"Customizing your AR-15"
The Gun Digest Guide to more upgrades and enhancements than Resident Evil's gun bench!
I love the AR-15, the weapon of choice during the approaching apocalypse. The market that caters to it has come up with a million enhancements including flamethrower extensions, laser AI targeting assists, stock and accessory customizations that turn it into the ultimate rifle for any situation. The sheer scale of the cornucopia of accessories on offer means it can be difficult to decide where you want to go with it next!
To this end the esteemed GUN DIGEST put out this ultimate customization guide for owners of the rifle now and potential buyers who want to see what everybody else raves about.
I’ve seen one guy selling a sprayer nozzle with a backpack tank that will spray anything from mace to holy water if you’re interested. Pretty much anything you could ever want to fight looters, zombies, vampires or demonic entities. Whichever you discover has turned up that day cruising for a bruising.
The thing about the AR is that it’s resale value goes up with time, meaning your investment is protected for many years if you decide to sell it, with or without enhancements. This makes it the king of firearms right now in the American market. It means that the rifle does not becomes worthless right after you take it out of the box as do so many consumer goods.
FROM THE INTRODUCTION …
Few firearms draw forth the mix of admiration and derision than the AR series of rifles (and pistols now). Certainly, with a firearm that begins its major use in the military, opinions will be sharp and often in sharp contrast, particularly if said firearm was used in extensive combat,as the M-16/M4 series has seen.
While we will explore a bit of the history and utility and other stuff related to this rifle later in this volume, it should be noted, with some amount of pride, that the M-16, in its various guises and upgrades, in some form or other, has served the U.S. military for almost sixty years. Since the early commercial years of the Colt SP1 up until modern days, the popularity of the AR-15 in the hands of the civilian community has grown in leaps and bounds. Since the expiration of the Clinton “Assault Weapons” ban the growth has been nearly exponential. Since the election of President Obama,the growth has been insane.
The wonderful free market has taken advantage of this meteoric increase in popularity. How many manufacturers build copies or variants of the Remington 700 receiver? You could probably name a handful of them and you would be naming a significant percentage. Compare this to the AR series.
Well over 100 firms manufacture at least a lower receiver, firms small and large. This is not including accessories such as handguards, stocks, and barrels. There are far fewer of those entities, but still a significant number. Since the receiver is the serial numbered part, and therefore the regulated part, any law abiding Joe can purchase a lower receiver and build an AR that matches his heart’s desire. Indeed, this is one of the reasons that the AR series has gained such a following: because it is eminently suited to personalization. I mean, why would I be writing this book if this was just some run-of-the-mill rifle? We’ve found that a lot of people will pay $100 – even $400 for a single piece of machined aluminum upon which to build their first dream gun. With only a few exceptions, these lower receivers are of good quality, cut right, and are an excellent item with which to begin.
This is not to say that a complete rifle is not an option. Certainly, the new AR owner is going to go first for a complete firearm, almost always a rifle or carbine. Even there, the choices are many. “Which AR should I buy?” is a very common question.
Ultimately, the reason for the huge aftermarket support, and to some degree the overall popularity, is that the gun is semi-modular. Swapping out upper receiver assemblies or if you like, barrel assemblies, can alter the entire scope of the AR’s use.
A self-defense carbine in 5.56mm can, with the manipulation of two captured pins, be changed into a varminter/prairie dog shooter in .204 Ruger, or a long range target rifle in 6.5 Grendel. A little more work makes the stock M4-style carbine into a virtual precision carbine, with the replacement of the standard handguard with a free floated handguard and/or the installation of a match trigger kit.
We’ll explore the entire range of things you can do, the installation of a selection of the popular choices, and the means to maintain the AR system of firearms so that it remains your happy little friend.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR AR-15
(Added to the Memex)
Luke 22:36
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Regards, Tex
A bit dated, but great stuff still.