AR15: Commercial vs. Milspec buffer tube - Question

[drobs]

OP - I personally am not a fan of QD sling mounts which I note this RRA stock has. Why? Because it's another thing rattle on the gun and another part you need to buy.
Then you get to find that not all QD sling swivels are the same size.

I like threading my sling through the stock. Magpul Moe:

Re milspec vs commercial - The above is commercial and I had to order it online as commercial aftermarket stocks are never on the shelf anywhere.
My Magpul Moe pistol grips have battery storage in them.

If your rifle is already built with a milspec buffer tube, I would look for a milspec stock. If your assembling this rifle yourself, commercial would work just fine.

Be aware a spare buffer tube, spring, and buffer will most likely become a complete rifle in the future.

 

[gunsrfun1]

All - Closing this out with what I decided.

I went with the Commercial version. That will put me at $140 delivered; RRA is offering free shipping this month, and they don't tax for my state. My reasons:
1) Consistency: My other AR has the same stock on a Comm tube, so this way, on the off-chance that I decide to try a different stock at some point, it will fit both guns. But that's very unlikely, as I don't shoot either gun all that much. So this is basically a "one and done" decision for me.
2) No functional advantage in going Mil vs. Comm, at least, for my purposes. At the end of the day, it's a metal tube. And anyway, as others have pointed out, "Mil-Spec" isn't always "Mil-Spec." (Great discussion on that, by the way.)
3) Price point: I agree that $20 either way is not a big deal, but I just couldn't justify spending $20 more for no real advantage. Even the $140 was a bit more than I was expecting to spend, but the only way RRA sells the stock is as a kit, with all the hardware. So I had to buy everything from them.

Thanks again for all your input. As usual, THR was very helpful.

OP - I personally am not a fan of QD sling mounts which I note this RRA stock has. Why? Because it's another thing rattle on the gun and another part you need to buy.
Then you get to find that not all QD sling swivels are the same size.

I like threading my sling through the stock. Magpul Moe:
View attachment 1181715
Re milspec vs commercial - The above is commercial and I had to order it online as commercial aftermarket stocks are never on the shelf anywhere.
My Magpul Moe pistol grips have battery storage in them.

If your rifle is already built with a milspec buffer tube, I would look for a milspec stock. If your assembling this rifle yourself, commercial would work just fine.

Be aware a spare buffer tube, spring, and buffer will most likely become a complete rifle in the future.

 

[gunsrfun1]

I'm starting from scratch; the receiver I am putting this on had an A2 stock, so either way, I need a carbine buffer tube.
As for the sling, the RRA stock has a slot for a sling, but I honestly don't use a sling anyway. I don't do a lot of "running and gunning." And if I do, the sling mounts should work fine for me. (I already have a sling with the mounts.)
And I buy all my stuff online, so no problem in that respect.
Thanks

 

[drobs]

I'm starting from scratch; the receiver I am putting this on had an A2 stock, so either way, I need a carbine buffer tube.
As for the sling, the RRA stock has a slot for a sling, but I honestly don't use a sling anyway. I don't do a lot of "running and gunning." And if I do, the sling mounts should work fine for me. (I already have a sling with the mounts.)
And I buy all my stuff online, so no problem in that respect.
Thanks

Sounds good, post pics once it's complete.

 

[N555]

You probably aren't going to find a "commercial" stock or tube unless you really look for it and even then might have to buy a used one.
Just stick with the "mil-spec".

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Yes, we understand that.

It dosen't stop anyone from advertising parts that don't meet the requirements as milspec though.

I stated the context of my opinion in my post #10.

Consumer-grade "mil-spec" is mil-spec in dimension only - to ensure dimensional compatibility with other mil-spec pattern parts.

Vendors program CMC machines to machine to mil-spec dimensions, but often don't perform QA inspections to ensure the parts actually meet required dimensions. QA inspectors cost money. It's cheaper to sell a defective product here and there and replace it when a customer complains than to hire a staff of QA inspectors and add more steps to the manufacturing process.
.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Can you provide proof of this statement?

I did, in my post #13.