Hey all!

Been looking at starting with my stock iron sights Sport II and upgrading it.

Here are my priorities in order of priority

1. Maintain rugged functionality that eats any ammo in any conditions, as its highest priority.
   - The sport 2 in stock form is pretty rugged from what I've gathered.
   
2. Upgrade for maximum recoil and muzzle flip reduction.
   - While not compromising on #1 to any largely meaningful degree.
   
3. Upgrade for Silent operation.
   - Without Compromising on #1 or #2 to any largely meaningful degree.
   
4. Upgrade to be Lightweight
   - Without Compromising on any of the prior priorities (except the notion that being lighter weight naturally adds to Felt Recoil)
   
5. Keep the length short with an over the barrel suppressor.

I also wanted to buy the parts one at a time to be able to afford them and also have some time to enjoy and appreciate the aspects of each new upgrade on its own), so going in order of maximum performance by dollar spent, here are my upgrades. Please feel free to add parts options to the list with the estimated price and its performance relative to the parts listed.


Upgrades


The first one on my list I like because it's easy to add on, relatively cheap, and doesn't mess with the firing system

1.)Mako GL Shock Stock - 90-100$~

The second one I picked was the best recoil reducing compensator with a suppressor thread mount I could find. But I would prefer the best one I could use with an Over the Barrel Suppressor (or one that fits this one.)

2.) Thunder Beast Arms Corporation 223CB Muzzle Brake: Best suppressor mount compensator 125$~
AR-15 Muzzle Brake Shootout #3 - The Truth About Guns


The Third option I was looking at was the MGI Buffer, which doesn't seem like it has anything competing with it after 15+ years surely that's not true? Does anyone else have the same technology? While this starts messing with the firing system, it seems like a solid upgrade for reliability and recoil/flip reduction in semi auto.

3.) MGI Buffer 165$
MGI's Rate and Recoil Reducing Buffer Lessens AR-15 Recoil

And this is where it gets murky for me, Pretty sure I want a grip pod over a grip + bipod for my 5th upgrade, but I'm not sure what rail to get for a free floating rail on my 4th, especially if i plan to get an over the barrel suppressor and want a full length rail/barrel guard. So some education and help with potential options for this part combo would be appreciated!


4.) Full Length Free Float Rail that fits an over the barrel suppressor?


5.) Grip Pod 165$
100-003-226WB
Military Model Grip Pod Picatinny Mount 7-9" Black
Mfr Part: GPS02


So if anyone has any suggestions for the parts I'm all eyes!

Just speaking to your concern of felt recoil and muzzle rise (assuming you have a carbine length DI gas system) but will work equally as well with a mid-length DI gas system, after much trial and testing, the best combination that I have found to lessen both is a Battle Comp muzzle device along with a Sprinco 'Blue' Enhanced Power buffer spring (Sprinco USA -- Recoil Solutions - READ! Good Info), and a Spikes Tactical T2 Tungsten buffer (Spikes Tactical Tungsten Buffer).

The Battle Comp does a very good job at reducing muzzle climb as well as mitigating muzzle flash signature, without much of an increase of noise Db. It a good trade-off between a full-blown muzzle brake and flash hider only.

Sprinco makes great chrome silicon buffer springs that will last tens of thousands of rounds without losing power.

The combination with the two almost completely eliminates any muzzle rise keeping your sights on target for very fast follow-up shots, and felt recoil is much softer feeling and straight back into your shoulder.

I'm sure everybody has their favorite devices/combos that may work as well, but this is just what I have personally used (and still use) that I just happen to prefer.

Good luck with this can of worms......

Welcome to the forum!!

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SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

A couple questions that I really hope you don't take the wrong way.


It sounds like this is your first AR?


Have you fired it yet?

Honestly, if it's a decently built, properly functioning AR, the best recoil reduction upgrade list is to get and stay in shape (if you're not), and seek qualified instruction in shooting a rifle.

I know that's less fun than playing the parts swapping game, but it'll serve you better in the long run.

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Pickpocket

Sounds as though you have little to no experience with the gun. Fire a few thousand rounds of assorted ammunition and reassess.

Here is an honest opinion, not aimed at hurting anyone's feelings: If the already nearly non-existent recoil of an AR15 is too much for you, your money would be better spent on a medical checkup followed by a gym membership.

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Pisgah

Recoil Reduction, in an AR! Start with the MP 15-22 and stay there, it's what you seek.

Never had an S&W AR15 facsimile, only some of another brand, but would assume the S&Ws are quality guns and work quite well straight-out-of-the-box without modification, other than maybe a good quality scope sight with a simple reticle that requires no batteries, if you plan on shooting beyond a 100 yards.

Assuming good shooting technique using a benchrest, at least a couple of hundred rounds of good ammunition (not bulk junk) will tell you if you really need or want to do any modification. You may decide you like the gun as is. Some never discover how well these guns perform as they come from the factory.

"Upgrades" are sometimes improvements, but far too often they are nothing but changes only. These changes may actually amount to a "downgrade" when subjected to real use. Some shooters think that things like light triggers and high magnification scopes will make up for a lack of shooting skill, but they don't. A five pound factory trigger works fine if one will take the minimal time required to become accustomed to it.

The recoil associated with the .223/ 5.56 cartridge is quite mild and easily adapted to with a little shooting. Good luck-

In case anyone else was looking at building something similar.

Got the Fab Defense GL-Shock for 75$ shipped, though I had to wait a couple weeks, the rubberized buttstock padding was a nice step up from the standard hard buttstock, but I was hoping for something more comfortable, so I added the LimbSaver Airtech Slip-On Recoil Pad, Medium Size, 1" LOP which fits the GL-Shock perfect, and was the best reviewed buttstock pad I could find. 17$ shipped.

Also got the venom 3 chamber for 18$ shipped which reduced recoil 72% and placed 4th, the value is really good compared to the three above it costing around ten times more @ ~185$, and considering #1 only got to 78%. On the muzzle brake shootout I linked in my first post.

Looked at the battle comp, like the others, for around 200$ & ~55% reduction, it didn’t seem like a great deal for me specifically compared to the competition. I didn’t spend time cross referencing all the flash suppression results with the recoil for top performers as whatever flash suppression I planned to be getting was going to happen with a suppressor upgrade. But most suppressors that I was considering were expensive enough that I’d be getting them later on. Hence the 18$ comp without threads for a can.
5.56 Muzzle Brake / Comp / Flash Hider Shootout!
https://www.vuurwapenblog.com/genera...ould-feel-bad/

Figure I'll leave the buffer alone for now and decide how I feel later if I end up upgrading with an adjustable low profile gas block. I’ll update on my specific results when I have time. But I’m very happy with the difference thus far for a total of 110$ for the three upgrades!

Posted this a while back when I posted my other post about the upper lower slop, but it was pending review and it doesn't look like anyone ever got to it, or it was a glitch, so I'm trying again.

Disclaimer !! I have reliably been assured , t that IF you are 2 Gun or 3 Gun competitor , at the level that thousandths. Of a second make a difference in Match placement , small differences in Muzzlebrake design , and tweaking of springs , buffers , etc , and gas system tuning can make a difference .

That said - By normal standards , for 99.9% of us , 5.56/ .223 has so little recoil that it effectively rounds off to zero .

Anything mass produced has tolerances . A Master AR 'smith of my aquaintence has a specialty of complete Gaging , and blueprinting to specs . But at that , AR is a forgiving design , and unless your rifle has actual function issues , it will probably be entirely adaquate out of the box . If you just have to preemptively do something , a Sprinco spring and an upgraded extractor spring are inexpensive , and without downsides .

Mass produced GI style triggers can be variable in quality of trigger pull . A " Blueprinted " GI style trigger such as the ACT or equivalent are inexpensive , and result in a very usable trigger pull .

IF you have reasonably decent eyesight , Iron sights are perfectly functional , and will serve you well along into your marksmanship journey before they become a limiting factor , if ever .

OEM buttstock and forend are perfectly serviceable .

A 16 inch non HBAR is reasonably lightweight as- is from the box . The best way to keep weight down , is to refrain from adding do- dads on to it .

Take the stock ( or essentially stock with above inexpensive high quality drop in replacement parts) and proceed basic Marksmanship instruction , and prodeed with delibert shooting practice and preferably some shooting 8nstr7cth

I've had a total shoulder replacement, and the recoil don't bother me a bit. Go to the gym....

Yup, I am an underweight 73 year old and the recoil, especially from a bench, does not bother me in the least. It is normal male behavior to want to get every toy to add to your new toy. But, the other guys are right. Just keep it wet lubed, go shoot a few boxes for fun, then repeat. In a year or so you will discover you like shooting it just the way it is.

Have at it, my friend. Add every doodad you can find. Sooner or later you'll end up with one like mine -- nekkid, except for an occasional red dot sight ...

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Pisgah

I was just getting ready to ask the same thing. It seems a lot of guys either play Call of Duty, or read too much on the internet, and get it in their minds that they *need* to go changing out a bunch of things on their brand new AR’s without firing them enough to fully understand what they are doing or why.

I’m not saying that this is the case in this particular instance, but it is very common. I have a friend who is younger than me, and he owns a lot of very high end firearms. Most of them are extensively modified. The thing is that the guy really doesn’t shoot. He just collects.

When I got my M&P Sport 2, he started talking about milspec this and you need to add that. I finally had to explain to the guy that this was far from my first AR purchase, and that I have been shooting them for a long time. I explained that over the course of many years, I had been issued both semiauto and select fire versions, and had owned/built more than a few. Based on thousands of rounds fired, and years of learning, I know that an AR that is built halfway decent doesn’t *need* much. A sling, perhaps and optic and a white light if you are using it for protection.

The Sport 2 is a pretty solid gun. Recoil? What recoil?

Before I bought my Sport II a couple years ago the only rifles I'd shot were a Ruger 10/22 that I had forever and a recently purchased M&P 15-22, so I thought the recoil would be bad in the 5.56/.223, and in anticipation I bought a limbsaver snap-on recoil pad for it. As it turned out the recoil wasn't bad at all.

My latest rifle purchase was a Savage Axis in .308, and that has some recoil. I'm a skinny old guy and after about 6 rounds through that .308 my shoulder aches, but I could shoot the AR all day. I'm buying a recoil pad for the axis but don't really need one for the Sport II.

But I also understand not wanting to leave the AR in stock condition. I'm already on my third trigger, third scope, second bi-pod, and have changed to a free float handguard. The ability to customize the Sport II into exactly what you want is a big part of the attraction.

Maybe you need a BB gun.

Recoil reduction for AR?

How did the Greatest Generation shoot BOLT ACTION 30'06 without killing themselves?

especially when their opponents were firing Mosin Nagant 7.62-54R bolt guns. Just as bad, and steel buttplates too.

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NRA RSO

Recoil on an AR.

Alrighty then!

The one thing IMHO that needs changing on an AR out of the box is the FCG.

A decent drop in FCG does wonders for less that $150.

All the other stuff is money wasted IMHO for the average shooter

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt