i just got my first ar and i dunno whether to get a rail and a light or an optic and buis first. This is gonna pretty much be my goto gun for all purposes, and im gonna have to save up for either one so i am just wondering what the experts would suggest i put my money towards.
need more info. on what you have now. i take it that it’s a basic AR. mags, ammo, and a reliable buis. should be first. light if you plan to use it for home defense. optic can be last.
light: streamlight or surefire
BUIS: Troy, Larue, DD, KAC
Optic: Eotech or Aimpoint , or a quality 1-4x on a solid mount.
Mags: PMAG
its a 6920, carry handle sights, i have ammo, pmags, and a sling. i was thinking of getting the kac ras and a surefire or an aimpoint and some kind of buis
So the rifle is good to go with carry handle/sights. Once you go to the Aimpoint then a BUIS is obviously needed. They kinda go hand in hand, but get the Aimpoint first then the BUIS. Flashlite would be second after the RDS for me. If you train in low light/near darkness and are instinctive in point shooting at close to short ranges then you’d be surprised how well you can hit without a flashlight. If your eyes can see it you can hit it as those ranges.
Training! - sign up for a class. that is the best “accessory” anyone can buy.
Then buy a ton of ammo and magazines
Get a training class under your belt. This will also help you to answer what accessories you need.
Just like the last two guys said… Spend a lot of time with your rifle.
This is the best accessory that you could invest in.
As far as toys go, get yourself a light for HD work. For my work gun, its a basic Bushy Carbine with carry handle and I runa surefire x300. Its all I need. It works. You may think otherwise.
Justin
If you can afford it and have none under your belt to date, as has already been mentioned above, try to get some formal training.
Before you go accessory crazy though, get some trigger time. Take a look at the following:
-
Becoming familiar with the operation of your weapon.
-
Download an Operators Manual and Maintenance Manual.
-
Learn the weapons individual parts, their correct nomenclature and their purpose and/or operation.
-
Learn the proper way to field strip the weapon and perform basic cleaning and maintenance.
-
Learn the proper way to perform a function check.
Ammo would help.
what is a BUIS?
Back Up Iron Sight
people get too wrapped around making their gun look like something off Call of duty or something, like the others said, shoot the thing and you’ll find out what you “need” you don’t need much for it to be a usable “go to” gun.
Well your starting out on a good platform,take it to the range get used to it ,and like others have said take some courses .
For basic gun,
Flashlight
Skill/Training
Then you will have a better knowledge of what you “need”. This will also help you avoid buying things you don’t need.
well dont think i just bought this gun and just look at it, i have and plan to shoot as much through it as i can afford. and it is so great compared to the mini 14 i upgraded from (i can actually sight it in because it doesnt shoot 12" groups like the mini!!!:D) So as far as training goes, i looked into some classes that are around here and some other nationwide ones, the local one says you need 400 rounds and the bigger ones ask for 1200 or so rounds, do you think that id be skimpin myself to go to the cheaper 400rd course?
ps. im guess ill prolly go towards the light since its cheaper than the rds, and more practical in any situation id be in (home defense)
“…This is gonna pretty much be my goto gun for all purposes,…”
One man’s opinion…
A “go to” gun (which can end up being any gun, btw:) is best served, IMHO, by having an operator who has some “go to” training. So - save for the training and the ammo needed to take that training. Others on the list who have far more trigger time than me will chime in with “hardware” suggestions.
There are many different types of training courses out there. It just depends on what skills you need to acquire or any you need to reinforce. There are the classes that don’t have as high of a round count but are very heavy in conceptual training and the how’s and why’s. I would advise taking something like that first to learn concepts. Then take a higher round count class, which will take the concepts you learned in the first class and drill them into you over and over again until they become natural. After that, decide which niche classes you want to take or retake to further your competency.
For an entry level shooter, IMO I would stray away from super high count classes. If a class calls for 2000 rounds in 2 days, there may be a good chance that you will learn very little, but the little you learn will be through repetition. There are always exceptions, so scour the forums for after action reports to see what fits the bill for you.
As far as gear goes, I would say a light is more important right now for you. If money is tight, look at a Magpul MOE handguard and a Surefire G2LED with a VTAC or similar mount. That is the least expensive quality equipment one can get for a carbine and not be disappointed.
thanks infidel, thats useful
im gonna look into that low round count class and prolly save for that
now besides goin to a class, does anyone have any suggestions to improve my skill/marksmanship with this carbine on my own at the range?
There is much to be gained at the Tactics and Traininig forum on this site.
My current rifle wears the following, and it serves the same purpose the OP had in mind:
- ARMS #40 rear BUIS
- DD 7.0 Omega
- Eotech
- Magpul ASAP adapter
- MS2 sling
- TLR 1
As far as “accessorizing”, that’s all I’ve done. There has been some internal modifications, but I’ve found that the KISS style rifle is all I need.