Gen III Law Tactical Folding Stock Adapter – Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

When it comes to making your AR-15 or AR-10 more compact, there is a solution…   …the Gen III Law Tactical Folding Stock Adapter.  The answer to shortening your AR platform for ease of transportation and concealment.

If you are unfamiliar, Law Tactical has been making Folding Stock Adapters for a number of years now.  They are currently on their 3rd Generation.  Incrementally refining their product over time.  And they make, you guessed it, a folding stock adapter.

The Law Folder lets you take any AR-15 or AR-10 gun and drastically reduce its size.  It works be creating a hinging piece in between the Lower Receiver and the Receiver Extension (Buffer Tube).  This in turn slightly increases the length of pull but allows for the gun to be folded  behind the receiver.

The operation is pretty simple.  When the Adapter is in the locked position, extended, you can fire the gun normally.  Then to fold the gun for storage or transportation, you depress a button on the right side of the adapter.  This unlocks the hinge and lets you swing the receiver extension over to the left side of the gun.

What about the added length between the receiver and buffer tube and the bolt carrier?  It has been solved.  The Folding Stock Adapter comes with a small bolt carrier extension that fits into the rear of your BCG (Bolt Carrier Group).  This serves two purposes.  It ensures that the elongated bolt is now in contact with the buffer when the Adapter is in the locked position and it also serves to keep the bolt locked in place.

The same button that is used for unlocking the Adapter so that the receiver extension can be folded, also extends out to interface with the bolt carrier extension.  This does double duty of keeping the bolt carrier extension, and in turn, the BCG from sliding out during transport while the gun is folded.  It can be further depressed to allow you to remove the bolt carrier extension for disassembly of the gun.

And for those wondering, No.  You cannot fire the gun while the Adapter is in the folded position.  Or, technically you can, but you run the risk of breaking something.  And either way you’ll be left with a 1 shot dead man’s gun.  Since the receiver extension is folded, the gun can’t cycle.

Which probably has some people wondering why they would possibly want this.  Because it folds the stock or brace and creates a much more compact firearm.  This can be advantageous when it comes to discreetly carrying a firearm.  Allowing you to pack a way more capable gun with respect to caliber and barrel length into a smaller package than you otherwise could with the AR platform.

If you are asking yourself, “Is that it?”  Yes, that is it.  It makes your gun smaller for transport and storage.  And depending on your lifestyle and job, that may not seem like a big deal.  But if you carry a gun professionally, or just want to be prepared with a better and more capable tool than a handgun, this is a legitimate option.

Are there any down sides to this?  Yes, there is no free lunch.  The cost comes on a few fronts.  On the one hand, the unit is relatively heavy.  Being machined out of 4140 steel, it is incredibly strong and robust, but also adds about a pound to the gun.  And if you’re taking a 5 pound gun and turning it into a 6 pound gun, that can be a big deal depending on how much you carry it.

Additionally, you are adding complexity and failure points to the weapon.  Thanks to the design, it is almost impossible to remove the bolt carrier extension without consciously doing so.  But if you happen to misplace that for some reason, the gun won’t function.  It is needed to cycle.  And it is not a part you are going to find at the local sporting goods store.

Also, and this one is more of a user error issue, problems can arise if the Adapter is installed improperly.  There is a set screw that tensions onto a threaded extension that attaches the Adapter to the Lower Receiver.  If this comes loose or is installed improperly, the Adapter can become loose.  When this happens and the weapon is fired, the misalignment of the Adapter and the BCG causes the carrier to bind.  Once again giving you a 1 shot dead man’s gun.

You may be questioning if the juice is worth the squeeze at this point.  In my experience, yes.  I’ve use this gun A LOT.  As a matter of fact, the gun and I have traveled all the way across the US during last years Coast to Coast Tour.  People shot it a lot at each range day.  And that is on top of all the rounds I’ve put through it.  Like anything else, maintain your gear and properly install the Adapter.  That will alleviate any issues.

While the appeal for this product may not be broad, for the people looking for this solution, it does an amazing job.  It allows you to fold up your AR platform for storage and transport.  Otherwise you are stuck with some sort of gas piston gun like a Draco (AK Platform) or a Sig MCX.  Not that those are bad guns, but then you’re moving away from those familiar AR pattern controls or you’re going down the road of yet another heavy gun and the added tail of proprietary parts.

The Gen III Law Tactical Folding Stock Adapter can be found at numerous retailers to include Brownells.  It is available in both a Black as well as Flat Dark Earth finish.  And retails for around $270.00. Is that expensive?  If you are just doing it for Instagram it is, but if you have a legitimate need to carry a AR in a smaller footprint, then it is worth the price of admission in my opinion.

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