MoJo wrote:gigag04 wrote:Training.
Later? A light and a sight.
Most of the stuff people put on ARs just add weight and serve no real purpose than looking "tacticool." The most important upgrade you can put on an AR is
a good light. Next a trigger upgrade and a decent optic. You don't have to spend a bundle on the trigger a JP Enterprises trigger spring kit will usually be all you need. Quality mags and ammo are way more important than useless attachments.
Learn how to use the gun and train, train, train,
Mostly agree....Good training can be a better investment than gadgets. For years, the standard M16 rifle was a pretty basic weapon, all things considered. Generations of American veterans performed very well with nothing more than a an adjustable rear peep sight and a front sight post. Think '03A3 Springfield, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M14, M16, M4....... Training (plus a smidge of natural talent) was the difference between an average marksman and a great marksman.
BUT......
There are a lot of us who live in the real world and for whom a good training class is simply something that we either can't afford, or we are physically unable to do it, and so we prioritize our purchases accordingly.
I don't see well enough anymore to consider my iron sights to be my primary sighting system. I have them zeroed, I
can use them at limited ranges, and they are cowitnessed with the reticle in my EOTech, but at my age and vision, irons are strictly a backup and my primary sighting system has to be some kind of red dot/holographic system, preferably with a magnifier on a swing-to-side mount. My eyesight simply isn't sharp enough to be very effective without the added crutch of a lighted reticle and a degree of magnification.
As to training, I'd love to do a good carbine class some day. Unfortunately, most of my disposible income lately has gone to paying medical bills, including the physical therapy I am currently undergoing to try and restore some of my mobility. One does what one can, and sometime down the road I'll hopefully be able to get some training.
Like most things having to do with guns, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to how to augment the original purchase of the firearm. But, if you have decent mobility and eyesight and can afford it, I would definitely urge you to buy ammo and pay for training.
Being able to reload your ammo is a good thing if you're really concerned with match accuracy, or if you think you can beat the price of bulk ammo by reloading; but the cost of a proper reloading setup can easily approach or exceed the original cost of the rifle, so you'll have to amortize the cost over many thousands of rounds and years of use before you recoup the investment. OTH, there is a great deal of satisfaction in crafting your own loads.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
― G. Michael Hopf, "Those Who Remain"
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