The New & Improved, "What have you done to your AR today" thread

[MPMalloy]

So, with the addition of my new light (Crimson Trace CWL-202) I'm trying to decide what my next addition/upgrade on the AR should be.









My budget is small to almost nothing, so expensive goodies like a new sight or a drop-in trigger are not possible, but this is the Barbie of firearms, the possibilities are endless. Maybe an ambi-mag release? Maybe start checking our barter area and see what turns up?

Strike Industries makes an interesting ambi-mag release for about 37 bucks. I've thought about putting one on my AR, but I'm not sure.

I may just put a larger mag release button (or knob or whatever it's actually called) and go with that instead.

One of my former employers told me it was a button

[NT2C]

Strike Industries makes an interesting ambi-mag release for about 37 bucks. I've thought about putting one on my AR, but I'm not sure.

I may just put a larger mag release button (or knob or whatever it's actually called) and go with that instead.

I saw that on their website when I shopped for a bolt release. That might be just what I'm looking for.

[dpayette]

I had to go and look through the New and Improved AR rabbit hole...

I now have orderered a M-Lok forward grip, mini picatinny rail and QD attachment to go with it. My boring almost untouched M&P15 is going to look like a Magpul commercial but that is OK I love the 10/22 takedown stock, and slings i have for them.

Not near as exciting as other mods, but I just need to stay under the Mall Ninja threshold, at least until this world get just a little bit crazier.

[tony d tiger]

What about these Light/LASER combinations? I'm thinking it's a good idea...

Olight has my number.

[NT2C]

I had to go and look through the New and Improved AR rabbit hole...

I now have orderered a M-Lok forward grip, mini picatinny rail and QD attachment to go with it. My boring almost untouched M&P15 is going to look like a Magpul commercial but that is OK I love the 10/22 takedown stock, and slings i have for them.

Not near as exciting as other mods, but I just need to stay under the Mall Ninja threshold, at least until this world get just a little bit crazier.

I've long been of the opinion that there's a little mall ninja in all of us, and that we need to let the little guy play sometimes.

[NT2C]

What about these Light/LASER combinations? I'm thinking it's a good idea...

Olight has my number.

I've considered them but... Red lasers get washed out in sunlight and indoors do you really need one? (ie: just how bad are your sights dude??) That leaves just nighttime when they might be useful for but do they give any advantage over a good red dot or scope? I don't think so, and may even be a detriment because you'd have to "break" training to make any use of it.

Green lasers are better in daylight but again, do they offer any advantage over a decent red dot or scope? I don't think so. Furthermore, both red and green lasers are like tracers in that they work two ways, marking your position for the guy you're aiming at... and his friends.

[RonnyRonin]

forward assist delete is a cheap way to remove a possible failure point, I use the delrin plug from Midway.

Ambi charging handle is a nice addition, but ambi mag release comes first. The Troy ambi mag release is by far my favorite, but they are expensive if you aren't left handed.

Single best and nearly free upgrade you can do at this point though is paint the gun!

[tony d tiger]

What about these Light/LASER combinations? I'm thinking it's a good idea...

Olight has my number.

I've considered them but... Red lasers get washed out in sunlight and indoors do you really need one? (ie: just how bad are your sights dude??) That leaves just nighttime when they might be useful for but do they give any advantage over a good red dot or scope? I don't think so, and may even be a detriment because you'd have to "break" training to make any use of it.

Green lasers are better in daylight but again, do they offer any advantage over a decent red dot or scope? I don't think so. Furthermore, both red and green lasers are like tracers in that they work two ways, marking your position for the guy you're aiming at... and his friends.

Yeah, you might be right, there. Flashlight makes a nice target to shoot at too, I guess.
Running a SIG Romeo 5 sighted in at 100 yards (while I was in VA) - so maybe I'll save my $$$$ to purchase my black rifle stamps.

[NT2C]

What about these Light/LASER combinations? I'm thinking it's a good idea...

Olight has my number.

I've considered them but... Red lasers get washed out in sunlight and indoors do you really need one? (ie: just how bad are your sights dude??) That leaves just nighttime when they might be useful for but do they give any advantage over a good red dot or scope? I don't think so, and may even be a detriment because you'd have to "break" training to make any use of it.

Green lasers are better in daylight but again, do they offer any advantage over a decent red dot or scope? I don't think so. Furthermore, both red and green lasers are like tracers in that they work two ways, marking your position for the guy you're aiming at... and his friends.

Yeah, you might be right, there. Flashlight makes a nice target to shoot at too, I guess.
Running a SIG Romeo 5 sighted in at 100 yards (while I was in VA) - so maybe I'll save my $$$$ to purchase my black rifle stamps.

Lights make more sense though because while they can mark your position for return fire, target identification is crucial if you want to stay out of jail. They can also do a pretty good job of stunning and disorienting a target.

[MacWa77ace]

I've long been of the opinion that there's a little mall ninja in all of us, and that we need to let the little guy play sometimes.

My budget is small to almost nothing, so expensive goodies like a new sight or a drop-in trigger are not possible, but this is the Barbie of firearms, the possibilities are endless. Maybe an ambi-mag release? Maybe start checking our barter area and see what turns up?

Low cost tweeks I might try during the next round of lockdown boredom.

MLOK:
I would work on switching the picatinny adaptors out for direct MLOK attachments of all your rail mounted accessories. Once you go full MLOK you never go MBAK. Put MLOK rail guards on [cut to fit as needed], or not.

OPTIC:
Move the handstop forward and move the rear sight behind the optic. That's a truglow or dagger defense IIRC. If you haven't got it lower 1/3 yet, get that situated for the co-witness with the correct height mounts. Move the optic 2 to three slots forward in case you want to mount a flip to side magnifier. If you don't have one, UTG makes a decent one at low cost. Mount it and play with that for a while.

SLING AND SLING ATTACHMENTS:
Ideally for that butt stock you have, you want the sling attached to a 1" strap that you run thru the slot right under the buffer and around the tube, I've also used paracord double looped thru the slot with a monkey fist knot. That makes the rear attachment an ambi top or side mount which reduces tangling or having it caught on the wrong side of the butt stock. option 1 , option 2 And then depending on if you're right or lefty dominant, attach the other end of the sling to the left or right side of the front rail. front sling attachment should be on the body side of the rail and light should be opposite your body so if your light is on the right, sling goes on the left etc. And whether its set forward or back on the rail is a pie vs cake internet argument. But with that set up, you can swim in and out of the sling from patrol ready to combat retention and back again. Then remove that GI bottom side sling swivel that came with the butt stock. Sell it as a 'vintage' swivel for a ridiculous amount on ebay to fund the next suggestions.

Get a heavy duty QD sling swivel for the front swivel of your sling, because those will attach directly into those holes you see on the right and left side of the rail front and back and you can remove the front sling mount you have there now for a sleeker rail. And if your sling is one of those quick adjust slings [i can't identify it from the pic] even better. If its not, get one.

EXTRA CREDIT:
And lastly for between $50-$100 each, upgrade the stock and muzzle device to something less GI, and more fitting the mall ninja in you. Get out that closet.



[/2021-2022 build budget]

[NT2C]

Low cost tweeks I might try during the next round of lockdown boredom.

MLOK:
I would work on switching the picatinny adaptors out for direct MLOK attachments of all your rail mounted accessories. Once you go full MLOK you never go MBAK. Put MLOK rail guards on [cut to fit as needed], or not.

Umm, there's no picatinny adaptors on the rifle. The sights are all directly picatinny and everything else is MLOK, and there are MLOK handguards already on the rifle where they need to be.

OPTIC:
Move the handstop forward and move the rear sight behind the optic. That's a truglow or dagger defense IIRC. If you haven't got it lower 1/3 yet, get that situated for the co-witness with the correct height mounts. Move the optic 2 to three slots forward in case you want to mount a flip to side magnifier. If you don't have one, UTG makes a decent one at low cost. Mount it and play with that for a while.

Can't mount that optic any lower. I don't have the rifle in front of me but I seem to remember there being a good reason why the flip sights are the way they are. A magnifier might be added at some future date, but a much better optic would come first. The handstop is exactly where I need it to be for my reach. Remember, I have a shoulder with limited mobility and nerve damage in my chest & back. What you younguns can do isn't always possible for this old fart.

EDIT: Now I remember. The rail section on top of the receiver is just a tiny bit too big to fit the Magpul sights on. They have to start from the handguard and when they get to the joint between the handguard and the upper you can visibly see that the upper is about 1/32" wider on each side, just enough that (unlike my ex) even with a good deal of force and some lube it's still not going. Obviously one is out of spec but I'm not sure which. The upper and handguard are both PSA branded and the BUIS set is Magpul.

SLING AND SLING ATTACHMENTS:
Ideally for that butt stock you have, you want the sling attached to a 1" strap that you run thru the slot right under the buffer and around the tube, I've also used paracord double looped thru the slot with a monkey fist knot. That makes the rear attachment an ambi top or side mount which reduces tangling or having it caught on the wrong side of the butt stock. option 1 , option 2 And then depending on if you're right or lefty dominant, attach the other end of the sling to the left or right side of the front rail. front sling attachment should be on the body side of the rail and light should be opposite your body so if your light is on the right, sling goes on the left etc. And whether its set forward or back on the rail is a pie vs cake internet argument. But with that set up, you can swim in and out of the sling from patrol ready to combat retention and back again. Then remove that GI bottom side sling swivel that came with the butt stock. Sell it as a 'vintage' swivel for a ridiculous amount on ebay to fund the next suggestions.

Get a heavy duty QD sling swivel for the front swivel of your sling, because those will attach directly into those holes you see on the right and left side of the rail front and back and you can remove the front sling mount you have there now for a sleeker rail. And if your sling is one of those quick adjust slings [i can't identify it from the pic] even better. If its not, get one.
EXTRA CREDIT:
And lastly for between $50-$100 each, upgrade the stock and muzzle device to something less GI, and more fitting the mall ninja in you. Get out that closet.
[/2021-2022 build budget]

Ya, the whole sling setup needs reworking. I got the bungee sling in the hopes it'd soften the jolts to the damaged nerves in my chest, and it does, but it's otherwise unsatisfactory. There is a front HD QD sling swivel that I installed (it's attached to the left side handguard QD hole). I may indeed replace the sling for my preferred style of 1" web sling, but I think the buttstock will be staying awhile unless I find one with some really significant advantages over this one. Function always wins out over form for me (though form is still appreciated). And I really, really like my A2 birdcage.

[RoneKiln]

Last week a got a hand-me-down Nikon 1.5 to 6 power scope with retical markings for 300BO (not sure what grain). I mounted it today on my 300BO carbine. I didn't get out to the range, but I really like the clarity of the scope.

[91Eunozs]

So, with the addition of my new light (Crimson Trace CWL-202) I'm trying to decide what my next addition/upgrade on the AR should be.









My budget is small to almost nothing, so expensive goodies like a new sight or a drop-in trigger are not possible, but this is the Barbie of firearms, the possibilities are endless. Maybe an ambi-mag release? Maybe start checking our barter area and see what turns up?

Any particular reason the MBUS sights are mounted backwards? No real practical impact to operation I suppose...just looks really weird mounted that way. Odd to see the rear sight in front of your red dot too...definitely a performance degradation with your current configuration. I guess it works if you can see both clearly through the red dot, but you’re really shortening the sight radius if nothing else.

Only thing I’d upgrade is the trigger ... you can get an ALG defense for about $40 ... and maybe tighten that loose
nut behind the trigger with some professional instruction/training.

[NT2C]

Any particular reason the MBUS sights are mounted backwards? No real practical impact to operation I suppose...just looks really weird mounted that way. Odd to see the rear sight in front of your red dot too...definitely a performance degradation with your current configuration. I guess it works if you can see both clearly through the red dot, but you’re really shortening the sight radius if nothing else.

Only thing I’d upgrade is the trigger ... you can get an ALG defense for about $40 ... and maybe tighten that loose
nut behind the trigger with some professional instruction/training.

As noted in a different post, there's an issue with the rails on the upper that [revents putting the MBUS on the receiver itself. The receiver rail is a hair too wide and the MBUS won't transition from the barrel shroud to the receiver and there's no way to slide it on from the rear. Both are PSA and came as a unit with the MBUS sights still in their packaging. As to them being reversed, as you say, it doesn't affect their function and the little kid in me secretly likes that it triggers some people. Truthfully though, they're on there so I don't lose them in the semi-organized shitpile I call an office until I come up with a permanent mounting plan for them. This configuration does work though and is easily visible through the cheap glass.

I considered upgrading the bang switch but, truth be told, I did a decent job on it when I assembled it and it doesn't have much grit to it. Is it up to some shooter's standards? Hell no, but I'm not that fussy about triggers on military type weapons. I wasn't building a match gun or precision shooter, I built out a lower that was gifted to me as a birthday present and did it as a "defend the homestead from predators large and small" rifle that sits in a handy spot on the path to the front or back door. As such, the current trigger is fine. If that changes and I want a modest improvement I'll certainly consider ALG. I'd never heard of them before and thank you for mentioning them.

Oh, and the loose nut behind the trigger is stripped. I'd show you, but then I'd have to kill you. It'd be a mercy killing.

[PistolPete]

forward assist delete is a cheap way to remove a possible failure point, I use the delrin plug from Midway.

Not only that, but a firing pin retaining clip fits the hole for that forward assist plug perfectly. It's an easy way to keep an extra one on the rifle in case of loss or breakage. And really, any time you feel like the forward assist will help it'll probably just make the issue worse. It's just not needed on a modern rifle.

As far as what I did to an AR I finally finished the rifle for my sweetie after picking up parts here and there over a few seasons. I was holding out for a good deal on bolts and decided that wasn't going to happen for another six months so I picked up a Fail Zero at an acceptable price. The rifle has a pencil barrel from Faxon and after a 40 round break in and a couple cleanings turned out 1 moa groups with her behind it. She's a keeper! (the woman and the rifle!)

Right now it's on a Rock River A2 lower which isn't ideal, but it's what I had. As soon as Brownells ships my polymer lower I'm going to swap it, it'll reduce the LOP and take a couple more ounces out.

[NT2C]

I finally figured out a way to get my rear MBUS sight before the red dot. What had been confounding me was this rectangular projection (one on each side) where the barrel shroud meets the lower. It was preventing me from sliding the sight further back.



I finally realized that I could slide the sight on from the rear if I did it with the charging handle all the way out. (Yeah, sometimes I'm not a smart man.) At the same time, I flipped the MBUS sights around to the more conventional facing, even though I actually prefer them "backward". Of course, now I'm going to have to re-zero them but I needed a little range time anyway. The only other problem is that the new location for the rear makes changing reticles on the red dot a chore, but it is what it is.