Since the birth of the rifle, people have worked to make it smaller and lighter. This became even more prevalent as vehicles of all kinds became part of our daily life. From short barrels to modified stocks, a variety of attempts have been made to shrink our rifles, especially when it comes to the AR platform. Each of these adjustments has come at a cost to performance or fit, which in most cases is not a good tradeoff.

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One specific area of focus over the last several years has been in stock modification. The goal has been to take a fresh look at this seemingly inflexible component and help improve it. Troy has been at the head of this development drive, and its recent release may have just solved the stock challenge.

New this year is Troy’s Tomahawk stock. Designed to easily convert your standard or short-barreled AR into a personal-defense weapon (PDW), it is a leap forward in design.

While others have tinkered with the idea of a PDW-style stock, the need for a proprietary bolt carrier group has stifled their popularity. Troy has solved that challenge with the Tomahawk. In fact, the Tomahawk can be used with mil-spec bolt carrier groups, which makes it the perfect fit in the PDW world.

’Hawk & Roll

The Tomahawk is a modern, PDW-style retractable stock with an integrated cheekpiece. The stock shortens the overall length of your rifle by 2 inches when compared to a standard M4-style stock. Troy has also gone the extra distance and is offering versions of the stock for 5.56mm NATO, 300 Blackout and 7.62mm NATO rifles.

The cheekpiece is made from impact-resistant polymer, and the interior base of the stock includes a QD swivel mount. This is a critical and wise add-on in that it allows for the end-user to mount the sling of their choice on the stock in essentially the same position they would on a larger rifle.

The Tomahawk’s thumb latch and guide rails are made of machine-hardened, aircraft-grade aluminum, which provides a balance between strength and lightweight construction. The stock can be locked into five different length-of-pull positions, allowing it to comfortably fit just about any shooter.

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Additionally, the ability to completely collapse the stock down for carry or storage really allows it to shine. On a very short short-barreled rifle (SBR), the Tomahawk would allow the rifle to be carried in a briefcase or even on a sling under a jacket. Coming in at only 16.9 ounces (with the spring and buffer), the Tomahawk is ultra-lightweight while adding lots of capabilities to your gun.

Troy Test Drive

While printed literature and stats can sway our thoughts on products, it is always best to test drive anything before you really jump on board. I installed the Tomahawk on a 5.56mm SBR with a suppressor and took it for a spin. The SBR in the test is a dedicated PDW, and I was looking to minimize its footprint without sacrificing its reliability.

The first thing I noticed was the Tomahawk’s quality construction. This is a well-made and correctly fit stock. There was no wiggle or play, and the high-quality finish lived up to Troy’s standards. Installing the Tomahawk was easy, too. The kit comes with the stock, buffer spring and buffer. After removing the existing stock, the Tomahawk went on with little effort and no hiccups.

Shooting with the Tomahawk stock was a pleasure. The extended polymer cheekpiece allowed for a good cheek-weld at almost an identical height that I was accustomed to. There was no hunting around for my optic. More importantly, there was no play in the rails once the stock was extended all the way. It was as sturdy as the stock I had removed from the gun while being quite a bit lighter.

At the range, I ran a variety of ammunition through the gun with a mix of suppressed and unsuppressed shooting. At no point did the gun have any issues. The unique Troy buffer performed well and could keep the rifle cycling in a variety of situations. There was no noticeable buffer rattle or other sound coming from the buffer tube.

Next up was the true PDW test. The stock was collapsed as we moved to vehicle-ambush drills. This is where the Tomahawk stock really shined. Firing the SBR in close quarters is a challenge, and the collapsed Tomahawk made interior movement much easier. It was incredibly easy to exit vehicles with the rifle — yet another positive light on the stock as it was easy to extend and re-shoulder as the shooting continued.

The release button is placed in a very intuitive location, and the button provided a good indexing surface. As the day went on, I intentionally kept collapsing and extending the stock while running drills. The stock never flinched and continued to provide a solid base to fight from.

One specific point that became a highlight was the quick-detach (QD) mount in the stock. It is placed on the inside of the buttplate, which is optimal for a PDW. It allowed my sling to do its job without any hang-ups or snags. This is by far the best placement of a QD mount I have come across. At the end of the day, the Troy Tomahawk is every bit as good as advertised.

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Those serious about the PDW world understand the need to balance size with power and reliability. The Troy Tomahawk has jumped to the front of the line in every category that defines a good PDW stock.

For more information on the Tomahawk stock, visit worldoftroy.com or call 866-788-6412.