The latest craze for the Colt/ArmaLite assault-rifle and carbine replica enthusiasts is undoubtedly the holy-trinity of highly anticipated release of the SYSTEMA Law-Enforcement Training replica and the ISC/AirsoftElite modular mechabox replica, as well as the new-to-market ArmaLite/Classic Army AR-series replicas and the slightly “older” Colt M733 from Tokyo Marui. Spurred on by not only a proud American tradition that continues to live strong with these arms, the popularity of these replicas undoubtedly also should give credit to their tremendous modularity, upgradability, and the sheer number of aftermarket parts – both real-steel and airsoft – that are available for these items. Among the latest craze to hit the real-steel world in this respect are the new-design retractable/adjustable buttstocks for these rifles and carbines. In the past few months, the Crane stock, at a high premium, has made its debut with the brave Special Operations forces that spearheaded Operation Enduring Freedom and our war to liberate Iraq. And more recently, we’ve seen the development of the Magpul Modular Stock System (MSS M93), at a somewhat more affordable, but still rather dear price (appx. $270).
Replacing the rattly and often uncomfortable retractable/adjustable buttstock for the M4 carbine or overhauling the full buttstock of the M16 full-sized rifles has even become something that airsoft hobbyists and skirmish players have started more and more to look into. Certainly, fitting an item that easily costs as much as the AEG replica itself as an accessory would give even the most well-funded hobbyist pause, but in the airsoft world, were we’re limited to virtually just the stock Colt-type replica adjustable buttstock or the standard full stock, many of us are amazingly willing to pony up considerable sums for what is essentially just a cosmetic accessory. Items such as the various “tactical/law-enforcement”-type adjustable buttstocks made by FIRST Factory, ICS, and Guarder/IS, hovering around the $60 to $130 range, are as sought-after by airsoft hobbyists as their real-steel counterparts made by DPMS and other marques. And despite its known shortcomings, the thumbhole-type RIGHT Sniper Stock is still in high-demand by players seeking to convert their long-gun replicas into airsoft “sharpshooter/sniper” rifles. Highly priced and often without much practical benefit, these items have been, over the past year or so, the only alternatives for hobbyists who didn’t want to dump in hundreds of dollars, but yet still wanted something “special” to decorate their AEG. Enter the latest player in this market, the VLTOR Modstock. I won’t waste your time, for the low-down on this particular stock, you’re going to want to read my friend MilitaryMoron’s assessment, found here. Here, I will present only an Airsoft-specific view of this item. As you can see from MM’s detailed presentation above, there’s not much for me to say about the ModStock that he hasn’t already detailed. My review below, therefore, will server only to compliment his writing, and will parallel its structure. First, I can confirm that on the Tokyo Marui replica, this stock provides a near-perfect fit. Wobble/rattle of the stock around the tube is virtually nonexistent, and the fit is superior to that of the stock TM unit seen on their M4 model (I unfortunately do not own the M733, and did not have access to one during this review) and is akin to what I observed with the FIRST Factory Law-Enforcement (“LE”) stock. Molding is excellent, with each part literally snapping-in with a precision that you’d be hard-pressed to find even on the best Japanese airsoft aftermarket parts. Just putting the various components of the Vltor Modstock together, you’re going to be instantly convinced that it is an ultra-high-quality piece. The only disappointment, if one must be found, is the rather large mold-line along the “spine” of the stock body. But honestly, that’s nit-picking here – and if your friends and team-mates on the skirmish field points to your stock and cites this as a fault, you can just turn up your nose and tell them to shrug-off, as your Vltor is a real-deal, not some El-cheapo Korean or Taiwanese knock-off. Besides, show them the precision molded interlocking fingers along the top edge of each Modstock Accessory Compartment or Cheek Weld Adaptor, show them the nifty “VLTOR” trademarks – that should have them drooling.
Unlike MM, though, I did not feel that there was much need to alter the design of the Modstock Accessory Compartments’ sealing caps. In so much as airsoft-specific use is concerned, the likelihood that we, as airsoft players, would be changing out the battery in our electrically powered sights and/or flashlights in-the-field is virtually nil, and IMHO, the extra security granted by the Modstock’s twist-lock camming mechanism is a worthy trade-off for security and weather/splash-resistance. But if you do engage in long time-span scenarios with a low likelihood or even outright no-return to safe-zone/rest-area, tethering the endcaps as MM did in his “Modstock Mods” section would be a good idea. In agreement with MM, I, too, felt that using the Modstock’s Accessory Compartment instead of the Cheek Weld Adaptor provided a better surface for my cheek to nestle. It’s not that the Cheek Weld Adaptor is uncomfortable – to the contrary, it is quite well suited for just that task, particularly if weight/streamline is a concern for you – but I found, as did MM, that the larger angle and enlarged contact area of the Accessory Compartment provided both of us with better ergonomics. While that is necessarily a personal-preference issue, what is undeniably true is that by using the Accessory Compartment on the cheek-weld side, you’ll also definitely gain that much more usable storage space. Like MM confirmed, Vltor’s claims of the “seam” along which the interlocking fingers run parallel to their interface on the stock tube being unobtrusive and un-noticeable is very much true. To my face, the stock felt completely smooth. I actually wouldn’t be surprised at all if, with my eyes closed, I’d not be able to tell the difference between the Vltor Modstock and the Crane’s profile. Overall, the cheek weld area is much, much more comfortable than what you would feel with conventional stocks. Oh, and no, that top spine seam I spoke of above? Your cheek won’t ride high enough to feel it, trust me. Moving on, I also share MM’s sentiment regarding the angle of the Modstock’s butt-plate. This is definitely an improvement over the standard Colt design used on the TM M4, and was something that I greatly preferred when I first switched over to the FIRST Factory LE stock. The weight of the stock isn’t much different from any of the other items, and will not appreciably alter your carbine’s handling characteristics. A few batteries won’t change things much, either. The Carbine Modstock’s length is actually also very similar to that of the stock TM’s. This means that if you are using the extended 6-position tubes which FIRST Factory or ICS offers, you’ll have a bit of a problem in that the shortest position will result with the tube protruding uncomfortably and un-acceptably from the end of the buttstock when the stock is in its most retracted detent. But otherwise, if you can remind yourself not to go so far “in,” you’d have no problem using this stock with the tubes above.
[ You can see by the two pictures above that even with some “foreshortening” of the pictures’ perspective, you can still quite readily make out that the FIRST Factory “LE” stock is just a tad longer.] Oh, and yes, the new ArmaLite’s from Classic Army also use Colt-dimensioned receiver/buffer-tubes, and therefore will also provide a perfect fit. Although the fit of the Modstock to these new replicas has not yet been confirmed first-hand, it is pretty locked-in as Pikachoad, site Admin of AirsoftPlayers, was recently able to confirm that the stock TM Colt-design retractable stock is a drop-in compatible fit on the ArmaLite. For those of you with TM’s SR16 or other full-sized M16 rifle replicas, you’ll need to retrofit your replica with the various aftermarket airsoft receiver extension/buffer tubes before you can hope to install either the Rifle or Carbine Modstock. As for sling attachment, with either the provided Uncle Mike’s Q/D swivel or the loop that’s provided at the top rear of the stock, you won’t have a problem finding something that’s just-right for you. Best of all, at around $120, this part won’t break the piggy bank, is ultra attractive, and will add a good degree of versatility and practicality to your current system. Give the designer, Eric Kincel, a call or an e-mail. He’s an excellent guy with a very personable attitude who respects input even from the airsoft crowd – and doesn’t look down at us just because we’re not Delta operators or giving him high-dollar military contracts. =) Allen PS: There is continuing discussion about whether it would be possible to convert this stock to house batteries to power the AEG itself. The answer is yes – but you’ll need to snake your wiring through the receiver tube and then out into the stock’s Accessory Compartments. That’s going to mean that when you want to change-out a battery, it’s going to be one hell of an operation, and likely something you’ll only want to do in the safe-zone, off-field. This assessment doesn’t come just from me, but rather, comes also from MM, who demonstrated the product to the talented AEG-guys over at AirsoftExtreme (who, I’ve been told, along with the crowd that was there during their beginning-of-May Torrance-branch Grand Opening, all rather slobbered over this product) and some very experienced hobbyists. In addition to this little problem, you’d also do well to get the Rifle Modstock instead of the Carbine. Due to space limitations, with the Carbine, you’re simply not going to be able to get anything more than “mini” cells into the compartments in cell numbers high enough to get to 8.4 or 9.6 Volts. The Rifle length will be a minimum-requirement in this area. But hey, if enough of us start purchasing this stock, I’d well bet that we might eventually even convince Eric to design a specific “Airsoft Battery Compartment!” PPS: Update as of 06/2003 Eric has expressed interest in doing a specialized airsoft battery compartment, but that will definitely have to wait until he can get over the current craziness that’s going on with his orders due to military and law-enforcement demands. The main problem with having a compartment large enough to house at least a 9.6V high-mAh capacity Sub-C (“large”) pack would be that its physical size will mandate that it be used on the weak-side. This still would present a problem, however, when and if you transition from strong-side to weak-side shooting (which is something that while all soldiers and law-enforcement practices, few airsoft players do – but should as it confers quite a bit of tactical advantage under both cover and in indoor CQB/CQC situations), as the larger compartment, even if contoured, would likely interfere with sight alignment when you have a full paintball mask on for protection. Actually, for those of you who are looking at the BoomArms Airsoft Crane Stock clone, you’d do well to keep this in-mind, as the much larger profile of the cheekrest area on each side will definitely be problematic should you use a full paintball mask, whereas the Vltor Modstock, using the cheekweld insert or even no insert at all, will work to obviate or at least minimize this concern. External
Links: Site links: TBA Comment on this review in the forums Last modified: Friday, June 13, 2003 7:49 PM Copyright 2003 ArniesAirsoft
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MM, I had decided to install an Accessory Compartment to each
side of the Modstock. This is so that I could maximize my battery-carrying
capability. As a guy who goes into the fray with the time-honored
martial proverb of “two is one and one is none” well in-mind,
my usual load-out of various sighting devices, weaponlights,
and even just handheld torches of various types, especially
for CQB and night-games, the ability to carry a few extra power
cells in a non-awkward and easily accessible spot is always
appreciated. 
