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Stickman
11 June 2009, 20:55
MAGPUL ACS


www.magpul.com


Magpul is well known for their stocks, as well as other equipment that they make for the AR15/ M16 family of weapons. I've been using a prototype Magpul ACS stock since the later portion of 2008. What follows are my thoughts on the stock, and I'll try to answer some of the more common questions I've been asked.



Starting with an overview, the Magpul Adaptive Carbine Storage Stock (ACS) is a carbine stock, and is medium weight at .75lbs. For comparison, the Magpul CTR weighs in at .57lbs, and the Magpul UBR comes in at a more hefty 1.25lbs. The stock is polymer, and similar in material to other Magpul stocks, which should make for a stock which can hold up to more than its fair share of abuse. It also has multiple compartments for storage, more about that a little later. The Magpul ACS continues in the CTR tradition in that is uses a cam lever which locks the stock to the carbine receiver extension (buffer tube).



http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9592%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:06
Starting from the shooters left side of the stock, the Magpul ACS has clean smooth lines. While that may seem more like a nicety, or simply to look good, the ergonomics are highly function, and the stock has a snag free overall feel to it. When deploying from inside a vehicle, especially a police cruiser or military vehicle loaded with troops and equipment, the last thing anyone needs is a sharp edge getting caught up or snagged. Most LEO are deploying carbines to high threat situations, and speed is often of the essence. There is no point in having equipment hang up as you are trying to pull your weapon out of your overhead rack, which is already awkward in the best of situations.

Moving along its lines, we can also see that the Magpul ACS is available with QD sockets, which are useful for those people who enjoy a sling mounted to their stock. A standard sling mount is also built in for shooters who prefer a more permanent mounting point.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9644%201024%20Stick%20WEVO.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:14
Moving over to the other side, we can immediately see a storage compartment.

This compartment is easily accessible, and can be used for many things, to include earplugs, bore snake, lube or any other small items you can think of. The inside is hard polymer, and will rattle if hard items are dropped inside without cushion, so an easy fix that I've seen people use is to throw in a few foam ear plugs. These will silence any rattle, and are always useful at the range for when your shooting partner forgot theirs.

QD mounts are ambi, and are also removable for those who see no need for them. Battery storage continues on both sides as well.

The locking cam integrates smoothly into the body when locked into position.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9643%201024%20Stick%20WEVO.jpg


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9645%201024%20Stick%20WEVO.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:19
The rear of the ACS continues with the same rubber pad that the CTR and UBR use. This gives nice traction, especially when in heavy armor or when shooting in nylon jackets. The ACS will be able to wear the upcoming Magpul enhanced stock pad, which will slightly increase the length of pull, and will decrease felt recoil. While felt recoil may not be a large issue for most shooters with the .223/ 5.56 calibers, this stock will also work nicely with its heavier caliber siblings like the 6.5, 6.8, and .308.



http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9646%201024%20Stick%20WEVO.jpg


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%20III/0O2P0971-1028-Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:25
While the above features are all nice, its the battery compartments that give the ACS its solid cheekweld, and all of the LEO and MIL who have used this stock for dryfire or live shooting have liked the feel when pulled up to their face.

The ACS will hold three of the 3 volt 123A batteries in each side, or two of the standard 1.5 volt AA batteries. Storage is simple, and the multiple ridges ensure a waterproof and positive seal. The angled end is a nice touch, and show that Magpul wanted to make sure that the caps wouldn't be snagged on anything. The caps face to the rear of the stock, and there is no need to remove the stock from the receiver extension (buffer tube) to gain access.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9657%201024%20stick%20WEVO.jpg


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9660%201024%20Stick%20WEVO.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:41
The Magpul ACS stock has now replaced the early model CTR that I've carried on my duty weapon since the CTR was a prototype stock. The timing is convenient as I've also recently changed out my duty weapon. The CTR will stay on the old weapon, and the ACS sits on the new one.

As we get to the end of this review, I want to take a moment and answer a few of the questions that I have been asked on various boards and in email.

One of the most common question I get is about how it feels. I realize that is a very subjective question, and its also one that varies depending on the configuration of the weapon. With that in mind, I've made it a point to run live fire, or at a minimum do dry fire drills with this lower on various uppers.



I'll start out with a heavy carbine. While a team member in Desert Storm, from time to time I carried the M203. The weapon was heavy, and long. While the below picture is obviously much shorter than the 20" M16 I carried, it is much closer to what troops are carrying now (obviously minus the LMT piston upper). As anyone who has humped a 203 around knows, the firepower is nice, but the weight when shooting is unbalanced to say the least. The Magpul ACS stock is NOT heavy enough to offset that balance, but the cheekweld makes a large difference to me when compared to a standard M4 stock while firing the carbine. I've not live fired this 203, so I'll with hold comment on that until I do.

Overall, a heavy carbine feels better to me with the ACS.

http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9628%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:46
From a heavy carbine, we move to a longer variant. There are foreign military units that are carrying a 20" upper on a carbine lower, and there are US military units that have been kicking around the idea as well. The Magpul ACS is not going to balance out a long upper, but I think that most people will understand that if they are seriously looking at this layout.

The cheekweld gives a solid feel on the below weapon, but for myself, I would still rather have a UBR for an adjustable stock. Granted, thats not what this thread is about, but I call it like I see it. I will say that when compared to a standard carbine stock on a rifle upper, the ACS is a big improvement.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9601%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:49
Moving down in size, we come to the 18" barreled weapons. While not overly common when compared to their 16" counterparts, in my opinion, they are a better handling precision weapon that the 20" versions, and what they lack in velocity, they make up for in portability.

I wouldn't have thought that two inches would have made that much of a difference, but the feel was much different to me. While the 20" needed a UBR for perfection, the 18" (shown below) fits nicely to me with the ACS. For the 18" barreled weapons, either the UBR or ACS would work nicely.



http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9605%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 21:56
The below upper is my new duty weapon, and is a 16" barrel similar to what you will find on most of the carbines in civilian and LE hands. This particular upper is a complete Noveske N4, which includes the MUR, and SWS rail which locks into the MUR. Most importantly, it comes with the Noveske Cold Hammer Forged barrel.

On this weapon, the weight of the ACS creates a good balance, and makes for a great overall feel. While I didn't feel an offset with the longer barreled and heavier weapons, with this carbine, the ACS feel better in balance than the CTR. Part of that could simply be the cheekweld feeling so much better that subconsciously I like it more, but my perception is my own, and thats why I'm using it in place of the proven CTR stock.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9614%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 22:03
From the 16", I went to the 14.5" barrel to get a feel for any differences. While its shown below loaded up, I also ran drills without the extra weight. The longer DD M4A1 RIS II rail creates some leverage, and really felt similar to the above 16" carbine layout. Overall, that 1.5" barrel length was not enough for me to feel any difference, especially when the carbines were not laid out exactly the same.

The 14.5" and 16" barreled carbine are great with the ACS, and for me, this becomes an almost idea stock for a general purpose carbine.


http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9606%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
11 June 2009, 22:09
Next in the series of shorter barrels is the 12.5". This weapon is setup with a rail, but feel much lighter than the 14.5" carbine. The balance and overall feel is nice, and when I compare the ACS to the CTR, the CTR comes in pretty close, but in this configuration, the ACS is still the winner. I'll point out that the ACS stock testing was all done without any batteries, and while I feel that there would have been a weight and balance difference with the stock loaded up, I don't think it would have been enough to seriously alter any of my comments.




http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9594%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
12 June 2009, 20:31
The 11.5" barrel starts giving a different overall feel, or at least it does in the configuration I tested below. With the shorter barrel, the CTR starts to really even up things. Its more than just balance or cheekweld, its an overall feel of the weapon. I'm not sure if this makes any sense, especially when I've carried a CTR for years, but the CTR keeps a minimalistic feel that somehow seems right with the shorter barrel. I have a feeling that this might change if I threw on more weight to the below weapon, but as it sits, it would be a toss up between the two stocks. If you look hard enough, you will see that there isn't a gas tube in the below carbine, and I'm more than happy to point out that I did not live fire with this upper. I've got another 11.5" barrel with a SIR, and the ACS feels good on that one, perhaps part of it is that its got a heavy barrel. This brings me back to the weight up front on the weapon, and it also goes to show that a large portion of things are a matter of personal preference.





http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Magpul%204/IMG_9609%201024%20Stick.jpg

Stickman
12 June 2009, 20:40
This thread will be updated with additional information, pictures and Q&A shortly, but I wanted to get this posted.

Obviously the ACS stock will be available through the various Magpul dealers and distributors. The actual production release date has not been confirmed as of this moment. Please don't call Magpul or email them every day looking for answers. Magpul is not giving release dates for production items anymore.


Information about the Magpul ACS stock can be found in the below discussion thread. If you have question or comments, feel free to fire away.


MAGPUL ACS DISCUSSION THREAD (http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10539#post10539)

Stickman
12 August 2009, 14:28
The Magpul ACS has now been released. Take a look at the below PDF for more information directly from Magpul.


http://www.magpul.com/pdfs/ACSNewsfeed.pdf