Am looking at two different brand buttstocks for a 9mm retro style build. I'm looking at Tony's Customs C.A.R. aluminum stock. Also looking at Top Notch Top Ends Colt N-1 Style. Just wondering what other's experiences have been with either one. Not sure who manufactures either one but have heard the offering from Tony's may not be a tight fit on MIL-SPEC tubes.

I ran one of the Tony's stocks on a carbine for a while. Fit was pretty good on a mil-spec tube, although it did have the annoying habit of grabbing my beard hairs

Thanks for the reply I've read some feedback on other forums saying the one offered by Top Notch is somewhat better quality, this will be the first XM style I've used on a build. Like the Camaro in your avatar, sweet looking.

Thanks oldcatawba

I like the Essential Arms stock, but it's the only aluminum stock I've had in my hands other than the original Colt stock on my SP1 Carbine.

http://www.essentialarms.com/ieSTOCKS.html

EA on top, Colt on the bottom.

+1 on the Essential Arms stock,had one a few years back and it was pretty nice and looked very close to a friends Colt stock.

Thanks for the replies Essential Arms does look good.

How much are the Essential Arms stocks these days? It just says "Call".

The one from Top Notch is $140 but I don't know who makes them.

Has anyone tried adding a vinyl coating to the Top Notch aluminum stock?

As far as the price goes, I ordered one last week, it was $172 all together shipped, including a spanner wrench for the lock ring. I'll post a report when I get it.

$155.96 shipped for the Top Notch offering should arrive this week.

Attached File


The XM177 stock from Top Notch.

Can anyone give a report on the Top End stock? Looks interesting without the vynl acetate coating.

Got one last week.  It fits a mil spec tube pretty well.  Nice dark gray color, but is very matte and seems easy to scratch up.  The latch pin is a bit different than normal with it being held together by an endcap held onto the pin by a small c-clip instead of the normal screw-on endcap with a roll pin through the end of the latch pin.  Other than how the end cap is held on, the pin seems pretty much the same and can probably be swapped out for the standard design.  When placed on the 2-position tube of my Brownells XM177E2 clone, it fits well, but when in the forward lock position, the rear of the stock isn’t even with the rear of the tube (the tube is slightly recessed in the opening in the butt). Don’t know if that’s normal with a 2 position tube.

Most annoying thing is that sometimes you can squeeze the latch lever and it won’t move.  The latch lever seems to have a little fore and aft play, and on mine, if its slid to the rear, the lever will barely move.  If the lever is slid forward, if seems to work fine.  I haven’t removed the latch pin and latch lever to see what’s going on underneath.

What I’d like to know is whether there is some gloss black spray on coating that can be use to mimic the original vinyl acetate coating.

Thanks. Can you say if the matt finish is anodizing or paint?

Not 100% sure.

My .02, at that price there should be "but" in the review.

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


A few more pictures of the piece I got from Top Notch.

Pretty much the same as the one I got, although mine wasn’t quite as scuffed up.

Looks like thin anodizing to me. Not bad for those wanting a clone of the early XM177 stocks prior to the vynl acetate coating.