Upgrading your AR-15? – The 10 best additions for your rifle

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Anyone who owns an AR-15 that has been brought off the shelf will at some point think about upgrading the rifle. With a slew of AR-15 accessories and parts arriving every second the desire to enhance one’s weapon increases to a great extent. In such a case, understanding and analysing what kind of additions you do need in accordance with your preferences and requirements is a tough task. Though the best way to comprehend what you might need is to hit the range and run through various combinations, in order to make your job that much simple, we have come up with a general list of some of the best and common additions that you can go for.

Barrels

The foremost addition to your AR-15 would be the barrel. While there are quite of number of options to choose from, it is pertinent to analyse the appropriate length you require before purchasing the part. Among the barrel choices available, Noveske and DPMS offer best value for money and are among the finest in the market.

AR-15 Accessories

AR-15 Triggers

Perfect trigger break ensures precision and it is for this very reason that you need to go for a better one or have your trigger improved by a gunsmith. Products of ALG Defense, CMC, the 2 Stage RRA Triggers or the Super Tricon Trigger from Geisselle Automatics are valuable additions to your AR-15.

AR-15 Scopes

Another major addition to your AR-15 is the scope. If you have decided to go for just a single upgrade, a scope from one of the many manufacturers would be an ideal choice. For shots below the range of 100 meters, Red Dot Sights are the perfect choices. The cream among the group are the Aimpoint t-1 / h-1 and M4 / M4S. Red Dot Sights from EOTech, Primary Arms, KAC and Vortex are also of premium quality while Burris offers good quality economical versions of Red Dot Sights.

AR-15 Grips

There are a great number of choices for grips in the market for AR-15s and Magpul (original and MOE), Hogue and SOG armory graphite vertical grips are among the finest in the list.

AR-15 Rails

Whatever be your choice for grips and scopes, without a superior rail the systems will not take off. Among the multitude of choices available, the Daniel Defense Rail System is a great choice for a superior Rail, Scope and Grip system.

AR-15 Flashlights

Flashlights from SureFire and Elzetta, namely SureFire Scout M300 and Elzetta ZFL – M60 are fantastic choices as they offer great value for money.

AR-15 Stocks

As with other accessories and parts, buying a stock too is a challenging yet entertaining task due to the sheer number of selections available in the market. Among the array of choices Tapco’s products offer great value and an equally great number of choices. Products from B5 Systems are as good as Tapco’s.

AR-15 Suppressor

Among the many different kinds of suppressors available, the flash suppressor is a highly economical choice. It also has an extremely straightforward installation mechanism and is thus easy to use. Topping the list in ease of use and quality is the Noveske Flash Suppressor.

AR-15 Magazines

No one would like to run out of magazines and the mags from Magpul and Tapco are great additions to your pool of accessories. A good bulk of these mags and regular sessions at the range would ensure better and accurate performance and it is also a great way to understand the nitty gritties and workings of the various additions you have made to your AR-15.

AR-15 Slings

Slings might be one of the most important additions to your AR-15. While Magpul and Blueforce Gear manufacture the best slings in the market, sling adapters can be chosen among the products of Noveske, Doublestar, DPMS and the Midwest Industries.

Apart from the above, it is also good to bear in mind couple of additional points while upgrading your AR-15.

  • It is always good to purchase .223 ammos in bulk.
  • The effectiveness and rapidity of the AR-15 / M16 bolt catch is enhanced greatly by Magpul B.A.D lever.
  • Though Noveske’s AR-15 barrels are the best bet, White Oak AR-15 barrels are an economical choice for those who are looking for products in the lower price range.
  • Among the various enhancements that one can make for the AR-15, barrels, trigger and optics are the foremost things to add and the best first upgrade for a stock AR-15 would be the barrel.
  • Magpul MOE and furniture serve as great upgrades for any variants of AR-15.

 

Upgrading your AR-15 is an enjoyable and challenging job and these pointers, though not exhaustive, will certainly aid you in your quest to add the best accessories to your priced rifle.