who shoots from a bladed stance (body slight angled to the target) will want a longer LOP.

 

I have a MOE stock on one of my ARs and like it. I have a Sully (fixed) stock on my other AR and like that one as well. The Sully (if I remember correctly) is the equivalent LOP of a standard M4 stock at the first position.

 

So much of it is personal preference tho, and what works for one person may not work for another. Your best bet is to try out some other people ARs with different stocks and see what you like. Worst case, if you can't do that, you can always change your mind after the fact and try something else on. ARs are like LEGOs after all

I am pretty close to what you would call an average size guy at 5'11". Fully extended is the most comfortable position for me, and most other guys I run into. Regardless, just make sure you get the feel for it first.

See - this is exactly what I mean. I'm the same height, with somewhat longish arms, and I hate fully extended stocks. But, I shoot either squared off, or very slightly bladed. I can adapt to a fully extended stock, but unless I'm shooting from a bench, I find it somewhat awkward.

See - this is exactly what I mean. I'm the same height, with somewhat longish arms, and I hate fully extended stocks. But, I shoot either squared off, or very slightly bladed. I can adapt to a fully extended stock, but unless I'm shooting from a bench, I find it somewhat awkward.

The bolded part seems to be where we find our different tastes, just like you said. I try to get my body as sideways as possible.....I think it comes from when I played paintball, where the objective is to make as small a target as possible with you body.

Definitely. I gave up on trying to make myself a small target... at 5'11 and 220-230lbs, I haven't been "small" since I was 13 So I just try to find cover I can hide my fat as$ behind

5'8" , 140-150lbs, ain't often confused with the biggest dude in the world... On my S&W M&P 15-22 I crazy glued and loctited the Magpul MOE Stock to the tube, and loctited the "action" of the adjustment mechanism. Further I "caulked" the circular space where the stock meets the tube, and because I like it shorter, I am not real big, and it's a .22LR, I did it completely collapsed. It's real nice, short, and quick pointing with a red dot, nice. But for my Real AR, I will probably expand it to the 2nd position from the shortest, and pin it there. (I will actually have the real AR stock drilled and screwed/pinned because I may want to have it changed sometime in the future but I am happy with the way the 15-22 is set up).

 

so I'm thinking the 2nd from the closed position.

Thanks for the replies guys! I know it is entirely subjective and based on your build, shooting style/stance, and preference. I just wanted to get an idea of how others shoot. I plan on playing around with it first before pinning it (while not in NJ) to get an idea of what I like. I was just looking for others input to help me along with my decision.

I like mine as short as possible. I have a Sully (fixed) on one, and an M4-style (pinned at one pull from the shortest-- though, I'd prefer it to be the shortest) on my 15-22. I have shortish arms, but as Pete pointed out already, it wouldn't matter. I shoot squared up because that's what I was taught after the fact (the idea is if you have a vest, you want the largest portion of the plate facing the possible projectiles; whereas shooting sideways exposes the sides which rarely have much coverage, allowing for a projectile to possibly rip through all of your vitals).

 

It has to do with more than stance as well. Along with stance, it also has to do with how you grip the rifle. Some guys do the mag-well grip, or broom stick-grip with a VFG... while others just prefer to rest the handguards on their off-hand (like seating it on a table). I personally like to place my hand out as far as possible (the Costa-grip)... which isn't really do-able with certain stances, etc.

 

My recommendation is contact someone who is available to pin your stock (like an FFL or smith... because, while this is a different topic of discussion, I wouldn't want to have a collapsible stock in my possession if I already have an AR that is just missing said stock). From there, ask if it would be OK if they put the stock on, and before it gets pinned, you see which length of pull you like best.