This article will outline Thomas’ upgrade recommendations on an m4 ar15.
The cost/benefit is key in these decision making items. If you have to pay for the “system”, then take off and then add. It can get expensive quickly. Its so much better to build it the way you want & the way you’ll be happy long term!
By building an ar15 sourced from West Desert Tactical (WDT)/Austin, you can buy your “completion kit” for about $500 & then upgrade and notify Austin of parts you no longer need in the completion kit. So, for about another $150 you can totally upgrade your rifle(depending on how many upgrades you do)!
IMO the most important party of your rifle system is your “professional training”. I highly recommend Marksmanship Matters’ 5 day rifle course! To attend the 5 day rifle course, you must have successfully completed the 5 day “defensive pistol” class. This means you won’t get an unqualified fellow-student in the rifle class. This means the guy/gal next to you is SAFE…proven they take safety seriously!
Thomas’ recommended Upgrades
- Professional Training! factor this cost into the purchase price of the rifle
- Quality Sling. This sling is “OK” if you plan to dutch tape it to the length you want; otherwise is slips/expands the length.
- Quality iron sights. I like the flip-up magpul sights. If your optic fails, you can flip them up quickly. Do NOT simultaneously use your optic & your iron sights (that is what mall-ninjas do).
- If you can afford it, one of my fav upgrades is to a Rock River National Match two-stage trigger. Currently, they are only $62! Brownell is often a good place to purchase these too.
- furniture upgrades
- magpul MOE pistol grip. You may consider doing a TWO-TONE rifle. black barrel/receiver/handguard with a desert tan/flat-dark-earth pistol grip & stock.
- magpul MOE commercial stock (make sure your tube is ALSO commercial.
- Forward sling mount. If you are getting the 1812 handguard from Austin (one of my favs), you’ll want a sling mount. I’ve had good luck with this one from magpul
If you want recommendations on optics.
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