The Defender Tactical QuickStock and Predator Grip

As a shotgun nerd with a preference for Mossbergs, it’s not a big surprise that I like a little company called Defender Tactical. They produce some innovative and interesting stuff for Mossberg shotguns. One of their latest unique products is the combination of the Predator Rear Grip and the QuickStock system.

The Predator Rear Grip isn’t anything new, it’s Defender Tactical’s variant of the Shockwave grip. It’s not a direct copy. It’s just a little longer and has less verticality. But the Predator grip isn’t the real subject of today’s article. Rather, it’s the QuickStock system designed to interface with the Predator grip.

The QuickStock is a simple metal stock design. Its operation is simple…it jams itself inside the rear porthole on the Predator grip where the bolt connects the stock making it no longer an empty hole. Much like the hole in my heart, with the QuickStock installed, that hole has been stuffed. While the hold in my heart is filled with craft beer and violent video games, the Predator hole gets the QuickStock.

The QuickStock and Predator Grip

The QuickStock has a small extension that slides right into that rear port. Now you’ve equipped your pistol grip shotgun with a stock in less than a second or two. The Predator/Shockwave-style grips are most common on ‘firearms,’ such as the non-NFA pump action 12-gauge firearms like the Mossberg Shockwave and Remington TAC-14.

With that in mind, you should be aware that if you attach a QuickStock to a Shockwave or TAC-14, it becomes a short-barreled shotgun subject to the NFA and ATF regulations. Yes, that infringes on your rights and no, the NFA shouldn’t exist. However, I feel compelled to mention that since there are lots of more casual gun owners who may own these firearms and not realize how the NFA works or what their legal liability could be if they don’t follow the rules.

I’ve put the Predator grip and QuickStock on a Mossberg 500 Retrograde, but I plan to eventually file this as a Form 1 SBS when the ATF grants me approval to exercise my rights. Ultimately, I think that’s where it’s most beneficial. If you plan to purchase or make an SBS, the QuickStock seems like an awesome addition.

The QuickStock lets you swap between an ultra-small pistol grip-only shotgun and a small stocked shotgun in no time at all. The PGO model’s benefits are its overall smaller size and higher degrees of maneuverability. When we attach the QuickStock I have the benefits of a stock that provides increased control and better overall accuracy, especially at range.

The QuickStock: Quick to Attach, But Slow to Detach

The QuickStock’s little extension slides into the Predator easily, but it doesn’t slide out so easily. Seriously, it’s quick to attach but not so quick to detach. While that makes taking pictures for this article annoying, it makes sense for overall use. I don’t want my stock to just fall out of the grip because I remove it from my shoulder.

If you had to swap from stock to pistol grip quickly, you’ll need a mallet to tap it out. It takes some opposing force to remove the thing. I orient the shotgun toward the ground and push against the shotgun while pulling the QuickStock, and it eventually plops out. Recoil really tends to push the stock in place.

To The Range

When I went to the range, the first thing I did was run a simple drill at 20 to 35 yards. I used a big steel IPSC target and a small gong. The IPSC was at 20 yards, and the gong at 35. I started with the Predator grip only and four rounds of buckshot in the gun. I started by dispersing two rounds into the steel target, taking cover, attaching the stock, and firing two more rounds at the smaller target further away.

I figured the drill highlighted the pros of the stock’s close-range and longer-range capabilities. My time for the close target was 1.2 seconds. After attaching the stock, I reset the timer and ran it from the beep, hitting the shots in 1.27 seconds. Attaching the stock is superbly simple…you just jam it in and go.

The stock’s all-metal construction and minimalist design aren’t going to satisfy bird hunters looking for a nice cheek weld and comfy recoil impulse. I thought I’d have a big problem with the metal stock and recoil, but it’s really not that bad.

It’s better than you’d expect. I think that comes down to recoil mitigation techniques. I use a push/pull technique, which really helps cut recoil. I also use ammo in the 1250 to 1300 feet per second velocity range.

Hotter 1,600 feet-per-second ammo won’t feel like very much fun. I tried one round of Hornady Black, and with proper push-pull, it wasn’t terrible, but you certainly feel that steel plate. It’s best used with softer shooting ammo and the hotter ammo doesn’t offer much more benefit anyway.

More Than Buckshot

I quickly attached a Williams Guns Sight Low Reflex Sight and grabbed some Federal Tactical slugs. I stepped back to 100 yards and aimed at an FBI Q Target with the QuickStock in place. Again, you don’t get much of a cheek weld, but you do get that additional point of contact. With a properly zeroed optic and the stock, I let the hefty slugs fly.

It punched big holes into the Q target with a nice repeatability. How much precision do I need from a smooth-bore tactical shotgun when it comes to slugs? How much can I possibly get? I feel like I’m getting the same accuracy and precision with the QuickStock that I would with any other stock.

It would be a different discussion if we had a dedicated slug gun with a rifled barrel and scope. With a tactical smooth bore, it’s enough to go five for five on an FBI Q Target. I’m not scoring headshots by any means, but those slugs are punching holes in the target’s chest, belly, shoulder, etc.

The QuickStock – A Portable Option

When aiming the gun, the QuickStock allows you to easily get behind the sights. It’s simple to see the bead or red dot, and I don’t feel like the angle has changed from a standard shotgun. The only thing noticeably missing is that nice, comfy cheek weld.

I had some fear of the QuickStock’s butt plate bending at the point where the minimalist wire-like stock attaches. There isn’t a ton of support there, but it seems tough enough for the average user. If you start butt-stocking a door or applying a hammer, it might bend but that won’t happen from shooting or even rough handling.

If Defender Tactical ever produces Predator grips for other guns like the Remington 870, it would be easy to move the QuickStock between guns. I’m sure you might be able to modify a Shockwave grip to do that. The total cost of this kit is only $99 so it’s not all that expensive.

The QuickStock is a neat but niche little stock option. Standard shotguns with non-NFA barrels are fine, but I think it works best on super-small shotguns with barrels shorter than 18 inches. Once my SBS form is approved and I can build my gun, I think it’ll be awesome to swap between close-range compact firepower and stocked capabilities.