Build Party! AR-15 Accessories - What's the brain trust like?

[rcbusmc24]

I will never use Streamlight Weapons Lights ever again.... I've had too many short out, randomly die with fresh batteries, and otherwise shit the bed to ever trust them. Streamlights are not affordable, they are cheap... Right now everything light related on all my guns is Surefire, but I like the Modlights and other new hotness, just have had no reason to need to buy more recently, still have a drawer of extra surefires if I need to mount up a new light to something. I have the SF SR07's on 2 guns that have PEQ's but I also really just like clicky tailcaps on the end of the light better than any pressure pad setup.

I'm ambivalent about handstops and forward grips as I don't use them on my rifles. I've never had a issue with any of the various sling swivels/ QD plugs either so not spending extra on those. Most of the rails I'm using anymore have rotation limited QD plugs built in, on the two that don't have one in the rear I have a Magpul QD plug attached across the top rail. I have a one gallon ziploc baggie full of Larue Index Clips so I typically just use those on guns that still have Pic rails and the top rails on guns that need cable management, along with tiny little zipties for the same purpose...

BUIS I'm not too picky about, but none of the plastic Magpul sights, those things are useless to me. I like the KAC's and have a bunch but they are spendy....otherwise the metal magpuls are good or I even have a few old Troy's on some guns that came with them back in the day. I also like the DD fixed sights if I'm doing a lightweight build and using a SF X300 U on the top rail in the front.

Optics are a mixture of Aimpoint T1's and T2's on the shorter/ lighter rifles, A few EoTech XPS3's on the night "dedicated" SBR's, LVPO's from Nightforce, Trijicon and Vortex on my reccey type boi's ... Lasers include PEQ-15's and Steiner DBAL D2's, mostly on the short rifles.

[tlong17]

Need to outfit a few acquisitions. Not looking to break the bank on this stuff but if something is really worth it, I'll get it. However, not everything can wear a modlight . These are my starting points but I don't have firm opinions yet.

Flashlights - Streamlight HL-X (wish it was thinner), maybe one Modlight?
Flashlight tape switch/button - the unity tactical hot button and modlight modbutton look pretty cool. The HL-X comes with one.
Flashlight mounts - Leaning toward Arisaka inline or offset. I just want something that mounts in close to the rail. Not sure how they compare to one another or if there is something else better out there.
Vertical grip - no opinions yet
Hand stops - no opinions yet
Sling swivels - Currently using BFG, but the button is a little too recessed. Would like something that is faster/easier to change and can be easily used with gloves. I mostly run the mount close to the barrel nut but also have another mount near muzzle for sling supported positions.
Sling swivel mount - Currently use BCM and they seem to work fine. FCD seems to make a bomb proof stainless steel one. Not sure if it is necessary though
Rail covers/panel - I don't necessarily need these but if people have opinions go for it. I have BCMs and they seem to work fine.
BUIS - I may cheap out on this. May wait for the MBUS 3s to come out.


What do you like and why?

Flashlights - Modlite PLH
Flashlight tape switch/button - Clicky tailcap
Flashlight mounts - Arisaka. Offset or inline whichever puts it in the position you like
Vertical grip - None
Hand stops - None
Sling swivels - BFG or Magpul
Sling swivel mount - KAC or Magpul
Rail covers/panel - RailScales
BUIS - MBUS. DD or Scalarworks PEAK for fixed front if you like that.

I haven't seen anything I like better than Modlite and Arisaka mounts are just quality. I don't like any hand stops or vert grips. Smooth rail with Railscales where needed.

[CleverNickname]

Flashlight- Surefire M600DFs mounted at 10 o'clock or Cloud OWLs mounted at 3 o'clock.
Flashlight tape switch/button - I only use a Unity TAPS tape switch on the rifle that has an ATPIAL-C and an M600DF on it, so I can control both without moving my support hand. The OWLs have an integral tape switch. The other M600DFs are positioned to so I can hit the tailswitch with my offhand thumb, without using a tape switch.
Flashlight mounts - Arisaka mounts for the M600DFs, the OWLs have an integral mount.
Vertical grip - I don't use vertical grips any more, only handstops.
Hand stops - BCM KAG
Sling swivels - Blue Force Gear Vickers 221 slings, which come with RED swivels.
Sling swivel mount - BCM sling mounts that came with the BCM rails I'm using.
Rail covers/panel - Generic ladder rails, BCM Keymod or BCM MCMR, depending on what needs to be covered.
BUIS - MBUS Pros. Normal-style for use with red-dots, offset for use with magnified scopes.

[Default.mp3]

FWIW, for whatever reason, I haven't had the greatest luck with Arisaka mounts, my lights tend to come loose on them, even when installed with clean threads and threadlocker. I've since switched to IWC mounts, and they seemed to have held up better for now.

[Sanch]

I saw a video by Travis Haley where he discussed different bandstop/vertical fore grip options and he made a point that seems interesting. He said the answer could be any of them, with the goal being that your hand be in a neutral wrist position.

So the solution depends on your personal forearm physiology, the length of your foreend, and how you are gripping it. Because if it's a short gun and you're gripping far back, you want a vertical fore grip. But if it's a medium/regular gun then you want a KAG mini-angled stop.

I'm not sure myself, trying to figure this out for myself.

[M2CattleCo]

Lights & mounts: Arisaka no remote switches or wires. Period.

VFG: something light, KAC or Magpul

Sling swivels/mounts: BFG fixed sling loop and sling looped through the stock. There is really no good reason to take the sling off the gun. You do NOT want easily removed QD swivels. Lol.

Rail covers? Why?

BUIS? Again, why??

[Rex G]

I will echo the distrust of Streamlight. Surefore may not be what they once were, but I am staying with them, mostly X200-series that are STILL working, and X-300.

Switches? The switches are on the bodies of the lights.

Mounts? I bought several GG&G mounts, long ago. They remain in service.

Sling Swivels/Mounts? Factory.

QD: Well, I have never felt the need to quickly disconnect from a weapon. A button that protrudes enough, to be easily operable with glove hands, might be vulnerable to being unintentionally released by bumping against something. The universal solution to emergency escape from entanglement is a blade.

Vertical Grips/Hand Stops: I am just starting to experiment, so, no opinion. My defensive shotguns do not have these accessories, and they had a two-decade head start, so, the need for such things, on rifles, has never developed. Plus, living near both “Texas brush country,” and the “Big Thicket Natural Reserve,” anything that catches on vegetation has to have a seriously redeeming feature set, to be worth it.

Rail Covers: Well, why have rails, only to cover them? Only one of my uppers is quad-rail, and that is because I gave up waiting for M-LOK to become available, and reluctantly bought the railed version, just before they, too, were bought-up, in the 2020 frenzy. (It is an LMT Monolithic upper, so, those rails are not going away, like ‘em or not.)

BUIS: Well, realistically, my “back-up” iron sights are on my handgun(s). My eyes have “outgrown” most iron sights. So, I am not up=to=speed on the “latest and greatest” BUISs. If an AR15/M4 becomes my go-to defensive long gun, then, best practice would be to use return-to-zero mounts, and have two optic/mount combos sighted-in.

I am not an expert, of any kind. I was a designated “patrol carbine” unit, for a big-city PD, from 2002 to about 2004 or 2005. I had to attend a quite good-for-its-time 32-hour class to achieve that status, but that has been a LONG while ago. My AR-Fifteening has been sporadic, since then; on again, off again.

[texasaggie2005]

Currently, my AR's are setup;

AR Rifle w/ LPVO

Flashlights - Surefire Scout Duel Fuel Pro
Flashlight tape switch/button - Surefire clicky tailcap
Flashlight mounts - Scout Pro has a built in MLOK mount.
Vertical grip - Do not like.
Hand stops - Magpul hand stop, rear only.
Sling swivels - Magpul QDM.
Sling swivel mount - Magpul MLOK.
Rail covers/panel - Magpul Type 2.
BUIS - Dueck Defense fixed offset.

AR Pistol w/ RDS

Flashlights - Surefire X300
Flashlight tape switch/button - Surefire X300 tailcap
Flashlight mounts - N/A.
Vertical grip - Do not like.
Hand stops - None.
Sling swivels - Magpul QDM.
Sling swivel mount - Magpul MLOK.
Rail covers/panel - Magpul Type 1.
BUIS - Magpul Pro.

[Cool Breeze]

Thanks all for the replies. There were definitely things not on my radar that you all pointed out and I appreciate it. Just an overall broad summary so far:

Flashlights - Seems like the usual suspects here. A lot of people mentioned Arisaka as a good light that is not much more than a streamlight. I will have to find some deals on this while I try to resist the $100 Streamlight HL-X at Big Daddy U.
Flashlight tape switch/button - Factory/Surefire/ Modlight / Unity - seems pretty straight forward
Flashlight mounts - Arisaka and IWC - IWC wasn't on my radar so I appreciate that. That Surefire scout pro mount looks pretty slick!
Vertical grip -Magpul / BCM / KAC - I really appreciate the commentary commentary from @pastaslinger regarding which you like based on your grip
Hand stops - Magpul / BCM. I wasn't even looking at the ones from Arisaka or True North - Thanks!. That Emmissary handbrake from @Sig_Fiend looks really comfortable too.
Sling swivels - Magpul seems the way to go. Saw the picture. Button looks perfect and I have never heard anyone having issues with magpul sling stuff
Sling swivel mount - Magpul / BCM / KAC - seems pretty straight forward
Rail covers/panel - most people don't like but a few Magpul / BCM fans
BUIS - couple Magpul mbus, couple Magpul pros

I appreciate all the suggestions. Keep them coming if you are new to the thread.

[pastaslinger]

I'd highly recommend looking at the Cloud Defensive Rein, I think it's game changing. The arisaka and surefire lights seem like they're a generation behind and the new, current hotness is modlite and cloud defensive. I went from surefire 6px (600 lumen version), to modlite plhv2 18650, to cloud defensive rein 18650. I've kept all of these and feel the warmer tone lights like the surefire and the cloud work better with red dots as the Modlite really washes out the dot.

If you're invested in surefire pattern things like switches and tailcaps I'd get a modlite.

If you need a whole new light system for your gun, I'd probably get a cloud rein. Consider the 18350, I sometimes wonder if I should've gotten that since the 18650 is beefy.