AR-15 Rifle Setup (Complete guide)
This is a question that I see a lot of people asking on the internet. My AR-15 rifle setup is simple and was built with the intent of having a civilian “do-all” rifle that can be used to protect me in any scenario I can imagine.
You can easily get carried away with all of the gimmicky gear and accessories that are marketed for the AR-15 platform because it is one of the most popular and common rifles people own.
I will stick to the basic items you need and should acquire first for your rifle and then discuss some optional upgrades that will benefit you. The three main pieces of gear you need for a good AR-15 rifle setup are a sling, red dot optic, and a weapon light.
What AR-15 Rifle Should I Get?
There are lots of options for AR15’s available in the market today and it’s also relatively cheap to build your own.
A lot of people have been getting into AR pistols and shorter barrel rifles however for the average civilian I think it makes more sense just to get yourself an entry to mid-level AR-15 with a 16-inch barrel.
If you build your own AR, you can go the route of building an AR pistol. I wouldn’t recommend getting anything shorter than a 10 1/2 inch barrel because you start to lose a lot of the effectiveness of the 5.56mm cartridge with anything shorter.
You will not get quite as much velocity with a shorter barrel. That being said, for the average person a 16-inch barrel will work just fine.
Also when putting a rifle together it depends on your philosophy of use and your environment that you live in.
If you live in a highly populated urban environment a shorter barrel might make sense if you live out in the country or even the suburbs a longer barrel will work just fine.
Just make sure you get one with a good barrel and stay away from the cheap polymer receivers.
Rifle Sling Setup
The first piece of equipment you need to get for your rifle would be a good sling. There are two options when it comes to slings and there are two main types you should consider.
Single point slings and two points slings.
Single point slings have become more popular recently and they have their advantages however, I recommended an adjustable two-point sling.
A single point is good for switching to from your strong side the weak side but the disadvantages are that it always slaps me in the knees when I’m moving or running.
A two-point sling works well for me because it’s always ready to be shouldered quickly and I could secure it tightly to my body when moving or running.
2 point slings are more traditional and I believe that they are superior. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference, training, and what you are comfortable with.
Also, it can be transitioned from the strong side to the weak side as long as you have enough slack in your sling.
There’s a lot of good sling options for both of them and they can be picked up for relatively cheap and also make sure you have a way to mount it to your sling to your rifle.
Recommended Single Point Sling
I have experience using the Magpul MS4 Sling and it works very well and has a slide for quick adjustment.
Recommended Two Point Sling
The Ferro Concepts Slingster is my favorite and this is what I am currently running on my AR-15 rifle setup.
The Viking Tactics VTAC is also a good option.
Red Dot For AR-15 Rifle Setup
Most rifles nowadays come with a set of pop-up or fixed sights, so I’m going to assume that you already had those. If you do not have them I recommend getting the Magpul MBUS Pros they’re metal flip-up sights and they’re very rugged and durable.
The next thing you need to add to your rifle is a good reliable red dot sight.
I recommend a red dot because they are very quick and they give you many advantages over iron sights. The main advantage is you could focus on a target and not have to focus on your front sight.
Threat focus is very important and can make you a quicker and better shooter and it will help you be more accurate.
I don’t recommend getting the scope or in LPVO (low power variable optic) because most of the time you’d probably be using it on one power.
If you’re not using the magnification, a standard red dot will be brighter and quicker. Now if you live out in the mountains or in a very rural area an LPVO might be a better option for you. (Again everyone’s situation and environment will be different).
But for the average person, a red dot will work just fine for close range to medium range engagements.
Optic Mounting Options
When mounting your red dot there are two popular options which are either a true co-witness or a lower 1/3.
All this means with a true co-witness is that your red dot will be in line with your fixed sights. The only downside to this is that your head has to be a little bit lower on the rifle that’s why I personally prefer a lower 1/3 co-witness.
Just because when I shoulder the rifle it feels more natural to where my cheek weld is and I can I get a very quick sight alignment.
Again this comes down to personal preference but if you’re looking for a quick answer go ahead and try to get a lower 1/3 Mount for your red dot.
I have the Geissele Super Precision Mount on my AR-15 rifle setup.
As far as what type of red dots to get this is where you should spend a little bit of extra money on your AR-15 rifle setup. I don’t recommend going cheap here even though there are a few good budget options.
Three Recommended Red Dots
Aimpoint T2
The Aimpoint T2 is probably the best red dot available. It is battle proven and extremely reliable with excellent battery life. This is definitely an expensive optic but worth it.
Eotech EXPS2
The EOTech EXPS2 is also a great choice for your AR-15 rifle setup. It is a holographic sight and has been used by many law enforcement departments. The mount is also integrated with the optic so you don’t have to purchase a mount for it separately.
Trijicon MRO
The Trijicon MRO is what I use on my AR-15 rifle setup. I have it mounted on the Geissele Super Precision Mount. It is a good optic with a bigger objective and fairly priced. Battery life is very good too.
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Weapon Light Setup
The third thing you need to add to your rifle to complete a good AR-15 rifle setup is a weapon light.
Statistically, most crimes happen at night and you want to be able to identify any threats that might present themselves. Having a good weapon light will give you the ability to see your target at night or in a low light setting.
This is a part of the AR-15 rifle setup where I see a lot of people try to save a little bit of money. Which is ok because gun parts are expensive.
But personally, I don’t like trying to get anything cheap on my rifle especially if it’s my go-to rifle for self-defense.
Also when building a rifle and adding a weapon light I think it’s better to have the option of a momentary-on button compared to a constant on the button for the light activation.
This is because you might want to clear an area quickly and not have your light constantly on which might give away your position and make you a target.
If you can not afford a pressure switch for a light, a standard handheld flashlight that can be attached to the end of your rifle will work. It’s better than not having any light at all.
Surefire & Streamlight
Two brands I recommend for a good weapon light are Surefire and Streamlight.
I have experience with them both and they have both worked very well for me with no issues. If I had to choose one I like the best, it would be the Surefire Scout M600 with the pressure switch. I use the Cloud Defensive LCS Mount to secure it to my rail and the Thorntail2 M-LOK Inline Mount to mount the light to my rifle.
This is my ideal setup however I have used a Streamlight ProTac HL with a Magpul Light Mount that worked well.
Just make sure you get something that is designed for a rifle and has good lumen output.
Other Accessories For Your Rifle
Once you have the three basic accessories for your rifle (sling, red dot, weapon light) everything else is optional. In my opinion, there’s a lot of cool stuff you could add to your rifle but sometimes all you’re doing is adding weight and getting no benefit back.
I try to stick to the basics and keep my AR-15 rifle setup as clean and minimalistic as possible. Keeping the overall weight low is good too.
If you do wanna keep going and keep upgrading your rifle, an aftermarket trigger is always good, and changing the furniture can customize the rifle to your preference.
If you do choose a trigger I’m a huge fan of Geissele triggers and I don’t have one of them in my rifles yet but that’s the next upgrade I plan on doing.
It’s kind of easy to get carried away and this is where people start spending a lot of money on stupid stuff that they often regret. I think it’s better to spend more money on ammo, extra mags, and training. This is a better use of your money instead of adding a bunch of junk to your rifle.
Sometimes it’s better to keep it simple when setting up your AR-15 Rifle.
Training With Your AR-15
If you are a new shooter or new to rifles I highly recommend going to the range and shooting as much as you can and getting some good training in.
I know this is sometimes hard with the price of ammo skyrocketing and the low availability of ammo, but try your best to get to the range as often as you can.
Also, it’s good to try to go to an outdoor range where they allow you to run and gun. Shooting on a static range at a piece of paper is a good start but actually shooting behind cover, running and gunning, practicing reloads and mag changes will be very helpful.
This also lets you determine where some of your weaknesses are and some things you may have to work on.
If you could go to a rifle class or a carbine class and get some good training from a qualified instructor, this will also be very beneficial and it’s really fun.
Personal Preference & Budget
If money wasn’t an issue I would love to build the ultimate rifle with all the most expensive and best parts available, however, I need to be realistic and realize that almost everyone including myself has a budget.
If you’re looking to save a little bit of money you could always get a really cheap sling that will probably work just fine and you can go a little bit cheaper on the light.
Don’t go too cheap though and one area that I definitely suggest you spend a little bit of extra money in is on a good red dot optic.
Primary Arms and Holosun have some good budget options but this is one area that you are going to have to spend a little extra. You get what you pay for when it comes to gun stuff.
When setting up an AR-15 there are a few basics you must follow and the rest is a lot of personal preference just because one person sets up the rifle a certain way doesn’t mean that is the best way for you.
Keep in mind but everyone likely lives in a different environment where different situations may arise and you need to adapt your AR-15 rifle setup for that situation.
For most people, any engagement that will be with their AR-15 rifle will likely be a close range to mid-range. You most likely will not be posted up with a bipod shooting over 300 yards.
If you think that is something that might happen you should probably set up a different firearm dedicated for long-range.
Conclusion
So after reading this and going through the basics of setting up an AR-15 rifle, hopefully, you better understand why it is important to set it up the way I recommend.
For 99% of the people out there a setup like this will work just fine, also you will sleep better at night knowing you have one of these incredible tools nearby.
Let me know when the comments if you agree with my recommended AR-15 rifle setup or how you would setup your rifle. Thanks for reading, be safe and I’ll see you in the next one.
Complete list OF THE GEAR MENTIONED
(check the links for the most up to date prices)
Slings
Backup Sights
Red Dot Optics
Red Dot Mounts
Weapon Lights
- Surefire M600 Scout Light
- Surefire Pressure Switch
- Cloud Defensive LCS Mount
- Thorntail2 M-LOK Inline Mount
- Streamlight ProTac HL
- Magpul Light Mount
Some of the related gear can be found on Amazon. Click Here to visit my Amazon store.
