AR15 project part 1

     While thinking of what after-market parts I should equip my rifle with, I was first faced with the decision of what I wanted my rifle to do for me. When I bought it , it had a very nice Leupold vari-x iii hunting scope on it. This scope brings close to four-hundred dollars brand new and would definately allow long range shots to be taken with ease, however, this particular rifle is a carbine with a 14.5 inch barrel. If I wanted to take shots from a long distance I would have bought a rifle with a eighteen or twenty inch barrel for increased accuracy. The carbine length barrels were designed for ease of movement. They were primarily made for tactical and self defense purposes. With this is mind I wanted products that would add to the functionability of the rifle. I wanted tasks such as magazine changes and solving weapon malfunctions faster and easier. I want to be able to acquire my target quickly and accurately, and be able to squeeze off multiple rounds on target if need be. I decided the first thing I was going to do was improve the trigger.
     I did this by replacing the factory fire control springs (trigger, hammer, and disconnector) with J.P reduced power springs. This definately made the trigger pull much lighter and cleaner, dropping it by approximately three pounds. I then installed a set screw into the lower reciever to take up the "creep" or "pre-travel" (the ammount of space the trigger moves before engaging the disconnector and releasing the hammer). The instructions for this process can be found by running a search for "the 50 cent ar trigger job". When doing this one must use a little common sense in not taking too much creep out. Taking too much out can result in the weapon firing twice with one pull of the trigger or misfiring when bumped, both are very dangerous. If you don't feel like you know how much to take out then DON'T DO IT! This has been your official disclaimer so don't try suing me if you do it wrong.
     So now that my trigger pull was smooth, light, and clean it was time to increase my rifles modular capabilities. I changed out the factory handguards with a Magpul M.O.E composite rail interface system (R.I.S). With the addition of the composite rail pieces I was ready to add modular accessories to my weapon. The first of these was a three inch forward vertical grip (F.V.G). This grip allows me to move the rifle around easier in close quarters and also had a hollow compartment in which I keep a few spare internal parts for repairs in the field if necessary. I also purchased a grip sleeve cover from Manta rail. This F.V.G cover has a pocket designed for pressure pads, so if I ever decide to run a light or optic with a pressure pad activation system I can keep the switch right there on the grip for easy access.
     I also wanted a light. If this rifle was going to be used for home defense it would make sense that having a light attatched to the weapon would be huge during low visibility situations. The only problem is that most weapon lights that are worth anything are very expensive ($100-$300). As rugged and cool as they may be I just could not see myself spending that kind of money on a flashlight. So, I bought a one inch drop light mount on ebay and went shopping. I found an impact/water resistant Maglite XL50 LED at Walmart for thirty dollars. Maglite has a lifetime warrantee on all their lights and the tail cap switch makes turning it on and off while holding the rifle a snap. Considering the difference in cost I will take my chances and hope I never have to use the light after my gun has been thrown in a pool and run over.

This is the forend of the rifle with the Magpul handguard and rails, FVG, and Maglite. The rails have UTG rail covers over them for a better feel while I am shooting and to protect the rails themselves from damage. This Maglite is very bright! I also bought an accessory pack for it that came with the rubber lens cover you see and colored lenses (red and blue).
     The next two item I put on were also tactical upgrades and I stuck with Magpul. I installed the Magpul oversized trigger guard for easier trigger acquisition and winter shooting with a gloved hand. I also installed the Magpul B.A.D (battery assist device) lever. This lever allows me to operate the bolt catch with my trigger finger , so I never have to remove my support hand. I didn't much mind the old way when it came to loading a fresh magazine but I cannot begin to tell you how much faster and easier magazine changes are with this little B.A.D boy. When the last round is fired from a magazine the bolt locks backward. Usually you would change the magazine and then hit the magazine release button with your left hand before having to return it to the handguard to resume firing. With the B.A.D lever as soon as the new magazine is in you can return your support hand to the weapon and simply slide your trigger finger down over the lever, releasing the bolt and loading the first round from the new magazine. It is incredibly smooth. This lever cost me around thirty dollars and is probably the most worth-while investment I have made so far. Magpul got it right with this thing when they say they give shooters an "unfair advantage".

 I will post more of the upgrades I made in a few days. As usual if you have any questions on where I got any of the items or how I did anything leave me a comment or send me a message and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible. Don't forget about the free emergency fire-starter you could win at the end of this month. Happy shooting!