Picking up my first AR15... what do you wish you would have known at first?

[NeveSSL]

Hi all,

 

Picking up my first AR15 on Tuesday... grabbed a S&W M&P 15 Sport 2 while Goodlettsville Gun Shop had them on sale for $675 out the door.  Pretty killer deal, IMHO, and a hat-tip to musicman for the heads-up on the deal.

 

What would you guys tell a noob, such as myself, about ARs just getting started?  This topic isn't meant to get too serious, I'm just looking for tips and pointers dealing with any part of an AR from cleaning to accessory recommendations and holding it.  Anything.   :)

Brandon

Edited March 11, 2016 by NeveSSL

[BigK]

Don't go to AR15.com for ANY advice of ANY kind about your rifle.

[NeveSSL]

Ha!  I don't think I'm tacticool enough.  :)

 

We need to shoot again soon, BigK.  :)

 

Brandon

[ironsniper1]

Don't go to AR15.com for ANY advice of ANY kind about your rifle.

its not a great site yeah but I did get some info on building a m16a1 clone


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[Ugly]

Next step, ammo, lots and lots of ammo!
Mags, lots and lots of mags.

Then I think you're set :)

[gjohnsoniv]

Swap out the trigger for a different one, it will make a world of difference.

[Trekbike]

Congrats.

Don't believe for a moment this will be your only AR. They don't call it the black rifle disease for nothing. :)

Dont believe that crap that AR's can be run "dry". Lube the appropriate areas as shown in the manual.

You can never have too much ammo or Pmags.

Configure the rifle like you intend to use it otherwise you'll end up installing a bunch of stuff you don't need and just make the rifle heavier.





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[Jct1911]

I wish I would have known ammo was gonna rise as much as it has and that at any given time it could completely be sold out everywhere.
As above, buy a bunch of decent mags(D&H, Magpul, lancer). Buy a bunch of ammo. Learn to reload if you don't already, major accuracy gains to be had in every AR I own with tuned loads.

[monkeylizard]

Brass .223 is actually pretty cheap right now, all things considered. It sure beats a year ago when it was going for well north of $0.50/rd with M855 closing in on $1/rd.

 

Steel isn't as cheap as it once was, and the somewhat negligible price difference between steel and brass has me buying brass these days.

[10-Ring]

I don't have a fancy AR, it's a PSA build.  I had around $500 in it said and done.  The best thing that I did for it was to put a nice trigger in it.  Everyone who has shot that rifle has been impressed.  My $0.02 stay away from cheap steel cased ammo if you care about accuracy, it sucks.  It's battlefield accurate but I was getting 6" groups at 100 yards from a rest while I was making ragged holes with good ammo.  I am gearing up to load my own now.

[Jonnin]

I have the M&P and liked it so well I got a 2nd one.   One of them runs a bump-fire stock that is a little hard on the gun (heats it up fast and runs a lot of rounds thru it)  and its taken the abuse without complaint.    I liked those 2 so well I got a M&P 308 to go with them.   They are well made guns at a good price backed by a solid company that will fix it if something breaks (haven't had anything break on the ARs but they were good about a revolver that went bad). 

 

As far as stuff ... I keep it pretty simple.    An optic,  a fore-end grip, a sling are all I need.   My grip has a cheap bipod in it that will do in an emergency. 

 

First recommendation...  even though 223 is cheap, reloading it is cheaper and its a high round count style of shooting.   You might want to look into it.  Its a little intense with having to trim brass but I have been glad to do it.  Then again, I have a hungry gun so its just a thought.

 

Holding it... fore-end grip and sling grips are worth learning.  There are videos on this all over the web.   Its not difficult, just something you need to see a few times.

 

Last one ... leave it alone and shoot it for a while.    You can spend another 500 bucks replacing parts and fooling with it,  but the gun is fine out of the box.   If you wanted a 2000 dollar AR, sell this one and go buy a 2000 dollar custom colt.   This isn't really an upgrade gun -- if you get snobbish youll want to replace 50% of it and if you aren't snobbish, leaving it alone is great.

[dawgdoc]

One of the first modifications to mine was swapping out the handguards.  Also, if I had done things differently, I would have gone mid-length instead of carbine length.  I got a new handguard that works around the carbine length, but I think there would have been more options with a mid-length.

[runco]

Don't worry about the drapes, just choot em, and then choot em some more.

 

I remember I had just one AR, then 2, and just be careful some are like junk yard rabbits.

[DMark]

Get some training.

 

Seriously, if you have never shot an AR based firearm now is the perfect time for some instruction.  This will keep you from developing any bad techniques or procedures.

 

Besides, learning to Run-The-Gun is a real "blast."   :cool:   

[Smith]

Understand that you have already contacted BRD. There is no turning back and that's ok. You will wake up one morning with bins full of extra AR parts that will necessitate building more varieties of AR's.
Just accept the reality and embrace it. ?

[BigK]

Ha!  I don't think I'm tacticool enough.   :)

 

We need to shoot again soon, BigK.   :)

 

Brandon

 

yessir, we do...I was telling musicman after we left that I swear I know you from somewhere

[samson7x]

Consider purchasing a suppressor.  That and a quality trigger are my favorite upgrades. 

[musicman]

Understand that you have already contacted BRD. There is no turning back and that's ok. You will wake up one morning with bins full of extra AR parts that will necessitate building more varieties of AR's.
Just accept the reality and embrace it. ?

This. BRD is an agressive malady for which I have yet to find a cure. Happily.

As a couple have mentioned, I work on the trigger first, and it's what gives me the most satisfaction out of any upgrade I perform. I have CMC 3.5lb single stage drop-ins in two guns and love them. Super crisp, great reset. I have both a curved and flat trigger, and like them both. If I had it to do over again, I think I'd go flat for both, as the finger placement is just a little further forward and puts me at the perfect spot for a straigher pull without curling my finger at all.

My last build was a cheap/rush job, and a pistol. In that case I wasn't going for a light target trigger, but I didn't want a gritty 6lb milspec either. I went with the ALG coated job for like $55 on sale last fall and am VERY impressed it for the money. Uber smooth, and juuuussssstt a little creep after takeup and before it breaks. The movement is perfectly smooth, however. Reset isn't as nice or short as the CMCs, but it's also less than 1/3rd the cost.

The other thing I do on every gun is change the grip. I hate those plastic milspec jobs. I like the Ergo grip with the rubbery texture and mild finger grooves.

After that, each gun has its own premise, so optics, rails, stock, etc will be different for each one.

Yes... mags and ammo. Lots. Of each. I've come to prefer the Israeli E-Lander steel mags. I was all up in the magpul bandwagon for a long time, but I'm over polymer mags now. I'm moving over to all E Lander mags. They're a little heavier, but go into all of my guns easier, and I've NEVER had a round pop out of a mag due to a little jostling or sitting loaded for a long time. I can't say that about all of my magpuls.

Most of all, have fun!

[musicman]

yessir, we do...I was telling musicman after we left that I swear I know you from somewhere

I think mebbe next weekend I may be going to OKC with some buddies from church. Let's party! I have a little semi-auto 12g I haven't had a chance to try out yet. And a laptop to destroy. :-D

[NeveSSL]

Thanks for all of the replies, everyone!  I'm now searching for triggers and reloading tips.  :D  Hoping to make case prep as quick and easy as possible.  That will take some investment, but well worth it, I think.  

 

BigK, I had the same thought!  You seemed very familiar to me, too.  We'll have to figure that out sometime.

 

I wish I could go with you, musicman!  I have family coming in for the state tournaments.  :)

 

Brandon

[TNWNGR]

Get some training.

 

Seriously, if you have never shot an AR based firearm now is the perfect time for some instruction.  This will keep you from developing any bad techniques or procedures.

 

Besides, learning to Run-The-Gun is a real "blast."   :cool:   

 

^^^^^^^^^^^This!!! If you don't have a lot of rifle experience then sign up for an Appleseed class. After that sign up for a tactical rifle course. This type of training is surprisingly affordable and worth the time and money. As to AR equipment. You can do just fine with a spare parts kit and 10 good magazines. Optic sights are nice but you really need to know how to run the iron sights the rifle was designed for.   

[eapking]

Timney drop in trigger.

[NeveSSL]

Thanks, everyone!!! Picked it up today and DMark helped me put it through its paces. It shoots great. Very straight... Just have to work on the shooter now. Ha-ha! DMark, cannot thank you enough for your help today. Colt, can't thank you enough for a great rifle!!! I'll post a pic or three tomorrow.

Brandon

[quietguy]

Thanks, everyone!!! Picked it up today and DMark helped me put it through its paces. It shoots great. Very straight... Just have to work on the shooter now. Ha-ha! DMark, cannot thank you enough for your help today. Colt, can't thank you enough for a great rifle!!! I'll post a pic or three tomorrow.

Brandon

Congrats.  

[DMark]

NeveSSL, on 15 Mar 2016 - 11:45 PM, said:

........ I'll post a pic or three tomorrow.

Brandon

 

Don't forget to include a picture of your sweet Smith Corona 1903A3 that we were ringing the steel plates with!  :cool: