CAR stocks & rattling?

This could probably be posted in the General AR forum, but since it pertains to an aluminum stock, I thought I'd post it here:

I just received a commercial (B-stamped; Bushmaster?) aluminum carbine stock that I purchased on the EE. (Has the crinkle finish that I'm planning to strip and replace with powder coating.) It came with a 3-position tube. The stock and tube are in great shape, but I was surprised at the amount of "play" between the two. I'm pretty sure they're both commercial spec, so I don't think it's a question of a commercial stock paired with a (slimmer) mil-spec tube. Do commercial stocks & tubes just rattle more, even when properly paired together, compared to mil-spec stocks & tubes?

Those of you fortunate enough to have original vinyl-coated CAR-15 stocks with 2-position tubes: do they rattle a bit? Or do they slide up & down like a well-oiled machine, with zero play? What about mil-spec M4 stocks & tubes (not aftermarket parts: MagPul, etc.)? This is my first carbine stock of any type, so I don't know what the standard should be.

Thanks.

My Essential arms(powder coated one) rattled. I took off the stock and applied felt material that has sticky on the backing on the buffer tube.

Thanks gordog. If the real mil-spec ones rattled a bit too, then I don't have a problem with it. But if mil-spec stocks were tight & smooth, whereas commercial stocks are rattle-ey, then it's going to bug me.

I have two bushy aluminum stocks like that. Loose fit and rattles way too much. I have a plastic one on there now thats nice an tight.

Hate to be a pooper, but the two EA buttstocks I have I put on commercial Bushmaster extensions and they do not rattle. They are both marked with a B. You might have a milspec extension.

Actually, that's kind of what I'm half-hoping. I can try a commercial (thicker) tube, but if my tube already is commercial-spec, then there's not much I can do, other than put tape on the inside to tighten things up.

EA buttstocks were actually Bushmasters in many cases, weren't they?

The play on a milspec tube drove me crazy. I have bought three of the Bushmaster ones and they have all worked fine. I cannot speak for any other brand of commercial extension though.

I can make all mine rattle if I want but they are still kinda snug and all but my Fiberlite are factory matched. BM, Colt, Doublestar, Fiberlite?, RRA. Most of mine are commercial tube but even the Colt will move a little. If irritating think I'd do a little measuring to see what pieces I actually have. Even a little electrical tape should quiet it up unless way out of spec. Mine only rattle if I apply a decent amount of pressure. No where near as noticeable as say a M-14 sling on an AR swivel without tape. There has to be a minimal amount of clearance.

John Thomas re-anodized my buffer tube & the XM stock now fits, I think after powder coating it won't rattle as much.

a little moleskin at the top of the stock body near the front and at the rear will tighten it up. there were some dimensional differences back then even in commercial spec.

Fixed stocks don't rattle at all!

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