I have a thing for folding stocks. Why? They add a layer of flexibility to any firearm that has one. I’m not the only one that thinks this. Look at the wave of new designs that have come out in the last few years like the FNH SCAR and the Bushmaster ACR and the newest designs we’ve gotten a peek at recently like the Sig Saur MPX and MCX with their super short stocks. And the Law Tactical Folding Stock Adapter.

All these were designed with military applications in mind. What does it do for us in the civilian shooting and hunting world? First, it’s just plain cool. Not many people have gun with a folding stock, so when you have one, people notice. When you have an AR with a folding stock people tend to stop and pay attention. 

Zachary Law designed the Folding Stock Adapter when his duty rifle was the Mk11 (the famous Knights Armament SR-25) and was issued a carry bag designed for M4 carbines. He and others carried the rifle with the butt stock sticking out the back. Clearly that’s less than ideal. Thus was born the concept of an AR with a folding stock. With more and more applications such as air and vehicle crews, coming to mind, he began the design process. 

I like folding stocks because it gives me more options for storing a gun. Have a standard length AR, but want to be able to transport it with the ease of having it in a SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) length gun case? With the Law Tactical adapter installed, you can do it. Want to carry an AR in your car in a more discreet way than you can with a full length platform? That’s right, with the Folding Stock Adapter you can do it. Yes, I know, this reads like a commercial, but I’ve wanted to get my hands on one of these for a long time. Just make sure you are within the applicable laws wherever you are. Did installing a suppressor make your gun case useless because now your AR is too long for it? Fold the stock and – BAM! – problem solved and you don’t have to mess with taking the suppressor off and then putting it back on…. I could go on…

Lots of people out there are looking for a way to have a shorter gun for all of those reasons and more. Many are going the SBR route to that end. That has its own challenges. While with the SBR you get a shorter gun, still retaining the ability to use it at the same time, you also lose noticeable velocity in most calibers. Also, obtaining an SBR is a tedious process, requires a lengthy paper trail and a long wait. And a $200 tax stamp. And some of you live in jurisdictions that simply disallow SBRs entirely.

The Law Tactical AR Folding Stock Adapter delivers the compact package without any of those drawbacks. Some have pointed out a theoretical limitation of the Law Tactical adapter: It is not designed to allow you fire the gun while the stock is folded. It’s not the fault of the adapter’s inventor. If you know ARs, you know that the gun has to have the receiver extension fixed firmly in place for the gun to operate. 

In the real world this limitation is a non-issue. Why you would want to use an AR with the stock folded, I’m not sure, since accuracy would be a significant challenge. 

When we received the Gen 2 Law Tactical Folding Stock Adapter, there was a bit of a sibling rivalry argument with my brother and fellow SHWAT™ founder Jonathan. He’s usually a pretty good guy and all, but if you have an older brother, you probably understand… We got it sorted out, but you’ll have to watch the video to see how it turned out.

Hopefully, you won’t have to argue with anyone over yours. Once you decide what gun to put it on, installing the adapter is straightforward. I won’t go into the installation details here, but in short, you remove the standard castle nut, and the receiver extension and replace the castle nut with the adapter. All the rest of your original parts can go right back on. Do follow the directions. I was short one allen wrench and thought I could shortcut the process. It didn’t work. 

Once the adapter is installed, it’s quite simple to use. Like most folding stocks, it is a push button design. Push the button and fold the stock. The push button is well thought out. It is easy to operate, but is somewhat protected to prevent it from being pressed by accident. To return the stock to its firing position, just unfold it. It does not lock open, so there is nothing to slow you down if you are in a hurry. 

Let me dispel one common misperception about the Law Tactical adapter that has steered people away from purchasing it. Many people, including me, have been told that in order to separate the upper and lower receivers with the adapter installed, you have to use a screwdriver to remove the bolt carrier extension. This is not true. 

To open any AR-15, you have to pull the rear pin (takedown pin). Just pull the forward pin (pivot pin) while you’re at it and slide the upper forward, and you’re done. Piece of cake. Law Tactical has a great installation video that also covers this. Bottom line is that while it’s slightly different than what most of us are used to, it is not any harder, or any more inconvenient, to separate the upper receiver from the lower with the adapter installed. 

I’ve installed a Law Tactical Gen 2 Folding Stock Adapter on a Daniel Defense M4V7 in 6.8 SPC with an 18 in barrel. That 18 inch barrel made in a tight squeeze for one of our gun cases and a no go on a great discreet bag I have. With the adapter installed and the stock folded, it now fits with room to spare.

The gun functions perfectly with no issues. When using the Law Tactical adapter, I encourage you to consider adding a quality oversized charging handle. It may spare your knuckles. If you are like me and love the cool factor of a folding stock and value the added flexibility for storing and transporting an AR, you should give this adapter serious consideration. It is a well thought out accessory that seems to be solidly built. It works on standard AR-15 and AR-10 platforms too.