What's the advantage of a stock that folds to the left side on a right handed bolt gun? The 2010 and msr chassis fold to the right as well as the axmc, but all other popular chassis, krg, mcrees, all other ai's etc all fold to the left. Just curious as to why. I would prefer for my stocks to fold to the right to trap the bolt for a slimmer overall width when stored folded with the bolt still in but I'm not paying 20000 for an msr... Thanks.
why do most stocks fold to the left?
- Thread starter jeffl838
- Start date
I can't answer the reason why but I'm a lefty and own a KRG Whiskey 3 chassis. KRG suggested not getting the folder because when it folds to the left on a lefty rifle, the bolt will interfere and not allow the stock to click into the folded position. Kinda bummed me out since I wanted a folder. I guess I could just pull the bolt out for storage though and it wouldn't be an issue.
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As said, probably the bolt handle. Folders largely developed in the battle rifle/carbine world, so when you think of charging handles (reciprocating or otherwise) mag releases, ejection ports, whatever, a stock folded to the right could cause interference since those weapons were intended to allow the user to shoot with the stock folded if necessary.
I think folding stocks/chassis for bolt guns followed the trend even though the weapons weren't intended to be fired from a folded position.
I think folding stocks/chassis for bolt guns followed the trend even though the weapons weren't intended to be fired from a folded position.
The bolt handle gets in the way. The chassis named that fold to the right generally are made for a single action only (Remington 700, or in the case of AI, their own action), and even then they have to be specially designed to clear the bolt handle. Add to that, a Canadian company patented a right side folder that encapsulated the bolt handle and was trying to protect their IP from what I gather.
Our chassis are made to fit a variety of rifles which all have the bolt in a different position. Even the Remington clones actually have the bolt handle in a different position from one to the next. Our Habu folds to the right, it's for a Rem 700 only. Further, it does sound great to have a right folder but I assure you that just like anything else, what you gain in one way, you lose in another.
Justin
Our chassis are made to fit a variety of rifles which all have the bolt in a different position. Even the Remington clones actually have the bolt handle in a different position from one to the next. Our Habu folds to the right, it's for a Rem 700 only. Further, it does sound great to have a right folder but I assure you that just like anything else, what you gain in one way, you lose in another.
Justin
Folding stocks have been around for a while. But back when they were first introduced cosmetics were either a solid wood stock or a "space aged" composite stock, as dictated by what people were buying. As years progressed and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq drove the market for speedier AR/M16's options like IR lasers and CNVD became more main stream in the military and in LE, this drove the need for options for mounting these technologies on a bolt gun and we started to see options from Badger and a few others to allow retrofitting of then current stocks for the new technologies.
As time progressed ideas and modularity began to creep into the bolt gun world.
Unemployed aerospace engineers found work in the gun industry (or maybe just looking for a change) and put new idea's into the AR world, like monocoque platforms, increased use of titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber all rapidly began to show promise with mounting accessories, reducing weight and this started to bleed over to the bolt/precision world with added stiffness and easier mounting to to consistency in manufacturing and overall stiffness of the newer chassis systems as they were being developed. The curmudgeons who drive a lot of the firearms industry could not deny the performance of the newer chassis systems. Adjustable stocks found a small weight loss with machining aluminum and other high end materials plus the loss of cosmetic skins around the same time frame, give or take two years. The down side is more time in a CNC and light weight materials add cost, which brings us back to need.
The M2010, when the requirements were written needed to mount CNVD/COTI and IR lasers. There was also the need to fold the stock to the right for a thinner profile when folded and for added bolt retention when riding on or in a ruck, jumping out of a plane, helicopter or truck the reduced length is very nice. Knowing that your weapon is less likely to loose it's bolt with the stock folded and during aggressive moves, can't be beat. MSR, AIAX and Cadex are all descendants of this initial requirement for the M2010, and now the skeletonized stock is a whole lot more main stream, as are right folding stocks. To that list you can also add the Barret MRAD, and the TRG M110. The M2010 and the MSR (PSR solicitation) did drive the industry to a lot of the bolt gun innovation that you are seeing today, on the flip side, the cost's of some of these systems are very high, due to the large amount of CNC time and initial design work that went into all of them.
If you don't have the need to mount CNVD, point things out with a laser, fold a stock for easier movement in and out of vehicles, would all of these added features and weight be needed? If you do have a need to mount items like this the newer systems are incredible with how everything gets integrated and function together.
As time progressed ideas and modularity began to creep into the bolt gun world.
Unemployed aerospace engineers found work in the gun industry (or maybe just looking for a change) and put new idea's into the AR world, like monocoque platforms, increased use of titanium, magnesium and carbon fiber all rapidly began to show promise with mounting accessories, reducing weight and this started to bleed over to the bolt/precision world with added stiffness and easier mounting to to consistency in manufacturing and overall stiffness of the newer chassis systems as they were being developed. The curmudgeons who drive a lot of the firearms industry could not deny the performance of the newer chassis systems. Adjustable stocks found a small weight loss with machining aluminum and other high end materials plus the loss of cosmetic skins around the same time frame, give or take two years. The down side is more time in a CNC and light weight materials add cost, which brings us back to need.
The M2010, when the requirements were written needed to mount CNVD/COTI and IR lasers. There was also the need to fold the stock to the right for a thinner profile when folded and for added bolt retention when riding on or in a ruck, jumping out of a plane, helicopter or truck the reduced length is very nice. Knowing that your weapon is less likely to loose it's bolt with the stock folded and during aggressive moves, can't be beat. MSR, AIAX and Cadex are all descendants of this initial requirement for the M2010, and now the skeletonized stock is a whole lot more main stream, as are right folding stocks. To that list you can also add the Barret MRAD, and the TRG M110. The M2010 and the MSR (PSR solicitation) did drive the industry to a lot of the bolt gun innovation that you are seeing today, on the flip side, the cost's of some of these systems are very high, due to the large amount of CNC time and initial design work that went into all of them.
If you don't have the need to mount CNVD, point things out with a laser, fold a stock for easier movement in and out of vehicles, would all of these added features and weight be needed? If you do have a need to mount items like this the newer systems are incredible with how everything gets integrated and function together.
I just didn't see the purpose of left folding but I kinda understand it now to be a remnant of old battle rifles. I much prefer a folding stock because it makes it significantly shorter when stored in a backpack or the cab of my truck. I was a big fan of the way the 2010 caught the bolt and thought it was the standard direction stocks folded until I found it differently recently with my mcrees and upon further research left side folding is fairly standard. They're still good stocks, just wish it was slightly different.
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