there are many like it, but this one is mine.

Doing some posts on my range kit and my gun setup. Today to kick things off, I'm starting with my rifle. Her name is Bae, and she's made to be what I need her to be.

First, a boring parts list before I explain everything:

• Spikes Tactical Honey Badger lower receiver
• Aero precision upper receiver
• Strike Industries Mega Fins 12.5 inch FSP rail
• Toolcraft M16 cut bolt carrier group with 9130 bolt
• Ballistic Advantage 16" 1:7 Modern Series barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO with pinned A2 FSP, melonite gas tube, and A2 flash hider
• Magpul MOE K2 pistol grip
• CMMG lower parts kit
• Strike Industries forward assist
• Allegiant Rifleworks enhanced charging handle
• Magpul MOE stock
• Magpul MS3 sling and QD attachment point
• sling loop back plate
• CMC trigger and hammer pins
• Magpul MBUS rear sight
• Eotech XPS 3-0
• Steiner OTAL-C IR laser
• Streamlight TLR V-IR
• Bravo Company Manufacturing angled fore grip

Total cost ~ $1500, not counting recent barrel and bolt carrier replacements. It adds up fast, but can all be bought one piece at a time to spread the cost. I built Bae about 5 years ago, and didn't realize it cost that much to do. Base rifle cost was about $800 back then.

Bae

Bae is my second AR-15 rifle. My first was a build that I put together for $300 mostly from donated parts. I think I bought the barrel, lower receiver, and bolt carrier group. It shot reliably and accurately, but wasn't set up well for my shooting ergonomics. I sold it and built Bae with the knowledge I had gathered through fairly extensive training.

Wear pattern in the paint

The first thing I learned was that I did not want a flip up sight on front. Flip up sights flip down too. They flip up when you don't want them to, and they flip down when you don't want them to. I much prefer fixed sights, which left me with an A2 sight or a rail mounted fixed sight. I went with the A2 because it's a solid apocalypse-proof option. There's a reason the military uses an A2.

When I run a lower 1/3 cowitness optic, I run a fixed rear sight as well. Right now I have an Eotech XPS 3-0 on it, which is an absolute cowitness, so I use a Magpul flip up rear sight. I'm saving up for a riser, because I prefer the fixed sights and a higher optic for transitions and shooting with night vision.

L3 Eotech holographic weapon sight and Toolcraft BCG

While I was building Bae, I also got turned on to the money pit that is tactical night vision and night shooting. It changes things and adds a depth to the shooting experience and thought pattern. You need more equipment for night shooting, which can cost many times what the rifle itself costs. So my setup all had to be night vision compatible. At first, I had a Surefire M952V-TN light, but the Streamlight I have on there now has a better IR flood. My Eotech is the night vision compatible version as well. I picked the Eotech because it doesn't have a forward light signature like other red dot optics. I can also add a quick detatch magnifier if I want magnified optic capability.

Steiner OTAL-C IR laser

When shooting at night, your primary aiming device is a laser. It significantly changes your shooting posture during that time because you need your head up when using nods (night observation device). I opted for the Steiner OTAL because it is a super solid device that was affordable to me at the time. I think I paid $350 for it new, but the price has jumped to $600 recently. Most nods and associated accessories have increased in price because of demand over the last few years.

Selector switch

At the time, I went with a mil spec lower parts kit because it was affordable and reliable. In the future, I'll be upgrading to a Geissele trigger. I don't like drop in triggers much. No particular reason really, I just prefer the Geissele every time I've shot one.

I recently upgraded my bolt carrier group (bolt, bolt carrier, firing pin, extractor, and associated springs and cotter pins) to a toolcraft BCG with a 9130 bolt. I couldn't find one available with the C58 bolt, so I settled. This is a badass BCG. My last one was a gun show special that I picked up for $80. The gas rings blew out, so rather than replacing a $3 part, I just upgraded to a whole new BCG and sold the old one for $20.

The barrel and BCG are the heart of the AR-15. On the first round of building Bae, I used a gun show special barrel that was only $75. I also made the mistake of trusting a machinist to drill out my gas port to .090". Double screwup. She kicked like an artillery piece, and I couldn't get a group smaller than 8" at 50 yards. I had to put a screw in the gas channel on the original A2 sight to block some of the gas and tame the recoil. Even then, it was never better than 2 MOA. (Minute of angle, MOA, is approximately 1" at 100 yards.) I upgraded after a few thousand rounds to a Ballistic Advantage barrel with a sub-MOA guarantee. I'm not a sub-MOA shooter, but I want to have my equipment (like the company I keep) be better than me. Next is to develop a target round that's optimized to my rifle's harmonics. That'll be another post later.

Sometimes I use a bipod for sighting in or at ranges where we sit in chairs.

As for future upgrades, I'll be changing my light probably. I also want a short throw safety selector and a Geissele trigger. And a B5 Sopmod stock to store batteries and candy. Other than that, Bae is exactly what I need her to be. An effective rifle to 200m (and beyond with a magnifier) that's light and fast and always by my bed in case I need her.

There are as many ways to set up an AR as there are people that want an AR. If I had it to do over again, I'd go with a M-lok rail instead of keymod. M-lok is stronger and more accepted in the gun world as a better quality mounting platform. If this rail ever fails me, I'll replace it with an M-lok FSP rail, probably from Geissele or Midwest Industries. But I don't anticipate that happening anytime soon.

I hope this was a useful post for someone wanting an AR-15 rifle or anyone that may be afraid of rifles that look like this. I recommend building your rifle first before you buy a fully constructed one off a shelf. If you're gonna stake your life on something, get intimate with it. Remember that any defensive rifle needs a sling, a light, and an optic as the basic setup, and that training with the weapon is absolutely paramount. Of course, be safe when shooting or training. It doesn't help anything for you to get seriously hurt with a firearm. Safety is your responsibility.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this little post about my Bae. Stick around for more. :)

Love from Texas,
Nate 💚