Magpul MOE Fixed Rifle Stock Review
Collapsible stocks are nice. They allow the shooter adjust the rifle’s length of pull to suit their body and their shooting position rapidly and rather quietly. But not everybody likes the adjustable stock, for some, a solid feel and rugged credibility of a AR-15 fixed stock are superior. And after that, there are those unfortunate souls who live in places that do not have things such as freedom and cannot enjoy the pleasures of a regulated stock. For them, a fixed stock is a requirement. And for all those that feel the need for fixed stock, Magpul has a brand new product that just begun shipping a week ago.
Magpul made its name through its adjustable stocks for the AR-15 and M4 platforms. In a market where the status quo was the rather awful looking mil-spec, stock, Magpul brought some of their now famous design and styling skills to carry and produced a stock that’s currently as popular as it is recognizable. Therefore when Magpul announced that their brand new AR-15 product for the year was going to be a fixed stock at the SHOT Show in January, I was a little&hellip, underwhelmed. There isn’t anything sexy about a fixed stock, and it did not help that the prototype felt a bit fragile on the show floor.
Oh, how I was wrong. It turns out I just had it too soon in the pre-production lifecycle and in the wrong context. Some weeks back I asked Drew to Magpul for some 308 PMAGs for McMillan CS5. And, much to my surprise, when I opened the box there was also an Magpul MOE Rifle Stock in there, too. And I knew exactly where to put it: on my hunting rifle. There is a big difference between good, solid fixed stock and collapsible stock in the way a gun feels and handles. While the collapsible stock has some advantages; they can feel a little flimsy.
As you can never get a good solid shooting position. Which, for precision shooting, is kinda important. That is where the fixed stock comes in, giving the shooter a solid point of contact for the butt of the rifle and keeping wobble to a minimum. That is where I’d say the wrong context on this thing. In SHOT, I imagined it in typical Magpul Dynamics style shootout. In reality, however, this thing is more at home when you are reaching out and touching something at a distance. Which is exactly why I’ve UBR’s Magnifier or Utility Battle Rifle stock on my go-to long distance rifle, it gives me a stable shooting platform that feels much better than the standard flimsy collapsible stock, AND adds some balance to the front heavy rifle. There’s one drawback though: the thing costs about one firstborn son. I do believe it’s, in fact, the most costly product they sell. Which is where Magpul’s MOE rifle stock fits into the equation.
The production version of the stock fixes all the pre-production hiccups I saw in SHOT. What we’ve here’s a solid feeling piece of equipment, like extremely polished like the rest of Magpul’s proposals and with the same familiar texture on the surface. It looks and feels like it may take a beating in the field, or at least more than its adjustable counterparts. Speaking of look, one of the things I hate about the AR-15 design is that it was styled to work with a fixed buttstock like the A1 or A2. As such, there is a ledge on the rear of the gun similarly designed to accommodate the stock, and once that stock isn’t there it just looks terrible.
Magpul’s fixed store fills that space well enough, providing a much more polished and balanced look to the gun. At least, in my view. Then again, the standard A1 and A2 stocks will do that same thing and feel about the same. The difference with Magpul’s version, and their value added, features, are the sling attachment points. Not only does the stock have a slot in the back for a standard sling, but it also has removable QD mounts for one point along with other sling configurations. They are easy to install, fast to change, and adaptable to the mission at hand.
Another nice feature is the storage compartment in the back. It is both more significant and more accessible than the A1\/A2 style stock, which lets you put more stuff in there. For me, I am using that space as a convenient way to keep my hunting license, hunter education card, and Form 4 for my muffler in one convenient location that I will not lose or forget when running out the door. The fewer documents I need to remember happier I’ll be. The side effect of the storage compartment design is the screw holding the thing together is hidden. For the M4 style collapsible stocks, the buffer tube and endplate are held in place of the lock nut and some friction, but on the initial design Stoner simply had a screw towards the end of the buffer tube directly linked to the stock to keep it in place. On the A1\/A2 designs, the screw is permanently exposed, and any replaceable buttpads need to be designed to let the end user access that screws. But since Magpul placed the screw on the inside, they can use the same replacement pads as their existing PRS line of PRS rifles.
Therefore, from day one there are replacements available.
The stock works great, but I’ve one cautionary statement about its product. The MOE, moniker stands for Magpul Original Equipment, a designation that means it’s designed to fit on existing milspec firearms of similar design. So if you’re expecting to buy this and swap it for your existing collapsible stock, be aware that you will need to buy a NEW extension tube \/ buffer tube, a NEW buffer, and a NEW spring. Particularly the old style. This was designed to be a drop-in replacement for the A1\/A2 stock, and as such uses their mounting equipment. The M4 requires a radically different configuration to make a foldable stock to work, and it isn’t backward compatible.
If you are searching for a fixed rifle stock for your AR-15, look no further. Magpul’s MOE rifle stock offers the best balance of tough stability, adaptable functionality and balance for money. Also, it just looks so damn good.