Hi. Read a lot of stories where character grabs a rifle then fills pockets with spare magazines. WHY DOESNT THE RIFLE BUTTSTOCK HAVE SLOTS TO CARRY SPARE MAGAZINES?
Hi. Read a lot of stories where character grabs a rifle then fills pockets with spare magazines. WHY DOESNT THE RIFLE BUTTSTOCK HAVE SLOTS TO CARRY SPARE MAGAZINES?
Because the vast majority of rifles aren't built that way.
I doubt that no one has thought of that, but firearms manufacturers don't build rifles like that, so there are probably good reasons not to do that.
Here's what the Google AI says about your question:
AI Overview
Rifle buttstocks generally do not have built-in slots to carry spare magazines because doing so adds awkward weight and bulk to the rear of the weapon, unbalancing the rifle and interfering with the shooter's shoulder weld.
Why Built-In Magazine Slots Are Uncommon
Ergonomics and Balance: Adding a heavy, protruding box magazine directly into or onto the buttstock shifts the rifle's center of gravity backward. This makes the weapon feel sluggish to transition and awkward to shoulder.
Cheek Weld Interference: A standard rifle stock is shaped to let the shooter rest their cheek comfortably while aiming. Strapping or molding a bulky magazine well to the stock ruins this smooth surface, making it difficult or painful to sight down the barrel consistently, especially from a non-dominant shoulder.
Snag Hazards: Protruding edges on a buttstock catch easily on clothing, tactical gear, slings, and vehicle or brush interiors during movement.
Reload Mechanics: Reaching backward to pull a fresh magazine out of the stock requires an awkward, slow grip change compared to reaching for chest rigs, plate carriers, or waist belts.
Simple answer, every time you would take a full magazine out of the butt stock, you would change the balance of the rifle.
The old style magazines I can see that would have been a problem. But newer materials and smaller calibres mean its probably time to revisit the concept.
Look up German HK G11 rifle, you may find it interesting.
A different concept, and it never went into any actual use (although it was on the brink of acceptance when external events interrupted the program), but it's the only example I can think of that tried storage of magazines on the rifle, in assault rifles. It had very long magazines of 50 or 45 rounds in single-stack (the caseless charges were square); the loaded magazine laid atop the barrel inserting from the front (the rotating breach block fed in top-down position, then rotated 90° to align with barrel, duds would be pushed out downward in next action), and it offered opportunity to store two spares alongside it, in side pockets along the barel. It was made that way because loaded magazine moved in recoil together with the whole barrel assembly so that in short burst mode 3 shots could be made before the recoil springs bottomed out.
Some submachine guns have more or less successfully ran with similar concept of large-capacity magazine above barrel (Calico, FN P90), but without any spares on the weapon.
Some sniper rifles offer opportunity to store one (or two, in rare cases) spare magazine (those are typically 10 or less rounds) in special under-barel slot in front of the loaded magazine or trigger group for bullpup designs.
Bullpup rifles and magazine fed shotguns have the loaded magazine very near or inside the space of traditional buttstock, but typically leave some space, and few have taken the concept to the extremes of HK CAWS shotgun and the American experimental XM29 OICW and the successor HK XM25 where the 20mm/25mm grenade launcher box magazine was nearly on the shoulder of the shooter and bolt action cycled right under the cheek. Both were experimental weapons and while XM25 saw action in Afghanistan it too was eventually canceled.
What shooters who want extended capacity directly on their rifle do instead is either use dedicated drum magazines, or stack standard magazines together sideways, either with duct tape or inbuilt clips on some modern magazines.
Regarding calibers, the later trends are to move the rifle calibers back up. There's numerous 6mm offers now under consideration, experiments and low scale use (by special forces and similar). And telescopic caseless or polymer casings tend to be more bulky than traditional rounds, not slimming down.
In the US Army I typically had a magazine pouch attached to the buttstock of my rifle or carbine. It held only one magazine.
Because of regulations when we entered a FOB, Mess Hall, HQ, or Quarters, we had to remove the magazine from our firearm, and prove it was clear using a clearing barrel (pull back the charging handle, glance in the chamber/barrel, let the bolt slide into battery, and pull the trigger.
When I was deployed, and had to do PT, or head to the latrine, Regulations often stipulated I had to bring my weapon with me. Unloaded. However, if an emergency occurred, I could load my rifle. That pouch is where I carried the magazine that would be in my rifle, unless regulations require that it be unloaded.
With my weapon in firing position, it would be extremely awkward to get a magazine from a pouch on the buttstock.
Magazines in pouches attached to a web belt, vest, or body armor, I may use my off-hand to reload, while keeping my rifle/carbine in firing position and scanning for targets!
People who don't have to carry a rifle/carbine for hours, perhaps 12 hours or more, tend to add all kinds of "PX warrior" Crap on their rifle!
I limited myself to CCO (Close Combat Optics), a Lazer (mostly to designate targets, or sectors of fire to my Squad), and occasionally a tactical light. Less often a bipod.
An M4A1 carbine, unloaded is roughly 6.5 pounds. Insert a 30 round magazine, 7.5 pounds. EOTech CCO, and a AN/PEQ Laser about 8.5 pounds...
Load your rails with an M203 GL, foregrip, ACOG optics, Light intensification NODs, and three magazines taped back-to-back-to-back, and you are over 14 Pounds! The same as a M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) aka a "Light" Machinegun!
Been tried and found lacking.
No need to re-visit failures.
Same reason we aren't ising steam powered cars