Madbull ACE Socom Stock
After getting finished with my Homefront project i have gotten a feel for Madbull products. Reviews will be coming on everything on the gun, but first out is the stock. Just want to warn that this review is from a pre-production model and that it could have been changed after this one was made.
Features and info from MadBull:
- Fully licensed by ACE Stocks, LTD.
- Full metal design
- CNC machined, lightweight aircraft grade aluminum
- Durable yet comfortable foam cheek pad
- Rubber pad keeps the stock secure on your soulder
- Patent Pending quick-release fast-change battery system
- Designed for Li-Poly compatibility
- Quick-detach sling mounts, integrated
- Mounting hardware included
Apperance:
Made out of solid metal and very robust. The high grade aluminum really feels great in your hands and shoulder and with the precision CNC making of it makes the tolerances very small. The cheekpads texture looks very good aswell how it feels against the face.
The trademarks are there and look great. It says “SOCOM STOCK ACE LTD USA” with big lettering and “MADE BY MADBULL.COM FOR AIRSOFT ONLY” in a smaller lettering beneath. All the text is on the left side.
Build:
As i said the aluminum makes this stock really robust and you can also feel it in your hands. The only thing that strikes me is that there is a little bit of wobble of the retracktable stockpart. It wobbles both to the sides and front and back, more about this later. I try out the QD-sling mounts holes with a MadBull QD sling swivle. They are so precise that if you get the swivle in just a little of an offset of the angle to the hole it won’t go in. So i had to move to swivle a little back and fourth to get it in, but when it hits right you will feel it. The fitting is perfect and when it’s in there itstuck in there as rock until you press the button for relese.
SlingMounts:
There is alot of options for slingmounts on this stock…and I mean alot! Total of mounts are 5 for QD and a hole for a traditional beltloop sling if metal slingpoints don’t fit you.And all of these QD points follow the same quality i explained before making this very versatile stock. I am using this with a Magpul MS2 sling and it’s so good that i use it as a single point sling, 2-point back sling, 2 point stock sling depending on where and how i want to have the gun.
The placing of these mountpoints are:
- Front at base left side
- Back on left side of moveable piece
- Back on right side of moveable piece
- Underneath of moveable piece
- Top of moveable piece
- Slingloop mount on top of moveable piece
Installation:
This stock is designed for LiPo batteries and this does that some standards must be changed. This part goes for all the LiPo designed MadBull buffertubes.
TM or equivalent:
On a Tokyo Marui lower reciver there is a “stick” with wings that the stocks attaches to.For this stock to function properly you will have to cut that piece down to about half. Then just fasten the stocks buffertube with the screw and bracket that comes with.
VFC:
If you have an VFC M4/M16 you will also have to cut down the screw that comes with since it screws into the reciver and not only the gearbox. Although you don’t have to do this, but then you have to take out the screw that holds the springguide in place in the back of the gearbox. Then it’s just to install as usual after cutting down the “stick” with wings just as on the TM versions.
ICS:
Well here it’s a little tricky but completly doable. Check out my build here: Homefront PWS Diablo. But i’ll give you a breif explination on what has to be done anyway. The adapter for stocks have a flaw and that is that the screwthreading is at the end of it. This has to be cut of for fitting the ACE stock. The modding you need to do is quite simple. Cut of the piece that has the threading and keep the “wings” and all, cut of just as much from the part that goes in to the reciver. Now you have a bracket for fastening the stock. Now the “wings” that go into the stock will have to be sanded down a bit for the buffertube to fit. When that’s done you will have to sand down a bit on the adapter so that the buffertubes lower part that actually goes in to the gun on a TM gun doesn’t make the buffertube to be pushed back. This part isn’t nessacery to do more than just for looks.
When putting on the stock first fasten the adapter on the reciver, put your wiring through. Next put the bracket and screw (that both come with the stock) through the buffertube and set it on the gun. Now take the piece with the threading from the adapter and start screwing it on, and line it up with the hole of the lower for it. When it’s in place just screw the screw from the stock and fasten it tightly. When that’s done mark the screw is it sticks into the lower reciver past the threading. Disassemble, cut the screw, reassemble and try to close the upper and lower reciver looking at the screw if it gets stuck. if you can close the recivers with no hitch you’re done. if it still sticks just cut a small piece of the screw again and retry.
Cheapmods:
Well as i said before there is some wobble in the moveable piece of the stock. There is a few ways to fix this. One is to put o-rings infront and back of the foamy checkrest and when you extend the stock just pull these to the back with it, this will prevent some of the metal noise when shouldering the gun fast.
The second way is to get ahold of some really thin textile tape. You know the kind that is tape on one side and textile on the other. Almost like surgicaltape but thin. Put a small piece of this on the inside of the moveable piece of the stock. This will make it a little harder to push and pull the stock, but takes away almost all the sounds when wobbleing. If it’s really hard to put on again you have taken a to broad piece of tape. Just cut of a bit and try again, will probalby take a few tries.
Sound likes to vibrate empty spaces in the gun and the buffertube is perfect for sound to enhance itself. To fix this problem put a piece of soundisolating material down the buffertube when it’s installed. Remeber to test it with the battery you are using so everything still fits the way it should. The more you get in there the better. If you mangage and have the time put some between the holding bracket and reciver aswell to get it even quieter.
Results:
This is a very well made stock. One of the better designed i’ve ever came across. Madbulls inovation and thoughtfullness that people actually want their batteries in the stocktube is a very good idea. This makes the gun look cleaner and with todays LiPo and other battery technology it is possible to fit them inside very small spacings. I really like this stock and it’s a keeper on my CQB/midrange gun for sure. With the MS2 sling it’s a godsend for me with it’s possibilities for shouldering and slinging it in diffrent ways within seconds.
There are some faults, but they are easy to fix with the cheapmods. On the Skeleton versions and the ultralight version the wobble it not an issue and would be perfect for someone looking for the clean look.
For the space inside the stock it is perfect for a smaller type LiPo battery. But if you have a ASCU mosfet there won’t be space. To be able to use this easy i would recommend the AWS Raptor or Stealth Mosfet because it’s all placed inside the lower part of the gearbox.
I will not take up the price because if you really want this stock it will be worth every cent. i live by the rules knowing is everything and cry once. So do your research before a purchase.
Only con i have on this stock is that i want a stiffer spring for the button on the stock so it holds it in place that little extra.
About the Author
Senchoo Started airsoft back in 2005. Now mostly working a day job and getting into the details of gear, optics and NVG.
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