Ar15 top 3 upgrades
- Thread starter Davis1891
- Start date
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
Raptor CH, ammo, training!
Agree with some previous opinions...
• Muzzle break (Lantac dragon)
• forend or pistol grip
• stock... I cannot stand the standard stock!
Extras on the list might exclude a new charging handle or Tin coading your bcg or bolt carrier.
The simplest inexpensive single point sling attachment that clamps on around the buffer tube has been a great little upgrade also!!
• Muzzle break (Lantac dragon)
• forend or pistol grip
• stock... I cannot stand the standard stock!
Extras on the list might exclude a new charging handle or Tin coading your bcg or bolt carrier.
The simplest inexpensive single point sling attachment that clamps on around the buffer tube has been a great little upgrade also!!
Well, when I got mine personalized to what I liked (I did a lot with it), I really only noticed a big difference in my enjoyment, when I bought a nice optic and a muzzle brake. Everything else was 'cool' but 'meh' in enjoyment level.
Take that as you will.
Take that as you will.
This is more useful than you may realize. So much add-ons some useless, some good. You require to shoot a lot to find what you want. It is like building a custom car a lot of choices so you must be focused on what and how you like to shoot.
Trigger (gives you a smoother and lighter pull and resets better)
furniture, such as stock, pistol grip and hand guard (makes it easier to hold in your hands, aim, ...)
muzzle break (makes it easier to control and might reduce recoil)
If there's some money left, invest in good training and ammo
furniture, such as stock, pistol grip and hand guard (makes it easier to hold in your hands, aim, ...)
muzzle break (makes it easier to control and might reduce recoil)
If there's some money left, invest in good training and ammo
Essential for the range ;P
Lungorthin
Regular
- Location
- Calgary, AB
These are the first 3 I'd go after too
I'd really prefer freefloat and taking off that front sight post
Not sure why so many suggest a free floated hand guard, the only advantage it gives is the ability to mount more useless crap on your rifle that does nothing to improve shooting. People will say it's for the improvement in accuracy, I've owned AR's with non free floated that would shoot 1 moa and I've owned AR's with free floated that would not. The quality of your barrel is where accuracy comes from so unless you are willing to also change your barrel I would leave the handguard stock unless you feel that you must mount some more stuff on it. The improvement in accuracy with the factory 16 inch barrel will barely be measurable but the weight increase definitely will be.
You can buy rail sections with an angled base that mount to the stock forend which would allow a forward grip or a light and they cost a fraction of a nice floated handguard which would leave a lot of money for ammo.
If you want "upgrades" the only thing I would buy to start out with would be a nice comfy pistol grip. After that shoot it and see what works for you and what feels off to you, then start changing the stuff that feels off.
The factory trigger will smooth out after a few hundred rounds and after 1000 you'll know if it needs to be replaced with something better. Better is also related to what type of shooting you mostly do, if you like standing and ringing gongs or doing 3-gun you'll want a different trigger than if you like sitting at a bench shooting paper at 300 yards so you need to do some research when the time comes. One of my favorites is the ALG enhanced nickel boron coated single stage, it costs about $100 and is an excellent trigger for the money.
Personally I like my AR's light weight and accurate, I build my own now so I pick and choose everything but even after owning so many AR's over the last few years that I can't remember how many there were I would just leave your rifle alone for now and maybe change things later. If you want to change everything you may as well just sell it and buy a higher end AR since it would probably be cheaper.
I know a lot of the fun is tinkering and personalizing it but nothing will make it perform better than you learning to operate it more efficiently through professional training and also simply from putting a lot of lead downrange.
You can buy rail sections with an angled base that mount to the stock forend which would allow a forward grip or a light and they cost a fraction of a nice floated handguard which would leave a lot of money for ammo.
If you want "upgrades" the only thing I would buy to start out with would be a nice comfy pistol grip. After that shoot it and see what works for you and what feels off to you, then start changing the stuff that feels off.
The factory trigger will smooth out after a few hundred rounds and after 1000 you'll know if it needs to be replaced with something better. Better is also related to what type of shooting you mostly do, if you like standing and ringing gongs or doing 3-gun you'll want a different trigger than if you like sitting at a bench shooting paper at 300 yards so you need to do some research when the time comes. One of my favorites is the ALG enhanced nickel boron coated single stage, it costs about $100 and is an excellent trigger for the money.
Personally I like my AR's light weight and accurate, I build my own now so I pick and choose everything but even after owning so many AR's over the last few years that I can't remember how many there were I would just leave your rifle alone for now and maybe change things later. If you want to change everything you may as well just sell it and buy a higher end AR since it would probably be cheaper.
I know a lot of the fun is tinkering and personalizing it but nothing will make it perform better than you learning to operate it more efficiently through professional training and also simply from putting a lot of lead downrange.
Floating isn't about improving accuracy of the barrel - only the barrel and ammo can do that.
It is predominantly about minimizing POA/POI shift with varying degrees of pressures in a hold and different shooting positions.
That in a round about way, improves accuracy of the rifle system. The ability to add stuff like sling points, bipods and forward grips - especially when they don't themselves add to that potential shift - is a huge bonus.
This attribute of the AR is one of the reasons it is so hugely popular.
Again, wholly dependent on what the OP is going to do with it, but a worthy addition to the rifle.
It is predominantly about minimizing POA/POI shift with varying degrees of pressures in a hold and different shooting positions.
That in a round about way, improves accuracy of the rifle system. The ability to add stuff like sling points, bipods and forward grips - especially when they don't themselves add to that potential shift - is a huge bonus.
This attribute of the AR is one of the reasons it is so hugely popular.
Again, wholly dependent on what the OP is going to do with it, but a worthy addition to the rifle.
Top 3 I have already done:
1. New pistol grip. Just don't like the standard grip angle. Excellent
2. LAR-15 10 round pistol mags. Necessary 1 5 round mag just doesn't cut it.
3. Red DOT optic. So much easier than iron sights. But you have done the optic already.
4. Change the front guard. Necessary for mounting things in my case.
What I would like to do:
1. Trigger. Stock trigger is not very good but a good trigger is $$$.
2. Trigger.
3. Trigger. In case you haven't gathered the worst part of my AR is the trigger. Just hard to justify the $'s. The existing is adequate but not much better than my Russian milsurps.
1. New pistol grip. Just don't like the standard grip angle. Excellent
2. LAR-15 10 round pistol mags. Necessary 1 5 round mag just doesn't cut it.
3. Red DOT optic. So much easier than iron sights. But you have done the optic already.
4. Change the front guard. Necessary for mounting things in my case.
What I would like to do:
1. Trigger. Stock trigger is not very good but a good trigger is $$$.
2. Trigger.
3. Trigger. In case you haven't gathered the worst part of my AR is the trigger. Just hard to justify the $'s. The existing is adequate but not much better than my Russian milsurps.
Hunter1970
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- in the shadows behind you
Optic or trigger upgrade at #1 & 2, they are both equally important in my opinion. #3, lots of ammo. I've done the mall ninja thing, and after all is said and done, optic and trigger come out on top. I am a muzzle break whore, but there is nothing wrong with the standard bird cage. It may not be the lastest or greatest, but it is effective.
ComradeVlad
Regular
- Location
- To the West
What's the advantage of a adjustable gas block? What's the reason for needing something like that?
It allows you to turn down the amount of gas that gets back to the BCG.
Most ARs are way overgassed for normal range use - they are designed to keep running in bad conditions where the extra gas helps overcome the dirt and lack of lubrication.
By limiting the amount of gas sent to the BCG you lower the bolt velocity in recoil, which leads to softer recoil.
ComradeVlad
Regular
- Location
- To the West
Thanks, that's good to know
