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After market add on opinions

mzvarner

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 7, 2013
510
377
Spokane, WA
So I recently got my first AR (S&W M&P 15x) and I am thinking of adding a few things to it...

first (well eventually) an eotech... pretty sure consensus is "enough said"

next is a Magpul angled fore grip- What is your guys opinion on this. for me part of owning a rifle is the aesthetic look of it and personally, the vertical fore grip dosn't do it for me. However the other part (and maybe more important) is the overall functionality of the weapon system. So what are the pros? con? opinions? Reviews?

thanks
 
Keep it simple, you don't want to much. On my JP lrp-07 I just wanted basics, ex. scope that i can use from point blank to 600 yards, lots and lots of magazines, Magpul UBR stock, adj gas block, I wanted to keep my rifle as light as possible. Right now with my swarovski Z6i scope and 18" light contour barrel I am @ 10lbs total. One last thing is I also have a JP short range sight offset on my handguard. Not a lot of extras but do not need them.
 
It all comes back to what you're going to use it for and your personal preference.

What rifle with what accessories I take to a 3 stage practical rifle match depends on the stage descriptions, how I feel, what I'm currently working on etc.....

What accessories allow you to more effectively deploy your weapon relative to another accessory won't be known until you try it under the conditions you intend to use it.

Get used to buying stuff and either keeping it around for when you need/want it or resell it to another member here for a reasonable price and purchase something else.

Some guys like the angled grip with the fully extended supporting arm which seems very popular these days. From what I see at practical matches I go to, it doesn't matter what you use as much as how well you've practiced with what you use.
 
at what max yardage do you plan on shooting this rifle? what is you purpose with this rifle? fast and quick or slow / bug hole accurate? me personally, I can't stand using red dots un-magnified past 100yards.... IMO, if you're going to shoot @ 100yards and beyond, then I would at least get a 1-4 scope (maybe something like a vortex 1-4 pst).


So I recently got my first AR (S&W M&P 15x) and I am thinking of adding a few things to it...

first (well eventually) an eotech... pretty sure consensus is "enough said"

next is a Magpul angled fore grip- What is your guys opinion on this. for me part of owning a rifle is the aesthetic look of it and personally, the vertical fore grip dosn't do it for me. However the other part (and maybe more important) is the overall functionality of the weapon system. So what are the pros? con? opinions? Reviews?

thanks
 
When it comes to aftermarket parts, there's a host that could be helpful to you. A trigger upgrade to a Geissele is always a great start. Be careful though, you'll have a hard time going back to stock triggers after using one. I like AFG2s. They just feel a hell of a lot more natural than vertical grips. I like the Surefire scout lights with the pressure pads. Pretty handy little suckers. Finally, I like do like BAD levers. They take some getting used to but they do help me make mag changes faster. It all boils down to personal preference.
 
If you like the EoTech...go for it. They are quality optic choices if that type of sight best suits your needs/wants/goals with your rifle. I tend to agree with some of the above posts re: using dot/holographic sights for a "precision" AR or for longer range work, but again, only you can decide if a non-magnified optic is best for your purposes or not.

If you want better functionality...skip the add-on @#$%&*!& trinkets at the beginning and start with something that will matter in terms of making the rifle shoot better, be more accurate, etc. For example, the factory trigger in every M&P15 I've fired just plain sucks!! They are gritty, heavy, sloppy and just generally pretty piss poor even for a mil-spec trigger. That'd be the first thing I'd do if it were my rifle instead of throwing good money after bad trying to make it shoot better or be more functional with forward grips and the like. Spending money on training and ammo is a much better use of your funds.

Now, once you have had an opportunity to field your rifle some and have a better idea of what you want/need for it, then the AFG/AFG2 may be a worthwhile consideration (again...depending on how you'll be running it). They do a nice job of allowing the shooter to keep a high grip on the end of the rifle, closer to the centerline of the bore (as opposed to way off center/low on a traditional VFG), and in doing so, they tend to make the rifle more controllable (in terms of pointability, perceived recoil reduction, more solid grip on the rifle, and increased speed on follow-up shots...again though...all of that is dependent on the shooter running the rifle right to begin with). Whether you go with an AFG or an AFG2 is up to you. The only real differences are the AFG is longer and takes up more rail space (length-wise...and height-wise/width-wise because of the wings which are absent on the AFG2). The AFG2 eliminated those features and changed the design somewhat to allow compatibility with a larger range of rail systems in conjunction with the use of additional rail accessories like rail covers, lights, etc. that may have otherwise not been mountable in the desired position because of the larger design on the original AFG.
 
These are good topics to consider. This rifle will probably be used out to a max distance of ~200 yds. Beyond that I have a Rem 700. However Idk that a new trigger is in the books. This rifle is for my own enjoyment no serious match shooting or use in the field. I think ORD might have nailed it though and spend some range time with the rifle to see what I like and don't like about it since this is my first. Money spent on training and ammo is more important than on "tacticool" accessories at this point and in this economy/ market.

Thanks guys. More advice is always welcome.