AR AND AK Guys

What do you consider "must have" modifications to your platforms? Why? Charging handles,drop in trigger groups, machined trunnions? Sights-what kind?

 

Never found much need for mods in either weapon. Fit and finish seem more important than mods. Never been much of an ak fan as far as owning. Does what it was designed for very very well. Tack driver, nope, pull trigger and shoot, yes. Much prefer it in 7.62 by 51 than 39, but that is my problem. Never found a Saiga that I didn't like. Some kit built ones I have seen were rather crude in both ak and ar and some were built for a "price" of sale rather than quality. Smoothing or polished actions, better barrels, better optics, all very much a matter of personal preferences.

All firearms are part of a system, need to define what you wish system to do. Dream project for close in would be 300 Blackout with suppressor, heavy bullet, close in, minimize flash and ear damage, never going to own one, but is dream. Truck gun out to about 50 yards, ak, out to 150 yards, ar, sniper, M1 or bolt action with good optics and such. Personal bias, must people would be way ahead if they limited mods, bought more ammo, and shot 10 times as much and took a good defensive fire arms class with tactical shooting. Shooting practice, proper bullet for your weapon and cleaning and lub will have a lot more impact on point of aim and point of impact being in line, than a $200 rail.

 

Not an AK guy, if i'm gonna run a Com-Blok, it's an SKS!
Not really an AR guy ether, but I do run them A LOT for my expected needs.
That said, I run a retro'ish CAR-16 Commando the way it should be, with the A-2 fixed carry handle, with a few tasty mods I feel are must haves, but otherwise it looks Retro!
Mod 1 is the Trigger assembly, I like the CMMG "tuned" trigger system, keeps it at a proper "Combat Weight" while really improving the feel, the brake, and reset, as well as making for a consistent 3 1/2 pound pull! Mod 2 is the Charging handle, I'm a YUGE fan of the Radian Raptor Ambi charging handles, this makes for a seriously useful upgrade that really makes the AR lightning fast.
Mod 3 is the barrel, I like the SOCOM weight/pattern M-4 style 11.5 inch 1/8 twist Melonited barrels, about as good as it gets and not expensive to have a few around! Mod 4 is the fixed carry handle sights, I convert mine to the National Match rear sight and the match front double sight pin, and run it with the Modified Zero, making it perfect for everything from CQB to Counter Sniper work in a super light, slick, and handy little carbine! I also (mostly) run the heavier Bullets almost exclusively, with a strong preference for the IWI M-262 or the M-888 MK-IV 77 grainers, the Black Hills M-Tac 72 OTM's and the Hornady Black 77 Grain soft tips! These are all made specifically for the shorty barrels, and all run exceptionally well, with the Black Hills having the highest velocity and expected accuracy, while the Hornady's produce the highest level of precision! The IWI stuff is super hot and really needs the 1/7 twist, but for shorter range work, damn near perfect! I do run a lot of the M-193 stuff for it's explosive performance and decent range and accuracy, but really prefer the heavy stuff!

 

AR flash hiders on AK because it does as the name implies and the AK slant brake does nothing for a semi-auto. If you haven't tested the effectiveness of the AR style flash hider at night you will be impressed. Similar design was adopted on lots of 7.62x51 battle rifles and works just as well on them.
An incredibly simple design that just works.

Internally, unless you want to be cursing and bloodied, replace the wire shepherd's hook with a plate retainer.



East German tritium night sights. Because they weigh almost nothing and they work. Half life of tritium is 12.5 years, but with night adjusted vision I can align these sights perfectly when they've faded well beyond that. If you don't know who's behind you, dim can be good.



At least one Yugoslavian magazine with BHO follower. Because it saves you making an audible "click" on an empty chamber.

Extra long French leather sling with clips and 360° swivels at both ends. Easily silenced with some cloth tape, won't melt, won't tangle, and it fits over all my gear regardless of season. Adjusts to optimal length for immediate transition from carry to firing.



Romanian side folding stock with mounted pouch/cheek-rest. I like the pinchy button release model. It locks open solidly and quietly. Zipper pouch gives on the gun storage for cleaning gear and a stripper clip of ammo and adds just a bit of insulation from the jarring steel of the stock. Reduces length for movement in or employment from cars or cramped spaces. Makes the rifle very easy to blend into gear without it sticking out.

With a chrome bore and chamber I don't need to clean much and can fire 7.62x39, .300 Blackout and .223/5.56 and hit a 20" square target at 25 yards with all of them. Nasty tricks. History buffs will understand.
5" clay at 100 meters with the correct ammo.
Why? Because it's important to know what works in a pinch, and how well, but mostly because I can.
Don't try shooting my ammo in an AR.

 

Lately, I have changed my thinking on this - I mean - most decent AR's out of the box are more than enough gun for me and will do exactly what I need them to do. Possibly, the only necessary mod, if you can call it a mod, would be a 3x or 4x optics for my old eyes. And, maybe even a second stronger optic for 300+ yards...I suppose a very lightweight optic that would encompass both like a 4x-14x or something like that but think it would be too heavy for normal use and slow reaction time and maneuverability too much, it would be okay shooting from a hide but pretty worthless otherwise. Oh! and a sling which position the rifle where you can access it immediately, not sure that can be considered a mod either since it damn near necessary.

 

Have both and never had a need to modify they all shot fine

 

I build my AR's (mostly) so they don't need mods. The AR is for the most part the barrel, bolt, and trigger.

If you buy, don't get a government profile barrel.

Yeah, it's kinda sorta mil spec but it's so shitty a design it has to be made of 4150 steel to prevent drooping under heavy use. With normal profiles the same 4140 that did just fine through WW2 is still just fine, with 4150 as a bonus. When you look at the Iraqvet888 videos where he sees how long it takes for a gun to fail, 100% of the time with government barrels it's the barrel drooping just before the gas port disrupting the gas system.

Who would have thunk hanging a heavy weight on the end of thinner material would be a winner? Not only is it more prone to failure it effs up rifle balance by making it nose heavy.

I suggest the following profiles instead:
SOCOM is a bit heavier, but better balanced and will hold up better during extended engagements. It also hold better accuracy when hot.

Alternatively, a hybrid profile that is heavier at the base, but then thinner after the gas blocl like the Ballistic Advantage Hanson or Faxon Gunner profiles. These really help to better balance the rifle and hold up nearly as well as the SOCOM.

Gas system for 14.5" barrels through 20" should be mid length. Longer than that get a rifle length. Pistol length for shorties.

As for barrel lining, chrome is only good when applied by a company like Colt or FN who know how to do it right. It's not just getting it to adhere, but getting the exact correct thickness along the entire length of the barrel. I prefer Melonite as it's almost as durable and the treatment does not change the diameter of the bore and it cleans just as well. Unlined is also a viable option and cleaning is not a chore with modern products.

My builds have used SOCOM profiles, but am working on a pair of uppers to augment them - one with a Ballistic Advantage 14.5" pencil barrel and another with a Ballistic Advantage 10.3" 300 BO barrel for lighter, tighter use.

Since you read this and bought a rifle with a correct barrel, then the only real mod is a trigger upgrade. GI triggers are hit and miss. Some people polish them or buy ones already polished. For a single stage I like the ALG ACT with the standard spring. For a two stage trigger I like the Gieselle SSA-E, but there are a lot of great aftermarket triggers. For the purposes of preparedness, make sure that the trigger hammer has enough mass. A lot of them remove mass for competition purposes, but if you want it to go bang every time get one designed for military and not range use.

Note the weight behind the hammer face on this mil spec FCG. This is what you are looking for.


If your AR does not have BUIS then get some! Buy decent ones as your life may depend on them. I prefer the battle tested Troy, but ARMS, Midwest, PRI and a few others make accurate sights you can depend on. If your rifle will not have optics, then use an A frame sight/gas block and whatever QUALITY fixed rear sight you want including the carry handle type. Note that quality does not always equal cost.

The main accessory you need is a sling as this is not a safe queen and you may be lugging it much more than you think. I prefer simple, but go with your preference. Avoid "cool" and "tactical" and keep it simple so it won't let you down. If you use QD attachments onlu use those made of STEEL or with steel inserts. Aluminum WILL wear out and surprise you when you don't want to be surprised.

The other "must have" accessory is a spare bolt carrier group.

 

For some reason can't add this image to the above post, but this is representational of a government profile barrel droop, in this case after 600 some rounds of mag dumps


Now, that's a lot to expect from any barrel and you are not likely to survive an engagement this active, however, you can still get smaller amounts of barrel droop that will accumulate to impair or disrupt the das system altogether.

 

So far must haves are A2 sight system.
A "mil spec" trigger is fine, especially if you can do a trigger job.
If you don't like iron sights an A3 upper that can take a scope is all you need to know, then from there I say put a 1 to 4, fixed or not, scope that agrees with you.
It's easy to put too much glass on an AR.
A no thrills charge handle is fine.
I don't like any drop in trigger group. They're charging you hundreds of dollars for something that can be done to a $40 trigger with a little skill and a few tools.
My current trigger has a hair of creep and breaks at about 2lb.
I have been spoiled by the trigger in my bergara hmr, there's no reason for a heavy trigger or a ton of travel and/or creep, except on a revolver, or a pistol firing in double action mode.
Also for your consideration, the best mod:
AR-15 Picture Thread
(Look for my posts)

Mods to avoid:
Boron nitride coated bolt. These like to break in half at the cam pin rendering the gun unusable. Carpenter158 breaks lugs by the extractor and the gun keeps running, even with 2 broken lugs. About 99% of the time you don't even know a lug has broken. Some how they break and get ejected along with spent brass.

 

Those things are black and scary as all hell, I'll just stick with the 12 ga. smokepole!

 

Also see:
AR15 hit piece fail.
Ar15 fake problems and a few real problems that retards misdiagnose as "design flaws".

 

Slings are a absolute must have, but ate also one of the most contentious additions we like to argue about! I like my convertible Stoner sling, it works exceptionally well, is steel cable reinforced and has just enough flex to run as the perfect single point, and when converted to rifleman's set up, is solid and easy to use properly! For those who like the single point design, you absolutely need a reinforced one with the good swiss mash clips, you don't want cheap plastic, especially here! I get mine through Midway USA, they are super inexpensive, but the quality is exceptional, I have ran many of the higher end ones and this has proven to be as good if not better!

 

Iffn' yer a single point sling fan you also need one o these, shown below in tactical gray. Could use a picatinny (or is that pickateeny) rail to be fully tactical.

 

OK this was what I was waiting to see. Charging handles by Radian, BCM and others are hugely popular. Honestly I still run stock charging handles on all my ARs. I've read the reviews, but tell me why you like it so much. My thoughts to this point has always been, "That's a hundred bucks I can better spend on something else."

A very valid point and an excellent idea. I've honestly never thought to use a AR type flash hider on an AK. I guess because of the left handed threads it never entered my mind to check it out. I usually run the stock hider on my ARs except those that I usually run suppressed and the SP1 that has the old 3 prong. For the ones that I do put a can on I use a hider that has external threads that mate up with the suppressor. You are 100% correct about the effectiveness of the birdcage.

The plate retainer,night sights, sling and BHO mags are all good additions. I install tritium front sight posts on the ARs and AKs that are ment to be our out the door guns. I'm a recent convert to the BHO mags for the AK. Bought 6 to try out then ordered more. I've been running 2 point slings for awhile now after getting away from the single point that made the rifle nut shot me more than once.. I do like the looks of your french sling. Where did you get them?

Strictly speaking this isn't true because you add the mods of choice as you build
I agree with you 100% on your thoughts about the barrels, and the brands you mentioned are quite good for the money. I have had good luck with the Green Mountain barrels as well. I use their blanks for making several different sub gun barrels as well. For myself and Sass I will not run aftermarket trigger packs or reduced weight FCGs. Don't get me wrong, some are great and feel wonderful, but my thoughts are I want to run something that I can replace if the need arises PSHTF and not have to get used to a different feel-if that makes sense. I do my own trigger work so if I can do it now, I can do it later.
Like many here I'm old fashioned enough to have iron sights on everything. I am still a firm believer in learning to shoot with irons before progressing to glass. Troy's are the standard that others strive for, but they aren't cheap. There are honestly a couple of knock offs that work well for a lot less. The magpul's are probably the ones that most go with, and while they aren't anywhere near the Troy's, I have used them and they do work.
Nice meltdown pic

 

I'm betting somewhere down where the black trees grow you've got a couple goodies stashed in the swamp in a hollow log

 

Firstly they are ambidextrous, which is useful is you have to switch sides or your right hand/arm is injured. In my case half my family is left handed, so I put ambi controls on everything.

The second point is that they are fast - you can "blade" the raptor by swiping it with the edge of your hand. The BCM, which I have on my SOCOM uppers, can be done this way, but not as well as you can with a raptor.

The two upper builds I mentioned this summer are DI gas systems and I'm optimizing them for silencers. Those uppers are getting ambi PRI Gas Busters that basically seal the CH hole in the upper and direct gasses away from that area at the same time. The others are the dreaded pistons (which run like sewing machines) and getting gassed in the face is a non issue. I wanted Raptors, but watching several videos comparing charging handles on suppressed AR's the Gas Buster appears to do a significantly better job than others.

Back to those glorious Raptors - if you look around they are frequently on sale. I think Midway had them for, I think, $65 recently for the original units. Strike Industries has a cheaper ambi CH, it's a decent unit, but not near the league of BCM or Raptor.

 

I found them in a jumble of old junk that I dug out of a corner at the shop. They had a tag on them that said "French Subgun slings." Mine look like they've been soaked in drain oul and stirred around in the ashes of a camp fire. None of that light mustard colored raw leather look left. Used to see them for $2 at Cheaper Than Dirt. Haven't seen any catalogs from them in years.

I did find some here, and did a little research on them. 48" in length sounds right.

French Sling Strap with Swivels Desert Tan
FRENCH MAT 49 LEATHER SLING

And here's where it came from. The French MAT49. Hope this helps.

 

@Tully Mars I specifically run the Raptor ambi for several reasons, the biggest is that I can charge that Carbine at any angle or position, up to and including stomping it open with my foot, or I can blade it with the side of my hand! These Raptors are about as bomb proof as they come, and are super slick and easy to work, especially when things are sporty, less to mess with! One thing to be careful of, there are many copies out there with plastic parts, the real deal is 100% alloy and it's also laser etched nice and deep so you know you got the real deal! The other thing that makes these super duper is the way the two hand levers are geared together, that make them super strong with out being heavy, and they are also super smooth and quiet when you need them to be!

 

For flash hiders on the AK or any short barreled 7.62x39, you want the longer type three or four prong tuning fork types, some of that com-blok stuff can be super flashy, the worst thing to have, plan for the worst!
I run Smith Enterprises Vortex three prong "Long" flash hiders on all my stuff, they just flat out work, from 5.56 all the way up to .338 L.M! You can also get them outside threaded for suppressor use, make sure to use an over size crush washer/spacers to make a stop ( unless your like me and run Reflex type cans, then your on your own! YMH also makes a three prong type with suppressor lugs for those types of cans, worth the cost if your gonna run one!