By Dean V. Roxby
The ProMag Archangel M14/M1A stock (product code AAM1A) is a well thought out and constructed piece of kit. While the original military configuration M14 main battle rifle is full auto capable, so not easily owned by civilians, there are several civilian pattern semiautomatic only M14 clones available for purchase. It is this large civilian market that the ProMag stock is designed for.
The M14 is known as the last steel and wood battle rifle. And while real wood has a unique warmth and charm that synthetic materials cannot capture, a molded stock has the very real advantage of being able to create any shape required as they are not limited to grain direction concerns. A free standing pistol grip would be a weak point on a one piece wooden stock as the grain would cut right across the grip. In a molded product this is not a concern, so a stock can be designed with human ergonomics in mind.
The first thing one notices with the Archangel stock is the weight. This stock is definitely not a flimsy, lightweight item. The material used is described as a proprietary, lightweight, carbon fiber reinforced polymer. It weighs 4.2 pounds, compared to approx. 3 lb. for the wood stock it replaces. (Author’s note: As it is very likely that many readers here are hunters, this author used his rifle so equipped on a black bear and deer hunt recently. After walking for an hour or so, the combo was getting rather heavy. If you do “spot and stalk” hunts, be aware of this.)
The unit is well made, with very little molding lines or flash visible. The included instructions mention that it is deliberately made with tight internal clearances in the inletted area, to account for variances in different rifles. This particular test stock was mated to a Chinese Norinco. The stock did need a bit of internal filing to allow the receiver to slip in deep enough for the trigger group to lock in place. This is a far better scenario than having loose clearances to accommodate any size receiver. The scraping and filing is not at all difficult, just a bit time consuming. This one required about 30 minutes of fine-tuning.
Initial testing was done with the original factory iron sights. Consequently, the adjustable cheek piece was set to a low position. Later on, a ProMag heavy duty scope mount (item # PM081A), and scope was added. Naturally, this resulted in the cheek riser being raised in order to maintain the proper cheek-weld. The riser is adjusted via a thumbwheel. The thumbwheel has very definite, solid clicks that raise the riser by 0.05” per click. The length of pull is also adjustable via another thumbwheel. The LOP ranges from 13 5/8” to 14 13/16”.
While the Archangel stock seems solid and well made, the scope mount has some issues. At first glance it seems rock-solid, being cast out of real steel. However, the set screws used to bear down on the receiver in order to prevent any back and forth rocking motion are very small. Applying too much torque may well strip the threads. In fact, the Allen keys included with this unit are already slipping in the hex socket of the set screws. ProMag should consider increasing the size of the set screws to avoid such issues.
The stock is equipped with two standard sling swivels, as well as four (two per side) integral molded-in steel inserts for ball-lock/push button QD swivels (swivels not included). As well, it features a small storage compartment in the grip, and an integrated Picatinny rail on the forend. It is available in black, desert tan, and olive drab.
Overall, this U.S. made (a small U.S. flag is even molded into each side) product is very well designed and constructed. The suggested price is $300. For more information go to their website at www.promagindustries.com/product-p/aam1a.htm
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review SAW (April 2013) |
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