Some small advice needed

[Computalotapus]

First I would like to thank you all in advance for any feedback given.

I recently received a M&P 15 MOE Mid MagPul as an early Father's Day present. I have been wanting an AR for a very long time now and I have kept putting it off as I am one not to get something for myself if there is something that my family wants as well. This past year I came close to picking one up but my girls have done really well in school and as a reward I have picked them up a few things that dipped into my AR fund.

With that said from a post by UWone77, I have found where I should get my ambi selectors from. Only a few things I want to change on the rifle the way it sits from the factory. Some things are minor but one thing I am stuck on is finding a way to get rid of the FSB all together. Everything I have came across is usually related to a piston conversion. I have no intentions of running suppressed or FA anytime in the near future so I really don't want to do a conversion.

I know that the FSB will not be an issue looking through a red dot (going with an AimPoint Pro Patrol Rifle optic). I do want to put a flip up iron sight on the front after removing the FSB. From what I have read I will need to go to a metal flip up (thinking Troy??). But when I look at the rifle I really just want to move to a flip up front sight.

Being former military I really like the surefire lights and know I can get the illumination kit from MagPul for my MOE Mid forehand guard. But it has been a few years since I was in and I know there are other products out there. I want to stay away from tape activated because I know in the heat of the moment sometimes you can activate the light by accident. I would like a push and hold for "ON" style light, basically blind and identify style light. Any pros/cons or different lights are welcomed.

I am thinking of maybe a B.A.D lever from MagPul for the sole purpose of malfunction clearing without having to move my weapon hand away from the grip area. Pros/Cons?

And that is pretty much all I want to do for now? Primary use of the weapon will be for home defense. Secondary will be range, maybe local CQB style competition, and most definitely I will be attending some instructor led courses in and around my area.

Sorry for the long winded post and again thank you in advance.

[Uglyduck]

If you want to get rid of the FSB you have a couple of options. Replace it with a flip up sight integrated into the gas block. Vltor, GGG, YHM, and a few others each make one but they run from $100-$200+. You don't need to go to a piston stup to eliminate the FSB.

You can also cut down the standard FSB (or replace it with a low profile one) then change the MOE handguard to a free float hand guard and add any flip up you like. Troy makes an Alpha rail with the sight integrated into it too.

You're going to drop some coin any way you go. I use a 12" rail with MOE flip up but wouldn't baulk at using a red dot co-witnessed with standard FSB, some folks prefer them.

As for lighting: I'd get the MOE kit because you can use a pistol light or mount a handheld just about anywhere on the handguard. A Surefire G2X can be had for around $65 with a momentary switch I believe.


Rifle layout is a matter of personal preference but if you don't know what you like then spend as little as possible without sacrificing reliability to establish a baseline. Having he benefit of hindsight, I would just keep it simple and buy the light kit, Aimpoint, then practice running the rifle well.

[rob_s]

Rifle layout is a matter of personal preference but if you don't know what you like then spend as little as possible without sacrificing reliability to establish a baseline. Having he benefit of hindsight, I would just keep it simple and buy the light kit, Aimpoint, then practice running the rifle well.

This is extremely good advice. The surest way to save money on an AR is to go shoot it.

[CGS]

Various gas blocks you can install to get rid of the FSB, the FSB should knock off pretty easily. I am not a fan of cutting off good parts just to save time, but that's just me. Personally speaking I would knock off the FSB, get a mid length free float rail like the Daniel Defense MFR 12" or the Troy TRX and a low pro gas block. I'd then mount my flip up front sight all the way forward on the MFR/TRX. This setup is pretty much how I run my personal AR, but I put on a Burris 1-4x XTR w/o irons.

Like the previous poster said, rifle setup is a matter of personal preference, that's the beauty of the AR15 platform.

[Computalotapus]

Thanks for the info on the gas block and light. I agree with you nothing beats trigger time. I am very familiar with the weapon system as it hasn't changed much from the M4 I ran as a duty weapon minus the burst selection. I will be getting as much range
and hopefully some scenario based range time as well as I can. And I really do want to keep it simple. removing the FSB will most likely be the last thing I do to it. I will run it co-witnessed for a while. And I am fine with that it's how I ran before.

The idea is to make a decent home defense rifle that is light enough for me to take to the range and teach the girls how to shoot. I want the iron sights to be there for a backup to my primary optic when/if it fails and to teach my girls how to shoot iron sight before
moving to optics. I need it to be light enough to get the wife to run with it and be familiar with the weapon system before we decide to build her own version and do some advanced instructor led courses.

If I had to choose what was important to me for the rifle I would say optic/light and really that is all I am doing that will effect the weapon weight. Ambi Selector, B.A.D lever, I don't need but I really hate moving my weapon hand away from the grip if I don't have to. The FSB to be completely honest is last thing even after I replace it when I run it I will probably run co-witnessed but will fold the front sight away when I want to look at the profile of the weapon.. to me its just visually blah seeing the FSB from the side that is all it boils down to. I don't want it up when I look at it from the side. when I shoot it will be up. I know stupid reason to want to replace it

[Uglyduck]

I'm a believer that balance has more of a tangible effect on the shooter than the total weight, something to consider when setting it up for smaller people. My wife prefers the AR over any other weapon we own and she shoots it comfortably even with a post-surgery hand. I think you'll have a fine setup, and with a light and optic that thing will be ready to fight.

[UWone77]

This is extremely good advice. The surest way to save money on an AR is to go shoot it.

rob_s gives solid advice as usual, but you have it all wrong OP. This will only be one of several more uppers you will eventually have. :) So... like rob says, go shoot it. If you still feel you need a flat top continuous upper with a long rail, then look into the plethora or other options out there. However, I don't find the FSP an issue. It's the strongest gas block out there. Besides, after you pay for a rail, lo-pro gas block, front Troy's you're 1/2 way to a new upper as it is.

[rob_s]

I am not a fan of cutting off good parts just to save time, but that's just me. Personally speaking I would knock off the FSB, get a mid length free float rail like the Daniel Defense MFR 12" or the Troy TRX and a low pro gas block.

In the scenario you describe, cutting down the FSB is not only the best option available, it is NOT going to save any time.

A stock FSB on a quality rifle is installed using taper pins. For those that do not understand how they are installed, the FSB is first slid onto the barrel, and THEN the combination is drilled/reamed for the taper pin hole. This is why you can basically never re-use the pin holes with any other gas-block device. What this also means is that the best possible gas block for your barrel is the FSB. In order to cut it down you should first remove it, then use a sawzall or a hacksaw to remove the A-frame, and then a Dremel to grind the hell out of it to get it to the size that you want or need in order to get it to fit underneath your handguard of choice.

contrast that with the less-optimal method of knocking off the FSB, installing a slip- or clamp-on gas block, and tightening some (horribly sub-optimal) screws to hold it in place.

With all of that said, many people will eventually discover that the FSB is also the strongest front sight you're ever going to have on the gun and the least susceptible to being knocked out of alignment or starting to wobble thanks to wear on the extraneous pivots and springs in the fold-down sights (every joint is a potential failure point, now go count the number of joints on an FSB v. the number of joints in a fold-down sight). In the event that you want to put the FSB back, you'll need the original, factory, part that was matched to your barrel, which you won't have if you cut it down.

So, for those that really know what they are doing, with lots of trigger time with their personal gun and other people's guns in the configuration they are working towards, cutting down the FSB is the A-answer. For those that don't, or who haven't really spent much time with and without an FSB, the clamp-on or set-screw aftermarket low-profile gas block is a better solution since you may find yourself wanting to go back to the FSB.

of course, even if you chop off the FSB you can always buy a new barrel with FSB installed later on, and sell the barrel with the chopped FSB if you decide you want to go back.

FWIW, I do not get the want many people seem to have to remove the FSB. I did it to my early ARs and wish now that I hadn't in all but one case (an SBR where I'm happy to have the extra handguard space I can't get any other way). this is why I'm so quick to suggest getting out and shooting vs. making choices you may regret. When I didn't know better I chopped, and once I did know better I regretted it. One of those early ARs is about ready for a new barrel anyway, and I'm looking forward to rectifying my mistake.

[CGS]

To each their own, I still won't chop up and hack good parts and haven't had any problems with my gas blocks falling off. Hacking off parts is the same reason why when I install new hand guards I don't cut off the delta ring. I refuse to do that.

I like not having the gas block on my personal AR's because that's right where my hand goes and when I was holding my hand in front of the typical m4 style hand guard, you won't do that for more than a few shows, so I need the extra hand guard space and is why I run a DD MFR12" on my personal AR.

[Computalotapus]

Rob I know I need to shoot and shoot and shoot. But I don't want to run with the front FSB. But I am taking your advice and just going with a completely different barrel and keeping the original intact.