THE GEN II AR FOLDING STOCK ADAPTER FROM LAW TACTICAL
I’m getting the bullshit out of the way first. The Law Tactical Folding stock adapter is not for everybody. If you fire a weapon purposely or negligently while the adapter is in the open/folded position, expect your rifle to be out of service until you remove or replace the adapter.
When I first started writing reviews, I thought a lot about who uses what and who buys what in the outdoor and tactical world. To be honest when Law Tactical first contacted me I didn’t even know this adapter existed and I developed some of the standard assumptions. However, during my research I found that both enthusiasts and professionals find great utility and success with this application.
The development of the adapter came from professionals who gained their experience as US Secret Service counter snipers, executive protection personnel, and research and development leads for their respective agencies. Essentially these are people who are educated in carryout official duties without notice. If you have a job that requires you to conceal an AR platform, or would like a convenient way to store an AR, keep reading.
The installation procedure requires a skill level equal to replacing an A2 stock and buffer tube with a carbine stock and buffer tube. Law Tactical provides complete instructions, and many online videos and articles have done a great job further explaining the install. I will add an important note regarding the carrier extension and assembly. Two channels or grooves are machined towards the aft of the carrier extension. When installing it’s important these grooves line up north and south. These grooves allow the extension to safely pass over the buffer detent. Law Tactical provides a tube of Vibra-Tite VC-3 Threadmate. This acrylic polymer prevents loosening of fasteners from shock & vibration. You’ll be doing things right if you apply a little of this to the screw that is used to install the extension. Contact a certified gunsmith or armorer if you are still uncomfortable with the installation procedure.
About the part
The adapter is machined to work on most .223/5.56 and .308 carbine platforms. The housing is machined from 6061 aluminum and 1018 steel is used in all other parts. I found all exposed edges to be buffed and a quick disconnect mount is machined into the lower area near the handgrip. The stock is folded to left side by pressing a half moon button located on the right side. A 3/32 hex wrench is used to tighten or loosen the pivot point. With the stock folded the rifle can still fire, but the bolt carrier group is retained by a blocking finger to prevent injury. If fired while the stock is folded the housing around the blocking finger will deform. During development a stronger housing was tested, but testers found that this damaged the lower receiver. In the end, Law Tactical designed the adapter to be damaged rather than your serialized lower receiver.
Test/Evaluation
The packaging is professional and the instructions are straight forward. The machining is slick and no blemishes were noticed. Like I said earlier, installation went off without any issues. I installed the adapter on my LWRC/M6A3-18” Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR). The M6A3 features a MILSPEC receiver extension and I run the Enhanced SOPMOD stock from B5. I’m the type of person who finds a lot of value in being versatile and LWRC’s M6A3 is an incredible platform when used with the right ammunition and a shooter who understands how to employ the platform. In my opinion adding the adapter to this rifle was a no brainer and only added to the versatility of the rifle. When it was all said and done, I was able to collapse a full length DMR Carbine down to 27.5”. Think about that for a second. I now have the capability to infiltrate a non-permissive environment with a DMR carbine undetected.
Performance is straight forward. I found the initial tension to be a bit soft, so I cranked the hex screw a bit and it tightened up nicely. Since then I‘ve had no issue with it loosening. Opening and closing actions are solid and when closed there is absolutely no play. I run a stock charging handle and did find clearance between the left horn of the charging handle and hinge point of the adapter to be a bit close. I’d like to see this area trimmed a bit in future version. Interaction between the carrier extension and buffer system was solid. I experienced no added drag or grinding. The carrier extension weighs a couple ounces, but for most standard carbines and short-barreled rifles it is not necessary to changes buffers. If your weapon has been tuned with a very heavy buffer or you use very light loads, the buffer weight can be stepped down to re-tune for the added carrier weight. And finally, yes, you’ll need to remove the extension every time you need to clean your weapon or clear a major malfunction.
Final Thoughts
It’s pretty simple. If you need a reliable and safe way to conceal your existing AR platform, get this application. Yes, there are a couple limiting factors, but considering the added capability I feel they are worth working around. DMR/Sniper operators normally require heavy planning and external resources due to their signatures and required space needed for employment. By packaging an AR application into a smaller and less obvious capability, you immediately enhance the capability and flexibility of the team. You can purchase the adapter at the Law Tactical website.
About EAGLElement
EAGLElement believes the outdoor and tactical communities deserve original and professional reviews of applications that add value to their endeavors. With two decades of successful military operations and a lifetime spent in the outdoors abroad dealing with experiences beyond the norm, EAGLElement understands the specific necessities associated with the outdoor and tactical end user.
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