M4 Type Buttsock Question

[tacstar]

When was the telescopic stock developed for the AR-15?
I don't recall seeing them until the early to mid 2000's. When I acquired my rifle in the mid 90's the A2 buttstock with trap door storage compartment was the predominant stock on the consumer market.

I was watching a documentary on the Norco bank robbery and the suspects used AR-15's equipped with what appear to be telescopic M4 type buttstocks which I was unaware were available in 1980.

The narrator refers to them as "short stock" AR-15's.

[44 AMP]

When was the telescopic stock developed for the AR-15?

The earliest one I know of is found on the XM-177 which was field tested in Viet Nam by the Army in 1967.

I have no idea when those kind of parts became available on the civilian market. I suspect that, like the AR itself, they got a lot more popular after some people tried to ban them.

[DMK]

I don't recall seeing them until the early to mid 2000's. When I acquired my rifle in the mid 90's the A2 buttstock with trap door storage compartment was the predominant stock on the consumer market.

That's likely because between 1994 and 2004 the Federal Assault Weapons Ban made collapsible stocks illegal except for government and LEO use.

There were fixed (non collapsing) M4 style stocks for the look, but most folks just went with the standard A2 or A1 fixed stock since it is more comfortable.

[DMK]

The earliest one I know of is found on the XM-177 which was field tested in Viet Nam by the Army in 1967.

When it was tested in the 80's, even the XM4 had that type of stock (Two position XM-177/Colt Commando/CAR-15 style).

https://imgur.com/a/KxtGoR4

In my research, the M4 as we know it today was officially adopted by the DOD in 1994. That was right at the start of the federal AWB, so that probably hindered a civilian adoption of these parts, although eventually there were workarounds.

[Destructo6]

Prior to the adoption of the M4 in 1994, there were Colt Commandos, DOE style Colts and many others with telescopic stocks.

I once owned a pre-1994 XM-177e2 clone, made by Eagle/Armalite, with aluminium 2-position collapsible stock. The stock rattled like crazy.

[44 AMP]

In the mid 80s I owned an XM-177 clone (semi), 11.5"barrel with the permanently attached long flashsuppressor, and the 2 position buttstock.

AS I recall, I paid $450 for it, owned it for a few years, discovered it liked to choke on (anything but FMJ) ammo that my Mini-14 ran through like a sewing machine. Having been a Small Arms Repairman, and having inspected / repaired several thousand M16s I was not a big fan of the rifle.

The reason I wound up getting one was simply, cost of accessories. Back in those happy days when semiauto rifles were not "evil" and no one was trying to ban them, AR accessories were cheap. For those of you too young to remember (or who never knew) a 30rnd stick for a Mini-14 was $14.95. A 30 rnd stick for an AR was $3. (yes, that's right THREE DOLLARS)

After Patrick Purdey murdered those kids at Stockton, and then himself, leaving the media nothing to do but focus on the rifle (an AK clone) and whip up a mass hysteria over "assault weapons" (which was in 86) I sold my XM-177 clone for $900. I have not, to date replaced it, nor do I have any AR pattern rile or any plans to own one again.

Again, I don't know just when the collapsible stock appeared on the civilian market but I can tell you from personal experience that they were available (though not common) a full decade BEFORE the 1994 ban.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The Colt Model 607 is the earliest model telescopic stock for an AR15 that I am aware of. It is no longer in use.

After that you have the XM177 telescopic stock that was used up until they redesigned the M4 in the mid-90s. Aside from that you have some weird variant telescopic stocks like the aircrew survival weapon or collapsing wire stock that could be used with the port firing weapon.

But I think the 607 is the first. Not sure why it was never mass produced as it looked like a solid design.

[DMK]

Prior to the adoption of the M4 in 1994, there were Colt Commandos, DOE style Colts and many others with telescopic stocks.

Again, I don't know just when the collapsible stock appeared on the civilian market but I can tell you from personal experience that they were available (though not common) a full decade BEFORE the 1994 ban.

I think I misunderstood the OPs question. I thought it was specifically about the M4 stock as in the thread title, not the two position Car-15 stock.

[44 AMP]

When was the telescopic stock developed for the AR-15?

seems to be asking about the AR-15 to me.

[DMK]

Yeah, the OP was clear. I got hung up on the title and dates.

[eastbank]

I bought a bushel basket full of m-16 30 round mags for a dollar a piece(take all no cherry picking), I was able to repair- replace parts and get 85 percent to work. several good friends and I had all the 30 round mags pretty cheap that we needed.

[DaveBj]

I'm not trying to be ugly, but the spelling error in the thread title made me LOL.

D