Opinion needed re: stock butt pad preference

[Duffy]

Gents, your feedback and opinion is sought and appreciated ;)

Do you prefer a straight, 90 degree stock butt pad, or an inward canted butt pad?

If you shoot with the entire butt pad tucked into the shoulder pocket, 90 degree pad may be better. If you shoot old school, with just the toe in contact with your shoulder, then an inward canted pad is more comfortable, this is my observation anyway.

Thank you :P

[Slippers]

I've got lmt sopmods and most of the varieties of magpul stocks around. The enhanced pad for the ctr/str is my favorite for both offhand and prone. I find the 90 degree pads like on the sopmods to hurt and rub the skin raw after several hundred rounds of prone 308. I'm a boney guy, though, with almost no meat on my collar bone and shoulder.

[Joelski]

EAT!!! [:D]

I would be agreeable to a modded pad for the SOPMOD that kicks the toe of the stock in a little. That point does get uncomfortable after a while.

[UWone77]

I've always preferred the cant of the CTR/STR. Just really comfortable for me.

[fledge]

IThe enhanced pad for the ctr/str is my favorite.

Same.

[Aragorn]

I generally like a stock that's slightly toed-in for running and gunning, but prefer things closer to 90* when shooting prone as I get a slightly wider contact patch. For Magpul stocks I really like the MDT butt-pad for prone shooting, but it actually toes OUT at the base. Doesn't really effect rolling into the pocket much as one would think either. I'll try and grab a pic of it tomorrow if I have time.

[Duffy]

Thank you. A member on M4C made a wedge to change the CTR's pad from an inward cant to a more 90 degree like angle. I like the inward cant of the EMOD, especially its angled toe. I wanted to make an adapter to change the SOPMOD's 90 degree angle to EMOD's years ago, but the idea of plastic molds, the cost of it specifically, always stops me.

I recognize neither the 90 nor the canted pad is a perfect fit for all positions, I'm trying to decide whether to bring it to market (with the M4C member's consent), it'll be an inexpensive option for those that like a 90 degree pad. It'd be machined out of aluminum, so an unintended result is it can be used as a striking point on the stock [BD] I don't think we'd market it that way lol.

[Pyzik]

Hmm, never paid any attention to it. Though, I've done VERY little shooting prone so maybe that's why.

[Slippers]

Curious how big the lmt sopmod market is, although the (crappy) b5 version means there are more out there.

The only thing I'd worry about if you only change the angle is that it has no curve at all. What about an adapter to put a magpul enhanced pad on the sopmod? :)

[Duffy]

Will, the curve is still there, but the cant is mostly gone with the adapter. Magpul's butt pad is longer than the SOPMOD's, even with the angle there will be excess material that has to be trimmed.

[BoilerUp]

Curious how big the lmt sopmod market is, although the (crappy) b5 version means there are more out there.

What's your beef w/ the B5 SOPMOD?

[Slippers]

Will, the curve is still there, but the cant is mostly gone with the adapter. Magpul's butt pad is longer than the SOPMOD's, even with the angle there will be excess material that has to be trimmed.

My LMT sopmod stocks have completely flat butt pads, with no cant. Are we talking about the same thing?


What's your beef w/ the B5 SOPMOD?

Lack of quality control. I've had 4 samples. Two nearly impossible to put on several different mil-spec receiver extensions. Two extremely loose. All had lots of mold flashing leaving sharp edges, and the storage compartments were nearly impossible to remove.

I wouldn't pay for an LMT sopmod at retail. Too expensive. But retail for the B5 is hilarious considering how bad the quality is and how good Magpul's offerings are for much less.

[BoilerUp]

Interesting. I'm quite happy with my B5 SOPMOD Bravo. None of the issues you mentioned. I believe the DoD pays about $12 per copy.

[UWone77]

Not a big fan of the B5's either. Tolerances are not consistent IMHO. I think the only B5 SOPMOD's I have left are FDE. Never cared for the Bravo.

[Slippers]

Interesting. I'm quite happy with my B5 SOPMOD Bravo. None of the issues you mentioned. I believe the DoD pays about $12 per copy.

Glad you're happy with yours. The government buys massive volume, so economy of scale kicks in.

[gatordev]

That's interesting to hear the inconsistency you guys are seeing. I'm assuming this is with different types of extensions? Maybe not for Slippers, as I know you like the LMT extensions.

Everyone of my Colts have B5 SOPMODs (well, except maybe one which is a LMT that came with another rifle) and they all seem to fit fairly consistently. As a user, I think I probably look past any potential mould issues, but I'm not surprised to hear that would bug Slippers as a manufacturer.

[Joelski]

$12 for each SOPMOD? Damn!... Fuckers! [:D]

I've paid what I consider to be an above average shitload for my UBR I just had to have the strike plate after hearing Evan at Griffin talk about butt-stroking a combatant :snicker: so I believe that qualifies me as no stranger to paying for a quality AR 15 stock. That said, i can find no earthly reason to pay $200 more for a LMT SOPMOD vs. the B5, however flash would not bother me, nor some slop. Coming from Colt, nothing is as sloppy. I don't care if I got lucky, I'll take luck any day!

[Duffy]

Will, the CTR with the angle adapter changes the angle of the butt pad, but not the Magpul enhanced butt pad's curve. The standard, thin rubber butt pad has less curve, and is almost straight.

[Slippers]

Will, the CTR with the angle adapter changes the angle of the butt pad, but not the Magpul enhanced butt pad's curve. The standard, thin rubber butt pad has less curve, and is almost straight.

Oh, I thought you were talking about the LMT/B5 pad, not the CTR/STR. Totally understand now.


To you guys talking about the LMT SOPMOD being $200 more than the B5...well sure, if you compare the government price to the MSRP, which is ridiculous. It's not like our government was purchasing the LMT version for MSRP, either. Plus, you can't buy the B5 for $12. They're close to $100.

You have to remember that B5 isn't doing us any favors by charging less. They didn't suddenly think "oh hey, we want people to have the LMT stock for half the price." It costs less because it is cheaper to make for them, and considering the poor QC I've seen (plus tons of reports out there of others with issues), it should be obvious where the price reduction factors in.

With that said, I'll reiterate that I wouldn't buy an LMT SOPMOD at retail. It's too expensive.

[Joelski]

That was my only point: WTF buys those things at that price? LMT rifles are good guns. I consider them throw-in that still puts the firearm on the same level as H&K, or LWRC (Which, IMO stands for "Locate Wallet, Remove Cash)

[:D]

[Duffy]

In view of the $900 receivers, battle worn finishes, and anything that can be put into the "life style" category, $195 is what LMT has charged from day one, before boutique ARs and parts started to become a category of their own, I bought plenty of them before B5 Systems came along. Since it's a real duty/combat grade part, and LMT doesn't make Barbie doll ARs, I had no problem paying the price. It is kind of overpriced, so I too would buy them at wholesale, but retail? I'll give B5 Systems the business. The first Bravo stocks Mark sent us were hard to use, the latches were super tight, I still have one. One day I'm going to take it apart and fix it.

Mark Keller at B5 Systems is a great guy, and we do carry B5 Systems in our store, full disclosure and stuff :P

[GOST]

Roger I tuck the stock in and prefer canted. CTR with enhanced pad is still my favorite, tempted to try a MOE SL-K. My first B5 Sopmod was also extremely tight, but they took care of it. My friends joked that it was tighter than a fixed stock.

[Duffy]

Haha [:D]

I don't get the friction lock business, eventually it loses friction and rattles a bit anyway, you can't make it so tight it becomes difficult to deploy, I don't know if the Bravo stock is the result of the over correction.