Harrier
10-12-14, 19:33
I picked up my shorty AR earlier this year (https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?642-AR-Picture-Thread&p=1933242#post1933242), and while I like it a lot, I found that the combination of the CASV rail system and VLTOR muzzle brake-flash hider made it more muzzle-heavy that I liked. Normally I am loathe to add anything to my short carbines to increase their weight, but I’d read that a well-balanced rifle will feel better in the hands. I was a little dubious, but thought a replacement stock could be an inexpensive way to test the theory out.
The rifle came with the Magpul MOE stock—as most folks here know it’s their bare-bones stock but I like it. The textures are good and, although it has a bit of a rattle, it locks in tight when shouldered. The problem was that at only half a pound it was very light.
I researched stocks online to see what was out there. I wanted a heavier stock but I didn’t want to add a lot of bulk to what is a short, handy rifle. There’s the SOPMOD-style stocks, which look comfortable but are bulkier than I wanted plus fairly expensive. Magpul has a couple of storage stocks—the ACS and STR stocks, but they also looked a bit bulkier than I wanted, and I don’t need storage. I was thinking of going for either a CTR or maybe a new SL stock, but they didn’t look to add as much weight as I wanted to provide the balance I was looking for.
I was going more searching online last weekend and saw a product I hadn’t heard of before—the Hogue Overmolded Collapsible Buttstock. I’ve used Hogue grips in the past on a number of my revolvers but I’d never used their rifle stocks—I liked the compact look and weight (a bit more than 13 oz or .36 kg), and Hogue has a fairly good reputation (at least for handgun stocks) so I ordered one up—in their “red lava” pattern at the suggestion of my daughters.
Overview
The stock is very similarly-styled to the MOE or CTR stock and operates in the same way. There’s a hard rubber cheekpiece and butt-pad, and three sockets for QD sling swivels
http://i.imgur.com/LD7H29Z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AA4lmaB.jpg
Here it is compared with the MOE.
http://i.imgur.com/73xEHnB.jpg
It’s a wee bit wider in the butt but not by much.
http://i.imgur.com/02ksz4G.jpg
and a little thicker across the top, again not by much.
http://i.imgur.com/msDu6z8.jpg
The operating lever is very similar to the MOE’s
http://i.imgur.com/cJFTNSB.jpg
Installation
Installation is identical to the MOE—pull down the pegs under the operating lever and slide it on the receiver extension. Easy!http://i.imgur.com/lCLrEsx.jpg
Initial impressions
I like the feel of the “overmolded” cheekpiece and butted—they lock the rifle in nice and tight without being “grabby” like other rubber buttpads. I do think that the cheekpiece could have a tendency to pull facial hair a bit, though.
The stock still has a bit of rattle of the stock. Hogue claims that the rubber friction fit prevents movement—you can see the rubber inside the tube here:
http://i.imgur.com/6wniBG4.jpg
but without taking measurements I’d say it moves maybe half as much as the MOE—not enough to bother me. As with the MOE, it locks up tight when shouldered.
The stock material does not have a cheap lock or feel about it—it looks and feels more or less the same as Magpul stock…with the textures maybe being not quite as nice. The pattern on the over molded parts is very subdued, and while I was not looking for anything gaudy, I was hoping for a bit more contrast. The stock at any distance looks purplish brown. This is not a big deal, of course, and it is available in other colours, too.
Finally, the added five ounces of rear weight really helps out the balance in my rifle. Paradoxically, it feels much handier now even though its weight has increased. Overall, my first impressions are quite positive—it’ll be interesting to see how it stands up to other stocks.
The rifle came with the Magpul MOE stock—as most folks here know it’s their bare-bones stock but I like it. The textures are good and, although it has a bit of a rattle, it locks in tight when shouldered. The problem was that at only half a pound it was very light.
I researched stocks online to see what was out there. I wanted a heavier stock but I didn’t want to add a lot of bulk to what is a short, handy rifle. There’s the SOPMOD-style stocks, which look comfortable but are bulkier than I wanted plus fairly expensive. Magpul has a couple of storage stocks—the ACS and STR stocks, but they also looked a bit bulkier than I wanted, and I don’t need storage. I was thinking of going for either a CTR or maybe a new SL stock, but they didn’t look to add as much weight as I wanted to provide the balance I was looking for.
I was going more searching online last weekend and saw a product I hadn’t heard of before—the Hogue Overmolded Collapsible Buttstock. I’ve used Hogue grips in the past on a number of my revolvers but I’d never used their rifle stocks—I liked the compact look and weight (a bit more than 13 oz or .36 kg), and Hogue has a fairly good reputation (at least for handgun stocks) so I ordered one up—in their “red lava” pattern at the suggestion of my daughters.
Overview
The stock is very similarly-styled to the MOE or CTR stock and operates in the same way. There’s a hard rubber cheekpiece and butt-pad, and three sockets for QD sling swivels
http://i.imgur.com/LD7H29Z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AA4lmaB.jpg
Here it is compared with the MOE.
http://i.imgur.com/73xEHnB.jpg
It’s a wee bit wider in the butt but not by much.
http://i.imgur.com/02ksz4G.jpg
and a little thicker across the top, again not by much.
http://i.imgur.com/msDu6z8.jpg
The operating lever is very similar to the MOE’s
http://i.imgur.com/cJFTNSB.jpg
Installation
Installation is identical to the MOE—pull down the pegs under the operating lever and slide it on the receiver extension. Easy!http://i.imgur.com/lCLrEsx.jpg
Initial impressions
I like the feel of the “overmolded” cheekpiece and butted—they lock the rifle in nice and tight without being “grabby” like other rubber buttpads. I do think that the cheekpiece could have a tendency to pull facial hair a bit, though.
The stock still has a bit of rattle of the stock. Hogue claims that the rubber friction fit prevents movement—you can see the rubber inside the tube here:
http://i.imgur.com/6wniBG4.jpg
but without taking measurements I’d say it moves maybe half as much as the MOE—not enough to bother me. As with the MOE, it locks up tight when shouldered.
The stock material does not have a cheap lock or feel about it—it looks and feels more or less the same as Magpul stock…with the textures maybe being not quite as nice. The pattern on the over molded parts is very subdued, and while I was not looking for anything gaudy, I was hoping for a bit more contrast. The stock at any distance looks purplish brown. This is not a big deal, of course, and it is available in other colours, too.
Finally, the added five ounces of rear weight really helps out the balance in my rifle. Paradoxically, it feels much handier now even though its weight has increased. Overall, my first impressions are quite positive—it’ll be interesting to see how it stands up to other stocks.