Magpul CTR vs DT vs B5: Which AR-15 Stock

Buy the Magpul MOE if you just want a solid collapsible stock for the least money. Spend about $20 more on the CTR or DT if you want less wobble and a QD sling socket. Pick a B5 SOPMOD or Bravo if cheek weld matters more to you than weight. Our builders back all three.

The short answer

Most picked stock: Magpul MOE carbine stock, mil-spec. About one in seven AR-15 stock picks on GunPartPicker from July through September 2026 went to this one stock, more than any other. It's about $34 today.

• What we like: cheap, light and on nearly every store's shelf.
• Watch out for: no friction lock, so it can wobble on the tube, and no QD socket.

Best upgrade: Magpul DT carbine stock. The most picked Magpul stock above the MOE, at about $56 today.

• What we like: an anti rotation QD socket, a footman's loop and a wider non slip butt pad.
• Watch out for: it only comes in mil-spec, so it won't fit a commercial buffer tube.

Best cheek weld: B5 Systems SOPMOD. The most picked B5 stock, about $63 today in the government issue version.

• What we like: a wide, solid cheek rest that also holds two storage tubes.
• Watch out for: it's the heaviest stock here and the widest one to carry.

Most addedMagpul

Magpul AR-15 MOE Stock Collapsible Mil-Spec Black

Picked by hundreds of builders in Q3 2026/In stock

$33.99 at KY Gun CompanyCompare 9 stores+ Add to build

Also popularMagpul

Magpul DT Carbine Stock - Mil-Spec - FDE - MAG1377-FDE

Picked by hundreds of builders in Q3 2026/In stock

$61.70 at BattleHawk ArmoryCompare 7 stores+ Add to build

Also popularB5 Systems

B5 Systems Government Issue SOPMOD Stock Collapsible Mil-Spec Black

In stock

$94.99 at Palmetto State ArmoryCompare 6 stores+ Add to build

Magpul gets almost four in ten stock picks, more than the next three brands together. Daniel Defense's own collapsible stock is the second most picked single stock.

MOE vs CTR: what the extra $20 buys

The CTR and MOE share the same basic shape. Magpul adds two things to the CTR.

A friction lock. A lever under the stock clamps it to the buffer tube, so it doesn't rattle side to side. How much it helps depends on your tube. Tolerances vary between makers, and some owners say the difference is small.

A QD sling socket. You get a push button sling swivel point on each side. On the MOE you're stuck with the rear sling slot.

If you never run a sling and your MOE doesn't wobble, the CTR doesn't buy you much. We'd keep the MOE. If you do, it's the cheapest way to get a QD point at the back of the gun.

CTR vs DT

The DT is Magpul's newer carbine stock, and it sits between the slim SL and the CTR. Builders on GunPartPicker pick it a little more often than the CTR.

• Butt pad. The DT's pad is wider, which makes it easier to find your shoulder in a hurry.
• Sling mounts. The DT's QD socket limits rotation, so the swivel doesn't spin and twist your sling. It also has a footman's loop for a basic loop sling.
• Lockup. The DT uses a dual tension lock. Owners report it a touch looser than a CTR and tighter than the SL. Neither will feel like a fixed stock.
• Cheek risers. The DT takes Magpul's CTR cheek risers, so you can raise your head for a tall optic.

The DT only comes in mil-spec size. Almost every buffer tube sold today is mil-spec, but check yours before you order.

B5 SOPMOD vs Bravo

B5 makes its stocks around the same idea: a wider cheek rest that gives you the same head position every time.

The SOPMOD has the full cheek weld plus two battery or storage tubes built into the sides. It's the heavier of the two and noticeably wider than a Magpul.

The Bravo keeps the SOPMOD's cheek shape but drops the tubes. It's slimmer and about three ounces lighter, and it's often the cheaper B5 at about $33 today.

The Enhanced SOPMOD adds more adjustment to the SOPMOD design and runs closer to $95.

If you shoot with your head low on the stock, especially with a red dot and an absolute cowitness mount, the B5 cheek rest fits better than a Magpul's narrow comb.

Cheek weld and optic height

How high your optic sits decides how your cheek meets the stock. With a red dot on an absolute cowitness mount, your head sits low, and most stocks here work. With a lower third mount or an LPVO, you'll lift your head off the stock to see through it.

That's where the extras help. Magpul's DT and CTR take the CTR cheek riser, which raises the comb so your face rests on something. The B5 SOPMOD and Bravo already have a fuller comb, so many people never need a riser on them.

Which tube do you have?

Every stock here comes in a mil-spec version, and most come in commercial too. A mil-spec stock on a commercial tube won't slide on, and a commercial stock on a mil-spec tube rattles.

Mil-spec tubes have a flat back face and a slightly smaller diameter. If your tube came with a lower parts kit or a buffer kit from a known maker in the last few years, it's very likely mil-spec. When in doubt, check the receipt or measure it.

How we pick

Picks are the stocks builders picked most on GunPartPicker from July 1 to September 30, 2026, counted once per builder, among stocks in stock at write time. Prices are the lowest in stock price across our merchant feeds on November 4, 2026. Fit and feature notes come from each maker's listing.