Basic AR-15 Duty And Professional [Setup Like A Special Forces Veteran]
Owning an AR-15 gives you a sense of security and safety. People say that it feels like having an assistant in your corner, ready to come out whenever needed, at a moment notice.
Knowing how to use it properly is as important as owning an AR-15. To get good at using your AR-15 you need to find someone experienced to teach you how it’s done properly and spend some time at the shooting ground.
But before you start learning how to handle and use an AR-15 you need to set it up first. Unless you have some previous experience with automatic and semi-automatic rifles, you will need some help with its setup.
To make it easier for you, we will share with you how special forces veterans set up their AR-15 rifles. So, let’s begin.
1) Start with the Optics
Don’t listen to folks saying that all you need is the iron sight. Even though for you to learn to shoot properly, you need to start with using an iron sight. But beyond that, why bother when you have some pretty cool optics like a magnified scope or a red dot.
Optics can help you shoot faster and more precisely. For close combat and speed, it is better to go with a red dot, whereas for accuracy at longer ranges, you better go with the AR-15 equipped with a scope.
2) Tactical Light
The prevailing reason why people decide to purchase an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle is for protection. All they want is to protect themselves, their property, and their family.
And if you are one of those folks, then you are probably aware of the fact that most crime happens at the cover of the night. Because of that, a tactical light can be very handy. After all, you don’t want to shoot anyone before identifying them.
3) Choose a Sling
This a must because sometimes you might need to have your AR-15 on you for a longer period. A sling will free your arms while your rifle is on you at all times. There are one, two, and three-point slings.
Two-point slings are the most popular ones because they are both practical and flexible. While you are at it, make sure you buy one with a slider. A slider will help you keep your rifle attached to your body for the best possible comfort.
4) Consider the Grip
Many people are fine with the standard AR-15 pistol grips. But then again, just because it is good enough for everyone, it doesn’t mean that it will feel good for you as well.
The thing with the standard AR-16 grips is that it’s somewhat thin. That’s an issue for men with big hands, the grip doesn’t feel comfortable. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to replace the standard grip with a grip that feels comfortable.
5) Barrels & Twist Rates
Long and heavy barrels are not very practical for self dense. Instead, it is better to go with a light snd short barrel. To that end, it is recommended to go with an M-4 profile barrel or a 14.15”-16” barrel using a flash suppressor.
Don’t make the mistake of buying a muzzle brake on account of a flash suppressor. The deal with muzzle breaks is that they can significantly increase both the muzzle blast and noise. Anyone that has ever used an AR-15 indoor featuring a muzzle brake without hearing protection has learned that the hard way, or should we say the loud way.
The twist rate is what regulates which bullets do better. For example, those that like to shoot lighter/shorter bullets should stick with a slower twist rate, whereas those that prefer heavier/longer bullets, should hang on to a fast twist rate. Generally speaking, a 1:8 or 1:9 twist rate is optimal for pretty much all the projectiles.
7) Carry Handle or a Flat Top
When it comes to this choice, a flat top is better because it is much easier to mount a scope or a red dot optics on it. Mounting an optic reliably on a carry handle is quite challenging.
Another option is to get the A-3 model that comes with a removable carry handle. The removable carry handle features its sights, but if needed, it can be removed so that you can install your optics.
On the other hand, if you are quite determined on the optics that you will be using, get yourself a rifle that had a folding sight. That way, it doesn’t stand in the way when you want to use the scope.
8) Consider the Trigger
The factory trigger is quite decent and most people are fine with it. However, if you want to decrease its weight, there are some options.
It is not a good idea to buy a competition trigger because of its screw adjustments. The risk here is that some of the screws might back down at the wrong moment, and you don’t want that to happen.
9) Chamber/Caliber
It is highly recommended to get a rifle chambered for 5.56, instead of one for .223 Remington. Dimensionally speaking, both chambers are very similar. But similar implies they are not the same.
The 5.56 is designed for slightly higher pressure and velocity. As a result, you can freely shoot .223 Remington rounds in a 5.56 rifle, and there won’t be any issues so ever.
At the same time, shooting 5.56 rounds in a .223 Remington rifle can be very dangerous. Therefore, the 5.56 chamber is the obvious choice.
To sum it up all
Know that you don’t have to put everything on your AR-15 at once. Take your time and add new items slowly so that you don’t put too much pressure on your budget. Soon enough, you will have your rifle set up according to your preferences and needs.
In the meantime, take your time to learn more about the working mechanisms of AR-15, how to maintain it properly, how to store it, and most important of all, how to use it efficiently.
