I was able to buy a China-copy of the Magpul UBR to go with my Endotactical TSA-G. I went with the Magpul UBR mainly because of its looks. I have seen pictures of Glocks with the TSA-G and Magpul Compact Type - Restricted (CTR) stock, and it looked awkward, as the stock looked too big for the pistol. On the other hand, the Magpul Utility Battle Rifle (UBR) looked just about right with the pistol as it is less bulky overall compared to the CTR stock.
In fact, among all the Magpul stocks, as well as collapsible M4 Carbine stocks made by other manufacturers, the UBR looks the most compact, probably after the Ace Ultralight Stock. The Ace Ultralight Stock was actually my first choice, but I just couldn't find anybody selling it in the country, or online.
The seller advertised it as a "Magpul PTS UBR", but I know better, because the unit is marked "Magpul Industries Corporation" on one side, and "Boulder, Colorado, USA" on the other side. A genuine Magpul PTS UBR would've been marked "Magpul PTS" and/or "Professional Training and Simulation". Besides, the unit was priced only have of what a genuine Magpul USA or PTS UBR.
The unit is very well made, though. The workmanship is excellent, very little flashes, no unsightly marks, and the fit of the parts are tight, almost no wobble when the stock is fully extended. The only fly in the ointment is a wayward nut that was not installed properly on one side of the unit, causing it to tilt during installation, of which up to now I am unable to correct. Nevertheless, I'm pretty happy with the unit.
The unit felt a bit rear-heavy initially, so I decided to remove all the items that I do not intend to use with the unit, namely the:
- Storage Plate and Cover;
- Quick Disconnect (QD) Sling Mounts, both front and rear, and the Screws, Nuts, Washers, and Mounting Cups.
I actually wanted to remove more parts, like the Striker Plate, Butt Pad and the Screws which hold them in, but I found that removing them caused the stock to easily part along it seams, so I just retained them. The items I removed might look small and not weigh so much, but removal of their collective weight does result in a noticeable weight savings. I also felt their removal helped improve the look better, more open spaces on the unit, making it look less bulky.
Close up of the Magpul UBR Stock
‘Magpul UBR Fit to Endoctactical TSA-G and Glock 22’
I found the Magpul Utility Battle Rifle (UBR) Stock to be very easy to attach to the TSA-G. Just screw the Buffer Tube in to the TSA-G, then slide in the Cheek Piece and Locking Detent Housing, and then put a screw on the rear to secure the Housing to the Buffer Tube. Slide in the bottom part of the Butt Stock, and its done. If you had experience before of using a standard M4 Buffer Tube with a Castle Nut, you know what I'm talking about. But in the case of the UBR, its easy as pie.
The Endotactical TSA-G and Magpul UBR Stock Assembly
The UBR's shape and texture of the cheekpiece feels very nice to the cheeks, and the shape of the butt feels very nice on your upper arms and shoulders. The rubber pad gives excellent grip on your shoulder despite not having a rough surface. No wonder it is considered one of the best M4 stocks out there.
I found that I did not even have to extend the UBR's stock to shoulder the weapon effectively, it felt just right shouldering the weapon with the stock fully retracted.
The whole assembly (Glock, TSA-G and UBR) felt very solid, with very little wobble or play. One clear indication of how solid the stock system is, is when you shoulder the weapon, and then pull back the slide on the Glock 22, the stock system remains solid, and doesn't budge. When I do the same thing with my Glock 23 and its GLR440 stock, you could see the G23 move a bit, with its stock starting to point up and to the right. This is the because the GLR440 stock would flex a bit also.
'UBR Too Heavy for the TSA-G'
The UBR, despite its non-bulky and sleek appearance, is relatively heavy, maybe a bit too heavy for this Glock Machine Pistol configuration, a fact I only realize now. I checked its specs in more detail, and found the whole UBR Stock Assembly alone weighs around 1.7 lbs., which is quite heavy, compared to, say, a Magpul Compact Type - Restricted (CTR) Stock assembly, which only weighs around .8 lbs, less than HALF the weight of the UBR.
The added weight helps soak up recoil, but the rear-heaviness of the assembly makes it not easy to move around very much, especially when shouldering the weapon from rest. Another concern, is that all that weight in the rear is putting a lot of pressure on the Retaining pin and the TSA-G, which could result in some breakage in the long run during handling and/or firing.
On some instances, you could actually see the top part of the TSA-G separating momentarily from the Glock frame and snapping back into place, like when you snap the Glock forward quickly, or when you slap a magazine in. Quite irritating at times, and shows the pressure that UBR Stock is exerting on the TSA-G.
The inertia of that heavy UBR Stock is too much for the TSA-G, in my opinion, and will definitely be replacing it soon. I wouldn't recommend using the UBR with the TSA-G despite its great looks, solid build and comfortable surfaces. I would recommend getting a lighter stock assembly.
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