A method of reducing moment and shear loads which occur at end plugs during compression tests of composite ortho-tropic cylinders by external radial pressure is presented. The primary goal is to reduce the interlaminar shear stress to a permissible level and reduce the bending stresses of the cylinder to a negligible amount. The need to reduce the interlaminar shear stress is a result of the generally low shear strength of resin used in composite laminates.