I have evolved over the years to extended charging handles, muzzle brakes, experimentation with buffers, etc. Going into this year, I think I’m going to go simpler. Front sight gun, optics, light and sling.

Where are you these days? Simple or really enhanced carbine?

Question:
Simple carbine set up?

Choices:
Yes
No

 

Depends on platform and caliber.

AR? Nah, I only currently have them in 223, and they all have bull barrels for the most part. I also don't have one under 20" at the moment, something I'll have to rectify at a later date. Most have milspec triggers, but one does have a Timney 660CE trigger and a Criterion barrel. From what I've seen so far it's pretty damned accurate, and will only get better once I can dial in the load for it.

Bolt? Hell yes. Brake, bull barrels, pillar bedding, fancy stocks...Gimme the works, please.

Gucci.

Extended ambi CH (Raptor), ambi safety (Talon or BADASS), trigger (SSA, ACT, etc.), can (Turbo K or Flow 556K), etc., etc., etc.

I like the idea of a "simple" gun, but I find that all of this stuff makes them more usable and fixes minor shortcomings with them.

I’ve standardized on the LBT two stage triggers, bcm mod 4 CH and Magpul Miad grips as the bare minimum. Then every rifle gets a suppressor and red dot. Not all have lights.

I have only one AR actually put together at the moment, and it has irons and a standard trigger. In fact, it's a 60's Colt trigger according to the friend who put the lower together. I think the only thing in it that counts as Gucci is a Tubb's flatwire spring and a Spike's T2 buffer. Real smooth shooter, but other than that, pretty barebones.

That said, he is putting together another for me. PRI handguard, 16" pencil barrel, and a Leupold 3-10. It's 7lbs and an ounce. With a carbon fiber handguard, it seems kinda Gucci, but the idea was a simple, light carbine with magnification on it.

You have shot mine Jones. Bone stock. Bravo grip, optics, light.

I voted "no" for the question, but I'd say that all of my ARs float between "simple" and "Gucci".

All of them (the ones I'd use for defensive purposes) are set up more or less the same: red dot, light, BCM pistol grips, suppressor and Radian charging handle.

I guess I'm "Gucci" in the fact that I'll spend money to have a high quality base gun (BCM, LMT, MCX, MPX) and things like Radian charging handles, Unity risers, Scalarworks mounts, Ferro Concepts slings, etc. Only two of my guns have upgraded triggers. I've got expensive, but simple stuff that works without being flashy or obtrusive.

I don't spend money on ambi safeties, funky mag releases, gold plated charging handles, muzzle brakes that look like medieval weapons, DBALs, MOLS, NGALS, MGTOW, etc. The kinds of things that people pimp guns out with to put on the 'Gram.

That said, I've got some less serious guns that have JP bolt carriers, Silent Capture springs, etc. I'm not against those things, if they're practical.

I voted simple. To me Gucci usually means flash- lots of show no real go. I have 4 AR's right now plus my duty issued SBR. All have an optic of some type (red dot or scope), BUIS, a sling and a light. All have a "medium" size charging handle. I was finding my hand was getting chewed up with a standard handle when taking multi day/high round count classes. I don't have any ambidextrous controls, fancy stocks, etc. I have replaced all my triggers with either Larue Tactical or Geissele but as this is internal I don't consider it a flashy or Gucci modification. I do have a bipod on my Larue Tactical- 18" barrel- kind of a heavy gun for an AR.

Simple for me, as well. My M-4 style carbine has a scope (2.5-10X) for the type of shooting I envision using it for, along with a Magpul pistol grip and I replaced the stock handguards with a quad rail/VFG. I also replaced the stock trigger with a 3.5 pound single stage drop in trigger. A basic killamajig.

In the middle. A few more options than a bare bones carbine, but not full-on Gucci.

Light
Sling
Optic
BUIS
Medium extended charging handle
Stubby vertical foregrip (used more like a hand stop)

I sort of have/had one "gadget gun" per type (one Timmie'd up AR, one bolt gun, one shotgun), the rest of them are pretty normal.

11.5 DD upper on a blemished BCM lower. Ergo grip, BCM gunfighter charging handle, plastic magpul BUIS, Steamlight TLR1 w/ pressure switch, Blueforce sling and an Aimpoint micro.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
In the middle. A few more options than a bare bones carbine, but not full-on Gucci.

Light
Sling
Optic
BUIS
Medium extended charging handle
Stubby vertical foregrip (used more like a hand stop)

This me as well . . .

IMO Gucci means spending money for brand name, status, appearance, or form. Function takes a backseat. Gucci firearms are common. One only needs to look at social media and gun forums to find them. SF has boatloads of Gucci gun pictures -- including the ones where people provide artsy pictures, but are silent on how they perform. But show us how it shoots.... <<crickets>>.

None of my ARs are stock or simple. Their component improvements are the results of trial and error against the scorecard or clock, with or against those with better developed shooting skills than me. Including:

- optics. My vision isn't good. Quality glass allows me to shoot more accurately and faster -- up close, at intermediate distances, and near the practical limits of the AR system. Simple static targets, or complex movement between multiple targets.
- I do not put up with mediocre barrels. Wilson Combat for up to 18", and Bartlein or Krieger for 18" and longer.
- I use Wilson Combat single stage triggers because they work for me. I'm faster and more accurate than with stock triggers.

- My ARs have Mlok rails because they work for me.
- I shoot suppressed, with quality suppressors. This means a heavier buffer is better. I have JP silent capture systems on a couple of ARs, and plan to move all lowers that way eventually. The JP system just works better.
- I ditched A4 stocks long ago, because they didn't work for me. Magpul CTR on 16" and shorter carbines, with Magpul PRS on 18" and longer rifles.
- A couple of my match rifles have small ARCA Swiss plates just forward of the magwell. Because some matches require shooting from high tripod positions, and the ARCA clamp system is about as stable as things get.

- Blue Force slings work great for carbines. FTW slings are better for my heavier rifles, which in certain competitions are carried for hours.
- Mid-sized charging handles, because the smaller ones are more challenging to work with optics.
- Atlas bipods, so I can shoot accurately from prone or any number of messed up barrier positions.
- I don't camo paint my ARs. When I rebarrel, I don't cerakote -- brushed stainless is just fine.

I have one Gucci AR15 item -- a camo suppressor cover for my match TBAC suppressor. The camo cover has no function -- solid tan or gray or black would work just fine. But I like the way it looks.

Like fritz says: it depends on how you define "gucci". His definition seems in-line with my thoughts on it. Like the recent "tacticool" thread, in the lounge, subjective terms make for a vague conversation, unless some kind of more specific definition is presented and agreed-upon. "Gucci", in my mind, is a rifle comprised of high-end parts, that is babied, or otherwise underutilized. I have more than one AR with a combined high price tag, but they are, in my opinion, practical and effective. The elder setup; old faithful, if you will; is a LE surplus Colt 933 upper with a SF quad rail, sitting on a Colt AR15A3 "tactical carbine" lower. The gun is pretty-well thrashed, but it's still very accurate and reliable. It wears an Elcan Specter, ATPIAL, SF millennium series "vampire", and a titanium pre-S&W Gemtech HALO. It has an ambi safety and mag release, and a Gemtech adjustable carrier with a BRT tube. It also has a PRI charging handle, with their oversized latch swapped for a GI one, and a old modified Blueforce sling. Ol' plastic CAR stock on the back. I have done a lot of shooting with the gun, and it has yet to be usurped as my "go-to". Is it "gucci"? I say no; you might say yes.

The OP implies enhanced=gucci. If that's the case, then I guess I'm gucci? But then we need to figure out how we're defining AR15 "enhancements". Does that imply internal modifications, bolt-ons like optics and lights, or both? What brands qualify as enhanced? What price threshold gives way to enhanced?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KSGM,

Mid tier Colt and BCM. “Serious” guns get good optics, lights, and lasers.

Simple for sure. I have a forward grip, an optic and a light on the two carbines I’d use for HD.

For fun guns I prefer an even more simple look. Two of my ARs still have the carry handle and A2 style handguard.

I just picked up a Ruger AR556. Vortex LPVO. MagPul grip and stock. Cheapo BetoMart sling. And lots of MagPul mags. Thats it.

quote:

Originally posted by 1flynDO:
You have shot mine Jones. Bone stock. Bravo grip, optics, light.

That I have.

Interestingly, what drove this idea of Gucci versus simple was a range trip Saturday. One rifle has a CMC trigger, Surefire SOCOM brake, BCM furniture, Geissele rail, PEQ, Surefire light on an Arisaka mount, EoTech on a FAST riser.

Second gun had a stock pistol grip, stock trigger, cheap magpul stock, cheap non floated quad rails, Surefire light and a SIG Romeo 5 optic. It’s a standard FSB M4 configuration.

Times and scores about the same.

Plain-Jane (or very nearly so) for me.

One .223 with a fixed carry-handle upper, 11.5-inch barrel, and pinned / welded CAR-style flash suppressor to take the OAL to 16 inches for the barrel.

Second .233 carbine with an A2-style detachable carry-handle, 16-inch barrel with standard flash suppressor, and full (non-retractable) buttstock.

One 9mm AR carbine with 16-inch barrel, with a barely-perceptible nod to Gucci with a 2009-era VTAC light mount and a SureFire flashlight.

All three with simple two-point Blackhawk-brand slings.