i've been getting alot of pm's and emails with question's about the stock so i'm going to do my best to give a mini review of it. when i saw the pics from shot 2013 of Troy's trunk monkey guns with the NEA stock i knew i wanted to try one out so i got on the pre order list.
about 6 weeks later the postman dropped off a package postmarked from canada. it was packaged very good with a simple instruction sheet. i didn't take any pics of the install but it's pretty basic. the buffer tube threads come pre wrapped with a blue thread locking tape. after removing your buffer tube assembly and buffer retainer and spring just screw in the new receiver extension/stock knuckle. i have my rear takedown pin hole threaded and a set screw holding the spring and detent in place , when threading the new extension/knuckle onto the receiver make sure your detent and spring are in place when you get close. this is a little easier said than done though and a good strap wrench helps out alot here. removing the buttstock and adjustment rods makes it much easier also. the instructions list a 1.5mm allen wrench is needed to remove the set screw to remove the buttstock assembly from the knuckle but mine was a 1/16" allen headed set screw.
here's the stock assembly installed
the CCS stock comes with a proprietary bolt carrier to work with the shortened receiver extension. the carrier is made out of 8620 tool steel and is ARC+ nitrided and comes with a gas key in place with the screws staked. it also comes with a cut down carbine action spring. i had to clip 2 extra coils off the action spring for reliable lock back after the last round.
to function test it i put a 7" 5.56 upper on it and headed to the range. it functioned fine with herter's steel cased , pmc bronze , fiocchi 223 , federal m193 , and privi m193. 600 rounds with no issue's. the next trip i took 10.5" and 11.5" 5.56 uppers to try out , another 500 rounds with no issues with mostly federal m193 and some mk318 mod 0. i finally found some 300blk ammo and was able to take it out last weekend and try an 8.2" noveske barreled 300blk upper with the shortened recoil system. 100 rounds of barnes 110gr supers un suppressed functioned flawless.
the test bed. 7" 5.56 upper
8.2" 300blk upper
after a little over 1K rounds with various upper's i've found more that i like about the stock than dislike. the cheekweld is actually pretty good , it's no sopmod but the receiver extension/stock knuckle work well for a ntch shooter. it has a sling swivel socket at the rear of the knuckle that works like a noveske endplate and i've also used the adjustment rod as a sling attachment point, no problems attaching a sling. the machine work on the knuckle and buttpad is very nice with no visible tool marks. the knuckle and buttpad are made out of 6065 t6 aluminum and are type 3 hard anodized black. the adjustment rods fit tight in the buttpad and knuckle with no slop , very solid feeling with no rattling. the adustment rods are made out of 4140 steel that's been ARC+ nitrided.
the few things i have issues with the stock system have to do with the adjustment mechanism. firstly the stock does not lock in the fully closed position as it's designed to. my stock was one of the first run so maybe NEA has caught the problem and fixed it by now. it looks as if they installed a deeper cap on the buffer tube to gain a bit more room for the action spring and it bottoms out on the buttpad when fully collapsed. this keeps the last notch in the adjustment rod from reaching the lock. it would be an easy fix by cutting a new notch into the rod at the correct point but it hasn't been an issue for me so far so i've left it alone. the rods are a pretty tight fit in the knuckle and it holds in the fully collapsed position by itself pretty well , it takes a pull on the buttpad to actually move it out a bit to the 2nd locked position on the adjustment rod. writing this review has reminded me to send NEA an email about the issue to see if they've fixed the problem now that there has been a few batches of the stock out. hopefully they've caught it and will just send me a new adjustment rod with the 1st notch in the correct position. the other thing i didn't care for at first was the "latch" to move the stock between it's positions. the latch is actually a mag release button that's been ingeniously placed into the lower rear of the stock knuckle. it's low profile and out of the way , i don't see any way for the release to be depressed accidentally. now that ive used it for a while i really like the design , this should actually be in the "like" paragraph above but at first it will seem awkward to use so i put it here. instead of grabbing a big latch and push/pulling the stock you use 1 finger on the release button and your thumb to move the rod out.
a few other things to note. i've been asked about manipulating the safety with the stock retracted as the rod is right above it and protrudes farther out from the receiver than the safety lever. it has not been an issue for me but if you have short fat digit's it might be an issue. for me even with gloves on it's not a problem with a standard lmt safety lever. the aftermarket extended safety lever's may help out here if you have problems. another thing is both the pivot pin and the takedown pin need to be pushed to remove the upper receiver. with the modified bolt carrier you can not pivot the upper receiver on the pivot pin.
the black anodized finish is different from the knuckle to the buttpad to the buffer tube. i also didn't want the rods "silver" or reflective. i refinished the knuckle and buffer tube a matte black to match the buttpad easy enough but turning those rods black was an ordeal. i'm not really sure what ARC+ nitriding is but it's tough. i tried several cold blue products for steel and none would take no matter how long it soaked in it , wouldn't touch it. i then turned to my old friend the black permanent sharpie , finally black adjustment rods. problem with the sharpie is it only lasted a couple of opening/closings. the rods and knuckle have a tight tolerance. the answer was hot oil bluing the rods.
overall the stock does a good job of shortening up an ar. my goal was to try to build an ar based pdw that was as short as my 10" sig 556 with the stock folded. with the 7" upper and stock retracted it measure's just inder 21" (20 7/8"). the 8.2" 300blk upper and stock retracted is 22" with an a2 flash hider. it would have been nice to shed a little weight also but compared to a normal m4 stock set up it's pretty much a wash.
hopefully this answer's some question's about the stock. if not and you still have questions just ask away and i'll do my best to answer them for you.
here is the 7" upper compared to the sig
from left to right. 12.5" noveske N6 , 10" sig 556 , 7" 5.56 , 10.5 lmt , 11.5" kac
with the stock extended it's still shorter than the 10.5" with the stock fully retracted.
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Originally Posted by Duffy
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