I’m sure by now that you’ve seen at least one advertisement for the Magpul Universal Carbine Stock (UCS). Maybe you’ve been looking for a replacement stock for one of the many gas-piston variants (or pistol caliber carbine variants) that have a 1913 Picatinny rail for stock attachment and the UCS looks just right for you. Well, today we’ll discuss the UCS, the B5 Systems Modular Platform Stock (MPS), and a product from Haga Defense – the 1913 Zhukov stock.
First off, I’m sure you’re aware that there are many more stocks available for 1913 attachment than just these three. So I’ll set forth my criteria that I used to pick these three for this review:
- Must be folding.
- Must have adjustable comb.
- Must have adjustable length.
- Must be under $250.
As you can imagine, between those 4 criteria, the number of stocks got narrowed down pretty quick. There are other fantastic stocks out there that you may want to consider (the HDA3 looks pretty cool), but there’s no way I can afford to review all of them. I can barely afford to review these.
So why these 4 criteria? As to number 1, what is even the point of having a bufferless system if you can’t fold it? Are you even trying at that point? Seriously, though, one of the big selling point of the bufferless guns is the ability to get them more compact for transport. To me, having the ability to fold the stock (and run the gun with the stock folded) is a key part of that. For number 2, we’re obviously seeing a huge rise in the use of Low Power Variable Optics (LPVO) and having the ability to adjust the rise of your stock to match the eye box is key. But even beyond that, when you have as many different types of guns that you could be attaching this stock to as you do now, it helps to have that ability just in general.
I don’t feel that I should have to explain point 3 terribly in-depth, as we’re all used to the benefits of collapsible stocks by this point, but as with point 2, being able to adjust the length of pull for different uses or shooters is a huge benefit. Yeah, probably half of us shoot our rifles with the stock fully extended anyway, but it’s the principle of the thing. If I can get an adjustable stock that adds capability for the same price as a fixed, why wouldn’t I (barring a special use case)? And for number 4, I’m pretty sure no one watching this channel is rolling in expendable income. If you are, however, I could use a sponsor. This stuff isn’t cheap. But $250 is still within reason for the capabilities that these stocks offer.
Magpul Universal Carbine Stock
Pros
A big pro for the UCS is the fact that the folding mechanism is reversible. So you can choose whether to fold it right or left. Why is that a big deal? Well, depending on the firearm, there may be a charging handle on the left side of the gun (Makasi, Robinson XCR, BRN-180 Gen3). If your stock is blocking that charging handle, you can’t run the gun nearly as effectively with the stock folded. For other guns, the charging handle may be on the right side (BRN-180 Gen2, AK). Same rationale applies – options are a positive.
Second big pro – you can adjust the comb and still use a rear charging handle. May not be a big deal for anyone without a rear charging handle, but if you’re an MCX fan it’s probably part of your criteria. The comb on the UCS is adjusted by adding included risers to the rear of the stock. You can place those risers in either a point forward or point backward configuration. When the stock is extended, this allows clearance for the charging handle to come rearward without impacting the riser.
Third big pro – the UCS has a slight downward cant when folded. Why does this matter? Because it helps clear the ejection port on a right-folding stock. As we discussed above, if the point is to be able to run the gun with the stock folded, it doesn’t help much if the stock blocks the ejection port and causes jams.
Cons
First con – this is a bit specific. If you are trying to stay within the eye box of a magnified optic and want a higher comb, the way the UCS handles comb adjustment may be an issue. Because the comb adjustment is on the rear of the stock, the further out you move the butt, the further away your eye is going to move from the optic. Now, if you run the riser in a point forward configuration, it does mitigate that to a certain point, but it’s still something that you will have to consider based on your individual setup.
Second con – when the stock is folded, there is a little rattle in it. Not enough that it will open itself back up, but it’s just not as tight of a lockup as the MPS.
B5 Modular Platform System
Pros
If having the comb adjustment on the back end of the UCS is a problem for you, I have good news. The MPS has its integrated comb adjustment directly behind the hinge. Because of that, you shouldn’t have any issue staying in the eye box of your optic. And as I just mentioned, the comb adjustment is integrated, so you can adjust on the fly if you need to without having to worry about keeping track of the other risers like you would with the UCS.
Cons
There are two cons that I can see with the MPS.
The first con is that it only folds to the left, which makes it hard to justify for firearms with the left-side charging handle. The second con is that because the comb adjustment is directly behind the hinge, you most likely won’t be able to raise it and still use a rear charging handle, so it may not be ideal for guns like the MCX.
1913 Zhukov
The 1913 compatible Zhukov from Haga Defense is a little bit of the wild card here, as it’s a Magpul product, but modified by Haga to sit on 1913 rails. It was originally put together before Magpul released the UCS and is also sold as an adapter only, so that people who already own Zhukov stocks can convert them over to 1913 compatibility. I would argue that if neither the UCS or MPS sounds like it would work for you, you may want to take a look at the Zhukov.
Pros
The Zhukov is right-folding, so it takes care of the issues for those with left-side charging handles. It also uses risers like the UCS, but the risers are located directly behind the hinge, so it doesn’t have the issue with the risers moving further away as the stock extends.
Cons
Unlike the UCS, which includes the risers, the Zhukov requires that you buy the risers separately. Now, they’re standard Magpul risers, so they’re not hard to get, but they are an added expense.
As with the MPS, because the risers are directly behind the hinge, you most likely won’t be able to use them with a rear charging handle.
The Zhukov does fold directly to the right, which can interfere with the ejection port and may be something to consider.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has given you some thoughts to ponder if you’re considering buying a 1913 compatible folding stock. If you enjoyed, give us a follow and a share. Social media really limits our ability to advertise, and organic shares always have the biggest impact. If you think I missed something or have a question, drop a comment below. Alternatively, you can contact me via email at guntoter.official (at) gmail.com. We also have a Patreon page where you can help offset some of the expenses that we incur buying gear to review as well as a store where you can buy apparel and various trinkets. Any profits go directly back into funding the channel.
