I’ve been using the Magpul CTR (Compact Type Restricted) stock on my PTW builds for nearly three years and it’s been faultless. I’m not someone who believes Magpul can do no wrong, but I do like utilitarian kit that just works. The aesthetics of many of their designs remain a huge bonus, however.

The CTR is a very popular design in the real steel world as well as in airsoft, due to its light weight, compact size, shielded operation paddle and friction lock – the latter which locks the stock firmly to the buffer tube. The friends I play airsoft with will tell you I don’t do wobble.

I spotted the Magpul STR (Storage Type Restricted) a while back and liked the idea – not because I want to store batteries in each side of the stock, but because I fancied a comfortable cheek weld. I always found the LMT SOPMOD style stock comfortable, from the very first AEG I bought in 2005 (a Classic Army CQB).

However, in gaining the cheek weld in the STR, you make a hefty sacrifice in weight gain – 350g to the CTR’s 250g. But oh! How comfortable that cheek weld is!

Naturally I went for a commercial spec model, because the OEM PTW buffer tube is sized between mil and com spec.

Needless to say, the stock looks extremely sturdy. You can find more survivability info on the CTR and STR, in Gear Scout’s excellent Butt Stock Bashfest.

There’s various paraphernalia in the box, including fitting instructions and a Magpul sticker, along with a plastic bullet:

The bullet is for leveraging the locking pin over the end stop on the bottom of the stock tube, if your stock tube hasn’t been milled.

Anyway, onto the stock.




Some comparison shots with the CTR. Notice the layouts are extremely similar, including the location of the QD sling mount holes:




Two AA batteries fit in the pods on each side. I guess it would also take three CR123s on each side, judging by the diameter of the void.

One thing I noticed is that the battery compartment end caps are rubbery and seal nicely over the compartment ends. You won’t be losing those like LMT SOPMOD stock caps.



I soon forgot how comfortable the stock was on its first outing, until I got a CTR equipped gat out and it felt like holding a razor to my cheek.

One word of advice, if you have the lipo mod: make sure your connector doesn’t get dragged by the stock when taking it off or putting it on. The STR appears to have recesses inside, where the storage pods lock in, which can foul the wiring. The way I got around it was by making the wiring snug with an elastic band.