"I believe it is a shoulder thing that goes up." -  Carolyn McCarthy (What is a barrel shroud?)

You have to love it when someone is against your hobby but has no clue about it.  So that there is no confusion, today’s entry is about the part of your body you actually “Do” put against your shoulder.  I like to think everyone here knows what end of the rifle the bullets come out of.

It wasn’t that long ago when you had two stocks to choose from, the long and short.  Now the market is flooded with Stocks that do everything from storing batteries to converting weapons into bump firing machine gun style firearms.

Magpul ACS

The stock is a very personal item, like the grip we talked about previously.  Too large or too small is always a concern, today we hope to find one that is just right.
First off, the M16A1/A2 stocks, both are solid rifle lengths that do not adjust, the A1 is a hair shorter and many think the A2 style is the finest target stock made.  Now in the day of body armor nobody will argue that the A2 is too long, and most women seem dwarfed by it.  The Magpul PRS is a great stock for those that want the A1 length and it has to ability to expand well beyond the A2 length for those with massive arms.
My favorite design is the collapsible design.  They have quickly become the most abundant style on the market.  The 5-6 position (depending on maker) is an outstanding beginning.  Now finding the stock you want will most likely be a question of budget.  The average for a competitive aftermarket stock is around $100.  The simple Milspec style ones can be found for as little as $5 and do the same thing; they go against your shoulder and stabilize the rifle.

Magpul CTR

I have facial hair, that isn’t going to change so stocks like the VLTOR series with removable battery compartments is not going to be an option, no matter how good they feel when you try it out at the store will never replace the facial hair that is removed in full recoil.
Magpul (once again, but I promise that I am not a brand whore) makes the UBR, what many to consider the Rolls Royce of the collapsible stocks.  An independent group had to go well beyond any type of normal
damage to get the stock to fail.  Its preset settings and custom length settings allow it a range of movement unheard of and still stay ahead of anything in its indestructibility.  $250, you get what you pay for.

For this project, I will be using the UBR but can achieve the same shooting results with the throw away Milspec stock we tend to ignore.

Magpul UBR

Classic A2 Stock.  Non Adjustable and when wearing body armor gets in the way.  The A1 style is slightly shorter but still very long.
 Contains a rifle length buffer tube and buffer tube/spring.  Also contains a small compartment for a cleaning kit or lead weight for competition distance shooting.