Telescoping and Folding Stocks of Assault Weapons

What are they? 

A telescoping stock is any stock that is designed to be adjusted by user to adjust the Length of Pull (LOP). A folding stock does exactly what it sounds like, folds the stock out of the way (either to the left/right or underneath the firearm as shown on the AK-47 variant to the right).

What do they do and are they more lethal?

As stated, the telescoping or adjustable stock, allows the user to change the Length of Pull of the rifle. The LOP refers to the distance from the shooter's shoulder to the trigger. Each shooter has their own comfortable LOP which may change with considerations towards winter or summer clothing, firing position and body frame size. So what may work for my 5'10" frame may not work for someone who is 5'2" and so on. So the benefit of having a telescoping stock is the firearm becomes more user friendly and allows manufacturers to make 1 product that appeals to more people rather than multiple products (a mass production nightmare). The perceived drawback of a telescoping stock is that the weapon becomes more concealable and therefore more deadly.  Lets investigate that: A standard AR-15 with a barrel of 16" and an overall length of 35" with the stock extended and 32" with the stock collapsed. While I am not suggesting you attempt to go out and try and conceal a 32" 7lb piece of metal under your sweater or trench coat , I am suggesting that it would be difficult. In fact the adjustable/telescoping stock's real design intent is to allow for the adjustability of the firearm to multiple users. By banning this feature we force the users to use a potentially uncomfortable shooting position, but definitely not a less lethal one as it is just as accurate and powerful with or without this feature.

A folding stock however does, depending on the firearm, considerably shorten the overall length of the weapon and could conceivable make it easier to conceal. However, the design intent was to make the weapon easier to carry either on a sling (the center of mass is moved forward making more controllable  on your back) or occupy less space in a gun case. If you consider a smaller weapon with this kind of firepower to be more lethal then you have a case to ban this feature. However, firing a weapon with a folded stock is no easy feat. Unlike the movies the most accurate way to fire a rifle is from the shoulder and with a folding stock you lose that ability. It should be stated that most guns with this feature can be fired with or without the stock folded and the act of unfolding or folding the stock is quick and easy.