With a new Magpul MOE X-22 stock, my 10/22 just got an upgrade. Yes, at less than half the price of the Hunter X-22 it replaced, this stock is an upgrade. It’s got fewer features, yet it’s still an upgrade. There are zero options for changing LOP and cheek rest height. But it’s definitely an upgrade. Wondering how that can be? For my “carry in the field or plink all day” rifle, weight matters. And the Magpul MOE X-22 stock cuts more than a pound off my rifle.
Completely stock, a factory 10/22 weighs 4.2 to 5 pounds. Weighing in at 4.85 pounds with a scope and a 0.920″ barrel, this rifle outperforms a factory one in every possible way. And a lot of that weight (and money) savings is in the stock.
Magpul MOE X-22 Stock Specs and Details
According to Magpul, this $69.95 polymer stock weighs just 18.9 ounces. It’s got two barrel channel inserts, for both factory tapered barrels, and the popular 0.920 inch “bull barrels”. That’s a switch from the $144.95 Hunter X-22, where the tray simply flips over. Installing the included tray for large-diameter barrels yields a weight of 18.2 ounces on my digital scale. Overall length is 28.6 inches, with a length of pull fixed at 13.5 inches. It’s got the familiar TSP texture in the grip area, horizontal grooves on the face of the grip area, and a matte finish. Available in black, FDE (tactical peanut butter), or Stealth Grey. Of course, it’s made in America.
“Built for lean efficiency” is how Magpul describes this stock. How lean? First, they eliminated the option for spacers on the butt. Although that 13.5″ LOP is perfect for me, so no loss. And the cheek riser options? None. Yet I can still get comfortable behind my scope, though I’ll be looking for lower rings. It’s only got M-LOK slots on the bottom, and there are two instead of the Hunter’s three. That may be due to the overall shorter forend. QD sockets? Nope. But it’s got sling loops for locking swivels, which is what my sling of choice is equipped with. Did they make this just for me? Of course not, but it does look that way.
Let’s Revisit my “Field Rifle” for a Minute
As originally assembled, my “field rifle” was pretty much the culmination of the most popular upgrades suggested on the reddit 10/22 sub. Starting with an OEM Ruger receiver, it’s got a threaded Acculite barrel, aftermarket bolt and charging handle, and a KIDD “Trigger job”. I also added a TandemKross buffer, KrossPins, auto bolt release, Advantage charging handle, and Fireswitch push/pull magazine release. Topping it off is a Vortex Diamondback HP 2-8×32 scope in some cheap rings. All this was sitting in Magpul’s Hunter X-22 stock.
At least once a week, a new member would post “I just got my first 10/22, what should I upgrade?” The barrel, trigger, internals, and of course stock were almost always suggested. The KIDD trigger is still recommended, though given the price increase, I think the Velocity is probably a better value. It’s got color options, but more importantly, you can get them flat or curved. My point is that this isn’t some totally random build, it’s more or less designed via crowd-sourcing.
Installation of the Magpul MOE X-22 Stock
Before installing the stock, I had to remove the tray for the pencil barrel. No wrench is included, but any decent wrench set should have that small size. I’m not a fan of how tight the screws were, but they came out with a little effort. Then I popped the tray out and dropped the alternate one in. Tightening down the screws, I stopped once I felt a bit of resistance. No need to go gorilla-tight. Flipping it over, I threaded my shiny stainless aftermarket action screw into the stock. Because Magpul doesn’t include that either. If you’re swapping from an existing stock, take that screw. If you’re building from scratch, add one to your shopping list.
With that all sorted, I made sure my rifle was unloaded, twice. Satisfied it was empty, I pulled my barreled action out of the old stock, and it went right into the new one without a hitch. Tightening the action screw, I made sure it was snug, but not overly tight. I’m not sure if the torque on this stock will affect accuracy, we’ll need to save that for range day. Speaking of accuracy, I verified the barrel does not free-float in this stock. That shouldn’t be an issue though. This rifle only needs to be accurate enough for small game and empty soda cans at 50 yards or less. It’s not intended to be a competition rifle.
Net Results
Swapping the stock and making some necessary changes dropped the weight by one pound, 12 ounces. I had several spacers, plus the taller cheek rest for scoped use. To bring the scope down, I switched out the Advantage left-side charging handle base for a standard Picatinny rail. And then I found some slightly lower rings, both of which cut weight even further. In its previous form, the rifle weighed in at 6.6 pounds. Fitting it in the Magpul MOE X-22 stock with these modifications brought it down to 4.85 pounds. As I mentioned at the beginning, that’s less than some factory 10/22 rifles, and this has a 0.920″ barrel and 2-8x scope. Not bad at all.
Conclusion
This time of year, it’s pretty cold in Utah. So I haven’t gone shooting with this new configuration yet. Though I know what the rifle is capable of, and don’t expect a change in accuracy. What I can tell you right now is that the weight difference is certainly noticeable. And the balance point is right at the front of the magazine well. With my support hand placed so that my palm is just below the action screw, the balance is perfect. It swings nicely, and I can hold it steady.
Since I didn’t use the M-LOK slots or the QD sockets, I don’t miss them. If you’re upgrading a base rifle from the factory, you won’t miss them either. Yet there are two slots for a bipod, forward grip, or WML, if that’s your preference. Shooting with irons, the cheek rest height is perfect. Adding a compact scope on low rings is still an option. And you still get the option of using the stock with factory and aftermarket barrels. So for my use case, the Magpul MOE X-22 is an upgrade over the Hunter X-22. Find yours on the Magpul website.
*Prices were valid at the time of publication.