AR-15

[Hakk]

i have joined the ranks of the AR platform owners, with a very basic del-ton. now i have alot of upgrading to do! pro tips welcome

 

[dtkw]

Start eating instant noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then you'd have enough to add on here and there. Since it's pretty addictive, you better start doing that.

 

[mvician]

Buy ammo and mags.

Shoot it, a lot.

Decide on what needs upgraded.

Kiss your money goodbye.

 

[rightwinger]

what he said^^^ dont buy Trijicon!! they take your soul and you will never shoot with anything else

 

[lumpagus1]

Buy ammo and mags.

Shoot it, a lot.

Decide on what needs upgraded.

Kiss your money goodbye.

I agree here, shoot it and find out what you don't think you like. Then you can decide on what it is you want to swap out. There are about 50 different products for pretty much every piece that goes into an AR-15 so the only thing limiting you is price because choice is in no way a limitation. I might suggest either an informative DVD about rifle/carbine employment/manipulation, or go to a hands on class. Either way you'll become more familiar with your equipment and the more knowledge you have the better right?

 

[Jarhead1775]

Have you got any buddies with AR's? Ask them to try theirs out and see what different items actually look, feel and function like.

My first upgrade was the trigger group. I went with a Geissele Automatics 2 stage Hi-Speed Match trigger, but it is an extremely LIGHT trigger when adjusted to the minimum with a total of just over 1.6lbs total break... at the max it is almost 4.5lbs total break. Next is a Falcon ERGO grip and a grip spacer... I have quite large hands. These are on the way... but I have felt them on other rifles and it is better than the current one I have.

Since you are new to the AR field though... I would first suggest getting some proper instruction/training on the platform to enhance your abilities with it. You can never learn too much. Then, once you are proficient with it, you will be able to make better educated decisions as to actual Needs versus the Cool Factor Wants list.

Good luck with it and as stated earlier... Get Mags and Ammo... Shoot, Shoot and then Shoot some more. You will become quite familiar with it soon enough.

 

[Delta3Two]

Buy ammo and mags. Prefer Lancer AWM mags made in Pennsylvania.

 

[Cerberus]

i have joined the ranks of the AR platform owners, with a very basic del-ton. now i have alot of upgrading to do! pro tips welcome

Yeah, don't add anything that does not measurably improve the performance of the rifle. And that pretty much illiminates everything except quality optics, and maybe a small light.

 

[indyjohn]

Congrats on the new family member!

I've kept ours pretty boring. OkieGirl has a cheap red dot on top of hers and a nice single attach sling.

 

[KokomoDave]

Don't forget all those tacti-cool accessories add weight. A good sling is necessary as well as quality magazines. A Geisselle trigger will help wring the potential outta that D-T. Some of our advertisers on INGO have the best kit. Please shop with them to support the forums...

 

[Hakk]

thanks for all the info guys! my best friend is cop and hes got one with magpul furniture its comfortable but im spending alot of my gun money on ammo. so im thinking a cheap-ish scope, bipod, then more mags idk much about the inside parts though like trigger groups and such. im looking to be real accurate at 200yds

 

[Cerberus]

thanks for all the info guys! my best friend is cop and hes got one with magpul furniture its comfortable but im spending alot of my gun money on ammo. so im thinking a cheap-ish scope, bipod, then more mags idk much about the inside parts though like trigger groups and such. im looking to be real accurate at 200yds

Skip the bipod. Adds weight. Bags for the range, and logs or other natural supports are better to get used to untilizing. You could also save money by untilizing irons at 200yds. Save for quality glass, you won't regret it.

 

[shootamc58]

I agree with most here. You should shoot it as much as budget allows and figure out what you want improved and does it make that much difference for the price. The thing that helped me the most is that I'm lucky enough to have friends and family that have tons of rifles. We are constantly getting together and trying each other's stuff. I've shot 700 dollar stuff and then turned around and shot a 3500 larue tactical. Forget the price. For me it all comes down to how comfortable it is to shoot and from there i can tweak it to get it to work the best for me.

 

[Never A Victim]

It might be down the road, but get prepared to start reloading your own ammo. I can reload a case of .223/5.56 for about 40% of the cost to buy it. Yeah, there is a lot of work and prep with it, but it's worth it. And did I mention you shoot for 40% of the ammo cost?

Like others have said, get very comfortable with your entry level rifle before you start having dreams of buying that 3,000 dollar rifle 6 months after your bought your first one. Get used to the factory trigger, the iron sights, etc. The first stick-shift vehicle I drove was a 1966 Ford Tow Truck. It was outdated, loud, and I got made fun of a lot for driving it. But after a while, I was very good at driving that truck. When it came time to buy a smaller, better, pickup truck that was a stick-shift I was very proficient at driving it.

My point: If you can run a rifle that doesn't have all the bells and whistles...in a year or two when you get that nice slick rifle, you will be a much better shooter. You'd be surprised how many guys out there have never shot irons more than a few times on a AR platform. Congrats on the purchase.

 

[Hakk]

it currently doesnt have any sights on it i opted to get the one without the front sight post(has railed gas block). i figure around 250$ can get a basic scope & rings. then down the road buy a better one and put the old one on a .22 or something. ill take the advice and wait on the bipod though.

 

[ag563]

I also have a Del-Ton, echo 316, I added the carry handle sight & a paracord sling, and several 20 & 30 rd. mags, also added a bottom rail to the hand guard & a foward fold down grip.

 

[Jarhead1775]

I would invest in some Iron Sights and a Web sling. They can be had at a descent price and as said... you need to be proficient with these more than Optics. If you cannot steady a shot with Iron, then forget the Glass. The sling is a valuable tool if you know how to use it.

We all had to learn somewhere and typically it was with Iron Sights on Grandpa/Dad's firearm.

If you do it in stages and give yourself gradual "promotions" you will be much more proficient with your firearm. You will also enjoy the upgrades that much more when you promote yourself to something better. It is a learning curve that if done properly is very rewarding in the end.

Most importantly... Have Fun and shoot often.

 

[Jeremy1066]

If it were me, the first thing I would buy would be a good set of iron sights! For the $250 that you have planned for "a basic scope and rings", you can get a great set of pop-up sights from Troy or Yankee Hill and have enough $ left over for a few 30rd PMAGS. Then, after you learn to shoot the rifle, maybe get a red dot or halographic sight. I'm not talking about a $20 Tasco red dot from Walmart either. If you can afford it, Aimpoint or EOTech. If you are financially challenged, Primary Arms makes good stuff at a reasonable price. As mentioned before, I would definitely skip the bipod and also skip the scope unless it is a 1-4x or a fixed power ACOG (if you have the $). BUT!! That's just my opinion. The beauty of the AR is that you can do a thousand different things with it. Just try not to do all of them at the same time.

 

[SSGSAD]

thanks for all the info guys! my best friend is cop and hes got one with magpul furniture its comfortable but im spending alot of my gun money on ammo. so im thinking a cheap-ish scope, bipod, then more mags idk much about the inside parts though like trigger groups and such. im looking to be real accurate at 200yds

Shooting at 200 yards, you should be ok, with open sights, shoot a lot, and get used to the rifle. Put at least 1000 rounds downrange, to know what YOU, are doing right and wrong... By then YOU should know exactly what you want to do .....

 

[Cerberus]

Well, I think this would be the first upgrade needed.
AR15 Front Sight F Marked
Followed by this.
AR-15 Carry Handle BCM

Always buy quality and Buy once, Cry once.