I am curious. I went to the range with my friends and the topic came up,what is your favorite mod for your rifle. Much to my surprise it was the installation of a custom trigger.What is your favorite mod? Rod

My favorite addition is ammunition.

Otherwise, my favorites, in priority, are:

1.) White light.
2.) Red dot sight.
3.) Aftermarket trigger, particularly the Geissele SSA.
4.) Being a lefty, I've grown fond of the Norgon Ambi-Catch.

Of course, if it won't be used for defense and you're not a lefty, you can lose numbers 1, 2, and 4.  Which leaves an aftermarket trigger.

Eotech
Gunfighter charging handle
Better sling
Light

My personal order of priority is:

1. Light -  I choose a light over the red dot as the first up grade because you cant shoot what you cant see. This is the only upgrade/add-on/accessory that is absolutely necessary (in my opinion). If you have iron sights and a light you can use the rifle 24/7. You could go to war if necessary with a 6920 with a carry handle and a light.

2. Optic - I prefer an aimpoint with an elevation adjustable BUIS.

3. Trigger - My favorite is the SSA-E :-)

My favorite addition to my several Colt carbines, top 3 in that order:

1. Light - my favorite is any Surefire model light, it had not let me down in the last 10 years I had been using several of them.

2. 2 point sling - this is the equivalent of the holster on pistols, I prefer my LaRue Tactical padded version when on the move (hiking, hunting, running, climbing) and my Vickers (standard & padded) VCAS when mostly shooting.

3. Red dot sight - my favorite is my good old Aimpoint or any same brand models, I had been an Aimpoint early user for 26 years now without any problems so far.


My other additions to some of my carbines after the first three:

Railed handguard or Magpul MOE handguards - to mount my light,  vertical grip and sling QD mounts

Grip - mostly I use the Magpul MIAD grip because of the different sizes, for more vetical angle I have a B5 grip, and I don't change the standard Colt A2 grip for my M4 carbine and A2 rifle clones.

Buttstock - I've got different kinds for different uses and to balance my carbines, Magpul CTR & STR, Vltor IMOD & EMOD, B5 Bravo SOPMOD, and factory standard stocks for clones.

Free floating handguard - I like my LaRue Tactical 9 inch rail system on my precision carbine with a better Rock Creek mil-spec chrome lined, midlength gas system, medium contour 16" carbine barrel.

Ambi controls - most of my non clone carbines have ambi, selector, magazine release catch, and charging handle.


In the near future I might get either ALG or Geissele triggers, but for now I'm satisfied with my well used triggers that are more smoother now compared when they were brand new.

My favorite addition to my Colts or any other AR rifle:

1) Red Dot or ACOG on Larue mount
2) Surefire lights-if I get an older model like a M952, M962, or M900 on a killer deal, I usually add the Malkoff LED upgrade
3) Rail-not really picky, either Larue, Daniel Defense, or KAC
4) quality buttstock from Magpul, SOPMOD, or Vltor  EMOD
5) sling such as Magul Dynamics MS3/4 or Specops Patrol Sling (this is one of my favorite slings; very comfortable and easy to adjust)

Without a doubt, the Geissele trigger that I put in each AR.  I would rather have a completely stock AR with a nice trigger than a completely tweaked out tacticool AR with a stock trigger.

Second place - a good optic...and, if your AR is for HD, a good light



Everything else is far less important as far as I am concerned.  In fact, I would suggest to any new shooter that the next thing they should spend money on is ammo and lots of range time.  Not a $75 charging handle.

1.  Red Dot (T-1 or EXPS)
2. A Short Barrel
3. A KMR Rail
4. A Suppressor
5. A SSA/SSA-E Trigger
6. A LMT/B5 Stock

Night vision.  

~Augee

Absolutely the first mod to any AR I ever get  (except for an SP1 backdate project) is the Magpul MIAD !    Just too bad they don't make an even fatter version of this outstanding piece of hardware !    

Changing the MOE stock to a CTR stock.

Adding a Magpul QD sling.

Swapping out the stock trigger for a Geissele SSA trigger.

Adding an EoTech EXPS3-0 red dot optic.