Issue 06 Preview – Latest In Collapsible Buttstocks Patrick Vuong Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More Taking Stock The Latest in Collapsible Buttstocks For M4-Style Rifles What’s that saying about buttstocks? Every AR has one. OK, bad joke. But there are plenty of good reasons why this triangular piece of anatomy is so vital to a rifle. The stock serves many important functions, including serving as a key point of contact between the shooter and weapon, helping the shooter maintain accurate aim, counterbalancing the weight of the barrel, and transferring recoil from the rifle’s action to the shooter’s torso. As the science and art of running an AR-15 evolved over the decades, so too have the construction and design of this popular rifle’s buttstock. When the M16 was adopted by the U.S. military in the early 1960s, it featured a fixed plastic stock. Nowadays, you can find all manner of AR buttstocks — from telescopic and foldable to new polymers and lightweight aluminum. Some have cheek-pieces to provide better cheek welds. Others feature rubber recoil pads. Because of the growing demand for shorter rifles and the smorgasbord of products available on the market today, we’re going to focus on just collapsible stocks for M4-style weapons for the purposes of this story (and for the sake of space constraints). Like selecting a spouse, a pair of underwear, or pretty much any firearms-related part, it all comes down to personal preference. Our first suggestion is for you to go out there and handle any and all AR stocks you possibly can so that you’re familiar with what you like and what you want to avoid like the plague. For the rest of this article, subscribe digitally here: RECOIL Issue 6 Explore RECOILweb:Wilson Combat EDC X9Outback Chest System by BlackPoint TacticalNew Magpul MBUS: the Magpul Back Up Sights 3.0U.S. Army Combatives: Warriors NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.