Have you ever wanted to build a rifle but don’t have access to a fully outfitted machine shop, nor have the training or money to piece together a functional and SAFE firearm from scratch? Many people are in the same boat and up until a few years ago, there weren’t a whole lot of options. Now there are plenty of ways to go about setting up a rifle that will be fun to shoot and serve as a superb firearm for hunting, competition, and self-defense.
“Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR)” is a term used to describe any number of firearm platforms that can be purchased fully assembled or in pieces and then assembled kind of like an erector set. Many of todays “Black guns” are included in this category because a good portion of their components can be swapped out or tweaked to the sportsman’s needs. Quite a few of the top manufacturers including Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Mossberg, and Ruger offer fully built models for the folks that aren’t ready to start from scratch while smaller shops like Spikes Tactical, Daniels Defense, Wilson Combat, DPMS, Rock River Arms, and many others offer complete rifles as well as upper/lower assemblies and all the parts in between. You can create your own just by searching out the components that will meet the budget and performance desires.
I’ve wanted to get into shooting an AR platform for quite a while but was always reluctant to jump in with both feet since it just seemed too darn complicated and way to expensive. But I finally found a complete rifle that didn’t cost a fortune and which could be modified with off-the-shelf components from a variety of vendors to create a gun to meet my family’s needs perfectly. The newly released Ruger AR-556 is an entry-level gun that had all the features we were looking for and it’s received pretty good reviews from many of the industry experts, making it a viable option for getting into the semi-auto game. So yes, I picked one up.
Putting 100 or so rounds through it on the first outing isn’t enough to really gauge things in the long term, but so far it looks to be a winning choice that will give years of service. Swapping out a few parts will give it the personal touch and possibly improve upon an already sound piece of equipment. Magpul offers a wide variety of grips, stocks, and accessories to fit just about any standard platform or individual taste. Picking a sight option can be another whole can of worms that takes some time to dig though, so whether it’s a red dot, illuminated reticle, or laser, you’ve got more than enough options to choose from.
Not too long ago the MSR was considered inferior when it came to accuracy and reliability, which is why bolt action rifles were more popular in the field, but as more people wanted to create their own “Frankengun,” and accuracy concerns dropped to the wayside, the market exploded. Now it’s a buyer’s market with just about any imaginable caliber and configuration available as a complete firearm or as pieces the consumer can assemble at their leisure. They just have to take the plunge.
I’m really looking forward to making some modifications when the budget allows, but for now we’ll just have to be happy shooting it just the way it came from the factory. That shouldn’t be a problem considering how happy we are already. Stay tuned for updates as they occur and don’t be afraid to get one of your own. They’re a blast to shoot and can serve a variety of functions whether you’re looking to shoot paper, steel, critters, or protect your home.
Brian “Beastman” Eastman
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