The AR-15 and other similar semi-automatic rifle platforms are incredibly popular these days. If you own one (or a few), you’ve probably noticed that like most guns, they fall into the “pretty good” category off the shelf but could be upgraded with a few simple additions or swaps that make shooting them more comfortable or more effective. You probably already have what you really NEED: the gun, an extra magazine or two, and sights or an optic. But if you’re ready to step it up a couple of notches, consider some of these accessories.
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A Sling
The is one of the first upgrades you should consider—I’d even consider it a borderline necessity. A good sling is incredibly handy at the range when you’re taking a break between training sessions, particularly if you’re somewhere that doesn’t have a table handy to set the gun down on. A sling comes in handy if you must carry the gun a long distance, as hunters often do, or if you’re using it in a defensive scenario where you might need to let the gun hang while you use both your hands for something. I recommend a two-point sling, and get one with quick adjustment if you can.
Co-Witnessed and/or Off-Set Sights
Your AR should have two sighting options: Backup iron sights and a riflescope or red-dot optic. All three is even better. There are a few ways to go here. If you choose a red-dot and iron sights, you will want to co-witness the two so that they line up with each other. You will see the iron sights in your red-dot’s window, and the major benefit here is that if the red-dot somehow stops working, you can use your iron sights by looking right through it.
If you have a scope mounted on your AR, you can also use a red-dot if you use what’s called an off-set mount. The red-dot optic will mount at an angle on the side of the rifle, and you will pivot the gun a bit to see through it. This is reasonably advanced stuff, but it does allow you the benefits of shooting at longer ranges through your scope and quickly switching to a red-dot for closer quarters.
An Upgraded Trigger
You might have noticed that most mil-spec AR triggers are a little stiff and clunky, which doesn’t lend itself well to precision shooting (or to comfort, for that matter). Drop-in triggers aren’t terribly expensive and can give you a major upgrade in just a few minutes. If you’re not familiar with this task, you might want to give it to a gunsmith to do, but it’s also pretty doable at home if you’re careful to follow instructions. A crisper, smoother trigger with a nicer reset will be your reward.
A Light
Weapon-mounted lights are one of those things that seem tacticool at first glance but are actually really practical in real life. If your home-defense firearm is an AR, it should absolutely have a WML on it. A light literally allows you to see what you’re aiming at in a dark house, and mounting it on the gun keeps both your hands free for operating the firearm safely.
There are various types on the market, at various price points. You can choose a simple click-to-turn-on flashlight that mounts to your gun, or pick a more elaborate model that has a wired pressure pad, which places the on button closer to your grip in a more ergonomic location. This makes it really easy to switch the light on naturally, but make sure you don’t leave excess wire looping around waiting to snag on stuff.
Extra Rails
If you’re going to mount stuff to your handguard, like a WML, you might need extra rails to do it, especially if your gun came with only a top rail. Be careful here, as it’s easy to go overboard and end up with what I call the cheese grater, where you have a rail on all four sides of your handguard just waiting to chew up your palm if you shoot a lot without gloves. OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but still. For comfort, I recommend only adding extra rail when and where you need it.
A Foregrip
If you do go the cheese-grater route, you might want to add a foregrip to help make gripping the handguard with your forward hand more comfortable. These come in a few different shapes, primarily vertical and a swooping sort of shallow angle. Both are comfortable, especially for protecting your hand from heat if you shoot a lot, but personally, I don’t love stuff hanging down off the bottom of my rifle. It tends to get in the way if I need to lay the forearm on any kind of rest and restricts the kind of movements and adjustments I can make on the rest. (This probably comes from my hunting background.)
Just for Fun: Some Color
You can customize your AR with custom furniture, colorful Cerakoting, cool vinyl wraps and other cosmetic upgrades. These serve no practical purpose whatsoever, but so what? Everyone enjoys making their gun their own, and for some shooters, that includes the aesthetics. Knock yourself out, I say.
Image courtesy Leupold
Optional Accessories Based on Use
If you have the budget and don’t mind dealing with the paperwork, a suppressor is an excellent upgrade to an AR that will make it more fun to shoot. Of course, they do add length to your gun, so keep that in mind depending on your use.
If your AR is set up for precision shooting, you might want a bipod so you always have a steady rest. If you use it more for CQB-style defensive shooting, or fast-moving competition, a bipod just adds unnecessary weight and bulk, so skip it.
If you’re running a red-dot optic without a scope, you might consider adding a magnifier. This is a secondary optic that sits behind your red-dot or holographic sight and literally magnifies the target image. Magnifiers are often in the 3X range and usually can be flipped to the side when not in use, so you can use the red-dot with or without magnification as needed.
Thermal or night-vision are also handy options if you intend to operate in the dark, but given their cost, they might be a bit much for a home-defense firearm. If you hunt with your AR, however, particularly if you’re chasing hogs and coyotes or other varmints at night, thermal or night-vision optics might be just the ticket.
