The
year 1994 was very significant for shooters. That was the year that
Bill Clinton and his Democratic allies in the US Congress
passed the now infamous "crime bill" that effectively
limited magazine capacities to ten rounds, eliminated flash suppressors
on rifles, and outlawed collapsible buttstocks on rifles and carbines
built after the law took effect.
There
was one and only one good thing about the CAR type collapsible buttstock&&.and
that was that it was collapsible. Aside from that one feature, the
design sucked. It was both ugly and uncomfortable, but it did have
that unique ability to collapse for handier storage. Now, many post
ban AR-15 carbines are sold with that same style collapsible buttstock,
except that the buttstock no longer has the ability to collapse
for storage. It still has the same look, and it is still uncomfortable,
it just no longer has that unique ability to collapse.
I
recently acquired a great little DPMS carbine that is light
and handy, but it came supplied with that abominable CAR type collapsible
buttstock that does not collapse. I immediately set out to
rectify that situation. I placed a call to Bushmaster and
ordered one of their ACE skeleton buttstocks.
The
ACE skeleton stock is an easy replacement for the carbine or rifle
AR-15 buttstock. The ACE is unique in that it uses the existing
buffer tube from the A2 stock for the cheek piece. A foam sleeve
slides over the buffer tube, and the skeleton stock screws to the
tube just as the A2 stock does. The kit also came with a rubber
butt pad, which adds greatly to the comfort of the butt plate, and
provides a nonskid surface to the butt of the rifle. It comes with
a sling swivel that can be attached on either the right or left
side, or at the toe of the stock. The ACE skeleton stock also weighs
about a half of a pound less than the CAR type stock.
After
the installation of the ACE stock, the ergonomics of the DPMS carbine
was greatly improved. The ACE looks better, feels better, and weighs
less. The foam covered buffer tube provides the most comfortable
cheek weld of any AR-15 stock I have ever tried. The ACE is available
to fit the AR-15 rifle or carbine. It can be purchased directly
from Bushmaster for $105.95, and is well worth the money for the
great improvement in the shootability and handling of the rifle.
Check
it out online at: www.bushmaster.com.
Jeff Quinn
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