New To AR-15s?
By Forest Platt (with tips received from many sources)
This is intended to help guide those that are new to AR-15s and need help selecting equipment to start out with. There are so many options for rifles, sights, optics, magazines & upgrades it can be confusing. In here we will point out what you will need as a minimum to start, and help you decide what other items you might want to select in the future. Also, for those new to shooting, we will cover the basics on safety and marksmanship in the first paragraph. At the bottom is a link to a checklist you can use when shopping for your rifle.
New to Shooting?
People new to shooting should start with the basics, safety and basic marksmanship. The 4 Rules of safe firearm handling are posted on this site. Learn and live by them, especially the rule about do not point the firearm at anything you are not willing to destroy. As for marksmanship you can download FM23-9 for free from a few sites (see the AR Manuals Section) it contains a lot of material about basic marksmanship (breath & trigger control, sight picture etc.). You should also contact the NRA and your state Rifle & Pistol Association for help in getting a basic safety & marksmanship course (often taught at local ranges). Even if you don’t hunt, attending a local hunter safety course will cover many of the basics, plus safety tips for carrying your rifle in the field. Be sure to attend a NRA sponsored course, or one taught by a NRA certified instructor. The NRA has been teaching firearms safety for over 130 years and literally wrote the book on the subject. Unfortunately several of the anti-firearm groups are now trying to teach ‘safety’ classes of all types. These are taught by people who generally know nothing about firearms, and do not routinely handle them. The same goes for instruction from you local police, unless they are certified NRA instructors be very wary (I’ve seen some police with no respect for safe gun handling). Would you go rather go to a Cardiologist (the NRA) or Ronald McDonald (the others) for medical advice and care for your heart?
What Rifle Do You Want?
The next step is to decide what you want your rifle for. Rifles can be configured for a variety of uses such as hunting (game or varmint?), precision shooting, plinking, Service Rifle Match, self defense, practical rifle competitions, Police work, and just collecting. Some people just want a general use rifle (plinking, some competitions, home defense). At this point you want to be gathering information from a variety of sources. Good sources include this web site, AR15.com, and the AR15-L e-mail list (you sign up at Yahoolists.com, or you can go there and read the posts off the server). Plus there are a variety of other AR-15 related sites (links here in the Links section and on AR15.com). For general use I’d recommend a chrome lined barrel and chamber, the chamber cut to M16 specification (Bushmaster and Armalite have these), and the barrel in a 1:7 or 1:9 twist (so you can use the largest variety of loads with decent accuracy). The chrome lining insures a reliable, easy to maintain rifle. If you want to try your hand at DCM/CMP Service Rifle match shooting then get a 20" barrel with the A2 upper receiver. Otherwise, most people prefer the 16" carbine for its lighter weight and ease of handling. Generally the standard HBAR barrels are too heavy. look into getting a M4 profile barrel (carbine) or A2 profile barrel (20" rifle). Most any gunsmith can trim and refinish your HBAR to one of these profiles, should you desire a lighter barrel after purchase. If you are seriously interested in Service Rifle competition then select one of the companies that produce a dedicated DCM rifle. You will find it’s cheaper to buy one ready to go, then trying to upgrade your current rifle. When comparing rifles and companies be sure to compare the extras they offer with their rifle. Many offer magazines and slings free. Others even include hard cases for transporting the rifle (NEVER for storage) or cleaning kits.
I will not cover the actually purchasing since these laws can vary from state to state. For example, in Maryland most AR-15 are deemed 'restricted weapons' and as such even private sales need a background check and waiting period. Please check the legal section and consult local experts (dealers and police) to determine how you go about legaly purchasing an AR-15 style rifle.
What to Feed Your Rifle?
Feeding your rifle means 2 things: Magazines and Ammunition! For magazines you need an absolute minimum of 3 ( one to shoot, one to reload when empty, and a spare). However, I would recommend 5 to 10 high capacity magazines (if legal in your area) and a couple post ban low cap magazines for range use. The only high capacity magazines you should get are USGI or Themold magazines. Orlites are OK, but may require tweaking to be used in some rifles. USGI magazines come either as 20 round magazines or 30 round magazines made of aluminum. If the finish is worn of that is OK, providing the lips are not cracked or separated and the welds are holding. Colt and DPMS brand magazines are considered USGI (as are the older Bushmaster magazines). Thermold magazines were used by Canadian forces (and others) and work well, despite being a plastic magazine. Read the Magazine FAQ to get more details! If you want/need to get post ban low capacity magazines then there are 3 that are recommended. Colt 9 round magazines feed well, as do the new Bushmaster 10 round magazines (with plastic bottom). Avoid the older Bushmaster ‘riveted’ 10 round magazines, they are notorious for problems. DPMS makes perhaps the best of the post ban 10 round magazines, expect to pay a premium for them.
While a good rifle can devour almost any 5.56 or .223 ammunition reliably, stick with a good brand for initial ‘break in’ of 300 to 500 rounds. Our favorite is the American Eagle 55gr FMJ .223 round. Its not as 'hot' compared to the military 5.56 load but is very accurate, consistent, and reasonably priced. After that I’d recommend going to Winchester Q3131/Q3131A or IMI M193 for a full power, quality M193 round. Be sure to read the Ammo FAQ and visit the .223/5.56 Ammo Review Site (in the Related Links section).
What other Equipment Do You Need?
Other than ammunition and magazines, not much more. If you have children (or they visit you) you should have a method to secure your rifle against unauthorized use. This is a very broad topic and I suggest you read this article and select an appropriate device/method for your needs. You should have hearing protection (plugs or ear muffs), and eye protection (I recommend carrying spare disposable ear plugs in my equipment box). You will need a cleaning kit (Otis is the site recommended cleaning kit and they make a specific kit for the M16 that fits in the stock, and they make an M4 carbine kit). You will need a bottle of CLP so you can clean your rifle (Breakfree CLP or Remmington Nitro CLP). You will need a manual. The Bushmaster is a good one (and downloadable from their web site) covers both the A1 & A2 sights. But the best one (and every one should have it) is the M16 operator’s manual (the –10) and its available free for download from this site (and for $5 at most gunshows). This manual covers cleaning, troubleshooting, zeroing, field stripping, immediate action and more. If nothing else READ THE DARN MANUAL (as most questions that are asked can be answered in this book). A sling is very useful and most rifles come with the USGI nylon "silent" sling. This can be used to carry the rifle or as a hasty sling to help steady the rifle. Service Rifle shooters will want a real competition sling. A case is very useful to carry your rifle to and from the range, NEVER STORE YOUR RIFLE IN THE CASE (air can't flow so any retained moisture won't dry and your rifle could rust). Cases can either be soft or hard. Soft cases usually have extra storage space for magazines and bipods, and can come in cheap open cell foam or the more expensive closed cell foam. Buy the closed cell foam, they don’t retain moisture and many of them will float if dropped in the water (yes they float with the rifle in them!). For soft cases I recommend Galati cases (see Good Deals!), these are closed cell foam cases for a very reasonable price. Hard cases are needed when transporting the rifle on an airplane. Hard cases can either be the inexpensive versions, or the really expensive Pellican cases that are waterproof and can withstand drops from great heights. You will also need a case to carry your ammo and gear. Military surplus ammo cans work great and are water and air tight. These can be purchased by mail order or for a couple of bucks at gunshows. Another options is to buy a Craftsman 26" plastic tool box (about $20 when on sale) from your local Sears. I have one and I can fit my carbine into it (broken down into the upper & lower recievers) as well as ammo and all my supplies. Usually I just keep my spotting scope and .22 conversion kit in the bottom and my ammo and range do-dads on the top shelf.
If you are left handed you might want to get an Ambi-Catch to operate the magazine release like the right handed shooters do. Other "South-Paw" parts can be added such as the selector (safety) switch and the charging handles 'trigger'. See the Parts FAQ (near the bottom) for information on these devices, and where you can purchase them.
Two nice things to have (but are not needed) are a spotting scope (to see where the bullets are hitting on the target) and stripper clips. Spotting scopes are needed if you plan on doing competitive shooting, else you will have to wait for a cease fire to see where your bullets hit. Southwest Shooting supply often has good deals on spotting scopes. Stripper clips are used to store your ammunition on. Ten rounds fit on a stripper clip and they can be used to quickly load your magazines. If you do get stripper clips be sure to get several stripper clip guides (often called spoons). Stripper clips really save you time at the range loading magazines. I load my stripper clips while watching T.V. at night so I’ll be ready at the range. (BTW many states including Maryland forbid you from transporting loaded magazines, so load magazines at home is not a viable option)
What Equipment Should You Avoid (at least for now)?
Oh Boy here is where I will get into trouble. If you are starting out, avoid purchasing optics till you get a chance to try some out and you get competent with the iron sights. If you plan on buying a flattop, then opt to get the removable carry handle (you can always sell it later) and learn to shoot with irons. Titanium parts in general should be avoided (especially the firing pin). They are not needed and offer little (if any) advantage over standard parts. Likewise stay away from chromed bolt carriers (chromed bolts are ok – but save your money for now). The U.S. Army prohibits rifles with chromed bolt carriers from being used for deployment (they wear out the uppers). For now stay away from adding lights or free float tubes (usually reserved for bench rest shooters, varmint hunters, and serious Service Rifle competition). Always avoid USA brand, and other aftermarket, AR-15 magazines.
What’s Next?
Next you have to take the rifle to the range and Zero it! This is the process where you align the sights so they point to where the barrel shoots. Check out the Zeroing section for the myriad of options. We recommend you use the Santose Improved Battelesight Zero on all A2 upper AR-15s (and flattops with irons) and carbines with A1 sights. Rifles with 20" barrels and A1 sights should use the M16A1 zeroing method (but the Santose IBZ would also make a good choice). Read the directions before trying them out, and be sure to have the needed Allen wrench in case your A2 elevation wheel needs adjustment. In the Documents section are the military zeroing targets for use on a 25meter range (27 yards 1 foot). There are separate targets for carbines and rifles (due to the shorter /longer sight radius). To use one of these targets at 50 yards set the photocopier to enlarge to 183%. You should be keeping all of your shots within the circle consistently. If not, then you need to practice until you do. Practice at the shorter ranges (25 to 50 yards) before moving out to 100 and 200 yards. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance or to ask questions. Most shooters love to help out newcomers to the sport. You are always welcome to come to our Maryland AR shoots and we will help you to the best of our ability.
And After That?
After zeroing you will need to practice and perhaps attend a more advance course in rifle marksmanship particular to your intended use. Once you get some experience you can start to look into optics and match triggers. Another option to consider is a .22 conversion kit to allow you to shoot .22LR from your rifle. This allows you to practice on indoor ranges (most don’t allow .223 to be fired) and they are great fun when using Newbold reactive plastic targets. This is also the time most people start thinking about their next AR-15 or at least an extra upper…….
Have Fun and enjoy the rifle!
[Purchasing Checklist]
